“It was a Christmas present… from work,” I add.
“Wow! Work must really like you. That’s a four-hundred-dollar bottle of whisky.”
“I’m a hard worker.” It’s true, I do work hard, it never stops. That is until now when I have to hide away in the Scottish Highlands.
“Well, cheers to you and your hard work.” She raises her glass, we clink the crystal together, and take a sip. “This is sooo smooth.” Lilly licks her lips.
The action is damn distracting.
“Hmmm…”
4
Lilly
This whisky is delicious. I haven’t had alcohol in such a long time that it’s going straight to my head. My body feels warm. I pull my feet up underneath me and rest my head back against the chair listening to the crackling of the fire.
“So, you were in Africa?” Luke asks.
“Yeah, I’m a doctor or… was a doctor. Guess I’m kind of unemployed now that I’ve left. I kind of just left.”
“Why?” I watch as he takes another sip of his whisky, his plump lips pressing against the glass. Holy shit, that’s hot. I guess six months of forced celibacy sends you man crazy. “It’s a long story…”
Should I tell this stranger about my messed-up relationship, or will that put him off?
Seriously, Lilly, you’re not going to sleep with this man. It’s probably unethical or something seeing as he’s paid your sister to stay at your home.
“I’m not going anywhere. We’re kind of stuck in a snowstorm.” Luke smiles, but it quickly fades when he sees my face. “But it’s not any of my business.”
“I think I’m going to need more liquor for this story….” I laugh, but there’s also a sadness to it.
“Oh, it’s one of those. Hold on…” He jumps up, runs to the kitchen, and looks through the cupboards. There’s a lot of clanging and banging until he appears with a beautiful cheese platter and a bottle of bubbly.
“Wow! This is awesome.”
“We should probably line our stomachs first.”
“Good idea,” I say as he pops the bottle.
“This is from a friend’s vineyard. It’s Trento DOC, an Italian sparkling wine. Tastes like a prosecco, but this is found in the vineyards of the Trentino region. That’s where the Dolomites are… those mountains are part of the Italian Alps.”
“Sounds like here with our mountains.”
“Si, I have not had a chance to look around yet. Maybe when the storm has settled, you could show me… be my guide.”
My cheeks warm at his invitation, and my lips turn up into a smile. “Sure, if you’re not sick of me by then.”
He hands me a glass and grins. “I think your company might be better than my own.” This makes me laugh. “The reason this wine is called Trento DOC is because the capital of the region is called Trento, and DOC is the name of the official Italian wine-naming system.”
“Impressive. You seem to know a lot about your friend’s vineyard.”
Luke moves nervously in his chair. “I have listened to him so many times talking about it, I guess it has sunk in.”
“I think having a friend who owns a vineyard would be a great friend to have because this wine is delicious.” The bubbles tickle my nose as I take a sip.
“I’ll pass on your critique when I see him next. He’ll be very happy a beautiful woman likes his wine.”
Did he just call me beautiful?
Luke obviously understands his mistake and quickly covers his words. “So, tell me what happened in Africa that made you want to surprise your sister?”
I take a big sip of wine to calm my nerves. “My fiancé thought sleeping with the nurses in the camp was a good idea.” Luke chokes on his drink, and I continue, “Yep, and stupidly, I let him. Never said a word.”
“What! Why?” He seems outraged by my statement.
“Because I was stuck in the African desert. I had signed a contract, and I couldn’t leave. I… I felt trapped and a long way from home. I didn’t know what to do. I thought it would be easier if I ignored it.”
“But? How could you forgive him?” I can hear the questioning tone in his voice. He doesn’t agree with my actions.
“Just because I ignored it doesn’t mean I forgave him. After the first time, I stopped sleeping with him. I changed my shifts, made sure I was always busy, and pushed him away. He didn’t care. He never once questioned me why we were never together. Why we never slept with each other.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, so am I. I wasted years with someone who just wasn’t interested in me. Honestly, I don’t think I ever loved him or he me.” A twenty-four-hour flight gives you some perspective about your life when all you have is time to think about it. Twirling the glass in my hand, I continue, “Our parents were friends through work, all great surgeons in their fields. They pushed us together, hinted that the merging of the two families’ practices would be beneficial, and that we could take it over once we returned from Africa. They had our lives all mapped out for us.”
“Did he think this was his last chance before he settled down?”
“Probably, maybe, who knows? He knew I wouldn’t kick up a fuss if I found out, anyway. I was far more worried about disappointing my parents than I was about him disappointing me.”
“I understand that,” Luke says faintly.
“Grown-ass adults, and we still worry about what our parents think.”
Luke smiles, raises his glass to cheers me.
“So, you never…”
Typical male wondering how on earth you could go without sex for so long.
“Once. I met a lovely Canadian soldier who I was showing around, we got caught in a storm and had to find a hotel somewhere.”
“You seem to like getting caught in storms with strange men.” Luke looks at me over his glass. Is he flirting with me? I blush under his gaze.
“My sister calls it fate.”
“Fate?”
“Yes, she thinks… oh my God, I need to shut up. This
