Lana
I led Jaden on a grand tour of the property. The rows upon rows of vines stretched out before us, giving me a sense of pride as the leaves moved in the warm breeze. In between sips of wine and talks about harvest season, our conversation turned flirtatious and playful. As we walked, our hands brushed against each other’s, sending electric currents through my body. By the time we reached the house, it was nearly suppertime, but all I could think about was the passionate kiss we shared earlier and the hinting touches that left me wanting more. My heart raced with excitement as I realized how fast things were progressing between us, but I couldn’t deny that I had never felt more alive in my life. With each step we took toward the house, I knew I didn’t want this spark between us to fizzle out.
When I opened the front door to the house, the delicious scent of the roast I had prepared in the crock pot this morning enveloped my senses. As we entered the house, I turned to Jadan. “I hope you like pot roast.”
“It smells amazing,” he replied with a smile, confirming that he liked pot roast.
I headed to the kitchen with Jadan close behind. I could feel his eyes on me and, without thinking, moved my hips in a flirtatious manner. I swung open the kitchen door, but before I checked on the roast, I walked toward the small wine fridge and pulled out a bottle of Porter Chardonnay.
“Can you please do the honors of opening the wine?” I asked as I handed him the bottle of wine. “The wine opener is in the drawer next to you.”
Jaden’s fingers wrapped around the cool glass bottle as he pulled me closer with his other hand. Our eyes met, electricity crackling between us before our lips collided in a fiery, passionate kiss. In that moment, it felt like the Fourth of July had come early, and my whole body was buzzing with excitement. As our lips moved in sync, sparks of desire shot through me like fireworks, igniting a fierce attraction that only grew stronger with each passing second. The sound of Jadan setting down the wine bottle echoed before he pressed his body closer to mine, intensifying our desire for each other. Without warning, he lifted me from the floor and set me on the counter. I was so consumed with the moment, completely blind to the fact that any of the guys could walk in on us. I didn’t care. All I knew was that I wanted him. Maybe it was the wine, or the fact that I hadn’t been with a man for a long time.
“You’re so damn beautiful,” Jaden whispered. “Ever since I laid eyes on you, all I could think about was pressing my lips to yours.”
“Me too,” I breathed.
Before we could take things further, the back door creaked open and James entered. I quickly moved my body off the counter and walked to the other side of the kitchen, pretending like nothing had happened.
“Hey, James. We were just about ready to eat. Do you want to stay for dinner?” As much as I wanted to spend the evening alone with Jaden, I couldn’t confirm James’ suspicion about Jaden and me.
“Smells good,” James sighed as he stepped over to where I was standing. “I’ll set the table.”
This wasn’t the way I wanted to evening to go, but James stopping what might have happened between me and Jaden made me realize things were moving too fast.
After an awkward and tense introduction, I watched as Jaden carefully poured the rich white wine into our glasses. As he poured, I carefully lifted the lid of the crock pot and pulled out the fragrant roast, placing it on a platter to be served. We all took our seats at the dinner table, with James sitting next to me on my right and Jaden on my left. The tension between them was palpable as they both sat rigidly in their chairs, their eyes locked in an unspoken battle.
Before I could even take a bite of food, James spoke up, his voice dripping with disdain. “So, tell me, Jaden, what exactly is your intention with Lana?”
I could feel my annoyance rising at James’ rude question. “James, please don’t be so impolite,” I interjected.
Jaden simply smiled, unfazed by James’ hostility. “Lana and I have become very close business partners,” he explained calmly. “I plan on stocking my nightclub with Porter wine.”
The tension between Jaden and James only intensified as we ate our meal. Every glance, every word exchanged felt like daggers being thrown across the table. It was clear that neither of them saw me as just a friend—they were both vying for my attention and affection. But I refused to be treated like someone’s possession or prize. I belonged to myself and no one else had any right to lay claim to me.
James excusing himself couldn’t have come at a better time. As Jaden and I cleared the table, I couldn’t help but feel responsible for the way James had treated him. “I’m sorry about James. He shouldn’t have grilled you the way he did. My private life is none of his business.”
“Does that mean I have nothing to worry about?” Jayen asked jokingly.
“That is exactly what that means. James is my employee and nothing more. I’ve made him well aware of where I stand with him.”
Jaden took the plates from my hand and placed them on the counter. Before I could protest, he pulled my body close to his and lowered his head until his lips were inches from mine. “That makes me very happy. I would hate not being able to do this again.”
He pressed his lips to mine, the sweet smell of wine on his breath as he explored my mouth with his tongue. Cleaning up the dinner plates didn’t seem important any longer as we began to explore each other.
“Is there somewhere we can go that is more private,” Jaden whispered as he kissed and tugged the rim of my earlobe.
“Yes,” I breathed. “My bedroom is upstairs.”
* * *
It was the big event, with so much to do, and the only thing I could think about was how good it felt to wake up with Jaden beside me. Last night was remarkable, and a night I would never forget. Was it possible to fall for a guy I had only known for a week? It was once said that there was a guy out there for every woman—a true soulmate. I was thinking Jaden was that guy.
Smiling to myself, I finished placing the vases on the cocktail tables that were covered with black table covers. The wine tasting room looked amazing. James was in charge of the music collection and I prayed his choice would be subtle and not the hard rock music he had been listening to the other day.
The tension between James and Jaden was still visible. The best option was to keep them away from each other as much as possible. Thankfully, Jaden offered to pick up the roses for the vases. Even though James didn’t like it, I also put him in charge of directing our guests on where to park. In the past, he was always behind the bar, opening the wine bottles and serving. Not today. I left that task to one of the other guys.
Getting ready to check on James, I heard soft music coming over the speakers. It was an instrumental melody with horns and violins. The melancholy song was bittersweet, reminding me of the last time my father and I were in this room together. Before I totally lost myself, the wooden door opened with Jaden on the other side. He not only held the small pail of long stem roses for the event, he was also holding a beautiful bouquet of red roses mixed in with Gypsophila.
Jaden walked up to me, placing the pail on the floor. “These are for you.”
“You really didn’t have to do that,” I said as I took the roses from his hand. “They’re beautiful.”
Jaden gently placed his hand on my cheek and looked at me intently. With our eyes locked on each other, he leaned in and placed his lips on mine. The kiss was soft and drew me in. His touch swept me away to another place. I didn’t want it to end.
“Get your hands off her,” James shouted from across the room. “I knew I should have punched you when I had the chance.”
My eyes popped open, and I pulled away from Jaden, feeling like a teenager who had been caught sneaking in after curfew. James walked toward us with determination in his steps. I knew what was going to happen, and I had to stop it before it started.
“Back off, James. You have no right to my personal life.” I warned, as I placed my hand on his chest, preventing him from taking another step.
James had no problem getting past me as he picked me up by the waist and moved me out of the way so he could move in on Jaden. No amount of yelling or threatening to fire him worked. I was helpless, and before I could interject, James’ fist flew, landing square on Jaden’s jaw, knocking him sideways. Without a doubt, James was definitely fired.