Page 16 of Whiskey Promises
Chapter Three
Zoya
"Christ on a cracker,"I whisper, my eyes practically bugging out of my head as soon as we pull up outside the vineyard and my gaze lands on Jareth. That's it. That's the whole thought.
The man is shirtless and sweating. Who needs to think?
"Fuck me," Connor mutters from beside me, sitting upright to gawk at Jareth. At least, I'm pretty sure it's Jareth hoisting awine cask over his head outside of the winery and not his twin, but I could be wrong.
How are there possibly two of them who look that damn good shirtless and sweaty? And trust me, this one looks damn good.
His golden skin glistens in the sunlight slanting across the vineyard. His torn jeans hug his muscular thighs, hinting at just how powerful he really is. Fully clothed, he's a beast. Shirtless, he's something else altogether.
Life at the vineyard has clearly done the man justice.
I am so screwed.
It doesn't help that it's picture-perfect here. Literally. This is the kind of place featured on postcards in rest stops. Row after row of grapevines stretch right up to the mountains on one side. The ocean blows in from the other. The winery and restaurant are situated in the middle of absolute serenity, with an office building, cabins, and family homes scattered all around the property. It's breathtaking.
And Jareth is shirtless right in the center of it.
Help. Me.
"Oh, Jareth is already here!" Nadia chirps from the front seat, lifting her hand in a wave when his jade eyes land on Teo's Escalade. Even through the dark tint over the windows, I feel them burning into me, beckoning me toward him. Or maybe that's the rivulet of sweat running right down the center of his rock-hard abdomen that's coaxing me toward recklessness.
How did he get even damn sexier in the last few weeks?
"Sexual voodoo. It has to be sexual voodoo," I mumble, more to myself than anyone, really. But Connor hears me and snorts softly.
Of course he's enjoying my waking nightmare. Doesn't he always when I rope him into one of my bad ideas? Pretending he's my boyfriend for the next two weeks might just be the most ridiculous thing I've ever done. But there's no way I'm going tobe able to resist Jareth on my own. I haven't even gotten out of the car, and my panties are already suspiciously wet. Ineedreinforcements.
"I take it that's your man?" Connor whispers, leaning his head against mine to keep Nadia and Teo from overhearing him.
I shoot him a death glare. "You're my man, remember?"
His lips curve into an amused smirk. "Whatever you say, cupcake. But I might have to leave you for him." He waggles his brows at me. "Look at him, Zoya."
Believe me, I am looking.Dammit.
"He's not that good-looking." Good girls go to heaven. Liars keep their dignity. It washes in the end.
Connor snorts, shooting me a look that tells me that he knows I'm full of shit. But he doesn't call me on it. Instead, he glances out the window as Teo pulls into a parking spot. The amused grin stretched across his face grows. "I think it's showtime. Your man is coming this way."
"Christ on a cracker," I squeak, peeking through the window again to confirm that he's right. Jareth ditched the cask and is striding toward the car. Still shirtless. I quickly grab Connor's hand, squeezing for dear life. Not because I'm trying to play the part of his loving girlfriend. It's more out of sheer self-preservation. If I'm clinging to him, I can't crawl through the window and climb Jareth.
"You okay back there?" Nadia asks.
"Fine," I squeak.
Teo meets my gaze in the rearview mirror, grinning like he knows I'm up to something shady. As much as I hate to admit it…he knows me too well. It happens when you've known someone since you were in diapers.
Nadia hops out to meet Jareth as Teo kills the engine.
"You ready?" Connor asks me as Teo climbs out.
"No."
"Sucks for you. This was your plan." He taps me on the nose. "We're being summoned."
