Page 19 of Becoming His Muse
She was dressed in a two-piece yellow set. The top had thin shoulder straps and a knotted tie in the middle hung down the front. Her midriff was exposed, and she wore high-waisted pants. To be practical, Olani decided on sandals instead of heels. Her kinky hair was pulled up on top of her head in a thick ponytail with tendrils on the side of her face.
Olani paired the outfit with stud earrings, a necklace with a simple drop pendant at the end, and a matching bracelet. She kept her makeup natural and light.
After checking herself in the mirror, she grabbed the clutch she was taking, ensuring that everything she needed was in it before exiting her bedroom and then out of her house. She’d already sent Xola the address of where she would be and ensured her location was on.
Olani keyed the address into her GPS before pulling out onto the street. She turned on her favorite playlist and enjoyed it as she made her way to the vineyard.
When she pulled into the vineyard parking area, there were only a few cars, so it only took her a few seconds to spot Elion’s. She parked beside him, and as she turned off her vehicle and opened her door, he was there to help her out of the car.
She placed her keys in her purse before taking the hand he offered and allowing him to help her out of the car. She looked up at him to find that he was staring down at her, his eyes roaming over her.
When he leaned down to capture her lips with his, Olani followed his lead. His lips molded against hers before slipping his tongue into her mouth and tasting her. His hands settled on her exposed skin as he pulled her closer, and she found herself releasing a little moan into the kiss.
Her free hand went to Elion’s shoulder, and her body sat flush against his. Their tongues moved slowly, and she forgot they were standing in a parking lot.
The kiss was broken several long minutes later, and she took a deep breath. “Hello to you too,” she said with a soft smile, listening to him chuckle.
“Hello, Sweetheart,” he responded. “I suppose that should have been first.”
“If that’s how you want to greet me each time, I won’t complain,” Olani informed him with a mischievous smirk.
Elion gave her a chaste kiss. “I’ll keep that in mind. Should we head inside?”
She nodded, pressing the button to lock her car door before they stepped out of the opening, and she closed it. She allowed him to lead them towards the entry walkway with her hand in his. As they approached, there was a sign, and she looked it over.
“Wait, this says they close at eight. That’s in half an hour.”
He nodded at her. “They do, but Shaw, the owner, is a friend of mine. So, we’ll have the vineyard to ourselves for the evening.”
She nodded and continued to follow him up the path. When they reached the entrance, Elion gave the young man standing there his name and opened the gate to let them in.
They were under a large pavilion with string lights hanging from the top, each column wrapped in lights. Tables were spread out, with lantern lights in the center. On the other side of the pavilion, Olani could see a building or house of sorts. She assumed that was where they brought the wine from.
Elion led her over to a table and pulled her chair out for her. As she sat, she looked around. Only seven other people were there, and she could tell they were getting ready to leave. The glasses used for tasting on their tables were empty.
She turned her attention to Elion, taking him in before he took a seat. He was wearing dark gray slacks with a black long-sleeve button-up, the sleeves rolled up a bit. He had a black watch on one wrist and a black bracelet on the other. He’d left the top two buttons of the shirt undone, and Olani was enjoying the view of his chest.
They’d only been seated a few minutes when a man approached their table. He was dressed in khaki pants and a white button-up. Like Elion, his sleeves were rolled up a bit, and she could see the peaking of a couple of tattoos.
“Elion, I’m glad you got back out here,” the man greeted them as he stopped at their table before turning to her. “And who is this beautiful woman?”
“Shaw, this is Olani. Olani, this is my friend Shaw.”
Olani held her hand out, and Shaw shook it gently. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You as well. Especially if you have this workaholic friend of mine spending time on other things,” Shaw responded with a smirk before turning his attention to Elion, who just raised an eyebrow at him.
“Where’s that twin of yours?” Elion questioned.
“You know, Silas. I’m sure he’s somewhere causing trouble.”
Olani listened to the two men laugh, biting her bottom lip to keep from smiling. She enjoyed listening to Elion laugh and chuckle. The deep sound was pleasing.
“Well, I’ll have the wines brought out for you to taste, and then the two of you can walk the vineyard. The lights will come on here shortly, and you know where to go,” Shaw stated. Elion nodded, and Olani thanked him before he left.
It wasn’t long before the people left in attendance began to trickle out, and then a cart was pushed out to them with several different wines, along with a tray of fresh-cut cheeses. They tried a few, and Olani had to admit that she enjoyed them. She rarely found a red wine that she enjoyed, preferring sweet over dry, but these were a good balance.
“So, how are the sculptures going?” she questioned after the brief silence.
