Wine, Tarts & Sex

she adored or her penchant for Japanese films. That Jake Chambers’s Eurasian looks were nothing short of awesome could not be ignored. Or maybe there was some real basis for the pheromone theory, and she could blame a sudden blast of biological stimuli for her unusual response. Or it could be her inexplicable horniness was based on some weird familiarity. She’d actually met Jake once years ago in L.A. “Sure-we can taste my wines if you like,” she said, making sure she made it clear what exactly they were tasting. “And I don’t know if you remember, but we met before, ” she added, hoping banal conversation would help mitigate her outlandish rush of desire. “We were introduced at your restaurant in L.A. It was years ago-I forget exactly when-but it was around the time of the Academy Awards.” Perfect. Cool, detached-or at least her voice was. Her body continued on its own willful path.

“No way we met,” Jake said. “I would have remembered. ”

“I was with someone and with a large group.”

That explained it, at least. He didn’t zero in on other men’s women.

Do not throw yourself at him, she nervously warned herself. Be sensible. Fucking customers on the more-or-less first meeting isn’t a good idea. With that prudent maxim in mind, she decided wine-tasting wouldn’t be in her best interests. Alcohol, her sordid cravings, and Jake Chambers up close and personal weren’t a good combo. “Maybe we could take a rain check on the wine tasting,” she said, resisting temptation. “I actually have friends waiting for me at Taglio’s. I probably should go.” Tapping her wristwatch, as though to temper her Freudian slip of the tongue in using the word probably, she smiled politely. “Good luck with your new venture.”

The venture he had in mind had nothing to do with restaurants. “Why don’t you give your friends a call,” he said, his smile as polite as hers. “Tell them you’ll be a little late.”

She sucked in her breath. Obviously, she’d been in the convent too long when she was interpreting bland statements like that as sexually explicit invitations. He was probably just talking about wine tasting.

“Stay awhile,” he murmured, holding her gaze for a provocative moment, her little sucked-in breath having kicked his libido into overdrive. “Fill me in on the local scene or”-his voice lowered-“say… your vineyard… or whatever.”

Okaaay-that wasn’t about wine tasting or, for that matter, about actual conversation. It was pretty much about sex.

So now what?

It wasn’t as though she was completely averse to impulsive sexual encounters. And it wasn’t as though Jake Chambers was a complete stranger. Although she didn’t know how much that mattered in her current lecherous mood.

So-cool reason or rash impulse? What would it be?

“I’d better not,” she said, telling herself that self-denial was a virtue. “But thanks for the invitation.” Then, turning, she walked away while she still could.

Four

As the kitchen door shut behind her, Jake offered up a small prayer of thanks to whatever Zen spirits had saved him from his own stupidity. A couple of hours from now he would have been wondering how the hell to get some woman he didn’t know out of his bed.

Remember dude, you’re the guy who is going to live a hermit’s life for a while.

After years in the celebrity glare that included the usual celebrity groupies, he was on a self-imposed rest cure, looking for that something different in his life. And let’s face it, a woman like Liv Bell, ex-model and vineyard owner in a state that had snow on the ground five months of the year, did not exactly qualify. She would have been more of the same-just another beautiful blonde. And sometimes too much of a good thing was too much of a good thing.

So get a grip.

Don’t let your libido call the shots.

Stick to business.

Which, now that his brain was back in charge, meant getting the River Joint off the ground. Glancing at the two cases of wine on the counter, he debated how best to get rid of them.

Did homeless shelters take wine donations?

Turning the key in her truck ignition, Liv found the sound of the engine coming to life audible evidence that she could persevere in the face of temptation. Putting her truck in gear, she drove away from a very close call. Whether it had been mature judgment or saved-by-the-skin-of-her-teeth impulse, she was damned glad she’d walked away. Jake Chambers was exactly the kind of man she’d seen once too often in her career as a model. Rich, good-looking, successful, fawned over by one and all-and, unfortunately, convinced they deserved the kudos.

In other words, an egomaniac.

Definitely not her cup of tea.

Not that she knew what manner of man that might be.

But she’d know when he came along.

And in the meantime, her life was about as good as it got.

Twenty minutes later she was parking behind an uptown restaurant and looking forward to meeting her friends.

The three women had known each other since grade school, and whenever their schedules allowed, they met for lunch or dinner. Shelly was divorced, no children, Zoe was married with children; Shelly was a futures trader; Zoe had been a public defender before marrying and having kids.

“You’re late,” they said in unison as Liv reached their table.

Liv grinned. “I almost didn’t show up. Had my better judgment not kicked in, I wouldn’t have. The Jake Chambers is in town. He bought a restaurant on the river where I deliver wines. And he hit on me.”

“Everyone hits on you,” Shelly said with a grin. “But hey-we would have understood if you’d bailed. He’s definitely studly.”

Zoe held up her hand. “Maybe not. I saw in the National Enquirer that his last girlfriend left him for a woman.”

“You can’t believe anything in the National Enquirer,” Shelly said. “Facts, babe, not gossip; that’s the bottom line.”

“I don’t know. It was that movie star, what’s her name, the real quirky one with the blonde frizzy hair.” Zoe lifted her brows. “Everything is not as it seems in Hollywood.”

Shelly frowned. “Don’t start on the Tom Cruise thing again, pul-ease. I like his movies. Who cares about the rumors? ”

“Well, rumors aside on this one,” Liv said, signaling the waiter for a drink. “If Jake Chambers can’t please a woman in bed, I’d be real surprised. He practically oozes sex appeal. ”

“So why did you show up here?” Shelly asked, brows raised. “Seriously, it’s not as though you’ve found your one and only yet.”

“Unlike you, darling, I haven’t been looking.” Shelly had been dating with the same take-no-prisoners determination she gave to the futures market.

“That’s your problem. You actually think Mr. Wonderful is going to walk through your door someday and sweep you off your feet. Ha!”

“Hey, it worked for Cinderella. And Anna Karenina- although stupid Tolstoy had to do one of those nineteenth- century male chauvinist morality tale endings. Idiot. But whatever-I’m not in a rush. I’m happy. I haven’t had to split up my holdings with an ex”-she dipped her head- “no offense, but I’ve heard that can be real pricey,” she said with a grin. “And remember, I’ve dated so much I’ve reached the picky stage.”

“Picky or not, Jake Chambers would top anyone’s list. You should have given him a shot.”

“Nah. The Jake Chamberses of the world don’t fit in my game plan. Maybe an organic farmer would appeal, or better yet another vintner. Or if I don’t find that perfect man, I’m good. I have two aunts who never married, and