Page 20 of Talk Vino To Me
He doesn’t wait for an answer. He just slides his hands beneath my hair and pulls me in for an utterly devastating kiss. Ian’s tongue explores every facet of my mouth, learning the shape and taste of each breath and gasp. Lust explodes through me as I match him, stroke for stroke. He makes a satisfied noise that rumbles through my mouth, my skin, my body, and I press myself closer into him, trying to get nearer, ready to melt into him and never come up for air.
I should resist. I have every reason not to let this heat build between us. But I can’t give this up. I’ll never be able to walk away from this man. That thought should scare me, but I’m too far gone to care.
He breaks the kiss, pulling back from me with a self-aware laugh. “Damn, woman. We have to stop, before I end up taking you right here on the bloody desk.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” I whisper against his lips. He chuckles, and opens his mouth to speak.
Whatever he was going to say is lost in the ether as we both jump at the rattle of the doorknob. We break apart as the door opens, and in walks the last person I expected to see. I must be hallucinating.
“Roger?”
“Hey, baby girl. Long time no see.”
Ian
What the hell? I feel like I’ve fallen into a time warp. I haven’t seen this man in twenty years, but I recognize him instantly. He’s a handsome dude. Older now, of course, with mostly salt in his long, curly salt and pepper hair; a fully white beard, neatly shaped, and a few more wrinkles around dark hazel eyes. He’s got a friendly sort of face.
“Raj? Holy hell. It’s been ages, man.” I let go of Daisy, grateful that neither of us is in a state of too much disarray. Can’t believe I forgot to lock the door. I’m too used to rattling around this place with just my staff. They know better than to barge in to my space. Now that we’re open to visitors, I need to develop better habits.
I cross the room to shake his hand. “Nice to see you. How did you hear about the winery? Are you living on the West Coast these days?”
“Yeah, as it happens. I’ve been back here for a while.” Raj’s grin is pure charm. And suddenly familiar. Not because of our history, but because I’ve seen it recently. At least one very much like it.
“Fantastic. That’s great. We should catch up soon.” I really do mean it. I can’t say that I’ve wondered what happened to the guy very much over the years, but he’s got talent. If I thought about him at all, I assumed he was doing session work. I’m sure he’s been on dozens of albums since working with us.
“For sure, for sure. This is a great setup you’ve got here, man.” Raj holds his hands out, indicating the winery. “First class. I had a sample of your product. It’s incredible. As a matter of fact —”
“What are you doing here?” Daisy’s been so quiet, I almost forgot she was in the room. Looking at her, though, I don’t know how I could miss her glare. Tension rolls off of her in thick waves.
“Hey there, Daisy G.” Raj’s voice goes soft, with a kind of tenderness that sets my radar on high alert. He sounds like he knows her. Like they have a history from way back.
I rewind the last couple of minutes in my head and realize Daisy greeted him by name. But she didn’t call him Raj. She referred to him as Roger.
Is he the person she was on the phone with? The one she was utterly pissed at? Is he — fucking hell — her ex? An ugly sensation rises in my chest at the thought. It’s irrational, but there it is. I hate the idea of her having an ex. Anyone who could have hurt her is on my shit list.
Settle down, cowboy, I tell myself. Now is not the time to get all wrapped up in my feelings for Daisy, however strong they are. At this moment, I need to sort out what the hell is going on with these two.
“So.” I keep my tone casual. “I’m getting the sense that I don’t need to introduce you.”
“Correct,” Daisy snaps. “It’s not necessary. I’m familiar.” Damn. She says familiar like it’s a four letter word. Raj winces, but doesn’t look away.
Again, her behavior is incredibly off. The Daisy I’ve come to know is cheerful, not tight lipped, and she certainly doesn’t vibrate with rage the way she’s doing right now. Clearly, there’s something going on that I don’t understand. What the hell is the problem?
“Hey Raj? Do you want to tell me what this is about?” My eyes dart back-and-forth between the two of them as he hesitates.
At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be any connection between this older white guy and this lovely brown-skinned woman. But the more I look at them, the more similarities I begin to see. The shape and color of their eyes. Her nose slopes exactly like his. The subtle twist of his mouth is a dead ringer?—
“Holy shit,” I breathe out. “You’re Daisy’s father.”
“Yeah,” Raj admits. His voice is almost too soft to hear. “I am.”
Fuck me. I sit on one of the chairs at my conference table. I don’t even know how to begin grappling with this.
This guy — who was my fucking bandmate, who I’d only known as Raj — he’s my girl’s dad?
Well. This certainly explains why Daisy remembers the details about the band’s brief flirtation with a different bassist, even after all this time.
“Ian.” Kel knocks on the door before poking her head in. “It’s time for —”