by Alexx Andria
It just so happened my circle of influence comprised old white men stuck in their ways, and suffering a night of their condescending snobbery was a waste of my precious time.
However, I wasn’t so foolish as to believe that I didn’t need their influence, particularly with the launch of Uva Persa around the corner, so I would play the game a bit longer.
My best friend, Sophia Russo, zipped my dress as I held my hair up. “Suck it in,” she advised with a laugh as she shrink-wrapped me into the black formfitting gown. I squeaked a little as the final stretch of zipper found its home and I slowly let out my breath as I turned to face Sophia. Her smile was radiant, if not a little sardonic. She quipped, “I hope you didn’t plan to eat tonight because not much else could fit in that dress.”
“Of course not, I’m too on edge to eat anyway,” I said, turning to put the finishing touches on my makeup. My thoughts should’ve been on tonight but my brain kept stubbornly throwing Donato into my mental theater, which was a fresh irritant to my already taut nerves. “If Alberico is there and tries to pressure me to dance with him, I’ll grind my heel into his insole.”
“His family expects you to marry him,” Sophia said. “Your pedigrees match up. It’s not a terrible idea, you know. He’s not ugly and he stands to inherit a sizable fortune. Plus, his family descends from the House of Medici so he has royalty in his blood.”
“Well, perhaps if the Italian monarchy hadn’t ended in the forties that might be something to crow about. Today, it’s simply colorful conversation and it means nothing. Besides, I’m not looking for a man to lend his influence. I’ve had enough of that nonsense and it’s time to make a change.”
Sophia sighed, shaking her head. “Always trying to change the world,” she said. “Enzo would be proud.”
Enzo had been Sophia’s one true love. His death had brought Sophia and me closer and we’d been thick as thieves ever since. She was the one I could trust with anything. If things had turned out differently, it might’ve been Enzo and Sophia making this historic leap into new pastures for Castello di Baroni, but fate had played a cruel game, taking Enzo and leaving me to push for change.
“I hope so,” I said, trying not to tear up and ruin my makeup. Enzo was my soft spot. I dabbed at my eyes. “Everything I do, I do with Enzo in mind.”
“I know you do but this is your accomplishment,” Sophia reminded me. “You push so hard in his memory that you overshadow your own talent. I’ve seen you do things that I’m not sure Enzo would’ve been able to handle.”
“What do you mean?” I asked. “Enzo loved this business.”
“Yes, and he was a dreamer. He loved the romance of the wine industry, not the business side of it. Sometimes I think because we lost him so soon we’ve idealized him. We can be honest about who he was without diminishing his character.”
Enzo’s memory was precious. Maybe Sophia was right. I did have a tendency to protect his legacy with a ferocity usually reserved for mothers and their children.
Sophia slipped her hand into mine. “But I do know that he would’ve been so extra proud of you for everything you’ve accomplished thus far. You’re the reason Castello di Baroni remains top tier, not because the wine sells itself. Even if your father does not see this... I do.”
I paused for a minute to gaze at Sophia with love. “You’re too good to me, Sophia,” I said.
She shook her head. “No, I only speak what I know to be true.”
Sophia would never lie to me nor would she fill my head with flattery simply to play to my ego. “I wish Enzo had lived so you could be my true sister instead of simply the sister of my heart.”
Sophia’s smile warmed with love. “That’s all I need.” She released my hand and stepped back to give my dress a final perusal with a critical eye. Satisfied, she nodded, proclaiming, “Absolutely exquisite. It simply isn’t fair to every man whose heart will explode upon seeing you.”
I chuckled, my cheeks heating, but I quickly pointed out, “I’m not the only one who will turn heads. That white dress on you is nearly a crime. Perhaps Alberico will notice you instead of me.”
Sophia’s white gown was in stark contrast to mine but she wore it with grace and elegance. Whereas I was blessed with an overabundant bosom that made everything I wore nearly obscene, she was lithe and lean like a willow tree.
Sophia blushed, pushing a lock of her burgundy hair behind her ear, pink staining her cheeks. “You are a sweet talker. You’re the one who steals the air in the room. No one will notice me the minute they see you.”
“Nonsense. You’re so beautiful. Enzo is surely smiling down at us both, but you in particular. I am sure he’s staring hard enough to leave a bruise.”
Sophia’s breath caught as her smile deepened with soul-deep longing, and my heart hurt that Sophia would forever reserve that special place for Enzo. She was too young to willingly put herself on the shelf but Sophia was as stubborn as she was beautiful.
If soul mates existed, Enzo had been Sophia’s.
But Enzo died so young. It wasn’t fair.
Sophia was like a hothouse flower, stunning and fragile. She was incredibly beautiful but she lacked the fire that burned in my belly. Whereas I was loud and determined, she was quiet and kind, preferring a book and a glass of wine over a party. “Your Prince Charming is out there but you’re not going to meet him in your sitting room,” I playfully admonished. “You have to actually get out there and meet people.”
“What am I doing tonight?” she teased. “Is this not going out?”
“Once a year doesn’t count,” I said. “And none of these old men are anyone I’d want you falling in love with. They are fossils—you need someone with spirit.”
She laughed. “Maybe I’d like a fossil. Seems very peaceful. You’re the one who craves adventure, not me. We both know that Enzo was wild enough for the both of us.”
I pursed my lips. “Enzo would’ve wanted you to find someone, not pine after him for the rest of your life.”
This was a conversation we’d had many times and just as before, Sophia shut me down quickly but sweetly. “We are not playing matchmaker tonight. You need to focus on what’s important. Uva Persa is your crowning achievement and you need to make sure nothing stands in the way of its success, which means you need to play nice with the old cronies who run this industry.”
Solid advice even if I wanted to argue the point. “Still, you’re too young to be closed off like you are. It worries me.”
She laughed softly, her brown eyes full of love. “You worry about all the wrong things. I’m happy just the way things are. Why would I want to risk upsetting the balance I have now? Some people are not meant to be paired up and that’s okay. I’m happy.”
Was I worrying too much over something that wasn’t true? “I know how much you loved Enzo...” I said, my voice trailing, not sure why I was pursuing this topic when it wasn’t the time or place. Maybe I was nervous and talking about someone else’s problems took the focus from mine. Yes, that was it, and it wasn’t fair to Sophia to draw the focus unnecessarily. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I shouldn’t try to force you into anything you’re not ready for or interested in.”
Again, Donato popped into my head. He would try again, I could feel it. He wasn’t the kind of man who gave up easily. He was accustomed to getting his way and losing was a foreign concept to him. His arrogance was the last thing I needed to deal with right now. I double-checked my profile, twisting and turning in the full-length gown, assuring myself that I looked impeccable as befitting my place within Castello di Baroni.
“You’re exquisite,” Sophia assured me as if privy to my internal dialogue. I graced her with a grateful smile and knew it was time to leave. I had a small apartment in Siena, the closest city to the family estate, but I also had living quarters inside the manor. Tonight, for expediency, I chose to stay in the manor so ou
r walk downstairs to the grounds was easy, even in heels.
Sophia clutched my arm and inhaled sharply as the grounds came into view. We pulled out all the stops for this event. Catering to an old-world guard, stately elegance was the key. We hired a catering company to transform a section of the grounds into a magical place with fairy lights winding through the cypress trees and a full orchestra playing classics from various Italian composers.
“You always outdo yourself,” Sophia said, awed. “Truly magical, my friend.”
I smiled, appreciative of her praise, but I was already in work mode. My father broke apart from his cluster of friends to kiss me on both cheeks. “You are a vision,” he said, beaming. “Your mother would be proud.”
Mama had passed several years ago, leaving me as the sole female in the Baroni family. My father would never remarry but I wished he would so he would have something to focus on other than what I was doing with the business.
I loved him deeply but he was steeped in the old ways and resistant to anything that rocked the boat, which caused friction between us.
Mama had always been the buffer that kept Papa and me from ruining each other with our stubborn natures. I missed her so much. It seemed unfair that our family had suffered so much loss, but I wasn’t one to cry about things I couldn’t change.
I couldn’t help but wonder, if it were Enzo coming to him with the idea of cultivating the lost varietals, would my father have jumped on the idea, calling it innovative and brave? But because it’d been me to make the suggestion, he’d considered the idea brash and foolish.
“Thank you, Papa,” I murmured. “Everything came together well for tonight. I’m pleased you’re happy.”
“Very happy indeed,” he said, his barrel chest puffing up with pride. “My daughter knows how to put on a beautiful event.”
I smiled through my irritation. I did far more than put on a good party. I was single-handedly dragging Castello di Baroni back into the limelight, but I wasn’t going to mention that. As Sophia said, my father liked to believe that Baroni wines sold themselves, that our reputation was all that was needed to push sales, but he was wrong.
Maybe at one time...but times had changed and the competition was far fiercer than ever before. If left to my father’s plan, Baroni wines would’ve become irrelevant long ago.
“My...who is that?”
Sophia’s sharp intake of breath drew my attention straight to Dante Donato walking into my party as if he’d been invited. Instant irritation warred with a grudging appreciation for the form he cut through a crowd. If he’d been stunning in a business suit, he was downright criminal in a tuxedo. I could fairly hear the ladies in attendance fluttering their lashes and staring hard enough to be considered lewd.
“Sophia, would you mind keeping my father company while I greet our new guest?” I said from between gritted teeth. I didn’t wait for Sophia’s answer, too annoyed to care that I was frowning as I approached Donato.
“I don’t recall your name being on the guest list,” I said coolly as I met Dante beneath the twinkling arbor. “Why are you here?”
His gaze caught mine and for a moment I swore my heart skipped an extra beat. There was something intense about the way his gaze held mine that I couldn’t quite tear my eyes away. Normally, I was the one arresting people with my stare.
Sexuality was a weapon I freely used and made no apologies for, but suddenly I felt like the hunted instead of the other way around. I lifted my chin, ignoring my body’s sudden warming, and gave him a pointed look. “I could have you thrown out,” I told him.
“You could but that would be very ill-mannered of you,” he said, a slow, sensual smile forming on his lips. “I was invited.” He produced a gilded invitation and handed it to me as proof.
It was indeed an actual invitation. I frowned. “How did you get this?” I asked with genuine confusion.
“Is the how that important? I am here and I’m an invited guest so to throw me out would be incredibly poor form on your part.”
He was right. I couldn’t throw him out with an invitation in his hand and he was already attracting attention. Forcing a smile, I looped my arm through his and said, “Well, then, let me be the first to welcome you to Castello di Baroni’s Una Notte Magica.”
The minute our bodies touched I knew I should’ve thrown him out—because the immediate sparks between us were dangerous.
“Magical indeed,” he murmured, a sexy half smile playing with his lips. “Let me guess, you created this masterful entertainment for this evening?”
“It is one of my many duties,” I said, careful to keep my voice even and controlled, smiling as if I were pleased as punch to have him crashing my party. “Truly, I’m curious how you received an invitation. This is black-tie, invitation-only and I approve the guest list.”
“Not my style,” he said with amusement in his tone. “Suffice to say, I’m here and I look forward to an entertaining evening spent with good company.”
I didn’t like mysteries, much less mysteries perpetrated beneath my nose. My intuition tingled and I guessed, “Was it Mia?”
“And if it were? I would not have you punish her,” he said, his voice firming in a way that sent shivers dancing down my back. “She is a dedicated and loyal employee.”
“I wouldn’t punish her,” I said, annoyed that he thought I would do something so terrible for a small lapse in judgment. Mia had done no harm and probably thought she was helping in some way. “Let me guess, you charmed your way into gaining her ticket.”
“Charm is something that comes to me naturally, but I can promise you it wasn’t my intention to get invited. I didn’t even know about tonight until she produced a ticket. However, I was happy to accept.”
“And why is that?”
We paused, and he turned to regard me with open interest as he answered smooth as cream, “Because I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my time in Italy than to spend it with you.”
It could be a line but he didn’t have a practiced way about him, and that caused my breath to quicken in the same organic way.
“I have no time for games, Mr. Donato.”
Was that a slight catch in my voice, a subtle quaver that gave away the liquid heat building in my belly? God, I hoped not.
The chemistry between us prickled with intensity and I felt myself losing my edge, which was as dangerous as it was alluring.
I never lost my edge.
Until now.
“I really should’ve had you thrown out,” I murmured as his head dipped toward mine.
“Probably,” he chuckled, seconds before his lips closed over mine.
CHAPTER FIVE
Dante
KISSING HER HADN’T been the plan but I took opportunity where I found it.
But in all honesty, I’m not even sure when game play had dropped from my brain and my primal instincts took over.
I’ve never been struck by a woman’s beauty, losing all sense of reason over a hot body and pretty face, but for a heartbeat, the only word I could muster to describe how I was feeling was—struck.
Struck by lightning.
Struck by lust.
Struck by awe.
And it was disconcerting as fuck.
That dress, clinging to every hill and valley of her lush body, her breasts high and practically spilling out like candy from a crystal bowl, did crazy things to my head—and other places.
Too many times I’d watched with scorn as men slobbered and made fools of themselves over beautiful women. I never imagined I might fall into the same trap, but in that wild moment I probably would’ve done anything to feel those luscious lips on mine for just a heartbeat.
The kiss ignited something deep inside me but somehow by the grace of God, I pulled myself back to reality and broke away.
This woman—lovely as sh
e might be—stood in the way of my goal. Strategy was in order.
“Before you judge Mia too harshly, she did manage to sell me an entire case of your Riserva, which I had shipped home to my father in New York. I’d say she’s a pretty good saleswoman.”
Cheeks flushed, Alessandra smoothed her dress and nodded, as if trying to regain her mental footing. Her scent still lingered in my nose, citrus and a tease of musk that did terrible things to my ability to focus. She exuded sexuality without trying, moving with effortless grace, yet the roll and sway of her hips were a moving violation.
“Mia’s job is not in jeopardy,” Alessandra assured me, but she was still struggling to put what’d happened into perspective. Our kiss had rattled her. Good—because it’d rattled me, too, but I was better at hiding it.
Every woman I’d ever spent time with paled before Alessandra and I found my tongue sticking uncharacteristically to the roof of my mouth.
“I’m sure kissing me wasn’t your sole intention for this evening. Why did you come here?” she asked.
Straight to the point, she pulled no punches, which I found invigorating. Hell, everything about her excited me right now but I had my game face on. “As I mentioned, I’ve come to enjoy fine wine and finer company. To that end, the evening has already started off well.” We were surrounded by people but it felt as if we were the only two in the courtyard. “Una Notte Magica...a fitting name. There is something magical in the air. Hard to believe how quickly you transformed the grounds from this afternoon into this wonderland.”
“I wear many hats here at Castello di Baroni, the least of which is party planner.” She stopped short and disengaged from my arm, turning to face me, all business. “I know what you’re doing.”
Hot boss lady. I like it. My brow rose with interest. “Oh? Pray tell. Please enlighten me.”
