Secret Indiscretions (Carson Cove Scandals 2)

Later that day

“Hello there beautiful,” Jon greeted me at the door with a smile on his face.

“Hey.” I smiled and walked up the steps. “Did a flower truck lose it’s load while driving through your neighborhood?”

“The carnations?” He sighed. “It’s a long story—nothing for you to worry about, though.”

Jon pulled me into his arms and immediately crushed my lips. The kiss made all of my worries fade away in an instant. We weren’t at the office, we didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing us, and we were going to be able to spend the evening together. He pulled me into the house, closed the door, and our lips finally parted. His fingers brushed a strand of hair out of my face, then gently caressed my cheek before he kissed me again. It was even more passionate than the first one. I simply melted into his embrace as our lips seared together. His lips—his touch—they were both sending fire surging through my veins. When his lips finally pulled away from me the second time, I was literally trying to figure out how to breathe.

“Are you hungry? Dinner is waiting if you are…” He tilted his head to the side.

“I could eat.” I nodded.

“I even brought up a bottle of wine from my cellar that I’ve been saving for a special occasion like this.” He pressed his lips to my forehead. “I know you won’t be able to drink much since you have to drive home, but a couple of glasses should be fine…”

“Actually…” I looked up at him and bit down on my bottom lip. “I’m not expected home until morning.”

“Really?” He raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“I told Charley that I was going to be celebrating my graduation with a friend. I’m sure she thought I meant Taylor, but—she was okay with it regardless.” I leaned against him. “I think the fact that I’ve been able to come home at a reasonable time every day has eased some of her concern.”

“So, you can stay the night…” He smiled. “I like the sound of that.

Jon let me into the dining room, and we sat down to eat. The bottle of wine he opened was incredible. It was nearly two-hundred years old, and the taste made me forget that other wine even existed. It was a perfectly dry red wine with a deep, bold flavor. I thought that what I had at the engagement party couldn’t be outdone, but I was wrong. I wasn’t going to be able to have just one glass—I might even have more than two.

“You don’t want to have any?” I looked at Jon’s glass.

“Nah, I’m not much of a wine drinker.” He shook his head back and forth.

“Did you run out of whiskey or something?” I lifted my glass and took a sip—followed by another one because it was that good.

“I decided to cut back some after the night you had to sober up.” He shrugged. “I was drinking too much, obviously.”

“Should I not drink in front of you?” I put the glass down immediately.

“No, it’s not a problem.” He waved off my concern. “I’m not an alcoholic; I just don’t like to get drunk. I’ll probably have a glass after dinner.”

“Okay.” I nodded and took another sip of my wine. “I might get drunk—especially if you’re not going to help me with the wine.”

“You’re fine.” He shook his head and laughed. “You’re celebrating—it’s okay.”

That’s true…

The wine gave me a nice buzz, but I was looking forward to my night with Jon too much to really get that drunk. We finished dinner and moved to the couch in the living room—where we teased each other as we sipped our drinks and talked. The conversation got pretty intense. We talked about hopes, dreams, and even family. I was surprised to hear that Jon was open to possibly having more kids. When I started dating him, there was a bit of worry in the back of my head that he wouldn’t want another baby after raising two of his own. It wouldn’t have been a deal breaker by any means, and our relationship wasn’t far enough along to seriously discuss it, but it was still nice to hear that the door wouldn’t be closed.

I always dreamed about meeting the right guy—possibly giving Charley a younger brother or sister to protect—or maybe torment. I didn’t have any siblings and felt like I missed out on a lot by being an only child. Eventually, the conversation did shift to Alcott Inc. The mistake I made felt like an elephant in the room, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted it to be addressed at some point or just go the entire evening without having it brought up. I was still confused over how it could have happened, and in the privacy of his own home, Jon put a lot of the blame on Damien for giving me the account in the first place. It didn’t make me feel much better about the mistake, but he didn’t seem to be angry, so I hoped it was something we could move past—I just wasn’t there yet. I wasn’t sure how I could get there without his help…

“Do you want more wine?” Jon motioned to my empty glass.

“I’ve had—how many now?” I raised an eyebrow. “You haven’t even finished your first drink!”

“I started later than you,” he chuckled. “We can’t really save what’s left, so if you don’t drink it, I’ll just have to pour it out…”

“How much did that bottle cost anyway?” I winced, just thinking about how expensive it must have been.

“Honestly?” He shrugged. “I don’t even remember. It’s been in the wine cellar for a while. My dad loved collecting old wine, and he left a lot of it behind when he retired.”

“Did you live here until your parents moved out?” I reached for the bottle and poured another glass—it seemed that I was going to get a little more intoxicated than I planned.