But she just laughed hysterically and all our sisters pointed to the mess, giggling along too. I didn't know whether to be furious or even more embarrassed, especially since now everyone was really looking, and no one else seemed to be amused in the least.
The guy at the end of the bar was suddenly standing right next to me and Lindsey, bending down with his hat facing brim-up in his hand. "Here," he muttered, his deep voice cutting right through me.
Ignoring the effect him just saying one single word had on me, I graciously accepted the help and bent down with him, making sure to tuck my knees in under my skirt.
"Look, girls! Cowboy to the rescue!" one of my friends laughed, causing another chain reaction from the rest of them.
I groaned, wishing they would just shut the hell up already. "You guys are so embarrassing," I hissed at them, knowing they couldn't care less at this point. "This isn't funny!"
An older man in a perfectly-tailored suit came rushing out to the floor, his eyes looking ready to bulge out of his head. At the mere sight of him, every single one of my friends, including the culprit herself, Lindsey, all made a mad dash for the exit. I was left to stare up meekly at the guy, my shoulders slumping forward as I pulled myself to a stand. I'd have to spare my anger at them and get through this first.
"You just broke a fifteen-hundred-dollar bottle of our finest Cabernet Sauvignon!" the man said through gritted teeth, his hands in fists at his side.
Looking down at the ground where the helpful cowboy was thankfully finishing cleaning up the bigger chunks of glass, I wrung my hands. "I, well, that wasn't actually me who did that, but yes, I do apologize. I'm so, so sorry about that, sir. Is there anything I can do?"
The man narrowed his eyes at me as if I were a complete idiot. "Why yes, yes you can. You can pay the fifteen-hundred dollars for it."
I choked on the air I sucked in, my eyes wide. "Excuse me? I'm… I'm sorry, but I don't have… I mean, I can't exactly afford that."
The man was about to open his mouth and chew me out, but the cowboy—who I really needed to learn the name of because whoa, I just saw his eyes, and I'm pretty sure I've never seen such blue eyes before in all my life—stepped in, looking right at me. "Before this gets ugly, let me fix this. Have dinner with me tonight, and the debt will be forgiven. I'll handle it."
Blinking twice as fast as normal, I tried to grasp what he was saying. Surely, I’d had more to drink than I realized. "I'm sorry?"
The quirk of his sexy, full lips before was only a mild teaser for the kind of face-splitting, crooked grin he gave me. My grandma would've said his face was sweeter than sin. "Let me take you out tonight…"
"Emma," I offered, realizing he was waiting for my name.
"Emma, okay. If you come to dinner with me tonight then I’ll pay for the bottle. It's on me."
As I stared my rescuer in the eyes, I struggled to find the words to say, but all that ended up coming out was a barely audible, "Sure."
Chapter 2
EMMA
* * *
I fidgeted with the hem of my dress, completely nervous. Never in all my life had I been put in such an odd situation that had my heart racing this fast. I'd basically just agreed to have dinner with a stranger—an insanely sexy stranger, but still. He'd singled me out from the rest of the girls, and while they were pretty sloppy and definitely drunk, I couldn't help but feel flattered.
Imagining what he would pull up to the front of the campus apartments parking lot in, I smiled to myself. Maybe it'd be a beat up pick-up truck like all the country singers crooned about in their songs. Or a tractor. Or hell, what if he actually trotted up on horseback? Anything was possible in Texas.
But when a sleek silver Mercedes-Benz pulled up slowly around the curb, I anxiously looked all around me, wondering why the driver was stopping. I nearly took a few steps back when he rolled down the window to get a good look at me. "Miss Emma?"
I bounced on the balls of my feet, wearing a slightly confused smile. "Yes?"
The driver simply put the car in park and got out, coming around to open the back passenger-side door. "I'll be your driver this evening," he said, tipping his hat to me.
Wait… what? Was this guy for real? "Are you…" I let my voice trail off at the patient expression on his face. Clearly this was my ride, whether I believed it or not, so, not wanting to seem rude, I nodded and slid into the car, still baffled.
This wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Not even close. Not only had I figured my date (whose name I still didn’t know, crazily enough) would pick me up himself, but I thought it would be in some kind of rugged vehicle befitting a true cowboy. Did this guy who was so strikingly out of place at the winery have money or something?
Slowly my curiosity faded into a calm sort of contentment, the beautiful winding roads and green hillsides covered in wildflowers doing wonders for my mind. The sun was starting to set in the west, the last dying rays of gold shot through with crimson and rose finally slipping behind a larger hill, leaving the road in its massive shadow as we passed. It took me a moment to realize that the dark coming from behind us wasn't hills in the distance but storm clouds, the first lightning strike making me jump while I wasn't paying attention.
With any luck, I wouldn't get caught in the storm tonight. Although with how I’d left things back at the Pi Beta Phi house, I wouldn't have been surprised if I did.
I frowned as I looked out the window; my friends’ careless attitudes today were still bothering me.
"I cannot believe you all just fucking ditched me at the winery like that! On my birthday, no less! Could you have been any ruder?"
Of course, they all played it off like it wasn't even a thing. "Don't act like you didn't get anything out of it," Cassidy said, pulling her hair up into a messy bun. "A nice date with a hot-ass cowboy? If you want to trade places with me, just let me know, Em!"
They'd all just died with laughter, still drunk from the day-drinking while I was getting ready, but my gut was twisted up inside. Even as I sat there comfortably in the luxurious car, the quiet and colorful ride somewhat calming, I was slightly less than terrified.
Truth be told, I'd never been on a blind date before, and while plenty of my sorority sisters and a handful of my other friends had all been on dates set up through Tinder or some other app, none of them had ever done something quite like this. For some reason, I couldn't see the mysterious and sexy cowboy swiping right on anyone.
After absentmindedly checking my phone for the millionth time, I felt the car slow down. We'd been driving for an hour, easy, which made me wonder just where in the world we were. Who brought their blind dates all the way out this far? There was a small stab of apprehension in me when my mind automatically went to the worst scenario.
What if this guy was a serial killer or something? What if this whole thing was some kind of weird, twisted way of him doing God-knows-what to me? I had to steady my breathing and chuckle nervously to myself. "You're being ridiculous," I muttered to myself under my breath as I kept my eyes glued on my purse in my lap.
"I'm sorry, miss? Did you say something?"
I quickly shook my head, but had my keys strategically in my hand, just in case.
We pulled to a complete stop and when I turned to look out the window, my jaw dropped.
We were now in front of a humongous, sprawling ranch tucked away on top of a lower hill that led down to the flattened valley. Lights were lit all along the outside of the main house, with its fancy lodge-style architecture. All wooden beams and heavy stone work. The circular driveway could've easily fit twenty cars, yet it had a downhome feeling to it with the four rocking chairs and swing on the wide front porch. Even in the dimming light of day, I could tell that this place must've been worth a fortune.
Was this my cowboy's… home?
CORY
Inviting beautiful strangers to have dinner at my house wasn't exactly a pastime of mine, but when Emma walked into the house, I began to wonder why I hadn't done this more often
. I knew she was gorgeous at the winery; she easily stood out from the rest of the girls she was with, and that nervous little grin on her face as she looked over at me? Even if the Cabernet Sauvignon hadn't crashed to the floor, causing my winery to lose out on about fifteen-hundred bucks or so, I would've made my way over to her and invited her anyway. The wine incident just made it that much easier. Albeit a little bit more expensive.
Lately I'd been so caught up in work, keeping my hands busy, that I hadn't paid any mind to the women here and there that sought my attention. But something stuck out about Emma, and I watched her as she sat down nervously at the dining room table, her eyes flitting from one end of the room to the next. I was dying to know more about her. With those big brown eyes and her soft strawberry blonde hair pulled up and away from her face, she looked like a perfectly kept secret just waiting to be revealed.
"Thank you for joining me tonight," I started out, clearing my throat and surprised to see that maybe even I was a little nervous.
Instantly, the blood rushed to Emma's cheeks. "Well, thank you for bailing me out earlier. I didn't… Um… I didn't get your name?"
This time I laughed, feeling like a complete dumbass for never having mentioned it to her. "Oh wow, I'm sorry about that. I'm Cory, Cory Shire. And I'm also clearly in need of a few social etiquette lessons."
My joking seemed to ease her nerves and put a cute smile on her face. "It's not every day you get asked out to dinner by a complete stranger."
I nodded. "But now we know each other. Cory," I pointed to myself, "and Emma," I added, pointing back to her.
The conversation flowed naturally from there, and the more that I learned about Emma, the more interested I found myself in her. "Graduating college… Man, it doesn't seem like it was that long ago for me. What’s your major?" I asked, in the middle of our meal.
Emma took a small bite and chewed it very slowly before giggling to herself. She must’ve been enjoying the wine. "Literature. My dad is actually a literature professor, so I've always been kind of a book nerd. It's not the most exciting profession, but —"
"Nothing wrong with being passionate about what you love to do. Where does your dad teach?"
"Not too far from here, at Concordia University. As much as I love my dad, I wanted a little break from him, so that's why ended up at UT instead. I've always wanted to follow in his footsteps, to teach people to fall in love with the classics like I did growing up."
A smile cut across my face. Clearly her studies meant a lot to her. "So, after college graduation… Any plans for the summer? Any trips or internships?"
With a cute shrug of her shoulders, Emma took another sip of wine. "My sorority sisters and I… that is, the girls that were with me earlier today, we have a trip planned coming up soon. Cabo San Lucas down in Mexico. I wanted to go somewhere a little bit more… quiet, but everyone else overruled me. The girls said we should go out with a bang. But after that, I'm supposed to be going to Italy, of all places."
I leaned back in my chair, my arms folded across my chest, still smiling at her, somewhat surprised. "Color me impressed. What's in Italy? I mean, besides the obvious gorgeous scenery, amazing food, colorful history…" I’d gone on a few different occasions and wouldn’t mind another trip or two.
"One of my dad’s friends who is also literature professor at a university in Italy lives in Florence. He and his wife are in need of a nanny for the summer, so my dad recommended me."
"A nanny, huh? Do you enjoy working with kids?"
The way she tilted her head to the side and made a funny face told me maybe not so much. "They're not so bad. I wasn't 100% sure about going to Italy, but I didn't think I'd get another chance quite like this one, so I decided to take it after all. My goal in life is travel the world obviously. I mean, I just love different cultures, and the food, oh my gosh! I want to experience it all for myself. I'll get the weekends off to travel and in return, I'll receive free Italian lessons. I've even seen pictures of where I'm staying… it's the cutest little villa in Florence… It's such a romantic city. Winding, hilly streets, fresh breads and cheeses for sale at the local farmer's markets." She looked like she was lost in a daydream. "It's crazy to think that I'll be living there for a while in the summer, I mean right in the heart of where the Renaissance was born, you know? I've read articles about how magical this city is. I can't wait to test it out for myself. I might actually go out there a bit earlier for a week or two. Not sure about that yet, though."
Emma's eyes lit up, and I could tell that she was picturing Florence in her mind as she talked, her hands flailing wildly, her passion palpable. Most younger women I came across didn't seem to be quite as ambitious or imaginative.
I watched her as she took the last few bites of her food, her eyes slowly meeting mine before flickering away. "So, you're beautiful and smart," I commented, appreciating the adorable blush that colored her cheeks as she bit her lip, still looking down at her plate with a smile.
The soft white summer dress she was wearing made Emma resemble an oasis in a desert. She looked as though she had just stepped out of someone's dream, the smattering of freckles on her shoulders dipping down into the delicious curve of her small but ample cleavage. As pink as her cheeks were from my compliment, I thought about how her fair skin looked when she was orgasming… would she blush all over from my work on her down below?
And the more I stared at her, the more I noticed her chest heaving against the fabric of the dress, Emma obviously aware of my attention. Yes, I could imagine the pert, round tits hidden beneath her dress, the perfectly pink nipples wanting to be touched. Each time I tried to remind myself to not act like a damn fool and stare at the girl, my eyes drifted back to her beautiful face before they drifted downward again. I could've kicked myself.
There was more to Emma than just a pretty face and sexy, petite curves. There was a certain kind of depth she possessed that even I at twenty-one didn't have. She had substance to her thoughts, and there was something sweet and genuine about her. She was full of life, like anything in the world was possible… It was like she was a fine wine and I wanted to get drunk off of her.
I needed to get a hold of my thoughts. "No worries," I said, still studying the way the blush crept across her face. "I get passion—that's why I like doing what I do as well."
The snort that came from her side of the table was even more amusing as she sipped her wine. "Which is what? Besides being rich?" The look on her face was priceless as her eyes went wide. "Sorry," she bashfully confessed. "It's the wine.”
Her charming giggles were complemented by that same flush of pink when I replied, "Oh, you know. Drinking and riding."
If her thoughts were anywhere near as dirty as mine were, she was maybe picturing the same thing I was—what it would be like giving her a ride on my stallion. Emma chewed on her lip, her hands fluttering in her lap.
"I'm a horse trainer," I finally admitted, even though I loved seeing her blush. "I have a few championship horses that do well. Plus, there's my ranch that needs tending to, of course."
"That's a lot of stuff to be handling on your own… how old are you, exactly?"
Most people weren’t fond of being asked that question, but I certainly didn't mind. "I'll be thirty-one this summer. August tenth, actually."
This seemed to surprise her, but she played it off well enough. "So, you're thirty and unmarried. In the South… sorry, it's the wine getting to me again. That was a really rude, personal question for me to ask. My bad," she said, quickly looking down at the table.
I simply shrugged. "I'm in no hurry."
Emma arched a brow at me after a moment, gears turning inside her head, no doubt. "Oh?"
"Marriage," I sighed, wishing there was a way around the not-very-first-date-appropriate topic, "is not something I spend a lot of time thinking about."
Instead of looking offended for having ruined her thoughts or ideas on the sacrament, she nodded. "I would imagine that having all of this, thes
e nice things and what I assume to be a good amount of dollar signs in your bank account, it would make it more difficult. I mean, for you to figure out who's really interested in you, and not… what you can provide.”
It was a very astute statement, but I couldn't help but inwardly comment on what I was willing to provide to Emma. Several times, in fact. "That is true."
I don't know why, but she seemed embarrassed, chewing on her lip even more as she patted the back of her hair, looking around. "I don't mean to be such an open book… I'm just no good at, uh—"
"Pretending?" I offered with a smile.
"That. Exactly, yeah, what you see is what you get with me. Basically," she finished quietly, her eyes darting to mine and then away again. One thing was for certain. I made her uneasy in a way that made me very happy.
"I like that. It's very refreshing."
Austin's inner circles were full of the kind of gold-digging women who thrived on becoming trophy wives. They wanted a life full of leisure where they could do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, without ever having to contribute to society or bettering the world. They were lazy, entitled, the boring kind of people who made me want to lock myself away from everyone else.
But Emma was so different from them… just from spending one meal and a dessert with her, I could feel my own spirits lifting. Her zest for life wasn't something I came in contact with very much at all.
Just as we finished the last crumbs of peach cobbler, the storm that had slowly been easing its way over the hillsides zoned in right above the house. With a loud crack of thunder, the lightning threw everything into relief outside the windows, and even I jumped in my chair. Emma laughed as I winked at her, but when the lights flickered, I found myself pulled out of the moment.
"Want to help me grab some extra candles? We have a backup generator, but to be honest, it needs some work done. It might not be up and running like it should, so just in case…" I asked her, pushing in my chair.
GRIND: A Stepbrother Romance Page 9