branding expert. I know you need help with the name. Give me some details.”
“I can’t.”
“You don’t trust me.”
“I don’t trust anyone with this wine.”
“Fair enough.” She wriggled her toes as her throbbing feet started to unwind. “Then give me the brand attributes you’re going for. How do you normally name your wines?”
He shrugged. “We’ve been using American landmarks for the Napa wines. The Devil’s Peak, Yellowstone, etc. But I want something special for this one. Something out of the ordinary, because the wine is out of the ordinary.”
“Key descriptor?”
He slid a reproving glance at her.
“One word.”
“Ethereal.”
“Fancy word coming from a man.”
She sank farther down in the water and brainstormed in her head. Ethereal. Special. Heavenly. Celestial. A smile curved her lips. “How about the Angel’s Share? There is just something so magical about that expression. Your wine is that rare. To be coveted.”
She watched him turn it over in that analytical brain of his. There was nothing knee-jerk about Gabe. Ever.
“Maybe it’s been used before?”
“Not that I know of.” He gave her a thoughtful look. “I like it. It’s exactly where I wanted to go with the brand. Aspirational...”
She shrugged. “It’s a great n— Ouch. ”
“What?”
“Cramp,” she breathed, squeezing her eyes shut as a tiny ball of excruciating pain seized the arch of her foot.
“Give.” He held out his hand.
“Mmm, no.” The ball seized tighter. “God.” She shoved her foot at him. “Make it stop.”
He pulled it onto his lap and ran his fingers over the soft underside of it. “Where?”
“The arch,” she croaked. His fingers moved to the curve of her foot and found the lump. Started kneading it out with a firm pressure that was so painful she almost snatched it back. But then the knot started to give under his fingers and she sighed and leaned back against the tub. “Don’t stop.”
He didn’t. Kept kneading her flesh until the ball of tangled muscle was gone. “That could be enough,” she murmured.
He took her other foot in his hands. “You’re a mess,” he said gruffly.
“My boss is a taskmaster.” She sighed as he dug into her sole. “You’ve done this before.”
“Feet are a highly erogenous zone for women.”
Her stomach curled in on itself. She bet he knew where they all were.
“I took a massage course once.”
“ You took a massage course?”
“A girlfriend decided we should do it together.”
“Right.” She closed her eyes and tried not to imagine him kneading her flesh—all over. Susan was right. It would be a beautiful thing.
“Have you thought more about my suggestion?”
His smoothly delivered question made her eyes fly open. “I’ve been too busy to think about it.”
His gaze darkened to a smoky, sultry green. “Liar.”
She met his stare head-on. “You have a big ego.”
He pressed his fingers into her arch and she yelped. “Relax,” he murmured. “Out of curiosity, if you were to agree to one night, how would you like it, Lex? Hot and heavy or long and drawn out?”
Her insides seized. “I don’t think so, Gabe.”
“We’re just talking,” he drawled, eyes glittering. “Hypothetically, of course.”
She should have shut him down, but she couldn’t resist a challenge. And then there was that curiosity about him that was burning her up.
She gave him a thoughtful look. “I like both. But I think I’d start with long and drawn out.”
He nodded. “Good choice. It’s been a while, after all, hasn’t it?”
“Excuse me?” She tensed and tried to pull her foot away, but he held it firm.
“When’s the last time you were on a date?”
She was not admitting it had been a while.
He smiled. “Exactly as I thought. So theoretically, if I were to be the one to break your slump, I would move my hands up over your calf like this and work those muscles, too, first this leg, then the other. Make sure you
“I can’t.”
“You don’t trust me.”
“I don’t trust anyone with this wine.”
“Fair enough.” She wriggled her toes as her throbbing feet started to unwind. “Then give me the brand attributes you’re going for. How do you normally name your wines?”
He shrugged. “We’ve been using American landmarks for the Napa wines. The Devil’s Peak, Yellowstone, etc. But I want something special for this one. Something out of the ordinary, because the wine is out of the ordinary.”
“Key descriptor?”
He slid a reproving glance at her.
“One word.”
“Ethereal.”
“Fancy word coming from a man.”
She sank farther down in the water and brainstormed in her head. Ethereal. Special. Heavenly. Celestial. A smile curved her lips. “How about the Angel’s Share? There is just something so magical about that expression. Your wine is that rare. To be coveted.”
She watched him turn it over in that analytical brain of his. There was nothing knee-jerk about Gabe. Ever.
“Maybe it’s been used before?”
“Not that I know of.” He gave her a thoughtful look. “I like it. It’s exactly where I wanted to go with the brand. Aspirational...”
She shrugged. “It’s a great n— Ouch. ”
“What?”
“Cramp,” she breathed, squeezing her eyes shut as a tiny ball of excruciating pain seized the arch of her foot.
“Give.” He held out his hand.
“Mmm, no.” The ball seized tighter. “God.” She shoved her foot at him. “Make it stop.”
He pulled it onto his lap and ran his fingers over the soft underside of it. “Where?”
“The arch,” she croaked. His fingers moved to the curve of her foot and found the lump. Started kneading it out with a firm pressure that was so painful she almost snatched it back. But then the knot started to give under his fingers and she sighed and leaned back against the tub. “Don’t stop.”
He didn’t. Kept kneading her flesh until the ball of tangled muscle was gone. “That could be enough,” she murmured.
He took her other foot in his hands. “You’re a mess,” he said gruffly.
“My boss is a taskmaster.” She sighed as he dug into her sole. “You’ve done this before.”
“Feet are a highly erogenous zone for women.”
Her stomach curled in on itself. She bet he knew where they all were.
“I took a massage course once.”
“ You took a massage course?”
“A girlfriend decided we should do it together.”
“Right.” She closed her eyes and tried not to imagine him kneading her flesh—all over. Susan was right. It would be a beautiful thing.
“Have you thought more about my suggestion?”
His smoothly delivered question made her eyes fly open. “I’ve been too busy to think about it.”
His gaze darkened to a smoky, sultry green. “Liar.”
She met his stare head-on. “You have a big ego.”
He pressed his fingers into her arch and she yelped. “Relax,” he murmured. “Out of curiosity, if you were to agree to one night, how would you like it, Lex? Hot and heavy or long and drawn out?”
Her insides seized. “I don’t think so, Gabe.”
“We’re just talking,” he drawled, eyes glittering. “Hypothetically, of course.”
She should have shut him down, but she couldn’t resist a challenge. And then there was that curiosity about him that was burning her up.
She gave him a thoughtful look. “I like both. But I think I’d start with long and drawn out.”
He nodded. “Good choice. It’s been a while, after all, hasn’t it?”
“Excuse me?” She tensed and tried to pull her foot away, but he held it firm.
“When’s the last time you were on a date?”
She was not admitting it had been a while.
He smiled. “Exactly as I thought. So theoretically, if I were to be the one to break your slump, I would move my hands up over your calf like this and work those muscles, too, first this leg, then the other. Make sure you
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