Page 76 of Gone With the Wine

He looks up at me and a slow spreads across his face, his eyes warm. “You are.”

“I’ll be in the lab for a while.”

He nods. “Need any help?”

“Sure.”

He rises and walks toward me. And my feet are glued in place as I watch him, with his athletic saunter and horny eyes. “Okay. Let’s go.”

I blink. That sounds hot.

Focus.

I head to the lab, aware of his big presence behind me.

“I have to test the juice from the chardonnay grapes that were harvested today,” I tell him. “Our chardonnay. Also your sauvignon blanc.”

“Double the work,” he murmurs. “I really do appreciate what you’re doing.”

“I’m having fun,” I say honestly.

“Even though you ended up sick in bed.”

I scrunch up my face. “That was a freak thing.”

We enter the lab.

“What are you testing for?” he asks me.

“A bunch of stuff. Brix, pH, titratable acidity. Yeast, malic acid concentration. Microbial stability.”

“I love it when you talk science to me.”

I laugh.

He knows what to do now and we both get busy. Haha, bad choice of words. I want to get busy with him so bad I’m sweating.

I log test results into my computer. Jansen checks the weather forecast for tomorrow and he actually makes the plan for tomorrow’s harvest for Bar Down while I work on Caparelli.

I’m sitting at the counter that runs along one wall, Jansen in another rolling chair next to me. I lean back and let out a long breath. “Okay. I think we’re done.”

Our eyes meet.

Warmth curls through me. I can’t move. The air around us is electric and I gaze at him, transfixed. He watches me, too, eyes searching mine, and heat builds between us.

“I still owe you dinner,” he says hoarsely, rolling his chair closer.

“Yes. You do.”

His gaze drops to my mouth. Excitement flutters in my belly.

He curls his hands around the arms of my chair and drags me toward him until our knees are touching and his muscled arms box me in. “I can’t stop thinking about you. It’s been hell the last few days.”

I let my head fall back to stare into his face. “I know. Me too.”

“After I kissed you that night…Jesus.”

The way he looks at me scorches me, making me feel so wanted. Heat slides through my veins, and my inner muscles low in my belly clench hard. My lips part, longing to feel his mouth on mine. “I’m sorry I got sick.”

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