by Frank, Ella
After that, we’d been inseparable. We’d fallen hard and fast, and I thought we’d be together forever. He had thought the same. It had been devastating to discover just how wrong we were.
Noah straightened, and I moved into the front entrance of the villa, then looked back to see him admiring my dress. Or what little of it there was.
“That dress should be illegal.”
He walked toward me like a man in a trance, but I stood my ground and let him look his fill. After all, that was why I’d worn it. I knew how provocative this dress was. The silk molded to every inch of my body like a second skin, and was held up with two simple straps over the shoulder that were secured under my arm by the curve of each breast.
The back was cut low to where it barely covered my tailbone, and as sleek and formfitting as it was, it left no place for anything other than the bare minimum when it came to lingerie.
“I’m sure in some places it would be,” I said.
Noah reached out and, using the straps as a guide, traced his finger along my bare skin down over my shoulder blade. Goosebumps covered my body as he continued along the curve of my breast, then he followed an invisible path down to the center of my back.
I took in a shaky breath when he placed a hand on each of my hips, and then he pulled me back a step until his front was flush against me. His erection was thick and hard against my ass, and I closed my eyes in an attempt to regroup, but Noah was having none of that.
“Some time tonight,” he said by my ear, “I don’t care when, I want to do the exact same thing I did just now, but with the tip of my tongue.”
A moan escaped my lips as I dropped my head back against his shoulder.
Noah smoothed his hand around to rest it against my stomach. “Tell me, how am I supposed to sit across from you and eat dinner when all I want to do now is eat you?”
“I don’t know,” I said on a sigh.
“That was your plan all along, wasn’t it?” Noah lowered his hand between my legs and massaged me over the top of my dress. “To drive me crazy?”
I turned my head so I could look him in the eye, and the untamed arousal staring back at me nearly made my legs give out. Noah was looking at me like a starving man would. Like he was hungry and I was the only thing that would satisfy his craving.
I knew exactly how he felt. His hands, words, and mouth were driving me so close to the edge that the strip of black lace I wore beneath my dress was soaked through. In fact, if he didn’t stop what he was doing, and soon, he’d feel my arousal against his fingers any second now.
“I suppose I should stop, shouldn’t I? Let us go eat? That does seem to be the game we’ve been playing.”
That might’ve been true before tonight, but I was worried I might not survive if he stopped now.
The sexy chuckle in my ear told me he knew exactly what I was thinking. Then he whispered, “I promise I’ll make it worth it,” and let me go.
I closed my eyes, counted back from twenty, and willed my body to get under some kind of control. But it was no use. When I opened my eyes and saw him moving around in front of me, the ache returned tenfold.
In his light grey suit that did nothing to hide his arousal, Noah was the very epitome of sex and class. The confidence radiating off him as he held his hand out only added to the wow factor. I slipped my hand back into his, and his smile was nothing short of wicked.
“Let’s go.”
Noah turned on his heel and guided us down the hall toward the tasting room. But instead of stopping there, we kept right on going, past the door to the kitchen and the stairs that led up to the guest rooms, until we came to a stop by the wooden door beneath the stairs—and I knew exactly where he was taking me.
“The cellars?”
Noah let go of my hand and reached for the ornate door handle. When he pulled it open, it revealed a set of stairs leading down to a low-lit tunnel below. The walls were lined by brick and opened up wide once you reached the bottom, and it weaved and crisscrossed under the property, leading the guests to the wine cellar caves.
“Come with me,” he said, and my thighs clenched and the throbbing intensified all over again.
“Said the spider to the fly?”
Noah leaned back against the door, propping it open. “Said me to you, and not for the last time tonight. Come with me. You know you want to.”
I did, God, I really did. And that was half the problem. If I went with him now, there was no turning back, no delusions that I was here on this date. That I was here, with him. Was I ready for that?
I looked down to the glowing lamps that beckoned me and then back to Noah, and when he offered his hand, I made my final choice.
I stepped forward and let him lead the way.
23
Noah
ONE OF THE most impressive parts of the Chamberlin winery was the elaborate caves that were built into the mountain on the west side, housing the hundreds of French oak barrels in carefully controlled conditions.
You could access them one of two ways. The first was via the vineyards themselves, which was how most of the workers went in and out of the cellars. The second was through the underground tunnel that had been excavated from the villa to the caves below, leading our guests on a unique and extraordinary tour that they weren’t likely to forget.
The tunnels had always been a favorite of mine as a child, magical in the way that you gained entrance through a door under a staircase that led you down into a whole new world below.
The temperature dropped the second you were below ground, and when Laurel wrapped her arms around herself to rub at her bare skin, I shrugged out of my suit jacket and draped it around her shoulders.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” I said as she folded the tiny shawl and slipped it in my pocket. “Though it is a shame to have to cover such a phenomenal dress.”
“It was your decision to bring me here.”
“Hmm, so it was. Remind me next time to get a brief on what you will or—in this case—won’t be wearing.”
“Next time?”
Oh, right, we’d agreed to one dinner only. I’d have to work on her about that. “Just a slip of the tongue.”
When her eyes fell to my mouth, my cock immediately began to harden. It didn’t take a genius to work out what she was thinking. All I wanted to know was exactly where she wanted me to slip my tongue.
Knowing I needed to get us moving, otherwise we weren’t going to get to the dinner portion of this evening, I held my hand out and led her deeper into the tunnel.
With walls made up of handmade brick recovered from sites in and around Bordeaux and Burgundy, France, the sturdy pillars, arched ceilings, and elaborate curves made the place look like an underground labyrinth. There were wall sconces every few feet lighting the way and setting the mood, and enormous wine barrels lined either side of the pathway, three rows high. It was stunning in its design, and functional at the same time.
When we reached a set of double doors, I entered the code and waited for them to unlock. Once they disengaged, I pulled it open and stepped aside for Laurel.
When Harry had taken over the property from his father—and my great-grandfather before that—the first thing he’d put into motion was the rather ambitious plan of adding a fine dining area to the underground storage cellars. The idea was to offer a VIP package that would not only provide a world-class dining experience, but one that would be enhanced by the diner’s surroundings.
Chamberlin Hall certainly lived up to that. With artwork from all around the world hanging along the walls, and a table fit for a king stretching out ahead of us, Harry had succeeded in elevating the word fine in “fine dining experience.”
Tonight, however, the table that could comfortably seat twenty would only play host to two. It was made of polished red oak so shiny it reflected the elaborate chandelier that hung above it, and the high-back seats looked like soldiers all standing at attention.
“It�
�s beautiful,” Laurel said reverently as she walked ahead of me to get a closer look.
“You’ve been here before, haven’t you?”
“Yes.” She chuckled. “Just never on my own like this, where I could really drink it all in. Usually I’m surrounded by guests and working. But tonight feels”—as I came up behind her, she glanced back at me—“different.”
“Different?” I brushed her hair aside and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. “Different as in good?”
The sound of her breathing increased as she tilted her head to the side, granting me further access.
“Different as in… I feel like we’re the only two people in the world right now.”
“Hmm.” I flicked my tongue over her earlobe. “Tonight, we can be. You wanted private—it doesn’t get much more private than this.”
Before I did something stupid, like give in to my baser urges, I moved beside her and gestured to the table, where two place settings had been made. “Where would you like to sit?”
The flush on her cheeks made me think she was on the same page I was, because the only place I wanted her was naked on my lap.
“Um, how about the head of the table.”
I swept my hand out toward the seat she’d indicated. “By all means.”
Laurel went to take her seat, but on her way to the end, she stopped and looked back at me. “Please tell me Pete and the waitstaff aren’t down here.”
I laughed at the sudden panic in her eyes and thought it a testament to how caught up she was in the moment that it hadn’t occurred to her until now to ask who had made the food we were about to eat.
“No one is down here but us.”
“Then how—”
“I asked Pete to prepare the food in advance. He finished and left not long ago. I have instructions for any reheating that’s needed.”
“Oh my God. He could’ve—”
“Uh uh, stop worrying.” I walked over to her and pressed a finger to her lips. “I told him I was trying to impress a potential new buyer from a couple towns over. He’s none the wiser.”
“But—”
“No one knows you’re here. Your secret is safe.” When she visibly relaxed, I continued, “I have to admit, though, I kind of like being your dirty little secret.”
When I removed my finger, Laurel licked at her lips, and it took everything I had not to dive in for a taste of my own.
“Who said anything about it being a dirty secret?”
I grinned and brushed by her. “I did. Now, why don’t you take a seat, and I’ll be back in a minute. Oh, and Laurel?”
“Yes?”
“I hope you brought your appetite. Because I’m starving.”
After a final look at her standing there, I disappeared into the kitchen.
24
Laurel
I NEED TO calm down.
My heart was racing a mile a minute as I sat in the most stunning dining hall I’d ever been in. The wine cellar caves at Chamberlin were an extravagant feat of both engineering and opulence.
We’d hosted every kind of event imaginable down here. From weddings, to corporate donor meetings, to elaborate dates that cost an arm and leg. But never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined myself in any of those scenarios with the man who had just disappeared inside the kitchen.
When Noah had asked me to dinner tonight, I’d fully expected him to drive us a couple of towns over, where we could eat a nice meal and no one within a ten-mile radius would know us.
I’d never expected this, and it was making me anxious. This was the kind of date you took a woman on to show her how much you loved her, or even more alarming, to propose to her. Not to reunite with an old flame for one night, so the two of you could satisfy an ache that had resurfaced with his arrival back in town.
But as I sat at the end of the colossal table in such a breathtaking setting, the full magnitude of where I was and whom I was with hit me like a ton of bricks.
Stop it. You gave yourself one night, so take it. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath, trying to calm myself. But all that managed to do was fill my senses with the delicious cologne that clung to the collar of Noah’s jacket.
Lifting my shoulder, I couldn’t help but rub my cheek against the expensive material, and when the fresh aquatic scent enveloped me and mixed with the woody and spicy undercurrents, it created a sinful heat low in my stomach that curled its way down and seemed to stoke something between my thighs.
My mind wandered back to the lobby where Noah had all but made me come, and I knew it wouldn’t take much to finish the job now. My body was strung tight—he’d made sure of that with every word, touch, and look he gave. He’d called this a game, and, in a way, he was right. We both knew where this was going, but we were each trying to make the other crack first.
At the sound of the kitchen door, I looked over to see Noah with two plates in hand, and I wondered what meal he’d decided on for us tonight. He placed the first one down in front of me and the second in front of the chair off to my left, then he took a seat.
“The seared scallops,” I said, recognizing the appetizer immediately. “Good choice.”
“You told me I should taste as many of the foods and wines on the menu as I could to see if I thought any changes were necessary. The 2016 Cabernet with the rib-eye was perfection, so I thought tonight we’d try two new options.”
Several bottles of wine and glasses were lined up across the table, courtesy no doubt of Pete, and I knew exactly which one I wanted paired with this. I reached for the Chardonnay.
“Okay, let’s see if we can dazzle your taste buds with this second combination.”
Noah flicked his napkin open and spread it across his lap. “You’re the expert in this department. I’m going to leave that up to you.”
I uncorked the wine and poured him enough for a test. He took a sip and slicked the tip of his tongue over his lower lip before savoring the taste, and I wished he was sampling me instead.
“Mmm, it’s good. Citrusy but with a little spice. I get lemon and honey—a little cinnamon, too.”
“What about the hint of pear and caramel at the end?”
Noah raised the glass and took another sip, his gaze focused on mine as he let the aromas and flavors tease his senses.
“Yes,” he finally said with a nod. “There it is.”
I grinned and poured us both a glass. “This is one of my favorites. It’s always a surprise that bright finish you get after the initial full-bodied richness.”
“You’re right. It almost dances around your mouth.”
“Yes. That’s the perfect way to describe it. Now try it with the scallops. I dare you to tell me it doesn’t complement Pete’s orange and ginger beurre blanc sauce.”
“Dare me, huh?”
I propped my elbow on the table, relaxing into the evening for the first time, and gave him a flirty smile. “Double dare you.”
The easy camaraderie felt so good, so natural with Noah, that it wasn’t until he was several bites in and gestured to my food that I realized I wasn’t eating myself. That was quickly rectified as soon as I had my first mouthful. I hadn’t had Pete’s scallops in quite a while, and with their perfectly golden-brown crust, they all but melted in your mouth.
I hummed my approval and took another bite, and when a rumble of laughter came from Noah, I looked over to see him watching me.
“What?”
“Nothing. I was just…enjoying the view.”
How I could still blush after some of the things he’d said and done to me already this evening was beyond me. But this arrogant confidence, coupled with his honesty, had me shifting a little in my seat. Something that wasn’t lost on him, judging by his smirk.
“How do you like it?” I asked, determined not to let him fluster me. Sure, I was turned on; I had been since last night. But I’d made it clear under the bleachers that I wasn’t going to go down without a fight—or at least not until after he did.
Noah pulled the fork from between his lips and finished off his final bite, then nodded. “I’m almost disappointed no dare will be issued. But that right there is another winner. There’s nothing I’d change about that.”
Pleased, I reached for my wine and finished off my own glass.
“You’re good at this,” he said.
“You sound surprised.”
“Not surprised. I knew you were after that first day when you showed me around. I guess a better word for it would be intrigued.”
Noah sat back and looked at me, his brow furrowing as though he were mulling something over. “In all the time I knew you, we never talked about the winery. You never asked for a tour. Actually, you didn’t even ask me to sneak you any alcohol. So yeah, color me intrigued. How did the girl I thought was destined to become an English or history teacher end up as a sommelier? And a damn good one at that.”
“People change their minds all the time,” I said, trying to brush it aside, but Noah wasn’t having any of that.
“Change their minds? Was it or was it not you who I ran into the other day with an armload of books? Clearly you still love to read everything and anything, so I guess I’m just curious what changed your path.” Noah reached for the bottle of wine. “God knows Harry changed mine.”
My spine stiffened at the mention of Harry’s name. Noah’s question hitting a little too close to home, as I sat there trying to decide how to answer. Did I give the same spiel about the summer job that I’d first given him? Or something closer to what had really happened? This was what I’d been most afraid of when Noah had shown back up in town: my past and present colliding and the damage that would inevitably cause.