Dominic stood in front of Samaire’s apartment door hours later. Her words had spun in his head all day and he hadn’t been able to quiet his doubts. He’d eventually cut out of work early. All he could think about was making things right with Samaire, but he didn’t know where to start. He stared at the white door in front of him as he waited for Samaire to answer his knock. It had been a few minutes and he was beginning to doubt she would open the door. Why was he bothering anyway? Dominic glanced over his shoulder. He should just cut his losses and move on. It was how he always handled his flings. He couldn’t do that this time, though. This relationship was different. He was different with Samaire. The fling had started out fake but he’d gotten a glimpse of what it would be like to share his life with Samaire. He liked what he saw. He knocked on the door harder. He knew she was there but her silence told him everything he needed to know without saying a

Samaire felt her nostrils flare with aggravation as he bragged.“That’s wonderful, Brian.”“‘You should come to my workshop, Samaire.’” She had no interest in paying to hear the man talk for hours about himself and his accomplishments.“Trust me, Brian, it’s okay to have a few empty seats.”“‘It’ll be standing room only,’” he said with indignation. “‘I’m inviting you because you might learn a few things, Samaire. Things you can use for sure in your future projects.’” Samaire squeezed her eyes shut. His words no longer wounded, but they still had the power to sting.“Thank you for your concern, Brian, but I keep up-to-date on what’s new and cutting-edge. But I’m sure there are a lot of your… followers out there who might need this workshop more than I do.”“‘I disagree, Samaire,’” Brian said. “‘I’ve looked at your website and portfolio. The work you do is basic and outdated. You haven’t come up with any fresh ideas in a very long time…’”“That’s not true.”

By Friday night, Dominic had grown quiet and tense. He stood by the desk in his office as the darkness of the night gathered. For the next three hours, he had to be the genial host for his party while watching Samaire gain the attention of a total douchebag. He reached for the wine bottle on his desk and poured a small amount of the Merlot into a wineglass. This time he didn’t care about the bouquet or heavy oak aging. Fuck that! All he could think about was Sam. This night was about her. FOR her. When he heard a knock, Dominic set the wine bottle to the side and glanced at the office door.“Come in, it’s open.” The door cautiously opened and Samaire peeked around the corner.“Dom, you wanted to see me?”“Yeah, come.” She walked into the room and closed the door behind her. Her silky hair was swept up in a soft and romantic style that emphasized the graceful lines of her neck. The dark lavender dress complimented her pale skin and pale

It was close to midnight when Samaire got out of her car in the Cedar Creek Wine Cellar parking lot. She wasn’t sure what had prompted her to come back here after the party. Dominic hadn’t invited her back. Instead, he’d given her an intense look when she had left with Brian. Samaire walked to the door as a couple of employees were leaving.“Is Dominic still here?” she asked.“Yes,” one of the waiters said as he held the door open for her. “He’s always the last one to leave. We just saw him in the tasting room.” She thanked him and stepped into the bar. She paused as the door closed behind her. She hadn’t been here when it was empty, and most of the lights were turned off. Samaire quietly went up the metal stairs and headed to the tasting room. She stopped in the doorway when she saw Dominic. His white shirt almost glowed in the shadows. He was in the far corner, sitting on a barstool near the counter, and looking out the windows that faced the evergreen t

There weren’t enough words to describe Samaire. He could only choose a few… Intense. Wild. Serious. Beautiful. Strong. Wonderful. Loving. Determined. Sexy. Perfect. But the list could go on and on. He would sing Samaire’s praises but there were many things he didn’t want to share with Brian. He knew the douchebag would not appreciate her strengths and vulnerabilities. Connolly would search for her flaws, real and unimagined.“What is it you want to know about her?” Dominic asked.“She works on your social media…” Brian said before he quaffed the wine. “What does that entail?”“We had no social media presence until we hired Samaire. She built our strategy… Connected us with the world.” Dominic quickly ran down the list of Samaire’s duties and realized it was a lot. Somehow Samaire managed to put all of the pieces together and create excitement for his business.“Have you seen any results?” Brian asked as he leaned back in his chair. “I’m sure you can’t dir