LITMIR.BIZ

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sports car over the windy roads of the Tuscany hillside toward his home in Monte Calanetti. He was grateful to be behind the wheel. It helped to center his thoughts. On the plane, he’d noticed his assistant in the most unexpected way. With her peaches-and-cream complexion, he’d been tempted to reach out and caress her smooth skin. But it was her green, almost-jade eyes that sparkled and hinted at so much more depth to the woman than he already knew—or would expect to know. The last thing he needed to do was get distracted by his assistant.

      Actually, now that he’d noticed her—really noticed her—it was getting harder and harder to keep his mind on business around her. Perhaps bringing her on this trip wasn’t his best decision, after all, but it was a necessity. He needed her help. He assured himself that, in the end, it would all work out as long as he stayed focused on the business at hand.

      Thankfully, Kayla was just temporary help until his assistant returned from maternity leave. Then life would get back to normal. As far as he was concerned, that wouldn’t be soon enough.

      “This is wonderful.”

      The sound of Kayla’s excited voice drew him out of his thoughts. He took his eyes off the roadway for just a moment to investigate what she found so fascinating, but he only saw vegetation. “Sorry. I missed it.”

      “No, you didn’t. It’s this. The long grass and the trees lining the roadway. It’s beautiful.”

      What? The woman had never been outside of the city? He supposed that was possible. He honestly didn’t know much about her other than her excellent work ethic. That, in and of itself, would normally be enough for him, but since they were traveling together, what would it hurt to know a little more?

      “Is this your first time outside New York City?”

      “I’m not a native New Yorker.”

      They had something else in common. Still, after all of those years living in New York, it was home to him now. He thrived on the constant energy that flowed through the city. He couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. “Where does your family live?”

      He could feel her curious gaze on him, but he didn’t turn to her. “They live in a small town in Pennsylvania.”

      “So you really didn’t move all that far from home.”

      “That’s not what my parents think.”

      He glanced at her and saw she’d pressed her lips together in a firm line. Something told him that she hadn’t meant to share that bit of information. But why? What else was she holding back?

      “Your parents aren’t crazy about the big-city life?”

      There was a moment of hesitation as though she were trying to figure out how to answer him. “It’s not New York so much as the fact that I’m not in Paradise anymore. They had my whole life planned out for me, but I rejected it.”

      “You must have had one of those chopper mothers I’ve heard about.”

      Kayla laughed. The sound was melodious and endearing. In that moment, he realized that he’d never heard her laugh before. He really liked it and hoped she’d do it more often, but for the life of him, he had no idea what he’d said to cause such a reaction.

      “Do you mean a helicopter mom?”

      He shrugged. “I guess. I knew it was something like that.”

      “My mom wasn’t too bad. I know friends that had mothers who were much more controlling. But my mom is pretty good.”

      Wait. Something wasn’t adding up. He pulled to a stop at an intersection. If he went straight ahead, it’d lead them up the hill to the village. But if he veered to the right, it’d take them to Nico’s boutique vineyard—their childhood home.

      Checking the rearview mirror and finding no traffic behind them, he paused and turned to her. “So if your mother is so great, why did you flee to the big city?”

      Kayla shifted in her seat as though she were uncomfortable—or was it that he was digging too deep into personal territory? He knew what that was like—wanting to keep a firm lid on the past. But he couldn’t help himself. There was just something about Kayla that intrigued him—and it went much deeper than her beauty. He was genuinely interested in her as a person.

      Her voice was soft when she spoke, and he strained to hear. “I didn’t live up to my parents’ expectations.”

      That was so hard to believe. He was a very particular employer, and Kayla lived up to and in some areas exceeded his expectations. “Do they know what a wonderful job you’ve done at Amatucci & Associates?”

      Her gaze widened. “You really think so?”

      Angelo didn’t realize he’d kept his approval of her work under wraps. Then again, he wasn’t the sort of man to go on about someone’s performance. Yet, in this moment, something told him that Kayla really needed to hear his evaluation of her performance.

      “I think you’ve done an excellent job—”

      “You do?” She smiled brightly and practically bounced in her seat before clasping her hands together.

      “I do—”

      A horn beeped behind them.

      The interruption was a welcome one. This conversation was getting a little too emotional for his comfort. He thought for a moment that in her glee she might throw her arms around him. He didn’t do hugs—no way—and certainly not with an employee. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—let the lines between them blur.

      Angelo eased the car forward, focusing once again on the road and his destination. He urged himself to ignore the funny feeling Kayla’s obvious excitement had given him. He trained his thoughts on the scene he’d be walking into at the vineyard. His fingers tightened on the black leather steering wheel.

      On second thought, maybe he should have dropped Kayla off at the hotel before venturing out here. But he hadn’t exactly been thinking straight—not since Nico had dropped the bombshell that their little sister was about to have a baby. Angelo was about to become an uncle. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He’d worked so hard to distance himself from his family—from his emotionally charged parents and their chaotic marriage. But now that they’d moved, what excuse did he have to stay away from his birthplace—the home of his brother and sister?

      “Is this the way to the village?” Kayla sat up a little straighter.

      “No, this is the way to my brother’s vineyard.”

      “Oh, how exciting. I’ve never visited a vineyard. I can’t wait to see it. I bet it’s beautiful like those magazine photos. Will we be staying there?”

      “No.” Angelo’s tone was brusquer than he’d intended, but her endless chatter combined with his pending reunion had him on edge.

      He chanced a glance her way and found her eyes had widened in surprise. He couldn’t blame her, but how did he explain his family dynamics to her? Then again, why did he feel a need to explain his family at all?

      “It’ll be best if we stay at a hotel in the village. I’m not sure if the internet at the vineyard has been updated.” There, that sounded like a valid reason for them to have some space between him and his siblings.

      “Oh, I hadn’t thought about that. I know the Van Holsen account needs to be updated as soon as possible. I already contacted the art department and let them know that a whole new strategy will be coming their way.”

      “Good. I want everything to move ahead without delay.”

      Whether he liked it or not, he’d been right to bring Kayla along on this trip. She was efficient and quite good at her job. Now, if only he could be just as professional and keep his mind from meandering into dangerous territory. However, the more time he spent around her, the more he found himself being anything but professional.

      

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