Chapter 5

The air in the wine cellar was thick, heavy with the scent of fermented grapes, damp earth, and the sharp, metallic tang of my own anticipation. We had slipped away from the murmuring crowd of the gala upstairs, leaving the clinking of crystal and the polite laughter of the elite behind us. Here, in the belly of the estate, the world narrowed down to the space between us. The only light came from a dozen beeswax candles arranged on a long, rustic table, their flames dancing in the stillness, casting long, trembling shadows against the curved stone walls lined with towering oak barrels. He stood before me, his tuxedo jacket discarded on a barrel, his white shirt unbuttoned just enough to reveal the hard plane of his chest. His eyes, dark and predatory, raked over me as if he were memorizing every inch of my silhouette. I could feel the heat radiating off him, a tangible force that made my knees weak. I was wearing a slip of a dress, emerald green silk that clung to my curves, but it felt like a cage. I needed to be free. I needed *him*. "Look at you, baby girl," he murmured, his