When she kissed me I about exploded right then and there. I mean, for fuck’s sake, it has only been a few days and I can see a change in her already.
Don’t fuck this up Adam.
After we finish with the grape stomping, we are escorted to the bathrooms where we can change our clothes and clean up. I knew we would have to change so I planned ahead, and I politely ask the instructor where the bags are that I dropped off earlier in the afternoon.
She brings them out from the back room and hands them to me. I turn and hand one to Erin.
“What’s this?”
“Your change of clothes, woman.”
She lets out a small and soft giggle. “You really did plan everything didn’t you Mr. Payne?” Turning around so I get the best view of that sexy little ass of hers, she saunters into the women’s bathroom.
Upon exiting the men’s room, I am standing there waiting for Erin to come out and I notice a gift shop through a set of doors on the other side of the building. Tossing my bag over my shoulder, I make my way into the store to purchase a bottle of wine I remember Erin saying was her favorite at dinner.
Just as I return, she emerges from the restroom and I stop dead in my tracks at the sight of her wearing my clothes. Holy fuck, I have never seen her look as edible as she does right now. She is torturing me and she doesn’t even realize it.
“What did you get?” she asks, pointing to the bag in my hand.
“I saw the gift shop over there and they have the wine that you liked, so I bought you some.”
“You did? Oh, Adam! Thank you so much, I loved that wine. I was just thinking as I was cleaning up that this is such a perfect night that I don’t want it to end.”
She looks away and a flush of red sweeps across her face as if she is embarrassed to tell me what she was thinking.
“You don’t have to look away from me, Erin. Please, tell me what you were thinking?” She seems to contemplate for a few seconds and then she gazes into my eyes. “Well, I was thinking that we could go home and have a fire outside. Since you bought this wine we can have that, too.”
I don’t give her long to stand there and wonder what my answer will be. “I couldn’t have come up with a better idea myself if I would have tried,” I assure her, placing the wine in my bag and slinging my arm around her shoulders as we start the leisurely walk back to my truck.
“I wanted to ask you a question,” I say as we get halfway to the parking area.
“Okay. Sure.”
I nudge her slightly because she sounds a little apprehensive with her response. “Tell me about growing up with your grandparents. I want to know who made you the astonishing woman that you are.”
“Really? You want to know about my grandparents?”
She acts so surprised. I stop walking for a minute and turn her towards me. “Erin, I want to know everything about you, so yes, I want to know about your grandparents.”
“I haven’t talked about them in so long. I miss them so much,” she says wistfully. “As you know, my parents were both killed in a car accident when I was four and Shelby was two. I remember a few things about them, but really not a lot except for the fact that my mom loved daisies and my dad would bring them to her all the time.”
She pauses for a second. “Well, anyway, it was tough at first because my grandparents were older and Shelby and I were both so young, but they were great. We were loved and we never went without a thing. When I got older, my grandmother used to tell me how much I reminded her of my mother. She said I always put everyone else before myself the same way my mom did. I don’t know. I always used to look after Shelby and take her with me everywhere I would go. Shelby and I stayed very close, even when I left for college. For the first year I came home almost every weekend, but then I met Joel. I was so into him that I started coming home less, and Shelby and I grew apart for several years.” “Really, why do you want to know all this?” she asks, shaking her head.
I stop us and look deep into her eyes. “I told you. I want to know everything about you Erin, and I mean everything. I want to know you here-” I say, kissing her forehead. “I want to know you here-” I add, kissing down the side of her neck. “And I want to know you here,” I finish, bringing my lips within an inch of hers. “I admire your strength so much, Erin. Please don’t ever doubt that.”
She takes in a sharp breath and I wonder what she is thinking right now. I hope this night was as perfect for her as I wanted it to be.
I hate to take my arm from around her but I know that I have to in order to get my keys, so I pull myself away. Erin shudders a bit as if she is cold.