Page 52 of One Sweet Day is Never Enough

She laughed and he kissed her again.

She found a vase in the kitchen and set the flowers down on the table.

Gia had sautéed the chicken portions and then drizzled them with her homemade glaze. She’d serve it over a bed of rice with a side of steamed vegetables. It really was an easy dish to whip up even at the last minute.

“I don’t care what it is—I can’t wait.” He smiled. “But seriously, you didn’t work too hard, did you?” He put his arms around her waist and she felt his breath on her neck.

“Not at all. Don’t worry.”

“Good. You already work hard enough as it is.” He pulled her in close and kissed her slowly and for a few moments, she all but forgot about the food.

After dinner, Seth stood up to clear the plates from the table. “Let me take that for you. The chef shouldn’t have to clear the table.”

He was so sweet.

“That’s okay. I’ll get it.” Gia reached for her plate. She hadn’t intended for him to lift a finger tonight. Making dinner for him had been a delight.

“Nope. I insist.” He took it from her and gently deposited both plates in the sink then came back for the rest of it, planting a kiss on her cheek before he walked away. “That was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. You weren’t kidding when you said you could cook.”

“I appreciate that, but it was easy.”

He laughed. “I’m being serious. And if that was easy, I can’t wait to tastedifficult.” He winked at her and she laughed then finished off the last few drops of the ice water in her glass. She got up from the table and walked over to the sink. She couldn’t let him do all of this work on his own.

“No way, kid. You’re not doing the dishes,” Seth blocked her from the sink.

“But you’re my guest.”

“Don’t care. But how about this: I’ll wash, you dry, and then let’s take that walk?”

Gia grinned. “Are you sure? I can leave them for later.” Of course, she’d love it if she didn’t have to come back to a sink full of dishes tonight.

“It’ll take half the time if we do them together.” He stood behind her and took her gently by the waist, then scooted her over, turned on the water, and soaped up the sponge.

Gia sighed with contentment, watching him start with the sauté pan. Was there anything sexier than a guy who didn’t mind housework? She’d better look out because she was in big trouble.

* * *

Gia and Sethstrolled hand in hand behind the other patrons touring the Whistling Creek Winery on Saturday. The property was situated in the central interior of the peninsula, not too far from Heritage Bay. Seth was impressed with it.

A blanket of perfect green grass showcased a wide, modern structure with an A-frame roof and a rustic brown barn. A lazy creek flowed quietly past a lush vineyard and rows of leafy deciduous trees surrounded the estate in every direction. He was thrilled that Gia seemed to be enjoying herself so much. He was enjoying himself, too.

They’d sampled several of the wines in the tasting room first. Then they’d followed a guide through the vineyard and learned about the grape varieties that Whistling Creek specialized in. Next was a visit to the production room where the guide had shown them the ins and outs of the company’s winemaking operations, and now, the tour was finishing up. It was time to sit back and enjoy the scenery, and the beautiful, sophisticated woman he’d come here with. They sat down.

Seth squeezed her hand. “This place has grown a lot in the past decade. I only visited once before, but that was at least five years ago.”

“I find it fascinating—and delicious.” Gia said. “I’ve never officially toured a winery before, other than yours, and I really had no idea how wine is made. Thanks for bringing me here.”

He smiled and reached across the outdoor table and gave her a long, soft kiss on the lips. She tasted sweet, like the wine. “I’m glad you like it. I’d love to teach you more about it, myself.”

“Let’s do it. I want to learn.”

“You’ve got it. Some weekend when you’re not busy…”

“Sounds good.”

Today, it felt like he’d been able to share a little bit of the life he’d had for the past nine years with her. He wished he could show her what it had been like in Sonoma. She’d love it there. But for now, this was the next best thing.

Seth had tried just a couple tastes of the wine since he was driving them around today. He chugged his glass of water. “Something about being out in this setting really makes me happy. Must be the familiarity of a place like this after all the time I spent in California wine country.”

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