Risking the Vine (Romancing the Vine Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

the cool evening breeze.
    Her hair bobbed on her shoulders as she shook her head. “From where I’d want to live, the commute would be too long. I’d never have the time to enjoy the land. I’d be in the city or the car all the time.”
    “If you moved to the country, what would you do? You don’t strike me as a farm girl.”
    Jac stopped, pulling her arm from his. She took another drink before handing the water back to him. “That’s the thing. I believe I am. My grandparents’ farm is still owned by the family. I could go there and grow herbs and spices.”
    He capped the bottle and pushed it into his back pocket. Settling his hands on her shoulders, he peered through the dark at her. “Is that what you want to do?”
    “Yes. No.” She shifted her gaze away from him and stared at the rows of grape vines rolling out from where they stood. She raised a hand to her forehead and rubbed, as if troubled by a perplexing and complex problem. “I don’t know. I love my job, and I’m good at it. But I think I’d be good as an entrepreneur. I could be successful. If you could do anything you wanted, what would it be?”
    He dropped his hands from her shoulders. Taking a step away from her, he shoved his hands into his pockets. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had asked him that question. Probably his Nona, after he’d told her about his move to Medford.
    He considered for a moment before answering. “I’d teach. I’d love to work at a university in a finance or hospital administration department. I was an adjunct professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa. It was a great program. I really miss teaching.”
    “Why aren’t you pursuing it now?”
    “The opportunity at St. Simeon came along. It was too good to turn down.”
    “Colleges in Medford offer healthcare admin classes. Some really good ones.” Reaching out, she plucked a leaf from a nearby tree. She tugged it between her fingers.
    His cock jumped at the idea of her tugging on him the same way. Between the water bottle shoved in his back pocket and his surging erection, his jeans were entirely too tight. He shifted his hips, hoping to ease the uncomfortable restriction without drawing attention to his rising problem. “I’ve had my hands full trying to get the medical center on track. I’ve been working sixty to eighty hours a week getting up to speed. I don’t see that easing back in the near future.” And wasn’t the thought of the monumental job in front of him an instant soft-on?
    He missed teaching. Truth be told, despite how much he’d loved his job in Tampa, the collegiate gig had offered more satisfaction. Giving it up almost became a deal-breaker for him when he considered taking the job in Oregon. At the time, the money and the opportunity to make a difference at St. Simeon’s had been right. Now the challenge seemed insurmountable, the hours never-ending, and the money not nearly enough to compensate for the headaches he’d inherited.
    He grasped Jac’s hand, energy flaring between them as he wove his fingers with hers. The action felt natural. They resumed walking in silence. Eventually, they reached an incredibly large oak tree at the top of the rise. Jac trailed her other hand over the bark before she leaned against the rough surface.
    She raised her face and stared into the branches overhead. “Oh, it’s lovely out here.”
    The sight of her exposed neck set his lips, and other parts of his anatomy, to twitching. Luke wanted to trail his tongue up the long column of her throat until he reached her mouth. He barely knew her and already desired her more than he’d thought possible. It had been far too long since a woman interested him this way.
    She straightened, smiling at him, and he lost interest in resisting. It was as if she was the sun and had an irresistible gravitational pull, drawing him close enough to get burned.
    With less than two steps, he crowded into her personal space, planting his hands on