The Wedding Wrecker by Penelope Bloom

Author:Penelope Bloom [Bloom, Penelope]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2025-02-21T00:00:00+00:00

18

EMMA

The bonfire crackled, sending sparks dancing up into the darkening sky. Someone—Theo, I think—had produced several bottles of expensive wine, and the usually uptight Wellingtons had gradually relaxed as the evening wore on.

I was warm despite the cold, thanks to the fire, the wine, and James' body heat beside me. He'd pulled me between his legs on the log we shared, wrapping us both in a blanket. For authenticity, he'd said.

I decided this was the kind of moment you were lucky to have a few of in your entire life. Pristine snow blanketed everything in sight. Beautiful horses and bright red sleighs glistened in the setting sunlight just a ways off from our fire. And I was surrounded by easy conversation, laughter, and practically wrapped in the most gorgeous man I could have ever imagined.

Yeah… tonight, I decided I wouldn’t worry about what was fake and what was real. I just wanted to drink this all in and make a memory of it. I’d mostly been tuning out the conversations of the Wellingtons, who had been talking about boring things like investments and money.

Dick’s voice caught my attention. “This stuff,” he said, tilting the bottle of wine in his hand and nodding appreciatively. “Remember when we had the entire basement stocked full of it?”

Mr. Wellington chuckled. He was lounging on a log with his long legs spread out in front of him, a bottle of wine in his hand as well. “I do.”

“That’s where I got it,” Theo said, leaning forward so the firelight caught his handsome features. “You sent me a bunch of it several years ago and I couldn’t drink my way through it. I figured you guys could help me tonight.”

“Ahh!” Dick said. “From our own stash! I really did miss this stuff.”

James, who had been mostly quiet as he wrapped himself around me, finally spoke. There was a note of purpose in his voice and question I didn’t miss. “Did something happen to the vineyard that produces it?”

“Hm?” Dick said, still frowning at the label on the wine. “Nope. Shit is just so damn expensive we haven’t⁠—”

Richard cut in. “Seen the need. There are comparable vintages at more reasonable prices.” He paused, eyes sweeping across the gathered group. “Even when one has the means, spending in excess is tacky.”

Dick looked slightly mollified, but raised his bottle with a slosh. “To tackiness!” He tipped it and drained a long few gulps.

James tensed behind me, but I was too focused on his hand resting on my hip to really process the exchange. I’d bee fantasizing about him slipping his fingers farther inward until they glided over my sensitive⁠—

"Time to head back," one of the sleigh drivers called. "It'll be too dark for the horses soon."

"I want to show you something when we get back to the resort," James whispered in my ear as everyone started packing up. "Are you in?"

I shouldn't be. It was late, and despite having planned as much as I possibly could before we arrived, I still had real work to do tomorrow.

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