Chapter 34: Chapter 34

Leo stared at the girl and wondered how he should ask the question.

It would be tactless to ask her why she had been hugging Alberto because then it would reveal he had been watching them for long before he came down.

With a gloomy face, Leo asked, "So what did you and Alberto do today?"

She stared up at him. "Hmm?"

"The tour? What sights did Alberto show you?"

After saying that, an unexplainable joy entered her eyes, and she spun around with eyes full of excitement. Facing Leo, she back to their path.

"You don't know?" Leo stared at her and she grinned. "Alberto took me on a tour around the estate. Oh, it was wonderful, I was fully able to see the structure of the palazzo, the pool too." She snapped her fingers together.

"I went down to the cellar. I didn't know you guys had the winery nearby," she said giddy with excitement "And the skill with which Alberto drove the car, the speed, and the cold wind on my skin was so exhilarating I didn't want it to stop," the girl muttered so passionately. "I have never felt anything like it."

Seeing the glow in Paige's eyes and the excited look on her face, Leo's face gradually darkened as he picked up on one word she had used several times. She said ‘Alberto’ and not ‘your cousin.’ And why didn't he think of that earlier? He should have been the one to take her on the damn tour. Damn it.

When will she ever smile at him like that, with such intense joy on her face?

As Paige continued to praise Alberto and the tour, Leo didn't think he could take it anymore.

He was in danger of exploding.

"Basta!" He gritted out through clenched teeth. "I think I have heard enough."

"What did you say?" Her blond head turned in his direction. She had not heard him.

Leo sighed. "I said you might fall if you keep walking backward as you are doing now."

"You think so?" She sighed and turned the proper way, immediately Leo grabbed her hand and held it in his own. The girl didn't protest, but he saw her sneak a glance at him.

In silence, the duo walked along the grassy path that led to the vineyard and Leo stared at the girl’s head. Intensely aware of the tension her nearness created. She was wearing a tank top and denim shorts, a pair of sneakers, and a small bag crossed over her shoulders, her blond hair in a messy bun. She was dressed more like a college student than an assistant, and it made her look so young and adorable — and equally exposed.

He wanted to use his jacket and cover her body but then that action would seem so unlike him it would bring forth a question he wasn't ready to answer.

With great effort, he pulled that hand that had been itching to do that thought inside his pocket, and the other one which was holding her hand tightened. She looked up at him but he did already assume an expressionless mask, blank and empty that would reveal nothing of his intentions.

It would be alright to say he was holding his breath as her eyes lingered on his face, on his nose, mouth, and then pulled away.

Soon they arrived at the vineyard and Leo stared at the land he loved so much and felt his anger and jealousy slowly slip away from him. Nothing else could do such a thing to him aside from the land he loved so much.

He stared at the dirty brown earth, the rows of grapevines supported by a trellis system. The purple clusters of grapes contrast against the greens, yellows, and browns of the vine and beckoned Paige to come.

He could feel her watching everything with the curious eyes of a child who has just been taken to Disneyland for the first time.

“Have you ever seen a vineyard before?" She shook her head and said no.

"Then you are in luck." Leo smiled. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her forward into one row. Nodding at the workers who greeted them as they passed until they disappeared into the vineyard.

Surrounded by green foliage which flanked them by either side. Clusters of grapes jutting out from their vines. Round, juicy and purple. Leo stopped and turned to Paige, but she was already looking at him and smiling like she had a secret joke playing in her head.

She would look at him and then at the grapes and smile, or should he say laugh.

"What?" Leo's eyes narrowed.

She shook her head, and he stepped forward, holding her chin, he raised her face. "What?" He could see her face heating up gradually, and Leo wondered if it was his nearness that was making her nervous.

"Is it true you stole a grape from here?"

His eyes sparkled. "Who told you that?"

"Alberto."

"Do you think it was bad for me to steal from the vineyard?" His hand left her chin and cupped her cheek.

"You fool, you could have asked them to give you some."

He didn't berate her for calling him a fool he kind of liked that she called him one. It showed a level of intimacy that can only be exhibited with someone you know. Leo smiled good-naturedly. "I didn't think they would have given me if I requested for some."

"Look around you. You are the son of the owner of this vineyard why won't they give you."

The passion in her voice wanted to make him laugh.

"It might surprise you the many things that run in a six-year-old boy's mind and knowing how far his authority extends isn't one of them."

"Well, when you put it like that it sounds reasonable."

"Too reasonable." He smiled and took her deeper into the vineyard, staring at everything with contentment and an easy heart.

"So when did you decide to be part of the family business?" He turned his head and found she was already looking at him. He allowed his eyes to run along her face and she averted her eyes. "You know, not all kids follow in their father's footsteps."

“I have always known what I wanted to do. I was Ten when I realized I wanted to be part of whatever we do here. That I wanted to make more wines in different varieties and more than that I wanted to satisfy a need in the market. I wanted to move our wines to where people would need them and by that, I don’t only mean Italy but to all parts of the world."

He plucked a purple grape and dropped it in her hands this is Sangiovese, this is what we use in producing our brand wine Sangiovese Essenza. Sangiovese thrives locally here in Italy."

"I know. Sangiovese Essenza is made with 100% Sangiovese."

He turned to her. "How do you know that?"

"I'm a magician."

He stared at her, even though he was amused by what she said. His expression said he still wanted to know how she knew.

"I saw it in one leaflet in the office."

He nodded and took her to the other side of the vineyard where they explored the other grapes there, Vernaccia, and cabernet sauvignon and he told her his dreams to create a demand for their product in the world. When he was done, he brought her to the greenhouse to wash her hands.

Full of excitement, Paige stared up at him like someone who had just feasted on all her favorite dishes, her baby blue eyes bright. “I never knew you were this passionate about your family business."

“There is more to me than meets the eye. I’m more than what people think I am.”

"I agree!"

Stunned, Leo stared at the girl. He hadn't said that because he wanted her to agree with him or anything like that, but because that was what he believed in and knew to be the truth.

As he stood over her at the tap. Leo felt his heart warm and his lips twitch as he processed that statement. He stared at the girl who was absently washing her hands with a contented smile on her face and wanted badly to smile. Her smile was contagious.

His hand raised as though to touch her hair, immediately she raised her face and he used that hand and pulled her to him, with the other one turned off the tap and kissed her like he had wanted to do all day. He saw the moment her eyes opened wide and then closed as if permitting him and surrendering to him.

After wanting this for so many days now, he didn’t care if she discovered he wasn't pretending. He would kiss her now and worry about the consequences later. Consequences are damned.

With a slightly rough hand, Leo gently stroked the girl's hair, cheek, and then his hand trailed down the side of her body and spanned her waist, bringing her close to him. So she could feel the strength of his body.

With her skimpy choice of cloth today, it wasn't so hard to achieve that. He spread his legs, so she fell into the space he created gluing to his hot, hard body.

Between now and when last he kissed her in the garden, she had learned some things because she leaned close to him and clutched his arms rising on her tiptoes she pulled her arms behind his neck and held the back of his head. Her succulent breast pressed on his chest as she kissed back with full force. Intertwining their tongues and sucking at his lower lips.

At once, sensations spiraled down Leo's body in a gathering storm, running southwards to his loins were coiled into an unbearable tension. The feelings that came after that were swift and gripping, and it was his undoing.

The way she moved, the little noise she made in the back of her throat unmanned him. She was better than any woman he had ever been with. Her inexperience and naivety and the sloppy way she sucked at his lips excited him and turned him on. So before anything could get out of control and because he didn't want to scare her away, he released her and gently caressed her cheek, staring at her with a complicated expression that bothered on need and desire and without a word turned and left.

"Wait!" She ran after him. He continued to walk.

"Boss." He increased his steps, widening the distance between them, wanting to escape.

"Leonardo."

He paused and curled his hands into a fist.

"Why did you kiss me?"

With his back to her, Leo didn't know what to say. Should he say because he wanted to? Would she even want to hear that? Leo wasn't one to declare his feelings on time, especially when he didn't know how deep it ran. Or what he intends to do with it. He turned to her, golden-brown eyes fixed on her.

"Isn't it obvious someone was watching?" He lied.

A confused, heavy frown came upon her face. "But I didn't see anyone."

He made a farce of looking around, returning his eyes to her said, "They are gone."

Without waiting to hear what she would say next, Leo turned and left. From the corner of his eyes, he watched her. His heart aching at the way she looked.

Paige stood there without moving, her hands hugging her arms and looking dejected. "You confuse me, Leonardo D'Angelo."

At the use of his full name, Leo paused and closed his eyes. Muttering to himself slowly. "Just the same way you confuse me, il Mio Tesoro—my treasure." Then to her. "It's getting late. Let's be on our way."