ed to leave, she kn

eps, a half-filled glass in his hand,

her. But she could feel it - like a brush of fingertips at t

her glass down too hard.

ilent, lingerin

een here?" she asked

he said. "G

let y

think she

shits in her herb garden

u'd arrive today. And that I s

t raiding the

nt once said the wine should nev

e. Slowl

d you ju

ame, casual, patient. "Your aunt

ten down, never said aloud to anyone except her, whisper

e you r

ows what good things taste like. An

- like everything meant something more than i

he said flatly. "I'm selling the

ay

loser. Her stoma

k you want to sel

ll me wha

. I'll s

furious and tempt

on't k

ed, subtle and slow.

steady he soun

for a man trespassing

s inv

not b

areful, unhurried. "Would it ma

ed. "That would

make me in

ck and velvet. The kind

k, ran cold water, and splashed it over her wris

hear the slow shift of his bare feet on tile. She

you, Isadora. Wi

t ask fo

That land's screaming

n to fa

here to be analyzed, touched, or seduced by some brooding vineyard philosophe

You think I'

you're in

ittle closer, "you like the idea of s

hit the

Not yet. But close enough to fee

now their place,"

s mouth

re would

from

elling the air near her neck. "That's

idn't move. "You'r

red. "My imagina

he step

d. Just...satisfied, li

she said, grabbing the counter to steady her vo

erst

out of t

foot already

e cellar," he said. "Just

htened. "Do

l view of his profile in the low kitchen

't hav

hall like he'd walked it a hundr

ayed perfe

ave poured o

ld him to leave, r

whispered into

uc