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“Your grandfather was very respected in the industry.I met him once when I was a kid.He left an impression.”
Shock reverberated through me.“You met my grandfather?”
“A long time ago.He talked about you.”
Tears pressed against my eyes.“No, he didn’t.”
“He told me all about his grandkids, but the one story that stuck out was the granddaughter who tried to crush grapes in her yellow dress and white tights because she wanted to be part of harvest day.He said your tights were stained purple, and then you slipped and fell face-first into the grapes.He said your mom was furious that you ruined your new dress.Your dad, amused.I told him you sounded fun.”
“How do you know it was me?It could have been Rose or Chardonnay.”Though, he was right.I remembered the day clearly.Somehow, it felt as if it were a lifetime ago and also that it was just yesterday.Mom was so mad, but Grandpa had told her, ‘Kids will be kids.’He also had said, ‘My Sherry chose the vineyard over image, and he couldn’t have been happier or more proud.’
“First off, Chardonnay would never,” Ben said.“I know her now, and I imagine as a kid she wasn’t much different.She would have needed a venn diagram before jumping in.”
“Good point.”Anyone who met Chardonnay for more than a second could determine this.“But Rose, she’s more of the fun one.”
He shook his head.“I wouldn’t necessarily agree.”His eyes took me in as if silently reminding me of all the fun we had on the other side of the door.“Regardless, I remember him distinctly saying, ‘My Sherry’.”
I covered my mouth, the memory so vivid it stole my breath.My Sherry.I was never just Sherry.It was alwaysmySherry.“I can’t believe he told you that story.”Heat filled my cheeks at my childhood rebellion, and my heart fluttered at the nickname I missed hearing.
“He loved you.I didn’t know you or your siblings, but I was jealous of all of you.To have someone who spoke with so much love in his tone and his eyes?You were lucky to have had him.”
“I know.”My throat ached, but I ignored it.“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Whenever we are together, our mouths seem to be occupied.”
My lips parted, half ready to argue, half ready to laugh, but all that came out was a flustered breath.“You can’t help yourself, can you?”
He shrugged, a smirk toying with his lips.“Just trying to lighten the mood.You looked like you were going to cry, and I’m not good with tears.”
“You could’ve just offered me a tissue like a normal person.”
“That wouldn’t have cut the tension.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“For being inappropriate?”That damn smirk blossomed at the edges of his mouth.“Anytime.”
“No.”I rolled my eyes.“For telling me all that.Not just about my grandfather, but about your label.”
“It’s just something I did.Trust me.It’s not a big deal.”
“It is.Having your own label is not an easy feat.But more than that… We’ve known each other since Halloween, known each other very intimately, but I feel like I don’t really know you at all.It was nice to get a little insight.”
“You’re the one who turned us into a one-night stand.I wanted more.You know that.You shut me out.”He stepped closer, his strong presence consuming me, making me question every decision I had made since I met this irritatingly sexy man.His hand reached up, feathering lightly against my temple as he brushed my hair behind my ear, his finger lingering on my earlobe.“Go out with me.”
“What?”
“You heard me.Go out with me.”
“Go out with you?”
“Yes,” he said, his voice low and steady.“On an actual date.No pretense.No late-night sneaking around.Just you and me, out in the open.”
I stared at him, my heart beating too fast against my chest as my brain scrambled for a reason to say no.“A date?”
He stepped even closer, our bodies barely a whisper apart.His gaze locked on mine like he was already skipping ahead and undressing me in his mind.“Dinner, drinks.And if you’re still looking at me like this.”His thumb brushed over my parted lips.“Then dessert.Preferably in a bed.”
“Sex on a first date.That’s very presumptuous of you.”