Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 128061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
“Do ye hear her?” Niamh leaned back with eyebrows at her hairline. “She’d want to be on one of those home makeover shows.”
Jessie spread her arms at Niamh. “This isn’t a dive bar. We need a little light.”
“I’m not sayin’ we don’t. I’m just sayin’ ye’re awfully opinionated about this place when ye couldn’t give two shakes about Ivy House.”
Jess shrugged, looking over the table setup one last time, and then pointed at the far corner. “Maybe a little area for selling wine things there instead of across the room.” She stared at it for a bit, looked around one more time, and nodded. “Yes. I think that’s it. This feels right.”
“Oh it feels right, does it?” Niamh looked to where she was pointing as Jess took a chair at Niamh’s table and motioned Austin over.
“Yes. There is a nice flow through here now,” Jess said. “It’ll be perfect. And in answer to your…accusation or whatever it was…” She shrugged again. “My ex-mother-in-law kind of put me off house decorating. But also…Ivy House has its own personality. I am the heir, but it’ll never be truly mine. So…I don’t know, I just wouldn’t know where to start.”
Niamh nodded. “That’s why I bought my own place. I didn’t want to live in the house with that clown Mr. Tom underfoot all the time. Ivy House is a place of work. I need me off time, too.”
“Yeah, exactly.” Jess nodded again. “That’s a great way to put it.”
They passed a bit more time, sitting at the table and chatting, looking up colors and items for the interior. When they’d exhausted their efforts for the day, Niamh wandered away and left Austin and Jess standing in the center of the space.
“It’s going to be really nice,” he told her, pulling her close.
She wrapped her arms around his middle. “I think so. Though the tasting room doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s the wine people will care about.”
“The team is working on it. Honestly, if you’re sure about delaying, it’s probably for the best. But in the end, I believe we will have a good finished product.”
“We’ll do a pre-opening at the actual winery to taste, inviting whoever wants to come, and then open a week later or whatever. That’ll start it off with a nice buzz.”
“That…is an amazing idea.” He kissed her forehead. “I love it.”
A glimmer passed through her eyes and her eyelids narrowed just slightly. A flurry of emotions filtered through the bond, too fast for him to pick any one out.
“How about we make use of the lack of windows?” she murmured, her breath sweet.
He ran his hands down her back and cupped her butt, grinding her hips against him. “We’re kind of short on time. I was hoping you’d have dinner with me? Afterward, I need to check out one of my properties. We also need to meet up with Mimi at some point.”
“Hmm.” Her kiss was languid but intense, her tongue swirling with his. “I’d love to have dinner with you. We can be really quick.”
She trailed her hands down the sides of his body and then pushed back a little so her fingers had room to feel along his belt. She ran her teeth along his lips and pulled at his button before quickly unzipping his pants.
“Super fast. Then we’ll run to the car.” She slid her palm in and captured his hard length. “We’ll have lost no time at all, you’ll see. Or if we go a little longer, so that maybe I can use my mouth a little, we’ll just go without an appetizer.”
She dropped down to her knees, sucking him in. He groaned, his fingers in her hair and his head falling back. There really was no point in resisting. When it came to her, he wasn’t a strong-willed man.
She wasn’t hurried, using long strokes that drew his eyes down to her. She looked up, repeatedly taking him in, working him with her hand as she did so.
“You’re so beautiful,” he blurted, and her rhythm stalled a little so she could smile up at him. Even a smart man had trouble with original compliments in this situation. She was lucky he could do more than continue the marathon of grunting.
He curled his fingers around her wrist to stop her. If she kept going, he’d finish before she’d even begun.
Knowing this, she gracefully rose before stripping off her shirt and then her bra. Her shoes then pants went next, leaving nothing but a lacy pink thong. She sauntered to the counter, her hips hypnotizing him, before turning around and leaning back. Her nipples constricted from the chill, pointing right at him. Her curves set him on fire.
Pants around his ankles, he lurched toward her like Frankenstein’s monster. His hands ran along her flesh. His mouth sucked the hard peak of her breast. He meant to fall to his knees and worship her, but he was too far gone. Instead, he sucked in a tender spot on her neck that she liked and pushed her thong aside.