I was supposed to join them, and was looking forward to it, but I ended up picking up a last minute wedding and had to bow out.
Then Leo and Sam go and get married on me, and I missed it! Damn them.
“Well it would have been much less stress, let me tell you.”
“Okay, talk to me. The stress is my job. What’s up?”
Meg takes a deep breath. “Twenty-eight new RSVP’s since I saw you last week.”
“Okay.”
“Okay? What is wrong with people? All of the RSVP’s were supposed to be returned six weeks ago! That’s twenty-eight more people that we need to find seating for, Blake has to cook food for. Party favors! Oh, my God, twenty-eight more party favors!”
“Take a deep breath, Meg.” My voice is crisp now and all business. “This is what you’ve hired me for, remember? I have this covered.”
“It’s twenty-eight more people to pay for, Alecia. I know Will says that he doesn’t care about the money, but this wedding has turned into this enormously expensive affair with celebrities and so many people, and it’s costing him a fortune!”
I nod, knowing she can’t see me. It’s costing a fortune.
“Meg, Will wants to give you this wedding. He loves you big. Anyone can see it.”
“He does everything big,” she whispers, and I can hear the tears in her voice. All brides are nervous and worry about their day, and few handle the stress of an affair of this size this well.
“It’s a lot of people. Celebrities and wealthy people, yes, but Meg, they’re your friends. You know every single person you’ve invited.”
“I know. I made sure of that. We’re not turning this into a media circus. Only guests we know and care about will be there.”
“Exactly.”
I hear her take another deep breath.
“I’m being ridiculous.”
“You’re being a bride,” I reply with a chuckle. “It’s okay. There will be several more moments like this between now and next Saturday, but seriously, don’t sweat it. Everything is under control. We have wiggle room for extra people. This doesn’t concern me at all.”
That’s not entirely true, but she’ll never know it.
“Okay. I feel better.”
“Good. I’m actually about to turn into Dom’s winery right now. I’m going to go over the plans for the set up and start to get things underway.”
“Oh, my God! It’s happening! The butterflies are back.”
“Why do you have butterflies, sweetheart?” Will asks her. He must be hugging her because his voice is very close to the phone.
“Alecia is going to the winery today to start on things.”
“Hi, Alecia,” he says into the phone.”
“Tell him hello. Go attack him or something to take your mind off things. I have this handled. I promise.”
“Yes, go attack him,” Will agrees. “Bye, Alecia.”
“Bye guys.” I chuckle and end the call as I park in the circular drive in front of the large villa before me. Meg gets to go have sex with Will Montgomery.
Lucky bitch.
I turn the engine off and stare at the villa for a moment, take a deep breath, and pray that Dom’s assistant will be showing me around. He’s a distraction I don’t need today.
And he does distract me.
But luck isn’t running in my favor when the door to the villa opens and Dom steps outside and saunters to my door, opening it for me.
You can do this! You’re a professional!
“Good morning,” he murmurs and holds his hand out for mine.
“Good morning,” I reply. I place my hand in his and allow him to help me out of the car, and immediately curse myself when the zing of awareness travels up my arm and lands squarely in my belly, making me warm all over.
Damn sexy Italian.
“You’re earlier than I expected.”
“There’s a lot to be done, and I have some vendors coming this afternoon to drop off supplies. I wanted to get a head start.”
He nods and leads me along the sidewalk, away from the front door of the villa.
“Let’s look around outside first, then I’ll show you the house.”
“Sounds fine,” I reply and pull my hand from his to turn on my iPad and bring up my notes.
“Would you like to change your shoes?” he asks, making me stop in my tracks. I blink up at him in confusion and then look down at my black heels.
“Why?”
“We’ll be walking quite a bit, and those can’t be terribly comfortable. Sexy as fuck, but not exactly practical.”
I smirk. Yes, my shoes are sexy as fuck.
“These are sneakers for me, Dom. I’m fine.”
“As you wish,” he replies with a half-smile, showing off the dimple in his cheek and making my nipples pucker.
Damn nipples.
He’s in dark grey slacks today. I’ve decided that his ass looks fantastic in anything. Jeans, slacks, it doesn’t matter. And he’s wearing another white button-down, this one has grey pinstripes, the sleeves rolled, and the top button undone.
I want to lean in and breathe him in.
Down, girl.
“Where are we headed first?” I ask, staring down at my iPad.
“Where would you prefer?”
“Let’s look at where the dance floor and stage are going. That’s the biggest project for construction, and I want to get a feel for it first.” I glance up to find him smiling down at me with warm eyes. “What?”
“I like it when you put on your business side.”
“I’m so relieved,” I reply dryly. Stop flirting with me!
He just laughs and leads me around the building. There are sidewalk paths that meander through beautiful, lush green grass and gardens and water gardens. The grounds of the winery are simply gorgeous.
It’s still early in the day, so it’s not too warm, but I’m glad I wore a light linen shift dress rather than a suit, since I’ll be outside the majority of the day.
“You live so far away from the city,” I say, needing to cut through the silence that he seems to be perfectly at ease in. He glances down at me with an easy grin.
“Wait until you see why.”
“Well, I can see that it’s beautiful here.”
“Oh, you haven’t even seen the best parts.”
“Lead on, sir.”
The back of the villa is as beautiful as the front. There are wide windows, opening the inside up to the amazing views of the vines and gardens. About fifty yards away, sitting perpendicular to the main villa is a smaller, one-story building with wide barn doors, currently pushed open.
“That’s going to be the store,” Dom says. “I have a crew in there setting it up. I’d like to have it up and running the week after the wedding.”
“That’s a great idea,” I reply. “It looks different since we were here briefly last year, when Meg and I came out to look around.”
He nods. “I’ve been renovating. I added onto the back of the villa, expanding my private quarters. This is my wing,” he points to the section of the house we’re walking past now. “And that side is going to be for guests. I might start using it as a bed and breakfast.”
“You could even host concerts and events here. There’s plenty of space.”
His eyes fall to mine.
“Maybe, eventually. The guest wing is finished, and I’ll take you in there later to show you where the groom and bride suites are.”
“Great. What’s over there?” I point over behind the new building housing the store.
“The vines run over on that side of the property. It’s hilly, and perfect growing conditions. The reception tent is going over here.” He leads me to the left, where the sidewalk ends, and down a long dirt path to a grassy field, at least two square acres big.
“This is perfect.” The land is level, so people won’t be trying to dance on uneven ground, falling after having too many drinks. “I’ll have them set up the stage on thi
s end.” I walk all the way to the left, cursing when one of my heels sinks into the grass and kick my shoes off so I don’t ruin them.
“I knew you’d shed the shoes.”
“My feet don’t hurt, they’re just too expensive to ruin in the grass,” I reply absentmindedly, and keep my eyes on the meadow, mentally measuring the space. “Yes, the stage will fit perfectly here. And with the sound equipment facing the villa, everyone will be able to hear the music, even if they choose to wander through the gardens and such.” I bite my lip and turn to gaze at the rest of the space. “This is a perfect place to set up a dance floor. There is plenty of room for tables around the perimeter.”
“Did you say there will be a tent?” Dom asks from behind me, startling me.
“Yes. It protects the guests from the sun and the rain, and around here, you never know what you’ll get.”
“It’s going to be a big tent.”
“That’s why they’re coming tomorrow to begin setting up,” I reply and fetch my shoes. “This is plenty of space for both a formal sit-down dinner and dancing. I love it. Okay, let’s move on to the ceremony site.”
I begin to walk away, and then realize he’s not beside me. I turn to find him standing, hands in pockets, watching me.
“What?”
“You’re good at this.”
“Of course I am.”
His lips twitch as he approaches me. “It looks good on you.”
“I’m working.”
“Meaning?”
“No flirting.”
“Is that what I was doing?”
“Weren’t you?”
He chuckles and reaches over to drag his fingertip down my neck, from just below my ear to my collarbone.
“Yes, but not on purpose.”
“Well, stop it.” I turn and begin walking again, ignoring the way my skin sizzles where his fingertip was. “Ceremony site?”
“Over here,” he replies, and leads me back onto a sidewalk path for about a hundred yards, passing a large, dark brown barn. “The barrels are in there, along with the bottling equipment.”
“Oh, that’s cool. I’d love to check that out.”
“I’ll show you,” he says, and leads me into a field just past the barn, where vines of grapes are standing in perfect rows.
“Oh, this is beautiful.”
He grins and nods. “Meg wanted to get married in the vineyard. So, she will. As you can see, there is a wide space in the middle of the vines where we set up harvesting supplies. I think it’ll be a good place to set up for the ceremony.”
My eyes are raking over the gorgeous green-leafed vines, heavy with purple grapes, and my heart yearns. I wish I could hold every wedding right here.
It’s amazing.
In the background, there’s a steep hill with more vines climbing up it and the Cascade Mountains are the backdrop, providing a glorious painting of color.
“This is beautiful,” I whisper. “Where does the sun set?” I shade my eyes and look around for the sun.
“Behind us. So, the guests won’t be looking into the sun.”
“Perfect.” I grin and tap notes into the iPad, doing the happy dance inside. “With the colors of the vines and the mountains, we don’t need many flowers out here. I’m going to have my construction crew build a simple arbor at that far end and I’ll have the florist weave some flowers into that.”
We go over the chair placement and then turn to walk back toward the villa.
“When will you pick the grapes?” I ask.
“The harvest usually begins in late August and goes through September,” he replies. “It’s a busy time for me.”
“Why?”
“I’m harvesting grapes?”
“Alone?” I ask incredulously.
“No,” he laughs. “I hire about fifty people to come help. But I love it, so I work right alongside them.”
“What do you love about it?” I ask.
“The feel of the grapes in my hands. They’re heavier than you’d think. Watching the buckets fill. Getting my hands dirty. I don’t even mind the blisters.”
“It’s hard work,” I remark softly.
“Very. But rewarding.” His voice is like smooth chocolate, full of affection and passion for this life that he loves. And what’s not to love? This place is simply breathtaking.
“Okay, I think we can go inside now and take a look at the bridal suites.”
Dom nods and gestures for me to walk with him back to the villa.
“I’ll take you through the back.”
“I love this patio.” The back patio is covered, with a beautiful outdoor kitchen and sitting area. Tuscan tile is laid on the ground and runs up the outside wall, framing a wide gas fireplace. “You could make a few s’mores in that fireplace.”
“I haven’t even lit it yet.” He chuckles. “But I think that’s a great idea. I don’t believe I’ve had s’mores before.”
He opens the back door and guides me into a wide, open sunroom, furnished with deep furniture in earth tones. A small fountain gurgles in the corner.
It’s the perfect space to curl up and read a book.
Not that I have time to read books.
This leads into the kitchen. I’m sure Blake cries tears of pure joy when he works in here. It’s industrial and huge, but manages to still be inviting and homey.
“Would you like something to drink?” Dom asks.
“I’d love some water, please.”
He fetches a bottle from the refrigerator and twists the top off for me, then hands it to me. “Anything else?”
“No thanks.”
“Okay. The guest suites are this way.” I follow Dom past a dining room that sits twelve to a staircase that leads to the second floor.
“This banister and hallway separate the two wings up here,” Dom says, gesturing to the dark oak banister that opens the hall up to the foyer below. “My personal wing is down there,” he points to the right, “and the guest wing is this way.”
Six heavy doors stand open to six fully furnished bedroom suites, each decorated in Tuscan colors, but in its own style. Some have king beds, some two twin beds, and a smaller one has a cozy-looking queen sized bed with an over-stuffed chair and ottoman that is just begging to be curled up in.
Another reading spot.
“These rooms are beautiful, Dom.”
“Thank you.” He grins and leads me to the room at the very end. “This will be the bride’s suite.”
I gasp when I step inside. The windows are floor-to-ceiling and run the length of the room, filling the space with light. Just inside is a sitting area with a fireplace. There are two doors, one on either end of the room.
“The bathroom is through there,” Dom points to the left, and I immediately open the door and gasp again at the ornate fixtures. You could swim laps in the soaking tub. “And the bedroom through that door, but I didn’t have the bed delivered. Instead, I had couches, chairs and tables put in there so between these two rooms, there should be plenty of room for all of the girls to do whatever it is that girls do on wedding days.”
I smirk, but my heart just melted, and if I was that kind of girl, I would let out a loud, “Awwww!” He’s done perfectly, and put so much thought and love into it for his family.
“It’s perfect, Dom.”
“You think?”
“I know.”
He nods once and gazes around the room in satisfaction.
“Where will the boys be?”
“We will be downstairs in the entertainment room.”
I let out a loud laugh. “Well, that’s appropriate.”
“I couldn’t very well put us next door or across the hall. I’d never be able to keep Will out of here.”
“You’re absolutely right,” I agree. “Lead on, then.”
Once downstairs, Dom leads me to the opposite side of the house and opens a door to a large entertainment room, with two pool tables, movie theater seats facing a wide screen, and
a wet bar.
“This is the boy room.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them, and I immediately feel my cheeks flush. “I’m sorry—”
“No, you’re right,” Dom says with a laugh. “I’ve had my brothers over a time or two to help me break it in.”
“It’s also perfect for the guys on wedding day. I’ll have the wet bar stocked with snacks and drinks, and I’ll do the same upstairs.” I add the notes to my iPad. “Starting tomorrow, I’ll be here at six in the morning until late into the evening every day until the day after the wedding.”
“Why will you be here the day after?”
“To oversee the cleanup. An event of this size makes a mess, trust me.”
“That’s quite a commute every day,” he says and shoves his hands in his pockets.
“It’s fine.” I glance back to the iPad.
“Stay here.”
My head whips up and I frown at him. “Why?”
“It’s more convenient. I have plenty of space. There’s no need for you to drive back and forth.”
“Dominic, I’m fine with it. It’s part of the job.”
“Let me put it like this,” he replies and steps closer to me. He cups my cheek in his palm, and his bright blue eyes are intense as they stare into mine. “I would prefer you stay with me. It’s safer.”
“Excuse me, Mr. Salvatore?”
We both turn at the voice in the doorway. A petite woman, in her early forties, wearing a sharp black suit and her jet black hair in a pixie cut, smiles at Dom.
“Celeste,” Dom says, and lays a hand on the small of my back. “This is Alecia. From this moment on, anything she needs is number one priority.”
“Of course,” she replies with a smile and a nod. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but you have a call from Italy, sir.”
“I’ll take it in my office.” Dom turns to me and grins. “Don’t leave yet.”
“I’m here for a few more hours.”
“Good.” He saunters out quickly, and Celeste smiles at me.
“Can I get you anything, Alecia?”
“No, thank you. I’m going to walk outside.”
“Just let me know if you need anything.” She winks and follows the way Dom left. I walk slowly through the house and back out through the sun room, the outdoor eating space, and past the wine store to see the grape vines that I didn’t see earlier.