скачать книгу бесплатно
‘I suppose so.’ She pressed her teeth into the fullness of her lower lip. ‘I hope I’m succeeding with both of those. At least with James I’m beginning to see that there were already cracks in our relationship. Maybe I was too ambitious, path... whereas James was more easygoing, taking life as it came. I’m wondering if he simply wasn’t the type to settle down. He had a child, but he didn’t have much contact with him.’
‘Much like your father.’ Nick’s expression was sombre. ‘No wonder your ex’s weakness hit you so hard. Your father had done exactly the same thing... followed his own path and then abandoned you.’
‘Yes.’ She was silent for a moment, mulling things over. Could any man be trusted? Could Nick? Not according to her father.
She frowned. ‘Where my father’s concerned, I still don’t really understand what goes on in his head. He treats me as though he’s very fond of me and has my welfare at heart…but after all those years of little or no contact it takes a bit of getting used to, to believe that he cares.’ And yet only yesterday he had told her how proud he was of her, how much it pleased him that his daughter was a doctor, working to save lives. ‘I needed to tell you that before I pass on,’ he’d said, and she’d put her arms around him and given him a hug.
‘Oh, Dad, please don’t say that,’ she’d implored him, her throat suddenly choked up. ‘Please don’t talk about passing on. I’m only just getting to know you.’
He’d smiled. ‘What’ll be will be.’
Nick’s brooding gaze rested on her, as though he sensed something of her troubled thoughts. ‘I’m sure he cares very deeply for you… but unhappily something went wrong and he didn’t feel able to be there for you. Perhaps distance was a problem—living out here in California meant you were so far apart that visits would be infrequent, and he might have thought it would be less painful for you if he didn’t visit at all. You would be able to settle to life without him, rather than be hurt all over again every time he went away.’
‘Then again,’ she pointed out, ‘he could have chosen to stay in England. What was more important… his family or the job?’
He seemed to hesitate. ‘That’s something you must ask him yourself. I can’t answer that one for you. But knowing him, I’m sure he had his reasons.’
‘Did he? I’ve no idea what they were. All I know is that he condemned us—me and my mother—to a lonely life.’ Her expression was bleak. ‘Some people may like being an only child, but I wasn’t one of them. I always felt there should be something more.’
He was solemn for a moment, his lips parting as though he was about to say something, but apparently he thought better of it. He laid a hand lightly on her shoulder. ‘I’m sure it will all come right for you in the end, Katie. You’ve taken a huge step, coming out here, and you’re making great headway. Just give it a little more time.’
He glanced at his watch. ‘I’m off duty in a couple of hours. I’ll come and pick you up from the apartment and we’ll drive over to the vineyard. Perhaps that will cheer you up.’
She nodded. ‘Okay. I’ll be waiting.’ A day or so had passed since he’d made the suggestion, and already she was beginning to regret agreeing to it. What had happened to her plan to avoid him at all costs, to steer clear of getting involved with him in any way? Working with him was proving to be a hazard in itself. It seemed that he was there at every turn… and it was impossible for her to get him out of her head.
She was beginning to realise that there was so much more to him than she had at first imagined. He was caring and perceptive and even though that made her want to get to know him a whole lot better, she was desperately afraid of the consequences. Little by little, though, he was drawing her into his electric force field and she was powerless to resist.
The vineyard, when they arrived there some time later, was bathed in late-afternoon sunlight. Nick helped her out of the passenger seat of his gleaming silver saloon and waited as she stepped out onto the wide, sweeping drive. Katie looked around. She couldn’t explain it, even to herself, but just the simple fact that he was there beside her made the breath catch in her throat and in spite of herself filled her with a kind of delicious expectation. He was wearing casual clothes, a deep navy shirt, open at the neck, teamed with dark trousers, and just looking at him made her heart skip a beat.
‘Let me show you round the place,’ he said. ‘From a high point in the gardens you can see for miles around.’ He slipped an arm around her waist, his hand coming to rest on the curve of her hip in a gentle act of possession that brought heat surging throughout her body. ‘I’m sure you’ll love it out here,’ he murmured. ‘We have a beautiful day for it…the sun’s shining and the vines are heavy with grapes.’
She nodded, and tried not to think about that casual touch that was so much like a caress. It only fogged her brain and left her confused and distracted.
He led the way through the house, a pretty French château-style building that had steeply pitched roofs and round towers with turrets. Painted white, it was a gem set in the middle of the Carmel Valley, and Katie fell in love with it on sight.
The gardens were exquisitely landscaped, with trees and shrubs in full bloom so that there was a mass of colour all around. Nestled among the various arbours and flowering trees there was an elevated hardwood deck, and Nick started to head towards it.
‘From up here on the deck you can see the vineyard in all its glory. It’s a great vantage point,’ he said, mounting the wooden stairs and walking over to the balustrade.
Katie followed him and turned to gaze at the distant Carmel Valley Mountains. ‘I didn’t realise that you had so much land,’ she murmured. ‘Are all those vines yours, or do those slopes belong to another vineyard… my father’s, perhaps?’
Nick followed the direction of her gaze. ‘They’re ours. Your father’s land is a little further to the west. We’ve terraced the slopes here in order to grow certain types of grapes, and then we have more vines spread along the valley floor. We’re incredibly lucky in this area because there’s such a long season. The grapes ripen slowly and that helps to intensify the flavour.’
She nodded, trying to take it all in. In the far distance, the verdant slopes of the ever-present Santa Lucia range added to the sense of lush, rich farmland all around. ‘It looks heavenly,’ she murmured, ‘like an Eden where everything is in harmony and the fruit is bursting off the vines.’
He smiled. ‘At least, that’s how we hope it will be. A good year will produce a premium vintage, but we can’t rely on that. If we get too much rain at the wrong time it can cause all kinds of problems, like mould, rot or mildew. Then again, the weather one season can be too hot and another too cool. It all helps to produce a variety of flavours and different qualities of wine.’
‘So you can’t simply sit back and leave things to nature?’
He laughed. ‘I wish! But, no, definitely not…we have to take steps to compensate for adverse conditions.’ He laid an arm around her, his hand splaying out over her shoulder and sending a thrill of heat to course through her veins. ‘Over the years my family has put a huge amount of effort into building up a reputation for producing quality wines… and it all came about because of my great-great-grandfather’s drive and ambition.’
She was thoughtful for a moment. ‘He certainly managed to pick out a piece of prime land. He must have been an astute man—and I dare say a wealthy one, too.’
Nick shook his head. ‘His family were immigrants, dirt poor, and they had to scrape a living for themselves. They came out here hoping for a better life, but it was a struggle, and I think Joseph, my great-great-grandfather, made up his mind that he would carve a path for himself, come what may. He worked at all kinds of jobs, day and night, determined to earn as much money as possible. He was thrifty, too, and put aside a good part of his earnings until, after about fifteen years or so, he had saved enough money to buy this vineyard.’
‘That was a huge accomplishment.’
He nodded. ‘It was. But the hardest bit was turning the vineyard around. When he first took it over they were producing inexpensive table wines, but Joseph had other ideas. He had a certain vision and he wanted to make big changes. Quality was everything to him and even though people told him he was making a big mistake, he went ahead with his plans to produce grapes that would provide superior wines. Then he had to convince the buyers that this was a product they wanted, and it all took tremendous hard work and a lot of money.’
He frowned. ‘Over the years, when wine consumption declined and harvests were poor, the vineyard suffered losses that could have ruined everything for us. That’s why my grandfather had to sell off a third of the land… the piece that Jack owns now. He needed the money to go on running things in keeping with Joseph’s ideals.’
‘And now you want it back,’ Katie said flatly. ‘That’s why you’ve been asking my father to sign papers that will turn the ownership over to you once more.’ She looked at him directly. ‘He should have his solicitor look them over before he does anything, shouldn’t he? I think I should get in touch with the law firm that deals with his affairs.’ It was a subtle warning, designed to let him know that she wasn’t going to stand by and see her father put under pressure. ‘Only, like I said before, I don’t think he’s in any fit state to deal with these kinds of problems just now, do you?’
Her expression was faintly belligerent, her jaw tilted, and Nick’s gaze flicked over her, taking it all in. ‘I was just telling you the history of the place, that’s all,’ he said in an even tone. ‘I don’t want to get into an argument with you.’
She backed down a little. After all, she was on his territory, she was a guest here, and this was perhaps the wrong time and place to thrash out their differences.
‘I’m just concerned for my father,’ she said.
‘I know that, and I respect you for it.’ He studied her thoughtfully. ‘But if you really care about him, you would probably do well to persuade him that his life would be easier if he were to offload the worries of the business onto us. That way he could relax and enjoy his remaining years.’
She stiffened. ‘I think you’re mistaken if you believe I’ll do your deal for you.’ She sent him a flinty stare. ‘I haven’t had many weeks to get to know him, but it’s been long enough for me to begin to care what happens to him. I didn’t know what it was to have a father until now, and I’ve started to realise that it’s something precious. I never imagined I would feel this way, about him or his land—so I’m not likely to suggest that he changes anything.’
She threw him a quick glance. ‘I expect you’re equally protective of your parents—more so, in fact.’
He nodded. ‘I’m not criticising you in any way.It’s natural that you should want to protect Jack’s interests… but I’m sure he’s astute enough to recognise a good deal when he sees one, and ours is far above anything he would get on the open market. Instead of trying to shield him, you could show him that it’s the sensible route to follow.’
‘I don’t think so. I think you and your father need to back off.’ She hesitated as a thought struck her. ‘I don’t believe you’ve ever mentioned your mother…’
‘No.’ His eyes were briefly troubled. ‘She passed away some years ago…it was a virus, a nasty one that attacked her heart. The doctors did everything they could, but it wasn’t enough to save her. I think she was already weak from a chest infection that laid her low.’ He looked at Katie. ‘I loved her dearly. She was a wonderful woman.’
‘I’m sorry.’ Katie pressed her lips together in a moment of regret. ‘That must have been hard for all of you—your brother and your father.’
He nodded. ‘Alex—my brother—was in Canada when he heard she was ill, but he came back as soon as he found out. At least we were all able to be with her at the end, and that makes it a little easier for us to bear.’
He moved away from the deck rail, becoming brisk and ready for action as though he wanted to shake off such sombre thoughts. ‘Shall we go over to the winery? I said I’d take you on a tour after all.’
‘Yes, I think maybe we should.’ She followed him down the steps, saying, ‘I was expecting some of your family to be here today—your father, maybe, or your brother.’
He shook his head. ‘My father had to go into town, and Alex is in Los Angeles on business. I told him all about you, and I know he wants to meet you.’
Katie wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Why would he have spoken to his brother about her? Unless, of course, he’d simply confided in his brother that a new girl had wandered in on his horizon… but perhaps she was misjudging him. It could be that her father was the factor in all this. The Bellinis were strongly allied to him through their business dealings, and it was probably only natural that they would be interested in the fact that he had a daughter—one that he had kept secret for a good many years.
They walked along a path leading from the house towards a collection of buildings some five hundred yards away. Nick pointed out a large stone-built complex where the grapes were processed, and then indicated another outbuilding where the offices and labs were housed. ‘I’ll show you around there later on,’ he said, moving on.
She nodded. ‘I know next to nothing about wine-making, I’m afraid.’
‘You’re not alone in that,’ he murmured. He paused by a heavy wooden door set into a stone arch. ‘Through here is the entrance to the cellar,’ he told her. ‘It has walls that are some fifteen inches thick, and it’s a cool, well-ventilated environment, essential for producing good wine.’
The wine-tasting room was in a building set a little apart from these processing areas. The outer walls were painted in a soft sunshine yellow, and there were tubs of flowers and hanging baskets facing out on to the courtyard, giving it a mellow, cottage-style appearance.
‘This is so pretty,’ Katie said, glancing at the winery and looking back at the chateau in the distance. ‘Your father must be really pleased to live in such an idyllic place.’
‘I’m sure he is. I know I loved it. I was brought up here, and it was a wonderful childhood.’ He looked around. ‘It might be a good idea to sample the wines out here. Perhaps a table in the shade would be best.’ He indicated a table in a far corner that was bordered by diamond-patterned trellises on two sides.
‘Come and make yourself comfortable,’ he said, holding out a seat for her, ‘while I go and fetch the wines.’
He returned a moment later, bearing a tray. ‘We’ll try a Burgundy-style Pinot Noir first of all. It’s our pride and joy, the best vintage yet. See what you think of it. It’s made from black grapes that grow on the cooler slopes.’
Once she was settled, he handed her a glass filled with dark red wine, and she took a sip. It was rich and smooth, with a hint of spice and an aftertaste of black cherry plum. Katie savoured it, letting it roll over her tongue before she swallowed it. ‘I can see why you’re excited about this,’ she said. ‘I’m not a wine buff, but I do know what I like, and this is delicious.’
Nick said quietly, ‘Joseph Bellini would have been proud.’ He turned to Katie. ‘This is what his hard work was all about, and nowadays we do our level best to live up to his vision. As well as this special wine, we produce our own Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s stored in barrels made of French oak and allowed to mature over many years. The oak helps to smooth out the harsh tannins and introduces softer, wood tannins.’
Katie nodded and tasted the wine once more. ‘Don’t you have a problem if my father’s vineyard produces similar wines? Doesn’t that put you in direct competition with one another?’
He shook his head. ‘Your father concentrates on Chardonnay. He had a really good season last year, and the result should be a superb wine.’ He picked out another bottle. ‘This is one of his Chardonnays,’ he said, pouring white wine into a glass and handing it to her. ‘Try it. I think you’ll like it. It’s full of fruit flavours—like pear, apple and melon.’
Katie sipped the wine and tried to forget for the moment that Nick and his family were doing their level best to pull her father’s business out from under his feet. How could she be drawn to a man who would do that? He was the enemy and yet she was calmly sipping wine with him and enjoying the comfort of his home. She felt like a traitor.
She would simply have to be on her guard and watch out for Jack’s interests whenever possible, she decided. Maybe she would carry out her threat and get in touch with the law firm that dealt with his business affairs. The Garcias were in the phone book, and a straightforward call might do the trick. They could advise her what to do and monitor her father’s dealings at the same time.
‘Mmm.’ She nodded. ‘This is lovely.’ She raised her glass to him and then looked at the tray of wines. ‘I see you have at least a dozen bottles on the trolley,’ she said quietly. ‘At this rate I shall be tipsy before dinner.’
Nick smiled and answered under his breath, ‘I think I’d quite like to see that.’ Then he pulled a wry face. ‘I do have a secret stash of crackers and cheese hidden away, designed to soak up the alcohol, once we’ve had a taster. It’s a pity that we have to eat them,’ he added, his voice low and husky. ‘With your senses blurred, I might have been able to persuade you that I’m everything you ever wanted in a man.’ His expression was mournful, and Katie stifled a laugh.
‘Give it up,’ she murmured. ‘I wouldn’t want your hopes to be dashed.’
They tasted several more wines, including the Merlot, which her father seemed to favour most of all. It was another red wine, rich and fruity with notes of currant and cherry.
Katie was glad of the savoury biscuits and the cheese platter that Nick brought out a short time later. She had missed lunch and she was beginning to feel more than a little heady. Alongside the various cheeses, there were pizza slices and bruschetta— slices of toasted bread topped with prosciutto and tomato. He had provided a selection of nuts, too, served with slices of dried apricot.
‘This has been such a great experience,’ she told him. ‘I’ve never been to a wine tasting before, and to be here surrounded by greenery and row on row of vineyard slopes has been wonderful.’
‘I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it,’ he said, giving her an appreciative smile. ‘Perhaps we should go along and have a look at the processing complex, before the wine goes right to your head. You’re looking a trifle flushed, and it might help if you were to stretch your legs for a bit.’
‘Okay.’
He helped her to her feet, and they strolled slowly over to the stone-built production plant. Nick explained some of the processes involved—the pressing of the grapes, the addition of yeast and the many checks that were done to test each stage of the fermentation process. In each separate room there were photos and clear text descriptions on the walls to enable visitors to understand what went on there. There were photos, too, of Joseph Bellini, his son Sebastian, Nick’s grandfather, Thomas, and finally Robert and his two sons. Katie stared at them in wonder. They all had the same rugged good looks, the strong bone structure, and that dark, Italian machismo.
‘I had no idea such a lot of effort went into producing a bottle of wine,’ she told Nick a while later as they stood by the window in the scrupulously clean barn where the grapes were poured into a giant hopper. The building’s double doors were open to allow a cooling drift of air into the room. ‘It must be tremendously satisfying to overcome all the hazards of production and finally taste the result—and discover that it’s perfection.’
‘It is. Wine-making is in our blood. It has become a part of us, much as the hills and valleys all around have become our home. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else than this small corner of the world.’ He gave a crooked smile. ‘My brother chose to travel, to go from place to place marketing our wines, but that wouldn’t do for me. My roots are here. I love this valley and my beach house. I’m very content.’
‘I imagine you are.’ She gazed out of the window at the surrounding hills and then looked back at him. ‘You must be very proud of your ancestors…all the dedication, strength of mind and sheer stamina that has gone into making the business what it is now. No wonder you’re such a fit-looking family—what I’ve seen of it so far. It must be in the genes.’
He leaned against a guard rail, turning to face her full on, his dark eyes glinting. ‘Fit is good, isn’t it?’ He slightly raised dark brows. ‘Does this mean you’re beginning to alter your opinion of me?’ He reached for her in a leisurely fashion, his hands at the base of her spine, drawing her to him and holding her lightly within the circle of his arms. ‘Perhaps there’s still hope I could persuade you that I’m the sort of man you could go for?’
She laughed softly. ‘There’s always hope, I sup pose.’ She looked at him from under her lashes. ‘But I wouldn’t get too carried away if I were you.’
‘A good thing you’re not me, then,’ he murmured huskily, ‘because I have entirely different ideas on that score. Carried away sounds just about right to me. Carried away is a chink in the armour, and definitely something I’d like to explore a little further.’
He came towards her, his arms tightening around her waist, and as his head lowered she finally began to realise his intention. He was going to kiss her, and even though, way down in the depths of her mind, she knew she really ought to be doing something to stop him, she did nothing at all. And as his lips brushed hers in a touch that was as light as the drift of silk over her skin, she discovered the last thing on earth she wanted was to pull away.
Just the opposite, in fact. Instead, she wanted to lean into him, to revel in his warm embrace, and delight in the strength of those muscular thighs that were pressuring her softly against the cool, steel wall of the hopper. And he must have known what she wanted because he drew her ever closer until her breasts were softly crushed against the wall of his chest and she could feel the heavy thud of his heartbeat marching in time with her own.
He kissed her, tenderly at first and then with rising passion, so that his breathing became ragged and his hands began to smooth over her curves.
Katie was lost in a haze of fevered pleasure. The sun was bright in an azure sky, and for a moment or two time seemed to stand still. There was only the sensual glide of his lips as they slowly explored the contours of her face, her throat and the creamy expanse of her shoulder, laid bare by the thin straps of the cotton top she wore. And with each lingering kiss her senses soared in response.
It was all so exhilarating, so perfect, and nothing like anything she had ever experienced before. What was it about him that made her feel this way? Did he have some kind of magical touch? If so, she wanted more, much more.
Only, as his lips began to slide lower, drifting into unsafe territory, alarm bells started to ring inside her. He gently nudged aside the delicate cotton strap and ventured even further into the danger zone, trailing soft kisses over the rounded swell of her breasts and leading her to a heady, disturbing place where feeling and emotion were all, and logical thought was banished.
Even so, a tiny sliver of common sense began to filter through the mist that spread, unbidden, through her brain. Perhaps it was the swish of sprinklers being started up on the lawns outside that alerted her, or maybe it was the soft flap of a bird’s wings that dragged her attention back to the reality of what was happening. What was she thinking? How could she have let this happen?
She struggled to get herself together. Wasn’t Nick the man who avoided commitment? Wasn’t he the one who was trying to persuade her father to sign away his land?
And here she was, betraying every instinct she possessed by falling into his arms at the first opportunity. She was a fool. She ought to have known better.
‘Are you all right?’ Nick lifted his head, depriving her of that heavenly, forbidden contact, and she tried to answer, but no words came. ‘Have I done something wrong?’ His voice was a soft murmur against her cheek.
‘No… I… Yes…’ She tried to ease herself away from him, her hands flattening against his chest as though she would put an end to his kisses. Why, then, did she feel the urge to stroke the velvet-covered wall of his rib cage and let her fingers explore the broad expanse of his shoulders? His muscles were firm and supple, inviting her to touch him and savour the moment.
Truly, she was a basket case—a woman at the mercy of her hormones and not to be trusted with the slightest task. ‘I don’t think I’m ready for this,’ she said huskily. ‘I shouldn’t have let things get this far.’
‘Are you quite sure about that?’ His hands caressed her, and his tone was soft and coaxing, inviting her to drift back into the shelter of his arms once more. ‘Life could be so much sweeter if only you’d allow yourself to taste it.’
She pulled in a shaky breath, willing herself to resist temptation. ‘I’m sure… absolutely sure.’ Even as she said it she wondered if she was trying to convince him or herself. She straightened and took a step away from him. ‘I don’t know how you manage to do this to me,’ she said huskily, her gaze troubled. ‘I need to feel good about myself, and none of this is helping. I’m very confused. I need time to think.’
‘Okay.’ He gave a soft, ragged sigh and moved to lay his forehead gently against hers. ‘But I can’t help thinking that you’d do better to throw caution to the wind. Life isn’t easy. It’s full of what-ifs and might-have-beens, and if you thought hard about all of them you might never experience the good side of things. I know you’ve been hurt, but sometimes you have to get back into the fray if you’re to have another chance of happiness. Sometimes you simply have to go with your instinct and trust in people.’
Slowly, he released her, and then stood with his hands to either side of him on the guard rail, so that she finally began to breathe a little easier.
He straightened. ‘I’ll walk you back to the courtyard.’ He gave a crooked smile. ‘You’ll be safe there.’
CHAPTER SIX (#ulink_f74d1b7e-60b2-5ffa-ae79-717fbaba21d2)
KATIE placed the consultant’s letter back in her tray and tried to steer her thoughts towards work. ‘Good news there, at least,’ she told Carla, the desk clerk, indicating the sheet of headed notepaper. ‘My young patient who was rushed to hospital from here a few weeks ago is back home and on the mend.’
‘The child with kidney problems? I remember his mother was so upset.’ Carla gave a relieved smile. ‘It’s good to know he’s pulled through all right. I’ve been worrying about him… about the poor boy with the head injury, too.’
Katie nodded. ‘Me, too. Last I heard, they were thinking about moving him from the intensive care unit. I was hoping I might find time to ring and check up on him some time today, but the time has simply rushed by.’ She frowned, straightening up and easing the slight ache in her back. Earlier today she had rung her father to find out how he was doing, but things weren’t good, and that was playing on her mind. His nurse, Steve, was worried about his condition.
She dragged her mind back to work. ‘Do I have any more patients to see this afternoon? There’s nothing on my list and the waiting room’s empty.’
Carla glanced at her screen once more. ‘No, but there was a message from Dr Bellini. He said Matthew Goren was coming in to hospital as an outpatient today. He thought you might like to be in on the consultation with him. His appointment’s scheduled for four o’clock—that gives you a quarter of an hour to get over there.’
‘Right… thanks, Carla. I’d better run.’
