Nate stood. "Do that, then get some rest before tonight. Eileen will need help feeding the crew."
"Of course." I moved to the closet and picked up the bags. "You should rest too."
Harvesting the grapes by hand was a physically demanding job, and I knew Nate wasn't just supervising down in the fields. He was right in the thick of things.
"I will."
He walked to the door, then turned to shoot me a glance that lasted a moment longer than was comfortable. Something told me he had more to say, but he shook his head, clearly deciding not to.
As he left the room, I leaned back against the door of the closet and let out a long exhale. My ass throbbed… but I wanted more. Not of the spanking, but of Nate's closeness. The question was, did he want me too?
Chapter Seven
Juliet
The red floral dress from that little store in Oakridge suited me better than any fancy gown hanging in my closet back in Beverly Hills. As I stood in front of the mirror in my bedroom, turning slowly to check how I looked from every angle, I felt comfortable in a dress that cost less than a tenth of what I usually spent on any garment.
I'd swept my hair up into a loose ponytail and kept my makeup simple, applying a little mascara and a touch of gloss to add color to my pale pink lips. Satisfied with the fit of the dress, I slipped on the brown cowboy boots Nate had bought me in Oakridge and took one last look at the woman in the mirror. This wasn't social butterfly Juliet. This was someone entirely different. I liked her better.
When I got downstairs, everyone was already gathered in the marquee on the lawn. I'd spent the last few days working with Eileen to make sure everything was perfect. Warm, amber lights were strung up to form a pathway into the marquee, which was filled with tables groaning under the weight of the food Eileen and I had prepared, aided by an army of volunteers.
I'd been particularly proud of the chili that had simmered on the stove for five hours to allow the flavor to develop. Now I was nervous about it being tasted by some real connoisseurs.
"There she is," Ramon called out the moment I walked in. He raised his beer bottle in my direction, and a cheer went up from the men around him. My cheeks heated. In the short time I'd been there, I'd become friendly with several of the workers, bonding over our shared meals and love of Mist Hollow. It seemed I was far from being the only one enamored with the place.
"That was quite the greeting," I told Ramon as I reached the table and helped myself to a glass of the vineyard's own cabernet sauvignon.
"Well you're one of us now."
I smiled.One of us.I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt like I truly belonged anywhere. It had happened in such a short space of time. But as much as I wanted to believe this was home, I harbored anxieties. The rug could be pulled out from under me at any time. All Nate had to do was decide protecting me wasn't worth the risk, and I'd be gone. The fear gnawed at my stomach, but I drowned it with another gulp of wine. Tonight I was going to let my hair down.
As the music started, my spirits lifted again. A local band, comprising three men with a guitar, a fiddle, and an incredible singing voice, had set up in the corner. Wine in hand, I moved to the edge of the makeshift dance floor at the end of the room to watch as people got up to dance.
Jimmy, from the harvest crew, was first on the floor along with his wife Mara. That surprised me since he came across as shy. He certainly wasn't reserved when it came to his dance moves.
As I admired his form, I became aware of a presence behind me.
"You look good." Nate's voice came from over my left shoulder.
A warmth trickled through me that had nothing to do with the wine I'd drunk. I turned to find him dressed in dark-blue pants and a white shirt. It was smarter than his work attire, but with the button at his collar undone and the sleeves rolled up, the outfit was a far cry from the tuxedos I'd seen him in at gala events.
"So do you."
"Yeah, I clean up okay." He spoke as if he didn't routinely wear Brioni suits to business meetings.
We stood together in companionable silence, watching as more couples took to the dance floor. Since the day Nate spanked me, we hadn't spent much time together. As the harvest rolled to a close, things had picked up on the vineyard, and he'd worked longer hours than usual. It had given me a chance to get explore the house a little and to get to know Eileen better.
I sipped my wine, appreciating the smooth texture and rich, deep taste. "This is extraordinary. What is it I'm getting in the finish?" I considered for a moment. "Dark chocolate?"
"You have an excellent palate."
"I've been to a lot of expensive dinners. Had to learn something from all those culinary snobs."
The corner of his mouth lifted. "Wasted on most of them, I'd imagine."
I smiled into my glass. Around us, the energy in the room was shifting as the band moved into something slower and couples drifted together. I caught a glimpse of Eileen taking to the floor with a silver-haired man in cowboy boots. At the edge of the room, I saw Ramon watching them, his dark eyes narrowed. Interesting. I’d file that away for later.
Taking my glass from me, Nate turned and put it on the table closest to him.
