Chapter 19
ONSIDE KICK – SHORT KICKOFF DESIGNED TO BE RECOVERED BY KICKING TEAM.
The taste of Maya’s lips kept me awake long after I should have been asleep. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see in my minds eye was her finger dragging down my mouth. Then all I could recall was the way I captured her lips beneath mine.
Most importantly, the way she wholeheartedly responded.
I was concerned about how things would be between us this morning, worried about it all night in fact until sleep became a long-lost dream instead of a practical life choice.
I gave up on the idea and made my way from my rooms on the first floor to the kitchen to line up shots of espresso before the vat of coffee I would need to be marinated in to make today livable.
That was until she eased into the kitchen.
The rosy bloom that rose in her cheeks, naturally highlighting her spectacular blue eyes, kept me captivated as we verbally revisited the kiss in enough detail to make me hard as a rock.
Then, I got to kiss her again. It was every bit as mind-blowing as the first time, but left me humbled. Grateful.
Willing to do anything to protect her and the insurmountable amount of trust she was sharing with me to give us a shot. So, it’s not a surprise she jumped at the opportunity to retreat behind her camera lens—even if I knew this was something her photographer’s eye would love to see.
We’ve kept the conversation light between us as we make our way to where the workers are steadily snipping the ripe grapes into baskets. As we approach, she murmurs, “Would you look at that?”
She lifts her camera even as I try to spot something out of the ordinary. Not spying anything different, I ask, “What is it?”
“The way the—what do you call the people who pick the fruit?”
“A harvester,” I supply.
“The harvester seemed to weigh the fruit in their hand—like his palm has a built-in scale,” her voice is awed.
“You can tell how ripe the grapes are by how they feel.”
She lowers her camera. Disbelief laces her voice. “Really?”
I lead her over to a cluster I can tell are ready to be picked and place her hand beneath them. My voice drops low enough so only Maya can hear me. “Do you feel how...tense…these feel in your hands?”
The air around us stills beneath the morning sun. My balls tighten, imagining her rolling my nuts in just the same fashion. Her breath comes out a touch raspier than it was before as she delicately handles the fruit. “Yes.”
I clear my throat before attempting to speak. “What about the color?”
“The deep red color? Is that usual?”
“That’s what we want. You don’t want them to…prematurely explode. Siphons all the juice out.”
Her eyes sparkle with mischief. “Really? Good to know.”
Then she sets about desecrating what little self-control I have left. She leans over and places her mouth on top of one of the juicy red fruits. With a light tug, she pulls it into her mouth.
And it takes everything in my power not to explode in my pants. I rasp, “You’re becoming a pro. But caution, uvetta mia, demonstrations like that can get you in a world of trouble.”
Confusion mars her features. “What does that mean—uvetta mia?”
A grin spreads across my face. Finding a tiny one on a different vine, I lift it up. “My little grape.”
“Such flattery.” Her lips curve in genuine amusement before she bursts into laughter. It makes me feel like I could harvest the entire field single-handedly. She shoves me gently before ordering me, “Go use that charm on your grapes to make them grow larger.”
I loop an arm around her shoulders and guide her to the end of the row so as not to impede the crew. “Want to know the overall process now or later?”
She swivels her head back and forth. “Do you have time, or do you need to support your team?”
I grimace.
She gives me a gentle nudge. “Then go be with your team.”
“I can give you a quick rundown.” I nod at the men and women rapidly snipping the ripe grapes from the vines. “We move from this to sorting.”
“Then?”
“Then to crushing, and fermentation. So much of this job is time and patience.”
She plucks another grape and pops it into her mouth. I smirk. “That’s profit right there.”
“Have patience.” Her eyes twinkle.
I’m captivated by the sight. “Throwing my words back at me?”
“You bet.”
I chuckle. “Well played.”
She nudges my shoulder. “Why don’t you put your muscles to good use and help your team?”
“There are some things more important than a team.” Like you, I want to share with her. Her breath catches when my hand brushes a wayward curl away from her face. A light breeze carrying the scent of grapes wafts over us both. “Like compassion and character.”
Maya rises on her toes and brushes a kiss against my cheek. “You’re right. The type of person you are will be remembered forever. I know I, for one, am grateful for the person you are.”
As Maya moves away, I make a silent pledge to her that she’ll never regret giving me those words. I also vow I’ll do my damndest to live up to them.