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“What?” Her face twisted in confusion. “I mean, um, no?” She bit her bottom lip to hide her smile but it just made her shine brighter as she took a cautious step forward. “Why do you ask?”
I reached for my phone, punching Caitlyn's number. “Because we're going on a field trip.”
Chapter Seven: Penny
Do not sleep with Xander Wade.
I'd been repeating that sentence in my head from the minute he held out his hand and led me to the elevators that shot us to the roof. He never let my hand go, even squeezing it as we shared a view of Golden Gate Bridge that I'd only seen in movies. It was almost as alluring as the sight of our hands locked together so effortlessly that I almost believed it was real. The nearness of him mixed with the adrenaline of being thousands of feet above the rest of the world and it made me want to be reckless. Something like...ease our hands up my thigh and decide that maybe I'd behaved too rashly when I'd made the proclamation that if we were doing this, it would be a business arrangement, with no sex.
But I wanted him.
I needed him.
And it was driving me utterly insane.
It didn't help that he kept stroking my skin-slow, tender circles that made me want to kiss him. Despite the rumbling of the jets and my ongoing battle to keep my legs closed, every jolt that rocked through me made me wish I'd worn a skirt.
When I saw the familiar hills of the Tri-Valley, I panicked for a moment, thinking that in his over the top manner, he was taking me back to my apartment, but the copter set down in Livermore. When a woman dressed in all black with dollar signs glittering in her eyes rushed over, welcoming us to Brentwood Winery, I had to repeat the words again.
Do not sleep with Xander Wade.
Do...
Ugh.
This was like some fantastic, surreal dream and people do really dumb things in their dreams. Helicopter rides to wineries, his hand caressing mine the entire journey with no intention of letting up—I could see me wavering. I felt it every time I pretended I didn't notice him watching me. I had no idea what he saw, or why he was going to all this trouble when he was already paying me, but I didn't have the guts to ask. I didn't want to know. I didn't want to risk doing anything that would wake me from this dream.
“You okay?”
His voice shook me from my stupor and I looked down, my heart lurching when I saw our fingers were still interlaced.
I snatched my hand away, wiping my sweaty palms on my pants. “I, um, sorry.” I expected him to do the same. Nerves had me sweating like I was standing in front of my class for the first time, wondering how I could instill confidence and self worth in my students when I was still working on that myself. He didn't make a face and follow suit, instead, holding out a hand as he angled toward the entrance of the restaurant.
I hadn't hesitated when he reached for me before, willingly letting him pull me even deeper into dangerous territory, a place where reality and fantasy bled into each other.
“Let me get my bearings,” I said with a forced huff of annoyance, turning my back to him. I squeezed my eyes shut and sucked air into my lungs and blew it out before I opened them and made use of the moment to catch my breath.
Our bubbly guide cleared her throat and I frowned, but my smile was back in place when I turned. The winery was beautiful, from the wood beams to the rustic barrels and string lights that lined the way toward a set of French doors.
I glanced down at my wrist, surprised that the place wasn't bustling with energy for the early dinner crowd, people scrambling for wine and food after a long day at the office. “Are we early?”
She paused, pirouetting back to face me. Her name, Margery, was etched in cursive on a bronze name tag. “Early?”
“The place just seems-” Just in case it was a sore subject, I chose my words carefully. “A little slow.”
Her crystal eyes flicked over to Xander, then back to me. “Mr. Wade booked the entire property for the rest of the evening.”
My stomach dropped. “He did what?!”
Xander turned his charm on Margery. “I think we've got it from here. Everything's set up for us on the patio?”
“Yes sir,” Margery chirped. “And if you need anything else-”
“Absolutely.” He dismissed her with a grin and tried to turn it on me, but I crossed my arms.
I waited until she was out of earshot. “You reserved a winery for us?”
His smile wavered. “Yes. Is it too much?”
