Champagne Kisses Page 2

  His interest had been piqued that first time he’d seen Marissa, and he recalled the way his heart had clenched at the sight of her while something decidedly lower had also bobbed its amen. He remembered the way she’d offered a coy smile before glancing away from his intense gaze and how a jolt of electricity had accompanied their handshake. Most important he remembered the way that no matter how hard he tried all evening, he seemed to not be able to corner her; less than an hour into the party he’d found out she’d already left. Something about an upset stomach, Jackson had said. Upon finding out that she was gone, he’d shrugged off the attraction, hadn’t given her a second thought. Until tonight. But ever since he’d seen her tonight, he knew that her slipping through his fingers again was not an option. Not the way she was swinging that hair and wearing that dress, with a body so vivacious it should have come with a warning sign. Dangerous Curves Ahead.

  Donovan looked at his Rolex and then watched as the brother who was also at the bar finished his drink and passed a business card to the blonde seated between them before he walked out the door. The blonde turned to Donovan.

  “What a jerk,” she said as she tore the business card in half before offering him a flirty look. Donovan gave her an understanding smile before turning his chair to face the bar’s liquor-covered shelves. He was sympathetic but not interested. Not tonight anyway. It had now been twenty minutes since Marissa had promised to meet him in fifteen. Leaning back in the comfy bar chair, he took another slow, deliberate sip of wine. His mother had taught him that anything worth having was worth waiting for. Donovan Drake was nothing if not a patient man.

  * * *

  Marissa pulled into the parking lot, her heart thumping with excitement. It seemed forever ago that she’d even consider giving a man her phone number, let alone meeting one for a drink. Her employer, Jackson, and anyone else who knew her would consider the night’s actions quite unlike her. But there was something about Donovan Drake that seemed different from the average man, something that made her feel safe and protected. He exuded a type of authority that you could only be born with, yet had a way of making you feel comfortable in his presence. Oh, and there was that minor detail about him being very good-looking. Not in a pretty-boy way like Trey Songz or Boris Kodjoe, or even in a Dayum! sort of fashion like his tall, hunky brother, Dexter. No, Donovan’s good looks were as much from what was within as the package without.

  This is why she’d ignored the fact that at the moment, she wasn’t supposed to be interested in the opposite sex, that after the betrayal she’d endured from a so-called friend, work and continuing her education were the only two things that were supposed to have her attention. But the smile currently on her face had nothing to do with executive assistant work or landing a graduate degree in business administration, and everything to do with a tall, strapping male, one she’d thought of intermittently since being introduced to him months before. Then, as now, there had been nothing about the six-foot-tall, broad-shouldered sculpture of brown sugar that she hadn’t liked. Not his smoldering cocoa eyes, his juicy lips, his wide, thick eyebrows or that hint of a cleft that kissed the middle of a strong jawline. Nothing. This was probably why her heart raced as though she was on a first date. She felt she could fall in like with Donovan Drake very easily. She’d already fallen in lust.

  “Let’s go, Marissa,” she encouraged herself. “It’s only a drink.” With one last look in the mirror and a quick sprucing up of her curly, shoulder-length tresses, Marissa got out of the car, got halfway between the parking lot and the tasting room door…and froze.

  “Well, well, well.”

  Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Her heartbeat was so loud it almost drowned out the voice she’d hoped to never hear again. At least not for a few lifetimes. Unfortunately this pitter-patter had nothing to do with the man for whom she lusted and everything to do with one she despised.

  “Hello, Marissa.”

  Figuring the faster she’d speak, the faster he’d leave, her lips parted. “Hello, Steven.”

  “You’re looking good.”

  Any comment she would have offered, if it existed, would have had a hard time squeezing past the tightness in her throat. The greeting had been hard enough.

  Steven eyed her a moment longer before turning to look through the window at the wall-length bar just beyond them. Marissa immediately saw Donovan talking to the bartender. On one side of him was a tanned man with dark hair and a mustache; a blonde woman sat on his other side. A couple walked up and took two seats on the short side of the L-shaped counter. “Which one of them are you here to meet?”

  Marissa swallowed her discomfort, squared her shoulders and tried to not show how totally uncomfortable she was seeing her former best friend again.

  “I’ve purposely stayed away from Long Beach and certain areas of San Diego so that I don’t have to see you. And now, I find you conveniently in between the two at the exact same time as I am. Are you stalking me?”

  Steven laughed, the sound sinister and hollow. When he replied, his eyes were cold. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

  “Then how did you find me, Steven?”

  “I wasn’t looking for you. Antonio’s band has a gig out this way. Not that it’s any of your business.” They continued eyeing each other a moment. “I see you still believe that bull those strangers told you.”

  “That’s right. I still believe it. And I still meant what I said when it happened. If I have another confrontation with you, if you harass me in any way, I will get a restraining order.”

  Steven shrugged. “You do whatever you feel you need to do. Handle your business, because I’m definitely going to handle mine.”

  Marissa took a deep breath and tried another approach. “You know what, Steven? Somewhere inside you is a nice person. I knew him once. In fact, we used to be friends.”

  “That good man is still right here,” Steven said with that boyish smile Marissa remembered. “In fact, that good man still wants to take our relationship to the next level. I’ve already seen you,” he said cockily, with a long, lascivious visual sweep of her body. “Might as well let me tap that—”

  “That’s enough,” Marissa hissed between gritted teeth. She found the nerve of this former best friend infuriating. She wanted to lash out, curse him out. Remembering the darker moments of their shared history, she chose to stay calm and keep her wits about her.

  And just in time, as it turned out.

  “Which one of those jerks are you screwing?” Steven demanded, his brow creased in anger as he pointed toward the glass. “Which one did you offer on a silver platter what I couldn’t beg you out of? I told you I’d deal with whoever came between us.”

  That’s right. He had told her, that last night they were together, the night that changed everything. It was why she hadn’t gone on a date in a very long time. It wasn’t worth putting a potential new friend at risk. The Steven McCain she’d known since college had been smart, funny and trustworthy. Or so she’d thought. Until that fateful night he’d tried to take their friendship to another level. By any means necessary. That’s when she’d begun to believe he might not be as nice as he’d seemed. Or as sane.

  She looked from him to the window, saw Donovan glance at his watch. Dang it, I don’t even have Donovan’s cell phone number. But she had common sense, and she knew that to go in now, to get anywhere near Donovan, would not only result in an altercation, but would tell the lunatic standing in front of her more than he needed to know. Reluctantly, she turned back to her car. “Stay away from me, Steven,” she threw over her shoulder.

  “My phone number is the same, Marissa, and you need to use it. Let’s get together, just to talk, I promise.” She kept on walking. “Remember I can blow the cover on that goody-two-shoes image you’re boasting.”

  Marissa ignored him, got into her car, started the engine and sped away.

  * * *

  Donovan was getting just a bit antsy. Not at the fact that he might have been stood
up, no, he’d seen the look of interest in Marissa’s eyes. And more than that, for some reason he felt she was a woman of her word. He definitely knew what the other type of woman looked like, the one who would say one thing and do another, the one who wouldn’t know the meaning of such words as honor, truth or integrity unless looked up in a dictionary. It had been a half hour since they’d parted. Should he entertain the remote possibility that she’d gotten into an accident? It seemed unlikely considering the short distance she would have traveled. Or could it be something much more likely, such as her having been sidetracked by someone at the party, like his mother?

  Donovan’s eyes shifted from the window to the door, and he noticed the cocky-looking dude who’d been flirting with—translated, harassing—the cute blonde at the end of the bar watching a pair of taillights speed out of the parking lot. The man watched the car, a silver sporty number, as it turned onto the street, all the way until it was out of sight. Then he confidently walked to his black sedan and sped off, as well.

  Donovan turned back to the bar and finished his wine. Then he reached for his phone and called his soon-to-be brother-in-law. “Boss, it’s Donovan. I’m looking for Marissa.”

  “She’s not with you?”

  “No. I thought she might have gotten sidetracked and was talking to either my mother or Diamond.”

  “No, man, she left about fifteen, twenty minutes ago. She mentioned meeting you and told me she’d see me in the morning.”

  An uncomfortable feeling came over Donovan as he turned back toward the parking lot. The scene he’d just witnessed replayed in his mind. “What kind of car does she drive?”

  “A little two-door Honda Civic.”

  “What color?”

  “Silver, why?”

  “Because I…never mind.”

  “Donovan, wait—”

  But he didn’t. Donovan ended the call, paid the tab and left the establishment. He’d bet money that it was Marissa’s car he’d seen leave the parking lot and figured that she knew the cocky dude no doubt now hot on her trail. The identity of the man was not important, nor did Donovan care what business Marissa had with him. The only thing that was important was the fact that she’d left without coming in to see him.

  There was one thought on Donovan’s mind as he thanked the bartender who’d waved away his attempt to pay him. One thought as he exited the establishment, tightened his collar against the cool air and walked to his car. How could I have so misjudged her? He would have bet money that Marissa Hayes was not fickle or shallow like so many of the women Dexter dated, and totally unlike the last woman he’d trusted with his heart. He would have bet money, big money.

  Yes, and you would have lost.

  Chapter 3

  Four months later

  The private room at Grapevine, the upscale restaurant at Drake Wines Resort and Spa, bustled with activity. The excitement in the air was almost tangible. Waiters went to and from the kitchen carrying trays of succulent appetizers: truffle-infused macaroni and cheese balls, lamb-stuffed mushroom caps, salmon satays, vegetable kebabs, pecan-crusted shrimp on a stick and breaded parmesan artichoke hearts. Conversation flowed as smoothly as the wine. A mixture of instrumental music—jazz, classical and R & B—provided a nonintrusive backdrop, and the four-dozen guests enjoying the evening were as beautiful as the freshly cut calla lilies that graced each table’s centerpiece.

  “You know what’s so amazing?” Jackson walked up to his soon-to-be brother-in-law and stood beside him. “She’s as beautiful a person on the inside as she is on the outside.”

  A crease of frustration crossed Donovan’s brow. “Who?”

  Jackson chuckled.

  Instead of responding to the obvious taunt, Donovan turned his head away from the vixen across the room. If only his lower head would follow suit and stop twitching like a snake after a shiny red apple. Even though said “apple” filled out the back of the navy slacks she wore to perfection. He’d tried once before with Jackson’s executive assistant, the lovely Marissa Hayes, and while she’d finally explained why she’d arrived at the Inland Empire tasting room but hadn’t come inside, he’d still taken it as a sign to back off. He need look no further than his younger brother to see the kind of drama that could accompany an attractive woman. Dexter thrived on that type of foolishness. Donovan, not so much.

  Which is why when he needed a particular itch scratched, there was a nice, widowed woman in San Diego to do the job. Straightforward, uncomplicated, that had been their arrangement. Each had grown-up needs, and neither was looking for more than physical fulfillment and occasional company. Or at least that’s how it had been until five months ago when Ms. Widowed had joined a dating website, met a man and moved to Cleveland. Donovan had intended to find a replacement, but the company’s latest project, a major expansion that would introduce high-end Drake Wines to an upscale Asian market and then, if successful, to the rest of the world had thrown his schedule into a tizzy and put Donovan into a prolonged period of unintended abstinence.

  When he’d seen Marissa, truth be told, he’d been more than ready to get back in the sexual game. He didn’t even want to think about why, since meeting one certain curvy cutie on that fateful night in February, he couldn’t seem to develop an interest in any other female. The international expansion had provided the positive jolt he needed. Not only was the company developing a line of high-end wines specifically for this market, but during the holidays they were finally going to unveil an exclusive champagne that Dexter, under the watchful eye and guidance of his mentor, Papa Dee, had been working on for many years. And finally, there was the partnership that the Drakes of California had entered into with their cousins, the Drakes of Louisiana. This family of six sons had made their name in the world of real estate and had broken into the Asian market five years ago. One of their latest successes was a line of trendy wine bars that, as of next year, would feature an exclusive line of Drake Wines, including the new champagne. As busy as the year had been so far, the next six months were going to be even busier. Donovan was glad there was no time for a relationship, but wasn’t too appreciative of the booty that kept reminding him it was past time for something else.

  “Why don’t you take my advice and go talk to her?” Jackson stared straight ahead, too, a slight smile belying the seriousness of his tone. It wasn’t often that he saw The Don rattled.

  “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Donovan said, finally cutting his eyes in Jackson’s direction.

  “You might not know what I’m talking about. But you definitely know who I’m talking about.”

  “There are eight women in that circle on the other side of the room. Why do you think I’m looking at Marissa?”

  Jackson laughed out loud. “That’s why!”

  Donovan shook his head and forced his eyes away from one of his sister’s bridesmaids and Jackson’s assistant; he turned to face Jackson directly. “I know you and Diamond are set on matchmaking, but you know your girl stood me up, right?” Donovan hurried on when Jackson would have argued. “She didn’t meet me because something, or more specifically someone, came up. But the fact that she wouldn’t offer any explanation as to why his seeing her with me would have been a problem, after telling me that this guy wasn’t an ex-boyfriend but an ex-friend?” Donovan shook his head. “It’s just too strange and complicated for me, you know? Besides, I have enough on my plate right now.” He observed Jackson’s doubtful expression. “Really, I’m good.”

  “Yeah, well, you should let your face know,” was Jackson’s dry retort. “Because when I see you look at Marissa…your face tells a different story.”

  Donovan turned and walked away. Since Jackson was such an expert at interpreting body language, he figured that the “I’m done with this conversation” move would be an easy read. Through three courses he continued to brood. Deciding to skip dessert, he nodded at a couple of the groomsmen as he made his way from the private dining room where the rehearsal dinner w
as being held to the veranda beyond it. He opened the door, stepped out into the warm wrap of a June evening and inhaled his mother’s contribution to the resort’s design: gardenia, jasmine and honeysuckle flowers climbing up arbors, clinging to lattices and lining the planters that ran the length of the porch. The sky was clear, with brilliant stars shining like diamonds against an inky sky. One of the things he loved about the sky over Temecula was how the shades of blue played off of one another long into the night. Even now, at almost ten o’clock and with the sun long since having bid its adieu for the evening, earth’s ceiling did not strike a monochromatic chord. The sky was streaked with shades of blue, and wisps of nearly transparent clouds added a hazy, almost surreal quality to the night. Donovan peered at the sky, the deep, deep blue and thought of…navy slacks and plump behinds and how he’d like to—

  Buzz.

  Thankful for the interruption, Donovan quickly fished his cell phone from his slacks and checked the ID. “Hello, Sharon. This is a surprise. What are you doing up so late?” Donovan’s longtime assistant Sharon Brockman’s early bedtime ritual was a running joke between them. If she were up past ten o’clock, weekday or weekend, it was a late night.

  “Donovan, I’m in the hospital.”

  “Oh, no, Sharon. I’m so sorry to hear that.” And he was, for many reasons. Like Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Sharon had worked at the vineyard for years, almost from the beginning. She was less an employee and more a member of the family. “What happened?”

  “The pain came back, but stronger this time. They just ran a battery of tests on me and, Donovan, I’m afraid that my coming back to work on Monday doesn’t look good. The doctors think I’ll likely have to have surgery. I know we were trying to avoid that, or at least put it off until sometime next month, but my body isn’t cooperating.”