“Is that a good thing?”
I smiled, squeezing his hand still holding mine. “It’s a very good thing. I’m just in awe. I cannot imagine growing up here and seeing this all the time, hearing stories that I bet only true Greeks know. You must have had an amazing childhood filled with culture and history.”
He shrugged a shoulder. “I suppose I did. You didn’t?”
“Not like this. History in the states is nothing like it is in other parts of the world. Our history only goes back a few hundred years. This? Standing in a site that dates back further than anyone even really knows? That’s amazing. It’s so hard to wrap my head around the fact I’m really here. I never thought I would see this stuff in person. I never thought I would get to experience a true vacation around the world, and here I am. You’re making this all possible, and I really don’t know how to tell you just how important this is to me.” I felt emotional and ridiculous for gushing, but it was all the truth.
“I am happy to be a part of this,” he said in a low voice.
“This is truly a first for me,” I told him, looking up to meet his eyes. “I feel so free, so normal, so… so… free!” I shook my head. “Back home, I always felt like I had all these ropes holding me back. I couldn’t do a lot of things because it was financially impossible. I couldn’t take a day off because I had to study or work to make sure I was able to afford to live. This? This moment? I feel like I’m really living.”
There was a warm smile on his face as he nodded his head. “Good. Let’s not stop here. There are a few other places you’ll want to see while you’re here.”
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat, and let him lead me away.
The day was a whirlwind of activity. I was too amped to be tired. My feet hurt a little by the time we made our way up to our room at the hotel, but it was all worth it. I had blown up my dad’s phone, sending him a ton of pictures. I knew it was the middle of the night for him, but I felt like I had to share it.
“I’ll order dinner,” Adrian said, kicking off his shoes. “Do you want to take a bath?”
I was dying to get into the huge jacuzzi tub and soak my weary legs and my poor feet. I nodded. “Do you want to join me?” I asked in a soft voice, a little unsure if that was crossing a line I wasn’t aware of.
He grinned. “I would. I’ll order some champagne as well.”
I nodded, energy still zinging through my body after the adrenaline rush of the day. I could think of no better way for the day to end than crawling into a hot bath with a hunk of a man like Adrian. I knew it was all a dream world and I would soon wake up and land back in reality, but I wanted to live in the moment. The memories we were creating were going to get me through the rest of what I expected to be a mundane life, compared to what it was like in Greece with Adrian.
“Are we going back tomorrow?” I asked him, knowing the answer but hoping for the best.
“No.”
My eyes went wide as I spun around to look at him. “No?”
He smiled, slowly shaking his head. “I’ve made some plans for tomorrow.”
“You did?” I squeaked out the words.
“I did. Go get that bath started,” he gently ordered. “I’ll be in there in a few minutes.”
I nodded and walked away, feeling like I was floating.
I never wanted it to end.
Chapter 23
Adrian
Bella was pacing the living room, anxious to get to where we were going, with no idea where that place was. I had kept it a secret, wanting to surprise her. I learned pretty fast she wasn’t a patient person. She’d pinched and begged and pleaded and offered to do all kinds of things to my body—some good, some not—in an effort to get me to reveal our plans for the day.
“Are you ready?” I asked, half teasing because I knew she’d been ready for an hour.
She glared at me. “Are you? I’m beginning to think this is all a hoax.”
“It’s not a hoax,” I said, walking to her, putting my hands on her hips, and pulling her in close.
She tilted her head back to look up at me. “I’m ready.”
I dropped a kiss on her lips before stepping away and heading for the door. The car was waiting to whisk us away to a vineyard I had reserved for the entire day. No visitors besides myself and Bella. Only the staff and owner would be there.
The limo was waiting for us when we walked out the front doors of the hotel. Unlike the first time she’d seen the magnificent car waiting, Bella strolled to the car and climbed in the backseat like a pro. I loved that she could quickly acclimate to anything sent her way.
“I think you’re really going to like this,” I told her when the car turned off the main road, traveling away from the city.
“I can’t imagine I wouldn’t like anything you show me,” she replied, her eyes focused out the window. “It’s all wonderful.”
I took in the long legs, crossed at the knees. The tiny shorts she was wearing made her legs look even longer. She’d put on a T-shirt, covering her shoulders after getting a little too much sun yesterday. I tended to forget not everyone was acclimated to the heat of a Greek sun.
When the car stopped, Bella looked at me, then back out at the massive sign indicating we were at a vineyard. “A vineyard?” she asked.
I smiled. “Very good,” I teased.
She didn’t look all that impressed.
I knew there were vineyards all around the world, but this was special. “Yes, a vineyard. It’s just me and you and the workers of course.”
That caught her attention. “Yes. We’ll get a tour and do a little wine tasting. They have a chef on staff that is world renowned. The restaurant on the grounds is one of the best in Athens.”
“Oh no! I’m not dressed for that!”
“You’re dressed just fine. As I said, it’s just us. We’re not impressing anyone. Besides, I’m wearing shorts and a T-shirt as well.”
The back door opened, and before she could worry anymore about her attire, we were escorted into the vineyard tasting room where the owner was waiting for us.
“Hello,” he greeted with a warm smile.
“Hi, Alesandro,” I said. “This is Bella. Bella, this is Alesandro. He owns the vineyard.”
Alesandro stepped forward and gave Bella a quick kiss on the cheek. “It is so nice to meet you. Your man has taken care of everything. We hope you enjoy your visit.”
“Thank you,” she said a little shyly.
“Thank you for letting me do this,” I told him.
He cocked his head to the side. “For you? Anything. You’ve done amazing things for our little family vineyard. Business is booming. My staff was very pleased to have a day off.” He chuckled.
“Hey, you hired the best,” I joked. “I had to see for myself what it is you’re offering.”
“Of course, of course. We have the villa ready for you if you would like to rest first.”
“The villa?” Bella asked.
“We’ll be staying here tonight,” I announced. “I’ve rented the entire vineyard—all of it, including the villa.”
Her eyes were as big as saucers. “Are you serious?”
I smiled and almost told her the rest of my surprise but managed to keep it to myself. I couldn’t wait to see her reaction when she did see it. I wanted to impress her. I wanted to make her happy, and fortunately, I had the money and the means to do it. I could make her smile and bring a tear of joy to her eyes. That was my new goal in life. I didn’t care about making more money or increasing my company’s value.
I wanted to see her smile.
“I’m very serious,” I said.
“But we didn’t bring our bags,” she said.
“It’s taken care of,” I assured her. “Our things will be here within a couple of hours.”
“Oh. Wow. All right then. Let the wine tasting begin. I’ve always wanted to do one of these tours but never seemed to have the time.”
“Now you do.”
“We are ready to start with the first samples, and then we can move over to the wine-making area for you to make your own wine,” Alesandro said.
“We’re going to make wine?” Bella asked with astonishment.
“It’s part of the package,” I said with a wink.
She shook her head, her hand covering her mouth. “I cannot believe this. I’m—I’m at a loss for words. This is so awesome!”
We spent the next few hours tasting wine and touring the massive vineyard before we were taken up to the main showroom to have lunch.
“Alesandro, join us,” I invited.
The older man looked at me and smiled before gently shaking his head. “No, no, this is your time.”
Bella chimed in. “Please do. I have so many questions about your vineyard.”
Alesandro’s face softened. “If you don’t mind my intrusion, I would love to share a meal with the two of you.”
The three of us sat down. Alesandro looked from me to Bella, and then back at me with a gleam in his eye. I headed him off before he could say anything that would make Bella or myself feel awkward. We hadn’t talked about what was happening between us, and I didn’t want to. I just wanted to go with the flow of things.
“How is business?” I asked him.
His face lit up. “We are booked for the summer. People want to tour the vineyards, and with your team’s ideas, we have opened up the dining area to accommodate more guests. We have sent in our first order for merchandise with our brand on it and will soon start shipping our wine via our new online storefront.”
“Really? Good to hear!”
“I owe it all to you. You helped an old man when others were trying to tell me I would never get this small winery on the map. You made it happen. I am so grateful to you.” He smiled before turning toward Bella. “I was one of his first clients. Did you know that?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t.”
Alesandro smiled and got a wistful look in his eye. “It was almost three years ago. I had just lost my wife of forty years, and the winery wasn’t doing well. I was ready to sell and give up. Adrian told me he could help me. He convinced me he could revive the business and breathe new life into it. I didn’t think it was possible, but within six months or so, things were looking up. It’s only gotten better from there. My wife would be so happy to see her dream finally coming true. I only wish I could have met Adrian sooner.”
I reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. “You had it all right here. You just needed someone to put it all in a pretty little package.”
He grinned. “And you did. I know you did more than I paid you for. I cannot tell you how much it means to me to see my business thriving. I owe it all to you.”
I looked over to find Bella staring at me. The way she was looking at me made me squirm a little. I could see the admiration and adoration in her eyes and didn’t feel worthy. I had done my job with Alesandro. Maybe I had given him a little extra, but he had taken a chance on me, and I wanted to make sure he got his money’s worth from my services.
“I’m going to use the restroom,” Bella said, getting up from the table.
When she was gone, Alesandro turned to face me, a serious look on his face when he reached out and touched my arm. “She’s a good one. You have to hold on to the good ones.”
“She is a very good person,” I said, not wanting to admit she was my intern.
It felt wrong to think of her as my intern and nothing more. I was staying in his villa with my intern. It was pretty clear there was something going on between us. We’d spent the day exchanging kisses, holding hands, and with me keeping her close with my arm around her. I felt ashamed of myself. I wasn’t going to tell him we were just sleeping together or that it was just an affair while we were away from the office.
“And I will keep that in mind,” I mumbled, looking away, afraid he would see my guilt.
“Ah, I see you aren’t sure,” he said. “Take it from me. That kind of affection comes around only once. The way she looks at you? That only happens once. You grab on to that one and don’t let go.”
“She has proven herself to be invaluable to my company and maybe to me,” I confessed in a soft voice before finally meeting his all too knowing eyes again.
“Ah, yes,” he said. “My wife, she was the company. She was the one with the vision and the energy to make it happen. When I lost her, I gave up. I didn’t think I could do it. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it without her, but then you convinced me I could honor her by making this place a success.”
“I’m glad it is working out. I truly am happy to see the success you’re having.”
“Thank you,” he said, rising when Bella returned. “I will leave the two of you alone to enjoy your dessert. Your bags have been placed in the master suite at the villa. You can retire whenever you would like.”
“Thank you so much for this lovely lunch and allowing us to tour your winery. It was a wonderful experience.” Bella gave him a warm hug.
“You’re very welcome,” Alesandro said before turning and winking at me as he walked away.
I looked back at Bella. “Would you like to do a little more adventuring?”
She let out a tired sigh. I felt the same way. Yesterday had been exhausting, and today was just as tiring. “Sure,” she said half-heartedly.
I chuckled. “I agree. Why don’t we retire to the villa? I could use a little downtime, and I need to check email.”
She bobbed her head up and down. “Absolutely. I am anxious to see what the villa looks like. I’ve seen them on TV but never in person.”
“Do you want to walk, or should I call for one of the golf carts?”
“Let’s walk,” she said with a small laugh. “I think we have that much energy let in us.”
“Barely.”
We got up and walked away, following the path I knew led to the villa. I had seen it once, but that had been a while ago. When we approached the large home, I heard Bella gasp.
“Wow, it’s better than what I’ve seen on TV,” she exclaimed, taking in the two-story white home.
“Good,” I said, opening the door and letting her go in first.
Her sharp intake of breath as she stepped into the open, airy living space made me smile. The villa was perfectly romantic. I couldn’t wait until later when the real surprise happened.
Chapter 24
Bella
While Adrian checked in with work, I took advantage of the huge bathroom and the lovely garden tub that had huge windows overlooking a private garden. Adrian assured me I had complete privacy and didn’t need to worry about anyone peeping on me while I bathed. After spending more time just hanging out and relaxing, there was a knock on the door.
Adrian smiled, a look in his eyes that said he was up to something.
“What’s going on?” I asked with curiosity.
“You’ll see,” he said.
I rose from the place on the couch where I had been cozied up to him, surfing the internet on my tablet while he read a book on his. It was incredibly peaceful in the vineyard, and settling in with Adrian had been easy.
I watched when a cart, the kind used for room service, was wheeled in. Adrian directed the young man pushing it to leave it in the kitchen. I smelled a familiar aroma coming from the cart and walked toward it. Adrian stood next to it with a huge grin on his face.
“What is it?” I asked in confusion. “It smells like… barbecue?”
Adrian winked and pulled off one of the dome lids to reveal a pile of barbecued ribs. “You have a good sense of smell.”
“No way!” I squealed.
He pulled off a few more lids. I could feel tears springing to my eyes as I stared at all the familiar dishes. It was a barbeque. Although gourmet, it was a good old-fashioned American barbecue right in the middle of our Greek villa.
“You talked about how much you were missing home and the barbecue, so I thought I would bring it to you,” he said nonchalantly.
I shook my head in complete awe. “This is crazy. I can’t believe you did this.”
“It is the Fourth of July,” he said with a shrug.
I giggled. “It is. Too bad we won’t be able to live stream the fireworks show.”
He smiled. “About that,” he said, leaving the words hanging.
“This is plenty,” I assured him, anxious to dive into the meal. “This has made this trip absolutely perfect!”
“It isn’t perfect yet,” he insisted. “Let’s get plates and head out to the balcony.”
I clapped my hands together, unable to hide my excitement. “I’ll grab one of those bottles of wine Alesandro gave us.”
The wine we had made together was bottled and waiting for us to take home and open in a few months or years if we wanted. For now, we’d been given a couple of bottles of our favorite varieties from our tasting tour. With our plates heaped with coleslaw, potato salad, ribs, baked beans, and fried chicken, we moved to the patio to enjoy the beautiful night. After stuffing our faces with the perfectly cooked meal, we stretched out on the lounge chairs with a glass of wine to do a little stargazing.
“Look over there,” Adrian said in a low voice, pointing out something I couldn’t see.
I wasn’t sure what I was looking at. “Um, I—”
The sky erupted into brilliant colors—red, blue and green—as fireworks began to fill the sky, bursting into vibrant colors before fading away.
“Surprise,” Adrian whispered.
My hand was over my mouth, staring at the sky with a myriad of emotions. “You did this?”
“Happy Fourth of July,” he said.
I got up from my chair and crawled in next to him on his lounger. “You’re amazing. I can’t believe you did all of this for me. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, wrapping his arm around me and squeezing me closely against him.
We watched the fireworks show for fifteen minutes until the last one had erupted in the sky. I lifted my face to his and kissed him.
I felt raw and vulnerable. My emotions had been running high, and all I wanted to do was fall into him. I rose up, moving over the top of him and straddling him in the chair. My hands moved to the hem of his shirt and pushed it up his body. He was watching me without saying a word as I undressed him before moving off the chair and stripping off my own clothes.
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