At First Blush (A Well Paired Novel Book 1) Read online

  If that was how he was measuring success, he failed.

  Epic fail.

  Not only hadn’t he tested out the black Diamond trails at Sugarloaf or Sunday River, but the plan he presented on his first day was a total bust.

  Most companies hired him because they wanted to bring in more business, make more money, expand, broaden their clients, their reach. When he’d talked to Shane over the phone last month he’d said he didn’t think his daughter would be on board with many changes. But Ben knew, or at least he thought he knew, once he flashed dollar signs in front of the family they’d be putty in his hands.

  His parents had warned him about the Le Blanc’s traditional ways, but he thought he could sway them with dollar signs. Little did he know. His mom would be proud of his new design. Even with their seven-figure income, his parents appreciated small towns and family values.

  With them in Italy, it had been hard to find time to talk. They’d been playing telephone tag since he’d come home two weeks ago.

  With the sun on the horizon, and a long drive into the city, he hoped they’d be by their phone. Ben connected his Bluetooth in his Audi and dialed. If California didn’t have so many people he could make the drive to San Francisco in two hours. Unfortunately, traffic was a bitch, especially on a Friday morning with everyone heading into the city for work.

  He cranked up the air conditioner, the icy air nowhere near as frigid as what blew in his face in Maine. Picking grapes at three in the morning, with his fingers half numb, his toes completely numb, eyelashes frozen together in lumps like he’d seen on girls who caked on too much mascara, and the wind taking his breath away was an experience he’d never forget. At the time he hadn’t felt the cold, too enamored with Alexis and the pride that radiated off her body. It warmed him to the core. It wasn’t until he looked back that he remembered the frigid temperatures and frozen body parts.

  It wasn’t the cold that stayed with him though, but the image of fierce and petite Alexis treating each grape as a delicate piece of glass, every vine as a gift from God, her smile wide as the Atlantic, and eyes as dark and sexy as his Audi.

  No, he couldn’t compare her to his car. Sure they were both powerful, beautiful, and strong on the outside, and soft, smooth, and sexy on the inside, but Alexis had personality where his car was the same as the next fancy import. A different package on the outside, maybe the handful of bells and whistles varied, but a car was a car.

  And Alexis was more than just another woman. She wouldn’t have been on his radar had he seen her walking down the road, or if she’d stopped in for a tasting one weekend while he was helping out at Martevino.

  Ben slid on his shades and backed down the gravel driveway, noting the dry landscape. The vineyard stretched as far as the eye could see, and was beautiful in its own right. A different kind of beauty than the acres of naked, snow-covered vines in Coastal Vines. Green cacti and crushed rock lined his walkway and driveway, unlike the lush green trees and blueberry bushes he’d seen pictures of at the Le Blanc’s that would fill their acreage in the spring and summer.

  And fall. He’d seen pictures of New England in September and October, and could only imagine what the landscape would look like with the bursts of reds and oranges against the bright blue sky and endless ocean.

  Taking in his surroundings again, Ben hit the Call button before pulling out onto his road, and adjusted the volume in the car while he waited for his mother to pick up.

  “Benito? Finally, you call your mother. You did mean to call, yes? This isn’t…what do you people call that…seat dialed me, did you?”

  Ben snorted. “Butt dialed. And yes, I intentionally called you. I’ve been working late and it’s the middle of the night in Italy when I get home.”

  “Nonsense. You can call me any time. No son should take three weeks in between calling his mother.”

  “We’ll see if you feel the same way when it’s three in the morning.” His mother hmphd and Ben smiled, picturing her stirring red gravy at the stove, his father reading the paper at the table.

  “Things went well with Shane and Claudia Le Blanc? They are a nice couple, yes? They reminded your father and me of us when we were younger.”

  “You don’t have too many years on them.”

  “They are good people. You helped them not lose their winery? They spoke so highly of their work. Of their daughters. The bills are piling up and income is not good.”

  His mother chattered about their vineyards in Italy, gave him a thorough report of the thorough report his younger brother Eamon already gave them last week, lectured Ben on his time away from Martevino, and asked him the usual. When was he going to settle down and give her grandchildren?

  Ben cringed, his protein shake churning bitterly in the pit of his stomach, reminding him of responsibilities he had no desire to be responsible for.

  When her dinner was ready, she allowed Ben to end the call. He turned the music louder, anything to drown out the guilt that crashed down on him.

  If Felicia wasn’t a big deal, then why hadn’t he mentioned the situation to Alexis? When he avoided his identity the first time they met it wasn’t because he wanted to keep anything from her. It was because he wanted to continue their conversation.

  His avoidance of the Felicia matter was the same. If she knew, she wouldn’t want to spend any more time with him. She wouldn’t have given him a chance, if that was what he could even call what was happening between them.

  There was no doubt he was a total ass. Lying, however, was a new thing for him. Not something he was proud of. Even if it was lying by omission. He knew he should have told Alexis about Felicia, only how would he start that conversation? It wasn’t like they were still dating. Felicia hadn’t been part of his life for some time.

  Yet she’d be entering it again real soon.

  He turned on his blinker and merged into traffic, heading south toward the city. The tall buildings, the rush of people either on the sidewalk or on the road, the entertainment, restaurants, and many cultures and diversity used to appeal to him. Ben didn’t know when all that changed.

  The traffic on Eighty was at a standstill. Some commuters took advantage of the stopped traffic and were breaking California state law by talking on their phones without the hands-free mode, and a few idiots texted. He’d traveled a hundred miles in an hour and a half, and the last leg of twenty miles would take over an hour.

  There were studies and data showing how many hours commuters wasted sitting in traffic. Hours Ben could be spending on the computer, designing a marketing plan. Or better, in the sunshine—whether it be cold or hot, he didn’t care—taking in the landscape, breathing in the scents of nature, of his crops, even of animals. Something only a farmer would appreciate.

  Was he a farmer, or was he a businessman? For the past ten years he worked hard to put the farmer life behind him, to expand his horizons, to make his own path instead of taking the one laid out for him, even if it was a profitable one. At thirty-three, he was proud of all he’d accomplished.

  Ben didn’t want to gain his success by inheriting it, and he was proud of Martelli Designs. He started his business from the ground up, similar to his ancestors in Italy, and his parents in Napa. He was proud of his family and not ashamed to come from success; it was his own stubborn pride that wanted to prove he could do something else if he wanted.

  And he did.

  Traffic continued to crawl and Ben navigated his Audi through downtown until he got to his street. Hitting the garage door opener, he waited for the door to lift and slowly pulled in. Once he unloaded his briefcase and gym bag from the car, he made his way inside his condo, taking in its stark, open space.

  His cleaning lady came twice a week, although once was probably enough. Ben wasn’t around enough to make much of a mess. Home in time to eat his take-out dinner at the counter and watch highlights on ESPN while working on his laptop on the couch. That was his life.

  When he didn’t work late he’d take
a woman out to dinner, spend a few hours at her place, and then return home.

  Alone. On rare occasions he’d ask a woman to come back to his place. Very rare.

  Ben opened his fridge and wasn’t surprised with its contents. An expired carton of orange juice, yogurts that should have been tossed before his trip to Maine, and a few rotting apples.

  Changing into running shoes and shorts, he went for a jog, picking up a few items at the corner store on his way home.

  After a quick shower, Ben made an omelet and toast, and fired up his laptop, working on his presentation for the Wilder Foundation. Once past the city walls of San Francisco, there were thousands of acres of desert and mountains and wildlife.

  The Wilder Foundation needed a revamp on their website to gain more financial support in saving the wildlife, and he had some pretty good ideas on how to market the foundation, without going over budget. His specialty.

  Enjoying the peace and quiet of his condo, the only noise coming from the typing on his laptop, Ben swore when the doorbell chimed, breaking his workflow. He got up and peered out the window.

  A candy apple red Mini Cooper sat in his driveway.

  He cursed again.

  Felicia.

  He’d dodged her calls, her texts, her emails, but it was hard to dodge her pregnant body. Especially when the baby she was carrying was his.

  The doorbell rang and Ben closed his eyes, counting to ten. He’d been avoiding Felicia like a coward, not wanting to hurt her feelings but not wanting to lead her on either. Her due date had to be coming up soon. A month? Two? Had he been a better man, he’d have the date circled on his calendar.

  But Ben wasn’t a good man. He was a jackass for ignoring Felicia, and for leading Alexis on without telling her about the baby.

  The loud pounding on the door echoed the pounding in his head and he sighed, turning the knob with reluctance.

  “Felicia.” He opened the door wide, welcoming her into his condo with his hand. “You look lovely.”

  “Bullshit. I’m freaking Shamu here.” She swooshed in past him, leaving a trail of expensive perfume in her wake. “You’d think places would be more accommodating to pregnant women.” She dropped her giant designer bag on his kitchen countertop and helped herself to the fridge.

  Ben stood on the threshold between the kitchen and living room and shoved his hands in his pockets, knowing anything that came out of his mouth right now would be taken the wrong way.

  Those sisters of his taught him well.

  Finding nothing inside, she closed it and leaned against the counter. “Can you believe I had to park two blocks down from Chanel today? They had five open handicap parking spaces. You’d think they’d let a pregnant woman park there so she didn’t have to schlep across town carrying all this excess baggage.”

  He choked back a laugh as he checked out her feet, clad in ridiculously high heels. It was Felicia’s trim figure and long legs that had caught Ben’s attention nearly a year ago. She had stunning eyes, when they weren’t cold and angered. Which was more often than not.

  Other than that, she didn’t have much going for her. He’d enjoyed a handful of dates with her. They were compatible in bed, he thought.

  Honestly, he couldn’t remember how her skin felt, or the noises she made while underneath him.

  Alexis, however, he could still taste. Still smell, even over the thickly perfumed air Felicia brought in with her. His hands itched to touch her skin again. A delicious combination of strong and solid, and soft and feminine.

  “Why are you smirking at me? You think me being fat is funny? It’s your fault I’m this way.”

  Ben snapped to attention and focused on Felicia. She didn’t look pregnant to him. Nothing like his sister had when she was carrying his niece or nephew. Felicia’s brown skirt barely covered her thighs, her cream colored top fit snug against her breasts and slightly rounded belly. She actually looked…normal.

  “You look great, Felicia. Really. Healthy.”

  Felicia softened. “You’ve always been a charmer.” She worked her long legs toward him and toyed with the collar around his shirt. “You know what I miss most?” Her fingernails raked over his chest and lowered toward his belt.

  He caught her wrist in his hand and brought it back up to his chest. “We’re not going there.”

  “Oh, but it would be so much fun.” She leaned her body into his and Ben gently pushed her away. “Come on, Ben. For old time’s sake. Pregnant women have needs, too.”

  It wasn’t like he dumped her when he found out she was pregnant. They’d been long over for months when she showed up on his doorstep with a pregnancy stick in hand. At first he didn’t want to believe the baby was his. He thought it was a trap, only he knew Felicia better than that. She was the type of woman who wanted nothing to do with children. He’d had to convince her not to abort the baby.

  Which she then took as a sign he wanted her back.

  “You and I both know we’re not right for each other. I promised to help out with…the baby.” He choked on the words, still in denial he’d be a dad soon. “My accountant has been paying your medical bills, hasn’t he?”

  “Yeah.” Felicia rolled her eyes and backed away. “I’m due in six weeks. What are you going to do then?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean…about the baby. Are you going to take care of it?” She dug through her purse and took out a nail file. “I don’t want to be bogged down day after day caring for your baby.” She ran the file across one of her nails and chucked it back in the bag.

  “I told you I would do whatever needed to be done for the baby.” Which he should figure out pretty damn soon. He had his mother and sister as resources. Now he just had to let his family know he would be a father soon.

  And then what? Felicia didn’t want the baby. She’d made that clear from day one. Maybe he’d look into a reputable adoption agency. There had to be couples looking for a healthy baby to adopt.

  Whatever he did, he’d take care of his responsibilities. He just didn’t know what that meant.

  “You sure about the sex?”

  “Positive.” Why did it take him so long to realize he’d been dating the wrong women? The superficial, bimbo, self-centered women had appealed to him when he had no desire to settle down. To commit.

  “Fine. I’m late for my manicure anyway.” She picked up her bag and snuck a kiss on Ben’s cheek before sashaying out the door.

  And that was why he hadn’t mentioned anything to Alexis. There was absolutely nothing going on between him and Felicia.

  Except a baby.

  A baby neither one of them wanted to accept would be here in less than two months.

  If Alexis been the huggy type she would have wrapped her arms around the FEDEX man, maybe even kissed his cheek, when he’d delivered the bottles a few weeks ago. It had taken a great amount of self-control not to tear open the boxes and fill them immediately. The bottles were even more gorgeous than the website portrayed.

  Ben had surprised her by emailing a stunning label design idea the night he left Maine. The crystal blue glass and long necks would look gorgeous behind the silver label she had printed. Once the bottling was complete, she’d send him one as a thank you.

  Earlier in the week, she’d sent him a professional courtesy email noting the parts of his plan she’d agreed to move forward with. It was short and to the point, nothing personal mentioned. Alexis did all she could to keep personal thoughts far, far away from Ben. It was an impossible relationship from the beginning that had no right to go anywhere other than professional.

  Gathering the sanitizing equipment, Alexis went through the process making sure the bottles were clean and ready to be filled.

  “Ready to go, kiddo?” Her father peered over her shoulder, inspecting the bottles and then ran his hand down the stainless steel vat. “You did good. The sample you shared this morning was more exquisite than I could have imagined. You’re a fine winemaker, Alexis.” />
  “Grumpy was the best teacher. And so were you.” They worked in tandem for hours, anticipating the other’s moves, until nearly all the bottles were filled.

  “Looks like I’m late to the party.”

  The deep, gravelly voice startled Alexis, causing her heart to skip a beat or two. She waited until the bottle she held was full, and then pulled down the lever to press the cork. Once it was in place she looked up to the doorway. A heavy, wet snow covered Ben’s shoulders and turned his hair into a salt and pepper mop. He’d never looked more adorable.

  Hemsworth was on his feet nudging his face into Ben’s hands for a rub down before she or her father said a word.

  “This is a surprise. What brings you out our way? Especially in the middle of a nor’easter.” Her father placed the bottle in the shipping box and practically ran over to Ben, slapping him on the shoulder and shaking his hand. “It’s good to see you again.”

  “Had I known I would receive such a welcome I wouldn’t have waited a month to return.” Ben crouched down and scratched Hemmy’s belly for a minute before standing and brushing off the snow. “Sorry about the mess. I guess I should have shaken off outside.”

  “It’s Maine. We’re used to it. Come on in out of the cold.”

  He stood, making eye contact with Alexis for the first time. Those stunning eyes, such a sharp contrast to his dark hair, twinkled in the dim lighting. “Alexis. Lovely to see you, as always.”

  Her father’s cell phone chimed and he pulled it out of his pocket, reading the screen with a frown. “Claudia’s in the house and wants to know whose vehicle is parked outside Alexis’s door.”

  Even at twenty-nine she still had no privacy. Maybe it was time to find her own place. Her father texted back and stared at the screen waiting for a reply.

  Ben smirked and winked at Alexis.

  She shook her head in amusement. “He thinks if he looks at his phone the texts will come faster.”