Instead of extracting herself, she snuggled against him. Business associates. Pfft. Friends, my ass. The weight of his arm wrapped her in a cocoon of security, and she wanted to savor the sensation. She’d been on her own for so long that she’d forgotten how it felt not to be alone. It felt good. Really good.
“Have you tasted this yet?” Landon reached for her freshly poured port and breathed in its bouquet before taking a thoughtful sip.
“Nuh-uh. How is it?”
Aubrey accepted the glass from him and took a dainty sip, planning to spit it out like the rest. But no. She swallowed the nectar of the gods. It would’ve been a sin to waste the glorious wine. This is it.
With its perfect blend of spice and vanilla notes, leading into a fresh mélange of berries, it was perfect for her strawberry shortcake. She could see Tara rolling her eyes. Wine snob. Aubrey smiled and inhaled the bouquet again and again, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.
“This is wonderful.” She sighed. “This is it.”
“Congratulations, Chef,” he said, grinning broadly.
“Thank you.”
“We’re done with today’s adventures, then?” He watched her flushed face warily.
“Yes, please. As soon as I buy a couple bottles of this.”
She hurried to the wine display and reached out for a bottle and then screeched to a hard stop. Yowza. The secret was out. They knew this stuff was gold and were charging accordingly. But this was the wine. Now that she’d tasted it, nothing else would do. Gulping in a fortifying breath, she reached for the bottle.
“I got this,” Landon said, staying her hand. Aubrey opened her mouth to protest, but he held up his hand. “It’s for the show. Don’t worry about it.”
“Okay.” Masking her relief, she “gave in” with a shrug. “As long as you can expense it.”
“Of course.” He graced her with an arrogant sideways glance before humoring her. “I’ll be sure to submit a reimbursement form in the morning.”
“Excellent.”
She’d maxed out her good credit card in the last couple of months, and she would’ve had to use her highway robbery card for the fortified wine. The sound of her interest accumulating would’ve kept her up all night. Her second payment from the show would go straight to the contractors, but hopefully by the time she received her third payment she could pay off the card.
But none of that mattered. Her head was humming with the fragrance of the fortified wine and the flavors of her dessert, and it was beautiful. Getting something just right felt so good. She couldn’t wipe the goofy grin off her face.
The bottles purchased and carefully wrapped, Landon guided Aubrey to the parking lot, his hand on its customary spot in the curve of her back. Strange how perfectly it fit against her body, as though he’d molded her with his own hands and carved out a nook for just that purpose.
Warmth spread through her faster than she could control. Confused and vulnerable, she quickened her steps to escape his touch. Landon matched her hurried steps but didn’t try to reclaim her back. When they stopped at his car, he reached around to open her door, and his chest nudged her shoulder. She shivered with awareness.
“Cold?” Landon frowned. “Get inside. I’ll turn on the heater.”
“Thank you.” But she just stood there like an idiot while he waited for her to sit down. Gah. Spurred on by embarrassment, she dove into the seat with the grace of an orangutan.
Her mind raced like a hamster on its favorite wheel, making everything blurry. Aubrey closed her eyes so the world would stop spinning. Exhaustion blanketed the cacophony of emotions in her head, and her limbs grew heavy and limp. The car shifted softly as Landon settled into the driver’s seat, and then there was nothing.
* * *
Landon drove at a snail’s pace so he wouldn’t disturb his sleeping passenger. Aubrey was curled up like a child in her seat, her expression soft and peaceful. His chest clenched at the sight. She was so beautiful, it hurt to look at her. Yet he couldn’t stop staring.
He’d reached for her again and again that night until he’d drifted off into an exhausted slumber. If he’d stayed up to watch her sleep, would he have let her walk away? No. The answer came unbidden, shocking him. A surge of possessiveness had taken over when he’d made love to her. In that moment, there had been no time—no past, no future. Only the two of them.