Free Risking the Vine (Romancing the Vine Book 1) by Gemma Brocato Page A

its privileges. Besides, I can glue faster than you can cut.”
    They worked side-by-side in silence to complete the project. Once Luke finished with the saw, he took the glue gun and started prepping the pieces for Jac. The picture took shape faster because they worked so well together. Luke even managed to find the right amount of red-tipped corks to allow Jac to create a flowerbed along the bottom of the picture.
    She poured a dab of purple paint on another paper plate and added a separate dollop of green. Quickly she demonstrated how to daub the color on the end of the corks representing the grape vines. Once she handed Luke the paintbrush, the extra little touch turned their project into a beautiful work of art.
    Jules walked to the front of the room, clapping her hands as she went. “Time’s up. We have a couple of teams who didn’t finish.” She eyed the insurance guys, her lips pressed into a firm line. “You have ninety minutes before the afternoon activity. Marcus set up the lunch buffet in the pavilion behind this building. If you want, you can use those ninety minutes to complete your project after you eat.”
    FIG jammed his hands on his hips. “What if we don’t want to finish?”
    “That’s up to you. You aren’t required to complete the project. What’s important is you found a way to work together as a team. Three hours should have been enough to hit the deadline, but sometimes, things interfere.” Jules folded her arms over her chest. “How you react to those disturbances is as much a part of the exercise as anything else. You’ll face situations in the office that can cock-up your projects. You need to learn how to delegate and re-prioritize as team leaders.”
    “Well, we aren’t finishing,” Steve grunted. “This one ain’t a priority.”
    Jules shrugged. “Fine. Go ahead and clean up your stations before you hit the buffet.”
    “We have to clean up?” FIG whined as he gestured to the monumental mess his team had made with paint and glue, not to mention cork shavings. The jerk probably underpaid his administrative assist and forced her to wash out his coffee mug.
    “Part of the details on any team project is the follow-up or wrap-up. You should get in the habit of evaluating each team project you are on, determining how you can make things run smoother on the next one.”
    FIG opened his mouth to complain, but Luke beat him to it. “That’s what a good leader does. I think the people on a team appreciate it. It’s also a chance to praise people. Which is just as important.”
    Jules beamed at him. “So right, Luke. In fact, we’ll be reviewing today’s activities, what worked . . . and what didn’t, tonight at dinner. There might even be some prizes handed out. If there aren’t any other questions, you can finish here and grab lunch.”
    Cleaning wasn’t a huge chore for Jac and Luke. They’d tidied up as they’d worked, so now it was a matter of wiping down the paint bottles, rinsing out brushes, and returning the unused corks to the proper barrels. Once again, Jac marveled at how easily she and Luke had worked together. If they kept trundling along this way, they might end up the team to beat.
    Luke smiled at her as he took the brushes from her and headed to the sink. His grin warmed her system better than a good red wine. The heady heat settled with a tantalizing tug low in her pelvis.
    He returned to her side, pulling her back from her musing. “Ready to eat?”
    Her stomach rumbled loudly. Her thoughts and the embarrassment of the burbling in her tummy forced heat to climb her throat and cheeks. She grimaced. “Sorry. This morning’s eggs didn’t last, I guess. Let’s go check out the buffet before FIG and company eat everything.”
    Luke led the way to the picnic structure where they found a buffet of cold sandwiches, three varieties of salads, and a tray of the yummiest looking cookies Jac had ever seen. In front of them in line, FIG and DIG loaded their