“Jake Maynard. One of the inspirations for ourMan Candy Night In Gin. Would you care to join me up here?” She gave him the beaming smile that told him he’d better get his arse up there of she’d be making minced meat of him. Publicly.
“Seriously?”
He heard Lainey practically spit the word out and couldn’t resist turning round to grin at her, holding up his hand in a peace gesture. Working a crowd wasn’t something he ever shied away from, especially not one that was full of women, even if most of them were over the age of fifty.
“Evening ladies.” He took the microphone off Gran, although he really didn’t need it. “It’s so good to see so many of you here tonight to enjoy one of the best things that Severton has to offer…”
“Would that be you?” There was a raucous call from one woman who already seemed like she’d had too much to drink.
Jake laughed and blew her a kiss, causing a screech from the woman’s friends than resembled something he’d hear on his farm.
“I’m just an unofficial spokesperson for Gran’s Gin, not that you need me – when you have a taste, its quality will speak for itself.” He took the glass that Gran handed to him, fully aware that no one was really listening to anything he was saying: this was all about him being the face of her brand, the eye-candy. This particular gin – Man Candy – included botanicals grown on his farm, the thyme and liquorice – and a photo of him had been used to create the line sketch that was on the label.
“Are you available for tasting too?” It was another woman this time.
Jake looked at her and smiled. He didn’t recognise her, so she was definitely not a local. Probably here for a girls’ getaway and staying at Sorrell’s guest house. His gaze flitted to Lainey, who was watching with interest, her brain clearly working overtime on making judgements about him.
No matter. He knew exactly what he was going to do, and by the look on Alex’s face, he had a pretty good idea also.
Alex shook his head slowly.
Jake shrugged, his eyes falling back on Lainey as he made his way to her. “I’m sorry, ladies, but there’s only one woman who’s tasting this tonight.” He snaked an arm around her waist and wondered if she was going to punch him.
There was a chorus ofawsfrom the crowd, and he even heard one woman commenting on how much of a gorgeous couple they made.
Jake turned his head to Lainey, seeing simmering anger tempered with something that he figured was curiosity.
“Don’t even think about it.” She whispered the words, making them sound as sharp as daggers. “Do it, and you’ll live to regret it every single second of your life for the next month.”
“Sounds like fun.”
She didn’t move away, instead smiling at him like she was overspilling with love for every bone in his body, clearly not wanting to draw any negative attention to herself.
Jake was well aware that this was an utter dick move and he was somehow going to pay seriously for it.
Well, it would make life interesting.
It was a practiced move; one he’d used before when playing a part in an amateur dramatics production in his teens. He dipped her backwards, feeling her hands on his waist and chest, and then he pressed his lips to hers in what would look like a seriously hot kiss.
She was soft under his hands, a softness that he didn’t expect. He’d seen her on her farm, every toned muscle accentuated by what she was wearing, and he’d figured that she’d feel too hard beneath his hands; it was anything but.
Her lips parted, allowing him to probe her mouth with his tongue. Only slightly, just enough to steal a taste. Lainey’s hand had crept into his hair, her fingers pushing against his scalp. Her other hand was still on his waist, helping her balance, those fingers pressing into the top of his arse.
He deepened the kiss, aware that the rest of the room was slipping away, aware that her touch and taste and the slight hum she made when his hold shifted were engulfing him now in a place where hadn’t expected to be.
A loud whistle acted as a clang to the head, Lainey’s hands pushing instead of pulling, and Jake moved away, helping her to stand upright, keeping his hands on her.
It was only to make sure she wasn’t going to topple over, that any blood that had gone to her head was going back where it was needed.
That was what he was telling himself, anyway.
“I can’t believe you did that.”
He heard her whisper over the melee that was beginning at the gin testing table.
“You need me to do it again?”
She slipped out of his arms and stepped back. “Absolutely not.” Her arms folded.
