The Winemaker's Dinner: Entrée (6 page)

“Are you ready for your day, young lady?” Ivan asked, looking up from his paper, his voice deeper than usual.

She watched as his eyes roamed her body. Even dressed in yoga pants and a T-shirt, and no doubt looking a little worse for wear from the stress of her job, she loved that Ivan looked at her as if she were the most beautiful woman on earth. “I don’t know if I can ever be ready for one of your surprises. What’s the plan?”

“If I told you, then it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it? But I can tell you this: if we don’t hurry, we’re going to miss our plane.” Ivan folded the newspaper and placed it on the table, then offered her his outstretched hand. “Shall we?”

What the hell was he up to this time? Jaden had become accustomed to Ivan’s spontaneity and lavish surprises, but after the ridiculous display of affection in her dressing room yesterday, not to mention their sumptuous evening’s accommodations, she had a feeling this adventure was going to take the cake.

He snagged the check and led her to the front desk, where it seemed he’d already checked out. He handed the bellman the ticket for their luggage, and moments later his suitcase appeared.

Jaden smiled and interlocked her fingers with his as they took one last look at the elegant lobby and headed outside to hail yet another cab.

“LAX, please,” Ivan directed as they slid inside.

As the driver pulled away from the curb, her curiosity bubbled over. She shifted sideways on the seat to face Ivan. “Okay, I can’t take it anymore. Where are we going?”

He tried to keep a poker face, but the corner of his mouth turned up into a sly smile. “Take a load off and relax. I’m giving you exactly what you need: some stress-free pampering.”

“Are you sure you packed everything I need—”

He cut her off with a glare.

“Never mind,” she sang quietly as she sank back into the seat. It didn’t matter whether he’d packed her bag well or not. A trip with Ivan might very well mean staying in bed, so they wouldn’t need clothes at all…which she could totally get behind.

“That’s my girl,” he said with a wink. He picked up her foot and put it in his lap, continuing with the massage from the night before.

The cab pulled to a stop in front of Alaskan Airlines, and she could feel her anticipation mount. Alaska? Putting her shoe back on, she slid out of the taxi behind Ivan and followed him to the near-vacant checkin counter. He handed the woman his ID.

“Good morning, Dr. Rusilko. Your flight to Santa Rosa is on time. And this is Ms. Jaden Thorne, I presume?” the attendant asked.

Jaden silently gave thanks for her oversized purse that contained everything but the kitchen sink as she handed the woman her passport. Then she began to bounce up and down on the balls of her feet, bursting with excitement.

Ivan shrugged as if admitting defeat. “Well, I got tired of waiting for the next Winemaker’s Dinner, so I figured we’d have our own wine-infused celebration. There’s no place like Napa for that.”

“Ivan.” Jaden wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his cheek. “How did I ever get so lucky?”

“I’m the lucky one,” he whispered as he turned to find her lips.

After a moment, the attendant cleared her throat, and they returned to focus on the task at hand. As they headed for the gate, Jaden continued to bounce, and with each step counted her blessings for having found Ivan. They traversed the crowded airport and arrived to find their flight already boarding. Before her relationship with Ivan she would’ve been nervous about flying on such a small plane, but having visited his family in Pennsylvania, and now flying back and forth constantly between LA and Miami, airplanes had become second nature.

Settling in their seats, they each prepared for the almost two-hour flight: Jaden with a book and Ivan with his iPod. While the flight attendant delivered her lecture about seatbelts and exits, Jaden reached across the seat and plucked the earbud from Ivan’s ear. “Thank you, baby.”

He smiled sleepily, and she wondered when he’d had the time to organize this little excursion. But she could tell now was no time to ask, and sure enough, he was snoring before they left the runway. He scarcely moved until the screeching wheels and jolt of their landing roused him from his nap.

“Sleep well?” Jaden nudged his shoulder.

“Yes, yes, I did,” he replied with a yawn.

“That must’ve been one hell of a dream. You mumbled through the entire flight.”

“Oh, you know,” he replied. “Vineyards, fine wine, and a whole lotta lovin’.”

“Hmm…
That’s
something I could get used to.”

“So could I,” he said. “But I promised Stacey I’d have you back in time for the dinner on Sunday.”

Jaden tilted her head back and sighed. Having a new co-host was inevitable, but having the guy invade her time with Ivan was unacceptable. With a phony pout, she turned toward him. “Do we really have to go? Couldn’t we just buy a small vineyard and live in Napa? As long as you didn’t tell anyone where we were going, no one would ever find us.”

Ivan laughed as they shuffled forward with the flow of passengers waiting to exit the plane. “Babe, I would love nothing more than to stay holed up in some vineyard for the rest of our lives, but I’d be depriving the rest of the world of the most beautiful and talented chef on the face of the earth.”

Jaden smiled, silently thanking him for everything—most of all for his unwavering support. What would she do without him?

Once off the plane, they scurried through the Santa Rosa airport and into their rental car. She watched as vineyard after vineyard passed in a blur of sinewy vines. Dinner on Sunday or not, she felt lighter than she had in weeks.

“Inside of Love”

I
VAN
E
ASED
T
HE
R
ENTAL
C
AR
into the turn lane and continued on as the pavement gave way to a dirt road. Pebbles crunched beneath the tires, and a haze of dust swirled through the air, leaving a faint film on the hood of the car. Majestic blue oaks grew at regular intervals alongside the road, their branches hanging over clusters of wildflowers below.

“Where are we?” Jaden asked as she surveyed the scene. Ivan just smiled as he zig-zagged his way up the hill, following the curves in the road as it wound gracefully through the trees. After a few more minutes, the trees began to thin out, and the sky opened above them as they emerged from the shade of the blue oaks and into an old, abandoned vineyard now overgrown with weeds.

“What is this place?” Jaden leaned forward in her seat. A large house, reminiscent of an old English cottage, materialized in front of them. Leafy green ivy clung to the fieldstone walls, weaving itself around the aging structure, and Palladian windows on either side of the double front doors glinted in the California sun. Above them, a stone terrace hung from the second floor, supported by two Corinthian columns. He pulled the car to a stop, and she slid out. “Is this where we’re staying?”

He soon joined her at the front of the car, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close. “Do you like it?”

“Do I like it?” she scoffed. “Are you kidding me? This place is fantastic.”

Brilliant purple and red flowers occupied the well-manicured beds, and three identical black SUVs parked side by side in front of a garage that resembled the sublime architecture of the main house. But Ivan soon tore his eyes from the scene to take in the best view of all. Nothing made him happier than seeing Jaden so full of joy. If given the chance, he would spend every day of the rest of his life ensuring that she wore the dazzling smile she did at this very moment. Squeezing her tighter, he closed the sliver of space between them. He pressed his lips to her temple, whispering against her skin: “A castle for my princess.”

She said nothing, but tilted her head back and brought her lips to meet his. She traced his bottom lip with the tip of her tongue. When at last their lips parted, she leaned back on the hood of the rental car, seeming a bit breathless. Her gaze dropped to the growing bulge in Ivan’s pants and an impish grin appeared on her face. “So, you never did answer my question. What is this place?”

“Well…” Ivan took a moment to adjust his pants. “It used to be a winery, and for a short period of time was a bed and breakfast.”

“And now?”

“Now it’s a private getaway for family and friends of an associate I’ve done some work for. He’s spent years trying to restore the estate to its former glory.”

Jaden glanced over her shoulder at the abandoned vineyard behind them. “Looks like your friend still has a lot of work ahead of him.”

“Ah, but looks can be deceiving, Ms. Thorne.” Ivan laughed. He relinquished his grip on her waist and fished in his pocket until he found what he was looking for: a solitary brass key on a silver key ring. “Shall we?”

She sighed and took his proffered hand.

They walked in silence to the back of the car, collected their bags from the trunk, and walked together toward the house, taking in the view once again. He smiled at her again and felt a shot of butterflies ripple through him. Perhaps her excitement was infectious. As they approached the front door, he lifted the key to the lock, but the door swung open, revealing a rather robust woman on the other side of the threshold. Wild, curly black hair hung around her face, and a peasant skirt and floral blouse covered her abundant form.

“You must be Dr. Rusilko!” the woman all but shouted, her voice thick with enthusiasm and a heavy Spanish accent. Stepping aside, she waved them into the house. “Señor Shok said I should be expecting you this afternoon. Please, let me take your bags.”

Ivan released Jaden’s hand and twisted sideways, thwarting the woman’s attempts. “Thank you, but I can manage, Mrs.…?”

“
Miss
Marta,” she replied, not so subtly giving him the onceover.

He heard Jaden stifle a laugh, and she blushed crimson as a chuckle escaped her lips.

“Señor Shok failed to inform me that there would be other guests joining us this evening,” he said kindly, ignoring Jaden’s fit of giggles.

“Oh no, Dr. Rusilko, I am only here to see you to your room and ensure that you’re settled in,” Marta assured him. “You will have the house to yourselves this evening, but I’ll prepare your supper before I leave. Now, come. I’ll show you to your room.”

“Thank you, Marta.” Ivan took Jaden by the hand.

Floorboards creaked underfoot as they moved through the house. Despite the modern amenities, it had a certain old world charm. Cherry hardwood floors stretched out in every direction, and mahogany panels lined the walls, adding character and ambiance to the sparsely furnished space. They reached a small kitchen at the back of the house and Marta began climbing a small stairwell off to one side.

This wasn’t the type of lodging Ivan had grown accustomed to in South Beach. No marble floors, no heated swimming pools, and no grand staircases. This place reminded him of the simple cabin in Pennsylvania he and Jaden had shared not long ago—the place where they’d declared their love for each other again and again. The memories of that night brought a smile to his face, and he could feel the stirring of arousal as well. Squeezing Jaden’s hand in his, he turned to her and smiled. He could see all the love and lust and adoration on his face reflected in her emerald green eyes.

One-by-one they inched up the stairs to the second-floor landing, and Miss Marta’s commanding voice echoed in the hallway, breaking the quiet that had settled among them.

“This is your room.” She produced a key ring with dozens of keys of various shapes and sizes. She selected one and opened the door. “The bathroom has been upgraded. There are fresh towels in the closet, and the hairdryer is beneath the sink.”

“This is lovely,” Jaden said, looking toward their accommodations.

“Will there be anything else, sir?”

“No. Thank you, Marta.”

“Very well. Dinner will be ready in a bit. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything.”

He nodded politely, and Marta took her leave, closing the door behind her. He placed the suitcases on the floor at the foot of the bed and surveyed the room while Jaden flitted from window to window like a butterfly, once again radiating pure joy. He couldn’t help but smile, but he also felt a tingle race up his spine. This was it, wasn’t it? All he truly needed. His love for Jaden threatened to overwhelm him for a moment. Bending down, he busied himself with unzipping his suitcase and retrieving a small leather bag of toiletries.

“Going somewhere?” Jaden’s voice was smooth and seductive as she joined him at the foot of the bed.

“Just thought I’d freshen up before dinner,” he said, taking a deep breath.

She raised her hand and cupped his face. “Is everything okay, babe?”

“Couldn’t be better.” He smiled.

“You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”

Damn!
This weekend was supposed to help Jaden relax, not make her worry. He rested his cheek in her palm, then kissed her hand, luxuriating in the softness of her skin. Oh, what he would do for her—the love of his life, the gatekeeper of his soul.