“Nope.” He grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “I’ll be tired, but I won’t hate you. In fact, I’ll be wondering when we can do it again.”

I giggled. “Fiend.”

“Sticks and stones, Sawyer.”

Smiling, I let my eyes drift shut and fell asleep next to him, my hand in his, my entire body humming.

I felt happy and beautiful and alive.

“Why don’t I call Chloe and see if she can pick me up on her way to Cloverleigh?” I asked Noah as he raced around his bedroom getting ready for work. I was dressed already, sitting at the foot of his bed, admiring him in his uniform.

“I’ll drive you,” he said, fastening his watch to his wrist.

“But you’re already running late, and it’s my fault!”

He stopped what he was doing, came over to the bed and kissed me. “I’ll drive you. End of discussion.”

I sighed and stood up. “Okay, fine. Can I do anything for you?”

He smirked. “Many, many things. But I’m just about ready to go.”

Downstairs, he collected Renzo and we piled into his SUV. On the ride to Cloverleigh, he held my hand and asked what I was up to for the day.

“I’m not sure, exactly. Sylvia gets in at some point this afternoon with her whole family, so probably some sort of family dinner tonight. It’s been years since we’ve all been together under one roof.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“It will be. But I’d still rather be with you.” I whispered behind my hand. “Don’t tell anybody.”

He grinned. “Your secret is safe with me.”

At Cloverleigh, he pulled around back by my parents’ house and gave me a quick kiss. “Enjoy the time with your family.”

“Thanks. I’ll text you later.”

As he drove away, I said a quick prayer of hope that my parents would not be at the breakfast table as early as they had been yesterday.

No such luck.

When I let myself in the back door, wearing the outfit I’d been in yesterday, my dad was in his usual spot reading the paper and my mother was slicing a grapefruit at the counter—and she happened to have a perfect view of the driveway where Noah had just dropped me off. Had she seen us kiss?

“Morning,” I said, wishing I’d at least had a hairbrush in my purse. I knew I looked completely rumpled and totally last night.

“Morning, dear. Late night, hmm?”

I smiled sheepishly. “Yeah. I had dinner with Chloe and then hung out at Noah’s for a while. It got late and he had to work early, so I just stayed the night at his house.” I considered adding something about staying in his spare room or on his couch, but caught myself. For heaven’s sake, I was thirty-three! Why did I did think I needed my mom’s permission to spend the night with a man?

But somehow I did, so I avoided their eyes as I bee-lined through the kitchen and headed for the stairs. “I’m going to grab a quick shower.”

“Okay, honey.”

Upstairs in my room, I couldn’t resist my bed and ended up crashing facedown in it for two hours. When I woke up, I was groggy and disoriented, but the moment I remembered why I’d needed the nap, I smiled. What a crazy turn of events.

I cleaned up and went down to the kitchen, which was empty. Ravenous, I made myself some lunch and scarfed it down standing at the counter while checking my messages. I had several work-related texts; a few from Chloe, who was dying to know what had happened after she dropped me off; one from Brooks, who wanted me to know he’d be back in DC this weekend to clear out the rest of his stuff; and one from Noah containing a single word.

You.

My heart fluttered wildly.

I knew today was a family day, but I also knew I’d go mad if I couldn’t spend another night in his arms.

Somehow, I’d make it happen.

I spent the afternoon with Chloe in the tasting room, and in between tastings when the room was empty and we were preparing for the next guests on the tour, I managed to tell her about last night.

She laughed her ass off. “Oh my God, that’s priceless. You must have died when you opened that bathroom door!”

“I about did. And any other time, I would have slammed it shut and run away—but I made myself stay.”

“Good for you.” Chloe held up a glass to the light to double check it was perfectly clean. “So now what? Will you see him again tonight?”

“I hope so. Do you know what the plan is?”

“Dinner res at eight. I guess Sylvia’s plane gets in around six-thirty.”

“And the reservation is at eight? That’s cutting it close. What if the flight is delayed?”

Chloe gave me a look. “It’s Sylvia. That shit doesn’t happen to her. Hashtag blessed.”

I laughed, although I knew our oldest sister hated it when we made fun of her that way. But we couldn’t help it—Sylvia’s life was charmed. A beauty queen from childhood, she was still stunning at thirty-seven, married to a handsome, successful investment banker, and had the house of her dreams in Santa Barbara. Did I mention the slope-side condo in Aspen, annual European vacations, and two smart, well-behaved children, my niece Whitney, and my nephew Keaton, aged twelve and ten?

“True,” I said. “So I guess I’ll plan on dinner at eight. Maybe I can see Noah after that.”

“Why not invite him to dinner?” Chloe suggested as the next tour group made its way into the tasting room. “What time is he off work?”

“I think seven, but I don’t know that I’d subject him to dinner with our entire family,” I said. “He’ll be dealing with all our crazy at the wedding.”

“Then late night it is.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “I’m happy to drop you off again on my way home from here.”

“Thanks,” I told her, smiling as an elderly couple approached the counter holding hands. “I’ll let you know.”

Later, when I had a moment to myself, I texted Noah back.

Me: How’s your day, gorgeous?

Noah: The usual. Except I keep getting hard every time I think about you. It’s very inconvenient.

Me: Not sorry.

Noah: Of course you’re not. You look like a nice girl, but I’m onto you. I know what you want.

My stomach whooshed.

Me: Can I see you tonight?

Noah: Now who’s the fiend?

Me: Haha. Chloe said she could drop me off after dinner, but it would be late. Maybe around ten.

Noah: Call me. I’ll come get you.

Me: But that’s out of your way.

Noah: For fuck’s sake, Sawyer. When are you going to realize that I will always go out of my way for you?

I smiled at my phone like an idiot. I felt like dancing.

Me: Okay. I’ll call you.

As predicted, Sylvia’s flight arrived on time, and my parents returned from the airport with her family right around seven. April, Chloe, and I were sitting out on our parents’ patio with a bottle of wine when we heard them pull up, and we set down our glasses to head around front and greet them.

“Sylvie!” April cried, throwing her arms around our big sister, who looked tired and harried after a long day of traveling, but gorgeous nonetheless. “It’s so good to see you.”