“Merrick, it’s so nice to see you again,” the woman said joyfully as she approached our car and hugged Merrick before he had even fully gotten out.
It was clear to me she was a nice woman. Some people just had a way about them that you couldn’t deny. I saw it when I looked at her; she was a kind-hearted woman with a genuine fondness for Merrick.
“Ella, it’s nice to see you too. And Jack, you’re looking great. Someday you’ll have to tell me how you keep yourself looking so good at your old age.” Merrick and Jack laughed. “This is my friend, Kristina.”
Friend seemed like a cold term, but I was a little relieved that he had said that instead of girlfriend or something Although I really did care for him, and the connection between us was amazing, boyfriend just felt like too close a term for someone I’d only known for such a short period.
“Wow, I don’t know how Merrick managed to convince you to date him? But welcome,” Ella said as she teased Merrick.
I shook hands with both Ella and Jack, and both handshakes ended in them pulling me in for a hug. I figured that was just how things were done out in wine country. As Ella led us into the main building, she started talking about how long they had owned the vineyard, and all the changes they were making.
As much as I wanted to pay attention to her, I found myself focusing in on all the details of everything that was going on around us. The doors were solid wood with a symbol burned into them; I couldn’t make out what the words said as we walked past, but the picture was of a man and a woman holding hands. Inside the big main room, there was furniture that looked custom made for the area; the wood matched the building. There was a large bar with dozens of wine glasses hanging above it, and we went straight there as Ella continued to tell the story of their vineyard, and Jack started pouring us wine.
“Before we head out on a tour, you’ve got to taste our latest Moscato wine,” Jack said as he poured us two glasses of pink wine. “It’s our rose, Moscato. I think it’s amazing.”
“It’s pink. I’ve never had pink Moscato.”
“Our whole vineyard is Moscato, so it’s worked out well that it’s become so popular.”
“I’m in heaven; can I just stay here with you forever?”
“We are always in need of summer help,” Ella said as she took a few sips of the wine with us.
“Hey, well I might not have a job for much longer; I might just take you up on this offer,” I joked.
“Our door is always open, and you can even bring Merrick with you if you’d like.”
“Yeah, could you imagine me living outside of New York? I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.”
The Moscato was filled with the perfect combination of peach, wood, and citrus flavors. It tasted more like a wine from Italy than it did a wine from California. After finishing our small glasses of wine, we made our way to a large golf cart and loaded into it. Jack drove us out through the rolling hills to the furthest northern spot.
“Thank you so much,” I whispered to Merrick as he grabbed my hand. “This is amazing.”
“I’m just glad that you’re feeling better. I can’t stop thinking about those beds in the back of the plane. I’d like to get you naked and taste every inch of your body on the flight home.”
His words warmed my body, and I quickly looked to see if Ella or Jack had heard what he said. My chest rose, and I pulled in a long, full breath and imagined what fun our ride home was going to be, as long as I continued feeling well.
“Behave yourself,” I said as I let my hand squeeze his thigh and gently graze his package.
“Oh, you better behave yourself. Because I’m not planning to behave at all while we are here. The second I find a free minute, I’m going to pull you into these vines and kiss the hell out of you.”
“Nope, I refuse to behave,” I teased.
“Okay guys let’s get out here, and I’ll show you around the grapes,” Jack said as we stopped at the edge of the property.
The rest of our afternoon was something out of a romantic comedy film. The feel of Merrick’s hand in mine was so comfortable I hardly noticed it until we had to let go of one another. There was a brief moment where we were able to sneak away and kissed while Merrick pressed me up between two grape vines.
His lips were starting to feel like home to me after only a couple of dates together. I welcomed his tongue into my mouth and relished the quick moment we had together. He teased me, and I teased him back; I could have stayed right there all day long if we didn’t have to catch up with Jack and Ella.
“They are going to be looking for us; we should get back,” Merrick said as his hand kept my hips pulled up next to him.
“Nope, I’m perfectly happy right here with you.”
“In the middle of grapes?”
“Yes, I’d take you right here if those two weren’t just down the row from us,” I said as I watched his expression of desire intensify.
“You’d have sex in the middle of a vineyard?” Merrick asked a little surprised by my idea. “Don’t tease me now.”
“Hell, yeah. I’d do you anywhere.”
“Anywhere?”
“Yep.”
“Now you’re really teasing me.” Merrick laughed. “I’ve got some pretty major fantasies. Public sex is one of those things I’ve thought a lot about. Are you sure you want to agree to this?”
“Where would you want to have sex? The airplane, I’ve got that one. Where else? Your office? That seems like something you might like.”
“The movie theater, my balcony, and the conference table at my work.”
“Those seem reasonable.” I winked at him. “I like the conference table idea. That big huge table with us on top of it. Anyone could walk in at any moment. That sounds really exciting. When should I come visit you at your work?”
“Oh, you’re killing me!”
I laughed and grabbed his hand again as we caught up with Jack and Ella a little farther down the row. By the smiles on their faces, they seemed to know something had been going on with us but didn’t appear to mind all that much at all. I didn’t hide how much I liked Merrick, though, and I cuddled up next to him and held his hand for the rest of the afternoon.
Talking to his friends and learning about my favorite wine filled my heart, and by the end of the day, I was exhausted. We had walked up and down several of the rows of vines. Jack told us about the special blend of grape they used with the process and how it was different than what others did.
Of course, Jack and Ella gave us a couple of cases of their wine to bring home too. That was where the benefits of a private jet really came in handy; we didn’t have to worry about carry-on baggage limits or how much alcohol I could carry home. Although I didn’t drink frequently, I could really get used to having some of Jack and Ella’s wine around my house; it was by far the best I’d had.
The sun was getting close to setting as we climbed aboard the jet for our flight home. I wasn’t someone who traveled in luxury at all, but climbing onto a plane that was all ours was wonderful. There was no waiting, no worrying about the time. Even knowing that there was a bed in the back made me relax a lot.
“Dinner?” Merrick asked.
“Not just yet; let’s make sure I get through the take off alright. I’m worried that the air sickness I had before is going to come back.”
“Yes, let’s sit on the couch.”
It was a perfect idea, and he closed the window shades as I leaned up against him again. The takeoff was much smoother for me, and by the time we leveled off at our altitude, I was starving and ready for dinner.
“I can’t get over how stunning you are?” Merrick said as he pulled me back into his lap when I stood up.
The flight attendant had been just about to walk out to talk to us, but she quickly turned around and pulled the curtain to her area. It made me giggle to think that she was just on the other side of a piece of fabric and knew exactly what was going on with the two of us.
“Yo
u better be careful; I’ll start getting used to all these compliments.”
“Get used to them. I’m planning on giving them for a very long time.”
His hands wrapped around me, and I couldn’t help but kiss him and hold onto him. I didn’t want that evening to end. I didn’t want to let him go. If I could have stayed right there on that couch with him for the rest of my life, I would have been happy.
“She’s going to hear us,” I whispered as I felt Merrick’s hands start playing with the button of my pants.
“It’s fine; we can go to the beds.”
“She’ll still hear us back there goofball.”
“That’s the fun of it,” he teased as he quickly stood up and walked back to the two beds in the rear section of the plane with me in his arms.
A plus twin size bed was on either side of the plane and Merrick brought me over toward the one on the right. There was a thin door that he pushed closed, but nothing that would have kept the sound out. It was more like a partition to separate the rooms. I wanted to be one of those wildly adventurous women, and I liked telling Merrick that I’d sleep with him in all those crazy locations, but the truth was that I was rather tame when it came to public displays of affection.
“I don’t know,” I said nervously as I looked at the door.
His lips started to distract me as they moved down my neck. My body slipped back into a feeling of comfort, and I closed my eyes while I took in the tender touch of his lips on my skin. It was exciting knowing that there was another woman only a few feet away. My adrenaline soared, and I felt myself getting more and more excited. The warmth from his hands electrified me. I started taking off his shirt and moved quickly to feel his naked skin against me. But Merrick moved just as quickly as he pulled my clothes off too.
Merrick leaned back in the bed, and I admired the firm curves of his muscular body. For a man who spent so much time at a desk, he was really in great shape. I let my fingers tease him up and down his stomach before they latched around his hardness.
“Oh, shit,” he moaned while my fingers moved up and down his shaft.
“Shh, she’ll hear you,” I teased as I stroked him harder.
I couldn’t wait much longer, though, and soon I was wrapping his body in protection and hovering over him as I prepared to let him slide inside of me. Our eyes stayed locked together as his body pressed inside of me, and my hips started to move forward and back against him.
His hands held me tight against him as Merrick started to push his body and mine to our limits. Hard and fast we moved while both of us got more and more excited. My delicate softness wrapped around him and tightened as my body felt the pleasure of us.
“Yes,” I screamed. “Yes, yes, yes.”
“Shhh,” Merrick said as he put his hand over my mouth. “You don’t want her to hear you.”
His smile told me that he didn’t care if the flight attendant heard us or not. I tried my best not to moan out in pleasure, but the more he pressed himself inside of me, the harder it was for me to ignore the jolt of excitement I felt building up from my middle.
Finally, he thrust one last time, and it opened the explosion. I gripped onto his shoulders and let my body rush through the wave of feelings. The electricity between us was so strong I actually thought there was a spark as we both let out a final sigh of pleasure.
I fell into him and let my head rest on his shoulder and my body wrap around him as I tried to catch my breath. The lull of the airplane noise combined with our exhausting day, and I felt myself drifting off to sleep, but I fought back.
“What are you passionate about?”
“So many things. I like helping the boys and girls’ home; those kids are our future, and it’s so important to guide them along the right path.”
“I know what you mean; that’s why I started working at Girl Tech. It wasn’t just about teaching girls technology; it’s more about giving them the guidance they need to be successful while also providing the tools they need.”
“Girls Tech?” Merrick said as he lifted his head and looked at me.
Shit! I felt the panic rush through my body as I realized what I had just done. I had in one simple sentence, exposed myself and my lies.
“Um, yes, I work for Girls Tech.”
“You were the one who called me and yelled at me,” Merrick said as he sat up and pushed me away from him.
“Yes, that was me,” I said as I looked away from him.
“I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“I didn’t know it was you. Or I mean…I didn’t know I was going on a date with you. Honestly I had no idea,” I said defensively.
“Was this all some sort of set up?” He asked as the question stung me into silence.“This was a game to you? Wow, I seriously didn’t see this coming.”
“It wasn’t a game, Merrick. I didn’t know it was you when I called.”
“Oh, right. You said my name and hunted me down to get my private number. This is really happening? Shit, I never thought I’d fall for something like this. But damn you are good. Really good. What, were you going to ask me for a donation when we got back to New York? How was this going to work?”
I felt the anger as it boiled up inside of me. I wasn’t using him. Yes, I had lied about talking to him that first time, but I wasn’t using him for a donation. What we had was real, and it was really hurtful how quickly he threw it all away. We were literally still naked in bed, and he was giving up.
“Stop it, Merrick. Yes, I called you. Then literally got a call from you moments later. It wasn’t until Patty sent me your profile that I put it all together. Yes, I’d love for your organization to support Girls Tech, and that was why I let September still call and talk to you about getting on our newsletter and seeing what we do. You seriously think I’m the kind of person who would sleep with a guy for a donation to my charity? Seriously?”
I was fuming with anger by that point, and so was Merrick. We both angrily got dressed and went back toward the front of the plane and sat in chairs across from each other. The flight attendant was soon out to visit with us and bring us some dinner.
“I never would have guessed you were this kind of woman.”
“Really? I’m what kind of woman, Merrick? You have spent a lot of time with me … do you seriously think I’m the type who would do something like this? Come on!”
His expression softened a little, but I could tell he wasn’t willing to give up the idea just yet. It would probably be best if I just let things calm down a little and visited with him in a few days. I knew I hadn’t really done anything wrong. I had lied about talking to him, but that was it. I hadn’t tried to swindle him out of money or anything like that.
“I don’t know. Why wouldn’t you have just said something to me?”
That was the million dollar question. I really couldn’t explain the why behind it all. Basically, I didn’t want to look like the kind of woman who was tricking him, and in keeping my secret, I ended up looking exactly like that woman.
“We can talk about it more when you calm down. Let’s just eat something; I’m starving.”
“Fine,” he huffed. “Wendy warned me about you; I should have listened.”
“What? What did Wendy say? I questioned him.
“Just that women were willing to do crazy things for money. Didn’t you tell Ella and Jack that you might not have your job for much longer? What was that about?”
“I need to bring in some donations before the end of the year,” I muttered, knowing it was only going to make me look bad. “I’ll likely be leaving my job though since the dollar amount is too large. But that had nothing to do with me meeting you.”
Merrick rolled his eyes at me and didn’t seem interested in continuing our conversation at all. We still had two hours of our flight left, and I suspected it was going to be a really long two hours. The uncomfortable tension between the two of us was thick, and I felt like I could have cut it with a knife.
“I’m just trying to come to terms with all of this; it’s a bit much.”
My stomach felt sick as we finally landed back in New York, but not because of air sickness. We debarked the plane in silence, and he drove me back to my apartment with barely a word.
“You know me, Merrick. We haven’t known each other long, but you know who I am; you can feel it. I know you can.”
“Let’s just take some space for now.”
Chapter 11
Merrick
Even as I dropped her off at her apartment, I sensed I was wrong in some way, yet she was the one who had lied. She hadn’t asked me for money or appeared to try to swindle me in any way. But I didn’t keep people in my life who were dishonest, and she certainly appeared to have lied to me on purpose.
“Wow, what’s with that face today?” Wendy asked as I arrived at the office.
“Rough weekend. Can you get Wyatt and have him come to my office, please? Thank you.”
Instantly, I started scouring the internet for information I could find on Kristina. If she had done this to other people, there might be a story about it online. But I couldn’t find anything bad about her. There was an amazing story about her work with Girls Tech and the fundraisers she was doing. There were a few smaller stories with similar agendas; I wasn’t getting any backup on my feeling that she had tried to trick me.
“Hey there, big guy, how was your romantic weekend?” Wyatt said jubilantly.
He obviously had no idea how downhill things had gone by the end of the weekend. I couldn’t have predicted the horrible ending; no one could have.
“Well, I found out she lied to me and had previously contacted me about donating to her organization.”
“What?”
“Yeah, she had called me a couple of days before our date and tried to get a donation, and I refused. Well, she said it was to get on their mailing list, but either way, she didn’t admit to knowing me when we went out.”
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