Once in bed, I eased my desire with my own hand. Still, Jade’s beautiful face, those eyes that penetrated through all my layers, haunted me well into the night.

I didn’t sleep.

I never slept.

Chapter Five

Jade

He did it. He really just left me standing in the kitchen after giving me a kiss even more amazing than the last one. I didn’t know what to make of it. Should I talk to Marj about it? Would she even want to know? Would she be comfortable with her brother kissing her best friend?

I let out a heavy sigh and took a few more sips of my tea, which had grown lukewarm. I would have to stop these little midnight visits to the kitchen.

I picked up my robe and put it back on, a shiver overtaking me. My nipples were still hard against the fabric of my tank. God…when he touched them, pinched them…I’d nearly shattered right then and there. Two kisses from Talon Steel had affected me more and been more exciting than seven years of kisses with Colin Morse.

Thank God he had left me at the altar, or I’d be married to one man without ever knowing what it felt like to love another.

I shook my head rapidly to clear it. I was not in love with Talon Steel. I’d known him for two days. He was such an enigma. He didn’t sleep, ended up in his kitchen every night, and now he had kissed me twice for no apparent reason. He’d never said anything about it. Not like there was a lot to say, but shouldn’t he at least mention it to me in passing? Apologize if he didn’t mean to do it? And I sincerely hoped he meant to do it.

My legs trembled, and I sat back down at the table. Damn. Colin had never made my legs tremble, at least not like this. Talon Steel was fucking amazing. Flawless looks, the best kissing in the world… But he still wore that armor.

My talk with Marj hadn’t revealed anything. Clearly, she didn’t know her brother any better than I did. Maybe the people I should be talking to were Jonah and Ryan, but I had only seen them in passing since they both lived outside of the main house.

In the morning, I’d go out on the ranch and talk to one of them. Or I could drive over to the vineyards. That was where Ryan would be. He was the winemaker.

Finally, I stood. Time to get back to bed. But I wouldn’t sleep.

If only I had brought a vibrator with me…

* * *

In the morning after breakfast, I told Marj I would do some exploring on my own. I hopped in the Ford Mustang they had allowed me to use, set my GPS, and drove over to the Steel vineyards. I didn’t want to bother Ryan, but it couldn’t hurt to see if he had a few minutes to talk to me.

The scenery was lush and green—acres and acres of pastureland for their beef cattle, and little houses dotted the area as well, where their hired people lived. When I passed all of the pastureland, I came to the orchard. The apple and peach trees were in bloom, and the sweet smell of their blossoms wafted into the car. I inhaled deeply. Marj raved about Western slope peaches. She also said that Ryan, as well as making traditional wine from grapes, made an apple wine and a peach wine in a dry style. Most fruit wines I’d tasted in the past were so sweet. I was excited to try Ryan’s offerings.

When I finally drove to the end of orchard, I came to the vineyards. They were also in bloom. I’d have to ask Ryan what kind of grapes he grew here. The Steels made a Merlot, a Cab, a Rhône blend, a traditional table red blend, and several others. Could he possibly grow all of those grapes here? Or did he bring some in from California? All good questions, and I was actually interested. That would give me a good segue into talking about Talon. I could start with Ryan by telling him I had an interest in the wine business. That wasn’t even a lie. I loved a quality glass of wine. Enology had always interested me.

On that job issue… Maybe Ryan could use me at the winery. At least until I got my bar results. I’d been working since I was sixteen years old. Didn’t feel right to me not to be earning something. All through college and law school, I worked twenty to thirty hours a week, waiting tables during college and then as a law clerk during law school.

Perfect… Of course, I was putting the cart before the horse. Maybe Ryan didn’t need any help at the winery right now. After all, he wouldn’t actually be making wine until harvest time. But it didn’t hurt to ask.

I drove up the gravel driveway to the winery office and tasting room. I’d been here once before when I visited Marj on the ranch during college. We’d thought it great fun to get to taste all the wines even though neither of us was twenty-one yet.

I parked and walked in. A woman sat behind a small desk, typing on a computer.

“Hi,” I said. “Is…Ryan around today?”

“Yeah, he’s over in the warehouse, tasting wine from some of the barrels. Is he expecting you?”

“No, not really. I’m Jade Roberts, Marjorie’s friend. I’m staying at the ranch for a while until I get settled here. I was wondering if you guys needed any help here around the vineyards. I’m looking for work.”

“You’d have to ask Ryan about that. I don’t really know.”

“Can I just go over and…ask him?”

The woman nodded. “I’m Marion, by the way. Tell him I said to go on over. You can see the warehouse from here.”

“Thanks so much.”

I left the office and walked toward the big warehouse where the barrels were housed. Steel Vineyards was a state-of-the-art establishment, but still I imagined Lucy Ricardo stomping grapes. I let out a giggle. I’d loved Lucy since I discovered the black-and-white reruns when I was a kid. What would grapes feel like between my toes?

I hesitantly opened the door to the warehouse. I had been here before, but I’d forgotten how huge the stainless steel barrels were. The place was spick-and-span spotless. I’d been surprised when I first saw the place several years ago. I had been expecting old wooden barrels. Nope, not for Steel vineyards. Everything up to date and state of the art. Several employees milled about, none of them paying me any mind. I looked around until I saw Ryan over in the corner with a wineglass, taking a sample from one of the barrels.

I gathered my courage and strode over.

“Hi, Ryan.”

He looked up. Same dark eyes as Talon, but not as brooding. “Oh, Jade. Hey, great to see you. Sorry I haven’t been up to the house.”