Page 43 of Sweet Escape

“I don’t even know how to explain it, Memphis, but my muse is back. My creative well has been refilled, and you had something to do with it. Sex with you, I mean.”

At that, I bark out a laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”

“I’m not.”

“So, what ... my penis is your muse?”

Vivian laughs, and then we’re both laughing. And I’m thankful that at least she realizes how laughable it sounds.

“I’m not joking around, okay?” She shrugs a shoulder. “We are ... very obviously attracted to each other,” she says, her hand waving back and forth between us. “And I want to propose a very casual, no strings attached, no expectations ... fuck fest.”

There’s a beat of silence before we both burst into laughter again, the feeling of it like a dam breaking, something inside me thatneededto laugh like this bursting forth.

“Why are we laughing?” she asks, her hands over her eyes and a smile stretched wide on her face, that beautiful giggle continuing to echo through the tasting room. “It’s not supposed to be funny! It’s supposed to be sexy!”

Which makes us cackle even harder.

Finally, our fits of laughter begin to subside, and we each take a moment to catch our breath. Vivian checks her makeup in the reflection of a plaque on the wall, wiping the mascara beneath her eyes.

“Okay, let’s try this again,” she says, spinning back around, her hands on her hips. “I am proposing a friends-with-benefits situation. But I guess we’re more enemies than friends so ... enemies-with-benefits. Bene-mies.”

“We are not enemies,” I assert, rolling my eyes. “We’re just ... easily incited.”

“You mean we want to light each other on fire.”

I chuckle again, though it fades quickly. “I mean, you setmeablaze.”

Her mouth parts when I say it, and I realize that with those words, our laughable conversation has grown more serious.

I meant what I said. There’s something about Vivian that sets me on fire in a way I’m not familiar with.

I’m not sure exactly what it is. Maybe it’s the lighthearted, playful banter that keeps me on my toes. Maybe it’s the explosive physical chemistry that has my skin tingling anytime she’s near. Maybe it’s a perfect cocktail of both.

But I would be a fool to deny that I’m more than eager to get naked with Vivian again. My mind is quickly making a convincing argument that I could afford to lose an hour of sleep here and there to find a way to make this proposal work.

“Okay, so, how do you envision this working?” I ask, crossing my arms and leaning back on the counter. “Because I’m not making excuses when I say I’m busy. Things are hellish right now, and the harvest starts next week, which is going to put even more demands on my time.”

Her lips purse, her mouth twisting side to side as she thinks it over. “I’m not sure. All I know is that I want this to happen. In whatever shape or form it needs to for you to be on board.”

I’m on board. I’m more than on board. There isn’t anything else she needs to do in order to convince me.

“I want it to happen, too,” I tell her, finally deciding to just ... say it. To put it out there so I can’t keep pretending it’s not true.

Vivian beams at me, her eyes bright. “How about we ... keep in contact,” she offers, tucking her hair behind her ear. “If you have free time and you’d like me to come around. Or vice versa.”

I mull it over. Playing it by ear is probably the only option that really meshes with the erratic nature of my schedule right now.

“I could do that.”

“Great, well ... I should give you my number, then?”

I nod, tugging my phone out, and Vivian does the same.

Once we’ve exchanged, I slip mine back into my pocket, only to feel it buzz almost immediately. And when I glance at it, surprise rolls through me.

Vivian:Busy tonight?

I smirk and look at Vivian only a few feet away.

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