LOST INTO THE VINE (BWWM)

CHAPTER 5

Nala found herself walking in between ripe grape vines, ready for picking. The sun was soft and warm on her skin, apart from the birds singing happily in the sky, it was all silent. The vines swayed a little with the light breeze that filled the surrounding.  She took in a deep breathe, feeling her shoulders relax and her body just unwind, for the first time in a long time, she felt at peace. Opening her eyes, she saw a retrieving shadow of a man, in between the vines.
“Hey! Hey!” she called. But this guy continued walking away. She decided to go after him.
“Hey, wait up,” she called.
The guy turned around and her steps flattered, “M-Matt?!”
“Hello love,” the green eyed man smiled at her. His skin was pale, though he looked happy, or at least not haunted.
She took a step forward, then another and another till she was only a breathe away from him. “Matthew,” she breathed. “What is going on?” looking around, they were still in the vineyard.
“You tell me, love. It’s your dream after all,” he brushed away the hairs that escaped from her bun, she closed her eyes relishing the feel of his fingers on her. “I miss you,” she looked at him, straight in the eye so he could see how rue her words were.
“I know sweetheart, but you always have me.”
“Do I really?” her voice cracked. Her hand trembled as she raised it to touch him, “what did they do to you? They took you away from me!”
“They didn’t. Not exactly anyway. What is in your heart no one can ever take away from you, my darling. You are always in my heart as I am in yours.” He embraced her and kissed her forehead.
She felt the wind pick up against her skin and she was alone.

The morning sun slid through her lashes and she bit back a groan, stretching her neck sideways and her whole form to go with it. She got out of bed and straight into the shower, a cold one was in order, to awaken her sleeping nerves. She hummed to the song playing on her machine as she oiled up and dressed for the day. The rumble of an engine and tires screeching to a halt had her peeking from her window, a black SUV was parked in the direction it came from and brunette hair in two pig tails got out.
“Why can’t I come with you to Malaga?” the whiney voice of Irina filled the car. Matteo turned to look at her blue eyes, much like his own, “because you have plans with abuela and your tia Elena.”
She glared, “I don’t wanna bake cookies, and we did that the day before yesterday. I wanna go to Malaga with you and the travel lady, Nala.”
She widened her eyes, her smile, sickly sweet, “please papa. I wanna go on an adventure like Dora the Explorer.”
Matteo grinned, “Nice try, butterfly. Get your sweater.”
“But papa…” she whined again, but did as asked and huffed, getting out of the car when he opened the car door for her with a look that said that discussion was over.
Olivia was walking out to meet them and the little girl ran to her, embraced her grandmother whining, “nonna, papa is being a meanie.” 
“He is just cranky because he is almost waking with a stick, don’t mind him, Irina,” Olivia grinned at her son, who was giving her a warning glance. As if sensing eyes on him, he looked up and his blue met honey brown eyes through the glass window, she blushed and closed the covers. He fought a smile but it still made its way to his face, somehow.
“You have that look on your face,” his mother accused.
"What look?" he asked his mother frustrated, raising an eyebrow.
"That look when you first won your first fight when you were in high school over a girl, or when you first had Bully win a bull fight or when..."
He looked down at her innocently, “I don’t have a look.”
“Nala!” his daughter called out, fighting off her grandmother’s embrace to run to this stranger. His chest puffed out immediately and he stood straight, aware of the presence of the woman that made his blood hot. His mother raised a brow, to emphasize her point. He brushed her off.
He watched as she walked towards them in those blue jeans that did nothing to hide her shapely thighs, the top she had on, drawing her breasts, noticeable enough, her face soft with no makeup and tendrils of her hair falling on her sweet cheeks, his daughter clinging to her arm, looking at her with admiration. “Pretty please, Nala?”
“Ummh I don’t know Irina,” she said unsure.
“My daddy said it was okay if I come with you, right papa?” Irina looked towards her father, her eyes warning him to refuse her request.
He looked as her eyes widened, she hadn’t expected for him to be the girl’s father. But it made sense now. They all shared the blue eyes. Pretty strong gene. She licked her lips and he wanted nothing more than to do it for her instead. Nala’s skin heated with awareness, she felt his want. She saw his want in his eyes. This wasn’t good. At all. Not with how her body was reacting to the sight of him, her nipples hardened beneath her blouse.
“Buenos Dias” she greeted Olivia and Matteo.
Olivia went in for a hug, Matteo stood where he was, not sure about himself, one sniff of her chocolate scent and he felt like he was going crazy.
Hell, he was going to be on an hour’s drive with her. He wasn’t sure if he would keep his hands to himself, maybe Irina should tag along.
“How about this? Today I find my way and next time if your daddy allows it, I’ll take you with me to one of my adventures,” Nala bent over to look Irina in the eye. “Promise?” Irina asked hopefully. Nala all but raised her pinky, “pinky promise.” Irina clutched to her pinky with a smile. Then she turned to her father, “papa, you said next time, so it’s a deal no?”
He chuckled and nodded, “we have a deal, butterfly.”
He kissed her forehead and led Nala to the passenger side, opening the door for her and helping her in.