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Or so she thought until a warm voice broke the silence. “It’s peaceful here, isn’t it?”
She whirled around. Cal was standing there with his hands in the pockets of his trousers. He looked so handsome and a little bit dangerous, like a rogue duke from one of the historical romance novels she so loved.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, offering an apologetic smile that made her heart flutter.
God, she wished she could harden her heart against this man. “Why did you follow me?”
If he was embarrassed at being caught, he didn’t show it. “I wanted to make sure you got home safely.”
“I’m not going home.” She motioned vaguely back toward the winery’s on-site hotel. “I have a room here.”
Ugh, had that sounded like an invitation? Her face burned, and she turned back toward the ocean, letting the salted breeze cool the embarrassment from her skin.
His silence filled the air, a gentle weight that stirred the edges of her awareness. She didn’t need to look at him to know his gaze was on her.
“Ellie…” There was an emotion she couldn’t quite place in his voice. Or maybe didn’t want to place.
She turned back to him. “Yes?”
There was a moment’s pause before he spoke again, his words nearly carried by the wind. “I did hear what you said earlier. About wanting to let me in.”
Dammit. Of course he’d heard her.
“I didn’t mean anything by it,” she said, attempting to keep her face neutral. “It was… was just the champagne talking.”
Cal didn’t look convinced. His brows furrowed, and his gaze held a deep intensity that made her swallow hard. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them until his heat seeped into her skin. The scent of him, something crisp like autumn leaves and balsam wood, invaded her senses.
“I don’t believe you,” he said softly.
Then he did something she never expected. He reached out and brushed a single finger down her cheek, tracing the line of her jawbone with a sweetness that made all of her nerve endings tingle to life. Her lips parted, and her eyes drifted closed as his fingers slid around the back of her neck.
He drew her closer.
“I don’t want you to be afraid of me, Ellie. I’m not here to hurt you. That’s the last thing I want to do.”
His thumb brushed her lower lip, and she released a shuddering breath. It was as if the world had stopped spinning, time pausing in this moment between them. A terrifying thrill coursed through her, igniting every nerve, every cell of her body, with a dangerous need.
“I know,” she whispered, opening her eyes to look at him. “I’m not afraid of you. I’m afraid of how much I want…” She let the sentence trail off. It hung between them, heavy with unspoken truth.
She didn’t know who moved first. Maybe they moved at the same time. Their lips met in a ferocious, long-denied kiss. Their bodies collided as if they couldn’t get close enough to each other. The night air was forgotten, the crashing waves below a distant hum. All that mattered was his touch and his taste and the heat that had been searing between them for far too long. His hands slid down her waist and grasped her hips, pulling her even closer. She moaned into the kiss, her body molding against his like she’d never left.
His fingers tangled in her hair, dislodging curls from her updo as he tilted her head back to deepen the kiss. Each sensation seemed magnified— his tongue sliding against hers, his breath mingling with her own. He tasted of champagne and sweet things she couldn’t name.
Then his hands crept lower, sliding down the curve of her hips, his grip firm and possessive. Her heart pounded a rhythm that echoed with each touch, her entire being consumed by this man who had been so tirelessly patient.
“Cal,” she gasped, breaking away from him to catch her breath. Her glasses had fogged up in the heat of their embrace, and she removed them to wipe them clean on the hem of her dress. Through blurry vision, she watched him watching her and could feel his smile more than see it.
“Ellie,” he murmured back, his voice hoarse with desire. His gaze never left hers as he reached out and gently took her glasses from her hand. He carefully finished cleaning the lenses with the pocket square from his suit, then slid the glasses back on her, his fingers lingering at her temples. His touch sent an electric current through her, igniting a fire that was far too hot to extinguish now.
Blinking up at him to adjust her focus, she was met with a soft gaze full of hope and desire.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Always.” He dipped to capture her lips once more, and she didn’t protest as his hands went back to exploring her body, roaming over the smooth silk of her dress and the soft curves beneath.
Ellie responded eagerly, reaching up to bury her fingers in his hair. She tugged him even closer, their bodies flush against each other.
“I’ve wanted you for so long,” he confessed when they finally came up for air again. “Every time I see you, every time I’m near you... it’s becoming harder for me to breathe without touching you, without knowing how your skin feels against mine.”
