The Winemaker's Dinner: Entrée by Everly Drummond, Dr. Ivan Rusilko Read Free Book Online

lovin’.”
    “Hmm… That’s something I could get used to.”
    “So could I,” he said. “But I promised Stacey I’d have you back in time for the dinner on Sunday.”
    Jaden tilted her head back and sighed. Having a new co-host was inevitable, but having the guy invade her time with Ivan was unacceptable. With a phony pout, she turned toward him. “Do we really have to go? Couldn’t we just buy a small vineyard and live in Napa? As long as you didn’t tell anyone where we were going, no one would ever find us.”
    Ivan laughed as they shuffled forward with the flow of passengers waiting to exit the plane. “Babe, I would love nothing more than to stay holed up in some vineyard for the rest of our lives, but I’d be depriving the rest of the world of the most beautiful and talented chef on the face of the earth.”
    Jaden smiled, silently thanking him for everything—most of all for his unwavering support. What would she do without him?
    Once off the plane, they scurried through the Santa Rosa airport and into their rental car. She watched as vineyard after vineyard passed in a blur of sinewy vines. Dinner on Sunday or not, she felt lighter than she had in weeks.

Chapter 7
    “Inside of Love”
    I VAN E ASED T HE R ENTAL C AR into the turn lane and continued on as the pavement gave way to a dirt road. Pebbles crunched beneath the tires, and a haze of dust swirled through the air, leaving a faint film on the hood of the car. Majestic blue oaks grew at regular intervals alongside the road, their branches hanging over clusters of wildflowers below.
    “Where are we?” Jaden asked as she surveyed the scene. Ivan just smiled as he zig-zagged his way up the hill, following the curves in the road as it wound gracefully through the trees. After a few more minutes, the trees began to thin out, and the sky opened above them as they emerged from the shade of the blue oaks and into an old, abandoned vineyard now overgrown with weeds.
    “What is this place?” Jaden leaned forward in her seat. A large house, reminiscent of an old English cottage, materialized in front of them. Leafy green ivy clung to the fieldstone walls, weaving itself around the aging structure, and Palladian windows on either side of the double front doors glinted in the California sun. Above them, a stone terrace hung from the second floor, supported by two Corinthian columns. He pulled the car to a stop, and she slid out. “Is this where we’re staying?”
    He soon joined her at the front of the car, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close. “Do you like it?”
    “Do I like it?” she scoffed. “Are you kidding me? This place is fantastic.”
    Brilliant purple and red flowers occupied the well-manicured beds, and three identical black SUVs parked side by side in front of a garage that resembled the sublime architecture of the main house. But Ivan soon tore his eyes from the scene to take in the best view of all. Nothing made him happier than seeing Jaden so full of joy. If given the chance, he would spend every day of the rest of his life ensuring that she wore the dazzling smile she did at this very moment. Squeezing her tighter, he closed the sliver of space between them. He pressed his lips to her temple, whispering against her skin: “A castle for my princess.”
    She said nothing, but tilted her head back and brought her lips to meet his. She traced his bottom lip with the tip of her tongue. When at last their lips parted, she leaned back on the hood of the rental car, seeming a bit breathless. Her gaze dropped to the growing bulge in Ivan’s pants and an impish grin appeared on her face. “So, you never did answer my question. What is this place?”
    “Well…” Ivan took a moment to adjust his pants. “It used to be a winery, and for a short period of time was a bed and breakfast.”
    “And now?”
    “Now it’s a private getaway for family and friends of an associate I’ve done some work for. He’s spent years