"Dance with me." It wasn't so much a request as a command, but I was more than happy to obey. I put my hand in his.
He drew me out into the center of the floor and pulled me close, setting a hand at my waist. Resting my head on his shoulder, I let him lead. He was a great dancer. Of course he was. He attended a lot of formal events.
With practiced ease, he steered us around the other couples. Normally when I danced, I was tense, thinking about my posture and whether people were judging me. Right now, I couldn't care less if my steps were uneven. If anyone here was watching, I doubted it was with the sort of critical eye I was used to from my peers.
"What are you thinking?" Nate asked.
"That I don't remember the last time I enjoyed myself like this."
His arm tightened around my waist. "Me neither."
I lifted my head from Nate's shoulder and stared into his eyes. Everything in the room melted away. The music faded; the people disappeared. I was caught in the moment, and it seemed Nate was too.He's going to kiss me; I thought with absolute certainty.
Then Eileen appeared at his side, breaking the spell.
"Sorry, Nate." She grimaced apologetically. "The band wants to know if they should do another set before they take their break."
Nate blinked once. His expression shifted between exasperation at the interruption and amusement at her poor timing. He smiled at his aunt.
"Ask them to do another set."
"Will do, pet." Eileen rubbed his arm affectionately and disappeared back through the crowd.
"She sure knows how to put a dampener on things," Nate grumbled, his words confirming to me that his mind had been in sync with mine.
He wrapped his arms around me once more as the music picked back up, the tune faster this time. We danced, whirling around the floor, laughing until we were breathless. As the band took their break, we moved off to the side and found a seat. My feet ached, so while Nate went to fetch us more drinks, I peeled off my boots. Sure, enough there was a patch of red on my heel that would no doubt develop into a nasty blister.
"Not quite your Louboutins, are they?" Nate asked as he handed me a glass of white wine and settled on the seat next to me.
"No, they are not. I'll need to soak my feet tonight, that's for sure."
As I tasted the wine, another delicious blend, I noticed the brown bottle in Nate's hand.
"That's not a very good advertisement for your vineyard," I remarked.
"Nope, but once in a while a cold beer is the only thing that will hit the spot."
"Did you ever consider buying a brewery instead of a vineyard? Craft beer is all the rage these days."
"I actually do own a craft brewery. It's near Leeds, in England." He sipped his beer. "But I prefer the vineyard. I like the smell of the grapes, the feel of them in my hand and nothing can beat the camaraderie during harvest."
"You really love it here."
Nate nodded. "It's close to perfect."
I gulped down another mouthful of wine, giving it less respect than it deserved, and regarded him closely. "So what would make it perfect?"
He didn't answer. Instead he reached out to curve a hand around my cheek. His thumb brushed gently over my skin. As he leaned closer, my heart skipped a beat. He paused for a moment, his eyes searching mine. What was he looking for? Permission? I granted it with a subtle nod.
Nate's hand slid around to cradle the back of my head as he moved in to kiss me. His lips were warm, softer than I would have imagined. The kiss was gentle, lasting only seconds, but when Nate pulled back, his eyes promised that this was only the beginning.
Chapter Eight
Nate
Hours after I put a spectacularly drunk Juliet to bed, I sat on the porch with my first coffee of the day. The end-of-harvest celebration had been a massive success, in no small part because of the woman who slumbered peacefully upstairs. Everyone loved her, and the chili she'd worked so hard to perfect was a hit. People offered so much praise she was blushing to the tips of her ears by the end of the night.
Of course, the redness in her cheeks wasn't simply down to her unexpected bashfulness over accepting compliments. She sampled a decent selection of the wines we produce and danced up a storm with an endless succession of partners wanting to bask in her effervescent glow.
