He glances over at me and kisses my cheek, and I damn near turn into a puddle right here on the sidewalk. I know he’s just playing up the whole Mr. and Mrs. Smith cover story to hide his true identity, but the idea of being his wife has me feeling giddy, which is probably not a good thing since we just met and have no future.
“How wonderful,” she says, as another woman makes her appearance. She’s a few years younger than Patricia and dressed the same. “This is my daughter, Suzanne. She will be your sommelier today. Any questions you have, she’ll be able to answer.”
“Thank you,” Liam says.
After Suzanne gives us the history of the vineyard, we take off on a golf cart through the vineyards. She tells us how they grow the grapes, goes into detail about the different varietals and the blends they make, and walks us through the process. I’m so caught up in all of it, I almost forget to take pictures, until Liam reminds me.
“This is so cool,” I tell him. “Thank you.”
He leans over and kisses my lips. “You’re very welcome.”
After the tour is done, we head inside for the tasting, and it’s then I realize nobody else is here but us. “Liam, did you rent this entire place out?”
He simply nods like it’s no big deal. “I told you I would handle it,” he murmurs, threading his fingers through mine.
We enter the tasting room and Suzanne presents us with several different wines to taste. They’re all delicious, but for dinner we go with their estate reserve Syrah. Liam insists we purchase a case of their Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc to take home since I loved them both.
I assume we’re heading to the dining room, so I’m confused when instead Suzanne takes us up a flight of steps and opens a door that leads to… a room?
“I thought we could have a private dinner,” Liam explains, pulling me into the room and closing the door behind us. He backs me up against the wall and presses his body to mine. He tastes sweet and fruity like the wine we’ve been drinking.
I go to unbutton his shirt, but he pulls away, shaking his head. “Dinner first,” he insists, guiding me over to a table and chairs situated on a large terrace overlooking the vineyard. There are two silver domes covering ceramic plates on the table, along with the bottle of wine we chose, and two glasses.
My heart swells inside my chest and for a brief moment I wonder how I’m going to go back to my normal life when Liam leaves. I’ve never been high-maintenance. I only started understanding and buying expensive clothes after working at the bordello and Cecilia insisted it was necessary. The bordello would cover the costs and over time I became accustomed to wearing nice clothes. But aside from that, I’m a simple woman. I enjoy writing and taking pictures. I work out every day to stay healthy and fit. On my days off, I hang out with some of the women who work at the bordello, lounging by the pool.
As I sit down, with Liam of course pulling my chair out for me, I come to the conclusion that it’s not about the money he’s spending, it’s about the time we’re spending together. Before him, I didn’t realize just how lonely I’ve been—closed off from the rest of the world. I’ve been so focused on healing from my past and creating a healthy future, I forgot to actually enjoy myself.
“What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?” Liam asks, pouring us each a glass of wine.
“I’m having a really good time. You know how to treat a woman.”
He chuckles softly. “Well, that’s good to know, because I’m honestly winging it.”
“Whatever.” I scoff.
“I’m serious.” He pulls the domes off the plates, revealing our dinner. “Because of my family’s line of work, I haven’t had a lot of opportunities to date. My family is kind of… umm… strict.” He rubs the back of his neck, his cheeks tinting a slight pink like he’s embarrassed. It’s a side of him I haven’t seen yet and it’s adorably sexy.
“Usually you hear that about girls, not guys.”
“One day I’ll have to take over the business, so I have to be careful with whom I date.”
“So, no escorts?” I half-joke, hating how different our lives are. I don’t know anything about his family business, but I can tell by the way he speaks, carries himself, dresses… the money he has… he comes from a nice, high-class family—the complete opposite of my upbringing.
His bright blue eyes sear into mine. “That’s not who you are.”
I break eye contact and take a bite of my food, not bothering to argue with him. We both know that even though I no longer spread my legs for money, I’m not the kind of woman you take home to your family.
We eat in silence, and I try not to dwell on my negative thoughts. I knew what this weekend was going into this. They came to La Stella’s to spend a weekend with escorts. Liam may not have hired me, and he’s not paying me, but the intention is still the same.
“Hey,” he says after his plate is clean. “My life…” He releases a harsh breath. “You could be Mother Theresa and probably still not fit in.” He laughs, but it’s devoid of all humor. “If my dad wasn’t sick… if I didn’t have these obligations to my family… I need you to know that this weekend would only be the beginning for us.”
I nod stiffly. “I’m not under any illusions about what this weekend is.”
He opens his mouth to say something else, but before he can, I plaster on a fake smile and stand. “I’m thinking, while we’re here and have this room at our disposal, we take advantage of it.” I waggle my brows playfully, determined to get the mood back up, before things get deep and awkward. This is my make-believe fairy tale and I’m not going to let it be ruined by reality.
Liam’s brows furrow, and I hold my breath, hoping he’ll let it go. When he pushes out a soft sigh and nods, I release a breath of relief.
“I’m thinking out here… on the balcony.” I step over to the wrought iron railing and place my hands on it, jutting my jean-clad ass out. “From behind.”
He smirks playfully. “I think I like your line of thinking.”
After slowly removing each other’s clothes, we spend the remainder of our time at the vineyard getting lost in each other.
“Wake up, sleepyhead,” Liam says softly into my ear. I open my eyes and realize I fell asleep on the plane ride back home.
“Sorry,” I croak out.
“Don’t be sorry,” he murmurs, tucking a stray hair behind my ear. “I enjoyed watching you sleep.”
When we get back to the hotel, he excuses himself to make a quick phone call and steps out onto the balcony. Still feeling groggy, I head into the bathroom to splash some water on my face. I only have a short time with Liam, so I don’t want to spend it half-asleep. I notice the huge spa tub in the corner and decide on a bubble bath for the two of us.
After turning the water on and filling the tub with bubbles, I strip out of my clothes, then light a couple candles. I lower the dimmer for the lights and then step into the bathtub. The hot water feels so good, I’m almost positive it’s going to put me to sleep instead of waking me up. I pull my hair up into a messy bun and lie back against the cushion headrest, enjoying the quiet moment.