“Wait. The new buyer wants me not only to work for them but to live here?”
My aunt beams with joy. “Isn’t that great. It’s totally up to you. You don’t have to accept the position if chilly New York is where you’d rather be.”
“I don’t even know what to say.” Hope blooms inside me for the first time in weeks. Could I work for a company or person when I don’t know who I’ll be working for? How can I agree to that without knowing the details? “I take it the buyer will be here today, so we’ll finally know the name?”
“I’m fairly certain, yes.”
“Okay.” I just shake my head, my mind blown. We’re minutes away from the closing and still don’t know the name of the person taking over our family’s winery.
“Let’s head over to the conference room. The lawyers will be there soon.”
“Lead the way, Uncle.”
* * *
My emotions are like a tangled ball of yarn being pulled from multiple directions. We sit at the long table in the newly renovated conference room. The wood-toned tile covering the end wall houses a flat-screen television. Along with the surrounding white walls and this shiny, opaque glass tabletop, it gives the room a more modern feel. I can’t help but wonder if these renovations were necessary. The overall cost undoubtedly contributed to the winery’s financial demise.
Tears prick my eyes, and I quickly blink them away. I need to appear strong, but I’m anything but. I’m dying inside. I’ve had several weeks to get used to the idea, but I’m still not ready to let go. Maybe I should accept the offer to stay on. But living alone in the big house seems like it would be lonelier. Even though I’m pretty fucking lonely now despite being surrounded by millions of people.
I check my phone to see if Westlyn texted. He didn’t.
A pang of sadness hits my chest. I try to bite back the hurt his lack of acknowledgment causes. He knows the closing is today. He also knows how hard this day is for me. We’ve talked endlessly about it. I honestly thought he’d call or, at the very least, send a supportive text. I should have known better. Mr. Hollywood has already moved on from our fling…affair. The label doesn’t matter. What we shared obviously meant more to me than him. His talking to me afterward lasted a lot longer than I expected, considering his social status.
The door slides open, and my breath hitches. The dark-haired, blue-eyed, all-American boy stands in the doorway, wearing a form-fitting suit and a smile that competes with the white glass tabletop. Holy crap, he came.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, dazed from him standing in front of me.
“You didn’t think I’d let you face this alone, did you?” His mouth twitches as I stand, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. His long strides bring him around the table. The moment he’s close enough, he pulls me into a hug. Relief swarms through me as I snuggle against his broad chest. God, I’ve missed being in his arms. I’ve missed him.
“I’m so glad you’re here.” I’m so consumed by emotion I can barely get the words out.
He leans his head down and kisses the top of my head as he draws me tighter to his body. “Me too. I’ve missed you so fucking much. But I sort of need to be here.”
“What?”
Before he answers, the door slides open again. Two men dressed in sharp suits introduce themselves as the lawyers and proceed to sit across the table. The one opens his briefcase and pulls out a stack of paperwork. “Now that we’re all here, we can proceed.”
We take our seats, Westlyn sitting next to me.
“Wait, shouldn’t we wait for the buyer?” I ask.
Both lawyers look up from the paperwork. Their gazes shift to Westlyn and then to me. The lawyer on the right goes to speak, but Westlyn waves him off.
Turning to me, Westlyn smirks. “All parties are accounted for.”
My heart rate ticks up a beat. No, it can’t be. Can it? I stare at Westlyn, hoping for an explanation.
He returns my unspoken question with a wink. “Present and accounted for.”
“You’re seriously buying a winery?”
“It appears so.”
“But you don’t know anything about wineries.”
“Lucky for me, you know the ins and outs.”
I let an exasperated laugh. “That I do.”
“Let’s get through the formalities first, and then we’ll talk.”
“Are we ready to proceed, Miss Greer?” the lawyer on my right asks.
I glance back at my aunt and uncle. Aunt Lynette looks like she’s about to cry, and my uncle beams with pride.
“Miss Greer?”
“Y-y-yes. Please proceed.”
“So, we agree you’ll sign over your portion of Greer Wines as it stands today and become partners with Mr. Danes?”
“What?”
“Partners, Miss Greer.”
“I thought you wanted me to stay on as controller?” I snap my head back to Westlyn. “You want a partnership with me?”
“I was serious about being bound together. I love you, Loni, and I hope we can continue what we have and work together.”
The corners of my mouth lift into the first genuine smile I’ve felt in weeks. He loves me? Oh my God. Not only am I getting to stay, but I get to work with a guy I’ve fallen so hard for. This beautiful, misunderstood man sits here, trying to be stoic, but his emotions eclipse his acting abilities for once—his anxiousness shows.
“I love you so much. Yes, of course I want to stay and work with you.” I don’t want to be anywhere else.
Westlyn breathes a sigh of relief and grabs my hand. His soft but encouraging squeeze is all I need to know that everything will be okay.
We’re going to be okay.
“Congratulations on becoming an official winery owner,” I say to Westlyn as he opens the car door for me.
“Congratulations to you, too, partner.”
Partner. Hmm, I like the sound of that.
Westlyn slides into the driver’s seat and starts the engine. “We have a lot to discuss, but I have a surprise for you.”
“Asking me to be your partner wasn’t enough?”
He laughs, and the sound warms my chest. Damn, I’ve missed his laughter.
“No, not for what I have in mind.” His eyes sparkle as he backs out of the parking lot. We remain quiet until he pulls into the tasting room’s parking lot.
I raise an eyebrow. “You’re taking me to the tasting room?”
“The other option wasn’t feasible, so you’ll have to settle for the black horse on my Porsche.”
“Oh. Oh my.” Those threatening tears from earlier make a reappearance. He remembered my childhood fantasy. “Believe me, that’s one substitute I’ll gladly take.”
“Come on.” He exits and opens my door. Grabbing my hand, he helps me out of his car. We walk, holding hands, to the door. It’s quiet since the winery was closed to the public today. He drops my hand to open the door, and I hate how much I miss his touch. It’s so easy to fall for this guy. Before opening it, he asks, “You ready?”
“I guess,” I say and then gasp as we step through the door. Patio globe lights travel from corner to corner, intersecting in the middle and casting a soft glow to the room. A table sits underneath where the lights meet, with flickering candles and two wineglasses accompanied by our brand’s best merlot. “This is amazing.”
“I’m not exactly whisking you away, considering we’re staying, but I am a winemaker now. Taking you to your sanctuary spot would take too long.”
“This is perfect. Thank you.” I turn to him right as he closes the distance. I practically melt into him when his lips touch mine. I never thought I’d feel his touch ever again.
“God, I couldn’t wait to kiss you. I wanted to when we were back in the board room. You don’t know how much restraint I possessed.”
“I wouldn’t have objected.”
His eyes soften as he rubs his thumb across my cheek. “God, I missed you. So much.”
“You
ghosted me these past couple of weeks. I didn’t think I’d talk to you again.”
“Yeah, there’s so much to say. Let’s sit, and I’ll explain.”
I follow him to the table. He pours our wine and then scoots his chair closer to me.
“First, let me apologize for blurting out my ‘I love you.’ I had planned on a better gesture in our own privacy.”
“I don’t think anyone cares about the setting when hearing those words.”
“Good, because I do love you. I realized it after our second date.”
“When you were mad at me?”
“Yeah. I was so angry with you. If it had been anyone else, I would’ve walked.” He shakes his head. “There was no way I could’ve walked away from you. I knew that it was because I loved you. But I knew I fucked up when I went to work on the film and couldn’t get you out of my mind.”
“But you let me move to New York.”
“Which is why I had you move into my apartment.”
“Why, Mr. Hollywood, did you trick me into staying in your life?”
He holds up his thumb and finger a couple of inches apart. “A smidgen.”
“Why did you stop calling?”
“I’m sorry about that. We were wrapping up production, and I was trying to iron out the final details of buying the winery. There was so much going on. I had them draw up two separate contracts in case you didn’t want to join me.” He chuckles. “My lawyers were ready to strangle me, but I wanted you on board. It’s your family’s business. It wouldn’t be right otherwise.”
“You have no idea how much that means to me. But for future reference, I hate surprises.”
“Sorry, sweetheart. I happen to love them.”
“Why am I not surprised?” I roll my eyes playfully.
His face grows somber. “You don’t mind quitting your job to come here?”
“Not at all. The truth? I never wanted to work in New York to begin with. Besides, it’s way too cold for this Californian girl.”
“We’ll go there to visit, and I can show you around. It’s a great city when you share the experience with the right person.”
“I look forward to that.”
“Since we’re being honest, I have a confession. Remember back when we wished on the star?”
I nod.
“Well, I lied when I said I didn’t know what I wanted. I wanted this. I wanted you.”
“You have me. All of me.”
“I hope so.”
“You’re not afraid that we’re moving too fast? Or that you invested millions of dollars on a whim?” I ask, only because this feels surreal.
“No, sweetheart. I was serious when I said my lifelong dream was to own a winery.” He winks, and that sexy smirk of his slides into place. “The girl was a bonus.”
“But what about your acting career?”
“That’s what we need to discuss. I need to know if you’ll be okay if I’m gone for months at a time. I plan to cut back and only accept the roles that inspire me. Or gets me that Oscar. Whatever comes up next, we could always have you join me if we hire a good winemaking director. It’s whatever makes you comfortable.”
“I’d never interfere with your career.”
“Yeah, I know, and we’ll figure out what works for us. Babe, I love you. I’ve spent my entire life on screen fake falling in love with so many women. I’m tired of acting. I’m an expert at telling when things are pretend or fake and when things are real. What we have and what I feel when we’re apart, that’s real. I fucking love you.”
“I love you, too.” I bat my eyelids, trying hard not to cry, but oh, my heart.
“You’ve showed me a love I never knew actually existed. My whole life has been scripted. I’m so done with that. I want you to be more than a partner for the business. I want you to be my partner for life. I know it’s extremely quick, but why waste time? I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me, Miss Greer?”
My breath hitches as he pulls out a vintage, halo-style wedding ring.
“Oh, my goodness.” Those tears finally spill over as joy surge through my veins. This is perfect.
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes, of course. Oh my God. I wanted to be with you the entire time I was in New York. I love you so much.”
He slides the ring on my finger and picks me up. His lips find mine, and we kiss under the glowing, starry lights. Our future is on the right path, and I can’t help but think the stars aligned for us.
Five Years Later
“Are you excited?” Westlyn gleams down at me as the black stretch limousine pulls up to the curb.
I run my hand over my small baby bump and smile. “I think the better question is, are you?”
“What happens tonight means nothing compared to the life we’ve carved out together, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited.”
“You deserve this.” I glance out the tinted windows as we wait in the procession line. “My only issue is you waited until I was showing before walking the red carpet.”
His hand spans over mine. The caressing way he palms my belly makes me smile. We’ve been trying for the last couple of years to have a baby. Five months ago, that stick finally flashed yes.
“I want the whole world to see my sexy wife bearing my child.”
“Okay, caveman.” The car inches closer to the drop spot.
“You ready for this?”
“I sure am.”
The flashing bulbs, the cheers, and the staged photo-ops all take place as we walk the red carpet. I absorb it all, never thinking my life would materialize into this. Although I’ve accompanied him to other award ceremonies, this is our first time walking the red carpet at the Academy Awards. It’s surreal to be here.
It takes a while before we find our seats. I make niceties with the crowd trying not to be starstruck but holy hell, I just met Henry Cavill—the Man of Steel for fuck’s sake.
“Close your mouth, sweetheart. I left the drool rag in the car.”
I smack Westlyn’s arm. “Stop it. You know you’re no match. I mean he’s no match.”
Westlyn chuckles. “I’ll remember that later tonight.”
We sit and enjoy the show. His film won the best cinematography award, and the director nabbed the best director title. Westlyn’s award is up next, and he stands a great chance for winning. Last year’s best actress winner makes her way to the podium holding that special envelope. Westlyn grabs my hand as she announces the nominees.
“And the Oscar goes to…”
We wait with bated breath as the actress opens the envelope. She smiles and announces, “River Danes.”
Westlyn squeezes my hands tighter as I gasp. Leaning over and planting a kiss on my lips, he pats our baby. He murmurs, “I can’t believe this.”
I stand there as he makes his way to the podium and fight back the waterfall filling my eyes. My heart soars from the smile coating Westlyn’s face when he grabs the gold-plated trophy. I’m so happy for my man. If anyone had told me I’d end up back at the winery enjoying both the glamor side of life along with my roots, I would’ve laughed in their face. But here I am.
Westlyn starts his speech by thanking the normal players. He has cut back drastically in the roles he chooses. He spends more effort learning the winery operations. He’s been more hands-on. When we decided to start a family a couple of years ago, Westlyn pondered retiring. I believe he would have if it weren’t for this role. The part was perfect. He got to play the detective role in a very intense drama. This has been the most challenging role of his career, but damn, he pulled it off. The film is so good, I fell hard for him all over again.
His gaze lands on me. I doubt he can see me, but heat surges through my body as if we’re alone in our bedroom. He continues, “Lastly, I want to wish a huge thanks to my wife, Loni. What started with me wanting to get in her pants ended in a lifetime friend and partner.”
Laughter and awes fill the auditorium as my v
ision blurs.
“Without her by my side, I wouldn’t have been given the opportunity for this role.” He holds up the trophy and winks. “I love you. Thanks for showing me what real love is like and making me a stronger person. And sweetheart, always remember it wasn’t you who got swept away from a sexy winemaker. It was me.”
Oh my heart.
The music plays, and he gives a small wave before exiting the stage. I clap along with the crowd. As we take our seats, I look toward the heavens and thank God for starlight wishes.
Afterword
I hope you enjoyed my book, Celebrity Playboy, which is part of the shared world of the All American Boy Series.
Want to read all of them? Find them here on Kindle Unlimited.
And thank you for leaving a review - it means the world to me.
xx, Kimberly
Next up…
Sierra Hill The Boy Next Door
Poppy Parkes Boy Toy
Evan Grace The Boy Scout
Emily Robertson The Boyfriend Hoax
Kaylee Ryan and Lacey Black Boy Trouble
Kimberly Readnour Celebrity Playboy
Marika Ray Backroom Boy
Leslie McAdam Boy on a Train
KL Humphreys Bad Boy
Nicole Richard Hometown Boy
Remy Blake That Boy
Stephanie Browning The Boy She Left Behind
Stephanie Kay About a Boy
Renee Harless Lover Boy
SL Sterling Saviour Boy
Also By Kimberly Readnour
Cessna Wildcats Series:
Swinging Strike
Behind the Count
Full Count
Caught Looking
Heartbreak Hitter (Cocky Hero Club)
Bad Boys Redemption Series
Second Chance Hero
Swing for the Fences
Bottom of the Ninth
All American Boy Series
Celebrity Playboy
KB Everyday Heroes World
Celebrity Playboy: All American Boy Series Page 10