Chapter twenty-two
Ashley
Well, shoot. How am I meant to stay standing when he says something like that?
With his tattooed forearms on display, his hair perfectly styled, and the hella sexy, formal vibe of his outfit, Finn is pushing all my arousal buttons. Add in this incredibly sweet setup and those romantic words, and I’m putty in his arms. Settling onto the stool that he’s pulled out for me, I drink in the man standing on the other side of the table. This is clearly Finn in his element. He’s confident and in charge. I honestly never thought pouring wine could be sexy, but somehow it is. When he’s got four glasses lined up in front of me, two white and two red, he turns the full force of his magnetism on me.
“Alright. It’s time to advance your wine education.” He affects an arrogant air as he says this, turning his nose up slightly and looking at me through narrowed eyes as he slides the first glass toward me. But he can’t seem to hold it for long before his face relaxes into a smile. “By the time we’re done here, you’ll have an entirely different appreciation for, what did you call my job? Squishing grapes?”
I giggle and let my head fall forward. “I’m so sorry. That was petty of me to say.” Finn’s hand gently tips my chin up and my gaze follows the ink covered muscle of his arms up until it meets his gaze.
“It’s fine, sweet girl. I know I needed to pull the stick out of my ass and stop being a jerk to you. I deserved your comment, and more.”
I’m flustered. How do I respond to what amounts to an apology that doesn’t even feel necessary? To avoid having to say anything, I lift the glass in front of me and go to take a sip, but he stops me.
“Not so fast. You need to learn how to appreciate the wine first. This first one is a Pinot Gris. I want you to sniff it first, inhale the aromas and tell me what you smell.” He demonstrates, then hands the glass to me. The heat in his eyes is intense, focused, hot.
Without letting my gaze leave his, I bring the glass to my nose and breathe in deeply. “Mmm. It’s flowery, but in a subtle way. Is that…citrus or something?”
He nods. “Yes, very good. Now take a small sip and let it sit on your tongue.” I do as he says and an explosion of flavour hits me. I’ve never slowed down to truly enjoy wine this way. It’s sensual, feeling the wine in so many different ways.
“It’s delicious,” I say, taking another sip. Finn gives me a smile of approval.
“I’m glad you like it. That is from my grandfather’s vineyard in northern France.”
“Is that why you love winemaking? Because of your grandfather?” Curiosity fills me as I realize I know so little about Finn’s family. I know his body intimately, but not him, the man. At the hospital he told me about spending summers in France, but this feels like I’m peeling back another layer and seeing a deeper side to the man I’m falling for.
“Yes. During the summers I spent over there, we would be outside with the grapes all day.” Finn’s voice is rich with fondness. “He taught me how to care for the vines, and when I was old enough, he had me help with blending.” He chuckles. “I was ten when he gave me my first taste. I spit it out and said he was crazy. He just smiled and said one day I would understand.”
“Underage drinking? How rebellious,” I tease, my hand finding his on the table. He laces our fingers together and squeezes gently before releasing me and passing the next glass over.
“Now a Viognier. This one we’re making here. The grapes come from the Okanagan, and I take it from raw juice and turn it into one of my absolute favourite wines.”
He seems eager to see my response to this one, so I follow his earlier instructions to slow down and savour the taste. I swirl the glass, full of golden liquid, then inhale deeply. “Oh, peaches.” I glance up to see his nod of approval. I take a small sip, and the rich, heady flavour fills my mouth. I close my eyes to really savour it. “It makes me think of tropical places. Moonlight. Romance.”
When my eyes flutter open, Finn is staring at me with such intensity, my lips part on a gasp. He strides around the table and spins me on my stool before leaning down and kissing me, so deeply its as if he’s trying to taste the wine himself.
“God, you’re so damn sexy. I can’t wait.”
The rumble of his words sends a shiver down my spine, and I wrap my arms around his waist, tugging him closer so he stands between my legs.
“I don’t want to wait.”
Finn lifts me into his arms with ease, my legs wrapping around him. After a second or two of silently gazing at each other, our passion burning hotter and hotter between us, he kisses me again, his tongue darting out to tangle with mine. We never lose contact with our lips as he turns and walks a few steps before lowering me down to the ground. How he’s strong enough to do this is a question for another time because all I can think of right now is getting his clothes off so I can feel him. All of him.
My hands scramble at the buttons on his shirt. I want to take my time and unwrap him like a delicious present, but need is overtaking me and I fumble trying to get to what I want.
“Easy there, Ash,” he teases, pulling back and making quick work of his shirt. When his chest is bare he lowers back down and runs his nose up the column of my neck. “Mmm. You smell better than any wine.”
“Finn,” I moan as he captures my earlobe in his mouth, biting down softly. He lifts the hem of my sweater and I rise up just enough for him to help me take it off. Then his hands are everywhere, running paths over my skin, tracing lines that leave nothing but heat and desire in their wake. He moves down my body, methodically undoing my jeans and sliding them down my legs. But this time it isn’t his hands that move over my skin, it’s his lips, pressing kisses to every inch that is bared as he removes my pants and underwear at the same time. I’m wearing only my bra, and thank God it’s one of my sexier ones. Once more, Finn lets his nose lead the way as he nuzzles up my leg, alternating between warm swipes of his tongue and gentle nips of his teeth everywhere that is sensitized, which right now is essentially my entire body.
“Fuck, Ash.” He sucks my inner thigh into his mouth, probably leaving a mark, but I don’t care. “If I say I’ve waited a lifetime to have you at my mercy like this, do you believe me?” he says softly, his hands caressing my hips. I peer down my body to see him between my legs, staring at me with such reverence it takes my breath away, despite how dirty his words are.
“I wouldn’t say it’s been a lifetime, but it’s been long enough. So why are you keeping me waiting now?” My voice is hoarse with desire and it masks the teasing nature of my response, but Finn understands. He smirks at me, then drags his thumb up and down my slit leisurely. My hips arch off the floor toward him and my head falls back with a moan that intensifies at the first swipe of his warm tongue. As he said, I am at his mercy right now. One arm is pinning me down while the other holds my folds open to his mouth. That doesn’t stop me from writhing underneath him, the sounds coming from me turning more animalistic with every thrust and lick.
“Oh God, Finn, I’m so close,” I whine, unable to contain myself. My hands reach up to cup my breasts, still held in place with my bra. I pinch my nipples and the rasp of the lace on my skin is almost too much combined with the feel of his thick fingers sliding in and out of me.
One hand snaps down to grab his head and hold him in place when he hits that magical spot inside of me, and he groans in response, sending shockwaves through my system. My orgasm is a kaleidoscope of colour, exploding in front of me, inside of me, and all around me.
