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“So are you,” I murmur. Zoey laughs, squeezing her arm around my waist. “Are you laughing at me?” I ask, smiling down at her.
“No,” she replies, shaking her head even as she lets out another laugh.
My grin widens as I pull her closer and press a hard kiss to her mouth. “You are,” I tease, nipping her bottom lip, just as we reach the winery.
I open the door for her, following her inside the rustic building that’s all exposed brickwork and wooden floors. At the far end is a long bench set up for tastings, chesterfield couches occupying the space around a large fire. To the right is a small restaurant that’s only half full, despite the lunch hour.
We head over to the couches, taking a seat on one of the sofas close to the fire. A server comes over to offer us menus and we both settle on a mixed tasting flight of reds and whites.
“I wasn’t laughing at you,” Zoey says, smiling as she turns to face me.
“No?” I ask, my arm resting along the back of the couch, my fingers brushing the back of her neck.
“No,” she confirms. “I’m just…I don’t know, also really happy,” she says.
My hand curls around her neck as I pull her in for a kiss. “Good, because I like this look on you too,” I tell her.
Zoey smiles, her hand resting on my thigh. “It’s going to be hard being back at work.”
I let out a sigh. “I know, but we’ll find a way to make this work,” I tell her. “You’re important to me, Zo.Thisis important to me.”
“Me too,” she whispers, her eyes locking with mine. “I might need to get creative with some late night work excuses,” she adds, smiling.
“Overnight work excuses,” I correct, just as the server drops off our flights and tasting notes. “Maybe you need to tell Alex and Delaney your boss is a total hard ass and is working you very, very long hours,” I add, leaning in to nuzzle against her neck.
“Not sure they’ll believe that,” she says with a laugh. “Alex already thinks you’re the coolest boss ever.”
Chuckling, I shake my head. “I’m fully prepared to change that opinion if it means I get to spend more time with you,” I say, reaching for a glass of white wine.
Zoey does the same and we clink our glasses together before taking a sip. “Well, Alex and Del are going to Boston soon for his dad’s wedding, so there’s that.”
“When?” I immediately ask.
Zoey laughs. “In three weeks.”
“And how long are they away for?”
“Go Thursday, back late Monday evening, I think.”
“Come and stay with me while they’re gone,” I say. “Please.”
Zoey takes another sip of wine as she watches me wait for her answer. I fully hear how desperate I sound, but I don’t care. I’m already dreading going back to Tahoe and not having her in my bed every night.
I might have been distracted when I mentioned it, but I wasn’t kidding when I suggested she move in with me. I don’t need weeks or months to know that Zoey is like no other woman I’ve ever met and that the way I feel about her, even after just one night, is like I’ve never felt about anyone.
I want to fall asleep beside her every night and wake up to her beautiful face every morning. I want to have her in my bed, my house, my life every single day, because quite honestly, I am addicted to this woman. Addicted to her in ways I can’t even begin to describe.
“Okay,” she eventually says, a sexy smirk on her face.
I lean over and kiss her hard. “Good,” I whisper, wondering how it is that I’ve fallen so hard and so fast. Not to mention how the hell I’m ever going to keep my hands to myself when we’re back at work.
The server comes past again to ask how we are enjoying the wines and whether we’d like to order some food. Considering neither of us have eaten since last night and we’ve had a hell of a workout since then, we order a charcuterie board, along with some shrimp and crab cakes.
“Can I ask you something?” I ask, grabbing another wine.
“Of course,” Zoey replies, settling into the couch beside me.
“Why did you decide to work at Badger Creek? Did you not want to work at Holden?” It’s something I’ve wondered ever since she started on this management program with me. And even though the whole working together thing makes our relationship a lot more complicated, I wouldn’t trade working with her for anything.
