Belle kept glancing out her living room window at the road. Dante would have to come home soon, surely?
Waiting patiently had never been one of her strongest attributes.
She’d been watching one of her favourite movies, wasting time until he came home. He hadn’t managed to circle back around to her at the café, so she’d messaged him her congratulations again, called it a night, and come home, safe in the knowledge they’d talk soon.
Sooner rather than later suited her just fine.
She could go and tap on his window, and if he was up to it, they could talk tonight. She didn’t think she’d be able to sleep if she didn’t say what she needed to.
She needed to tell him that she loved him. It might make things weird again, but she couldn’t hide it any longer. Didn’t want to. She knew she wouldn’t lose his friendship over it. Not this time. And maybe it was time to let go of the memory of what he’d once said to another woman and find out for herself what his feelings were now.
She blew out a breath and tried to pay attention to the couple on-screen. The way they danced around each other, saying the things they said, pretending to not feel things they felt; it reminded her so much of her and Dante.
Maybe that’s why she loved this movie so much.
Headlights flashed between the vines that ran down the long driveway to the bitumen road.
Finally!
She’d changed into an ancient pair of loose denim overall shorts, with a tight, ribbed crop top beneath. The strap always slid down off her shoulder, no matter how much she tightened the buckle.
She waited a few minutes then slipped a pair of thongs on her feet and tried not to hurry as she walked down her long driveway. She didn’t bother with the torch on her phone. The full moon peeked through the randomly flitting clouds that passed its face. It was more than bright enough to see by.
The car came back up the Casellatis’ driveway and the headlights flashed her as they swung onto the road heading back towards town.
A taxi.
Belle crossed the road and wandered down the side of Dante’s driveway, preferring the soft grass to the crunch of small gravel, just as she’d done thousands of times over the years. Sometimes late at night, like she was doing now. She’d tap on his window and, if it was warm, she’d sit on the windowsill and they’d talk ’til all hours. If it was cold, or raining, she’d go in and close the window behind her. She’d ended up either on the bed beside him or in the old beanbag that lived permanently in the corner of his room.
Sometimes she’d fallen asleep and that had ended up in her being grounded several times through her teens. Her parents had always known where to find her. It hadn’t taken a rocket scientist to figure that one out.
Once she’d gotten a bit older and had a mobile phone, if her parents had noticed her missing, they knew she was safe.
An out-of-place noise somewhere in front of her pulled her from her reverie. She squinted as a figure came out of a row ahead and walked toward her.
Dante.
Her heart stuttered, then pounded like crazy.
He was coming to see her? They’d met like this occasionally over the long years, both thinking to share news or thoughts with the other at the same time.
That he did so tonight swirled hope through her veins, intoxicating and fierce.
He got closer and his shape solidified, his features becoming more distinct in the bright moonlight.
His hands were shoved into his back pockets. Belle bit back a smile. He did that when he was nervous or worried about something. She didn’t think he realised it was a big tell.
“Heya, Miss B.”
His soft, deep voice slid over her, leaving shivers to shimmy in its wake.
“Heya yourself, Mister Big-Time Winemaker.”
His grin exploded, engulfing his face in happiness. “I still can’t believe it happened. Maybe you should pinch me because this can’t be happening to me.”
Her own grin matched his. “It is and it’s so very deserved.”
He rubbed at his face. “I’ve had requests for interviews already. Even the national six o’clock news wants to do a piece on the small-town winemaker made good. Can you believe that? And one of the breakfast TV shows, too.”
Belle nodded. “That’s fantastic. Jack has fielded a couple of requests too, but not brekkie TV. He will be jealous. Particularly if it’s Madeline Overstreet.”
Dante’s grin only got bigger, which shouldn’t be possible.
“Oh! It is! He’s gonna be green with envy.”
Dante ran his hand through his hair and motioned to the long rows of vines to her right.
“Walk with me?”
She nodded and moved off down a row. She could feel the heat of his body so close behind her that she wanted to stop and fall back into it, to have it wrap around her and never let her go.
She shook her head slightly to dislodge that particular thought.
She needed to apologise to him again, not jump his bones, to see what she could salvage of their friendship.
They wandered a short distance up the length of the long row. The gentle rustle of the leaves reassured her and calmed her nerves. It was a place she loved to be.
A strange flickering ahead caught her attention. As she got closer, she saw Dante’s old doona, which they’d used as a picnic blanket so many times in the past, spread across the soft, short-cut grass of the row. Several tealight candles in a group on an overturned metal bucket sat slightly beyond the edge, throwing just enough light across the doona for her to make out the muted colours of the fabric.
She turned, her head tilted to the side.
He smiled and shrugged. “I wanted to have some privacy when we spoke. I was hoping I could talk you into coming out here, but you were already on your way over.” He motioned for her to sit. “No reason we can’t be comfy while we talk.”
Belle slid off her thongs and sat cross-legged on the side. She waited while Dante did the same.
“I’m glad you did. I didn’t really want the others listening in while we, ah …”
“Exactly.”
She lay back on the doona, suddenly awkward, and looked at the Milky Way spreading in a bright arc above her head. She sighed at the stark beauty of it.
“It’s times like this that I wish I knew how to do those awesome astro photos you see on social media.”
Dante lay down beside her and crossed his hands beneath his head. “Yeah. I know what you mean.”
They’d done this so many times over the years. There, amongst the wine grapes, down near the creek at the swimming hole, lying on the solid old trestle tables in the bistro area. Anywhere they’d been able to get time alone, away from the many siblings that were only a stone’s throw away.
Belle fiddled with the buckle on the bib of her overalls. The metal made a soft click clack in the warm, early summer night. Crickets chirped somewhere in the distance.
“I’m sorry, Dante.”
She felt more than heard him turn his head to face her.
“For?”
She let out a small laugh. “Take your pick. For being so horrible to you at the SES tent that day. For being a miserable cow lashing out at the one person who always has my back, no matter what.”
She faced him. Dark blue eyes that looked like deep rivers of moonlight stared back at her.
“I’m sorry I hurt you. I can’t even say I didn’t mean to, because we both know I did. You have to know I didn’t mean those things.”
Dante rolled over to look down at her, his head tipped to the side. His longish hair hung down straight over an eye.
“It’s okay.”
She let out a disbelieving grunt and closed her eyes. “Yeah, nah. It’s not. I don’t know why I thought hurting you would make me feel better. I was so scared …”
Her eyes flew open at the gentle touch of his knuckles to her cheek.
“You really are a brat, you know.”
She huffed a laugh. She didn’t want him to stop touching her, as innocent as it was.
“Why were you coming to see me?” he asked quietly.
Her cheeks heated beneath his hand. He could feel it, she was sure. At least he couldn’t see her embarrassment.
Time’s up, Davis.
“Because I wanted to tell you that I love you.”
Delighted surprise widened his eyes to huge pools of starlight that she desperately wanted to drown in.
“You do?” he whispered.
She tried to nod but his hand was in the way. “Yes.” She shrugged awkwardly. “I know it’s not—”
Her words were cut off sharply by his mouth hitting hers with an urgency that she couldn’t help but respond to. She opened her mouth, a blatant invitation, one that he didn’t hesitate to accept.
Goosebumps peppered her skin as his mouth pulled away to devour her neck. He tugged on her earlobe and she shuddered.
“I want you, Dante.”
Fingers fumbled with the buckles she’d been playing with only minutes before, Dante swearing under his breath when he couldn’t get them undone quickly.
Finally successful, he yanked down the bib front and slid his hand beneath the ribbed crop top to cup her breast and stroke gently. She moaned into his mouth.
Hell, yes.
She’d ached for this. She’d worried he’d never touch her again.
He flicked at her nipple, making her gasp. He lifted his head and pushed the shirt up, exposing her breasts to the night. Satisfaction lined his face as he stared at her chest. He dropped his head and licked a path over her nipple, the coolness in its wake pebbling it tight.
Not satisfied with a simple lick, he took it in his mouth and sucked. Her eyes almost rolled back and she moaned louder.
“I love it when you make that sound when I suck on you.” His murmured words against her skin sent shivers tripping all over her body.
“I love being sucked on.”
He chuckled into her skin. He flicked the buttons at her waist and slid his hand down under her knickers.
Belle let out a sigh of surrender when his fingers slid between her folds.
“I love that sound even more, when I touch you … here.”
He slipped the pad of a finger over her clit. Belle bucked against his hand.
“Dante.”
She didn’t need to say anything else. He yanked the overalls from her body, her knickers quickly following them. He shucked his dress pants and moved her knees apart with his own, settling over her. He took her mouth in a mind-blowing kiss as he pushed inside her.
Belle grabbed his ribs and squeezed her thighs tight around his slim hips.
“Oh God, yes.”
He pulled his mouth from hers and stared down at her as he started to move. Gentle rocking thrusts had her bucking to meet each one. He bit his lip and closed his eyes momentarily, only to open them again, a glazed pleasure washing over his face.
“I love you too, Isabel Davis.”
Her eyes widened. She went to speak, but he took her mouth in a searing, brain-melting kiss, his rhythm gaining in momentum, small moans and gasps coming from both only to be soaked up by the leafy vines surrounding them.
Belle shoved her hands into his hair to hold that destructive mouth to her own. She never wanted this to end. She wanted to feel him moving, stroking, sliding; his taut, toned body pleasuring her own.
She’d never get enough of him, period.
“Dante … Go steady with me?”
Halting laughter burst from him, his lips against hers. “I’ll go anywhere you want, and I’ll take you with me.”
She let out a laugh that ended on a loud moan. He took both her hands and raised them beside her head, leaning his body weight down on them as he started to push her harder.
His mouth fell to devour her neck, open-mouthed kisses and licks becoming more desperate. “Let go. Be mine.”
Belle’s fingers curled over his at the exquisite sensation flooding her. Liquid fire drowned her blood, snaking back and begging for more.
“I’ve always been yours,” she whispered.
Dante bucked and tensed, his muscles strung tight and hard. “Belle! Please.”
Sparkles burst behind her eyes, her body tensing, gripping. She arched upward against him and cried out into the summer night as ecstasy engulfed her. Dante came hard, bit down on her shoulder, and roared into her skin.
Small shudders and aftershocks of pure pleasure rippled over her in decreasing waves. Her breathing started to return to normal.
“I love what you do to me.”
She could feel his smile against her neck. He shifted a little but didn’t move off her.
“That’s good to know, because I’m going to be doing a lot tonight.”
Belle pushed him up a little so she could see his face in the soft light of the candles.
So beautiful.
She traced his lips with a finger. Tenderness entered his eyes, a softness that threatened to overwhelm and drown her.
What a wonderful way to go.
She let a sly smile leak onto her mouth and gripped his ribs. “First things first.”
At his confused look, she twisted and flipped him onto his back, neatly straddling his hips. She looked down, quite proud of herself.
“Look at that. Dante on his back.”
A satiated grin stretched his lips. He grabbed the bottom of her crop top and hauled it up over her head.
“Get this thing off. I want to see your gorgeous tits in the moonlight.”
Belle laughed and sat back, letting him look all he wanted. “Happy now?”
He ran his hands up her skin to cup them, wonder and hunger filling his eyes.
“Most definitely.”