The Winemaker's Dinner: Entrée

  Cover

  title page

  The Winemaker’s Dinner

  Entrée

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  Dr. Ivan Rusilko & Everly Drummond

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  Omnific Publishing

  Dallas

  Copyright Information

  The Winemaker’s Dinner: Entrée, Copyright © 2012 by Dr. Ivan Rusilko & Everly Drummond

  All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher.

  ...

  Omnific Publishing

  10000 North Central Expressway, Dallas, TX 75231

  www.omnificpublishing.com

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  First Omnific eBook edition, December 2012

  First Omnific trade paperback edition, December 2012

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  The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

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  Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

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  Rusilko, Dr. Ivan; Drummond, Everly.

  The Winemaker’s Dinner: Entrée / Dr. Ivan Rusilko & Everly Drummond – 1st ed

  ISBN: 978-1-623420-07-9

  1. Contemporary Romance—Fiction. 2. Erotica—Fiction. 3. Hollywood—Romance. 4. Dr. Ivan Rusilko—Fiction. I. Title

  ...

  Cover Design by Micha Stone and Amy Brokaw

  Interior Book Design by Coreen Montagna

  Photography by John Conroy (JohnConroyPhotography.com)

  Cover Models: Dr. Ivan Rusilko and Adrianne Martinez

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to the hopeless romantics

  who believe that there is a love that exists in the depths of an unknown heart

  that’s just waiting for them to find it.

  ~ Dr. Ivan Rusilko

  To Mags,

  The best sister, friend, and confidant a girl could ever ask for.

  ~ Everly Drummond

  Chapter 1

  “I Miss You”

  “THE TRICK TO NOT OVERCOOKING TUNA is to stick to the ninety-second rule,” Jaden said confidently, smiling at the camera. “Make sure the oil is at the right temperature, add your fish, and sear for ninety seconds on each side.” She looked down at the raw slab of sashimi-grade tuna hanging from the tongs and slowly lowered it into the oiled cast-iron frying pan, igniting a series of fierce sizzles and crackles. As a drop of oil splashed on the inside of her wrist, she held in a string of vulgarity and continued to smile pretty for the camera.

  As the aroma of searing tuna wafted through the air and filled the studio, she could practically hear the rumbling stomachs of the surrounding crew members. They’d been at it for ten hours straight, taking only five-minute breaks here and there to use the washroom and have Kat touch up her hair and makeup. With the weekend fast approaching, everyone was eager to wrap up this episode, “Tuna: The Way To A Man’s Heart,” and enjoy the nice weather the weekend promised.

  Jaden’s smile widened at the thought of some time to herself. Lately her life had felt like one long rollercoaster ride. Fresh off a string of talk shows, guest appearances, and photo shoots, she was riding a high with no end in sight. She and Ivan had instituted a policy of never going more than two weeks without seeing each other, and it seemed to be the secret to their success. They’d been making things work despite the distance. She would fly to Miami once a month, and he’d come to LA. They’d negotiated their work schedules to allow for the long weekends. And oh, how she loved those long, lazy weekends of pure, unadulterated lovemaking. Okay, maybe it wasn’t only the sex she loved so much. The time they spent together was amazing—but man, oh man, the sex was great. God! There was still a week to go before she could hightail it to Miami. Ivan would be waiting, flowers in hand, looking sexy as hell and ready to…Fuck! The tuna was about to burn.

  In an instant, Jaden’s attention returned to the semi-cooked piece of fish. With a flick of her wrist, she flipped it over and began to sear the other side, creating another wave of delicious aroma. She could have sworn someone in the back of the room sighed.

  Through the bright lights and oil-slick haze the searing had created, Jaden noticed something out of the corner of her eye—something that stood apart from the standard five-man crew, hunched over from poor posture and oversized beer guts. No, it couldn’t be! It was her turn to visit Miami, and that trip was still a week away. She tried to focus on finishing the segment, but her scrambled thoughts were suddenly invaded by a distraction of another, less-desirable sort.

  How the hell could Kevin bring in some new co-host, especially when the show was doing so well? One Hot Kitchen was her baby, her show that she’d nurtured from the very first shoot. So why, all of a sudden, did she need a co-host—and worse than that, one who was only riding the coattails of his famous father, Chef François Gris? Granted, Jaden admired Chef Gris, but his son was still a threat to her show and a burden she wasn’t in the mood to bear. Barely any experience to speak of and a womanizer to boot—no doubt he planned to steal his fifteen minutes of fame. And what if he wrecked the show in the process? Though she’d never even met him, Jaden was coming to loathe Damian Gris.

  She cringed all over again at the thought of having to meet him at Kevin’s welcoming party on Sunday. She’d have to wear some silly evening dress, drive all the way up to the Hollywood Hills, and plaster a fake smile across her face, just to meet some playboy masquerading as a chef. She was going to despise every agonizing minute of working with this dumbass. Goddamnit!

  Once again, Jaden had let her mind wander almost too far, but she quickly snagged the perfectly seared tuna out of the pan. She regained her composure and continued talking without missing a beat. Turning toward another counter, where small bowls of ingredients had been laid out in a row, she gave step-by-step instructions for preparing a mint glaze, the very same glaze she’d created after being inspired by the Winemaker’s Dinner last year. At Bianca it had become her signature dish.

  “First,” she began, picking up an empty bowl and a whisk. “Always make sure you combine your ingredients just before you glaze the tuna. Start by whisking together two tablespoons of sugar with three tablespoons of vinegar.” Jaden added the ingredients to the empty bowl and demonstrated. “Next, always be sure your mint is fresh. You can determine its freshness by grinding one of the leaves between your fingers. By doing this, you will release the essential oils. The stronger the aroma, the fresher it is.” She held the crushed mint leaf to her nose and inhaled. “I’d say this is pretty—”

  She stopped midsentence, and her knees felt weak. Beyond the scent of fresh mint, there was something else in the air now, something overpowering and very familiar—something her mind translated as hair-pulling, lip-biting, mind-blowing, earth-shattering moments lost in Ivan’s embrace. Her instructional banter came to a grinding halt, and her eyes zeroed in on the dark figure near the far door of the studio. “No, it couldn’t be, could it?” Jaden whispered as she willed herself to not get her hopes up. Ivan had a medical conference in Washington, didn’t he? He might be amazing, but being in two places at once was impossible.

  As Jaden squinted against the bright lights, her eyes slowly made sense of the tall figure taking shape in front of her: wavy brown hair that brushed the collar of his pressed shirt, a bouquet of her favorite wildflowers, a blue suit that hugged every muscle of his body, and that all-too-familiar smile. Ivan.

 
All thoughts of the show and the crew and the tuna vanished as she dropped the sprig of mint and rushed toward him. “Take five!” she yelled as she ran across the studio floor, arms outstretched. Ivan tossed the flowers aside and caught her in midair. Their bodies melded into each other’s as Jaden wrapped her legs around his waist, smiling against the soft contour of his lips. She grinned as she felt him cop a feel of her ass beneath the stiff kitchen whites, and they held each other tightly as their tongues dove deeper. This was no “Nice to see you” kiss. This was a passionate moment between two people desperately in love. Jaden trembled as she felt Ivan stiffen between her legs. She loved having this effect on him. She reciprocated by pressing herself into him and grinding. She could tell he needed this moment just as much as she did, and for a brief second there were no ogling cameramen, no hot spotlights beaming down on them, and no sexy-yet-annoying new co-host on the way. Just then there was only the two of them, and everything in the world seemed right and perfect.

  Sensing that the others in the room likely didn’t share their enthusiasm, no matter how romantic the gesture was, Jaden released her iron grip. She slid down the length of Ivan’s body and gave him a long look, laced with love and lust, letting him know this little tryst was far from over.

  “Great! That shot’s ruined,” a bearded man grumbled from behind the closest camera. “I don’t have anything else to do tonight.”

  Though she felt badly, Jaden couldn’t help but smile as the cameraman took off his ratty LA Kings hat and tossed it into the air, throwing a mini temper tantrum.

  “Sorry about that, baby girl,” Ivan whispered, squeezing her hand. He bent and picked up the bouquet of flowers. “I’ll put these in your dressing room while you finish up.”

  “Yeah, I think that would be a smart idea,” another cameraman mumbled from behind them.

  Jaden glanced over and saw a hint of a smile on his face.

  “Can we please wrap this up, Ms. Thorne?” he continued. “It’s getting late, and we all have lives to get back to. I realize we’re not as exciting as Prince Charming, but time is money.”

  “Of course,” she said. “I just needed a moment there. Not sure what came over me.” Though a bit embarrassed by her lapse in professionalism, Jaden couldn’t stop smiling. Ivan was here, in LA, and that’s all that mattered.

  “I’m sure,” said Kat, who stood nearby. She burst out laughing and was joined by at least a few on the production crew.

  “I’ll see you soon,” Ivan said. He glanced down as he traced a sensual path along the neckline of Jaden’s chef’s jacket with the tip of his finger.

  Standing on her tiptoes, Jaden placed one last kiss on his lips before returning to work. As she walked back to the set, she looked over her shoulder to watch Ivan disappear out the door. The heat of a blush rushed to her cheeks as she admired his muscular form. Damn, the man looks just as good coming as he does going.

  Then, as if with the flip of a switch, Jaden snapped back into her role as Chef Thorne. “Next, always be sure your mint is fresh,” she repeated, picking up where she’d left off. With her head back in the game, they’d be finished filming in no time flat. But her heart had already gone out the studio door with Ivan.

  Chapter 2

  “Wild Horses”

  OKAY, FOCUS, JADEN THOUGHT. The promise of what was hidden beneath Ivan’s clothes lay just beyond this next shot, and just out of her reach. Oh, how she’d enjoy torturously removing each item and wiping that cocky grin off his face. Not that he’d mind. Hell, he was probably waiting in her dressing room at this very moment, half naked and sprawled out on the sofa. But the sound of Brett hollering Action! snapped Jaden out of her revelry, and she went to work. Adding the last touch of minty flair to the plate, she held it up and waited the fifty years it seemed to take for the little red light on top of the camera to turn off. Five…four…three…two…one…

  “That’s a wrap!” Brett shouted, circling his finger in the air. There was a sudden flurry of activity on the studio floor as the crew hurried to store their equipment and start their weekend.

  Rather than having all the food go to waste, Jaden usually set out the plates of finished dishes for the crew, but today she relinquished that duty to one of her sous chefs, whizzed through her customary thank yous, and headed for the door.

  “Ms. Thorne, don’t you want to see the final take?”

  “Not today,” Jaden replied as she hurried past Brett. She flung open the large glass double doors and raced down the corridor, past a group of onlookers watching her as if she were crazy, and to the door at the end of the hallway marked Chef Jaden Thorne. Her mind reeled and her heart beat so fast that she thought it might actually explode. Is Ivan still here or did he go back to my place? God…I hope he’s as horny as I am.

  “Well,” she whispered to herself. “Let’s see what’s behind door number one.”

  She held her breath and opened the door. Much to her dismay, Ivan was nowhere to be seen. But in his place was a very shocked-looking Kat standing amidst what had to be at least sixteen dozen roses. Oversized bouquets of white, pink, and yellow blooms had been arranged on every available surface. The fragrance was so beautiful and powerful that it momentarily overwhelmed her, and she took a step back into the hall. How on earth had he managed to pull off something like this…again? And where was he? He was the real bouquet, a constant reminder that life is beautiful and precious. Walking carefully to the center of the room, Jaden looked around for some sort of note, something that might give her a clue about what the hell he was up to this time. And then she saw it: a small, white envelope attached to a black-and-gray bear that sat with the only red roses in the room. Jaden slipped the card from the envelope and began to read:

  Your love has become the very definition of my smile-and I love to smile.

  Say hello to BoBo! You helped create him. ;)

  I’m running a few errands, but I’ll see you soon!

  ~Ivan

  As tears began to well in her eyes, Jaden glanced around the room again and sighed in exasperation. If only Ivan had stayed behind to share this with her. Grasping BoBo in her hands, she took in every detail of the patchwork bear. Suddenly she recognized the black velvet bag that Ivan’s, and now her, favorite wine came in. As she turned the bear over, she identified strips of every piece of clothing she’d ripped from Ivan’s body, spilled sauce on, or otherwise destroyed, and BoBo’s eyes were the buttons from the infamous Perry Ellis suit jacket he’d been wearing the night they met. All of it reminded her of the romantic sprint they’d embarked on less than a year ago. It had taken both their hearts from zero to sixty in an instant.

  The only thing that perplexed her was the red, silky material of BoBo’s ears. She racked her brain but couldn’t come up with any reasonable source. I’ll figure it out, she mused and looked around the room again. How much had this little stunt cost? And how much trouble had he gone through to get all these flowers delivered to the studio? But she quickly dismissed the how of it all and focused on the fact that Ivan was really here. He was in LA, and in less than an hour she would feel the warmth of his arms as they wrapped around her and his sultry scent washed over her. A smile crept onto her face as she imagined all the ways she could reciprocate for this grand gesture—for him once again sweeping her off her feet.

  Having forgotten that someone else was in the room, she jumped when Kat approached from behind.

  “Need a hand?” Kat asked as she picked up a brush from the makeup table.

  Jaden smiled. Despite Kat’s crazy makeup and sometimes scary Goth girl appearance, she’d become more than a makeup artist and personal assistant. She was one of Jaden’s only friends in LA. Tilting her head back, Jaden sank into the chair. “Make me look stunning.”

  “That’s not very difficult.” Kat chuckled and began to brush through Jaden’s loose, ebony curls.

  Jaden relaxed under Kat’s expert touch. She loved having her hair brushed. Even as a child, she would sit for hours w
hile her mom combed her hair and put it up in ringlets. She could feel her eyes growing heavy with sleep as Kat worked her magic, curling tendrils of her hair and pinning them together at the base of her neck. It wasn’t until Kat began to speak that Jaden forced open her eyes.

  “We’re almost done,” she said. Pinning the last tendril into place, Kat picked up a mirror and held it to give Jaden a view of the cluster of curls that gathered at her neck and cascaded down her back.

  Jaden smiled. A sexy ponytail. It was perfect!

  Kat put the finishing touches on Jaden’s hair and gave it a spritz of hairspray, and a soft knock on the door caused both of them to look up.

  “Come in,” Jaden called.

  The door opened and Stacey entered, carrying a clipboard in one hand and balancing a Styrofoam cup in the other as she tried to shut the door behind her.

  “Jaden, I just wanted to ask you—” Stacey started, but stopped as she took notice of the ridiculously large display of roses. “Jesus, what are you now? A florist?”

  Jaden laughed and waved Stacey forward as she stood up from the chair. “Would you mind getting my black dress from the closet?” she asked Kat before joining Stacey on the sofa.

  “Let me guess! Ivan’s in town for the weekend?” The words were out of Stacey’s mouth before Jaden even had a chance to sit down.

  Jaden nodded and both women giggled like little girls as they surveyed the myriad of flowers surrounding them. But despite Stacey’s smile, Jaden wondered if deep down she was jealous. Stacey had clearly been fond of Ivan at The Winemaker’s Dinner, and he could deny it until he was blue in the face, but Stacey had a crush on him. Who could blame her? Not too many men would go to such great lengths to woo a woman, and the garden of roses that encompassed them was proof that Ivan was in a league of his own.

  “What do the two of you have planned for tonight?” Stacey inquired, plucking a yellow rose from a nearby vase and raising it to her nose.