She answered on the second ring. Her voice was an instant calming balm to my ragged nerves. “Hello, love, are you okay?”
The words tumbled out in a pained rush. “I had to fire Como. He lost his mind over the situation with me and Dante. He became crazy jealous and left me no choice. I lost my partner right as Uva Persa launches in a week and I am freaking out. Please help me, Sophia,” I pleaded, my throat closing as I trembled like a leaf. “I don’t know who else I can ask.”
Sophia didn’t waste time pestering me for more details. She simply said, “I can be there in a half hour,” and that was that.
“I love you, Sophia,” I said.
“I know you do.”
I shuddered with relief. Sophia was smart and she caught on quick. I had no worries that she’d be able to pick up where Como had left off, but I hated that I was taking her away from her own life to deal with the chaos of mine.
When this was all over, I’d do something extraspecial for her. She certainly deserved the best and I aimed to give it to her—if I survived the Uva Persa launch.
Pushing a shaky hand through my hair, I went about the work of cleaning up the mess Como had created, wiping away the spilled coffee and trying to salvage what paperwork I could.
Finished, I rose and went to my desk, sinking into the chair as I closed my eyes, focusing on the end game.
Nothing would stand in the way of making Uva Persa an international success.
Not Como. Not even my feelings for Dante—which would have to wait until I figured out what the hell was going on with my heart.
I laughed through a sheen of tears and I knew everything was going to be okay.
One way or another.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Dante
“I CAN’T BELIEVE I’m doing this,” Alessandra said, shaking her head as if she’d lost her mind. “How in the hell did you talk me into a walking tour of my own city?”
“I make a very persuasive argument,” I answered with a charming grin, standing with our group at the Piazza del Campo central meeting point. “Well, that and the fact that I’ve got you so twisted around my cock that I’ll need a crowbar to pry you off so I can board the plane home.”
“Get over yourself,” Alessandra said, laughing. “But I have to say, I’m a little intrigued by the idea of seeing parts of the city that I’ve taken for granted.”
I didn’t care how we got to this place, but I was very happy that I managed to talk Alessandra into taking a day off work to do this tour with me. Frankly, I think a fair amount of divine intervention was involved because Alessandra had a lot on her plate and yet she was still willing to take a break and play tourist together.
And, what a sexy tourist she made. A wide-brimmed floppy hat shielded her pretty face from the sun and even though her white shorts weren’t special in any way, the way she carried herself made what she wore seem like couture.
“What is it with European women that makes anything they wear look like the height of fashion?” I asked, appreciating the view. Alessandra laughed and dismissed me with a wave of her hand as if I were being dumb. “No, seriously. I’ve dated runway models with less style than you dressed down for a day trip. I mean, you’re wearing tennis shoes for crying out loud, and yet you look sexier than anyone else in this city.”
Okay, maybe that part was over the top but it was also true. I could see only Alessandra. I tried to drag my gaze away—I was staring hard enough to burn a hole in her skin—but my eyeballs wanted to stay put. God, what’s with me these days? It was like I didn’t even recognize myself anymore.
Fuck it, I wanted to just go with the moment. Was that so bad? My hand curled over hers and I drew her in for a quick kiss before our guide started talking to the small assembled group.
“Buongiorno!” the guide called out with a wide, inviting smile. “My name is Carlo and I will be your guide today. I hope you’ve worn good walking shoes because we will be using our feet for the duration of this tour.”
I grinned, a smart-ass quip on my tongue, but Alessandra quelled my urge to spout off with a look. I had to remember this was her town, not mine, and I needed to be mindful of her reputation. I would leave Siena behind but Alessandra would remain.
Although I was intrigued by the promise of learning about the architecture of the city, my main interest was spending as much time as possible with Alessandra.
Her hand in mine felt natural, right. “Are you ready to play tourist with the most handsome American in the city?” I asked.
“Good God, I’m not sure the narrow corridors can accommodate your swelled head,” she retorted with amusement, her eyes sparkling. “But yes, I am ready. This should be fun, and if nothing else, I’ll get lunch out of the deal.”
I pulled her close and kissed her laughing mouth, promising, “I’d be happy to feed you my cock later if you’re still hungry.”
And just like that, we were the only two people there even as we were surrounded by the hustle and bustle of a known tourist trap; but I didn’t care. I craved Alessandra like a bear sought succulent berries at the height of summer.
“You’re impossible,” she murmured with delight, squealing a little when I squeezed her round ass with both hands, pulling her against my cock. Her mouth tilted with a sensual smile as she added with just a hint of mischief, “But I like you that way.”
“Good.” I gave her a resounding kiss before releasing her to straighten my ball cap. “Let’s do this. I’m ready to see what Siena has to offer. You and I will continue our conversation later when we’re both naked.”
It wasn’t an invitation or a boast, simply a statement of fact, and she knew it. The fact that she gave me no pushback told me that she was just as eager as I was to end up entwined in each other’s arms, and that was enough to put the biggest grin on my face that had nothing to do with the tour.
Hell, at this point, I could be touring a sewage facility and I’d be just as happy. The tour began and we walked hand in hand as if we were dating. As if it was perfectly acceptable to be casually strolling down the lane together when in fact, neither one of us would’ve ever been caught dead doing exactly that with anyone else.
By the time we reached the museum/chapel of Owl Contrada, I felt comfortable sharing something that might potentially ruin the mood. Nonetheless, it was important to bring up. “Look, I’m probably way out of line but...that guy Como... I get a bad vibe from him.”
Alessandra’s happiness dimmed and she said, “Como is no longer with Castello di Baroni. I had to let him go. I fired him two days ago. I haven’t seen nor heard of him since.”
I couldn’t say I wasn’t relieved. There was something about the man that set my teeth on edge, and while I was willing to admit it probably had something to do with the fact that he was clearly into Alessandra, there was an obsessive quality to the man’s attention that I felt was unhealthy. “I’m glad to see him gone,” I said, being honest. “He had crazy eyes.”
“I’ve known Como for a very long time. I won’t talk badly about him,” she warned, setting up boundaries, which I respe
cted. I didn’t need to run the guy into the ground but I was glad he was out of the picture. “He was hurt but he stepped over the line and I couldn’t handle his interjections into my personal life any longer.”
“He was jealous,” I said. “Jealousy in the workplace is never a good thing.”
“Indeed.”
“I sense that it hurt you to let him go.”
She nodded unhappily. “He was my right hand in everything. Especially a project that I’ve been working on for five years that is finally coming to fruition. Losing him a week before launch...it’s a blow but I’ll recover. My friend Sophia has agreed to step in and help.”
My ears piqued with sudden interest. “Which project is that?” She’d hinted at this before but never completely shared. I sensed it was big enough to matter, which meant it could mean leverage for me. Alessandra risked a glance from beneath her lush lashes, hesitating. I charmed her with a smile. “Come on, do you really think I’m going to swoop in and try to steal whatever it is you’re working on? I have no interest in your winery but I am interested in knowing what has you worried and stressed.”
She laughed as if realizing I made a certain amount of sense. “To understand the magnitude of what I’ve done you’d have to understand the world I work in. We are in the Chianti business and in order to qualify for a Chianti Classico label, there are very strict guidelines in which we have to adhere. The rules are restrictive and have yet to evolve.”
“And you want to challenge the rules.”
“I think there’s room for innovation and that by tweaking the rules, we could usher in a lucrative new world.”
“Seems smart,” I agreed, loving the way her eyes lit up when she talked with such passion. “So what is this secret project?”
Alessandra drew a deep breath, biting her lip as if torn between pride and excitement, and fear of sharing too much. I waited, hoping that my interested silence would push her to spilling—and it did. “I invested my own money in a new wine using tenerone grapes, an ancient varietal that had all but been extinct until recently. I put everything I had, along with my grandfather’s help, into the new label, Uva Persa, and it launches next week under the Castello di Baroni brand. It’s going to make or break our business.”