Page 44 of A Vineyard for Two
‘I’m a little rusty, actually. Normally, it’s Leo that does the wine tasting. Sometimes Zoe pitches in. Me, well, I don’t have the patience or enough stories to tell, so I just fill in when they’re unavailable. This will be good practice.’
Harper laughed. ‘I find it hard to believe that you don’t have stories to tell.’
‘Some guests are difficult to please.’
‘I doubt you’d have any trouble. Remember, they’re probably more worried about themselves.’
‘You’re probably right. Still doesn’t make it any easier,’ he said and smiled before continuing. ‘Is there a preference for the wine you like to drink, ma’am?’
‘The dry variety, and something lightly sweet for dessert.’
‘I believe we have something to suit your tastebuds,’ he said, pulling out a bottle of white. ‘The first one on the tasting board is our soft crisp Verdelho.’
She watched him pour a tasting serving into the glass.
‘See the colour? It’s a little yellower than straw. Swirl it gently, take a sniff. Do you notice the lemon aroma? Hmm, yes. Now take a sip, gently swirl it around your mouth. You’re welcome to spit or swallow.’
She glanced up at him as she took a sip of the wine. His gaze was driving into her, and it brought on the butterflies in her stomach. Her body wanted him and she’d thought about what they would be like together again for a brief moment. But she knew that in most cases, the fantasy was usually better than the reality. It stayed pure and untouched, just the way she imagined it. There was no awkward morning after with deep regrets or disappointments. The fantasy lived and breathed maintaining a fire inside her belly. It all started with a fantasy. And yet, when he came towards her from behind the bar, took her hand and pulled her towards him, she didn’t stop him. She didn’t pull away and make an excuse to go back inside and call it a night. She should have. But the desire inside of her was stronger and spoke louder than any sense or reason. Shivers ran up and down her spine as he touched his fingertips to her cheek, sliding them down towards the nape, then pulled her in towards him until their lips touched. Soft at first, then more passionate as the hunger for each other grew. She allowed the moment to take over her, allowed him to explore her, as she explored him with equal measure. It was the same, but different. His body was firmer and more refined; the years working on the land maturing him. She ran her hand along the stubble of his chin, then kissed him with equal vigour, as he found his way into her and they found their natural rhythm. They held on to each other even when it was all over, leaning against the bar panting, and using one another to stop collapsing to the floor.
TWENTY-TWO
Brookes woke up in his own bed the next morning. His head was slightly heavy, but it wasn’t from the wine but the memory of what had transpired. He tried to recall the events that had led to the lovemaking in the bar, but that didn’t really matter. He’d wanted Harper since she arrived back, whether or not he had admitted it to himself, and it was better than he had envisioned it.
He checked his clock. He should have been at the inn working now. There was still so much that needed to be done and only a week to go before the Christmas in July dinner.
Harper’s scent remained on him. He didn’t want to shower; he didn’t want to lose that delicious vanilla and berry smell, but he wasn’t going to turn up to work dirty either. She’d given him a sense of hope that maybe not all was lost between them. Or was it just sex to her and nothing else? No, he didn’t believe that. The passion was there. It was even better than he’d remembered. She’d wanted it as much as he had last night. Their chemistry was undeniable.
He heard Rover bark, and it got him out of bed without his usual five-minute snooze. Rover stood by the bedroom door and, as Brookes passed, he ruffled the dog’s coat. ‘Let’s go for a run.’
He brushed his teeth and dressed before heading outside. The crisp air was refreshing of a morning and the run gave him a half hour to clear his head whilst Rover happily burned off energy, chasing anything that moved. By the time they got back, Rover was worn-out and Brookes really needed a shower. Even in the cold, he sweated like crazy after a workout. Ten minutes later, dressed and ready to tackle the day, he grabbed a banana and addressed Rover. ‘You hungry, boy?’
Rover barked and followed him into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, Brookes grabbed a slab of meat on a plate, took off the cover, chopped it up, and placed into the dog’s food bowl. Rover sat by his side until Brookes motioned for him to eat.
Thoughts of Harper returned as he washed up. He wanted to talk to her, and he hoped after last night there would be no awkwardness between them.
Brookes pulled up at the inn and parked his Hilux beside Harper’s car. The window that previously had the brick thrown through it was now shiny and new.
His stomach turned. Nerves. He hadn’t felt those in a long time. He couldn’t recall any woman ever having that effect on him, except for Harper. The fact that they had slept together the night before only added to it. He didn’t regret it, but he was apprehensive as to how she was going to react. Knowing Harper, she was going to pull away, and he wasn’t sure how he would handle that. A part of him had hoped that last night would make her want to stay, but he knew that was foolish thinking. Harper wasn’t going to stay just for him. She needed more than that, and that was fair enough. He wasn’t going to move to the city just to be with her either, and so it wasn’t fair to think she would do it for him. They were both independent with their own needs and desires, but together, well for him anyway, everything worked better. Knowing that she was a part of his life just made everything fit. Maybe it was naïve thinking, maybe it was just him and she felt different, but one thing was certain: she still had feelings for him, and that gave him hope — a lot more than he had a few days earlier.
‘Hey,’ he said.
‘Hey.’ She remained seated on the floor, peeling bits of plaster from the wall and adding it to the already growing pile beside her.
‘Been here long?’
‘A while.’
One-word answers. Okay. So this was going to be awkward.
‘Are we going to talk about last night?’
She stood, wiped her hands on her pants. ‘Nothing to talk about. We’ve got less a week to get this place ready for an event. No time to waste.’
When she walked past him, he wanted to grab her and pull her towards him. Instead, he just stood staring at the peeled wall.
Harper’s heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest. She hadn’t intended on sleeping with Brookes. It was just all common sense had escaped her last night. It was a combination of food, and wine, and memories. She was lying to herself if she said the attraction wasn’t still there. Of course, it was. And it was mutual. She felt it in his every touch. But that didn’t matter because she couldn’t stay. Once they were done with this Christmas in July event, he could do with the vineyard what he pleased. She had come here not knowing about it. He could keep it for himself. She didn’t need any part of it, and she wouldn’t get in his way with whatever he wanted to do. It was easier that way. Persuading Brookes to sell was going to be impossible. Sure, she could use the money, who couldn’t in this uncertain economy, but she’d done well for herself and had more than enough savings and investments with future growth prospects. Mathers Vineyard was all his. She just needed to get out of here, and fast. Surely, the legalities of the Will didn’t stipulate she had to remain in town. They may have been co-owners, but that didn’t mean that she was bound to stay here.
She paced and focused on slowing down her breathing, getting her mind off things, trying to calm herself. But each time she thought about Brookes, it brought her back to last night, to his hands all over her, making her feel things she forgot she could feel. It wasn’t like with the few lovers she had had over the years. It was different with Brookes, gentle yet hard at the same time. It wasn’t just a physical act; it was mental, emotional, and reached deep into her soul. She put it down to their past. They knew each other well; they had practiced the moves a long time ago. But this time, it had felt better, like coming home but also rediscovering something new. Those emotions scared the hell out of her. But it wasn’t just that. She had thought about the slashed tyre and the rock in her window. They had been warnings. Someone didn’t want her here. She knew that. Leaving was the only option, even if it was going to hurt like hell. She just had to get through the next week.