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Enzo shakes his head. “God, I’m using all my willpower with you. If I take you home, I’m fucking you, and I don’t know. It’s still soon—don’t you think?”

“That’s the second time you’ve admitted to wanting to fuck me, and I want to!” I beg.

Enzo smirks as he puts the truck in drive. “Didn’t realize you were keeping score.”

I rest my elbow on the door and tilt my head into my hand. “I’m not,” I whisper. “I just…ugh! Is this how you play hard to get?” I laugh, but it doesn’t come from a place of humor.

“I’m not playing hard to get, Tilly. I just want you to be sure about me…because once you get a taste of my dick, no one will ever be enough for you.”

I suck in a jagged breath. “Respectfully, what?”

He chuckles low in his throat. “You can sit with that. Now, let’s get you home.”

Chapter Nine

Enzo

“You know, I’m a little bothered you keep making me meet you at the vineyard,” Tilly says, closing the door to her car. I told her to dress how she wanted for this date, but specified closed-toe shoes would be best. She paired white Converse with a baby pink dress with spaghetti straps that shows her cleavage and ends at her mid-thigh. I want to slip my fingers under the flowy material, but this isn’t the place.

I tilt her chin and press my lips to hers. “Sorry,” I breathe against her lips. I couldn’t risk meeting her at my house. She might’ve tackled me inside the door. My other hand finds the small of her back. Her long hair is down, tickling my skin.

“How was work?” she asks.

“Fine. I’m better now that you’re here,” I reply.

It’s been a couple of days since the double date, and I might be turning the charm up to make up for rejecting her the other night. Believe me, I want to have sex with her but waiting means making sure she’s in deep with me first. If we cross that line, she’s not going to walk away. Not like my ex did.

“So, what’d you want to show me?” she asks.

“A lake. It’s about an hour from here,” I answer. “And you were asking me about four-by-four mode on the truck. You’re going to find out.”

“Oh,” she almost moans.

“Come on. Let’s get going.”

There’s a large lake northeast of Napa with dirt trails my truck can handle and remote pull-offs. Two hours round-trip might be ambitious for a Friday night, but lately, I don’t get tired like I used to. I even packed a cooler of snacks and drinks as a makeshift picnic.

“I haven’t seen this part of the area,” Tilly says as we exit Napa’s city limits. “You’re not going to kill me, are you?”

“Why? Going to get me before I get you?” I tease.

She runs her fingers through the length of her hair. “I don’t think I’d outsmart you.” She lightly laughs and looks out her window. “We’ve passed a few wineries. Are any competition?”

“Not really. Every winery has its specialties, and some grow grapes for us,” I answer. “It’s all about relationships. No one in the wine business in Napa threatens me because we have our own crafts. Think of it like artists or musicians. They celebrate their work, maybe constructively critique, but don’t tear each other down. It’s kind of like that.”

“But it’s business?” she asks.

I glance at her. “Your dad was a shark, wasn’t he?”

She slowly nods. “He did shitty things, but I don’t know the full extent.”

Like her dad having offshore filings, but that’s none of my business.

“No, you probably don’t. Business can get ugly, but my family has tried to stay pleasant with others. A few years ago when my dad and uncles were still running the show, a smaller winery was going out of business. We struck a deal with them to grow grapes for us exclusively, and their whole vineyard is for TV wine. The owners got to keep their property, and we were able to grow to meet demand. Win-win.”

Tilly shakes her head. “That’s so different from the business I grew up around. My dad fucked so many people over. According to my mom, anyway.” She straightens in her seat. “Hey, is that the lake?”

“It’s a lake, but not the one we’re going to.”