by Sami Lee
“Then I guess I should set my legal cronies on to drawing up that contract you spoke of.”
“No!” Extracting herself from David’s embrace, Sarah shot toward the desk and spoke directly into the speaker. All the better for her father to hear every last word she had to say. “David was right, Dad. You meddle far too much in my life. I’m making decisions for myself this time, and I choose David.”
“You do?”
Sarah turned to meet David’s questioning expression. She smiled, knowing he must be able to see the glisten of tears. David had called her the love of his life. She’d never thought she’d be so lucky. “I do. I’ve missed you. I’ve missed Windy Valley. I want to go back.”
“Now wait just a second, Sarah—”
“Dad, please.” Sarah spoke to her father but she never took her eyes off David. “It’s time I tried to make myself happy. David makes me happy, and I love him.”
Her father spoke on, about mistakes she’d made in the past and the need for caution. Sarah only half listened. She could barely hear anything over the thundering of her heart as David walked toward her. Slowly, steadily, as if they had all the time in the world now. The wetness of tears made tracks on her cheeks, ruining her makeup no doubt. She did nothing to wipe them away.
Gripping the solidity of the desk behind her so the weakness in her knees wouldn’t have her falling in a heap at David’s feet, Sarah waited for a pause in her father’s lecture. Then she suggested, “Offer him money, Dad.”
“What?”
Her focus still fixed on David, she said, “Offer him…a million dollars.”
His lips quirking, David stuck up his thumb and lifted it. Sarah took the hint. “No, offer him five million.”
Finally standing in front of her once more, David lifted a hand to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. He was smiling so lovingly Sarah didn’t want to take her attention off him for a second. His eyes were as soft as velvet. “Come on, love, let’s go for broke. Make it a cool ten.”
A laugh bubbled up from her chest until Sarah found herself giggling like a schoolgirl. “Offer him ten million dollars. He won’t take it.”
David shook his head. “Don’t want it.”
Sarah beamed. “He wants me.”
He growled. “Bloody oath, I do.”
Then he swooped in and kissed her. Sarah threw her arms around his neck, kissing him back for all she was worth, kissing him and pressing herself to him as if she wanted to become a part of him and believing for the first time that it might actually happen. She could be a part of David and he, in return, would be a part of her.
When another pointed throat clearing emanated from the speakerphone, Sarah forced herself to break away and deal with her father. Knowing at last that she had David’s love and support, she had the confidence to put her thoughts plainly. “By the way, Dad, I think I’m quitting.”
“What?”
“Taking a leave of absence at least—but not until after the opening, I promise.”
“Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me, girl?”
“I’m sure I’m throwing a wrench in the works but I have to do this. For myself.” She gazed at David and whispered, “For us.”
David couldn’t quite believe he hadn’t stuffed everything up for good with his impulsive He-Man act. But unbelievably, Sarah stood before him, her eyes misty with tears and her confessions still thrumming between them like the sweetest music.
She wanted to be with him. She loved him.
But after Sarah managed to end the phone call with her spluttering-in-disbelief father and she turned back to kiss him again, David pressed two fingers to her lips. “Perhaps you shouldn’t quit your job.”
“Why not? I hate it.”
“I don’t want you giving up everything for me. I was wrong before to expect any relationship between us to require you to travel to see me all the time. That’s what this was all about. I can come to you.”
“And give up the winery? No way.”
“I wouldn’t have to give it up. I could hire a manager, maybe come away with you on some of the business trips you go on. All I want is to be with you, Sarah. Under any terms.”
“No, David.” Sarah smiled softly. “You love the vineyard and so do I. You belong there.”
David sighed. She was right. He’d never felt more at home anywhere else than he did at Windy Valley. But his offer had also been genuine. Seeing Sarah in the paper, her lips pressed to those of another man, had made him see sense. Or made him desperate. Either way, he was willing to do anything to ensure his were the only lips she kissed from now on.
He rubbed his hands in circles over her back. “What about you? Where do you belong?”
Sarah tilted her head to the side and gave him that look, the one that told him she’d made up her mind about something and there was no changing it. “I belong with you.”
Then she kissed him and David was lost. He groaned into her mouth and pulled her roughly against him. The adrenaline of the morning still pumped its remnants through his system, mingling with the desire Sarah’s kiss generated. He was so hard he was throbbing. With a little shift of her hips, Sarah let him know she was aware of it too.
Short on oxygen, David released her mouth and buried his face in her neck. “Sarah. God, I need you.”
“Yes,” she replied, her tone silky. “Go lock the door.”
He’d thought he was already as painfully erect as it was possible to be. Apparently not. His voice strained, David said, “I hope you’re really, completely sure about this, lady, because if I lock that door…”
She shoved her fingers through his hair, holding him in place as he nipped her neck. “Yes, I’m sure.”
“You realize your father probably hates me now.”
“No probably about it.” Sarah laughed. “He definitely hates you.”
David groaned and lifted his head. “And I know you spoke to someone at Shelton Holdings and got them interested in me. We’re going to have to talk about that at some point.”
“Oh, that.” Sarah dismissed the issue with a flutter of her fingers. “I made one measly phone call and I thought we were over so I didn’t take your crazy pride into consideration at the time.”
David shook his head but he couldn’t keep this pretense at annoyance alive. “I’m always going to be scrambling to keep up with you, aren’t I?”
“I can’t help that I’m a smart woman who knows what she wants and how to get it.” The determination and desire in her voice imbued the words with layer upon layer of sexual promise. He watched, mesmerized, as her coral-painted lips enunciated her next suggestive words. “Now, go lock the door.”
David could barely speak over the lust that clogged his throat. His voice was hoarse. “You’re using your bossy voice.”
“Get used to it, Genero.” Easing him away from her body with one high heel, Sarah brought her hands to her blouse and started undoing buttons. “You’re in love with a powerful woman. So what are you going to do about it?”
David saw cleavage then a flash of white lace. He swallowed when her flat stomach was revealed, then the dusky-pink circle of her nipple through the bra when she parted the fabric covering her.
She was a powerful woman. Powerfully sexy, smart and dogged when it came down to getting what she wanted. There was every chance regular old Dave Genero from Murrumbungee was in way over his head. So what was he going to do about it?
David did the only sensible thing he could do.
With a grin and some powerful determination of his own, he walked over to Sarah’s office door and flipped the lock.
The End
About Sami Lee
Despite falling in love with creative writing in her teenage years, Sami worked a wide variety of jobs on her way to eventual publication. As a bartender she used to scrawl snatches of dialogue on the back of flyers advertising $2 drink specials. Now she types on a computer like a bonafide, professional author—but she wouldn’t mind fin
ding a bar that still sells $2 drinks. If you know of one, please contact her.
An author of hot, unashamedly romantic stories, Sami lives in Australia with her husband and two stupendous daughters. If that’s too far away for you, visit her web home.
Sami welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email addresses on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Just One Taste
ISBN 9781419942525
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Just One Taste Copyright © 2013 Sami Lee
Edited by Carrie Jackson
Cover design by Irene Adler
Photo: Fotolia.com
Electronic book publication February 2013
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