White Wedding: A Christmas Romantic Comedy (Blackwood Cellars Series Book 3)

by Carla Luna

  Victoria opened another bin and brought out a stylish silver box. “Here’s the kit for the gingerbread mansion. Missy wants this one made into a cardholder.”

  “Nice. Coriander+Clove. I’ve always wanted to make one of their gingerbread houses, but the price was too high. You know?” Araceli glanced around the spacious great room. “Or maybe you don’t. But I’m gonna craft the shit out of this.”

  “As long as I don’t have to,” Victoria said. “Inside the bin are the three other kits, plus all the instructions. Missy has very specific demands. I went ahead and bought some bags of candy—peppermints, candy canes, licorice bits, gumdrops, M&M’s—but get more if you need them. Rafael can add them to the bill.”

  From the way Araceli was drooling over the upscale kit, Rafael suspected she would have put it together for free. But people as wealthy as Ben and Missy shouldn’t receive free labor.

  Victoria reviewed all of the boxes, each of which contained a specific task and a set of notes. There was no doubt in Rafael’s mind that she enjoyed organization. Which he could relate to on a completely different level. When he cooked at the restaurant, he was border-line fanatical about his mise en place.

  He was about to suggest they load the bins in his car when a male voice called out, “Hello. Anyone home?”

  “In here.” When the visitor entered the great room, Victoria leapt up and greeted him with a warm hug.

  Rafael fought back a surge of jealousy. Hadn’t she said she was single? Who was this guy?

  But after she released the stranger and they stood side by side, their resemblance was unmistakable. Although the man was half a foot taller than her, he shared her dark hair, blue eyes, and high cheekbones.

  “Connor, this is Rafael, from Tres Hermanos,” Victoria said. “And his cousin Araceli. They’re helping me with Ben and Missy’s wedding.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Connor said. “I’m Connor Blackwood, Victoria’s older brother.”

  Victoria beamed. “He’s co-owner of Maverick Winery. It’s off the De Portola Wine Trail, near Danza Del Sol.”

  This must be the brother she’d mentioned on Monday—the one who’d left Blackwood Cellars to start his own business. The name Maverick Winery also rang a few bells. Rafael had read a review of it on a local foodie blog. The reviewer had raved about the wine and cheese pairings. “Nice. I’ve heard great things about it.”

  Connor grinned. “Thanks. It’s been a ton of work to get it going, but it’s a thousand times better than being stuck at Blackwood Cellars.” He gave Victoria a sheepish smile. “Sorry. I know you don’t have a choice.”

  Victoria crossed her arms. “Not at the moment. Speaking of which, Dad wouldn’t be pleased if he knew you were here.”

  “I’m well aware,” Connor said. “But I also know Wednesday night is his cigar club. And Mom called me on Monday to tell me she was leaving for New York. I figured the coast was clear. Unless you’re planning to rat me out?”

  She laughed. “Are you kidding? What do you need?”

  He gave them a sly look. “Jess has this recipe for brandy eggnog that I’ve been dying to try. Dad keeps a few cases of Valois Brandy in the wine cellar.”

  Valois Brandy. That was high-end stuff. Rafael had only tried it once, but it blew him away. Loads better than Paul Masson or Korbel or any of the cheap shit.

  Victoria raised her eyebrows. “Dad also keeps a detailed inventory of all the booze in this house.”

  “I know. So, if he notices a few bottles missing, you’re going to tell him Dickhead Darren dropped by and took them for a Christmas event.”

  “Our older brother,” Victoria explained. “Even though he has his own wine cellar, he comes here to stock up on the expensive stuff.”

  Araceli sprang to her feet. “Are you going down to the wine cellar? Can I see it? Please?”

  “Sure,” Connor said. “I’ll give you a tour of the whole house if you want.”

  “Yes!” She pumped her fist and followed him out of the great room.

  At the thought of being alone with Victoria, Rafael’s pulse sped up. Even without makeup, with wisps of hair escaping from her messy ponytail, she looked beautiful. And relaxed. Working under her father’s supervision had to be a huge strain.

  “Sorry about Araceli,” he said. “She looked up your house on Zillow and worked herself into a frenzy.”

  Victoria sat back on the couch, putting a little space between them. “It’s fine. I’m glad I could set up a time when my father wasn’t here. He…”

  “He didn’t think too highly of me, did he?” Rafael didn’t hide his annoyance. “Is it because I work in a restaurant? There’s no shame in being a part of the service industry.”

  “That’s not it. It’s…more because you can’t offer him anything. He’s only interested in people in terms of what they can do for him. Like politicians or investors. And he holds a grudge like you wouldn’t believe. Ever since Connor started his own winery, he’s been banned from the house. He wasn’t even allowed to come over for Thanksgiving dinner.”

  Rafael couldn’t imagine anyone in his family carrying a grudge that far. But he needed to tread carefully with his criticism. Even if Victoria didn’t like her father’s attitude, she still worked for him. He decided to switch topics. “How are you feeling about the wedding? Still overwhelmed?”

  “Not as much. Thanks to you and your family. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have you on my side.”

  Her smile looked so genuine his heart all but melted. He scooted closer and spoke in a low voice. “I’ve been thinking about you.”

  She put her face in her hands. “Don’t say that.”

  “You haven’t felt the same way?” He shouldn’t go down this path. Not after the talking-to he’d gotten from his brothers. But he couldn’t help it. He’d spent the last two nights revisiting old memories.

  She lowered her hands, revealing her flushed cheeks. “Maybe? But we can’t do anything. If my father ever learned about Baja, he’d be furious. So would Ben. He’d never let you cater his wedding.”

  Rafael frowned. “Ben doesn’t own you. He left you for Missy.”

  “It doesn’t matter. He’d still go all alpha.” She bit her lip. “I’m sorry. There’s too much at stake.”

  Feeling bolder, he took her hand, marveling at how smooth and delicate it felt. When she didn’t pull away, he leaned in closer. “I get it. My brothers would flip if they knew. Martin’s worried I won’t be able to handle this job. He suggested I switch weddings with my brother Tony.”

  Victoria’s eyes widened. “You’re not going to, are you?”

  Her concern gave him a momentary ego boost. Three days ago, she’d been horrified to see him. Now she didn’t want anyone taking his place. “No. Tony’s going to help out, that’s all. But I still shouldn’t let on that anything happened between us. I have too much of a reputation.”

  “Oh, really? You?”

  “Yeah. Some dumb shit. If I could take it back, I would.”

  “I can relate. It sucks being judged for our past mistakes, doesn’t it?”

  When she held his gaze, he was tempted to move in closer and kiss her. To taste her soft lips and feel her silky hair underneath his fingers.

  He stopped himself in time. If his mistakes had taught him anything, it was that he had to stop acting impulsively and think about the consequences of his actions. To put his job first and behave like a responsible adult.

  But that didn’t make him want her any less.

  Chapter 13

  With all her heart, Victoria wanted to kiss Rafael. To place her arms around his neck, pull him close, and feel the brush of his lips against hers.

  When was the last time she’d been properly kissed? Certainly not with Ben, whose kisses had been quick pecks, more for optics than anything else. Any kiss with Rafael was bound to be much better.

  But when Connor’s voice broke the silence, she pulled her hand away from Rafael’s. She couldn’t let her emoti
ons cloud her judgment. Not if she wanted to keep this wedding on track.

  Araceli held up a bottle of red wine. “Blackwood Cellars Premium Cabernet. Special Edition.”

  Victoria gave her brother a wry smile. “How very generous of you.”

  “Araceli told me she’s never tried any Blackwood Cellars wine,” he said. “If she’s going to work for you, we needed to remedy that. Add it to Darren’s tab.”

  “Will do. Anything else you need?”

  “Nope. Araceli told me about all those Christmas trees. Let me know if you need help. Jess would probably be up for it.”

  Araceli clapped her hands. “We can make it into a party. It’ll be so much fun.”

  Fun for them, maybe. Victoria had already suffered through three nightmares in which she was forced to decorate a never-ending parade of Christmas trees. But a decorating party might relieve the pressure.

  Rafael stood up. “We should get going. Let’s load up the bins.”

  Within a few minutes, they’d packed everything in the trunk of his car. Victoria wanted to take his hand, or give him a hug, or do something to express her gratitude, but she restrained herself. Tomorrow morning, she could call him from her office and thank him. As part of her job.

  After Rafael and Araceli had left, Victoria assumed Connor would follow suit, but he leaned against his truck and assessed her. “Looks like your boy forgave you.”

  She looked down, feeling awkward. “I think he felt sorry for me, so we established a truce. That’s all.”

  “A truce, huh?” Her brother’s grin was far too smug. “We’ll see how long that lasts.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Remember how much Jess hated me when we first got to Maui for Marc’s wedding? After two days, we called a truce. Six hours later, we ended up in bed.”

  She clapped her hands over her ears. “No details. Please. That’s not going to happen here. You and Jess were on vacation at a tropical resort. Rafael and I are working. This is a job.”

  “Fair enough. But what about after? What’s to stop you from getting together once the wedding’s over?”

  She hadn’t allowed herself to think that far ahead. But it didn’t matter. She’d still be living under her father’s thumb, subject to his rules. “Not an option. Dad would hate it if I started dating Rafael.”

  “Who cares what he thinks? He’s a selfish asshole. Please tell me you’ve stopped chasing after his approval.”

  She sighed. “It’s just…I hate the way he treated me after Paris. Like I wasn’t worthy to be his daughter. But when I started dating Ben, he acted proud of me again. We even went golfing a few times.” She blinked back tears, remembering how excited she’d been when her father had asked her to join him on the golf course. He’d been the one who first taught her the sport, shortly after she turned ten.

  “Hey,” Connor said softly. “I get it. The only reason I stuck with Blackwood Cellars for five years was because I thought he’d finally respect me. Especially after I started putting in the work. But it didn’t matter. He was convinced I was a fuckup, and nothing I did was going to change his mind.”

  Her heart went out to him. “I’m sorry. I wish he’d let you come home to visit. I’d try talking to him, but I’m already on thin ice as it is.”

  “I’m going to approach Mom about it. When she comes home from New York, I’ll pick her up at the airport and mention it on the drive. Maybe then I can convince her to let me visit at Christmas.”

  Victoria hated the thought of celebrating the holiday without him. “I can come with you to the airport. For moral support.”

  “Thanks. I’d like that. But back to Rafael—once the wedding’s over, you should go after him if that’s what you want.”

  “But we’re from two different worlds.”

  “Because he’s not rich? Neither is Jess. It’s not a big deal.”

  A spark of indignation flared up inside of her. Connor made it sound so easy. “Yeah, but you’re…”

  “What?”

  The wind picked up, making her shiver. “You’re not rich anymore. Every penny you have is invested in that winery. You’re not exactly the Blackwood poster child. Which means you can get away with dating someone different.”

  Ugh. That sounded racist. But race wasn’t the issue. Their father didn’t care that Jess was half-Latina, only that she was lower-class. He often claimed the only color he saw was green.

  She twisted her hands together, hoping she hadn’t gone too far. “You know what I mean, right?”

  Connor frowned. “Don’t be a snob. If you love someone, it shouldn’t matter how much money they have.”

  Now he was cutting too close to the mark. She crossed her arms. “Love? Who said anything about love?”

  “Too soon, huh?” His scowl dissolved into a sly grin. “Seems to me you’ve got it bad, but what do I know? Jess claims I’m clueless about that stuff.” He opened the passenger door of his truck and set the bottles on the floor. “Speaking of which, I need to get home so she can thank me properly for the brandy.”

  “So, get going already.” But he’d managed to wring a smile out of her. She was glad her brother had found someone he loved. Even if he was broke, he was happier than she’d ever seen him.

  She watched him leave, rubbing her arms against the evening chill. As his taillights faded into the darkness, she looked over the valley, dotted with other mansions similar to theirs. This was what she’d grown up with. It was all she’d ever known.

  That doesn’t mean it’s right for you.

  She mulled over Connor’s accusation. For years, she’d accepted her family’s wealth and privilege without question. Being a snob came with the territory. But she didn’t know if she wanted to be that person anymore.

  She went inside, headed into the kitchen, and refilled her mug with mulled wine. Sitting at the breakfast bar, she sipped it slowly, savoring the taste of cinnamon and cloves. Was she a wimp for not standing up to her father? For not striking out on her own, like Connor had?

  But he’d already had a head start. Even before he invested in the winery, he’d been living on his own, in a condo he bought four years ago. And unlike her, he hadn’t enjoyed his work at Blackwood Cellars because he reported directly to Darren. But Victoria genuinely liked event planning. She loved the feeling of organizing all the details, turning ideas into reality, and orchestrating a well-run event. She wasn’t ready to jettison her life.

  And yet…

  She wasn’t happy either. For too long, she’d battled twin demons—resenting her father for treating her poorly while also craving his approval.

  By her third glass of wine, she was too sleepy to think straight. She got ready for bed, settling in with a twisty Gothic mystery set in a crumbling English castle. As long as she focused on the story, her mind wouldn’t wander into forbidden places.

  When her phone pinged, she picked it up from her nightstand.

  Rafael had sent a text. Sorry if I was inappropriate tonight.

  So much for putting him out of her mind. She was tempted to leave his text unanswered, but she couldn’t resist. You were fine. A total gentleman.

  He replied with lightning speed. I didn’t want to be.

  How had things progressed so quickly? They’d gone from animosity to friendship in five days. And now they were sending late-night texts, like a couple of lovers.

  She needed to put the phone down. And set it on Do Not Disturb.

  Instead, she ignored her instincts and hit the call button. Before she could change her mind, Rafael answered, the rumble of his low, sexy voice making her shiver. “Everything okay?”

  She opted for a snarky tone, hoping to keep things light. “You can’t text me late at night. It’s hardly fair.”

  “True. But you upped the stakes by calling me.”

  She groaned. He was right.

  “You’ve been thinking about me, haven’t you?” His words offered a sensual entreaty. Impossible to resist.


  Was he in bed? Half-dressed? When they’d been together, he’d slept in the nude. At the thought of his naked, muscular body, her nipples hardened into tight buds. A throbbing ache coursed through her as she imagined his mouth on them. “Yes,” she murmured.

  “Yes what?”

  “Yes, I’ve been thinking about you.” How could she not? She’d never felt as free and passionate as she had during those two weeks in Baja. Though she and Rafael had done more than have sex, right now the sex was foremost in her mind.

  “Anything you’d like to share? I’ve been revisiting the night we camped out on the beach. Remember?”

  “How could I forget?” Up until that point, he’d kept things platonic. But she’d wanted more. She’d done her best to seduce him, brushing her lips against his bare skin, working her way down his body inch by glorious inch, tasting and teasing, until he finally capitulated. The sex had been mind-blowing.

  “It was incredible,” he said.

  Heat traveled up her cheeks. She grabbed her water bottle from the nightstand and pressed the cold metal against her forehead. “Rafael, I…”

  “You know what I’d do to you if we were alone right now?”

  Yes. She wanted him to describe all of it, in erotic detail. She let her fingers slip under the rim of her panties, hoping to relieve the ache building up inside her.

  “Are you naked?” she asked softly.

  “I could be. What about you?”

  “Not yet. Maybe you should undress me.”

  The slam of an outer door jolted her out of her fantasies. Her father was home. Though he rarely stopped by her room before bed, his presence in the house hit her like a dose of ice-cold water.

  What was she thinking? She couldn’t get involved with Rafael. “I…I have to go.”

  “Wait. Was it something I said?”

  “No. I’m sorry. I can’t do this. We have to keep things professional.”

  A long pause followed. When Rafael spoke again, his tone was measured, lacking its earlier warmth. “You’re right. Sorry. Have a good night.”