One-Click Buy: March 2009 Silhouette Desire

by Katherine Garbera

  Her heart pounded beneath her dress as she cleared her throat. “I know you don’t want me here. In a lot of ways I wish I could turn the clock back to before my first trip and change everything back to the way it was.”

  She swallowed, aware of a painful truth. She wouldn’t willingly give up her precious time with Amado for anything.

  Ignacio grunted, still snipping away at a plant.

  “But I can’t. I came as an employee, doing a job that I enjoy very much, bringing great wines to people’s tables. I’m here today because I, Susannah Clarke, take personal responsibility in what I do.” Her hands trembled. She wasn’t going to hide behind the shimmering steel barricades of Hardcastle Enterprises anymore. Something in her tone of voice made Ignacio look up.

  She held his gaze. “My employer, Tarrant Hardcastle, would like to buy all of this year’s wine from Tierra de Oro.”

  Ignacio put down his shears and rose to his full height. His mouth tightened into a flat line, but the look in his eyes made her chest constrict.

  “It would be a financial boon for the vineyard, as he has instructed me to let Amado set his own price.” She held her head high, wanting to let him know that she wasn’t trying to cheat them.

  “All the wine? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

  “He has deep pockets.”

  “He wants to control my son.” His jaw stiffened. “His son.”

  She couldn’t argue. Tarrant was not above trying to buy affection, or coerce it, if necessary.

  “If Amado does this…” He shook his head. Strong emotion traversed the weathered planes of his face. He pressed a fist to his heart.

  Susannah inhaled a shaky breath. “I feel strange asking this. Totally out of place, in fact, but does Amado even have the right to do this?”

  He paused. Stared at her, his blue eyes distant. “Do you mean, is it his vineyard, or mine?”

  She nodded.

  He rubbed a hand over his face. “Legally, of course, on paper, it’s still mine and has been since my father died and left it to me.” His broad chest rose as he inhaled deeply. “But the bodega and all its wine are truly Amado’s. If not on paper, then here.” He tapped his chest with his fist.

  “He brought the vineyard to life, figured out how to finance the winery, chased down the customers, encouraged the tourists. He grew it from the seed of his imagination into what you see today.”

  Sorrow flickered in his eyes as he looked at her. “I’m proud of him for his accomplishments and I would never try to take that away from him. In that sense, yes, he has every right to do with his wine as he wishes.”

  Susannah heaved a sigh of relief. At least this deal-with-the-devil wouldn’t result in Amado getting kicked off the estate. She couldn’t have lived with herself if she’d been a part of that.

  But that wasn’t the end of it. She also couldn’t live with herself if the deal caused a permanent rift in the family. She cleared her throat. “Um, how do you feel about the idea?”

  He paused for a moment, eyes wide. Then he let out a coarse burst of laughter that made her take a step back. “How do I feel?” His chest heaved. “What kind of pop psychology question is that? How do I feel that my son chooses to hand over his life’s work to the son-of-a-bitch who gave him life by accident, and turn his back on the man who raised him?”

  Red-faced and still pounding his fist to his chest, the older man looked like he was about to have a heart attack. “But to answer your carefully put question, no, I won’t assert my right to control the vineyard and cast him out. Even if he no longer considers me his father, I will always consider Amado to be my son.”

  The door opened and Clara stepped out onto the patio.

  Tears shone in Ignacio’s eyes as he stared at Susannah. She had a feeling he’d just arrived at this revelation himself. His anger and resentment at the situation had crystallized down to its core—his deep and enduring love for Amado.

  Clara laid a hand on his sleeve. He took her hand and held it in his. “Amado was a gift to me. He arrived unexpectedly, and as the result of a tragedy, but he brought joy I could never have imagined. And he brought me my beautiful and wonderful wife, Clara.”

  Ignacio bent his head and kissed her hand. Two fat tears rolled down Clara’s cheeks, which flushed pink. He brushed one away with a leathery thumb. “She married an angry widower who’d lost his child. Her demanding boss, no less. What kind of person takes a chance like that?”

  He shook his head, staring at her in wonder. “Her kind and selfless gift—of her own life—transformed a disaster into the sweetest joy a man can experience in his lifetime.” He pressed his hands to her cheeks and kissed her. Clara blinked, her ample chest heaving with unsteady breaths.

  Susannah’s stomach trembled at the raw display of emotion and affection by these two reserved people. She found herself backing away, unworthy to witness this profound moment in their lives.

  Maybe one day she’d be worthy of such deep affection.

  She cursed herself for her foolish, selfish thought. “Thank you,” she managed. “I’ll be going now.”

  Susannah walked slowly back across the property to the house. Theoretically, everything could work out fine. Amado would make a deal with Tarrant, the value of his wines would rise, he’d make lots of money, Ignacio would be prickly at first but eventually get used to the idea and…

  She couldn’t do it.

  Once Hardcastle Enterprises got their fingers into Tierra de Oro, it would change forever. They wouldn’t even mean to change it, but they would. Demands for increased production, greater efficiency, cost reduction.

  Once Amado kissed-off his old customers, he’d become dependent on Hardcastle. Subject to the whims of a director in a boardroom, just as she was herself.

  Tierra de Oro was more than a vineyard. As Ignacio had acknowledged, it was Amado’s whole life, planned and planted and cherished into lush fruition. This new alliance—even if it was with his own blood—could stunt and warp the growth and change everything.

  And she didn’t want any part of that. Even if it meant quitting the job she loved.

  She turned to look up at the mountains and pulled her phone from her pocket.

  “What do you mean you can’t do it?” Tarrant’s voice rose over the phone. “My son doesn’t want to sell his wines to me?” His voice was tight.

  “He does. But I don’t think he should. I don’t think it’s in the best interests of the estate. They have a diverse client base and deep roots in the community.” Her voice shook.

  “And who are you to have an opinion?” Anger and arrogance colored his voice.

  “I may not be important, but I set this in motion, and I feel responsible. I won’t be a party to it.” She swallowed hard. Here goes nothing. “I’d like to offer my resignation.”

  “Accepted.”

  Susannah tracked Amado down in one of the vineyards near the house. She saw him first, and she couldn’t help pausing for a moment. He looked so handsome, the tanned skin of his cheeks warmed by the late afternoon sun, hair and shirt collar tossing in the breeze.

  She’d miss him very much. Now she no longer worked for Hardcastle, she’d have no reason to come back here. Ever.

  “Amado.”

  He turned, and a quick smile lit his face.

  Her heart thundered against her ribs as she picked her way along a row of vines and he walked toward her at the same time.

  A romantic image, but there was no romance here. He’d have every reason to hate her for going against his wishes. For angering his newfound father.

  She’d tried to find a smooth path. An easy way out. But sometimes there just wasn’t one, no matter how hard you looked for it. Maybe she’d hoped her former boss would beg her to stay. That he’d ask her to come up with an equitable compromise that would benefit both Hardcastle Enterprises and the vineyard.

  But he hadn’t.

  She stopped a few feet from him and blurted out the truth. “Tarrant wants to
buy your entire output.”

  Amado stopped walking. It was late in the day and the sun hung low in the sky, at the high mountain peaks. He narrowed his eyes against the harsh afternoon light. “Why?”

  She looked straight at him. “I suppose he wants to support you, or to own you. Or something in between. Maybe it’s his warped way of showing he cares.”

  His frown deepened. “The price?”

  “He said you should set it.” She straightened her shoulders. “I told him I wouldn’t be any part of it.”

  “Why?” The word exploded from his mouth.

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea, for the estate, or for you.”

  “It’s not a good idea to set our own price for wine that will find its way onto the tables of connoisseurs in the U.S. who will raise the value of our brand?” He blew out an angry breath. “Do you think our wines aren’t ready? That they’re not superior enough?”

  “I think your wines could go anywhere, and I’m confident that they will. But I don’t think you should let Hardcastle Enterprises take over your distribution. It’s a tightly run business, with concrete and aggressive business goals. Soon, they’d make demands that you might not want to meet.”

  “Or that you don’t think we could meet.”

  “I don’t have any investment either way. I quit my job.” The words drifted out of her mouth and hung in the air.

  “You what?”

  “I’ve done enough damage here in my role as a representative of Hardcastle Enterprises. Yes, I loved my work, but I couldn’t look myself in the mirror if I encouraged you to take this offer, and I couldn’t take my paycheck if I didn’t.”

  He stared at her, angry and accusatory. Even then her body responded, chest swelling and nipples tightening.

  It didn’t matter. Soon she’d be gone and her body would return to its normal state.

  Pain pierced her heart at the prospect of leaving for good. But she had no choice. At least she’d leave with her conscience intact, and at the end of the day, she’d found that’s what mattered to her most.

  Amado’s stern gaze had drifted lower over the simple dress she’d chosen for travel.

  She tried to ignore the way her skin heated. She couldn’t control her physical reaction to him. She’d learned to accept that. She was only human.

  The silence between them finally forced words to her tongue. “Selling the estate’s output to Tarrant would hurt your father terribly. I know you’re angry with him now for what he did to Valentina, but do you really want to drive a permanent wedge between you? You all live here and love this place, and it’s better to embrace the future as a family.”

  Amado’s jaw stiffened. “As you forced me to learn, Tarrant Hardcastle is my father.”

  “In a purely technical sense, yes.”

  “And you’ve decided—in your infinite wisdom—that’s how it should remain.”

  “I think it would be good for you to grow closer to Tarrant, but not at the expense of Tierra de Oro, or your relationship with Ignacio.”

  “You know everything, don’t you?”

  His hard stare threw down a challenge and she shivered under its force. “I thought I knew a lot more than I did. I thought I could do my job and make my boss happy then get back to doing the work I enjoy.”

  She drew in a shaky breath. “I can’t. You can speak to Tarrant directly and make any kind of deal you want, but I won’t be a party to it.”

  He tipped his head. Pale gold sunlight played off the planes of his high cheekbones. “So easy to wash your hands of us, is it? No doubt you’re ready to continue your travels. To visit somewhere with less emotional drama to deal with.”

  He took a step toward her. “Somewhere you have more distance. More control.”

  Her belly contracted as he stepped into her personal space. His scent assaulted her, brashly male, soap and skin and sweat from a long day.

  She blinked, trying to fight off a rush of feelings. “I don’t want to harm the growing relationship between you and Tarrant. But I don’t want to destroy your relationship with Ignacio either.”

  “It’s always about someone else, isn’t it? It’s never about you.”

  She faltered. “I’ve just been a messenger here. A facilitator. But I can’t play that role anymore, so I’m leaving.”

  “Huh. Like your parents. Bringing the word of God—or Tarrant Hardcastle in this case—to change the lives of everyone around them. Then they pack their bags and move on.”

  Susannah stood speechless. “This has nothing to do with my parents.”

  “No? I think you learned to live as a permanent tourist. Always on the outside, looking in. Offering advice and keeping a scientific distance.”

  He took one step closer. She could feel his body heat, almost hear his pulse in the air. Her own heartbeat raced and thundered.

  “Until you met me.” He seized her around the waist and pressed his lips to hers, hard, hot and unrelenting. She tried to push back, to regain control, but her legs buckled and suddenly her arms were around his strong back, clinging to him.

  Emotion flooded through her, devastating in its intensity. Even as she kissed him back with force, she couldn’t help hating him for this last show of the humiliating power he had over her.

  He pulled back as fast as he’d started. Stepped away. Left her shivering and tingling and gasping for breath. “It’s just sex isn’t it? Simple lust.” Eyes narrowed and mouth savage, he stood a couple of feet from her.

  She nodded.

  “I’m sure you can analyze it out of existence if you try hard enough. Leaving is a good start.”

  He stared at her. Daring her to just turn and go. To put him and Tierra de Oro behind her and get on with her life. To go where she felt safe, protected from the emotional storms she’d helped unleash and which had now buffeted her own life right off course.

  He looked at her feet. Perhaps waiting for them to move. To start walking along the brick walkway to the house. Someone, possibly Amado, had driven her car back to the house from the vineyard. Her bag was already in the trunk.

  But as his eyes rested on her feet—low-heeled ballet flats now covered with sandy dust—she couldn’t help but remember that foot massage he’d given her on her first night. She was a stranger, an obnoxious and rather arrogant one from a foreign country, with a crazy tale that insulted his family, and he’d taken the time to help her relax and feel at home. In his bed.

  Emotion welled up and spilled out into words. “It’s your fault too. I didn’t ask to be seduced. I’ve never slept with anyone, ever, on any of my business trips. You started it!” Her playground-style accusation rang in the air.

  “Of course. I led you astray. I apologize.” His dark eyes glittered.

  “I thought it would be fun,” she blathered on. “I didn’t realize…” She paused and swallowed hard.

  “Didn’t realize what? That you’re a woman, capable of feelings?”

  Her breathing was audible and she could barely control it. She blinked as the sun slipped behind the barn roof and sent a sharp ray directly into her line of vision. “Yes,” she whispered.

  Feelings. That simple word really didn’t describe the disturbing and confusing array of sensations and emotions that bedeviled her whenever she even thought of Amado.

  Why couldn’t they say goodbye nicely? Why did he have to be so hostile? She’d simply done what she was asked to do. She hadn’t meant to hurt anyone.

  Her chest constricted. “I’ll never forget our time together.” Unable to stand there a moment longer without bursting into angry and ashamed sobs, she turned and ran along the brick path, blinded by hot tears.

  Amado stared after Susannah as she ran. Anger surged through him. She could just run away and leave? In a few hours, she’d be on a plane. Back in the States. Getting on with her life.

  I’ll never forget our time together.

  A shocked laugh fled his lips. He was just another snapshot in her mental photo album. She dis
missed their deep connection as just another of his “affairs with foreign visitors.”

  He’d brought her here to get her out of his system. To slake the crazy lust she aroused in him. He’d planned to enjoy her until he grew tired of her charms, then send her on her way.

  And now she was leaving because she didn’t want to deal anymore? She’d quit the job she loved to get away from him?

  “Hey, fool, why aren’t you running after her?”

  He spun around to see Rosa standing on the path, a bowl of fresh eggs in her hands.

  “Run after her? What for? She’s dying to get away.”

  “Maybe she thinks she is, but you know better.”

  “What are you talking about, you crazy old woman?”

  She walked toward him, looked right at him with those penetrating dark eyes that could read his mind since he was a barefoot brat.

  “She loves you.” She said it quietly. The words rested in the air between them for a few seconds.

  “No, she doesn’t. She’s leaving of her own free will.”

  “Just like Valentina left of her own free will all those years ago?” She shook her head. “You could have gone away with her, but you didn’t because you knew that your place was at Tierra de Oro.”

  “She turned me away.”

  “She did it because she loved you and she wanted to keep your family together.”

  Her words cut deep. The truth hurt. “Ignacio drove her away.”

  “And now you’re going to let him do the same thing again? I’ve worked for this family since I was a girl and Ignacio’s always been too stubborn and pigheaded for his own good. He loved Clara for ten agonizing years before you finally came along and brought them together in a so-called ‘business arrangement’. It was pathetic the way the two of them pussyfooted around each other, pretending they didn’t love each other for all those years. If you hadn’t come along, they’d probably still be moping about and sleeping alone.”

  She blew out an exasperated snort. “I’m too old to watch another Alvarez push away the woman he loves because of his stupid pride. Run after her!” She gestured with a gnarled hand.