Page 233 of Steamy Ever After

“Fairly. Are you heading this way?”

“Maybe later. Thanks, Brode.”

He rubbed his neck, wondering what the hell Maddox was up to when the call abruptly ended. After the bizarre conversation he’d had with Naughton the other night, he hoped their older brother didn’t intend to stick his nose into his budding relationship with Peyton.

Peyton was wide-eyed when he approached. “Hi.”

“Hey.” Without thinking, he leaned in to kiss her, and she took a step back.

“God. I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“It’s okay.”

“It isn’t, or you wouldn’t have reacted the way you did.”

Her gaze swept the tasting room. “Do you mind if we leave?”

“Not at all. Alex is okay with it?”

“Yeah, today’s my day off.” Peyton glanced at her watch. “Help should be here any minute.” The rear door opened, and two women came in. “Here they are now. Do you know Addy and Sam?”

“Abbey?”

“No, Addy, with a ‘d.’”

“I don’t think so. Who are they?”

“They work here, but they don’t come from wine families. Addy’s mom owns the Olallieberry Diner, and Sam lives in the apartment complex. Sorry, that probably sounded bad.”

“Not at all.” Brodie led her over to his Porsche. “Where should we go?”

“Is this yours?” She gasped.

“Yes, ma’am.” He tossed her the key fob. “Wanna drive?”

“I’m so embarrassed.”

“Why?” He chuckled. “I wanted to drive your car as much as I’m guessing you want to drive mine.”

“Who does the truck belong to? I know it isn’t Kade’s.”

“No, it’s mine too.”

The wineries in the Paso Robles region were successful and growing all the time, especially the ones where the land had belonged to the family for many years. Brodie and his brothers all owned more than one car, motorcycles too. He wondered if Kade had told her about the helicopter or if he ever brought her to the ranch to see the horse stables.

Brodie was listening to Peyton comment on things she liked about his car, but wasn’t really paying attention to what she was saying. Instead, he watched the way her eyes danced when she smiled and how she talked faster than she had yesterday, as though she was nervous. He understood. He was nervous too. If she weren’t as chatty as she was, he might embarrass himself again, like he did when he’d leaned forward to kiss her. He hadn’t been thinking. It just felt natural to want to kiss her hello.

“Where to?” she asked once she was settled behind the wheel.

“Piedras Blancas?”

“You have a thing for lighthouses.”

“I’m fascinated by them.” As fascinated as he was with her, although he wouldn’t tell her that now.

“Why?”

He thought about the reason they held such allure while she drove along the Cabrillo Highway, through the town of San Simeon, and past the entrance to Hearst Castle, where his grandparents had met.

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