Page 92 of Love Among Vines

It was almost too perfect.

“Stay. Please.”

She took another picture before pulling her sketchbook out and setting to work. Deep shading for the shadows under the stone arches. Bricks of varying age and material. The curve of Rett’s deltoids beneath his collared shirt.

“I should have brought your oil paints along,” he said.

“Shh.”

In minutes, she was done.

“Can you move up there next?” She gestured to a wall that overlooked a curving stone staircase with a wrought iron handrail.

“One more pose. Then you have to come upstairs and see the sunset with me,” he said sternly. But he smiled as he stood at the wall, staring off into the distance.

Leaves fell softly to the stone pavement. Rolling hills dotted with vineyards and dense clumps of trees stood on the opposite shore.

One series of moody pictures and one sketch later, Jade flipped back and forth and looked at her handiwork. It wasn’t like anything else she had ever created. But there was something beautiful about these sketches.

“Come on, we’re losing the light.”

She jumped up the stairs as quickly as she could, and he led her up another set to the top of a bell tower.

“Oh, wow,” she said. The lake spread out before them, tinged pink with the dying light.

“Take a picture with me,” he said. He pulled out his phone.

“Is this part of the ruse?” She snuggled in under his arm, which he draped over her shoulders. It was warm and comforting. If she closed her eyes, she could almost pretend it was real.

“Maybe. But I also just think it’ll be a nice picture.”

He snapped a couple selfies, then they turned back to the majesty of the sunset. They stood side by side, hands brushing against each other as they stood on the tower. The sun had almost disappeared, no more than a brilliant speck on the horizon. Deep blues set in all around them, blending with the pinks and oranges of sunset.

His hand brushed hers once more. He had turned to look at her, and there was something different in his eyes. Almost like he was seeing her for the first time. Her heart staggered in her chest again, and she reached over to take his hand. They stood together, fingers intertwined, and watched until the light faded.

CHAPTER THIRTY

RETT

“This is wild,”Jade said in the complete darkness.

Rett squinted in her general direction. Although he could hear with unusual accuracy the scraping of forks on plates and water glasses being refilled, he couldn’t see a damn thing.

“I hope it helps. Shit.”

Clang. Something metallic clattered to the floor.

“Are you throwing your cutlery on the floor? Our poor waiter has enough stuff to do without constantly replacing your knife,” she said with a giggle.

Her foot found his under the table. They were at Blackout, a restaurant in a nearby town where visually impaired waitstaff served dinner in the dark.

“Your red, ma’am,” someone said in the darkness.Clunk. Something heavy and glass landed on the table.

“And your white, sir.” There was another clunk. “You’ll find them to the right of your plate. I suggest reaching carefully…and I’ll bring you another knife.”

A few seconds passed, and Jade moaned across the table. “Oh, god, this is good.”

At least the deep oblivion of the restaurant made it harder to see the pants tent he was pitching. Stealth boner.

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