Red Red Wine (Tastes of Seduction) (2 page)

A little more tension eased from his muscles.

He grabbed his bag from the passenger seat, tossed it over his shoulder and set off to find reception. Two steps later, a hard thud followed by a muffled oath stopped him in his tracks. Andrew turned to see a woman standing beside the open boot of a car, frowning down at a huge suitcase lying flat on the ground.

“Stupid thing,” she groused, and Andrew thought she might kick the case. But then her lips tilted and broke into a smile, and all he could do was gape, because with her mouth curved up like that and amusement shining from her face, she was, undoubtedly, the most beautiful creature he’d ever laid eyes on.

She placed her hands on her hips and stared from the case to the open boot contemplatively, leaving him with no doubt that she had too much luggage to carry inside in one go.

“Need a hand?”

The woman looked up, her dazzling smile still in place.

Desire hit him like a runaway truck.

Sexy
didn’t begin to describe her. Her legs stretched forever from a pair of short denim cut-offs, and a snug white singlet hugged firm breasts that instantly gave him a boner. Long, dark hair was captured in a ponytail, but several strands had escaped and fluttered around her heart-shaped face in the breeze. The smile reached her blue eyes, and in them he could see both relief and gratitude.

But it wasn’t the relief that held him rapt, keeping his attention on her face and away from the extraordinary legs and breasts. It was the obvious happiness in her features. Joy radiated off her in waves, making Andrew want to smile himself.

“I would
love
a hand. You’d think I’d have realized I packed too much when I filled the boot and the backseat of the car for one week, but nope. It never occurred.”

“Hey, no worries.” He made his way over and lifted the suitcase with ease, setting it upright. “When you need your gear, you need your gear.” He looked inside the car. “And, er, you obviously need your gear.”

“I do.” She grinned. “Big week ahead. Need to be fully prepared, you know.”

Actually, he didn’t. He’d taken half an hour to get home, throw some clothes and toiletries into his bag, drop his dog, Bruiser, at the neighbors’ for babysitting, pile his bike and cycling gear in the boot and leave before common sense told him this was a bad idea. Before an overwhelming sense of responsibility dictated he couldn’t leave his parents or work for five days.

He figured he’d packed more than enough clothes, and if it turned out he hadn’t, he could always pick up a couple of T-shirts in the Hunter.

“I’ll take the case for you. Anything else I can carry while I’m at it?”

She eyed her case and his bag, then let her gaze sweep over his chest and arms. Obviously deciding he could cope with a little extra, she pulled a bag with a shoulder strap from the car. “Think you can handle this too?”

“Sure.” He hung the strap over his shoulder, surprised by its substantial weight. “And the matching one too.”

She looked dubious for a second, then passed him the bag, this one just as heavy as the last. “Thanks, that makes a huge difference. I can handle the smaller ones. Maybe I won’t even have to make two trips.”

When she reached into the car again, Andrew gave silent thanks for the gear in his arms, restricting his ability to run his hands all over her tanned skin. The tiny pair of shorts rode low on her hips and finished high on her firm thighs, so when she leaned forward, they exposed the tiniest curve of her ass. And what an ass it was. Lush and rounded, curvy in all the right places. It was mouthwatering. Tempting enough to make him take a voluntary step back.

There’d be no stopping him should he ever get his hands on that ass.

Hell.
When had he turned into such a horny bastard he had to stop himself from grabbing a stranger’s ass?

The radiant brunette hung a bag over her shoulder, took out a smaller suitcase with wheels, carefully draped a suit—nope, dress—bag over her arm, shut the boot and, tugging the case behind her, set off towards the ramp beside the staircase leading to the hotel.

“I owe you big-time for this.” She flashed him a smile as she looked back at him.

The matching case Andrew pulled also had wheels, making it easier to handle. Still, the woman had packed major stuff in there. He smiled back easily. “I’ll accept payment in the form of a drink later. Red wine or white. Your choice.”

“Red, always.” Something sparked in her eyes before she turned back to watch the path ahead of her. “But later’s going to be difficult. I have serious commitments this weekend.”

Knocked back.

It’d been so long since he’d been with a woman, Andrew had obviously lost his touch. A quick mental check told him his last date had been over three months ago. His last relationship? Way more than that.

He and his palm had become intimately acquainted of late, which was pretty damn pathetic when all was said and done.

Pity he’d lost his touch. Sharing a drink with this woman held a ridiculous amount of appeal. But of course she had commitments. Why else would she have six bags and suitcases for one week?

“You know…” She came to a stop halfway up the winding path. “I’m sorry I can’t grab a drink with you. You seem awfully nice. Plus you have the most amazing eyes, and I’m a sucker for brown eyes. Especially amazing ones, like yours.”

Pride restored and chest puffing a little, Andrew rushed to reassure her. “No worries. I understand commitments.”
All too bloody well
. He gestured at the hotel while wondering exactly what her commitments were. “Those bags are going to get heavy if you carry them longer than you absolutely need to.”

Her face was instantly aglow with contrition. “Never mind me, you’re the one lugging half my wardrobe with you. Please, leave it all here. I’ll come back for them.”

Andrew snorted. “And disprove my masculinity in front of the sexiest woman in the Hunter Valley? I don’t think so.”

Laughter pealed from her. “You’re sweet to say it, but I’m not sexy. Just happy.”

“You look happy.”
And sexy
. He took a step forward, prompting her to do the same.

“Ever have those times when everything in life seems perfect?” she asked conversationally.

He took a second or two to think about it. No. Not since his mother had been diagnosed, anyway. Because once a family member had a diagnosis like she’d been given, it colored every other moment in one’s life.

Or maybe Andrew’s inability to separate himself from his parents’ problems had stopped him from appreciating the perfect moments in life.

Like now, for instance. It didn’t get much more perfect than this, staring at the best ass in history. “Every now and again,” he answered, determined to forget about his folks for a while. Just put thoughts of them aside and take a break.

Yeah, things might be bad at the moment, but Andrew had enjoyed some standout perfect times in his life. Times he knew others would give their right arms to enjoy.

“Think about it,” the brunette encouraged. “At those times, I bet you felt great. Believed nothing in the world could get you down, right?”

“Right,” he agreed.

“Well, when you’re in that state of mind, you tend to give off a vibe. That’s me now. I’m not sexy, I’m just in a really good headspace.”

Something stirred deep in his gut, an emotion or maybe an instinct, something that told him this woman was…different. Someone to take notice of. Someone he needed to get to know better.

That stirring made Andrew stand straighter, pay attention.

“Yeah?” He chuckled. “I kinda suspect you’d be drop-dead gorgeous even if you weren’t having a perfect moment.”

“You know you’re making me feel even better about myself, don’t you?”

Andrew trained his gaze on the lower half of her body. “That probably explains why your legs and ass keep looking better and better.”

“Tell me you are not checking out my legs and ass.”

He watched as she took one step after the other, watched the muscles work in one thigh, then the other. Watched the creases that appeared beneath those rounded butt cheeks with every step she took.

It made his chest ache with a reaction that had nothing to do with the physical lust pumping through his veins. “I’m not checking out your legs and ass.”

“You’re lying.”

“Never.”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

He laughed. “Okay, guilty as charged. I am checking them out. But only because they’re worth checking out.”

They reached the entrance to the lodge, and Andrew nipped ahead to hold the door open for her.

With a grateful—and mischievous—smile, she walked inside. “You know, under any other circumstances I’d tell you that you had a great ass too.”

“Under other circumstances?” Did that mean she’d checked out his ass when he’d walked ahead of her?

“Considering the reason I’m here in the Hunter, I feel it only diplomatic to suspend judgment.”

Andrew frowned. “I’m intrigued. What could bring you here under those circumstances?”

“A wedding.”

Her expression was…dreamy. No other way to describe it. And so open and filled with delight it sucked the breath right out of his lungs.

She draped the dress bag carefully over the back of an armchair near the front desk and dumped her bags beside it. Andrew set down the rest of her luggage as she patted the dress bag tenderly. “
My
wedding.”

She’d barely gotten the words out when two things transpired concurrently.

Andrew was clobbered with a wallop of crushing disappointment, and a gaggle of women descended on the beautiful bride-to-be.

“Tori, you’re here.”

“Finally.”

“Honey, how was the drive?”

“We’ve been waiting for you.”

“The celebrations can start.”

“Here comes the bride. All dressed in…shorts and a singlet.”

She was instantly swamped by them, exchanging hugs, kisses and whoops of delight.

Andrew watched, both charmed and bummed out. No wonder the woman radiated happiness and sunshine. She was getting married. Which, yeah, was cool for her. But man, it sucked big-time for him.

The desire that had hit him like a hurricane should have dissipated in the ensuing excitement and disappointment. It didn’t. As she mouthed a big thank-you, he waved a silent goodbye to a woman about to spend her life with another man.

Instinct told him not to let her go.

Chapter Two

If this was what happiness felt like, Tori Worthing looked for the line where she could sign up for more of the same for the rest of her life. She now understood what it meant to view the world through rose-tinted glasses. Absolutely everything around her looked gorgeous.

The vineyards were breathtakingly beautiful, the lodge, or what she’d seen of it, was stunning, upmarket and luxurious, the gardens could not be in better shape for an outdoor wedding, and the man who’d just helped her carry her bags inside was possibly the hottest thing on two legs. Next to her fiancé, of course. Because Declan was her dream come true.

The dashing, debonair Declan had swept her off her feet and taken her on a whirlwind ride of a romance. A year ago, she hadn’t known him. Six months ago, she hadn’t been engaged.

And now she was about to become Mrs. Murfield.

Life could not possibly get better.

She had a few seconds to smile at her mother, sister, aunt and cousins before Violet Harper wrapped her in a tight hug. Tori embraced her right back. They’d been besties since school, so of course she’d been the perfect choice for a bridesmaid. In fact, Vi got double credit as a bridesmaid, because she was the one who’d introduced Tori to Declan in the first place.

Declan and his partner Noah had hired Vi’s company, Harper PR, to help them with marketing and promotions. Four months later, Tori had walked into Violet’s offices when Declan was there, and the rest, as they say, had been history.

Tori would have invited Vi to be her maid of honor, but that role, or the matron of honor role, at any rate, had unquestionably gone to her sister, Janine, or “Neen”, as Tori had called her since they were little. After all, there was no one on earth alive closer to her.

Her mum and dad came in a close second.

“Are you ready for the big day?” Vi asked, releasing her.

Movement behind Vi caught Tori’s eyes, and she looked over to see the helpful, gorgeous stranger smile and wave goodbye. She waved back and mouthed another grateful thank-you before answering her friend.

“More ready than I’ve ever been.” She pointed at the dress bag hanging over the back of the chair. “My dress is a-maz-ing! Oh, and listen to this.” She rubbed her hands together in glee. “The dressmaker had to take it in a couple of inches before she handed it over.” Tori couldn’t help bragging just a bit, seeing as she always carried a little extra weight around her hips and thighs. The loss of six kilos had not been easy. She’d forced herself to sacrifice sugar for the cause. Which meant no ice cream, no frozen yogurt, no wine and no chocolate in months. Veritable torture for the sugar-addicted teacher of special-needs children.