Page 28 of Secret Match
“A girl,” Doctor Bentley said.
Yeah. An image of her daughter in a pink dress and pushing a carriage with dolls played in her head. A tear washed down her cheek and she didn’t stop it. “Thank you.”
The moment she hung up the phone, Gio hugged her and had her rest her head on his chest. “I’m going to have two beautiful girls in my life.”
“So you’re okay it’s a girl, not a boy?” Her skin trembled a little bit.
His hand traced her back and sent tingles everywhere as his deep voice rumbled through her, “As long as she has your mesmerizing smile.”
Gio had a magic power. He knew how to make her know he was right here, with her. She let out a sigh and just held him, not wanting to let go. They were going to have a daughter.
Life interrupted their tender moment. His phone was on the desk and the ringer was set to high. She uncurled herself with reluctance. “You’re phone is ringing.”
“Let it.” He didn’t move a muscle. Instead he met her gaze and gave her that sexy smile of his as he said, “You’re the most important thing in my life today.”
She wanted to strip him for the physical connection to him that she would never grow tired of. She sighed, knowing he’d want to check on his guests soon and it wasn’t fair for her to keep him trapped away in his study. She slowly unwrapped herself from him as she said, “I need to stretch my legs.”
“Sounds good.” He didn’t move until she stood and pressed her feet to the ground to steady herself.
She walked over to the desk and picked up his phone, reading Piper Lacey’s name on the caller ID. He’d chosen her over a beautiful blonde model and actress, like she, Kiwi, was enough.
Deciding that she’d had enough drama, she didn’t question the call and without a word, they headed outside without seeing another Morgan.
The ground under her ballet shoes was rich red and slightly damp, and the tall grapevines were perfectly aligned in rows. They reached a pathway between the grapes as he asked, “Do you like reds, or whites?”
She put a hand on her hip. “When I’m not pregnant, I usually order a white but some reds are good.”
He winked and took her hand—he probably thought she was being silly. That teasing smile said plenty. “You’re having a half-Italian child, Kiwi.”
Half-Italian was not half a reason to abandon her goal of perfect health for her baby. She patted her belly. “And she’s half me which means no alcohol until after birth.”
He picked a grape from the nearby vine. “Giusto. Butmi bella, this is just a grape.”
Oh. Perhaps she’d overreacted. She let out a sigh and ate what he put in her mouth. The juice washed down her throat and made her crave another. “It’s yummy.”
She then picked a few off the vine for herself as he said, “When it’s transitioned into wine, it becomes even more sweet.” He walked to the other side of the row and took another grape off the vine, popping it in her mouth. “But this one…”
She savored the grape that almost seemed to be coated in sugar. Her mouth watered for more like it was candy and she swallowed. “It’s super sweet.”
He nodded. “That’s my initial reaction too, but this grape becomes smooth and washes down your throat without being too sweet when it is made into wine.”
Interesting. The flavor must change in a vat somewhere, not that she knew exactly how wine was produced. She knew what she liked and didn’t like. She looked around the vineyard. “What’s your process?”
He waved her into a building that was clearly the warehouse though the outside made it seem like it might be an animal stable. But then, she judged this estate based on movies, not because she’d lived on grand manors. They went inside toward stainless steel metal vacs. “This way. My employees use the old methods as my wines are not made for mass production.”
The pride in his product showed in his broad shoulders, his hands pointing toward his machines and how his face beamed with excitement. She paid no attention to his description of the process—mesmerized by how his lips moved. When he stopped she knew she needed to say something so she squeezed his hand and said, “Sounds lovely. And you’ve won all these medals?”
He walked her over to the wooden mantel that displayed small trophies and ribbons for the wines. “Judges often prefer the unique and delicious than the mass produced.”
An idea formed of numbering her collection and making certain shoes “special editions.” On the heel of the shoe she could put numbers, like one in two thousand, with a higher price. Her body buzzed with the need to discuss it with Victoria. She met Gio’s gaze. “Would that theory hold true for shoes and clothes too?”
“Yes,” he said and then asked, “Why? What are you thinking?”
Soon he might be her other boss. Her business mind tried to calculate a price point to make her shoe collection sought after as she asked, “What if we create a limited edition shoe line? We could number each shoe, and let the public know it would be a limited batch.”
Gio looked from his awards to Kiwi. “That’s a great idea for our casual collection in general, what we prepare for the runway shows.” He tapped his fingers on the mantel like he heard a beat she didn’t hear but she saw his excitement. “If it’s a hit then we will create a massive line.”
The tingling in her skin made her want to run to her phone and call her boss, but she held back and asked, “Do you think Victoria would be interested?”
