T. A. Chase

Wednesday’s Work in Progress…

It’s been a while since I shared one of these, but I thought I’d post a little snippet from A Grand Prix Romance, book 7 of the International Men of Sports series. 🙂  It’s what I’m working on right now and Devon and I hope to have it finished by the end of the week. Yay!

Hope you like it.

A Grand Prix Romance copyright c. 2014 T.A. Chase and Devon Rhodes

Excerpt-

A fleeting thought raced through Johann’s mind. What would happen if Paolo wanted to stay around after the race was over? Could he deal with that? No one else had ever wished to see more of Johann. He rolled his eyes. Sure there had been some who wanted more than Johann had been willing to give them. He’d never been able to imagine himself settling down with a woman, and those were the ones who tended to cling.

“Johann,” Paolo called his name.

Blinking, he shot a glance over at Paolo. “Were you asking me something?”

Paolo snorted. “I hope you’ve been paying better attention to the road than you have to me.”

“I could drive this with my eyes closed,” Johann bragged as he slowed down just a little.

“I’m sure you could, but there are mere mortals who use this road, and they’re the ones I don’t trust.”

He could flatter Johann all he wanted, but Johann knew Paolo wasn’t as confident about Johann’s driving skills when it was dark out and Johann was distracted. He didn’t blame him because the winding mountainous roads of Monaco really weren’t the places to not pay attention to the pavement in front of them.

“What did you want to ask me?” He brought the conversation back to whatever Paolo had been trying to ask him.

“Your friend doesn’t care if you use his place?”

Something told Johann that wasn’t the original question. He wasn’t going to push. “No. He had to go out of the country for a business emergency. Usually he’s around during Grand Prix week and he hangs out with me down in the city.”

The road leading to the house came up on his left and he slowed even more so he could make the turn. Johann drove along until he pulled in front of the stone home. He turned the car off and they sat there for a moment, staring at the facade of the building.

“Is your friend Prince Albert?” Paolo asked.

Laughing, Johann climbed out of the Maserati. “No. It’s a little ostentatious, isn’t it? It’s an ancestral home.”

After leading the way up to the large wooden doors inset with brilliant stain glass, he smiled at the older man who held one of them opened for them.

“Thanks, Jacques. I appreciate you being willing to let us in.” Johann motioned towards Paolo. “This is my friend, Paolo.”

“Sirs.” Jacques inclined his head to both of them as he accepted their jackets and Johann’s keys. “Master Benton informed us you would be coming tonight. Dinner is ready in the small dining room. I’ve opened the merlot you were fond of the last time you visited.”

“Marvellous.” He grabbed Paolo’s hand then dragged him down the hall. “Benton’s cook is as good as any five star chef I’ve ever met. You’re going to die when you taste his food.” He greeted the young lady standing by the door. “Hey Milly.”

“Monsieur Wetl, it is good to see you again. When you are finished with dinner, don’t worry about the dishes. We’ll take care of them.” She stepped out of the way to allow Johann and Paolo to enter the room.

The small dining room was aptly named. It held an oak table that seated only four at one time. It was covered with an antique lace tablecloth and set with light blue china plates. Crystal glasses and sterling silverware completed the elegant look of the dinner setting. A gorgeous teardrop crystal chandelier hung over the table, but it had been wired for electricity, letting them dim the lightning slightly to bathe the red roses in the centre in shadows.

Johann hoped Paolo didn’t think it was cheesy. He had a romantic streak and liked to treat his lovers to special moments. He didn’t get a chance to do it very often, and he admitted it was his own fault since he had a tendency to let them walk away. Yet he readily admitted that most of the problem was his because he hadn’t hung on to them. There was always another race in another country that he had to win.

He held out a chair for Paolo who cast him a speculative glance before sitting. After taking his own seat, Johan picked up the bottle of wine to pour out a glass for each of them. Right before he put any in Paolo’s glass, he paused.

“Do you like merlot?” He hadn’t thought about the fact that Paolo just might like red wine–or wine in general.

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