California Wine by Casey Dawes

Author:Casey Dawes [Dawes, Casey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, General, Romance, Contemporary
ISBN: 9781440562211
Google: rZQuZ-qKx1UC
Amazon: 1440562210
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Published: 2012-12-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Marcos kept his word. He didn’t make any attempt to touch or kiss Elizabeth, much as he longed to do so. They gradually shifted back into an easy conversation interspersed with quiet moments of contemplation.

“Thank you for this wonderful introduction to the wineries of these mountains,” he said as they finished up the last glass of wine paired with a few squares of dark chocolate. “It is the kind of day I enjoy. The sun is so warm, I can feel the grapes ripening beside me. The scenery is indeed unique. I cannot believe we see San Francisco, yet it is a few hours away by car.”

He wanted to add something about her beauty, but held back. She would probably become nervous again, like a skittish young animal.

But she was extraordinary. She had the luminous skin of a woman who paid attention to such matters. Her brown hair glistened in the sunlight; dark sunglasses reminding him of an exotic looking actress. Her small size belied the strength of her inner core.

She was beautiful in and out. Suddenly, he realized she was right to be fearful. Elizabeth wasn’t a one-night-stand kind of woman. She was a once-in-a-lifetime woman.

Of course, he’d thought that about his ex-wife. Right up to the point he’d found her in bed with his supposed best friend.

“Something bothering you?” Elizabeth asked.

He shook AnnaMaria out of his mind. “No … no … I was just thinking we should go to the realtor soon. I don’t have much time to look at vineyards.”

A delicate eyebrow was raised above the edge of the sunglasses. Then Elizabeth put down her empty glass and shrugged. “Let’s go then. It will take us about a half hour to get to Saratoga.”

He helped her pack up and stowed the picnic basket in the trunk. After they climbed into the sports car, he shifted as far away from her as he could in the tiny space. The air in the car was charged.

Elizabeth became a tour guide. “A lot of Silicon Valley execs live in the foothills on this side of the mountains. They think it’s cool to have a backyard vineyard. Lots of management companies do it for them and then they share a bottle of ‘their’ wine with friends.”

“Interesting.” All he could think of was the proximity of her arm’s soft skin. Who cared what CEOs did with their overpaid wages.

As they sped down the highway toward the Saratoga exit, he wondered what life with a woman like Elizabeth would be like. He knew snippets of her existence, but did he really know the woman she was?

Did anyone know another person completely?

“Cat got your tongue?” Elizabeth asked.

“What?”

“Oh. Sorry, it’s an expression. I’m asking why you’re so quiet.”

“Oh.” He didn’t really have an answer. At least not one he wanted to discuss.

“Look, Marcos, if it’s about … about … before, I’ve let it go. At least, I think I have. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” She downshifted as she exited the highway to head back west toward the mountains.

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