Page 39 of Ambrosia Kisses
"Why?"
His deep laugh rumbles between us. "You're shit at surprises, Dimples."
"Maybe because surprise is just another word for secret," I grumble.
He just shakes his head at me before pulling open the doors and ushering me into the foyer. Haven looks up at us from the front desk. As soon as her gaze lands on our interlocked hands, a big grin overtakes her face.
"I'm so glad I didn't break the two of you up forever," she says and then grimaces. "Um, I know I said it the other night, but I'm really sorry, Paisley. I genuinely didn't know that he hadn't left."
"It's okay," I say quietly, my heart squeezing in a vise. She pulled me aside during karaoke night to apologize. She was nearly in tears about the whole thing. But it wasn't ever her fault. She didn't know. Ridley and I messed up what we had back then all on our own. That's on us, not her. "You don't have anything to apologize for."
"I do," Ridley says, clearing his throat. His green eyes meet mine. "I'm so damn sorry, Dimples."
"I know," I whisper. "You don't have to keep saying it."
"But I will," he murmurs, cupping my cheek. "Until you know it'll never happen again, I'll say it every damn day."
What haven't you asked me to stay?
The question is right there on the tip of my tongue, but I swallow it back. Now isn't the time to ask it. I'll do it later, when we're alone.
Instead, I just smile at him.
His brows furrow as if he sees something on my face, but he doesn't get a chance to ask about it before Jax appears in the doorway leading deeper into the winery.
"It's ready," he announces ominously.
"Good." Ridley's expression clears, anticipation overtaking worry. "You ready to see your surprise?"
"Yes. I was ready an hour ago, Ridley."
"Spoilsport." He taps my nose, chuckling, and then tugs me along behind him.
Jax steps out of the way, grinning at me.
Ridley doesn't say anything as he leads me down the cobblestone hallway, our steps echoing. The entire winery looks like it was imported directly from Italy and carved from the earth. It's beautiful.
Ridley leads me into the tasting room before closing the massive door behind us. One entire wall is full of casks. Another holds a display of their most popular wines.
A single bottle rests in a bucket of ice on a serving tray, alongside two glasses.
My brows furrow when I see it.
"We're drinking wine?"
"No. We're tasting a very special wine," he says.
"What kind?" I ask, genuinely curious now. Every wine they have is fantastic. If this one is special, color me intrigued.
"This bottle came from the first barrel I started aging when I touched down in Italy after the wedding," he says softly. "It's sweet, like you. It goes down soft, like you." He meets my gaze. "There's a hint of peach, just like you."
I swallow hard as he takes a step toward me, holding out the bottle toward me. I take the chilled bottle carefully, turning it around to read the gold label on the front. "Ambrosia Kisses?"
"I couldn't stand the thought of never tasting you again, so I tried to bottle your taste," he says softly, reaching out to touch my bottom lip when I look up at him. "I didn't get it quite right, though, Dimples."
He said that before, when he kissed me the day he fixed my tire. He said he didn't get it quite right. Is this what he was talking about? It had to be.
"W-why not?"
