Mandy walked in the door an hour after the tasting room closed and flopped on the couch. She sat there a moment, sniffed the air, and sat up as Marc walked in from the bedroom. "What"s that I smell?"
"That would be a pot of minestrone soup, courtesy of Nate and Ca.s.sie. Nate picked it up for us today. He"s keeping the leftover lasagna. They"re going to eat it at their place and we"re staying in."
"Wonderful. Ca.s.sie was beat when we finally closed up. She needs full-time help in the tasting room. She said the crowds this summer are more than double what they saw last year, and she"s still doing her winemaking job on top of dealing with the tourists."
"Why hasn"t she hired anyone?"
"I think she wanted to be sure you were okay with it, and she hasn"t had a chance to ask."
Shaking his head, Marc picked up his phone. "Ca.s.sie? Hi. Sorry to bother you. Mandy says you were swamped again today. Look, feel free to hire anyone you need to help you out in the tasting room. Get someone to manage it, if that would help. You"re my winemaker-my very pregnant winemaker. I don"t want you wearing yourself out. Pay whatever the going hourly rate is, b.u.mped up by a couple of dollars. Yep ... it makes for a better employee. If you know of someone who can take it over and manage it, run the place entirely, hire them and we"ll talk regular salary. In fact, what about Josie? Do you think she"d be interested? Comes with benefits, and she already knows the work."
They talked for a few more minutes. Mandy went in and poured herself a gla.s.s of wine, stirred the soup, and went back out to the front room. "How are you feeling?"
Marc stuck his phone in his pocket. "I"ve decided I"ll probably live. I take it you had a busy day?"
"I did. I"m really exhausted, but I think part of that is stress. I keep wondering when your father"s going to pop out of the woodwork again."
"I know. I really want this settled." He reached for her and she tangled her fingers in his. Marc tugged gently and she sat beside him, nestled against his right side. He kissed her slowly, thoroughly, and then kissed her again.
"I called the chief of police in Marin today while you were working," he said. "Told him Jerry Russo had given me the contact info and he said Jerry had already called him, told him to expect to hear from me. I gave him the bare bones story, and he wants us to come in tomorrow. Are you ready to head back to the city?"
She was, but, "I worry about Ca.s.sie. She was working her tail off yesterday and today."
"I"m waiting to hear from her. I"m hoping Josie might take the job." He grinned. "It would be a good way to rope Lupe in once he graduates."
She slanted her eyes his way and caught him grinning at her like he"d just pulled one over on everyone. "I like Josie and Lupe," he said. "It makes sense, don"t you think? They"ve both worked here since they were in high school. They already have the house rent free. No reason they can"t stay on until they"re ready to buy something of their own."
"Right. Just adding to your empire, right?"
"Well," he said, with absolutely no outward sense of remorse, "there is that."
Josie and Lupe showed up later in the evening after Marc and Mandy had finished dinner. Josie was definitely interested in the manager"s position. She was looking for full-time work, so she and Lupe both poured over the copy of the employee contract Theo had sent to Marc earlier. After looking at the salary Marc offered, the hours, and the benefits involved, Josie didn"t even take it home to sign. In minutes it was a done deal.
"Josie, when Lupe goes back to school, you can schedule your time off with Ca.s.sie so you can spend time with him, though we might have to bring in someone to help you in the tasting room when Ca.s.sie has the baby."
"It"s gonna be crazy," Lupe said. He might still look about sixteen, but he was smart and focused and had been the vineyard manager here while he was still in high school, slipping into Colonel Mac"s job once Alzheimer"s took its toll. He"d gone to the junior college and then transferred to Davis a year ago. "You"d think a winemaker would know better than to have a baby in October," he said. "She"s going to be huge by harvest time."
"Nate may have to lock her in the house to keep her off her feet, and we"re all going to have to help get the grapes in this year." Marc grabbed Mandy"s hand. "You"re going to be working your first crush, babe. You might want to start working out. It"s a tough job."
"And you, of course, will still be wounded, and therefore only capable of giving orders, right?"
"Of course."
Later, after Lupe and Josie had gone back to their house, Marc followed Mandy into the bedroom where she was slipping out of her clothes. He paused in the doorway, leaned against the doorjamb and said, "I thought I should let you know that I"m feeling a lot better tonight."
"Oh?" She turned, raised one eyebrow, and studied him. He did look a lot better, even with the sling still supporting his arm. More rested, though she was sure his back was still painful. He moved carefully, and definitely favored his left side.
"How do you intend to do this?" she asked. "You can"t be on the bottom because your back"s really sore, and you can"t be on top because you"ve only got one functioning arm." She stood there with her arms folded across her chest. Her naked chest.
"I"m not sure, but come h.e.l.l or high water, we will find a way."
She studied him a moment, and then a slow smile tilted her lips. It was a full-blown grin when she took his right hand and led him over to a straight-back chair with a padded seat. With a few tugs, she helped him take his shoes and then his pants off. Then, much more carefully, she eased his arms out of the cropped sleeves on his sweatshirt. Then she adjusted his sling, made certain his arm was well-supported. "Sit."
Frowning, naked, already getting hard, he sat. She grabbed a condom, knelt on the rug between his feet, and studied his growing erection. He was certain his d.i.c.k had maxed out in both length and girth when she wrapped her fingers around the base, lowered her head, and took him into her mouth.
He wanted to say something funny, something that would make her laugh, because there was nothing he loved more than Mandy"s laughter. Well, almost nothing. The hot suction of her mouth, the sweep of her tongue, the firm grasp of her fingers around his shaft ... that beat even laughter.
He groaned instead. A low, primal sound that seemed to come from somewhere deep inside, and totally of its own volition. He forgot the d.a.m.ned sling and the ache across his back, forgot his name if he had to be honest.
He tangled his right hand in her hair, needing the connection, the powerful bond he already felt with Mandy, the knowledge that she constantly put him first, did everything she could to make things better for him.
It just didn"t get any better than this.
She slowly worked her way up the length of his d.i.c.k, nibbling with teeth and lips, licking and sucking him until he"d moved beyond conscious thought, into a level of need that defied description.
He"d almost reached the point of no return when she slipped him free of her mouth, sheathed him in a heartbeat, and straddled his lap. When Mandy came down on him, lights exploded behind his eyes, sparks of color somehow linked to the tight glove of her body grasping him. She was so d.a.m.ned tight, so perfectly sized for him that he had to touch, had to slip his arm free of the blasted sling and rest his hands on her strong thighs as she slowly raised and lowered herself over his erection.
He dipped his head as she arched her back, presenting him with the fullness of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, her darkly beaded nipples. He drew first one and then the other between his lips, licking, nipping, sucking hard and deep until he lost himself in the sounds of her soft whimpers and moans of pleasure, in the taste of her, in the intoxicating scent of her arousal.
Lost until Mandy"s slick heat and sudden clench of v.a.g.i.n.al muscles drew the rush and thunder of Marc"s climax, the pounding tempo of their heartbeats thudding in counterpoint, one to the other. Her legs drew up and she clenched his thighs, forced herself solidly down on his erection, her soft cries and wanton gasps blending with his own guttural cry of pleasure.
Mandy collapsed against him, her hands holding tightly to the back of the chair, her inner muscles rhythmically tightening and then releasing, milking him of every last drop. He loved this. Loved her. Loved her so much it terrified him, knowing that his father was out there, that the man was intent on hurting Marc in any way he could. Steven Reed might be crazy, but he wasn"t stupid.
The b.a.s.t.a.r.d knew nothing would hurt Marc more than losing Mandy.
Somehow, some way, he had to keep her safe.
CHAPTER 12.
They were ready to leave Dry Creek Valley a little before ten Sat.u.r.day morning when Ca.s.sie called.
"G"morning, Marc. Josie"s already here," she said. "I didn"t realize her part-time job had ended last week, so she"s ready to start here full time. Timing couldn"t have been better. Thank you for hiring her."
One less thing to worry about. "We"ll stop by on our way out," he said. "Mandy and I are headed back to the city today." He ended the call, stuck his phone in his pocket, and walked back to the bedroom where Mandy was finishing up putting fresh sheets on the bed. He watched her smooth the blankets, wished he could help. "Do you mind stopping by the tasting room before we go? I want to welcome Josie to the family."
Laughing, Mandy straightened the afghan at the foot of the bed, walked around to his side, and kissed him. "So, you"re finally admitting to adding another couple to our growing brood?"
He wrapped his right arm around her and pulled her close for another kiss. "I"ve decided it"s not worth fighting an issue I can"t defend. And I really love how you refer to this as "our" growing brood."
d.a.m.n. His throat felt tight. He rested his chin on top of her head and took a few seconds to compose himself. After a lifetime without connections, he suddenly understood what Ben had meant that night when he"d realized how many people in his life actually cared about him. It was wonderful, powerful, in fact, yet in some ways, it was a terrifying burden, made even heavier by the threat his father posed.
He wished the man would just go away, but more than that, he wanted closure. Wanted his father in jail where he belonged, locked away forever so that Marc didn"t have to worry about the man hurting the people Marc loved. "C"mon. I"ve got our stuff loaded in the car. We can drive over, tell Ca.s.sie thank you, wish Josie luck, and then leave straight from there."
"That works." Mandy took a quick look around to make sure they"d gotten everything and were leaving the place as clean as when they"d found it, grabbed her phone and handbag, and followed Marc out to the Tesla.
He held the door on the pa.s.senger side for her. As she got in, she turned and kissed him before asking, "Are you sure you"re okay to drive?"
"I"ll be fine, but I"ll let you know if I get tired."
Appeased for now, Mandy settled into her seat while Marc carefully got into the car and, driving one-handed, pulled out around the cottage and followed the driveway back to the tasting room. There were already a couple of cars in the parking area. She seemed terribly relieved when he managed not to hit any of them.
Hanging on tightly to Mandy"s hand, Marc led her into the tasting room. Ca.s.sie was inside, going over inventory, while Nate leaned against the counter with a cup of coffee, laughing at something Josie had said. Ca.s.sie turned and waved. Then she walked over, carefully hugged Marc, and then surprised him with a big kiss on the cheek.
He glanced at Nate before asking Ca.s.sie, "What was that for?"
"An apology." She laughed and blushed at the same time. "I"ve owed you one for a very long time. You had to realize, Marc, that I really did not want to like you when you bought Tangled Vines, but if not, I"m sure you figured that out soon enough. I was such a b.i.t.c.h. I hated that we"d lost it, hated the fact Dad was slipping and there was nothing I could do to help him, and I really hated the fact some young guy with too much money had come in and bought the only home I"d ever known and hired a new vineyard manager without even asking me if I needed one." She shook her head and glanced at Nate, then back at Marc.
"Well, it appears I really needed Nate. Marc, I had no idea that you were the best thing that could have happened." She grabbed Nate"s hand and he stepped up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and rested his hands on her rounded belly. "Thank you so much for everything you"ve done for us. And thank you for hiring the perfect man for the job."
He didn"t know what to say. Mandy took his hand and squeezed. "No one else knows this vineyard the way you do, Ca.s.sie." She turned and smiled at Marc. He was blinking way too fast, his eyes burning and his throat tight. He"d never expected a simple good-bye to turn out so emotional. Thank goodness for Mandy. She always knew exactly what to say.
"Marc"s nothing if not a good businessman. Look what you and Nate have accomplished in a very short time."
Marc finally regained his shredded composure. Smiling broadly, he said, "And look what you"ll have accomplished in, oh, about three more months." He shook Nate"s hand. "Thank you, Ca.s.sie. I didn"t know you when I bought the property, though I"d always wanted to own a part of this valley. Now, with all that"s happened with my personal life, it appears I really needed to be here. I can"t imagine anyone better than you and Nate to make this place absolutely perfect. Your love for this vineyard and your skill as a winemaker shows in every wine you create." He smiled at Josie. "And thank you for agreeing to work here, Josie. I think you know this tasting room almost as well as Ca.s.sie. You"re in charge of keeping her from working too hard. I really don"t want her delivering this baby anywhere but in the designated hospital room."
"Gotcha, Mr. Reed. And thanks. I"ve always wanted to work here. I love this tasting room!" She went back to the four tourists standing at the granite bar, all of them apparently fascinated by the very personal conversation they had just witnessed.
Marc and Mandy stayed a few more minutes, going over some of the plans for Kaz and Jake"s wedding just five weeks away, making sure either Ca.s.sie or Josie would clear the leftover food out of the refrigerator. There was too much good stuff to let it go to waste. Then more tourists arrived and Ca.s.sie and Josie went to work, while Nate walked them out to their car.
He paused next to the Tesla. "I talked to Jerry a few minutes before you got here. He wanted me to let you know that it appears your father slipped into Mexico last night at the San Ysidro border crossing at San Diego. He had a fake pa.s.sport, but it was good enough to get him through. There"s an APB out on him, but they hadn"t gotten it in time. He came up on the security video taken at the crossing."
"Any idea where he went after he crossed into Mexico?"
"Not yet. Jerry said they just don"t have the manpower to follow up." Nate shrugged. "Maybe your guy can find out something. I"d definitely appreciate knowing if he learns anything." He glanced toward the tasting room. "I worry about Ca.s.sie."
Marc nodded. "So do I, Nate." He held tightly to Mandy"s hand. "So do I."
Mandy had saved a copy of all of Ted"s notes about Marc"s mother and father, the information about her inheritances, and the fact there"d been no records of activities of any kind after her disappearance, to a flash drive. They left that with the chief of police in Marin, along with contact info for both Marc and Ted Robinson.
When they walked out to the parking lot, Mandy led Marc to the pa.s.senger side and opened the door. "I"m driving. I can tell your back is killing you right now, so get in, relax, and ignore the fact there"s a woman behind the wheel of your beloved Tesla."
Shaking his head, he laughed softly. "I"m convinced you can read my mind. I was hoping you"d offer, but I didn"t want to blow my tough guy image."
Mandy kissed him and waited until he got into the car. Then she helped him buckle his seatbelt and patted him on the head like a little kid. "For what it"s worth, big guy, you don"t have a tough guy image. You"re much too thoughtful and kind."
He was still trying to think of a comeback when she got into the car, fastened her own seatbelt, and pulled out of the parking lot, but his back really did hurt and his left arm was next to useless. They were just crossing the Golden Gate when Marc"s phone rang. He took the call-it was Ted Robinson-and put the phone on speaker.
"Hey Marc. Glad I caught you. I got a call this morning from your neighbor, Abdul. He said he and Jasper spotted lights on in your house Wednesday night when they were out walking Rico. They didn"t notice any strange cars in the neighborhood, and didn"t think much of it. Abdul said he thought maybe you had lights set on timers, but after reading in the paper about you getting shot, they decided to call your office to let you guys know."
"Great." Marc glanced at Mandy. "That"s all we need. Hope no one took anything."
"Actually, it appears they left things. I wasn"t sure if you left lights on timers or not, so I took a run by there this morning and did a sweep for bugs. It looks like someone wired your place. It was a sloppy job, actually, but every room was covered. Video cameras in the bedrooms, voice activated recorders throughout the entire house. I"ve left them all in place, but we"ll remove them once you"ve seen what all is there."
"Wednesday, you say?" Marc glanced once again at Mandy. "That"s the day we ran into my father at the office, the day I told him I knew about Rockpile Road. I can"t recall if we mentioned leaving that afternoon or not, but if he was watching the house, he"d know we weren"t coming back."
Mandy added, "He shot you the next day."
"We don"t know for sure it was him," Marc said, even though he couldn"t think of anyone else who might be after him. Or Mandy. "Ted, did anyone contact you about the latest on my father, that he was spotted slipping into Mexico late last night?"
"No. Where did you hear that?"
"Sheriff"s deputy in Dry Creek, Jerry Russo, told Nate Dunagan, asked him to get the word to me. Said he"d been spotted on a security camera at the San Ysidro crossing in San Diego. He got through shortly before the APB went out. No idea how he got down there so quickly, though they"re checking flight records from the Sonoma County airport."
"Let me see what I can find out. Just a minute..." Marc heard Ted"s m.u.f.fled laughter, and then he was back. "Where are you now?"
"Just turned onto Nineteenth Avenue."
"Theo and I are almost to your house now. We"ll meet you there."
Marc ended the call and leaned back against the seat. His back and arm still ached, but he was already feeling better. Mandy was an excellent driver-normally he was a horrible pa.s.senger, and he"d never really been a pa.s.senger in his own car-but there was something really s.e.xy about the way she handled the Tesla. Sort of the way she handled him.
He closed his eyes, prepared to take a short nap while Mandy dealt with the stop-and-go traffic.
Mandy pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine. There was a strange car parked in front of their house, but she figured it must belong to Theo or Ted. She hated to wake Marc. He"d fallen asleep almost immediately after talking with Ted, and he showed no sign of waking up anytime soon.
He was so beautiful like this, sleeping peacefully, his features relaxed, long dark lashes underscoring his closed eyes. She rarely had a chance to observe him this still, to indulge herself in looking at the man she"d fallen head over heels in love with.
She remembered all those months of watching him ride by the coffee shop, a tall, gorgeous, dark-haired guy on a beat-up old Schwinn, and she"d spun fantasies about him, about them, never dreaming she"d one day have him in her life.
In her bed. Enough. She really needed to wake him. She leaned close and kissed him. His lips shaped to fit hers and he kissed her back, and then his right hand cupped her skull and he kissed her more thoroughly. Finally she pulled away. "Wake up, sleepyhead."
He blinked, sat up and looked around. Then he kissed her again. "We"re home. I thought we were in our bed at the winery. I must have been sound asleep."
"You were. C"mon. I think Ted and Theo are already here." She got out of the car, grabbed her bag and his out of the back and looped them over her shoulders along with her handbag.
"Poor baby. You look like a pack animal." He took the larger of the two bags and carried it in his right hand.
Mandy paused long enough to plug in the Tesla and they headed up the stairs. Theo opened the door, met them halfway, and grabbed the bags from both of them. He followed Marc and Mandy into the house.
"How are you feeling, boss?"
Marc shook his head. "Well, Theo, I"ve already admitted I"m not as tough as Ben or Jake. This hurts like h.e.l.l, but I think it"s the staples more than the injury."
"You do realize the bullet went deep enough that it shaved off a bit of your scapula, don"t you?"