Chapter 17 ~ Distinguished Soul

A Bella Swan POV

“So good,” I breathed, as Edward pushed into me, placing urgent, affectionate kisses along my neck line.

My smile…was endless, when we were like this.

My hands couldn’t feel enough of him.

My lips couldn’t taste enough of his salty skin.

I just wanted to touch him.  All of the time.

It had not been an easy evening, being so close to him, and yet, not being close enough and though I was happy for him…that Emmett was letting go of some of his own cobwebs…that they could sit, and…eat pie and laugh a little, together, I had not been able to think clearly, for the most part.

I wanted Emmett there.

Really, I did.

But I also wanted him gone.

And Alice.

And this new guy…Jasper.  Whom I couldn’t bring myself to like very much, despite his easy going charm and warm personality, because to me, he was just the guy who was here to make sure Edward left and went back to Georgia.

To the Army.

It was a noble thing, being in the Army, fighting for your country.

I knew this.

I did. 

And I felt absolutely horrible, already wishing there was some way to make him not go.

Not leave.

Not leave me.

Stop it, Bella.

I chastised myself.

It was selfish and I ignored the plotting and planning that invaded my thoughts and wanted to find a way to make him stay.

I just wanted to enjoy what time I had with him.

That was what was important.

Not the fact that my entire life had just led me to this vineyard…to him…and I had no idea how the recent…events were going to affect me, futuristically.

And anyway, I’d finally gotten him alone.  Emmett had long since gone back to the Hale’s house and I had advised him that I was staying overnight at the Cullen’s place, after Edward so very intriguingly and seductively whispered into my ear at one point to, “Stay the night.”

The words were simple.

But they’d made my whole body shutter.

My announcement had rewarded me with a look of warning, but acceptance, from Emmett.

Not easily pulled off by many, but with my cousin, it worked.

Much like Edward and I.

We worked.

It was…completely enrapturing, being with him.

The outside world, melted away and all that was left…was us.

“Is this okay,” he asked, taking a nipple in between his fingers, pinching slightly and I let the air around me, enter briskly, from the feel of it.

“Yes,” I whispered, arching just a little, wanting to feel that feeling again.

Wanting to feel all of him…more.

“Bella,” he muttered. 

Softly.

Achingly.

“I know,” I told him, nodding, letting my eyes close, in anticipation as he dipped his head to my breast and placed his lips around the sensitive area of my breast, biting down, a little.

The noises this man caused to come out of me.

I was nearly embarrassed of how desperate he made me feel.

I was also reveling in it.

“You feel...so good,” he told me, pushing a little more eagerly.  “How is it possible you feel this good?”

And I wasn’t sure if he was asking me, or himself but I answered him, anyway.

“So do you.”

“Yeah?” he asked and I buried my face into his neck.

I mean how did he not know how good he felt?

“You’re very…adept,” I said, low…practically inaudible and I could feel his body shake with laughter as he continued to sink into me, again…and again.  “Adept?”

“Yeah…”

Oh…god how he hit the right spots.

Always.

Every time.

“Yeah, you know. You’re…very good at…this…”

And now I sounded like an idiot virgin…great.

He stopped his torturously slow, perfect rhythm, then, and his kissing of sensitive places and his roaming fingers, and told me, “Bella, this isn’t…” he struggled with the words at first, but then found some.  “I mean it’s you…you do this to me, you make me…” then he smiled, again. “Adept.”

And holy shit, please just stab me in the heart now.

Kill me dead.

Because when he said those words, looking me straight in the eyes, like that…

I couldn’t bear it.

So I reached forward and planted my lips onto his, pulling his body toward mine, pushing my own, toward his, wrapping my legs around him in hopes of claiming this time in his life as mine, somehow.

And when I climaxed.

It was all I could do to not say something that would make the whole situation, suddenly awkward.

To not tell him how completely beautiful he was.

How perfectly sensual.

And then some.

He came hard, and I held on to him, wanting the moment between us to last a little longer, as did Edward, I thought, considering the way he had slid his hands underneath of me, to pull me into him, tightly.

And we stayed like that, just…holding on to our moment for a while, until it was time to let go.

………….

I brushed the hair away from Edward’s face as I lay next to him, watching him sleep.

In his bed.

He looked so peaceful.

No guilt there, in his face.

Or anger.

Just…calm.

It was quiet, there, at night.

The window that mirrored us gave me the most spectacular view of the vineyard he’d been working on and I thought, how incredible.

How absolutely impeccable it could be to wake up to that view every morning.

Next to him.

They seemed at peace, the vines, swaying slightly in the breeze out there and I hoped they were able to somehow transfer that peace onto Edward, as he worked them, cherished them, brought them back to life.

I sat up, like that, for a while, just, staring out at them until I grew tired and then I lay back down, spooning into Edward until I fell asleep.

It was still dark out when he stirred and I turned my head to see what in the world he was doing when he kissed me.

“Morning,” he whispered.

“Where are you going, this is your house,” I teased and then he ruffled my hair a little, telling me, “Going for a run, thought I’d let you sleep…unless…you wanna come with.”

And who was he kidding?

He knew I wasn’t joining him.

I rolled over in answer, pulling the covers up over my head and mumbled, “Sleeeeeeepy.”

One more lingering kiss on the side of my neck…just below the ear lobe, and he was gone, leaving me Edwardless, but still, somewhat warm, under the covers.

I slept a while longer, but not as long as I would have liked to and when I woke up, there was still no Edward.

Hmmmm.

I didn’t have any fresh clothes.  I had originally thought I’d just head home first thing in the morning, so…no big deal, but…

I mean I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to him.

Right?

And I didn’t want to walk around Edward’s grounds with gross, peanut butter pie stained top and jeans.

Don’t ask.

So I pulled an old shirt out of his closet and slipped it on.  It was pretty big on me, hanging just passed my thigh area and decided, I liked the way it felt, having something of his wrapped around me, like that.

It was still rather early as I headed down the stairway but I had assumed that I’d at least see Alice in the kitchen…doing…something, but there was no sign of her.

The house was so still.

I’d never actually…walked around and just, took notice of things, before.

Like all of the work Edward had accomplished, since I’d first visited him.  Things looked new again and I smiled for him.

He clearly took pride in everything he did.

I couldn’t even imagine him as the wild child trouble maker people insinuated he’d been when he was younger.

Sometimes though, I saw glimpses of the bad boy.

Good glimpses, though.

In my opinion, anyway.

If that’s even feasible.

He wasn’t in the house and I wasn’t about to sneak down into his cellar to see if he was there, so I journeyed outdoors and just…walked around the vineyard a little.

There weren’t many people outside, either, I noticed.  Except for maybe way off in the vines, working, so I simply enjoyed the experience of Edward’s home.

The smells were so…awakening, and the views.

I didn’t know how anyone could ever tear themselves away from the rows and rows of grapes that were growing, or the trees…it was simply outstanding and breathtaking to witness.

Soon, I was lost in my thoughts, coming up with a plan for my life…for the end of the summer.

Where’d I go off to…who I would be…where my choices would take me.

Since, I wouldn’t be getting married anymore, and all.

And speaking of which…

I tried Jake, again.  It was my new strategy. Catching him off guard…I knew he’s be working and not thinking about anything other than work, when his cell rang and he’d probably just answer it without a thought but…still, voice mail.

I had a feeling, I was going to have to cut my Napa visit short and go back to Chicago if I didn’t get a hold of him, soon.

Then I thought, maybe that was what he wanted.

Maybe he was avoiding my calls because he knew it would drive me crazy.

He knew I’d fly home to force him to talk to me, then he’d…

Try and talk me into marrying him, again.

It sounded self centered, but it was very much a Jake move.  Once he started on a path he thought he needed to take, he was like a bull dozer.

I didn’t want to leave.  I wanted to stay, wanted to find Edward, and drag him back into his bedroom and make the stressful thoughts go away.

And just like that.

Like a fairy god…something had heard me…

I found him.

He was talking with someone who looked like he worked there.

Worked for Edward.

He looked pensive and was inspecting some grapes that the man was showing him.

The way the conversation looked from where I was standing, I had gotten the distinct impression that Edward was instructing him about those grapes and I was mesmerized by him.

His stance, the way he spoke, his everything.

I just stood there, not wanting to interrupt, enjoying the different facial expressions that Edward had. And then, he saw me.

And smiled.

As he said a short farewell to the man, clapping him on the shoulder and then proceeded to walk toward me.

No, not walk…

He was stalking toward me.

With purpose in his eyes.

My insides were swimming.

“Hey,” he said, following it up with a good morning kiss and I said a little, “Hey,” back at him.

He eyed my legs, then my neck…then met my eyes again.  “Nice outfit.”

Blushing…I knew I blushed when he did things like that, said things like that…but I couldn’t stop myself.

I cleared my throat, some.  “So, what were you doing?”

I nodded toward the building the man had disappeared into.

Edward smirked. He knew I was trying to change the subject…but he obliged me.

He looked back over his shoulder, telling me, “Oh, they’re, getting ready to start the process on some batches of grapes that they’d salvaged.”

“Oh yeah?” I asked, curiously, still watching the building and Edward narrowed his eyes, just slightly, asking, “Yeah, you wanna…check it out?”

“Could I?” I was eager.

It was exciting.

Plus, Edward…showing me anything having to do with wine.

Win.

He laughed at my enthusiasm and put a hand out for me to take.  “Come on, I’ll give you the penny tour.”

And I took it.

Gladly.

Inside that building, I was wide eyed at all of the mechanics that I just had…no idea would be there and as Edward took me from station to station, explaining how the process of wine making worked, I noticed a tad bit of excitement of his own, in his voice.

Not that I was going to mention it.

It would only have made him contemplative.

And a contemplative Edward was not on the menu, that day.

He started with the crusher and I was amazed that a machine could actually take the stems and leaves off of such delicate fruits.  But he assured me, with a smirk, that, “Grapes are sturdier than you’d think, Bella.”

I couldn’t tell if he was teasing me, then, or not, but something about the way he’d said it, made me blush.

“I take it things weren’t always done this way,” I thought out loud, watching the men as they tossed their batches of fruit into the container.

“Yeah,” he said, waving at the thing. “You know, in Italy…back in the day…” He raised an eyebrow. “Grapes would be stomped by the workers bare feet, in a stone basin.”

I laughed.

Because I immediately thought of the old I love Lucy show where Lucy was doing this and when I asked if he’d seen it, he said, “Too many times to count, Pie Girl.”

He seemed to think of something then. “Napa has a festival, ever year, over by the Hale’s place, actually, I’m surprised they haven’t mentioned it to you.”

“Yeah? And that has to do with my tour, how?” I asked him, unable to wipe the grin from my face.

“Well, one of the competitions is to do with grape smashing…and you actually…you get into a basin…and…compete.”

“You’re…kidding me, right?”

He laughed some more.  “No, definitely not kidding.”

“Did you ever…”

He put a hand up.  “Me? No, no way, Emmett and I were always too cool to do it.”

“Will you take me?” I asked him.  I was like an excited puppy dog…yes, puppy dog eyes…that would work.

I clasped my hands together and pouted up at him.

And part of him seemed to regress…back into emo Edward…but part of him seemed like he wanted to investigate the inner workings of my brain, also.

“I don’t know, Bella,” he shook his head at me. “Maybe Emmett can take you over…or Rose…” he said, rubbing at the back of his neck a little.  “She likes those kinds of things.”

He walked on, almost leaving me behind and I felt horrible for causing jovial Edward to go into hiding, again…stupid grape smashing contest…but I trotted over to catch up to him, taking his hand back into mine, as he stared up at the photos on the wall we passed, entering the next room.

After his introduction to step number two, I said, “Okay, I get the crusher,” as we arrived at what he called, the fermentation area.  “But this, I don’t understand.”

“Well,” he said, blowing some air out, before continuing and I hid the amusement I felt at his knowledge of all things that he supposedly held distaste for.

“Since we’re talking red wine, here…the fermenting is basically, in a nut shell, that is…is where the juices are turned into alcohol.”

“Really?  Does it take long?” I asked, wondering if I’d get the chance to taste some of the wine made directly from grapes grown from Edward’s vines…while I’d actually been there.

I don’t know why it seemed important…it just did.

Like a memory I could take with me.

Forever.

More air blowing out of Edward’s cheeks…a hand raking through his bed hair…and I just wanted to jump him.

“Loaded questions, Pie Girl,” he teased. “But really, it depends…I guess the simple answer is, somewhere between five days and about two weeks.”

I could tell there was so much more to the process, just from the way he’d answered me.  He was just trying not to overwhelm the lame non-wine-connoisseur, too much.

Which I appreciated.

But when he said five days to two weeks, I also couldn’t help but see the parallels to his time left in Napa. 

Who knew when his father would get better.

It could take weeks, months…years even…

And he couldn’t stay that long.

I couldn’t stay that long.

Could I?

But then, why would I?  It wasn’t like I’d have a reason to stay, once he was gone.

I was babbling silently to myself when I realized he’d been talking.

Uh oh..

He was saying something that I was supposed to be paying attention to, and had noticed I wasn’t…paying attention.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked me as we walked out of an area I’d missed all together and down some stairs.

A lot of stairs.

“Just…wondering where you’re taking me,” I said as it got darker and darker…colder and colder.

“You,” he announced. “Are about to enter…the caves…” he said, all, Rod Serling-esque, from the Twilight Zone and I tried to imagine what they’d look like when…

“Wow.”

It was all I could say, I was…awe struck.

Rows and rows of barrels upon barrels of… “Are those all filled with…?”

“Wine,” he finished and I blinked a few times, to try and imagine just how much there was. 

“We’re not the largest vineyard, by all means, but there’s plenty to last Carlisle a few years while he gets back on track with the vines.”

“It’s…amazing,” I told him, looking everywhere.  It had to have been the most romantic setting I could have ever imagined, with low lighting and intimate quarters and then he walked me over to a smaller room, with…more barrels and some glasses that were sitting out, on a tray.

“Would you like a tasting, Pie Girl?” he asked, all…sexy and sultry like, letting his fingers graze my side, as he asked me.

Can’t…think…

“Didn’t we already prove that wine tastings and Bella, don’t mix?” I tried to keep it light, but really…yes…I very much wanted another tasting.

He grinned, as he picked up a sifter of some sort, opened the cork of one of the barrels and pulled a bit of the liquid out, emptying it into one of the glasses.

“Ah,” he said, handing me one of the glasses. “But that was before you were…fiance’ less…”

So true.

So…true…

So…

Want to kiss those lips.

I took the glass and then a sip, letting my eyes close, for just a moment, as I swallowed slowly, allowing the bitter liquid to shock every taste bud on my tongue.

Then Edward smoothly took the glass from my hand, setting it down, somewhere behind him, as his lips met mine.

Then he lifted me up and set me on one of the barrels.  Kissing, tugging…and  his tongue tasted…sweet, in contrast to the red wine and his hands were so gentle, as he held my face in them.

Then I felt him leaning into me.

Wanting more.

Needing more.

Much like the way I felt, every time I was with him.

“I think I like you in my clothes, Bella,” he whispered and I let my head fall back as his lips found my neck…and then his teeth, again.

Oh god…yes, the teeth.

Jesus.

“I think I like you liking me in your clothes, Edward,” I told him and I looked up to me as I grinned my own smuggish grin at him.

Take that, sexy vineyard owner army guy.

I felt somewhat triumphant, until, with a flash of familiar craving in his eyes, he pushed my legs apart.

A gasp of air escaped me and then he grinned a little, as he pushed ever so slightly, with those hands of his, guiding be backwards, letting them slide down, between my breasts, to my belly, then my thighs.

And no, it wasn’t Edward’s bed…but something about the atmosphere there, in those caves, he’d taken me to, and considering what I thought I was pretty sure was about to happen, I really didn’t give a shit where we were.

Taking a leg with one hand, he had me place a foot up onto the barrel and then without further ado, he shot one, hungry look at me, before disappearing between my legs.

And oh my god.

His tongue.

His tongue knew…things.

I breathed, I remembered to breathe…heavily at times, forgetting to exhale at others.  But I breathed, none the less.

My hand went to his hair, grabbing a fist full when he paid special attention to my clit and then his fingers.

Those long…splendid…experienced fingers…

“Don’t stop,” I begged as I felt the stirrings of my orgasm and he hummed…

Hummed into me, giving me even more reason to moan like the desperate woman that I was.

Desperate for him.

And everything he brought out in me.

“God,” I squeaked. “Just…don’t…stop…” I told him, literally, pushing his head down, harder, as I grinded against his lips…his tongue…

“Oh fuck…”

It came quickly and intensely, my climax, and Edward seemed starving for it as he continued sucking…licking, feeling…until finally I couldn’t take it anymore and let out a giggle.

“Oh my god I shouldn’t be saying this but stop…stop.”

He re-surfaced, with a smile on face that was full of satisfied accomplishment and I laughed even more so, trying to hide my face from him but he wouldn’t have it.

“Don’t hide, Bella,” he told me, as he helped me to sit up, pulling me into him, so that he was standing between my thighs, for another wonderful, heat filled, kiss.

“I’ve got to stop ravaging you,” he murmered against my lips and I told him, “You have my permission for any and all future ravagings.”

Our eyes closed as our heads leaned into each other and I could feel him laugh as his hand slipped behind my neck, gently tugging me back into his lips.

If only I could steal them, I thought, and keep them when he went away.

Then I would have something of his that he would have to come back to.

But that would be silly.

Edward needed his lips.

We were only able to stay like that for a few more minutes.

Encased in our own world.

Where nothing else mattered.

Until he mentioned we should probably get back up to the house.

Edward didn’t want to be rude to Jasper and I really did need to get home to change…and maybe make a few other arrangements for the day.

Like dragging Emmett and Rose over to Edward’s to help with the house and vines.

I knew I was only making things worse for myself.

That the quicker the work was completed, the quicker he would be leaving.  But I also knew that it was what he wanted.  What would make him happy, so I recruited his friends.

And promised them dinner.

Even Alice helped, after she’d made lunch for everyone.

To say the whole, Rose…Edward interaction was a bit awkward, at first, was an understatement, but she warmed up to him, again…a little…as the day wore on.

It helped having Emmett and I as buffers and Jasper seemed to soften her up a little, too, with his Texas sense of humor and stories about how she reminded him of a distant cousin of his.

I didn’t know for sure if he was just saying it for the sole purposes of diffusing her coldness or not, but it worked, and even I had to appreciate what he would do for his friend.

I’d asked Edward if he was going to need a ride over to Sonoma to see his father again but he told me he didn’t think he could do two days in a row of shock and awe from his father.

I could understand that.

I’d had my fill of my own mother in the past and knew that sometimes, you just needed…a break.

I watched Edward’s face, though, as he and Emmett joked around a little and seemed to find a comfortable place to be again.

He was happy.

He wasn’t fooling me.

And I thought, if nothing else, perhaps he’d take some of the warmth from those renewed relationships back with him, to Georgia, and that maybe, someday, he’d find a way to return to Napa, for good.

He belonged there.

It was written all over the way he took such good care of that vineyard.

And the way he knew, and passionately, I might add, about the wines and their heritage…and…even the way he patched up all the holes in his home.

Like he was patching up his own holes, as well, maybe.

By seven o’clock, it had been a long day and I definitely did not feel like cooking but I had promised a bunch of hungry people, dinner, so…I cheated. 

A little.

After convincing Alice to take the night off, that is.

Jasper helped with that.

At least he was good for some things, that man.

I still got everyone a homemade meal…it just wasn’t…my, homemade meal. 

I picked up a ton of Italian food from the local place that Edward said was the only place he’d eat Italian food from and we set plates and drinks and music and candles up, on his patio, behind the house…looking out at the vineyard.

And I had to let the scene soak in, seeing Edward relaxed, some…pouring wine, eating…catching up on small instances that he’d missed…

He was always on guard, to a certain extent though, always holding back just a tad, so that he wouldn’t be hurt if the circumstances suddenly changed on him but once in a while, he’d look over at me and we’d exchange a look with one another that reminded us…

It didn’t matter.

Not once they were all gone.

Because then it would be just us, again.

………..

It wasn’t until about half way through the meal, that I realized, I hadn’t called Jake again, since that morning and although I took my cell phone out, contemplating another attempt, I decided against it, because if I didn’t get him, I’d just become frustrated…and if I did…

Well, who knew what type of situation that would invoke.

So instead, I ate, drank and was quite merry, despite the fact that Edward served me red wine with my baked ziti, telling me that white would only take away from the experience.

Well into my third glass, I thought, Red Wine really isn’t all that bad…it’s just…misunderstood.

“Anyone need a refill?” Edward slurred slightly and I giggled, holding my glass up.

Along with the four other nearly drunken visitors of the Cullen Winery.

Edward sighed, realizing he’d gotten himself into that mess himself, as he tried to collect all of the wine glasses, then he disappeared inside to fill them up with a new bottle.

You’d have thought the volume had been turned off, once he wasn’t there, anymore.

It was like the North and the South, again.

Alice and Jasper, who were having their own private conversation about something that looked slightly serious…versus Emmett and Rosalie, who seemed to want to leave.

Until Emmett, who’d been eying Jasper all evening, threw out a mutual conversation starter.

“So…” he said, looking over at Jasper who was doing nothing but looking at Alice.

He turned his attention to Emmett, though, tilting his head a little.

“You’re Edward’s…”

“Commanding officer,” Jasper finished and I turned my head, to look see the landscape underneath the moon.

It was gorgeous.

I was quite wine buzzed but I was still coherent enough to hear what Jasper and Emmett were talking about.

Even though I didn’t want to.

For now, Edward was just…wine connoisseur, giver of orgasms, lover of…pies.

I didn’t want to know the other part of him.

The part that called him to return, shortly after he was able to put his father’s vineyard back together.

“What does he do, over there, anyway?  In…Georgia, right?”

“That’s right…but he doesn’t actually do much of anything in Georgia,” Japser twanged. “Except take a breather every once in a while…he’s…sent on missions, mostly, when he’s not needed in the front lines.”

“Missions?” Rose interrupted. “You mean like…”

“He finds people.”

 Rose almost seemed concerned…maybe even genuinely curious. “You mean like, men who’ve been taken as prisoners of war, or something?”

And Jasper…he just…smiled.

The little shit.

“Somethin’ like that.”

He wasn’t giving anyone anything else.  I supposed it was the nature of his occupation…but I wanted to know more, unexpectedly.

“What was Edward like, Jasper?” I blurted out.  “I mean…when you met him.”

Emmett chuckled, then mumbled, “Pain in the ass, I bet.”

Jasper smirked in agreement and then told us a little something about when Edward had first arrived.

Immediately after leaving Napa for good.

Or so he thought.

“He was a hellion when he first joined,” he said, sitting up a little straighter.  Then he shook his head, remembering something, no doubt.

Something I’d never be privy to, probably.

“I remember the first couple a weeks being particularly hard for him.  He didn’t know anyone, didn’t wanna know anyone and was in a fight just about every night out in the courtyard.”

And Emmett, he seemed somewhat…guilt ridden about that tid bit, and spoke lower than normal. “That sounds like Edward.”

“So, what happened?”  I asked, and felt like I was reading a book that I couldn’t quite read fast enough.

Couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

Jasper looked over to me, then and became a little more serious than he’d been throughout the night, though still, quite tipsy himself.

“I took him aside, one night.  His face was all bloodied and his lip was about that size of my home town…” he said, gesturing with his hands.  “I picked him up off of the ground he was sittin’ on, took him to a local place and bought him a beer.  Then I told him he could either let his demons control him for the rest of his life, get kicked outta the Army and end up who knows where….or…”

Then he was interrupted again.

By Edward.

Who was now standing at the sliders, leaning as though he’d been listening the whole time, arms crossed…the tray of drinks sitting on the table next to him.

“Or I could control the demons, and use all that energy I had for the greater good…” he laughed, making a pronounced exaggeration at that last part as he started passing out drinks.  “I called him Obi Won, after that.”

Jasper and he chuckled at the memory.

“And how’d he do?”

It was Alice.

And she was staring at Edward when Jasper answered her.

“Well ya don’t make Sergeant within four years easily, in the Army, that’s for sure.”

Then Edward seemed almost embarrassed, so in order to save him, I asked Rose something I’d been curious about, myself, since my tour, earlier that day.

“Rose, when is the Grape Festival?”

And it worked, my diversion.

I was proud, when everyone started buzzing about the new topic and Edward seemed grateful, giving me a slight nod behind everyone else’s backs as he held a newly filled glass of wine up to me.

I stood up then, went to him and wrapped one arm around him as I took the glass with the other…then looked up and asked, “So?”

A sexy sip of his Burgandy, and “So…what?”

Cocked eyebrow, looking down.

How does he do that?

“Um…” I shook my head. “So…will you take me?  To the festival?”

I smiled, sipping my drink.

Batting my eye lashes.

Hoping he’d cave.

He let some air into his lungs, then let it out as though he was making a decision that would determine the fate of the world, before answering me with a simple word.

Smirking.

“Maybe.”

And yeah, he’d caved.

A/N: Distinguished wine is characterized by excellent quality.