Page 55 of Ambrosia Kisses
"Just love her, man. If you aren't sure how, ask her. Let her guide you. But hold on tight because that's what she needs from you. Regardless of how she changes or how her dreams do or what she goes through, all she'll ever need is for you to love her through it. She's the softest part of you, and you'll want to put yourself in front of everything to protect her because the thought of anything happening to her will be the most terrifying thingyou've ever faced, but sometimes, the best thing you can do for her is just let her live. Don't be the thing that makes life harder for her," he murmurs. "You're her safety."
"I can do that." Hell, loving her is the easy part. It's as simple as breathing. But he's right. The thought of anything happening to her is terrifying. And I guess that's the part I'm struggling with right now—worry that she's letting go of something she really wants and will end up hurt in the end. But…Paisley has always known her own mind. She'salwaysbeen strong.
If her dreams have changed, maybe I need to sit back and let them. I need to do what he said and love her through it. Maybe one day, they'll change again. She'll decide she wants the things she wanted before, and I'll move heaven and earth to make sure she gets them. Or maybe she won't decide that. Maybe what she wants right now is leading her precisely where she's always been meant to go. Either way, that's her decision to make. All I need to do is love her through it.
I can do that. Fuck yeah, I can do that.
"Thanks, man," I murmur to Oliver. "You're smart as hell, sometimes, you know that?"
"Oh, I know." He grins at me. "One of us had to get the brains, and since it wasn't you…"
I bark laughter, lifting my middle finger in the air. "Fuck you very much, you asshole. I've got brains."
He chuckles, hauling himself out of his chair. "I've got shit to do today."
"Fucking your wife doesn't count, Oliver."
"Mind your business."
I smirk at him as he strides for the door, flipping me off. Once it clicks closed behind him, I consider pacing again and then decide I should probably try to do a little work. Bastian might actually have a stroke if someone doesn't do something aroundhere this week, and not a whole helluva lot has gotten done aside from Jax fixing the harvester.
I settle behind my desk, pulling up sales reports. And then my mind drifts to Ambrosia Kisses. The wine was never meant to be part of our line. It's too personal. Too much me, too much Paisley. But maybe Paisley, Oliver, and Lucy are right, and it should be part of the line.
I pick up my desk phone, dialing Bastian.
Unlike usual, it takes several rings before he answers.
"What?" he growls.
What the fuck? Is he panting?
"Why do you sound out of breath?"
I hear a soft giggle in the background, and my question answers itself. Jesus Christ. He is fucking Constance!
"Never mind," I mutter. "Don't answer that."
"Didn't plan on it. What do you want?"
"What are your thoughts on adding an exclusive wine to our tours?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, a wine that's available exclusively as part of our date-night tours. Unless you book one of those tours, you're shit outta luck."
"What wine?"
"Ambrosia Kisses."
"Why date-night only?" he asks.
"You wouldn't understand."
Constance murmurs something in the background, and I change my mind. Maybe he would.
"Because it's her," I say softly. "Kissing her reminds me of ambrosia, so I poured everything I felt for her into trying to bottle that taste. It should go to people who can appreciate that."
"Shit," Bastian murmurs. "Is that why you were so bent out of shape about it?"
