Page 22 of A Little Bit Whiskey
Having her on top would normally be his preferred position. However, this moment called for a change of pace. Carefully, he rolled, cradling her head in his palms. He kissed her nose. “I’ve been in love with you for a long time; I just wasn’t able to admit it to myself, much less you.” There. He’d said it. Out loud, to the woman he never wanted to live without.
She blinked out a tear.
His breath stuck in his lungs. “Shit. The last thing I wanted to do was upset you.”
“You haven’t. I’m not sure where that came from. I’m not normally the emotional type.”
“That I know.” He kissed her wet cheek. “Maybe this wasn’t the right time to—”
“No.” She wrapped her legs tight around his waist. “It was perfect and I love you too, Noir. I really do.”
He kissed her, hard. It was filled with passion, love, and a promise to always be there, no matter what. This was the woman he was meant to be with. To share his life with. Their hearts and souls belonged to each other.
The shock of it all rumbled through his system like a high-speed train approaching. It was faint at first, building slowly, until it was right there, racing past.
He held her for a long moment afterward, running his fingers gently over her spine. Shifting to his side, he pulled the covers over their bodies, gazing into her soulful eyes. He smiled.
“That was epic in a few different ways.”
“Those weren’t shallow words.” He brushed the hair from her face.
“I know. I meant them too.”
“I wish I didn’t have to leave you and go to work.” He ran his thumb over her lower lip. “I’d like nothing better than to curl up and spend the day in this bed with you.”
“I need a few hours of sleep,” she said. “But do I need to worry about your family barging in on me? Your mom has been great, but she has a reputation for not respecting people’s personal space.”
“Don’t believe everything you hear about my mom. The majority of it comes from people who have either wronged her or this family. Or it’s idle gossip regarding things people don’t understand.” He tossed his legs to the side of the bed and hiked up his boxers. “If your car is here, they won’t come in unannounced. They know you had the night shift, and I can remind them to leave you alone.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
He leaned over and kissed her tenderly. “I love you.”
A smile spread across her face. “I like how that sounds.”
“So do I.” With a newfound spring in his step, he strolled toward the bathroom.
“Hey, Noir.”
“Yeah?” He glanced over his shoulder.
She sat up, letting the covers pool to her waist, exposing her perfect breasts. “Think of me and how I love you back while you’re at work.”
He groaned. “I’m going to need a cold shower.”
6
NOIR
Noir sat in the back office at the winery, staring at a pile of paperwork. God, he hated this part of his job. He’d rather be out on the road, selling products, not going through spreadsheets, doing both Nebbiolo’s and Merlot’s jobs. He understood that he and his twin were at the same level—and position—in the family business. However, since they had come on full-time, Noir had been required to spend more time doing administrative work than Nebbiolo at the request of his siblings.
That he didn’t comprehend.
“Hey, big brother.” Zinny came bouncing through the door, sipping on her favorite fruity drink. She handed him a cup of the same from Green Bean, the local coffee shop. “I thought you might like one.”
He laughed. His little sister constantly tried to get the rest of the family hooked on her strawberry treat. He took it, sipped, and smiled. He had to admit, he’d grown to enjoy it like a nice liquid dessert in the afternoon. “Thanks.”
“I can’t believe Mom gave Nebbiolo an entire week off after the stunt he pulled,” Zinny said. “I don’t care that June is as nice as they come and he’s turned into a chatty Cathy, sharing things about himself that only you and I knew because he doesn’t talk to anyone else, he was a dick to leave you holding the bag.”
