Nicholas is returning to the family vineyard after nearly a decade away. A quick trip to the lawyer to collect the trust fund that's rightfully his and he can wash his hands of the alcoholic father who disowned him years ago. A romp or two with the cellarmaster's assistant shouldn't complicate things.
Francesca has given her heart and soul to Mill Tavern Vineyards, working tirelessly in its wine cellars. Now the greedy son of her stepfather is coming home to take it all from her. Manipulating her way into the playboy's bed may be the only way to save her home.
But hot sex quickly becomes an affair of the heart as Francesca and Nick get tangled in lies and deceit trying to discover the truth behind the failing vineyard.
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EXCERPT:
The moment he'd arrived on the property, Nick had lived up to his playboy reputation, letting Frankie hit on him in the field. The lame excuse about Joseph had been as obvious as the erection tenting his Levis. Frankie had no doubt he knew the man was terribly ill. Well, she'd gone for broke and melted in his presence like some love-struck teenager drooling over her first crush. It had been almost too easy. Everything was moving in the right direction. It pissed her off that her body hadn't gotten the memo about remaining aloof. Though her lips had barely feathered over his, he'd left her panting and weak-kneed as he strode back to his Harley.
She turned back to her lab table and the grapes that needed to be assessed for sugar content. "Well, at least he's not too hard on the eyes."
"What?"
She wheeled around at the sound of Nick's voice. As if her thoughts had conjured him, he stood there, all six feet of solid danger wrapped in black leather, sucking the air from the room.
"Mr. Gradin, I didn't hear you come down the stairs." She was pleased the words were delivered evenly and without a nervous stutter.
"Please, call me Nick." He slipped his hands into his back pockets and tipped back on the well-worn heels of his biker boots. A silver hoop earring winked at her from below the short crop of hair. Dark spikes, highlighted with bronze framed a strong face and accented the growth of beard shadowing his jaw. He oozed confidence. A sense of superiority sparked in the gold of his eyes but she needed to ignore it or it would just piss her off. Anger wasn't the angle she was looking for here.
"Have you come to assess the wines?" she asked coyly. "I was just going to do that myself." Frankie shot a quick glance at the grapes in the baggie then back to him. "Well, after I do the sugar levels on the fruit from the vineyard. I'm thinking we can begin the harvest next week. The pinot noirs are right on schedule. I'm planning on getting the netting out in the next couple of days to protect the grapes from the hungry birds." The words were tumbling out too fast for comfort and she bit down hard on her tongue to keep it still. A seductress shouldn't be nervous.
Francesca has given her heart and soul to Mill Tavern Vineyards, working tirelessly in its wine cellars. Now the greedy son of her stepfather is coming home to take it all from her. Manipulating her way into the playboy's bed may be the only way to save her home.
But hot sex quickly becomes an affair of the heart as Francesca and Nick get tangled in lies and deceit trying to discover the truth behind the failing vineyard.
*****************
EXCERPT:
The moment he'd arrived on the property, Nick had lived up to his playboy reputation, letting Frankie hit on him in the field. The lame excuse about Joseph had been as obvious as the erection tenting his Levis. Frankie had no doubt he knew the man was terribly ill. Well, she'd gone for broke and melted in his presence like some love-struck teenager drooling over her first crush. It had been almost too easy. Everything was moving in the right direction. It pissed her off that her body hadn't gotten the memo about remaining aloof. Though her lips had barely feathered over his, he'd left her panting and weak-kneed as he strode back to his Harley.
She turned back to her lab table and the grapes that needed to be assessed for sugar content. "Well, at least he's not too hard on the eyes."
"What?"
She wheeled around at the sound of Nick's voice. As if her thoughts had conjured him, he stood there, all six feet of solid danger wrapped in black leather, sucking the air from the room.
"Mr. Gradin, I didn't hear you come down the stairs." She was pleased the words were delivered evenly and without a nervous stutter.
"Please, call me Nick." He slipped his hands into his back pockets and tipped back on the well-worn heels of his biker boots. A silver hoop earring winked at her from below the short crop of hair. Dark spikes, highlighted with bronze framed a strong face and accented the growth of beard shadowing his jaw. He oozed confidence. A sense of superiority sparked in the gold of his eyes but she needed to ignore it or it would just piss her off. Anger wasn't the angle she was looking for here.
"Have you come to assess the wines?" she asked coyly. "I was just going to do that myself." Frankie shot a quick glance at the grapes in the baggie then back to him. "Well, after I do the sugar levels on the fruit from the vineyard. I'm thinking we can begin the harvest next week. The pinot noirs are right on schedule. I'm planning on getting the netting out in the next couple of days to protect the grapes from the hungry birds." The words were tumbling out too fast for comfort and she bit down hard on her tongue to keep it still. A seductress shouldn't be nervous.
Used availability for Nina Pierce's Divine Deception