Kissing Under the Mistletoe by Marina Adair Read Free Book Online

determination would increase, and it was the biggest turn-on in the world.
    “Gabe’s right,” Marc said, flagging down the waitress and ordering a round of scotch before continuing. “If Regan gets that job, then she’s here for good.”
    “You say that like it’s a bad thing,” said Nate, the resident expert on risk to exposure. Game over, the brothers set their pool sticks down and gathered around the table.
    Only two years younger than Gabe, Nate was the self-appointed arbitrator of the family. Over the years, he’d perfected the art of balancing Trey’s tendency toward wanderlust, Marc’s need for high-stakes living, and Gabe’s desire for order. His talent for analyzing calculated risks made him one of the most acclaimed viticulturists in the country. And a big reason DeLuca wines were in such high demand.
    “We’ve been searching for Richard for five years, with no luck,” Nate began.
    Hunting him down was more like it. As soon as Abby went from victim to suspect in the investigation, Gabe and his brothers hired a guy who specialized in tracking down missing things—thieving SOBs included. Richard hadn’t just broken their sister’s heart; he’d cleaned out their company’s account. Not only was his sister still married to that bastard, since one couldn’t serve divorce papers to someone who couldn’t be found, she had been left to pick up the pieces of a failed winery and explain to the investors, many of whom were family friends, that they had all been played.
    Gabe knew exactly what that felt like. Richard had played him too.
    The summer before grad school, Gabe’s father had set up an internship for him on a vineyard outside Tuscany, working for a family friend. Richard was apprenticing under one of the winemakers and offered to show Gabe around. He defied rules, took huge risks, and was making his own way in the world of wine—something that Gabe admired, but because of his family name and responsibilities, he could never do.
    When the summer ended, Richard convinced Gabe to get him a job at a DeLuca vineyard in Santa Barbara. After Gabe’s parents died, Richard stepped in to help run things down in Southern California. The year Abby graduated from college, she was fresh off of a breakup and Richard swooped in. And when his best friend said he wanted to build a winery with Abby, Gabe had lined up the investors—no questions asked.
    “Think about it. Why would we chase off the last person to see him? At least before we get some answers. For all we know, Regan is the key to nailing Richard.”
    “You want me to back off?” No way would Gabe let Regan stay here in St. Helena. He’d just gotten Abby home.
    “I’m saying we do whatever it takes to find Richard. And if that means capitalizing on whatever is going on between you two, then—” Nate shrugged.
    Gabe blinked. “Nothing is going on.”
    “Really. Then why are you two straddling the line between eye-fucking and strangling each other?”
    Gabe was about to tell Nate to shut up when all three brothers looked over at Frankie’s table. Regan had just taken a sip of her wine and her tongue poked out to lick her lips. Gabe heard someone moan. Unfortunately, it was him.
    As if hearing him, Regan’s head snapped up and they locked eyes. There was a charged beat during which neitherone broke contact. The longer they stared, the harder it was to remember that this woman had slept with Richard. Then Regan’s gaze dropped to his mouth, jerking back up when Gabe grinned. Making sure to let her know she’d been caught checking him out, he sent her a wink.
    Her face folded into a frown and her big blue eyes narrowed. His lowered to take in the silky number she wore, whose top button had come undone, and he saw her swallow—hard.
    He couldn’t help but smile. Vixen wanted him. Almost as much as he wanted her.
    “Let’s say I give her a reason to stay,” he said, shocked that he was even considering this. “What makes you think