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The flavors melded on her tongue and transported her to another world. “Wow! This is fantastic wine. What is it?”
He swirled the wine in his glass and buried his nose in it to catch the rich scent. “It’s a lovely little cabernet from Northern California. A winery called Chez Nous.”
“At Our Place,” she translated from French.
“Oui.” He flashed a smile. “I’m afraid my French accent is horrible.”
She laughed. “Mine’s pretty awful too. But we Texans can bless your hearts in the most syrupy drawl.”
“I bet I can out-drawl you any day,” he responded in his deepest Southern twang.
They shared a laugh and finished their wine. He poured them more. By the time the bottle was empty, the sun had gone down, leaving them in the center of the heart created by lit candles.
He tapped the picnic basket with the toe of his cowboy boot. “I suppose it would have been smart to consume food before the wine.”
Her body was pleasantly warm. “Probably.”
They stared into each other’s eyes for a never-ending heartbeat.
“Avalynn…”
“Yes?”
He shifted his weight and in a graceful move, slipped onto one knee. Her mind caught up to what was happening, but not before he withdrew the ring—his gramma’s ring—and held it out to her.
“Avalynn Ray…will you be my wife?” His voice came out thicker than usual. Gruffer.
Her stomach flip had nothing to do with the wine and everything to do with the way he sounded and that look in his eyes.
She plastered a hand over her mouth and stared down at the ring. It truly wassobeautiful, an old-fashioned setting with a diamond in the center and small ones circling it. The gold setting had intricate fillagree between each diamond.
She was beyond touched that he’d thought to offer her a family heirloom. He’d done this for her. To make her happy. Going forward, she wanted to show him the same care.
Oh no. Tears swam in her vision. He’d seen her shed a few tears right after that sex tape hit, but he wasn’t even ready for her ugly cry. She wasnotabout to unleashthaton him, especially in the middle of such an important moment in both of their lives. It may not be forever, but it was fornow. And for what it was worth, it was real.
She extended a shaking hand. Julius slid the ring onto her finger.
“It fits,” he grated out.
She could only nod.
Their gazes caught again. All of a sudden, she was in his arms, dragged across his lap. His firm lips she’d felt so fleetingly on her forehead crushed down on hers. With a gasp, she threw her arms around his neck to haul him closer.
He tasted of man and wine, the citrus and fresh grass notes playing in her nose as he angled his head and plundered her.
God, this man couldkiss.
Sparks like fireworks burst inside her and trickled through her limbs, heating her from the inside. Her nipples were hard, pressed so tight to his chest. And his fingers wove into her hair, raising chills down her spine, as he held herrightwhere he wanted her.
His other hand landed on her waist. Then he skated it up her ribs in slow, maddening increments before stoppingjustshy of her breast.
A tiny mewl of disappointment escaped her, and she dug her fingers into his shoulders. “Julius!”
A low growl emitted from him a split second before he claimed her mouth again. Harder this time. With more force and all the passion. Her insides melted into a molten puddle, and her pussy began to throb with want.
All that from a kiss? That never happened to her. And under these circumstances—plus the influence of too much wine—it was pretty shocking.
His tongue darted past her lips. When he sank into her mouth and swept across her tongue, her need spiked. She wiggled against him, needing to be closer…wanting…more.
