“I know the owners of this vineyard since I went to school with them in Clare. I thought I’d ask them to pack us a picnic lunch, and we’ll stay away from people.”
“Good idea.” No wonder Ryan and Caleb’s band had decided to use stage makeup. People intruding and butting into personal moments made her edgy.
While Tyler rounded up a picnic lunch, Susan started tasting wines, working her way from white to the reds.
“This is our Pinot Noir,” the woman dispensing wines said. “It tastes of plums and summer sunshine. There are also layers of rich chocolate. Do you taste them?”
“Nice,” Susan said, after taking a sip. “I need to take one of everything.”
The woman laughed. “Good, my job is done.”
“Do you ship to Auckland?”
“We ship worldwide.”
“Great. I’ll take six bottles of the Pinot Noir and six bottles of your Sauvignon Blanc, please.” She handed over her credit card. “Oh, I’ll take a bottle of the Sav now. No, make that two.”
“No problem,” the woman said. “I’ll need you to complete this form with your name and delivery address.”
“I’m sorry I took so long,” Tyler said, curving his arm around her waist. “Marissa wanted to catch up on the news.” He lifted the picnic basket in his other hand. “We’re all set.”
“Your friend has a great vineyard. The wines are excellent.”
“You should receive your wine next week,” the woman said.
“Perfect. Thanks for guiding me through the wine list,” Susan said. “It was fun.”
“You’re welcome,” the woman said.
Susan turned to Tyler and caught his frown.Uh-oh. “What’s for lunch and where are we going?”
His frown smoothed away and Susan’s panic subsided. Crisis averted. For now. He grasped her hand and led her to the right of the car park.
“Marissa said we can have a picnic on their property. There won’t be any interruptions. She said we’ll have total privacy.”
“Did she ask why you wanted privacy with a woman who’s meant to be with another man?”
Tyler grinned at the memory of Marissa’s pointed—nah—nosy questions. “She was nosy. She interrogated me, much in the way your friends grilled me when we first met.”
Suzy gave a theatrical shudder. “I’m glad I went wine tasting instead.”
“Don’t worry. She won’t spread any vicious rumors.”
“Someone is bound to start talking soon,” Susan said. “Jennifer said a few papers had contacted her wanting interviews.”
Tyler ignored the stab of pain near his heart, shoved aside thoughts of the show, his suspicions that Suzy intended to leave soon. Somehow, he needed to change her mind.
Today, he’d woo her—charm her with his teasing and conversation, feed her soul with delicious food and wine and when she was weak, he’d fuck her so good she’d never consider leaving him again.
Failure was not an option.
Tyler turned down a narrow gravel path and led Suzy to a clearing by a stream. While it was too cold to swim, the clearing was sheltered, and he intended to get Susan naked. His fingers itched to sketch her with the sunlight and the contrast of shade dappling her body while his cock ached to plunge into her silky depths and pour himself into her until he didn’t know where she ended and he began.
As they veered off the path, the traffic noises receded, replaced by the song of a thrush and the occasional guttural gurgle of a native tui.
“Do you know where you’re going?”
Tyler glanced over his shoulder. “I think I should be insulted.”
