Pure Seduction by Frank, Ella (first ebook reader .txt) 📕

family from out of town, and that’s what this afternoon’s meeting is for, to introduce them.”

“No way. Why would he do that? Emily and Ryan work here. It’s their family’s business. He’s not gonna just sell it out from under them.”

“Umm, we did work for the same guy, right? Harry was an ass—”

The gossipy whisperings from two of my servers ceased as I pushed through the door to the kitchen, and when Amy and Miles saw who it was, they let out a collective sigh of relief.

“Working hard, I see.” I gestured to the wine glasses on the counter in front of them. They had been forgotten somewhere around mid-shine.

“We were just giving our wrists a rest.” Miles flexed his hand back and forth, making both Amy and I laugh.

“You’re the last person whose wrist would ever need a rest,” Amy said.

Miles shoved her in the arm as the two of them busted up laughing, and I headed over to the fridge to grab myself a bottle of water. I’d spent the morning doing inventory on the wine—in-house—after the wake. Anything to keep my mind busy and off the embarrassing way I’d run away from Noah earlier.

What had I been thinking, accepting an invitation to coffee with him? Nothing good was ever going to come of that. But when he’d given my books back and his fingers had brushed over my skin, it was like he’d flicked a switch and my brain had shifted to autopilot.

That was my only excuse, or at least the one I was sticking to. He’d short-circuited my brain, and nothing I did after that could be blamed on me. Especially not giving in to my curiosity and saying yes to a coffee, when every other warning sign had been flashing NO! NO! NO!

“Laurel?”

“Huh?” I glanced over at Amy, who was watching me with a curious look on her face.

“You okay?”

I unscrewed my bottle of water and nodded. “What were you saying?”

“Oh, I asked if you knew anything about the meeting this afternoon?”

“Emily told me it was just a formality. She wants to make sure that we all know nothing’s going to change with Harry not being here anymore.”

“That’s not what I heard,” Miles said as he leaned a hip up against the counter. “Emily’s been in Harry’s office for the past hour with someone, and Pete says it’s the new owner.”

“New owner? The Chamberlins are not about to sell the winery, Miles. This is their family’s legacy.”

“I didn’t say sell it. Rumor is, Harry gave it away.”

No…there was no way Harry would ever do that. He’d poured his blood, sweat, and tears into this place. Alienated a son over it. He’d schemed and plotted and God knew what else over the course of his life to make Chamberlin Winery as successful and profitable as it was. There was no way he was handing that over to someone else. He’d loved this place more than anything—except perhaps Emily.

“Rumors.” I rolled my eyes. “This town would be so boring without the live updates we receive on the hour.”

“Right?” Miles waggled his brows. “So do you know anything?”

“I know that you’re a gossipy busybody.”

“Yeah, well, we all knew that.” Miles picked up the towel he’d been using to shine the glassware as the door to the kitchen pushed open and Emily stuck her head inside.

“If you could please meet me in the tasting room, we’re about to start the meeting. Thank you.”

When the door swung shut behind her, I glanced at Amy and Miles and gestured for them to follow. “Guess we’re about to find out if the Chamberlin gossip mill got it right, huh?”

We headed into the room where the rest of the employees—including the cleaning crew, maintenance, the vine workers, and winery staff—all waited, and when I spotted Ryan at the back of the small crowd, I made my way toward him.

He offered up his usual friendly smile, and I said under my breath, “Should I be worried?”

He looked down at me with a question in his eyes.

“You know this place—rumors are flying. I was just wondering if I should be worried about my job.”

Ryan smirked and shook his head. “Emily didn’t tell you yet?”

“Tell me what?”

“Good afternoon, everyone.” At the sound of Emily’s voice, I turned to see her walk through the door and wondered what Ryan was talking about. But when a second, very familiar person walked in directly behind her, my stomach dropped and my head began to spin.

What was Noah doing here? More importantly, what was he doing standing up there with Emily? My mind began to race with possibilities, even as my eyes drank in the sight of him.

The jacket he’d been wearing this morning was gone, and he’d rolled the sleeves of his white shirt midway up his forearms. His hands were resting loosely in the pockets of his tailored pants as though he didn’t have a care in the world, and the picture he made had my pulse humming.

Casual, confident, and sexy, that was Noah, and when his eyes scanned the room and landed on me, my stomach flipped.

Would I ever get used to seeing him back here in town? Judging by my body’s irrational responses to him, I was going to go with no.

“What’s he doing here?” I whispered to Ryan.

“Noah?”

I aimed a droll look his way, and Ryan grinned.

“Shh, you’re about to find out.”

“Thank you for coming in today, everyone, even though we aren’t open.” Emily looked around the room, her eyes touching upon each and every one of her employees before she continued. “This past week has been extremely difficult for me and my family, and I appreciate all of your help and support. It’s meant the world to me. I understand with Harry’s passing that some of you might be concerned with the future of the winery, your jobs, and where we all go from here, and today I wanted to come in and reassure you that you have nothing to worry about.”

As Emily continued