“We’ll explain. She’ll understand.” Roman shot a look at Jake and grinned. “Or rather, you’ll explain. Here’s where the rubber meets the road. Are you a smooth talker or what? You’d better be, ’cause it’s up to you to convince her.”
For a flashing moment Jake debated saying,
None of this is my problem
. “I’ll do my best,” he said instead, overcome by a curious sense of right-minded justice. Leo Rolf was long overdue for a smack-down and—what the hell—why not lend a hand?
Roman nodded at Jake. “There’s no doubt in my mind you can do it. Hey, Janie, tell Matt he can go swimming every day,” he said, as she began moving away. His gaze swung to Jake again. “There’s swimming there, right?”
“It’s a spring-fed lake. The swimming’s good.”
“Perfect!” Janie waved. “I’ll be back in a minute. This summer’s turning out to be really,
really
fun!”
“You gotta give her credit,” Jake murmured as Janie walked away. “She’s not easily intimidated. Even by wiseguys.”
“She’s one tough lady,” Roman agreed proudly. “Leo’s got his hands full this go round.”
“Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy,” Jake sarcastically replied. “Now to talk Liv into leaving. She’s not going to want to.”
“Speaking of leaving, I didn’t think you were coming back.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“But?”
“What can I say? Lust trumps logic every time.”
“There’s no women in town?”
Jake made a wry face. “Don’t even go there.”
Roman put up his hands. “Forget I said anything. Bottom line though, we’re in debt to your libidinous urges. It saved our asses.”
“Almost saved your asses. Janie was the one who came through.”
Roman grinned. “She played that little shell game to the hilt, didn’t she? Leo’s gonna be pissed when he finds out he’s got zero for leverage.”
“By the time he figures it out, you’d better have the drawbridge up. He’s one cold-hearted prick.”
“You know him?”
“Nah—but I saw him in action once years ago. I was touring Asian restaurants with some friends. We were at a bar in Bangkok, and there was Leo buying himself a young boy. Since Rolf’s face had been splashed all over the papers back home with his divorce from that Goldman Sachs high flyer, I recognized him. The kid was terrified. It was grim. How in hell can he con so many women into marrying him?”
“It’s his money they’re marrying. Although, I’m not sure about Janie. According to her, he was actually real nice for almost a year.”
“Fucking sociopath.”
“And that’s the good part,” Roman muttered. “He’s corrupt to the core. Not that I can profess to piety or virtue. People don’t hire me to help their grannies cross the street.”
“You changed your mind about taking down Janie, though.”
Roman shrugged. “I probably wasn’t ever planning on following Leo’s instructions. You should see the equipment I brought along.” He smiled. “Need anyone wire-tapped?”
“I wish I did, with an offer like that,” Jake quipped. Then he blew out a breath. “I suppose I’d better go find Liv and give her the bad news.”
“That you’re back or that she has to leave?” Roman looked amused.
“Probably both. And the problem is, I’m not good at kissing ass.”
Roman gave him a sportive look. “Doesn’t it depend on how much you want what you want?”
Jake laughed. “Okay, so I’m gonna kiss ass.”
“Good idea.” Roman’s brows flickered. “Who knows? If you play your cards right, she might reciprocate.”
Jake held up his hands, fingers crossed. “I guess that’s what I’m here for. Mutual, reciprocal fun and games.”
“Best reason in the world to drive this far.” Roman gave Jake a finger-gun salute. “Good luck.”
Twenty-nine
Jake walked to the hill behind the farmhouse to survey the acres of rolling terrain that constituted Liv’s vineyard. The field to the south had three work crews cultivating the grapes, the field to the east was being irrigated by huge sprinklers, the vines to the north at first seemed devoid of workers. Until he caught a glimpse of Liv’s pale hair glistening in the sun.
She and a man in a baseball cap were at the far end of the field hoeing, the rhythmic rise and fall of their hoes evidence of seasoned hands.
It always amazed him that Liv worked the fields like her crews. He didn’t actually know any women who’d take on that degree of physical labor. Not that women chefs in his kitchens weren’t equal to men when it came to diligence and energy, but farm work seemed different somehow, requiring another kind of strength and stamina reminiscent of a simpler life he’d never experienced. All this fresh air and sunshine was far removed from the fevered pace and sweltering heat of the kitchens he called home.
Maybe it was the strangeness of her world that appealed. He smiled. Yeah, right. She could live in an igloo or yurt, and she’d still make him salivate. His craving for her had nothing to do with her lifestyle or geographical location.
It had to do with fucking his brains out.
There it was, plain and simple.
So, did he apologize for not calling her or pretend it didn’t matter that he hadn’t called? What level of nonchalance would be acceptable? Had she just been into the sexual fun and games like him? Did it matter to her who was participating in her orgasms? Had she even noticed that he was gone?
He took a breath, exhaled, and began walking.
Time to find out.
It took him long enough to cross the yard and field that his arrival was no surprise. Everyone had plenty of time to school their expressions.
As Jake walked up, Liv and her partner stopped working.
“You’re back,” she said with a polite smile, brushing the hair out of her face with a gloved hand.
That was easy,
Jake thought.
Not an iota of temper in her welcome
. He smiled back. “I missed you.” Or, more accurately, sex with her.
“How nice. I don’t think you’ve met my vintner, Chris Holloway. Chris, Jake Chambers.”
As Jake shook Chris’s hand and said hello, he was taking issue with Liv’s ultracasual response.
How nice? What the fuck did that mean?
Did men make pilgrimages out here to see her with such regularity, he was just another guy lost in the crowd? Was she getting it on with this Chris guy, and his arrival got in the way? Did he
care
if he was in the way? Dumb question.
“Could I talk to you for a minute?” he said, keeping his voice mild with effort. “There was a little dustup at your house a few minutes ago. Everything’s fine now, but Roman thought I should come out and tell you about it.”
“Trouble with Leo?”
“Right.”
Liv turned to her companion. “If you’ll give me a minute, Chris.”
“Do you need any help?”
“No.” Jake’s tone wasn’t precisely unfriendly, but then again, no one would have mistaken it for cordial.
“Thank you, Chris,” Liv interposed, her smile camera-ready. “I’ll deal with this.”
“Why don’t I head back to the office and order those sprinkler heads we need? I’ll see you back there.”
“Good idea. This shouldn’t take long.”
Or maybe it will
, Jake reflected, smiling like a politician just waiting for the crowd to disperse so he could quit smiling.
As Chris walked away, Liv turned to Jake with a frown. “I don’t need you to answer for me. Understand?”
“Sorry.”
“No you’re not.”
“I wish I was a better actor then.”
“Just for the record, I don’t take instructions from anyone. ”
His brows rose faintly. “I don’t know about that.”
“I’m talking about the real world, okay? Sex is different. Are we clear on our relative positions?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And don’t give me that cowboy shit,” she muttered. But he looked beaucoup sexy, smiling at her like that with his head dipped slightly so he was looking at her from under his dark lashes. “So, let’s cut to the chase.” Her voice was brisk with resolve. “I have a pretty good idea why you came back. But that aside, how about giving me the scoop on this so-called dustup.”
He was on notice to get down to business, and not the sexual kind. So he explained the problem in a similarly clear, brisk tone. “I saw a car with New York plates at the end of your drive and found a situation unfolding at your house. One of Leo’s wiseguys was threatening Roman and Janie with a gun. Another guy was upstairs tearing your house apart, looking for the flash drive. I knocked out one dude with my tire iron; Roman decked the other one, and if a third goon hadn’t opportunely arrived, it would have been over. The new wiseguy mentioned watching Matt riding a horse. Janie panicked, gave up the flash drive, and they left—mission accomplished,” he finished, feeling as though his explanation was brief and succinct enough to pass muster with her.
“I just knew there’d be trouble with Leo,” Liv said with a sigh of disgust. “I suppose it was just a matter of time. Was anyone hurt?”
“Just Leo’s hired guns. Everyone else is fine.”
“But Leo has what he wants now,” she said grimly.
“Uh-uh.” Jake grinned. “Janie has two more copies.”
“You’re kidding!”
“Nope. She’s still in the game.”
“Good for her! Now, that’s positive news!” Liv should have known Janie’s manipulative mind would have had a backup plan. Janie hadn’t clawed her way up from poverty by her looks alone. There were thousands of women as beautiful as she who were still waiting tables in L.A.
“There is a slight problem however . . .”
She grimaced. “Why am I not surprised?”
“Probably because you know what Leo’s like. Once he discovers he’s been fucked over, there’s gonna be more badasses sent out here. So the consensus is that everyone should vacate the premises for a short while at least. I told Janie my place at Deer Lake is available.”
“Oh, jeez,” Liv grumbled. “It’s prime growing season for me. It’s the worst possible time for me to walk away from my vineyard.”
“I understand. I’d even suggest hiring security, but these wiseguys Leo employs might be out of the locals’ league.”
“This is a real pain,” Liv said, sourly. “Everyone can’t just leave the vineyard. It’s impossible.”
“Maybe Janie could contact Leo before his hired guns get back to New York and let him know the flash drive he’s getting is useless. They could hash out a settlement with their lawyers, and this might all blow over in a few days.”
“If you believe that, let me tell you about some land I have for sale in Florida. If you recall, Leo contested his last wife’s settlement for over two years.”
“This time he’s facing major jail time, though, if that flash drive gets out. He’s going to want to settle.”
“Okay, okay, I get the message.” She scowled at Jake. “I don’t actually have a choice, do I?”
“Not really,” he gently replied.
“Can I blame you?” she sullenly inquired.
“If it helps, sure.” He smiled. “But Janie’s your friend, too. I don’t know if I want to take the entire blame for her poor marriage decisions.”
“Don’t be reasonable right now,” Liv muttered. “I’m not in the mood.”
“I understand.”
“And don’t sound so damned calm, either. The grapes this season are going to be our best ever. And now I have to just walk away and let everything go to hell?”
Her voice had risen markedly; he knew better than to reply.
Only the breeze rustling the grape leaves breached the silence.
Christ, she looks good,
he thought. Her cheeks were faintly flushed with anger, her pale hair a tangle of curls, her bare arms and legs tanned and toned, her lush bottom lip pouty. And sexy. “Look, is there a back way into your land?” he inquired. “If there is, maybe we could check on things from time to time. Or if you want, we could call the sheriff and have him patrol your land.”
“If only. We have six deputies in the entire county.”
“Look,” he said, quietly, clearly willing to be accommodating. “Tell me what you want me to do, and I’ll do it.”
At a loss, she shook her head. “I don’t know what to do. Leo’s a prick, though; that I do know. And I suppose if Janie and Matt are at risk, I have to help in any way I can.”
“That’s my call, too.”
Lips pursed, she met his gaze. “This isn’t exactly good timing for you, either, is it? You’re trying to work on your restaurant.”
“What can I say? Shit happens.”
Her smile this time was warmer than it had been. “You’re too damned reasonable.”
“Sorry.”
Her brows lifted faintly, and she studied him for a lengthy moment. “I didn’t think you were coming back.”