Awakened (Intimate Relations) (24 page)

“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 hell 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 dick 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 damned 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 dick, 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 damned 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 breasts, 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 vaginal 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 bastard 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 Saturday morning when Cassie 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.”

Damn. 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 Cassie 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 passenger 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. Cassie was inside, going over inventory, while Nate leaned against the counter with a cup of coffee, laughing at something Josie had said. Cassie 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 Cassie, “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 bitch. 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, Cassie.” 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, Cassie. 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 Cassie. 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 Cassie 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 Cassie 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 passport, 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 Cassie.”

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 passenger 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.”