Chaos Among the Vines (Romancing the Vine Book 2)

by Gemma Brocato

  “Standing here, daydreaming about how different life would be is only throwing me off schedule.” Avalon swept up her toiletries bag and headed to the bathroom.

  Under a stinging shower, the hot water eased some of the tension caused by wishful thinking. After rinsing out her hair and washing with her favorite shower gel, the one Will seemed to like as well, she reached for the taps. Her fingertips touched the cool handle, but she hesitated.

  Curling her hand into a loose fist, she dropped it to her side. “An extra minute won’t kill me.”

  She turned her face to the stream and let the warm water flow over her. Her lips parted in a smile as she slicked her hair away from her forehead and turned her back to the spray. Starting a mental count in her head, Avalon timed the extra minute she’d allowed. Once she reached sixty, she shrugged and continued counting.

  Extra time in the shower wasn’t something she ever indulged in. It served no purpose. The goal was to get clean and get the day going. But thoughts of Will surfaced. She stopped counting as daydreams took over. Of him joining her in the shower. Standing behind her, soaping her body. His hands tender, his skin slick and warm against hers. Delightful tremors of need washed through her as Avalon ran her fingers through her hair. God, it shouldn’t be so easy to pretend it was Will, kneading her scalp.

  Steam rose around her, floating free, the way she wanted to . . . needed to. The way she probably never would. Years of being the adult in her mother-daughter duo surfaced, bringing thoughts of how irresponsible these extra minutes were, of how discourteous it was to hog the bathroom.

  Crashing free of her dreaming, she jerked her head from under the warm cascade. She’d lost count. It had to be at least three extra minutes she’d stayed in the shower stall. Possibly more. Grasping the faucet handle, Avalon gave it a harder twist than necessary to stop the liquid nirvana.

  She rushed through drying off, then wrapped the pretty yellow towel around her, tucking the end between her breasts. Slathering on less than her standard amount of lotion, she hurriedly rubbed it into her skin. Counted to sixty again as she brushed her teeth. Raked her comb through her hair hard enough to sting her scalp. The plastic rattled softly as she dropped it to the counter and reached for her clothes.

  Damn! She’d been so distracted this morning by lusty thoughts of Will, she’d forgotten to gather clothes to bring with her. So out of character for her. Disrupting her routine wasn’t something she ever did, yet she had, not once this morning, but twice. And look where it landed her.

  She tightened the towel around her chest, then grabbed her pajamas and toiletry bag from the vanity. She’d have to make a semi-naked run for her room. Jerking the door open, she raced down the hallway.

  And smacked straight into a solid, immovable, Will-shaped wall, bouncing backward with a squeak. He grunted, but closed steadying hands on her shoulders, his palms warm on her damp skin.

  Heat exploded into her cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

  “I’m not.” Golden highlights in his brown eyes twinkled and his deep chuckle blanketed her senses. He boldly swept his gaze over her body.

  Insides quivering like jelly, her eyes flickered over his bare chest, then further to the track pants he wore low on his hips. He didn’t have the deep, muscular V-cut some men boasted, but there wasn’t a spare ounce of flab visible anywhere on Will’s body.

  Under her stare, a long line in his pants thickened and bulged beneath the fabric.

  The flames in her face intensified and she jerked her eyes back to his. When she tried to retreat, tried to create more space between then, he tightened his hold, stopping her.

  “Don’t run.” Will’s thumbs traced a line over her collarbones, meeting in the scallop between, then sweeping apart. He lowered his head, his stare locked on her lips, and murmured, “Good morning, Ava. This is a pleasant surprise.” He pressed his mouth to the corner of hers.

  Every nerve under her skin ignited. The sweet pressure of his lips changed as he moved to better sample her mouth, his kiss intoxicating. Intense longing melted her center and an insistent pulse kicked up between her legs.

  Laying her hands on his chest, Avalon marveled at the smooth expanse of skin as she began a tactile exploration up to his shoulders, then his jaw. The pads of her fingers prickled on the bristles of his morning beard, but the stubble was soft, silky.

  Slipping his arms around her back, he drew her closer, until she was tight against him.

  She should end this kiss. But she couldn’t make herself care that her behavior would scandalize her boss. Cupping his face, she slipped her tongue into his mouth, stroking along his teeth, probing the surfaces and textures.

  Will groaned and moved a hand up her ribs, resting it just below the curve of her breast.

  Downstairs, a door slammed. “Anybody home?” A feminine voice called out.

  Will pulled away with a grunt. “Dammit.”

  As he stepped back, his fingers snagged the edge of her towel, loosening it. The terrycloth slid down the slope of her breast, revealing the edge of her areola. His eyes darted to the view, carnal heat evident in his gaze. He ran his tongue around his lips as he reached to help her secure the fabric. Their fingers tangled, the fabric drooping lower.

  She swatted his hand away, then tucked the end securely between her breasts.

  “Hello?” That voice, again. Ugh, Penny the dreadful. “Will? Are you up?”

  “Yeah, I’m up.” His laugh was soft and pained as he looked down the length of his body.

  Following his gaze, Avalon gasped. The front of his track pants had tented and his cock angled toward her like a heat seeking missile.

  Footsteps approached the stairs. Panicked, she whispered, “I’d better get dressed.”

  “Chicken,” he taunted, keeping his voice low. “Stay and help me convince her that she and I are never going to be an item.”

  The idea had merit, but the dead last thing Avalon wanted was to be caught with her towel down. She shook her head and sped down the hall toward her room.

  His urgently whispered “Ava!” followed her.

  She paused outside the door as Penny’s footsteps echoed up the grand staircase. Backing into her room, Avalon mouthed sorry as she eased the door closed.

  Penny’s voice was a muffled squeal. “There you are.”

  “Yeah, here I am.” Strain removed the silky edge from his voice from before, when he’d whispered good morning. “What are you doing here this early?”

  Avalon pressed her ear to the door, unwilling to miss any of the conversation.

  “I’m working in Guin’s room today. I thought I’d fix breakfast for us before I started. I have a pretty new spread and pillows and the most delicate shade of lavender paint for the walls.” Goodness, Penny jumped topics like a stone skipped across a lake. Bounce, bounce, bounce.

  “You really don’t need to do that.”

  “But I want to, silly.” A girlish giggle wafted through the cracks around the door where Avalon continued to unabashedly listen.

  She could just imagine Penny reaching out to touch a finger to Will’s bicep as she spoke. Jealousy rose, taking her by surprise as she pictured the girl drooling over the contours of Will’s wide chest. This had to stop. Penny couldn’t just keep showing up like, like . . . Well, like a bad penny.

  Giving in to the jealousy, she scrambled to pull on jeans and a T-shirt while the low sounds of the conversation filtered into her room. She grabbed her towel and jerked open the door, pleased to see the startled look on Penny’s face, and the super-relieved one on Will’s.

  She hurried from her room toward Will, then drew to a theatrical stop. “Oh, Penny. Good morning. You’re here quite early.” She skirted around the woman, sidling in against Will. Electricity flared under her skin when their shoulders touched.

 
He immediately edged closer.

  Penny narrowed her gaze on the point of contact between them, her eyes stormy.

  Shame climbed Avalon’s spine like a monkey in a tree, fast and wild. Her behavior was misleading and surely hurtful to Penny. She sidestepped away from Will, missing the heat of his body, but experiencing instant relief from her guilt.

  Still, she felt compelled to rescue him. “Are you fixing us breakfast today? I’m starving. Will and I have some business to discuss and we were planning a trip to the diner in Cloverdale, but since you’re here, maybe we should stay on property. Will?”

  Amusement lurked in his eyes, but he kept his expression bland. “It would save a little time. But remember, we’re taking the afternoon off. I have the perfect picnic spot picked out for us.”

  “Picnic?” They didn’t have time for a picnic. “I don’t know, Will—”

  He wrapped his arm around her. “Sweetheart, we discussed this last night. Remember?” He dug his fingers into her shoulder and smiled at her.

  And oh, Lord, what a smile. Sexy, knowing . . . erotic. As if the discussion had happened after a wild session between the sheets. She got lost in the pull of such a grin. What would that look like if she were on her back, his hips cradled against hers? Or better, with her on top, straddling his . . . Butterflies trembled in Avalon’s stomach and her nipples hardened.

  He nudged her with his hip, jerking her back to reality.

  “Um, right.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

  Penny cleared her throat. “I . . . uh . . .”

  Will spun Avalon toward his bedroom, and swatted her playfully on the ass. She glanced over her shoulder as her feet carried her forward. He watched her retreat, but spoke to Penny. “Would you mind making those blueberry pancakes? They’re my favorite. Ava and I will be down in about ten minutes. Um . . . better make that fifteen.”

  Without waiting for a response, he sped after Avalon even as she picked up her pace. Entering his bedroom right on her heels, he closed the door with a bang, then pushed her against it. Holding her in place with his hips, he propped his elbows on the door.

  “Giggle,” he commanded.

  Giggle? She wasn’t a giggling kind of girl. But she complied to the best of her ability. What came out of her mouth was more strangled than laughing.

  Will rolled his eyes, then joined her with a sexy chuckle and a groaned out a very loud, “Oh, baby, that feels nice.” Then he whispered, “Can you tell? Has she left?”

  She turned her ear to the door, her lips grazing his forearm, and listened. Sure enough, stomping footsteps receded in the distance. Each step clomped angrily as they descended. “Yeah, she’s gone,” she whispered back. “I’ve never done anything like that before. I’m going straight to hell.”

  “Shotgun.”

  Will didn’t ease away as she expected. In fact, he closed what little distance remained between them, drawing close, until she felt evidence of his arousal pressing into her belly. And she truly didn’t hate it.

  He bent and nuzzled the column of her neck, nibbling and licking from the sensitive hollow behind her ear down to the curve of her throat. He closed his lips over the tendon and pulled hard on her skin. Angling her head to the side, she gave him more room to work his magic.

  “For the record, we are taking the afternoon off,” he mumbled against her skin.

  “Will, we can’t. There’s too much to do.”

  “There are better things to do.” He rolled his hips on hers. “We’ve done things your way for two solid weeks now. Today, it’s my turn to set the agenda.”

  He held her gaze.

  Could she? Take an afternoon off during a workday? Avalon wracked her brain and couldn’t think of the last time she’d done anything like it. The idea of playing hooky felt irresponsible. It felt sinful.

  It felt right.

  She nodded. “Fine, but just this afternoon. And we work all morning, agreed?”

  The corners of his mouth lifted, and he pressed those gorgeous lips to her cheek. “Agreed.”

  Chapter 17

  Will thought his heart would burst when Avalon agreed to take the afternoon off. After he let her escape to her room, he’d dressed, then waited outside her door so they could go downstairs together, like the happy couple he wished they could be.

  Hell, wanted them to be.

  Breakfast with Penny was a quiet, awkward affair, until Ava and Guin engaged her by asking for details about her life. That ended up devolving to stories of Will and Drake’s escapades. Ava had actually snort-laughed when Penny shared their adventure of installing an outhouse on the high school property. They’d gotten into so much trouble, with the school board and their parents.

  By the end of the meal, Will had eaten his fill of blueberry pancakes. And endured speculative looks from Guin each time he touched Ava’s hand, or laid his arm around the back of her chair. For his part, Will hadn’t been able to keep his hands to himself. Ava hadn’t shied away from the contact.

  Ultimately, Ava and Penny had bonded over tales of his boyhood. It seemed Ava enchanted Penny as much as him.

  With Guin up to speed in the office, business was easier. Although things would get crazy in the next few days. As soon as the bottles he ordered arrived, they’d fill and label them, preparing them for shipment to the new distributor. Until the supplies showed up, they were at a little bit of a standstill.

  It didn’t stop Ava from driving him hard all morning. In the bottling room they’d stood in tight proximity as he explained how the bottles got filled once the wine was ready. The education she’d received on the operation of a vineyard moved to production lines, a logical progression from start to finish.

  Ava’s questions came fast and furious. Her fingers moved faster over her tablet as she took copious notes. Brows puckered together, she listened attentively as one of his seasonal employees walked her around the system, demonstrating the efficient operation. At one point, the guy made a joke at Will’s expense, and she’d laughed. The light, airy chuckle shifted around his chest, moving his imagination, fueling his need to make Ava his own.

  Will made a fast trip to the cellar and picked one of his favorite cabernets from the shelf. He left it sitting on the table while he unearthed an old hamper from the closet under the stairs.

  He stood in front of the pantry, debating what to pack for their picnic. It didn’t really matter to him, as long as kissing Ava made the menu. But what he selected would make a difference in which vehicle they took.

  If he packed light enough, he’d take his motorcycle. The idea of her snuggled behind him, breasts against his back, thighs clinging to his hips, gave him a serious hard-on. But the backpack he had wouldn’t fit food, wine and a blanket. And packing his fishing pole was out of the question. So they’d take his truck, and he’d forego the pleasure of having her body wrapped around him on the back of his bike. Instead, he’d wrap his around hers as he taught her to fish.

  Footsteps sounded from the hall leading to Guin’s room. Penny had been bound and determined to fix that room.

  Humming, Penny scrubbed her hands with a rag as she stepped into the kitchen. She dropped the cloth with a gasp and stumbled a little when she saw him. Eyes wide, she exclaimed, “Oh, you gave me a fright.”

  “Sorry. How’d it go in there this morning?”

  “Got the first coat of paint up. Guin said she’d do the second after she got off work. It looks good.”

  Will nodded.

  Silence stretched awkwardly between them. Penny picked up the rag and continued scrubbing paint from her hands. She moved to the sink without another word and turned on the tap. Pumping the soap dispenser harder than necessary, she focused on removing the rest of the paint stains.

  “Penny, I want to explain—”

  �
��Unnecessary.” She tossed the word over her shoulder before he could continue. Her eyes were shadowed. “Listen, I’m embarrassed by my behavior. You’ve always been nice to me, and I . . . lately, I’ve acted like a world class fool. I should be apologizing to you.”

  He propped his shoulder on the pantry door. “For what?”

  She huffed out a breath that fluttered the bangs over her eyes. “I’ve always thrown myself at you, hoping . . . and you’ve always very kindly declined.” She rinsed her hands. “You’ve never led me to believe we’d ever be anything but friends, but I guess I held on to hope that maybe one day . . .”

  “I’m sorry, Penny. Drake’s my brother. You’re my sister. We weren’t really ever meant to be anything more than family.”

  She spun and leaned against the sink, drying her hands. Sadness played across her features, her eyes darkening. “While I was painting I was thinking about it. I’m actually okay with us just being family. It doesn’t hurt that I like Ava. I mean, she’d be okay as a sister-in-law.”

  “Whoa, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves here.” He’d only just met the woman. He sure as hell hadn’t thought about a lifetime with her. Not that the idea didn’t have merit, but only if he could get her to let her hair down.

  “She’s not like any of the other women you’ve flaunted in front of me in the past.”

  “Hey, I never flaunted anyone.”

  Her lips quirked up. “Uh-huh. You practically screwed Sharon Mulroney on the pool table at her dad’s bar. All because I’d decided to be more aggressive in letting you know about my interest. Drake told me to back off because I was freaking you out by chasing you. He didn’t want you ending up with Sharon either.”

  “Yeah, she was a big mistake.”

  “Told you. But back to Ava.” Folding the drying cloth, Penny draped it over the handle on the oven. “She’s different. Smart, funny, driven. Maybe a little more tightly wound than she needs to be. She’s probably upstairs right this minute, remaking the bed I messed up after you left the house this morning.”