Page 49 of Pure Seduction (Chamberlin Brothers 1)

At the sound of the kitchen door, I looked over to see Noah with two plates in hand, and I wondered what meal he’d decided on for us tonight. He placed the first one down in front of me and the second in front of the chair off to my left, then he took a seat.

“The seared scallops,” I said, recognizing the appetizer immediately. “Good choice.”

“You told me I should taste as many of the foods and wines on the menu as I could to see if I thought any changes were necessary. The 2016 Cabernet with the rib-eye was perfection, so I thought tonight we’d try two new options.”

Several bottles of wine and glasses were lined up across the table, courtesy no doubt of Pete, and I knew exactly which one I wanted paired with this. I reached for the Chardonnay.

“Okay, let’s see if we can dazzle your taste buds with this second combination.”

Noah flicked his napkin open and spread it across his lap. “You’re the expert in this department. I’m going to leave that up to you.”

I uncorked the wine and poured him enough for a test. He took a sip and slicked the tip of his tongue over his lower lip before savoring the taste, and I wished he was sampling me instead.

“Mmm, it’s good. Citrusy but with a little spice. I get lemon and honey—a little cinnamon, too.”

“What about the hint of pear and caramel at the end?”

Noah raised the glass and took another sip, his gaze focused on mine as he let the aromas and flavors tease his senses.

“Yes,” he finally said with a nod. “There it is.”

I grinned and poured us both a glass. “This is one of my favorites. It’s always a surprise that bright finish you get after the initial full-bodied richness.”

“You’re right. It almost dances around your mouth.”

“Yes. That’s the perfect way to describe it. Now try it with the scallops. I dare you to tell me it doesn’t complement Pete’s orange and ginger beurre blanc sauce.”

“Dare me, huh?”

I propped my elbow on the table, relaxing into the evening for the first time, and gave him a flirty smile. “Double dare you.”

The easy camaraderie felt so good, so natural with Noah, that it wasn’t until he was several bites in and gestured to my food that I realized I wasn’t eating myself. That was quickly rectified as soon as I had my first mouthful. I hadn’t had Pete’s scallops in quite a while, and with their perfectly golden-brown crust, they all but melted in your mouth.

I hummed my approval and took another bite, and when a rumble of laughter came from Noah, I looked over to see him watching me.

“What?”

“Nothing. I was just…enjoying the view.”

How I could still blush after some of the things he’d said and done to me already this evening was beyond me. But this arrogant confidence, coupled with his honesty, had me shifting a little in my seat. Something that wasn’t lost on him, judging by his smirk.

“How do you like it?” I asked, determined not to let him fluster me. Sure, I was turned on; I had been since last night. But I’d made it clear under the bleachers that I wasn’t going to go down without a fight—or at least not until after he did.

Noah pulled the fork from between his lips and finished off his final bite, then nodded. “I’m almost disappointed no dare will be issued. But that right there is another winner. There’s nothing I’d change about that.”

Pleased, I reached for my wine and finished off my own glass.

“You’re good at this,” he said.

“You sound surprised.”

“Not surprised. I knew you were after that first day when you showed me around. I guess a better word for it would be intrigued.”

Noah sat back and looked at me, his brow furrowing as though he were mulling something over. “In all the time I knew you, we never talked about the winery. You never asked for a tour. Actually, you didn’t even ask me to sneak you any alcohol. So yeah, color me intrigued. How did the girl I thought was destined to become an English or history teacher end up as a sommelier? And a damn good one at that.”

“People change their minds all the time,” I said, trying to brush it aside, but Noah wasn’t having any of that.

“Change their minds? Was it or was it not you who I ran into the other day with an armload of books? Clearly you still love to read everything and anything, so I guess I’m just curious what changed your path.” Noah reached for the bottle of wine. “God knows Harry changed mine.”

My spine stiffened at the mention of Harry’s name. Noah’s question hitting a little too close to home, as I sat there trying to decide how to answer. Did I give the same spiel about the summer job that I’d first given him? Or something closer to what had really happened? This was what I’d been most afraid of when Noah had shown back up in town: my past and present colliding and the damage that would inevitably cause.

---