Needing time to think without being interrupted again, Livvie ran to her room. Why was she so infatuated with a man she had only known for four days? Never in her entire twenty-nine years had she behaved like this. She had liked Zach from the start, but that had been different because she had met him through a friend. They had been friends for a few weeks before he asked her out on a date. His problem was staying monogamous. He was one of those guys who believed that men weren’t supposed to be monogamous. When he casually told her that he had been with another woman, he couldn’t understand why she was so angry with him. But she was. Obviously, they weren’t right for each other. She believed in being monogamous, but he had looked her straight in the eye on their third date and told her he had never been a one-woman man and had no intention of changing. For some reason, she’d thought they had such a strong connection that he wouldn’t want to be with anyone else. She completely lost herself in that relationship.

After Liam broke her heart, she’d gone to a therapist who’d told her she had a habit of falling for a man’s potential. Not who he truly was in the present. And the therapist was one hundred percent correct. She fell in love with the idea of Liam’s potential. And then there was Zach. But was she doing the same with Drake?

Livvie’s eyes grew heavy. She was exhausted. Not only from waking up at the crack of dawn these last few days, but exhausted with the state of her life. She sat down in an overstuffed chair by the window. She would miss this chair when she left. It was white, so if she bought the same one for her house, she would worry about it getting dirty. It wasn’t the comfort of the chair that she loved as much as the view the chair faced. She would miss looking at the beautiful vineyard. In Los Angeles, she loved her ocean view, but Drake’s vineyard was beautiful in a different way. This was his vision. His baby. Livvie inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. She hoped that maybe he’d take her for another walk in his vineyard if he ever stopped being mad at her. Or maybe he’d take her to the rooftop, and they could look at the stars again.

The last thought Livvie had before she dozed off was how Drake’s lips had felt on hers as he’d brutally kissed her earlier. As she slept, she dreamed of them kissing again. The kiss started out with Drake pressing his lips against hers. He grabbed her bottom lip and gently bit it, causing her a little pain until his tongue brushed over the exact spot and moved back and forth, bringing such pleasure that chills erupted in her body. She ran her hands through his hair, loving the feel and texture. His hair was thick and smooth and smelled amazing, which drove her crazy. He grabbed her even tighter, so there was no room between them. As his tongue slipped into her mouth, she raised to her toes, wishing she were taller. She craved getting closer to him, and the more his tongue played with hers, the more she burned for him. Inside and out, she felt as if flames were eating her alive. He had created the fire, and he was the only one who could extinguish it. He gracefully picked her up, and she instinctively placed her legs around his waist. Finally, she was his height, and she pushed her pelvis into him. She pushed into him again, desperately wanting him to be inside her, but he kept on kissing her. He moved, pressing her up against the wall. She knew he could no longer wait. Drake balanced her against the wall and then unzipped his pants. He took out his rock-hard penis, lifted up her sundress, and moved her panties aside. He pressed his cock against her entrance, but he didn’t thrust inside. He was teasing her badly and driving her crazy. She groaned out of pure frustration. She had never wanted anything as badly as she wanted him.

“Please.”

She begged him, yet still he remained motionless.

“Please,” she begged again.

If he didn’t fuck her soon, she thought she would die, but instead of heeding her, he continued the torment. And in her dream, someone was rudely knocking.

“Please, Drake, I need you.”

She continued to beg, and the knocking continued, as well. Why wasn’t Drake telling whomever it was to go away? But the knocking went on and became louder. Loud enough that Livvie opened her eyes, realizing the noise was real and not a part of her dream. Disappointed beyond belief, she ran her hands through her hair. She wasn’t ready to face the outside world, but she couldn’t afford the luxury of not answering.

“Coming!” Unfortunately, Livvie wasn’t, but if the dream had been allowed to continue, maybe she would have. That dream had messed with her mind. Livvie opened her door but couldn’t even get herself to smile.

“Ah, there you are,” Mr. Birkshire said, stone-faced as ever.

“Is there something I can help you with?”

“Yes, I’m sorry to disturb you, but the guests have arrived, and lunch will be served shortly.”

“Lunch?” Livvie stood up straighter and glanced back at the clock on the night table. Wow. She had been sleeping for over an hour.

“Mr. Birkshire?” Livvie sighed. “Does Mr. Morganthal want me to be at the lunch with his guests, or would he prefer I ate up here in my room?”

The look he gave her was unlike any look she had seen from him before. It was filled with compassion, which made her feel off balance. There was no way she would cry in front of anyone else today and humiliate herself again.

“As a guest yourself, I assume he’d like you to be there.”

“I don’t think we should assume anything, especially when it comes to Mr. Morganthal.” Livvie looked down at her hands.

“Please, Ms. Collins, I’d like you to be there. And knowing Drake as well as I do, I know he’d want you there as well.”

Livvie sighed. “Thank you, Mr. Birkshire, but it seems I’m always making him angry.”

Mr. Birkshire paused before he spoke. “And that’s why I know he wants you there. You make him feel something, Ms. Collins. And most women, his mother excluded, make him feel nothing.”

“But he fights with me,” Livvie whispered.

Mr. Birkshire nodded. “Yes, he does. And what’s that saying, Ms. Collins? ‘Only the good things in life are worth fighting for?’”

Livvie smiled. “Something like that.” Livvie felt eternally grateful to Mr. Birkshire. He had given her hope, which, on one hand, was a good thing, but on the other hand could be dangerous. Hope led to fantasies, and fantasies led to heartbreak.

“Will you come to lunch, Ms. Collins?”

“Okay,” she said.

“Excellent, I’ll see you down there then.”

Mr. Birkshire turned and left. Livvie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. If she was going to meet everyone downstairs, she needed to look presentable. She looked down at her sundress, and luckily, it hadn’t wrinkled.

A few minutes later, Livvie walked into the dining room and all heads turned toward her. Should she have changed after all? Six unfamiliar faces and one face she was very familiar with were looking her up and down. There were a total of eight people in the room standing around the table, which left Drake’s mom, who was staring directly at him. Livvie felt so self-conscious, she didn’t know what do. To cover up how uncomfortable she felt, she smiled as warmly as she could.

“Darling, there you are. I’m so happy you joined us.”

Livvie had never been so grateful for another human being in her entire life. Thank goodness for Veronica. Having an excuse to move, Livvie walked up to her and gave her a big hug, not caring that the remaining seven people were still staring. Didn’t they have anything better to do?

Veronica hugged her back hard and whispered in her ear. “Don’t worry, darling, just continue to smile. They’re all wondering who you are. My son, on the other hand, would stare at you whether they were here or not.”

Livvie laughed. Between what Mr. Birkshire had said and what Veronica had said maybe everything would be okay between her and Drake, and he would want to continue seeing her after her week was up.

“What’s so funny?” Drake commanded.

“Nothing. Now are you going to introduce this beautiful woman, or would you like me to do the honors?” Veronica said.

“Of course not. I seem to have lost my manners.”

Veronica rolled her eyes, causing Livvie to smile. She adored Veronica. Whatever happened between her and Drake, she would like to keep in touch with the older woman.

“Excuse me, everyone, I’d like to introduce you to Miss Olivia Collins. She has been a guest in my home as a result of winning a raffle held by a charity that’s dear to my heart.”

“A raffle?” An absolutely gorgeous, tall, longhaired blonde woman asked while giving Livvie the evil eye.

“Yes. The charity raffled off a one-week stay here at my vineyard, where the winner gets an extensive tour and learns what it’s like to own a winery.”

Livvie felt even more embarrassed. He didn’t make her sound special at all. Last night, she had felt special. Maybe Mr. Birkshire was wrong, and Drake only considered her a random raffle winner. At least that’s how his words made her feel.

She walked up to him and placed her arm around his waist. Her pride was at risk, and she couldn’t afford for her self-worth to take another dive, especially over another man.

“And I’ve enjoyed every second of it. Right, Drake?” She looked up at him innocently.

He responded by placing his hand on her ass and pinching it. She jumped slightly from the surprise but covered it up by placing her other arm around the front of his waist, making it appear that she was giving him a big hug. This time she didn’t look at Drake but instead looked around the room. Everyone appeared shocked and uncomfortable by this public display of affection, especially coming from a random raffle winner. But she couldn’t blame them. She was shocked, too. She never behaved this way, and she hated being affectionate in front of others. And to make matters worse, Drake had no choice but to place his arm around her.

She noticed that the hot blonde was looking at Drake’s arm and then back at Livvie with even more hatred. Obviously, the woman was attracted to him. And in that moment, a very depressing thought occurred to Livvie. Had they slept together? Was she an ex of his?

“Everyone, please have a seat, and we will begin the lunch and taste some of my delicious wines,” Drake announced. He must have had enough of Livvie’s immature behavior.

“It really is delicious. All of it,” the hot blonde said.

What the hell does that mean? Livvie wondered.

As everyone sat at the table, Drake gracefully moved her arms away, no doubt not wanting to not cause another scene, and then he went and sat at the head of the table. His mom sat on his left, and the hot blonde sat down next to him on his right, which technically had been Livvie’s seat. Livvie was left with no choice but to sit at the end. She wished she had stayed in her room and not allowed Mr. Birkshire to give her hope things might work out. Hope was a dangerous thing, and Drake had just squashed it—and her heart—into a million pieces.

Veronica looked at her across the table with compassion in her eyes. It felt as if she was telling her she was sorry, but there wasn’t anything to be sorry about. If Drake wanted her to sit next to him, he would have made sure it happened. Instead, he was talking and laughing with the hot blonde.

Livvie placed her napkin on her lap as the salads were served. Mr. Birkshire gently touched her shoulder, causing Livvie to jump.

“Wine, Ms. Collins?”

“Yes, please.”

She smiled at Mr. Birkshire, and he winked at her. Once he had poured her wine, he did the same for everyone else at the table. She watched the others swirling the wine around their glasses and then sniffing it. Livvie always thought the wine-tasting process was absurd, but she didn’t want to look as if she didn’t know what she was doing, so she swirled her wine, sniffed it, and then closed her eyes and took a sip.

Mmmmmmmm. She loved Drake’s wines. It was red, so she assumed it was a merlot, but she wasn’t sure. She also had no idea of the year, but she didn’t care. It was delicious. Her eyes remained closed as she took another sip and swallowed, savoring every moment, until the man next to her laughed.

“Enjoying the wine, are you?”

“Yes, it’s lovely.” Livvie smiled at him. If Drake could flirt with the hot blonde, then she could flirt, too.

“I’m sorry, Drake gave everyone your name, but he never introduced us to you.”

Livvie smiled wider and placed her hand on his arm. “I guess Drake doesn’t want me to know who you all are. After all, I’m only the raffle winner,” Livvie said with a twinkle in her eye.

The man laughed. Not only did he have a nice laugh, he was also handsome. He wore his brown hair a little long, and she loved that look. His big brown eyes twinkled back at her, causing a warm feeling to erupt in her belly. She liked him. And she didn’t even know his name.

“Well let me introduce all of us to you.”

“Please don’t make a big deal about this.” She wasn’t ready for everyone’s eyes to be on her again. She simply wanted to have a conversation with this very nice man next to her.

She glanced briefly at Drake, who was fully engaged in a conversation with the blonde. The woman had her hand in his hair, playing with it as if she had the right to touch him.

The man next to Livvie gently touched her chin. “Hey, don’t worry; I’ll whisper who everyone is.”

Livvie giggled softly, but Drake must have heard. He was glaring at her.

Before the nice man could tell her who everyone was, Drake chimed in.

“I’d like to make a toast.”

Everyone raised his or her glasses, and Livvie followed suit. Drake then continued in that deep, strong voice of his that she adored.

“To lifelong friends, and, of course, to my mother.”

Everyone at the table laughed.

“May we all drink my wine together for many years to come.”

The man next to Livvie said, “Salute”, someone else said, “Cheers”, another person said, “Thank you.” Drake’s mom said nothing, and Livvie smiled softly. What else could she do when the blonde grabbed Drake’s face and kissed him on the lips? It wasn’t a long kiss but long enough for Livvie to feel sick. Those lips were hers to kiss. The blonde ran her hands up and down Drake’s arm and then looked directly at Livvie and raised her glass.

“And we can’t forget the raffle winner.”

Ouch. The bitch should have just punched her in the stomach. The pain would have gone away quicker. Everyone raised his or her glass toward Livvie except for Drake, who leaned back in his chair and looked at her with a blank expression. She wished she could read his mind.

Then everyone returned to eating their salads and drinking Drake’s wine. Livvie, on the other hand, couldn’t eat a thing. She wanted to leave the table and run upstairs to her room to pack her bags. Seeing him with another woman brought up terrible feelings.

“Don’t worry, Olivia, she means nothing to him.”

Livvie swallowed back the tears and looked up at her guardian angel next to her. “How do you know?”

The angel placed his hand on her knee and gently squeezed.

“She’s my sister. I know everything about her.”

“Your sister?” What a shame the nice man had to be related to the woman sitting next to Drake.

“Yes, my name is Stephan Brenson, and that’s Kayla Brenson, and we’re co-CEOs of Kayla Brenson Cosmetics.”

Livvie put her wineglass down and stared at him. Kayla Brenson Cosmetics was the trendiest makeup line out there. She had been using them for years, but they became so popular that they’d raised their prices, and even when she was making great money on the television show, fifty dollars for a tube of lipstick was way too much.

“That’s impressive.” Livvie had no idea what else to say, but apparently, that was okay, because he squeezed her knee again and kept his hand there.

“Thank you. Kayla has always loved makeup, and I’ve always been great at business, so we found investors, and our parents gave us a chunk of cash, so we started the cosmetics business. My sister is great once you get to know her. She just has a habit of wanting what she wants when she wants it.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

Stephan laughed and began rubbing her knee. It started to feel awkward, so she shifted her legs, forcing him to remove his hand.

“So I gather you’re a fan of Drake’s wine?” Livvie smiled up at him and took another sip. She hoped she hadn’t offended him, but she was tired of men thinking they could touch her whenever they wanted. She wasn’t a doll. She was a living, breathing, woman, with a brain in her head.

“A huge fan. I have a wine cellar in my house in New Jersey, which is mainly filled with his wines. My sister has one, too. We buy it by the case, as does everyone else at the table. So that leaves four other people who you don’t know.”

As the salad plates were cleared and prime rib with a side of mashed potatoes and asparagus were served, Livvie looked up at Stephan and smiled, encouraging him to continue with the other names at the table.

“Eat, and I’ll tell you. So far, I’ve watched you drink a glass of wine and take only one bite of the salad.”

He was right. There was no way she would humiliate herself at the table by getting drunk, and she was already buzzing. Not a good sign. But right now, as she watched Kayla continue to run her hands through Drake’s hair, she really needed the wine. But there was no way she could get sick, so she listened to Stephan and started eating her prime rib slowly. The very first bite seemed to melt in her mouth. She closed her eyes and savored every moment. Only the best for Drake.

Stephan looked down at her and laughed.

“I thought I was blessed watching you drink your wine, but watching you eat the steak is just as sexy. In fact, I’ve never seen anything sexier.”

“Is that so?”

“I never lie, Olivia.”

Livvie looked into his eyes, and they were serious. Maybe he was telling her the truth. “Please, call me Livvie.”

Stephan responded by placing his hand on her knee again. But now she was feeling the effects of the alcohol, so she pushed his hand away. She hoped he got the point.

Stephan chuckled under his breath. “As I was saying, the man across from us is Jeff Laden, and sitting next to him on his left is his wife, Melanie. He created some hedge fund and made billions. Now he enjoys his life and drinks Drake’s wines. And the man next to me is Aidan Kreslin, who’s a huge real estate tycoon, but he’s very secretive with his identity. And next to him is his wife, Leslie. And you know Drake’s mom already. So now you know who everyone is.”

“Are you friends with everyone here?”

“We all attend the same wine dinners, so we’ve known each other for years. It was my idea to come here. I have some business I need to deal with in San Francisco and other parts of California. I randomly mentioned that at a previous wine dinner, and they all decided to join me on my plane.”

“You came here on your private plane?”

Livvie tried to make it sound as if it wasn’t a big deal, but it was. She was used to people having money since she worked on the television show, and she had money herself, even though her savings account was quickly diminishing. But she’d never met anyone who was as wealthy as these people were.

“So what do you do, besides being a lucky raffle winner?”

Livvie knew he was just making conversation, but how was she supposed to answer him?

“I’m a writer.” Livvie swallowed hard.

“A writer? That’s great. I always wanted to write, but I’m no good at it. What do you write?”

Livvie hated being asked that question. When she wrote for Raven’s Edge, she’d felt proud. And now, even though she was finally following her dream and writing a novel, most people would judge her because she wasn’t making money from it yet. But Stephan had asked the question, so she had no choice but to answer.

“I’m writing a novel, but I usually don’t like to talk about what I’m writing until I’m finished, if you don’t mind.”

“No, not at all. In fact, I completely understand.”

Livvie smiled up at him, unsure what else to say, so she delved back into her decadent meal. She had never tasted anything so good. Well, those scones Drake had fed her yesterday were equally delicious. Or maybe it was his fingers that had tasted so yummy. Feeling a sudden urge to look at Drake, Livvie glanced out of the corner of her eye at him and Kayla. His head was thrown back, and he was laughing. It made her feel bad. She wanted to be the one who made him laugh. With her appetite completely gone, Livvie put down her fork. What a shame.

Veronica cleared her throat loud enough that everyone around the table went silent.

“Livvie, dear, why don’t we change seats for a bit? I’m dying to pick Stephan’s brain about the latest lipsticks.”

Livvie hated the idea. She’d feel uncomfortable sitting next to Drake right now, and she felt sure Veronica had no urge to talk about lipsticks. Stephan had been like her lifeline at this horrific meal. How could she leave him and make it through dessert? But she had no choice, as Veronica was already standing, and Livvie didn’t want to make an unnecessary scene. Instead, she glanced at Stephan and gave him an apologetic look. He looked upset too. Then she grabbed her wineglass and stood. All eyes at the table were fixed on her once again. She couldn’t understand why. Drake and Kayla had been flirting like crazy. Shouldn’t everyone be staring at them?

Veronica passed her and winked at her. Livvie smiled. What else was she supposed to do? She didn’t want to move. The idea of sitting next to Drake and watching him with Kayla made Livvie sick. And she didn’t know if she could behave herself since she was on her third glass of wine.

Slowly, she sat down and avoided eye contact with Drake, who seemed to be glaring at her again. Was he mad at her? Why? She wasn’t the one flirting shamelessly. She and Stephan had been having a normal conversation. And it wasn’t her fault he had touched her knee. Besides, Drake wouldn’t have seen what Stephan was doing anyway. And that brought up another thought. What were Kayla and Drake doing under the table?

Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for her to find out. Mr. Birkshire placed a napkin on her lap. By mistake, Livvie dropped it. When she picked it up, she looked under the table and saw Kayla massaging his upper thigh. Another half an inch higher, and she’d be massaging his penis. Drake might as well have punched her in the stomach right there and then. If he intended to remind her that she was nothing more than a raffle winner, then his plan had worked. But on the rooftop he’d told her if he were going to try to commit to a woman, he would try with her. Was he purposely trying to push her away?

Livvie placed the napkin back on her lap and stared at her hands, feeling defeated. In the big picture of her life she knew she would get through this, but in the immediate future—and in the present moment—she didn’t know how.

“Congratulations on winning the raffle.”

Livvie looked up and realized Melanie was trying to make conversation with her. She wasn’t in the mood for small talk, but what choice did she have?

“Thank you. I was excited to win, and it came as a complete surprise.”

Melanie smiled. “I love that feeling. Everything in life that is unexpected is usually life changing. In a good way. I met Jeff on a miserable rainy day in a long line at a bagel store.”

“Really?” Livvie loved hearing stories like these.

“Yes, I’ll never forget how we met. I was in a bad mood because the night before I got into a meaningless argument with my roommate at the time, and the rain was falling hard. My umbrella had turned inside out, and my hair was drenched. I was also running late to work, but I needed my morning bagel and coffee. I walked into the café and groaned.

“The man in front of me, Jeff, turned around, took one look at me, and said, ‘Some days it’s better to just stay in bed’. We started talking, and since the line was so long, we spoke for a while. He gave me his phone number, and six months later we were engaged.”

“Thank you, but I’m not sure how this week will change my life.”

Melanie grabbed Livvie’s hand and squeezed.

“I think it already has. It may look dismal, as my day had looked when I walked into the café, but it changed into something beautiful. I believe yours will, too.”

Livvie was speechless, but luckily, Melanie’s husband was trying to get his wife’s attention.

Having no one else to talk to, Livvie glanced at Drake again. And in that moment, he crushed what little hope she had left. She forced herself to watch him gently caressing Kayla’s hair. When we kissed, hadn’t he caressed her hair like that?

She watched Kayla touch his thigh under the table again, but this time she moved her hand even higher. When she caught Livvie watching, Kayla winked. Livvie forced herself to listen to Drake inhale and hold his breath, as he obviously enjoyed the feeling of having his dick rubbed. Livvie glanced around the table to see if anyone else could see, but they were all engaged in conversation. Only Veronica caught Livvie’s attention, looking at her with deep compassion. One thing Livvie hated more than anything was when other people felt sorry for her.

When she had been let go from the television show, the writers who stayed on gave her the “compassion” look. Yes, she had been upset when she was let go, but at the same time she felt relieved. In truth, she hated that show, and it felt good to remember that. Even though the pay had been amazing, and she could afford a small but beautiful house by the Pacific Ocean, the actors were high maintenance. She would write a scene for them, and they would do nothing but complain. All they cared about was winning an Emmy. But all Livvie cared about was writing from the heart, which she had not done again until Drake had given her the journal.

When Mr. Birkshire started serving dessert, Livvie had never been so relieved in her entire life. In just a few more minutes, she could excuse herself, go upstairs, climb into her big, fluffy bed, and put an end to this day. Day number four had been the worst day yet, and she only had three more days to go.

Mr. Birkshire placed a slice of cake in front of her then bent down and whispered, “Your favorite cake, Ms. Collins.”

Livvie smiled at him. She would miss Mr. Birkshire. She would miss this castle. The idea that she would be leaving soon really upset her. Not even a scrumptious piece of cake would make her feel any better.

“Aren’t you going to eat your cake? Yesterday, you seemed to really enjoy it.”

Livvie looked up from her cake and realized Drake was talking to her. When she looked into his eyes, she saw a twinkle in them, but his tone sounded cocky. He was behaving like a jerk. She guessed that was to be expected. They had been arguing a lot, and he had already moved on to the next woman. Livvie wasn’t surprised. She had only hoped she wouldn’t have to know who the woman was. And she wished the woman wasn’t as beautiful as Kayla.

“Livvie, isn’t the cake as good as yesterday?”

Trapped in her thoughts, she had forgotten to answer Drake. She took a quick bite of the cake, and the sugar exploded in her mouth. It tasted decadent, but instead of making her happy as it had yesterday, today it made her feel sad. In fact, everything at this lunch made her sad.

“It’s delicious. Thank you.” Livvie smiled. Not the type of smile where her teeth were showing; she didn’t have energy for that.

“If it wasn’t for you, I’m not sure I would have hired the baker.”

“Why?”

They stared at each other for a moment, but Drake wasn’t the same warm man she had seen yesterday. Now his eyes were cold and distant, as if they were strangers.

“You seemed to have enjoyed the cake yesterday, so I hired him.”

“If I wasn’t here, you wouldn’t have hired him?”

“Probably not. He didn’t have the strongest of resumes.”

When it came to Drake, Livvie felt conflicted. His actions confused the hell out of her. One minute he was flirting with Kayla, and the next he was telling her he had hired the baker because of her opinion.

“I’ve been dying for him to hire the baker at my country club. He makes the most phenomenal desserts. And he has recently moved out west,” Kayla chimed in, much to Livvie’s infuriation.

“And I was scheduled to meet him next week,” Drake added.

“But unfortunately he was too late.”

So they were finishing each other’s sentences? This felt wrong.

“You could still hire him,” Livvie suggested.

Drake looked at her, and for a split second she saw warmth return to his eyes. And then, just like that, it disappeared.

“From the way you were devouring the cake and scones yesterday, I thought I had found the one.”

Drake lifted one eyebrow, as if he were daring her to issue a comeback. But what could she say? Besides, she didn’t think the baker was the one. Deep down, she had thought maybe Drake was.

When she failed to respond, Drake turned his head away from her and continued speaking with Kayla. After a few more dreadful minutes, he spoke to Stephan. Then Mr. Birkshire came back in and poured more wine in everyone’s glasses. Everyone had a comment.

“This one tastes like vanilla.”

“This wine tastes like licorice.”

“This one is divine and would give Bordeaux a run for their money.”

And then everyone was comparing Burgundy wines to Bordeaux wines, and so on and so forth. Livvie simply sat there and smiled when appropriate, but other than that, she remained silent. She only cared about Drake’s wines because he had created them. From now on, no matter how painful it would be, she would only drink Morganthal wines. Luckily for her, not all of his wines were expensive.

She noticed Stephan glancing at her every so often, and mostly, those were the moments when she smiled. Other than that, Drake ignored her. Kayla only had eyes for Drake, and Melanie was drunk and flirting shamelessly with her husband. Livvie thought it must be nice to A) have a husband, and B) flirt shamelessly at a lunch because you were drunk.

When there were no more bottles of wine left, and everyone was sipping what remained in their glasses, Livvie rose, ready to exit. She was nervous to be the first, but she didn’t fit in at this table. Everyone was nice, and she had enjoyed their company, but she couldn’t stand watching Drake and Kayla flirt and touch each other.

So she made an excuse about wanting to take a walk after the meal. She smiled as warmly as she could.

“It’s been a pleasure meeting you all,” she said.

There were a few murmured responses, and everyone returned her smile. A moment later, she left the room, managing to avoid Drake’s gaze altogether, but she felt his eyes on her as she walked out the door. What did he expect? That she would stay until the end and continue to be tormented, watching him and Kayla? No way would she subject herself to that willingly. She came to eat lunch. Not to be humiliated or shamed.

The second Livvie left the dining room and stepped into the entrance hall, she sighed with relief. She had gotten through the horrid lunch and without visibly falling apart. No tears. Nobody had made a scene. She’d suffered in silence. Livvie reached the stairs, dying to go to her room, when a hand touched her arm. She jumped, not because she was scared but because she didn’t want anyone to physically touch her.

“I’m sorry, Livvie. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Livvie turned, relieved to see Stephan and not Drake. She honestly didn’t know what she would have done if it had been Drake, especially if he touched her.

“Oh, that’s totally fine. I was just in my head.” Livvie smiled at him.

“I’m sorry about how badly my sister behaved.”

Livvie could see the compassion in his eyes, and she hated that.

“Please don’t. Drake and I aren’t together. And I think they make a beautiful couple.”

“They’re not together, either.”

“But I’m sure after this afternoon they will be.” Livvie turned around, no longer wanting to talk about Drake’s love life. She also had no intention of breaking down in front of a man she had only just met.

“Wait. Please.”

Already on the middle of the stairs, she stopped climbing and turned back toward Stephan. He hadn’t done anything wrong, and she shouldn’t be taking her frustration out on him. He had only been nice to her.

“I’m sorry. I guess I’m just a little tired from all the wine.”

“That’s a lie. I think you’re tired of watching Drake and my sister flirting.”

“And there’s that,” Livvie said as she looked down at her hand gripping the banister.

“They’ve been friends for years. I don’t know what got into my sister today.”

Livvie walked back down the stairs and rubbed her hand on his arm.

“Hey, it’s okay if they want to be together. They’re adults.”

“But she’s usually distant when it comes to men. She likes them worshipping and pursuing her. Today, she was pursuing Drake.”

“And you’re surprised?” Livvie laughed. Well, she tried to laugh, anyway. It came out as more of a humph.

“I guess women find him good looking,” Stephan said quietly.

“Yes, women find him very good looking.”

“I don’t know why.”

“What do you mean?” Livvie’s hand rested on his arm.

“I think it’s odd that women would be attracted to a man who has a track record of breaking women’s hearts.”

Livvie dropped her hand. He was right. But she had fallen for him anyway, as many women, including Kayla, had done.

“You’re right,” Livvie whispered.

“Well then maybe I can give you my phone number, so you know what it’s like to be with a different type of man.”

Livvie swallowed. “And what kind of man is that?”

“A man who isn’t afraid of a commitment. I’ve had long-term relationships before, Livvie. I just haven’t met the right woman to marry, but I’m open to the idea.”

Livvie smiled. “And you’re good looking, too.”

They both laughed, easing the tension until Stephan became serious again.

“Will you take my phone number? I live in New Jersey. And you?”

“Los Angeles.”

“I think you’re beautiful and warm. I enjoyed the short time Veronica let us sit next to each other. I’d like to get to know you better.”

Livvie inhaled deeply, as she tried to figure out the right thing to do. Although he was a really nice, successful, and handsome man, he wasn’t Drake. She’d only known Drake a few days, so her feelings didn’t make sense, but it didn’t make them any less real. And even though she knew the chances of Drake being her future husband were slim, she wasn’t healthy enough within herself to date another man. She wasn’t talking about forever, only for now.

“I’m sorry, Stephan,” she said. “I don’t think I’m the woman you deserve.”

“Right now,” he responded.

She nodded. “Right now, I have a few things I need to figure out, and it’s not only about a man.”

Stephan gently touched her hair. “I think you’re wrong. You are the woman I deserve, but for now, I will give you what you need.”

Livvie didn’t know what to say to that, so she smiled softly. She felt relieved that she didn’t take his phone number, even as he walked out of the entrance hall and didn’t look back. Stephan was a great guy, but it would have been wrong to take his phone number when her mind and heart were all jumbled.

It felt good to do the right thing. It felt better that she took care of her own needs. Maybe she was getting back to her old self. Just that alone made coming here worth it.