Page 15 of Dumping the Puck (Men of Havoc #4)
Day 5: Vineyard Tour
Wren loves going to the different vineyards around Houston. I found one of her favorite wines in Amalfi, so today you’re touring the vineyard on a private tour, and then you’ll have a private tasting with the owners. They’re pretty big hockey fans being from Sweden originally, so play nice and sign some shit. And yes, I already mailed them each your jersey for you to sign.
“OHMYGOD!” The car pulls down a long winding driveway that boasts a sign at the beginning, for my favorite wine. “Kayce! How did you find this place? They don’t do tours, I’ve looked online so many times.”
“They’re from Sweden, so they’re big hockey fans. Charley might have sweet talked them with some signed jerseys.” He shrugs like it isn’t a big deal.
But it is. The owners are Swedish billionaires who faced a huge scandal. They basically tucked tail and ran to Italy where they opened the vineyard. They tried to keep their identity quiet, but as Kayce knows, the press has a way of digging shit up. But they’ve never opened their vineyard to the public and even their vendors have a strong NDA and background check. So the tabloids say.
The car pulls to a stop in front of the most gorgeous home. A home isn’t even the right word. This place looks like a whole hotel with the vines climbing up the stone front, and an ornate wooden door standing proud in the center of a circular brick patio to enter through.
“Holy shit.” A whisper escapes my lips as I take in the property through the windows of the car.
Kayce exits first, rounding the car to get me out, right as the front door opens.
“Signore Bicknelle, welcome, welcome!” A tall, slender man, Mr. Andersberg, greets us with open arms. A petite blonde slips under his arm and wraps around his side.
“Mr. Andersberg.” Kayce walks us over to the couple, and if it weren’t for his hand on the small of my back I don’t think my feet would be moving on their own. The men reach their hands out for a tight handshake. “You have a lovely home.”
Mr. Andersberg laughs. “You are a humble man I see. Most would see my vineyard, and home is very far down on the list of descriptors.”
A genuine smirk graces Kayce’s face. His own family home isn’t anything to balk at. Neither is his house in Houston. Most single guys get a condo, or in Viktor and Calliope’s instance, they have a penthouse. But since Kayce is originally from Houston, he bought a home and spread roots of his own.
His house is a three thousand foot brick home in a quiet gated subdivision, situated on ten acres of his own land. He spared no expense in the home either, with marble and gold matte fixtures. I’m envious of his home. If I’m being honest with myself, I’ve always envisioned myself and our children greeting him when he comes home in that house at the end of the day. That I would be the one to make it a home for him. It was a daydream I let run wild on the hard days.
“Hall?, I’m Clara Andersberg.” She reaches out to loop her arm with mine, pulling me into their home. “I am so excited to host you today! It’s been so long.” The last part of her sentence trails off on a whisper. “Lars is just so happy to have a true hockey player here today!”
“I’m just so honored to be here! Your wines are some of my favorites.”
“Oh, lovely! I am always so happy when our wines bring joy to others. This vineyard is my baby and I enjoy sharing it with the world.”
The men join us in the kitchen, where a charcuterie board is laid out with finger sandwiches and petit fours.
“Will you join us for some lunch before we show you the vineyards?” She looks so hopeful that I couldn’t say no even if I wanted to.
“We’d love to.” Kayce’s hand finds my back once again. It’s become a comfort to know that he’s with me and has my back, literally and figuratively.
Mrs. Andersberg begins filling our plates and explaining everything she’s made for us. Meanwhile, Mr. Andersberg opens their new rosé that’s been released here in Europe but not brought to the United States yet. My mouth is already watering.
I take a tentative sip once I’m seated. Holding the wine in my mouth, swishing as I’ve been taught at the wineries.
“Oh we have a true sommelier in our presence.” Mr. Andersberg jokes.
“Wine is one of her favorite things. She and my assistant visit all the local wineries back home.” Kayce winks at me. “Rosé and pinot grigio are her favorite. A merlot with a steak.”
My cheeks heat at how well he knows me. Cameron still buys me Sauvignon Blanc. My least favorite wine. The guilt creeps back in at how much time I’ve let myself waste with Cameron because I was immature and wanted Kayce to fight for me instead of putting on my big girl britches to tell him how I feel.
“Well then, I’m anticipating your thoughts on our new product.”
I nod, taking another, larger, sip.
After a leisurely lunch, we are ready to stroll the vineyard. Clara and I have become fast friends. She’s down to earth and so kind. You’d never know she was a billionaire if you weren’t standing in her mansion.
The vineyard is massive at two hundred acres. It’s much larger than the smaller local wineries I’ve toured back in Texas. Seeing the vines full of plump grapes ready for harvest with the Italian sun shining down on us, this couldn’t be a better day.
“Would you like to help harvest grapes?” She holds baskets out to Kayce and I. We both take them and nod excitedly.
“Okay, you watch first, then you do yourself, yeah?”
I nod, watching her intently as she uses the small clippers to clip a bunch of grapes off the vine.
“I got it. I’m ready to help.” She smiles, handing me my own pair of small clippers. Kayce and I walk a little further down the aisle together. I pick a spot ripe with purple bunches. Kayce stands directly behind me, reaching over my head to clip the top bunches. His closeness has my whole body on alert. I’m enveloped by his smell of leather and wood. A scent that brings me back home. His biceps bulge as he clips, and drops the bunches into his basket atop the ladder.
“Distracted, June?”
I subtly reach up to my lips to make sure I wasn’t really drooling. “No. I’m just…” Shit. I have no clue how to get out of being caught.
“It’s okay, you can look. You just can’t touch.” He never once stops cutting, but I feel his gaze on me out of the corner of his eye. “I love to look, and from up here, the view is just stunning.”
I gulp as his cock presses into my back, whether he did it on purpose or he was just reaching higher, I’ll never know. But now I only feel his gaze on my cleavage.
“I love that you wore pink to match your dress.”
I swat at his chest. “You are such a perv!”
“Says the woman who was distracted by biceps.”
“At least I didn’t pick a spot just so I could stare down someone’s shirt!”
I return to harvesting grapes. I have two bunches to his thirty. And I don’t want to look bad in front of the Andersbergs.
Today was an absolute dream. We had so much fun in the vineyard, and then getting to see the vats, and bottling process, ending with my favorite part, the tasting room. We were able to taste test their new wines for The Vinalies, a wine competition in France. If I were the judge, I’d give them winning medals across the board.
Clara and I ended the evening sipping wine on their back porch together while the men went to Lars’ study for a cigar and brandy. I don’t know if I was more star struck by them, or them with Kayce. Either way, we ended the evening exchanging numbers, and following each other on social media. So I’ll take it. I’m absolutely in love with Clara. None of the rumors match the woman I’ve met today.
I hope they take Kayce up on his offer to host them in Houston for a game.
“You’re awfully quiet over there.” Kayce slides over next to me in the hot tub, pulling my legs into his lap and rubbing his knuckles into the soles of my feet.
“Oh, God.” I groan. “That feels so good.”
He pauses, fidgeting in his seat with each moan. He lets out a deep sigh before continuing with his massage.
“So we only have two days left in Italy. I’m going to text Charley to set up movers to get your things out of the condo with Cameron. Is that okay with you?”
“You don’t think I should do it myself?”
“I think you can do whatever you want. You don’t owe that asshat a thing you don’t want to give him.”
“I think I need to face him at some point. But I’m not ready yet. You can have her hire them.” I concede to his offer.
“I’ll text her before we go to bed. You know she won’t mind telling Cam off.”
I laugh at his statement. I’ve gotten close to Charley over the years that she's worked for Kayce. She’s a feisty woman who can hold her own in a man’s world. And never once feels guilty for anything she does.
I relax into the back of the seat in the hot tub while Kayce massages my other foot. This is true bliss.
My eyes begin to drift closed as we sit, taking in the comfortable silence between us.