Roommates Box Set #4-6

1. Sierra

1

SIERRA

“This one,” Alyssa said, a smile on her face as she set down the wine glass. “This one's my favorite.”

I grinned, because my old friend had said that several times already. “I thought we weren't supposed to choose favorites?”

Kylie giggled. “That only applies to our men, not wine.” Jude had his long arm wrapped around her, and he whispered something in her ear—something that made her cheeks flush.

My friends looked happy and content, and I didn't think it was only because of the wine. The beautiful Napa Valley setting definitely had a lot to do with it. We were sitting on a gorgeous patio overlooking a picturesque vineyard. The mid-afternoon sun bathed the low hills in a golden light.

“Here's the next one to try,” Raphael said, bringing over a full tray and setting it in front of Alyssa. “I bet you'll like this one, too.”

Carter leaned forward, his large body pressing against mine since I was balanced on his muscular thighs. He secured two glasses and handed me one and then held up his, studying the blush-colored liquid inside.

“We'll get our own, thanks,” Tristan said sarcastically. He was seated on one side of me, and he rolled his eyes at Drew on my other side. But he was just giving Carter a hard time. My guys liked to tease each other, but they had even more fun teasing me. The thought made me clench my legs together and squirm on Carter’s lap.

He wrapped his powerful forearm tighter around my waist as I sipped the delicious wine. “Okay, this one is great.” I projected my voice toward Kay, the woman behind the stone counter at the far end of the patio. She and her husband were the owners of the winery. I could only see the top of her head and her brunette ponytail, but she smiled.

“Glad you like it. It's one of my favorites, too,” she called back.

Kylie and Raphael were talking about what foods would go well with the various samples we tried. That made sense since Kylie had spent years tending bar. I didn't quite know Raphael's interest in wine, but Alyssa had told me what a good cook he was.

Since they seemed lost in conversation, I addressed Spencer and Alyssa who were sitting across from me. “How are the kids?”

Spencer leaned back in the Adirondack chair, his long legs stretched in front of him. “They sounded fine when we checked in a little while ago. The new sitter seems competent, and Nana's there.”

“How do you talk to them on the phone? Your daughter, I mean.” Spencer's daughter was deaf.

“It's pretty easy,” Alyssa answered. As far as I could tell, Alyssa had taken to Spencer’s kids right away—starting with saving one of their lives. “We can text, of course, and there are various assistive devices, but usually the simplest is to just use a video call and sign.”

She was younger than me, super smart, and she’d learned sign language pretty quickly. As if to prove it, she glanced over at Raphael and signed something to him. He signed back, and she smiled. Then her other man, Flynn snapped his fingers, catching her attention. Whatever he signed to her made her face flush and her lips part slightly.

I could empathize. Being around so many handsome men made my face heat, too. Or maybe it was because I knew I’d be sharing a room with my amazing guys this evening. They knew how to drive me wild with pleasure. Just feeling Carter’s firm body under mine was getting me pretty worked up at the moment.

“Get a room,” Mason muttered under his breath at Flynn and Alyssa. He was one of Kylie's men, but Alyssa was his sister. The few times I'd seen them together, he'd seemed a bit unsettled about his sister being in such an unconventional relationship. Which didn't make much sense since he and his buddies were in the same kind of relationship with Kylie.

She was evidently thinking the same thing. “Mason, don't be a grump,” Kylie chided.

“Or a hypocrite,” Alyssa added, but her heart didn't seem to be in the bickering. In fact, judging from her pink cheeks, she was still thinking about whatever Flynn had silently conveyed to her.

A man in a flannel shirt, cowboy boots, and blue jeans strode onto the patio. “Are you folks enjoying the wine?”

“Very much so,” Spencer said, and the rest of us nodded.

“Good. I'm Mark, Kay's husband.”

We introduced ourselves. If Mark, who was in his mid-thirties, thought it strange that there were so many more men than women, he didn't say anything.

Kay came over and joined her husband. My jaw dropped as I saw her out from behind the counter for the first time. Her extremely round stomach showed why she hadn't indulged in any of the wine herself.

Mark put his arm around her. “How's the bambino?”

Kay patted her stomach. “Kicking like crazy.”

“How far along are you?” Alyssa asked.

Kay's smile reached her tired eyes. “Seven months, but I swear, it feels twice that long.” Parker got to his feet and offered her his chair, but she waved him away. “What's the status on the tour bus?”

“It'll still be at least an hour,” her husband answered.

“There's a bus driving up here?” Carter asked in disbelief. He was the best driver of the four of us, and still, there had been a few scary moments getting up here. The road had been both narrow and twisty.

“Hopefully.” Mark sighed. “Maybe I'd better call them again.”

“They’re tourists from Japan,” Kay explained. “It's their first time in Napa Valley. I really hope they get here before dark.”

“Me too,” I said. The drive would be way worse once the sun went down. Plus, it was supposed to rain tonight.

“Speaking of dark, we've got a few more hours for daylight. Would some of you folks like a tour of the vineyard?” Mark offered. “I can seat four in the flatbed behind my tractor. Or if you give me some time, I can hook up the bigger one.”

“Like a hayride?” Alyssa said, a wide grin on her face.

“Exactly.” He cocked his head to the side. “Might be your only chance for the weekend. A storm's brewing, but it won’t hit tonight.”

Alyssa took a sip from her glass. “Good thing wine-tastings can't get rained out.”

Raphael gave her hand a squeeze. “Why don't you, Sierra, and Kylie go?”

“Yeah, maybe have some time for some girl talk,” Jude added.

Kylie chuckled at the mental image. “You know us girls, always hanging out in the back of a tractor and gabbing away.”

Several people laughed.

“Go have fun with your friends,” Drew said to me. “We'll keep ourselves entertained.” I could tell by the look on his face that if Kay and Mark hadn't been present, he would've given me a kiss on the cheek. Which might freak them out if they later saw one of my other men doing that—or worse.

I stood up, Carter's hands brushing down my sides as if reluctant to let go. “Okay, but you guys behave.”

“Us? Never,” Tristan said with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Mark gave his wife a side-hug and then patted her protruding belly. There was nothing quite like the sight of a pregnant woman and her doting husband to make my ovaries ache.

I wasn't sure how Kylie felt about the subject of children, but judging by the look on Alyssa's face, she was feeling the same.