Chapter 42
Cole
OVERGROWN MAN-CHILD
“Idon’t want to go,” I groan, even though this is my own doing.
I used to not mind going out of town with Blake for work.
In fact, I used to look forward to it. But now the thought of being away from Ariana, even for just a few days, feels agonizing.
I’d take her with me if she wasn’t so busy this week.
Sadie is out of town, which means Ariana is covering her shifts on top of her own, plus she has a girls’ night with her sisters and that poetry thing Wes is hosting at the shop.
Her week is already packed without me making it harder.
I’m so tempted to beg her to drop everything and come anyway, but that wouldn’t be fair.
She hits me with a dazzling smile, her delicate fingers dancing up my abdomen. “It’s not very long. You’ll be back home before you know it.”
Home.
I love it when she calls my house home. I’ve been trying to find the right way to ask her to move in, but I haven’t even told her I love her yet, so one step at a time, I guess.
It’s not that I don’t want to tell her. I’m actually surprised it hasn’t spilled out of me already with how many times it’s been on the tip of my tongue. But the truth is I’m petrified she’ll reject me. That it’ll be too fast, or too much, or she won’t feel the same way I do.
I’d marry her tomorrow if I had the balls to ask. I’d do a lot of things if I wasn’t so afraid of fucking things up.
Losing her is my biggest fear, and with how well everything is going, I’m not ready to rock the boat.
She crosses her arms around my neck, drawing me in for a kiss. “I’m going to miss you.”
“Yeah?” I snake around her waist, tunneling my tongue into her sweet mouth before trailing down her neck. “You going to stay here while I’m gone? Sleep in my bed? Naked, preferably.”
She grins, lips grazing mine. “Yes. Duchess and I already have our bags packed. We’ll keep the place warm while you’re away.”
It’s going to be hard to focus knowing my girl is waiting at home for me, but it’ll also be a big motivator to not waste any time.
Unlike Ledger, Benton doesn’t own enough local vineyard land to meet production needs, so we buy into other lots and source from growers around the country.
This trip we’re heading to California to oversee execution of the blush crush and arrange transport so it can finish fermenting back home—once we get the juice we’ll be able to meet our numbers for our rosé products.
It’s necessary, even if the timing is inconvenient.
If we were anywhere else but the back room at Novel, I’d sink inside her for a quickie, just a little something to hold me over, but this is definitely not the time or place. Not with the chorus of conversations a few feet from the closed door behind us.
Based on the mewling sound that escapes Ariana when I rear a step back, she’s feeling the same way.
“Use your toy, doll. Record it for me if you do.”
A pink hue takes over her skin. “Cole, I can’t…film myself.”
“Yes you can.” I wink. “I haven’t gone this long without you since we got together. I’ll be starving for you. Practically dying.”
She giggles, eyeing me like she doesn’t know what to do with me. “You’re ridiculous. It’s less than a week.”
“Too long.” I grab her face and kiss her again before settling my forehead onto hers. “I’m going to miss you so much.”
Just as Ariana is about to respond, her words are cut off by the door swinging open. “Oops.” Lina laughs, her face turning scarlet. “Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
She starts to spin around but Ariana stops her. “Wait. It’s okay. Is everything all right out there?”
Lina winces, her lips corkscrewing. “It’s just.” She pauses like she’s considering her words. “What’s your policy on banning customers?”
“What?” Ariana breathes, half-smiling like she isn’t sure if Lina is joking or not.
“It’s your brother,” Lina groans.
“My brother?” Ariana’s brows draw together. “Which one?”
“Shane.” Lina says through a clenched jaw.
That doesn’t surprise me one bit. Lina is an attractive young woman and Shane is a fucking dog. I can only imagine what he could’ve said or done to make her want to ban him from the shop.
“What did he do?” Ariana grumbles, rolling her eyes at me.
Lina places her hands on her hips. “He’s a shameless flirt and he’s already asked me out twice. Both times I’ve shot him down and he’s not fazed one bit.”
Ariana pinches the bridge of her nose. “Of course he has.”
“The second time,” Lina continues, her voice climbing slightly, “he told me playing hard to get was his love language.”
I stifle a laugh. To think he was judging me when he’s worse than I ever was.
“I will talk to him,” Ariana assures her.
“Okay but just so you know I told him the next time he asks me out I’m going to start charging him a nuisance fee on top of his order.”
Ariana laughs, shaking her head. “And he’s still out there?”
“Sitting at the counter,” Lina confirms. “Grinning like an idiot. He ordered a coffee and asked me what my favorite flower was.” She straightens her shoulders. “I told him ragweed.”
“I’ll go handle him. I’ll be out in a second.”
She disappears back into the shop and the door swings shut behind her.
The second we’re alone again, I kiss Ariana like I’m leaving for war—hitching her leg up so she can feel exactly how hard I am for her, invading her mouth with my tongue, running my hands all along her body.
It’s going to be a long few days. I might not last halfway through the trip before I’m booking it back here.
When we finally break apart she’s smiling, cleaning up the lip gloss I smeared beyond the edges of her mouth. “Go.” She laughs. “Before we do something indecent back here.”
“Fine,” I grumble, with all the finesse of an overgrown man-child. “I’ll miss you, doll.”
“I’ll miss you too.”
I leave, biting down on the inside of my cheek to stop myself from saying I love you.
Maybe I’ll tell her when I get back. Maybe by then I’ll be brave enough to.