He gets out of the car, and I do the same, but I stay rooted to the spot while Alistair grabs our duffel bags from the trunk and walks around the car toward me. He laces his hand with mine and tugs me toward the house. My heart is beating so fast, it’s a miracle he can’t hear it.
The front door opens before we step onto the porch. A tall man with gray hair fills the frame. He has a full trimmed beard, unlike Alistair, who prefers a scruff. However, it’s impossible to not see the resemblance.
“Hey, Dad.” He hugs the man.
“Alistair, you arrived just in time for lunch.” He turns to me, smiling. “And this must be the lovely Chiara I’ve heard so much about.”
Shit. What could Alistair have possibly told his parents? Do they know I’m his student?
There’s a twinkle of mischief in his dad’s eyes, and I can’t figure out why. I glance at Alistair with a question in my gaze.
“Dad’s being sarcastic. I only told them about you a couple days ago.”
“Oh, that makes me feel so much better,” I joke.
Duncan grins. “It’s okay, honey. Alistair can be a little stingy about sharing information.”
“Nonsense! I tell you everything,” Alistair rebuffs.
His father rolls his eyes. “It’s amazing how you can say that with a straight face.”
“Well, he’s an actor,” I chime in, earning a glare from Alistair.
“Whose side are you on?” he asks.
“Oh, I like her.” Duncan winks at me. “Come in already. I’m hungry.”
Duncan heads inside, but I hesitate until Alistair places a hand on my lower back and pushes me forward. With slow steps, I cross the threshold, taking my time to look at everything. An open living space greets us. The décor is rustic but also homey. I can tell a lot of work was put into picking every piece. It’s lovely.
Alistair drops our duffel bags next to the massive brown leather couch and continues down a wide hallway. The delicious smell of food tells me that’s where the kitchen is. His mother, a petite woman with a red bob, turns as she hears us. She’s wearing an apron that says “Kiss the chef” and holding a wooden spoon in her hand.
“Ah, just in time. Lunch is ready,” she says.
“Dad told us. What did you cook, Mom? It smells delicious.” Alistair places a kiss on her cheek, then proceeds to peer at the pan on the stove.
I remain at the kitchen entrance, unsure of what to do. All my insecurities decide to come to the surface, and I have to control my urge to fidget nervously.
“I figured I’d dust off my old recipe book and make something Italian for Chiara.” She looks at me, smiling. “Come here, sweetie. Don’t be shy.”
I do as she says, not expecting her to hug me. I reciprocate, looking a little startled at Alistair. He just grins at me.
“Oh, my. You’re more petite than I am. I hope you’re being gentle with this one.” She turns to Alistair, and embarrassment makes my cheeks burn.
Is she implying what I think she’s implying?
“Mom! Come on, don’t start.”
Yes, yes she is. I want to die.
Alistair circles around Molly and grabs my hand, dragging me away from the kitchen.
“Where do you think you’re going? Food is ready,” she calls after us.
“I’m going to take our stuff to the guest house and wash up,” he replies.
“Forget it, Molly. I think we’re eating alone,” Duncan grumbles.
I bite my tongue, waiting until we’re outside the main house to turn on Alistair. I hit his arm, not hard enough to do any damage though.
“You should have warned me about your parents.”
“What? That they have no filter?”
“Yes!”
Alistair chuckles. “What would be the fun in that?”
“I hate you.”
We stop in front of a small house that looks like a miniature of the main structure. He pushes the door open, and the first thing I see inside is the king-size bed. Before I can make any comment, he spins me around and crushes his mouth to mine. He runs his hands down my arms and then rests them on my hips, bringing me even closer to him.
Reluctantly, I pull back. “Alistair, your parents are waiting for us. We’re being rude.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”
“You’re acting like a horny teenager going away with his girlfriend for the first time.”
“I feel like a horny teenager. That’s the effect you have on me, Goldi.”
“You’d better behave or there won’t be any sexy time tonight.”
“Fine. I’ll behave. Just one more kiss before we go?”
I should say no because his kisses are like a drug, but I can’t resist when he looks at me as if I’m the sexiest woman alive.
ALISTAIR
I don’t remember ever feeling this complete in my life before, not even when I was married to Nadine. I watch Chiara talk with my parents—finally more relaxed after a couple of glasses of wine—and I think, This is it. She’s the one for me. I don’t know how I can be so certain—I thought the same before with Nadine—but it’s somehow different with Chiara.
My parents seem to like her; they ask questions, they tease her—something they’d never done with Nadine. And Chiara takes it all in stride. She does get flustered on occasion, but eventually she starts to tease my parents in return. I worried she wouldn’t be able to handle their bluntness and dry humor, but she’s giving it as good as she’s getting.
After lunch, I take Chiara on a tour of the vineyard. It’s not the biggest one in the area, only a few acres, but I’m still proud of it and of what my parents have accomplished.
“This is lovely, Alistair.”
“I fell in love with this property as soon as I came here for the first time. It doesn’t compare to the vineyards in Italy, but it’s very special to me.”
