Ani’s face softened. Her fingers left the copper cup holderand drifted toward him. She laid a gentle hand on his forearm. Raffi immediately broke out in goosebumps at her touch. Every brush of her fingers felt like a balm over the past.
“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice low. “That you had to carry that kind of weight.”
He laid his hand on hers. “It’s honestly okay.” And he meant it. “I have a feeling that can change too.”
“Me too.” She smiled.
And speaking of weight, they hadn’t had much of a chance to talk aboutthem. And Raffi was wondering. “Ani jan, how are you feeling? About, you know, us.”
“Us?” She took another sip. “I feel perfect.” She leaned over and kissed him. “You?”
“The same,” he said, kissing her again.
Too good, honestly, he thought. “I didn’t know I was allowed to feel this happy,” he wanted to say.
“Ready to go, I see,” she said, eyeing his lap.
“Ugh, ignore that. That’s going to be a permanent state for a while.”
Ani giggled. “Maybe not that long.”
He couldn’t even let himself entertain the thought of burying himself between her legs, because he might lose his resolve.
Raffi finished the last of his coffee and turned the cup over in its saucer. “Since you’re in town,” he asked, steering the topic away from their bodies, “should we head over to the winery and check on the worksite?”
“I was going to suggest the same. We sort of disappeared yesterday, and I wonder what Chris and his team got done.”
Raffi stared at her lustfully. “But only after I get my breakfast in bed.”
“Not going to refuse that,” Ani said, beelining to his room.
Raffi delivered hisstretch goal of three, and now they were cleaned up and on the way to Ô. A few minutes from the winery, after pleasant and flirtatious conversation, Ani turned to him, somewhat seriously.
“Okay, almost time to turn off the relationship. Think we can do this?”
Raffi picked up her hand and kissed it. “Of course, Ani jan. That was my last, until you say it’s okay again.”
She squeezed his hand in thanks.
“Although,” Raffi added, “it’s going to be damn near impossible to behave myself anytime we’re together.”
Ani laughed. “C’mon, you love a challenge, though.”
Raffi threw his head back. “You’ve got me pegged.”
Ani’s eyes went big.
“Not,” Raffi said, “like that.”
And they both laughed until they reached the winery.
His winery. Ô. Which was usually empty, especially at ten a.m., but was now crawling with people, mostly men, dressed casually, holding…very large cameras. The sound of Raffi’s car attracted them, like vultures to a fresh carcass. They turned, then raised their cameras, loud clicks filling the air like locusts.
Raffi’s hand jumped immediately off Ani’s, and he hoped that no one had seen them from this angle.
“What the…” Ani said.
“Seems like Grace’s fame isn’t an online-only phenomenon.” Raffi scowled.
