“Barrett.” I can’t help that it comes out almost like a moan.
The sky is dark now. The strings of white lights hung across the seating area and yard provide a warm glow. Soft jazz music plays from the outdoor speakers, interrupted only by the laughter from two couples playing bean bags yards away, when a wild throw lands in the bocce ball area. Meanwhile Barrett’s filthy mouth has soaked my panties.
He's waiting for a response. This is the moment in any other interaction with a guy that I would cut and run. But it’s not possible to run from Barrett. He’s my fake boyfriend for another month. I’ll have to see him again. That and he’s got me boxed in right now so there is literally no escaping.
“Do you want to know why I laughed at dinner when you said you wanted to eat me?” I ask.
“Yes.” His gaze is intent on my face.
“Because I was nervous.”
“You thought that I was…” Barrett’s expression moves from confusion to concern. “I would never force myself on you. On any woman. Which maybe doesn’t ring true with the fact that you are reluctantly pretending to be my girlfriend for a business deal, but I would never physically force myself on you.”
“I believe you. That’s not what I was nervous about.”
“Okay. What was it?” he asks.
“I’ve never done that before,” I admit.
“Had sex?” His deep voice makes his words carry and I glance around in a panic.
“You are so loud right now!”
“You’re the one yelling.”
“No. Not sex,” I whisper. “I’m not a virgin. I’ve had sex before. The other stuff. It kind of got skipped over.”
I wait until it clicks into place.
“Oral sex.”
“Stop saying sex.”
He nods, studying me for a beat before leaning closer. He almost looks angry. “It sounds like you’ve been fucking idiots who only cared about getting their dicks wet.”
“Two idiots. That’s how many I’ve had sex with.”
Barrett nods but doesn’t say anything else. I don’t know what I expect him to say. I’m dying to know how many women he’s slept with but also not because the thought of him with another woman kind of makes me want to throw up. That could also be the wine swirling around in my stomach.
His silence on the subject of my inexperience makes me paranoid. Does he think it’s weird?
“The fact that no one has tasted you is a real shame, but it’s a mistake I don’t plan on making. The thought of it turns me on even more.”
My eyes widen at Barrett’s statement. It’s both thrilling and nerve wracking.
“Really?” I ask.
“Yes.”
With one hand cupping my jaw, Barrett presses his lips to mine.
His phone starts ringing the second our lips connect.
He curses, pulling away to take his phone out of his pocket. I want to throw his phone in the bushes and beg him to put his lips back on mine. Maybe I’ll put that on my list.
“Hello?” he answers, his tone clipped, but then it softens. “What?” When his gaze returns to me, his eyes are wide. “Okay, we’re on our way.”
“What’s going on?” I ask as Barrett’s large hands encircle my waist to lift me off the ledge. He takes my hand and leads me through the winery’s yard, around the side and out front.
“Barrett. What’s happening?”
“It’s Baxter. When Lucy took him outside, fireworks started going off at a neighbor’s house and he got scared. He ran off. She can’t find him.”
My heart sinks.
“Oh my God. I’m a terrible dog mom. I should have known he would be frightened. He hates storms, of course he’s going to hate fireworks. What was I thinking?! Now he’s out there somewhere alone and scared. What if he gets hurt? What if we don’t find him? What if—”
Barrett pulls me in close.
“We’re going to find him.” He says it matter-of-factly. “I’ll employ a full-time search and rescue team if I have to.”
“You’d do that? For Baxter?” I ask with tears in my eyes. Distraught that Baxter is missing, but with Barrett’s words, I’m feeling more hopeful that he’ll return safely.
“I’d do it for you. Because you love Baxter and I…” He pauses, looking down at me, “well, you’re my girlfriend. It only makes sense that I would use any means to make you happy.”
Right. It’s all about appearances. If we were really together and Barrett truly cared about me, finding Baxter would be top priority. That’s what he means. He’s got to play his part in this.