Rebecca Winters - The Vineyards Of Calanetti

So why then did it bother her? Sure, he was the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on. But, he was her boss—the key to her career. She wouldn’t—she couldn’t—let some ridiculous crush get in her way after everything she’d sacrificed to get here.

Time to think about something else.

“I didn’t have time to do any research before we left New York. What should I see while I’m here?”

He shrugged. “Honestly, there’s nothing special about Monte Calanetti. It’s just small and old.”

“I’m used to small towns. I grew up in one. And there’s always something special about them.”

He glanced her way and his dark brow rose. “What was special about your town?”

“A number of things.” She wasn’t sure that she wanted to delve into this subject with him. She’d finally got past her homesickness. The way she’d done that was by not thinking of her hometown and what made it special.

“Such as?”

She shook her head. “Never mind.”

Before he could question her more, she spotted what she thought was the edge of Monte Calanetti. “Are we here?”

“We are.”

She stared out the windshield, not exactly sure what to expect. There was a tall wall. As they eased past it she found rustic buildings of earth tones similar in color to Nico’s villa. People stopped and glanced their way as though trying to figure out if they should know them.

As more and more people turned to stare, Kayla couldn’t hold back her curiosity any longer. “Why are they staring?”

He shrugged. “It must be the car.”

“The car?”

“Yeah, you know because it’s a sports car. They probably don’t see many around here.”

“Oh.” She glanced over at him. Was he sitting up a little straighter? And was his chin tilted just a little higher? Interesting. “The village looks quite intriguing. And small enough to explore on foot.”

Angelo didn’t say anything. He just kept driving. And sadly he didn’t offer her a guided tour. She forced herself not to frown. Then again, why should he bend over backward for her? She was, after all, merely an employee. They weren’t even friends. Though little by little, she was getting to know Angelo better and better. In fact, she’d learned more about him in the past forty-eight hours than she had in the past two months while working as his assistant.

The car slowed as they eased through a wrought iron gate and up the short paved drive to a two-story building. The outside was plain but there was an elegance in its simplicity. Beneath a black awning, a bronze plaque off to the side of the front door read: Hotel Villa Bellezza. The place looked old but well kept. It reminded her of maybe a duke’s grand house. She couldn’t wait to check out the inside.

A young man in a black uniform rushed outside and opened her door for her. He smiled at her before his gaze moved to Angelo. The smile dimmed. She had the feeling that the young man had jumped to the wrong conclusion—that she and Angelo were a couple, here for a romantic tryst. Nothing could be further from the truth. But for the first time, she imagined what it might be like if Angelo were to look at her as a woman—a woman he desired. The thought rolled around in her mind at a dizzying pace.

Angelo moved to her side and spoke softly in her ear. “Are you okay?”

His voice drew her from her thoughts. She swallowed and hoped she succeeded in composing herself. “Yes.”

“Are you sure? You’re a little pale.”

She patted his arm, not a good move as her fingertips tingled where they made contact. “I’m fine. Honest.”

Or she would be, once she quit fantasizing about her boss. He obviously wasn’t attracted to her. He saw her as nothing more than his temporary assistant, and that’s the way it’d have to remain if she hoped to convince him of her talents.

While Angelo took care of registering them, she took in her surroundings. The modest exterior had not prepared her for the beauty of the interior. The floor was gleaming marble while the walls and ceiling were masterpieces of art with ornate parquet. Kayla had to force her mouth to remain closed instead of gaping open. She’d never stayed anywhere so fancy.

She couldn’t even imagine how much this visit would cost Angelo. And the fact that he could afford to stay in a place such as this without even batting an eye impressed her. They sure didn’t have anything like this back in Paradise. Wait until she told her mother and father about this.

CHAPTER SIX

THERE WAS NO time for fun and games.

Angelo didn’t get to the top of his profession by taking time off. Now that they were settled into their suite and Kayla had rested for a bit, they needed to get back to work. As he waited for her to join him, he couldn’t help but wonder what she made of his clash with his brother. He shouldn’t have taken her to the vineyard. What had he been thinking?

Yet on the car ride here, she hadn’t seemed to judge him. Instead, she’d acted as though she cared. It was as if she understood him. Her reaction surprised him. He wasn’t used to letting people into his personal life. But from the moment he’d asked her to join him on this trip, the lines between personal and professional had become irrevocably blurred.

Kayla entered the common room between their bedrooms. Her auburn hair was loose and cascaded down past her shoulders. Her glasses were off and she was no longer wearing the drab gray business suit. Instead, she was wearing pink capris and a white cotton sleeveless top, which showed off her creamy shoulders and slender arms.

The breath hitched in his throat. Who was this gorgeous woman? And what had happened to his nondescript assistant?

“I hope you don’t mind that I changed?”

Wow! All he could do was stare. It was as if she were some sort of butterfly who’d just emerged from a cocoon.

Kayla settled on the couch with her laptop. She gave him a strange look as though wondering why he had yet to say a word. The problem was he didn’t know what to say. Ever since they’d left New York, the ground had been shifting under his feet. Now it was as though a fissure had opened up and he was teetering on the edge, scrambling not to get swallowed up.

She didn’t appear to be too disturbed by his standoffishness, which was good. Before he took a seat anywhere near her, he had to get a hold on his rambling thoughts. Kayla wasn’t just any woman. He couldn’t indulge in a romantic romp with her, and then go about his life.

He was her boss and, more important, he couldn’t afford to lose her because she was good—really good at her job. He’d already had ideas of promoting her, but he wasn’t sure that she was ready to be advanced quite yet. He wanted to see how she handled the Van Holsen account, since he’d given her a lot of room to show him her stuff.

The tight muscles in his chest eased and he was able to breathe easier. Concentrating on work always relaxed him and put him back in his groove. Work was logical for the most part and it lacked emotions, again for the most part, depending on the client. But since he was the boss, he was able to hand off the more excitable clients to other account executives.

That was it. Focus on business and not on how appealing he found her. “How’s the Van Holsen account coming?”

She glanced over the top of her laptop. “Thanks to your help, I think I’ve come up with some innovative ideas. Would you care to take a look?”

His gaze moved to the cushion next to her on the couch and his body tensed. He was being ridiculous. She wasn’t the first beautiful woman that he’d been around. What in the world had got into him today? It had to be his return home. It had him feeling out of sorts.