Just a Kiss: The Single Girls Wine Club (A Wine Country Romance #1) (5 page)

“How ya doing buddy?” Jamie reached down to the purring orange tabby weaving around his legs, scooped him into his arms and knocked on the door.

“Wonder what she'll say,” he whispered to the cat.

“I think it’s open Manny.” He heard Sarah rustle the knob from the other side and stiffened when she opened the door.

“Wow, you’re pretty early aren’t you?” Her eyes flashed.

“Have a minute?” He put the cat down and it ran into the kitchen.

“Sure.” She made room for him to step inside and closed the door.

His caught himself checking out her lips.
Why does her mouth always look so soft and moist?
He shifted his feet. “I needed to talk to you about something and thought this would be a good—”

“
Buenos dias
, boss lady!” Manny charged into the kitchen from the front.

Sarah glanced at Jamie and looked away.

“What? Am I interrupting something?” Manny asked. “Should I leave and come back in again?”

“Of course not,” Sarah said. “Jamie just came in a little early to talk to me about something. Go ahead, Jamie.”

Manny smiled at him while tying his bandana. “Go ahead bro. Pretend I’m not here, it’s cool.”

“No." Jamie shook his head. "Never mind. No, biggie. It can wait.”

By ten forty-five, the Vine Café started to wind down, and Jamie still hadn’t had a chance to talk to Sarah. He stepped into the kitchen.

Sarah shimmied in her wedges, struggling to get out of her chef coat without unbuttoning it. With her arms above her head, she pulled the sleeve of one arm until she and her unbelievable curves were out of the jacket. Jamie’s stomach tightened.
Why did she hide her beautiful body under all that fabric?

With her back to him, she shook her head in front of the small mirror and tugged off her bandana, freeing a profusion of soft, shiny waves that fell just below her neck. Jamie swallowed hard.

She caught him ogling her in the mirror and turned, waiting for him to speak.

“The reporter is out there asking for you,” he said. Courage gone, moment lost. “You’re so pretty with your hair down like that.” Jamie resisted rushing over and backing her up against the wall for a kiss. Damn, he couldn’t believe the way she affected him.

“Thanks, Jamie.” Sarah smiled, and he couldn't stop staring at her. “I better get to it.” He caught a whiff of vanilla and spice as she passed him before she left the room.

Through the scratched plexiglass upper window of the swing doors, Jamie watched her greet the reporter waiting at a table. Clark Kent wannabe sprang from his chair when she approached. Jamie bustled through the kitchen doors to their table.

“Hello there, I’m Jamie. I’ll be your server today,” he said, bowing dramatically.

“Alex, meet Jamie Santino. Jamie, this is Alex, he works for the Sonoma Register.”

Jamie extended his hand, but Alex didn't take it.

“No introductions needed.” He barely looked at Jamie. “The town is buzzing about you working here.” Alex's gaze went back to Sarah. “That’s why I’m here Sarah. When Danica called the paper, I volunteered for the story. I’d like to put the main focus of the article on you.”

“Coffee?” Jamie offered a little too loudly, still standing next to the table.

“No thanks, I’m good,” Alex said without turning away from Sarah.

“Sarah?” Jamie almost pleaded.

“I think I’m okay.” Sarah crinkled her eyes and grinned. “We’re good. But thanks.”

Jamie found a spot behind the counter next to Manny, grabbed a rag and wiped the marble surface, but didn't take his focus off Sarah’s table.

“Big change from working on a movie set, huh?” Manny asked.

“Atmosphere is entirely different,” Jamie said, hardly acknowledging him.

“Not glam?” Manny asked.

“No, not fake.”

Manny wiped a smear of frosting off the display case. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, no scripts,” Jamie said. “You’re not reading someone else’s words. You get to call the shots, very refreshing.”

“Jamie, have a minute?” Sarah called.

Tossing the rag on the bar and abandoning the conversation with Manny, Jamie banged his hip on the side of the counter rushing to her table.

“You bet. Whatcha need?” he asked.

Alex reached into his briefcase. “I’d like to get a shot of you with Sarah if that’s okay.”

“No problem, where do you want me?”

Alex motioned to the front of the counter. “Both of you stand here next to the sign.”

Sarah moseyed to the counter. “Here?" She tucked her hair behind her ears and straightened her T-shirt. "Should I stand here?”

Alex adjusted the lens. "Yeah, that’s good.”

Jamie filed in next to Sarah, ignoring wide-eyed stares from the patrons. Her silky hair brushed against his chin when he wrapped his arm around her waist. Getting a whiff of apple-clean shampoo, he forgot where he was for a moment and burrowed into her tresses. Alex seemed perturbed.

“Jamie, the camera, please?” Alex asked.

Jamie matched his stare. “Sure thing boss.”

“Nice.” Alex focused his lens and snapped. “That’s good.”

Sarah fit perfectly next to him just like he had imagined. With her arm wrapped around his waist, she cuddled into his T-shirt. Her nose came just to his shoulder. He couldn’t help himself and bent down to get closer to her face. He wanted skin on skin contact.

“Move a little to the right Sarah,” Alex commanded. “Over here. Focus on the camera.”

Sarah moved her arm from Jamie’s waist and took a long step away from him.
Is that idiot trying to keep her away from me?

“Thank you, Sarah, that’s what I’m talking about,” Alex said, snapping shots.

“Okay. Let’s do a few more” Alex pointed. “How about behind the counter?”

Jamie followed Sarah to the area next to the coffee station.

“Sarah, put your chin in your hands, elbows on the counter. Jamie move behind Sarah.”

This could not get any more perfect.
Jamie took his place behind her. He was in the same position they’d been in during the whole dough rolling incident he couldn’t stop thinking about. Leaning into her from behind with both arms around her, he glided his hands down her velvet arms until reaching the counter. She smelled delectable enough to eat. Nuzzling her neck, he rested his head on her shoulder, and when she tilted her head, Sarah’s breath caressed his chin.

She moved again, ever so slightly, and their mouths almost touched. Her lips were pulling his toward her. Was she begging him to kiss her in front of everyone?

“I think we got it,” Alex said.

“You smell so good.” The tentative quality of his voice surprised him. He pressed his nose into her hair and tried to sound more authoritative. “So good. Let’s stay like this.”

“I think we have to move.” Sarah smiled in a way that said she didn't want to. “I have work to do.”

Jamie sighed, and his nose touched her forehead when he let her out of his grasp.

“This should be out in Tuesday’s edition, maybe Friday’s depending on what my editor says. Sound okay?” Alex asked Sarah.

“Sounds great,” she said, stepping from behind the counter. She shot a little smile over her shoulder and ushered Alex out the front doors.

Sarah pushed the café doors open, and a blast of crisp air grazed her arms. She took a moment to adjust her eyes to the bright sunlight and let the fresh air fill her lungs.
Thank God.
Her café was steamy enough without Jamie’s extra heat. Two minutes more of Jamie's arms around her and she would've imploded right there in the middle of the rush.

She turned to Alex as they walked across the street to his car parked in front of the adorable Visitors Bureau building.

“Thanks for the interview,” she said.

“No problem.” Alex smiled at her. “Hey, I’ve got your back. A little publicity won’t hurt, right?”

“Absolutely,” Sarah said. “I’ll take what I can get.”

“You’ve got your hands full with that one,” Alex said motioning to the café when they reached his car.”

“He’s okay.”

“He’s pulling in a lot of customers. I've never seen it so packed,” Alex said. “How long is he staying?”

“Not sure.” Sarah glanced at the café. “I think he’s giving notice any minute.”

“Then I’ll push for Tuesday’s edition.” Alex opened his car door, giving her a huge smile before getting in and rolling down the window. “Great seeing you again today, Sarah,” he yelled as he pulled out and drove down First Street East.

Finally something was going her way. Sarah bubbled with happiness knowing that her new baby business would finally get some much-needed publicity. She could kiss Danica for setting up the interview. She skipped back to the café, opened the door, and plowed into Jamie’s chest. Jamie's somber expression made her drop her smile.

“I wanted to catch you before you took off. Have time to talk?” he asked.

Sarah didn’t want to hear what he had to say. She already knew the early start time of the Vine wasn’t for everyone. Jamie had lasted longer than most.

“Can it wait?” She batted her eyelashes at him. “The Harvest Festival is coming up and I’ve got to rush over to storage to get my platters before it closes at five.” She searched his face for understanding. “I have just enough time to get there.”

“Then I’ll drive,” Jamie suggested. “We can talk in the car.”

She put her head down and felt his stare drilling into her. She begged her brain to come up with any excuse not to be alone with him.

“C’mon Sarah, I’m not gonna bite you,” he teased. “Yet.”

“Hmm, now that’s, very comforting. I’ll get my purse and meet you out front.”

The perspiration from her palms made her hands slippery. Sarah snuck a peek to her left at Jamie and casually wiped the sweat off on her jeans. He focused on the road, leaning back, seeming cucumber calm in the leather bucket seats of his Porsche. Jamie clenched the leather stick shift with his hand, moving the gear and touching her thigh. Then, his arm brushed against hers, skin on skin.

She knew this was a bad idea. Just being in the vicinity of Jamie Santino, at any distance, made her tingle.
No, this is not good. The car is too damn small
.

Jamie’s hand shoved the gearshift into third, and the strong rumbling of the engine whirred beneath her. She wriggled in her seat searching for anything to look at besides him. The thick smell of raw leather and the proximity of Jamie, combined with the car's continuous purring under her bottom, had her hormones revving and zooming into overdrive. She felt like she was riding in a massive vibrator on steroids or some custom Jamie Santino love capsule.

Whew, breathe now
. Had she ever been alone with anyone like him before?
Never. Ever.
To settle her nerves, she tried to get her mind off sex and focused on The Egg Guy.
Just relax. That’s right. Calm down.

“So where are we headed, buttercup?” Jamie asked, with one arm casually draped over the steering wheel. If it were possible to drive with his feet on the dashboard, he probably would have.

“The storage unit is just outside of town. You’ll stay on Twelve for a while and then turn left on Bonness. Thanks for the lift.”