“Get your mind out of the gutter and focus,” I growl in her ear, because my mind has been filled with all the filthy things I want to do to her all fucking day. “Okay, slow and steady,” I say as I guide her arm back and release the ball. We follow through and it gets over the net.

“I did it!” She jumps up and down.

“Hardly.” I hide a smile. She looks so cute celebrating. Come on, Barrett, get it together.

“I’m still going to celebrate.” She sticks her tongue out at me.

“Let’s see if you can return from an actual serve.” I leave her and head to my side of the table—hoping the semi-erection she’s given me isn’t noticeable.

I serve across the table and Chloe’s return hits the corner of the table before bouncing out of my reach and onto the ground.

Chloe celebrates like she’s won Wimbledon.

“Beginner’s luck.”

“I don’t think the girl that got smacked in the head with the ball the first time she played tennis has beginner’s luck.”

I toss the ball over for her serve.

Chloe serves it and I return it, then she barely gets it over the net and it double bounces before I can scoop it up.

The game continues like that.

And that’s how with wild, erratic movements and zero grace, Chloe beats me at ping pong.

“Are you sure you were trying?” Chloe asks, laying down her paddle on the table.

“Of course, I was trying. You know how much I like to win,” I say, setting my paddle down, too.

Chloe’s elated smile lights up the entire vineyard. When she directs it at me, heat radiates through my chest. It suddenly feels like there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep that smile on her face.

18. Chloe

CHAPTER 18

Chloe

I’m having the best time with Barrett. I didn’t think it was possible. I didn’t think Barrett was capable of a good time, let alone having one with me by his side. Wine equals fun with Barrett.

“Let’s play a game,” I say.

“We’ve played every lawn game they have here.” He motions to the open lawn.

“No, I want to play a game that doesn’t involve that giant hand-impenetrable-eye coordination thing you’ve got going on.” I circle my finger in his direction, then lift myself up onto the wooden ledge that surrounds the winery’s yard. I’m just tipsy enough to not have a single care about the white pants I’ve got on or what my ass might look like when I get down from said ledge. “Something I might be good at.”

“You won ping pong. And you almost won bocce ball, until that last ball went rogue and decapitated one of the knights on the chess board.”