Seduction on the CEO's Terms (3 page)

“Meaning?”

“Don't give up on him.”

Ali opened her mouth in denial, but Nick's astute look spoke of the futility in that. He wouldn't buy it, and Ali wasn't all too sure she could sell it to him.

Oh God, was she that obvious?

“I'll be right there,” Joe called to her from the far end of the pool.

Joe bounded out of the pool, and she caught her first real glimpse of another side of Joe—the stunning, well-built, tanned and gorgeous man who looked as if he could conquer an enemy in one fell swoop.

Ali's throat constricted.

Her Clark Kent had just transformed into Superman.

M
orning sunshine cast a golden sheen over Joe's entire body as he stood by the pool's edge. Water dripped from his hair to his shoulders and then slowly drizzled down his rock-hard torso. She could compare him to a Greek god, but nothing topped Superman in her estimation.

She watched him towel off, then throw his arms into a shirt and head her way. Ali got a grip real fast. She couldn't be caught drooling.

“Sorry,” he said as he approached. “I didn't realize the time.”

“How many laps do you do?”

“One hundred.”

Her mouth gaped open. “One hundred? Every day?”

“Just about.”

“No wonder.”

“No wonder what?” He looked puzzled.

Ali had to learn to stop thinking out loud. “Oh, um. I
was thinking about your stamina…you must have great stamina.”

Joe smiled. “I've built it up over the years.” He walked over to a large inlaid stone and iron patio table and picked up his glasses. Taking a second to clean them with the end of his shirt, he narrowed his eyes. “So what do you think?”

“About your stamina? Very impressive.”

“No,” he said, running a hand through his hair. He put his glasses on, and this was the Joe Ali had come to know. “I mean, about using this place for the wedding.”

“Are you kidding? It's a girl's dream come true, Joe. Your home is amazing, and I've only seen a small part of it.”

“I'll rectify that in a few minutes. First let me shower and change. In the meantime, have a cup of coffee. I cooked you up some breakfast to have during our meeting.”

“You cook, too?” Ali couldn't believe Joe had culinary skills, as well as his other talents.

“I get by. After my father died, our longtime cook retired, and we just never replaced her. Tony's living at Purple Fields now, and Nick and I are rarely home.”

Joe walked over to a coffeepot on the patio counter. “What'll you have?”

“I'll get it, Joe. Don't worry about me.”

“Okay, I'll be back in five, then I'll give you the grand tour.”

Ali watched him leave, her heart in her throat. She couldn't fight her feelings any longer. All shreds of rationality escaped her. She'd never before met a man like Joe Carlino. Before, she'd welcomed the challenge to get him interested in her. But now, it went deeper than that. She admired Joe, found him unique and intelligent and
sexy as sin. Emotions washed over as a question entered her mind.

Could she be falling in love with her boss?

 

“I think your home will work out nicely,” Ali said after a cup of coffee and not-half-bad eggs Benedict. Joe cooked like he did everything else, with honed precision and accuracy.

She sat at the patio table after he'd given her the grand tour of his home. Stunning was an understatement. Joe's mother must have had a hand in decorating the house. He'd always spoken so fondly of her sweet, calming ways, and her talent for making a house a home was evident everywhere.

The entire home, though updated with modern conveniences, oozed warmth and love, giving off a Mediterranean flair from the polished carved wood furniture and colorful sofas to the pale golden walls and inlaid stone flooring.

Where the first floor was set to bring in the harmony of the family, the upstairs was laid out to accommodate privacy, each wing being a home within a home. The parents and three sons could enjoy their private suites and never bump into one another.

Silly, but Ali pictured herself here with Joe, living in the east wing of the house. It wasn't the grandeur that appealed to her but the sense of stability. Seeing Joe's brothers interact with each other—witnessing their family ties—had touched a sentimental chord within her.

She'd never had a real place to call home.

She fought her resentment tooth and nail, yet Ali couldn't forgive her mother for her lifestyle. She'd dragged her young child from town to town, marrying men who'd
look upon Ali as a burden. At least, she'd always felt like a necessary evil that Justine's husbands had to endure.

Ali had inherited her mother's feisty, bubbly nature. She wasn't shy by any means. But unlike her mother, Ali had a career that she enjoyed. She'd worked hard for everything she'd achieved in life including her bachelor's degree in business. She had brains, thank goodness, and liked to use them.

But now, she was at a complete loss with her strong feelings for Joe. She'd never been in love before and wondered if the impeding sense of dread and earth-shattering excitement she felt was normal. The conflicting mix of emotions put her on unsteady ground.

And other than that one kiss, he really hadn't laid a hand on her. She'd never want to resort to her mother's means for snaring a man, and therein was her problem.

“Where should we hold the renewal of vows?” Joe asked, his focus and those dark piercing eyes intent on her. He'd changed from his swim trunks to black casual trousers and a white button-down shirt. Joe the Hunk had changed back into Joe the Boss.

She came out of her stupor to reply to his question. “Poolside. I think that'll be perfect,” she said, the notion in her mind gaining momentum. “The sound of the rock waterfall and the glistening water below will be a great backdrop. We'll have a flower archway made for them to say their vows underneath but nothing too elaborate. The grounds are enough.”

Joe looked out at the pool, giving a nod of agreement. “I think you're right.”

“I'm always right,” she teased.

“I know.” Joe didn't blink as he shot back his response.

Ali stared into his eyes. Did he really have that much
faith in her abilities? “I think Rena will be pleased with what I have in mind. Do you think Tony will like my ideas?”

“Without a doubt. He has the woman he loves. That's all he cares about.”

“I wish,” Ali began, then bit down on her bottom lip.

“What do you wish?” Joe asked, touching a finger to his glasses. Ali knew his gestures and that one meant true curiosity. She couldn't relay her innermost wish, but she could turn the tables on him.

“Have you ever been in love, Joe?”

He blinked and shot his head back in surprise. “Me?”

She held her breath and nodded.

Joe pursed his lips and answered in a clipped tone. “Once. It didn't work out.”

Ali was floored by his admission. He was a gorgeous, thirtysomething man who had a lot going for him, but somehow she couldn't picture Joe being in love.

Unless of course, it's with you, Ali.

“I'm sorry.”

“Don't be,” he said. “It was for the best.” He dismissed the subject by flipping through a batch of menus she'd brought with her. “Now, what about the reception? Any ideas?”

“I have a few thoughts on the subject.”

He nodded. “Good.”

Ali stood and walked around the grounds, conjuring up images of how to best use the backyard and surrounding vineyards for the reception. But more so, she had to move away from her sexy boss to come to grips with the fact that Joe had been in love once. And maybe, he was holding on to that love. Maybe that's why he'd kept his distance. A knot twisted in the pit of her stomach.

Joe came up behind her. His nearness made her heart pound against her ribs. “What's your plan, Ali?”

In the world-according-to-Joe, you always had to have a plan.

Ali turned to find him close enough to touch. She searched his eyes, dying to know the truth. Ali made a decision right then and there to go for broke. “I'm working on it. But you can be sure when I come up with a good plan that you'll be the first to know.”

 

Ali stood in the wine-tasting room at Purple Fields, browsing through the items on the shelves. The quaint shop spoke of decades of winemaking, a family legacy that Tony Carlino had a hand in saving.

Ali looked out of the shop's window to view the construction crew outside. It appeared every effort was being made to update the house without losing its original rustic style.

“Hello, Ali. This is a pleasant surprise.”

Ali turned to face Rena, who had walked in from the backroom. “Hi,” Ali said. “I hope you don't mind me stopping by.”

“Not at all.” Rena walked over to her. “It's good to see you again. Sorry about the mess outside. Tony needed more space. And with the baby coming, we thought it best to do the construction before he's born. Tony wanted to add a playroom for the baby, an office for himself and a full remodel of the kitchen for me.”

“Wow! All that will be done before your little bambino enters the world?”

Rena nodded. “Carlinos have a way of making things happen.”

Ali glanced out the window again and sighed. “If they want something badly enough I suppose.”

Rena stared at her, furrowing her brows. “Ali, is something wrong?”

She shook her head. “No.” She plastered on a big smile. “I came to give you an update on the wedding plans.”

“Wonderful. I'm getting excited about it. Come, have a seat and let's talk.”

Rena guided her to one of the three small round tables set in the corner portion of the room. “I'll get us something to drink first. Grape juice for me and our best merlot for you.”

Rena returned shortly, handing her a wineglass. Ali sipped from it. “This is fabulous.” She set the glass down on the cheery cornflower blue-and-white tablecloth and waited for Rena to take her seat. “Thank you.”

“I should be thanking you for all you're doing. I hope Joe isn't working you too hard on this.”

“Not at all. I, uh, listen, Rena, I have a confession to make,” Ali said. She was never good at fibbing. “I could have called you with the update. We're just beginning with the plans, and there's not much to tell.”

“Okay,” Rena said, looking a little confused. “But you don't need a reason to stop by to say hello. You're new to Napa, and I'm happy to be your—”

“I do have a specific reason for coming here. Dang it, I'm so confused, and now I'm confusing you!”

Rena chuckled. “Ali, just tell me.”

Ali chewed on her lower lip and took a deep breath. She was never one to hesitate about anything. “Okay, I think I'm in love with Joe,” she finally blurted out.

Rena's eyes snapped wide-open. “Oh, wow.”

“Yeah, wow. It's wonderful and terrifying.”

Rena smiled and nodded in full agreement. “I know. That's exactly how I felt about Tony. I didn't want to love
him, but those feelings just creep up on you and there's no denying them.”

“Joe doesn't suspect anything. He barely knows I'm alive.”

“Joe's involved in his work, but he knows you're alive, Ali. I can guarantee it.”

“Yeah, I'm nominated for employee of the year.”

Rena's smile faded and she cast her a solemn look. “You're serious about this? About him?”

“Very. I've never been in love before. I think Joe's perfect for me. Unfortunately, the only sheets he's interested in me slipping between are the Carlino Wine's tally sheets.”

A chuckle burst from Rena's lips. “Sorry. You do have a way with words, Ali.”

“It's a curse. I spit out exactly what I'm thinking.”

“But not in a demeaning way. You're honest, and that's refreshing.”

“Do you think I scare Joe?”

Rena thought about it a few seconds, and Ali was sorry she asked. Perhaps, she didn't want to know the answer to her question.

“No, it's not that,” Rena said finally. “I know you don't frighten Joe. He may be a computer geek, but women don't intimidate him. In case you haven't noticed, beyond those brains, Joe's quite a hunk.”

“Oh, I've noticed. But that's not the reason I think I love him.”

Ali went on to explain to Rena that her reasons for loving Joe went way beyond his sexy good looks. What she'd noticed about him first and foremost was that he'd always taken her seriously, respecting her intelligence, treating her as an equal and
not
coming on to her five minutes after she'd been hired. Ali explained about her former employer. For all intents and purposes, she'd never thought she'd ever
get involved with someone in the workplace, much less her boss. But she and Joe had a unique work relationship.

“I flat-out asked him if he's ever been in love, and he told me that he had, once. He didn't want to talk about it. Do you think he's still in love with her?”

“No,” Rena said adamantly, bringing hope to her heart. “He's been over Sheila Maxwell for quite some time.”

“So what is it?”

“Well, I can tell you this. Joe was burned really badly. Apparently, he became engaged to Sheila while she worked for him at Global Software. She was very beautiful and clever, from what I've been told. Joe thought the sun rose and set on her shoulders. His millions hadn't been enough for her. As you know, of all the Carlino men, Joe is the least flashy. He drives a hybrid car, wears conservative clothes and doesn't have a pretentious bone in his body.

“It wasn't enough for Sheila, though. As soon as an oilman from Texas with billions became interested in her, she dumped Joe like a hot potato.”

“How awful for him.”

“He didn't take it well. He felt duped and foolish for falling for her. I think Joe is just a little gun-shy right now. And for the record, Ali, he's vowed to never get involved with someone who works for him ever again.”

Ali put her head down. “I get it now.”

“Well, that's the bad news. The good news is that I think Joe is way off on this. If the right woman comes along—no matter where, when or how—he should act on it. I think he's interested in you, but he's holding on to the promise he made to himself.”

“Nick told me Joe's not as noble as he seems. Maybe that's what he meant?”