Chapter 10
Justin
Sleeping next to Willa was better than I could have ever imagined.
I didn't even move a muscle all night with her head on my chest and her blonde hair splayed on the bed. I didn't want to disturb her and she looked so peaceful, so serene with her face pressed against my beating heart.
It was too early when I woke up. I didn't want to, but when I picked up my phone and saw that my mother was calling, I knew she wouldn't stop until I answered her.
Slowly, I slipped out from under Willa and placed her head on the pillow. She moaned groggily then turned to her side. I stood up and slid my phone to answer and walked into the kitchen.
"Hey, Mom."
"Justin? What took you so long to answer? I was getting worried." Mom already sounded like she'd been awake for hours, nothing hoarse or "just woke up" in her voice like mine probably was. I didn't even look at the time, but I was guessing her and Dad had probably already gone to church and brunch, while I was happily in dreamland.
"Sorry, it was a long night last night with work." It wasn't a total lie. There was work, just not for the winery.
"Oh."
Mom didn't talk with me too much about the winery. She didn't exactly disapprove of it anymore at least. When I first said I wanted to start an urban winery her and my dad thought it was a silly idea. They even went as far as to saying they didn't want me to use my grandfather's trust for any of it.
I went to the bank with Luke and we applied for a loan, doing it all on our own. It was then that Dad finally approved of the project, and Mom reluctantly went along with it. It wasn't until we made our first million that she even started to talk about it with her friends.
"Well, anyway, I was calling to talk to you about our Fourth of July party. Will you be able to grace us with your presence this year?"
I cringed. I'd been avoiding the party the last three years. My parents liked to use it as an excuse to try and hook me up with every eligible woman in Long Island that had blood as blue as the Foster family.
"I'll have to check my work schedule."
My eyes wandered as Willa appeared in the doorway. Her eyes were still sleepy, but she was smiling. Damn did she look good when she first woke up. Her thin tank top was practically see-through and I was licking my lips at the sight of her nipples showing through the thin fabric. I'd have to give her a thorough wake up once I was off the phone.
"Morning," I mouthed.
"Morning," she replied.
"Who was that dear?" Mom asked.
Shit.
I still hadn't told my parents about Willa. Not that I didn't plan on it, I just didn't talk to them too much and it hadn't come up.
"Oh. That was, um." I sucked in a breath and looked right at Willa. "My girlfriend, Willa. She stopped by this morning so we could go to brunch together."
I mouthed, "My mom" to Willa she nodded, breezing past me toward the coffee pot where she put in a pod and started it up. She had to wiggle between crates of jelly, and I couldn't help but watch her swaying hips and that perfectly round ass of hers when she walked.
"A girlfriend? You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend. Will you be bringing her to the vineyard for the party?"
Shit. Shit. Shit.
The last thing I wanted to do was bring Willa out to my parents. They'd find a way to judge her and my life. Make me somehow feel inferior as they always did.
But looking at Willa and listening to her hum softly as she made the coffee, there was no way I could be away from her that long if I went to my parents for the weekend.
"Sure, Mom. I'll see if she isn't working and can come with."
Willa's eyes met mine, raising an eyebrow. I just grinned in return.
"Wonderful! I'll let your father now."
"Okay, Mom. I've got to go now, but I'll talk to you soon."
"All right, Justin. Goodbye."
"Bye," I said and hung up.
"What was that about?" Willa asked?
I took a few steps, closing the space between us and put my arms around her waist, inhaling all of her scent. "Want to see the Foster family vineyard for the Fourth of July? Fireworks. Wine. You can get drunk enough to handle my parents."
She turned toward me, her eyes as wide as saucers. "You want me to go with you to your parents? To actually meet them?"
"Why not? Is there something I should be hiding from them about you?"
She smiled, wrapping her arms around my neck. "Just that I'm a jam-making-aspiring-author- who is crazy for their son."
I grinned, kissing her deeply.
I could have stayed in her kitchen, kissing her forever. Especially when she pressed against me and I could feel the heat from her core.
But she broke the kiss, licking her lips and looking up at me. "Now you said something about brunch?"
I laughed, shaking my head. "How about I run home and get the van and take you to brunch in the city after we deliver your jam?"
"Oh, fancy. Like an afternoon date."
"If that's what you want to call it."
She leaned in and kissed me gently. "It's a date."
***
Luke bought the paneled van second hand from a laundry mat shortly after we started the winery. I think we paid more in repairs for the vehicle than it was worth, but it still ran and worked w hen we had big deliveries.
I rolled up to the front of the bakery where Willa was already waiting outside, a few crates of jam beside her. I almost wished she wouldn't have changed out of her pajamas, and wasn't so covered up in jeans and a polo that had "Luscious Leanna's Sweet Treats" scrawled over her left breast. But I guess this was a work trip.
"Riding in style," she said laughing as I got out of the big orange van with our logo on the sides.
"Hey, don't judge big orange." I knocked on the side of the van before opening the back doors.
"No judgment here. I like it."
I grabbed the stack of crates and slid them in the back of the van.
"One stack down, I think six more to go," Willa said.
"You really want me to get my workout in today, don't you?"
She grinned. "Something like that."
Even thought it was less than six miles to the heart of the city, traffic made it about forty-five minutes. And that was only our first stop. Willa had a delivery in Times Square, two in Hell's Kitchen, and another three in Greenwich Village.
By the time we made our loop around the city I was starving and more than ready to make our last delivery.
If I didn't live in Brooklyn, I think the village would be where I would spread out. Even now, glancing at the different awning covered buildings that surrounded Washington Square Park, I took mental notes thinking that is area may be a great place for a second winery location.
"Okay, I think its right up here," Willa said, pointing toward a brick building with a yellow awning.
I pulled up in front of the cafe and parked. "Last stop, cafe town."
Willa laughed, jumping out of the van and running to the back. I got out and grabbed the crates before she could. "Here, you go in and talk to them, I'll do the heavy lifting."
She kissed me on the cheek. "You're too good to me."
"I try."
She opened the door and I followed her into the small cafe. Rather than the industrial feel of places in Brooklyn, this was light and airy with light wood stained bar, yellow painted walls, and white bistro tables set along a wall that was covered in different pictures of pastries.
Willa approached the glass counter where a young girl was perched behind the register. "Hi, I'm Willa, here for a delivery of jam."
A younger guy with a crew cut and a tucked in yellow polo came out from behind a swinging door that was placed behind the counter. He was built. Like really built. His arms could probably crack somebody's skull. "Willa. Glad to meet you, Leanna told me you'd be my new go-to person in the city."
She smiled as he came around the counter offering his hand. "Yes. I'll be here this summer while she's working on the Cape."
The guy ignored me, grabbing the crates with one hand and placing them on the counter as if they were nothing then shook Willa's hand, a little too long for my liking. "Will Cranston, owner of this cafe. Glad to meet you."
"Same here, sir."
He laughed. "No need to call me sir."
I cleared my throat, and it was like Willa had to pry her eyes off of him before she looked at me and then back at him. "Oh, and this is my boyfriend, Justin. He owns FO Winery in Brooklyn."
Will smirked and shook my hand way too tight. "Glad to meet you, Justin. Can't say that I've heard of FO Winery, but I'll have to check it out if I'm ever on that side of the bridge."
I forced a smile. I doubted that he hadn't heard of it. I just had a glowing review in the Times. This guy wanted a pissing match. "Yeah. I hadn't heard of this place either, but it's cute. Nice and quaint."
"Yeah, business has been so good we'll probably be expanding this location and adding another one. We're even looking at sites in Brooklyn."
"Funny. I was just thinking it might be nice to expand the winery out this way. Get another location."
He crossed his arms over his chest, obviously flexing. I got it, dude was big. I didn't want to see him peacocking. "Yeah? We may have to talk sometime about our expansions."
"That'd be great," I said, forcing the smile to stay on my face as I shook his hand.
Like hell I'd talk to the guy that was looking at my girlfriend like he wanted to devour her. Only I could do that.
"Want to grab lunch now, Willa? We'd better let Will get back to work."
Willa went to open her mouth, but I interrupted. There wasn't any way in hell I wanted to stay at this place and watch him stare at Willa. "I saw a place up the road that is supposed to have the best slice in the area."
She looked at me raising her eyebrows. "Yeah. That sounds great."
"It was great meeting you, Will," she said, shaking his hand as his eyes stayed lingering on her shirt.
"The pleasure is all mine. I should be seeing you soon. The jam is a big hit with the breakfast crowd," he said giving her a wink. A freaking wink!
I put my arm around Willa, pulling her close. "Nice meeting you, Will. I'm sure if Willa's here then I'll be here too."
He nodded. "Yeah. I'll see you both around."
I guided Willa out of the front door and it wasn't until we were two stores down before she looked up at me. "What the hell was that about? I thought we were going to eat there and give business to a client."
I licked my lips, shaking my head. "I didn't want to stay in there any longer with him checking you out."
She rolled her eyes. "He wasn't checking me out. He was just being friendly."
"Like hell he was. I saw the way his eyes roamed over your shirt. That guy wanted you. If I wasn't there he would have probably asked you into the back room for a quick bang."
She huffed. "Seriously? Is this what you're going to think about every male client? That they want me? What if I said that about every girl that walked into the winery? I'm sure there are plenty of drunken bridesmaids at weddings that you've had your way with in the cellar."
I looked down. "No. There hasn't been."
"I don't know if I believe that."
I stopped, forcing a few people to walk around us. I lifted Willa's chin up, her eyes meeting mine. "Willa there hasn't been anyone else but you. Kissing you in the wine cellar was the first kiss I'd had in years and the first one ever in the winery. All I've focused on was work. For years that's been my life. You've been the first person that's made me want to actually leave the winery and explore everything. To see New York through your eyes."
She blinked slowly, a smile spreading across her face. "You really haven't been with another girl?"
"Well, not ever. I've had girlfriends, just not in a while. You've been the first girl that's captured my attention and I don't think you're ever going to let it go."
She leaned in, her words a whisper on my lips. "I'm not going to let you let me go."
"I'm more than okay with that," I said before sealing my words with a kiss.