Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 107710 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107710 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Did the corner of her mouth jump?
Had he salvaged this?
Time stood still while she peered down at the ring, those lines popping into existence between her brows. Considering the proposal? Jesus, come on, Natalie. Sweat was beginning to dribble down his spine. He’d been on life-and-death missions less stressful than this.
Finally, she wet her lips and held out her left hand, whispering, “No promises about the murder thing.”
August’s heart dropped back into place and his hearing turned normal again. When had it grown so distorted? No amount of mental orders could keep his fingers from shaking as he took out the small diamond ring and slipped it onto her finger. Not real, he reminded himself again after standing, looking down into her stunned face. Instinct had August pulling Natalie up against his chest, surprise crashing into him when she wrapped her arms around him and held on tight.
People were applauding. Even Natalie’s family. When did that start?
Well. Everyone but Ingram Meyer was clapping.
The man regarded them through narrowed eyes over the rim of his wineglass.
Do better for her.
“Thanks,” she whispered into his shoulder. “You just had to act like a mega asshole, didn’t you? But I guess . . . thanks.”
“Can we negotiate my conjugal rights now?”
Great. Way to do better. His dick truly ruined everything.
“Nope,” Natalie said.
“Worth a shot.”
She smiled up at him sweetly. “I’ll give you a shot. Right in the junk—”
A voice filled the tent, cutting off the rest of her sentence, though August was pretty sure he’d gotten the gist of her threat. Natalie wiggled a little and he dropped his arms, but she let him hold her hand as they turned to face the man now speaking into a microphone toward the sunny edge of the tent. He wore an old-timey bowler hat and a carnation on his lapel, and August’s eyes nearly rolled out of his head.
“Welcome to the grand reopening of the Napa Valley Wine Train, established in 1864. We are pleased to have you aboard as our first passengers in our new, elegant setting. Many of the vintage fixtures and the Honduran wood paneling are the very same—”
Several people lost their minds over this.
People in St. Helena got flustered at the very utterance of the word “vintage.”
“. . . but these features have been restored to a more sophisticated level of their old glory.” The man with the microphone craned his neck and searched the crowd. Why did he seem to be looking directly at August and Natalie? “I hear we have an unexpected proposal in the house? Well, let me tell you, the happy couple is in luck. There isn’t a more romantic setting than Napa at twilight aboard our luxurious train and”—he paused for effect—“this is the perfect time to announce the addition of our special honeymoon seating on the second level. A little corner of glass-domed opulence all to themselves called the Lovers’ Nest. We have our perfect test subjects, have we not?”
“Oh . . .” Natalie called politely. “We don’t need any special treatment—”
“We’ll take it,” August said, cutting her off to a smattering of laughs.
He squeezed her hand.
She buried her nails in the meat of his palm until he choked.
Someone snapped a picture.
Chapter Six
Everyone filed onto the train, shuffling one by one up the carpeted steps.
Natalie’s neck burned. For good reason, too. Corinne watched her like a hawk from several passengers back, as did her brother and Hallie. Ingram Meyer and his Tommy Bahama hat took up the rear of the line, making no pretense about being zeroed in on August and Natalie. His brows looked so skeptical, they’d almost reached the center of his forehead, and he was obviously unconvinced that Natalie and August were a happily engaged couple.
Maybe such a feat was impossible.
Maybe this was all a huge waste of time.
“This is insane,” Natalie whispered. “I’m insane.”
August leaned down, bringing them nearly eye level. Don’t look at his mouth. Natalie refused to think about the sweep of exhilaration she’d felt when their lips locked together. Her body’s unwise response to this man needed to be the furthest thing from her mind. Pushed way out into the ether, because it didn’t matter. This plan was meant to be a business arrangement—and already it was on shaky ground. Might not even be viable at all.
“What’s insane?” August prompted.
“This. Me. Asking for your help. You just want to make a fool out of me.”
Momentarily, he cast his gaze downward. “I’ll admit I came on a little strong back there. I’m just . . . I’m never comfortable at these things.”
“So you have to make everyone else uncomfortable to compensate?”
“Correct.”
“At least you’re an honest dickhead.”
“The wedding vows practically write themselves,” he muttered, rubbing at the back of his neck with his free hand. “Look, it’s out of my system now. I’ll do better.”