back at me in black eyes. How exotic. I guess I didn’t notice them before. Maybe I was too distracted by his defined muscular chest with a smattering of dark chest hair, his washboard abs, and his thick penis with a throbbing vein pointing right at me.
I flush hot and try to focus on something else, like his black hair reaching down to his shoulders and his pale skin. Maybe he’s a musician in seclusion from his rabid fan base. It would explain so much.
Neli whirls and whispers something to him in a fierce low tone.
“Leave us,” he commands. He doesn’t raise his voice, but the soft edge of authority is unmistakable.
“I’m the manager here,” she says to him. “It’s important I’m in on business meetings.”
He doesn’t reply. Instead, he merely looks at her as though he expects to be obeyed. She turns back to me and then to him before throwing her hands up.
“I’ll be nearby if anyone needs me,” she says, looking right at me.
I nod. Strange. It seems like Mr. Bozhidar would be the one who needs her assistance not me. I face the man who’s the key to getting Stellariva Vineyards out of the hole we’re in and back to the light. Out of the red and into the black. Or something like that. I may be a wee bit nervous now that we’re face-to-face. He’s just so much man (don’t think about it), and he exudes power.
I stare as he removes his top hat with a flourish.
“Good evening,” he drawls in a deep silky voice that wraps around me like a dark caress.
I step closer, drawn in, and then remember the old-school manners Neli told me were important to him. I drop into an awkward curtsy as I clutch the wine bottles against my chest, my purse dropping forward off my shoulder and hitting the floor. My planner spills out of it, exposing one of my many lists. “Good evening, Mr. Bozhidar.”
I go for my purse and planner, but he’s faster, tucking the planner back in and snagging the strap with a single finger.
“Quite a long list,” he says.
I straighten, meeting those glittering black eyes that seem to hint at something mysterious. “I’m a planner. Love to make a plan and check stuff off my list. It’s kinda my thing.”
He sets my purse back on my shoulder, his touch through the thin fabric of my dress sending a spark through me.
I lick my lips. “Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me. I brought two of our best vintages as a gift.” I offer him the wine. “Would you like a tasting?”
He leans close, his black eyes gleaming. “A taste?”
My heart is in my throat, a distant warning of danger sounding in my mind. I take a step back.
Wait. I’m being silly. I’m just feeling intimidated. Who wouldn’t be in his presence? Good looking, successful, wealthy.
I gather my nerves and remain focused on the prize. “Yes, I’d love to get your opinion on our wine.”
“The wine, yes, of course,” he murmurs. “We shall have some.”
I offer him the bottles, but he doesn’t take them. Instead he snaps his fingers, announcing, “Bring these to the parlor.”
I glance around. Does he have a maid or a butler who appears at the snap of his fingers? Neli appears. She must’ve stayed close like she said. I guess she helps him a lot.
He hands her his top hat and gestures for her to take the wine bottles.
She tucks his hat under one arm and takes the bottles from me. “The great hall would be more comfortable than the parlor. Right this way, Stella.”
I follow her, sensing Mr. Bozhidar’s looming presence behind me more than hearing it. He moves quietly for a man of his size.
We step through a large archway into what is truly a great hall with a long wooden table and enough room to accommodate—fifty people, at least. There’s a line of wooden chairs with intricate scrollwork carved into the top of each one. An enormous candelabra overhead brings out the gold motif in the post and beam ceiling. A stone hearth dominates the opposite end of the hall. Sconces that resemble torches line the walls between arched mullioned windows.
Wow. No detail was spared to make it feel like an authentic castle.
Mr. Bozhidar pulls out a chair for me adjacent to the head of the table, and I take the offered seat. He really does value manners. And bathing. Mmm… I inhale deeply,