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Sully smiled, a gorgeous, wonderful smile.
Alanna knew she’d just stepped in over her head. But if this was drowning, it sure felt a whole lot sweeter than she’d expected.
Ch. 32 Sully
Couldsweatglandsself-replicate?The answer must be yes, ‘cause Sully could barely grip the wheel three days later as he pulled his CX-9 into the parking lot of Desert Bloom Winery & Bistro. Stepping out of his car, he self-consciously wiped his hands on the sides of his jeans before walking toward the large building in front of him.
He didn’t get far before stopping in his tracks.
Alanna lounged near the door.
Sully’s throat closed. Were those hives breaking out across his body? Surely, he was going into anaphylactic shock despite never having been allergic to anything in his life. Because he realized that all the previous times he’d seen Alanna Sandoval, she hadn’t even been trying.
She was trying now.
The results were devastating.
She wore a dress the same scarlet color as her lipstick that worshipped every curve of her body. Her white-blonde hair was soft frosting that framed her oval face and flashing blue eyes. That dress—sweet lord, that dress—gave him gloriously sinful glimpses of cleavage and made no apologies for the pert roundness of her ass.
She was beautiful. No, that was far too innocent a descriptor. Alanna Sandoval was a temptress. And the slight quirk of her lips when she met his gaze told him she was well aware of her effect on him.
Sully forced his legs to move and stumbled a little as he stepped over the curb onto the sidewalk.
“You look… well, you look gorgeous,” he admitted when he reached her.
Alanna’s smile grew. “You clean up nicely yourself.”
Sully glanced down at his sky-blue collared shirt. His dark jeans were one of the few pairs of pants he owned without holes or paint stains.
“Allow me.” He pulled open the door to the Desert Bloom Winery & Bistro.
Whoa.The newest fine dining restaurant to open in the north part of Yucca Hills was just as fancy as all its extensive advertisements had claimed. Walking through the frosted glass doors, he beheld a dizzying aesthetic of rich wood mixed with chrome finishes and dangling stained-glass lights. Sully had suggested the winery and bistro because it seemed like a place Alanna would feel at home. Beautiful, luxurious, crazy expensive.
“Hi,” chirped a young hostess with eyelashes a mile long. “Are you here for dinner? Unfortunately, our wait time is currently over an hour.”
“I have a reservation,” Sully said. “It’s under Brooks.”
“Wonderful.” The woman scanned a tablet in front of her. “Here you are. I’ll escort you to the back patio.”
Sully and Alanna followed the hostess through a massive tasting room brimming with stylish people. Despite his nice clothes, Sully felt woefully out of place. Throwing down a hundred dollars or more to sip splashes of wine and nibble crusty cheese was exactly the kind of thing he’d assiduously avoided over the previous decade while he scrimped and saved his way to financial freedom. His idea of a night’s entertainment was inviting a few of his engineering friends over for beers, Chinese, and serious trash talk while slaying ogres in the latest MMORPG.
But he couldn’t imagine Alanna ever wolfing down a box of kung pao chicken. So, if this is what it took to woo her, he’d just have to put on his big boy pants, open his wallet, and wine and dine her like she deserved.
“Here we are,” the hostess sang, waving her hand over an eerie, egg-shaped table.
Sully rushed to pull out a chair for Alanna. When she sat, the chair squeaked. Each scoot of the chair released another squeak. Sully made his way to his side of the table. He pulled out his chair. Sat. It squeaked. And squeaked again and again as he pulled himself into the table.
Alanna’s blue eyes danced with amusement in the low light. “My unfortunately soon-to-be brother-in-law is always gushing about all the new places opening in North Yucca Hills,” she commented. “I’m glad I’ve gotten an opportunity to see what all the hype is about.”
She shifted in her chair and frowned. No wonder. Sully attempted to lean back in his own seat, but it was wildly uncomfortable. The curvy plastic chairs looked like gorgeous works of art, but Sully couldn’t figure out where to put his butt. No matter which position he tried, one cheek was tilted up along the side. The engineer in him was personally offended—function always came before form!
The non-engineer part of him, on the other hand, was melting into a puddle of embarrassment. He'd wanted to impress Alanna. Instead, she seemed amused by his growing discomfort.
“Hello and welcome,” purred a waiter, bringing a head full of impressively lacquered hair and a cloud of cologne with him to the table. “My name is Dylan, and I’ll be your server tonight. Thank you so much for attending our soft opening. We’re so excited to share our exclusive house-crafted blends with you along with an array of fusion dishes.”
Fusion dishes… the hell?
Dylan gave them a practiced smile. “Can I get you started with a glass of wine or perhaps a flight?”
