Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 543 Gwen's POV The wine cellar was exactly how I had imagined it. It was small and rustic. The stone walls were worn smooth by time, keeping the air cool even with the harsh winter raging outside. The scent was intoxicating. Aged oak, fermented grapes, damp earth. There was something comforting about the place, something that made my chest loosen in a way I couldn't quite explain. Nick switched on a few hanging lights along the low ceiling. Soft, golden light spilled across the uneven walls, casting dancing shadows. Wooden barrels of different sizes were lined up in tight rows.

Some were stacked on top of each other. Others were pressed against the walls. Metal shelves held dusty bottles, their handwritten labels marking years and varieties. It was very cramped. "We need to reorganize these barrels," Nick said, pointing toward a corner where several of them were piled together messily. "Some of them are blocking access to the ones that are almost ready for bottling. We'll have to move them." I nodded and followed him. The space between the rows was barely wide enough for one person to pass comfortably. With both of us in there, it was impossible not to touch.

Nick took position on one side of a particularly large barrel and gestured for me to stand on the other. "Ready? Let's roll it over there." He pointed to an empty spot a few feet ahead. I placed my hands on the barrel, feeling the rough, cold wood beneath my fingers. Nick counted to three, and we pushed. It was heavier than I expected. Much heavier. He had to put in real effort to get it moving. As we rolled it through the narrow space, our bodies drifted closer and farther apart in a natural rhythm set by the movement. My shoulder brushed his chest.

My hip grazed his when we had to adjust our direction. Every accidental touch sent a spark of electricity across my skin. And I knew he felt it too. I saw it in the way his jaw tightened. In how his breathing sped up just slightly. In how he avoided my eyes, focusing intensely on the work as if it were the most important thing in the world. We moved three more barrels like that. With each one, the space seemed to shrink. The touches became more frequent. The tension grew 1/5 thicker.

can reach if you lift me," I said. And I saw the exact moment he processed what I had just suggested. His eyes widened slightly. "I... I can go

voice a little rough. "I'll hold your waist and lift you. You grab the bottles and organize them by year, left to right. Can you see the dates on the labels?" I nodded. He stepped in behind me, and I felt his large, warm hands settle on my waist. My heart slammed against my ribs. Through

"Ready." He lifted me with surprising ease, as if I weighed nothing at all. Suddenly, I was in the air, perfectly positioned to reach the shelf. And completely dependent on his strength to keep me there. I tried to focus on the bottles. I really did. 2/5 But it was hard to think

maybe not, I leaned forward a little more than necessary. My shirt rode up a few inches, exposing a strip of skin along my stomach and lower back. I heard Nick inhale sharply. I smiled to myself and kept going.

the way you told me to." Our eyes met. And what I saw there made my stomach twist. Desire. Pure and simple. He wanted me. He wanted me so badly he was visibly fighting himself. But he was still fighting. "I'm done," I said, sliding the last

for even one more second was dangerous. The moment my feet touched the ground, he stepped back, putting a safe distance between us. He was breathing a little faster than normal. His hands opened and closed at his sides, as if they could still feel the shape of my

before," I argued. "Maybe... maybe we can change our minds." I watched the struggle play out across his face. Desire versus control. Want versus reason. Reason won. "No," he said. And this time, his voice was steady. I sighed, frustrated, but knowing I wasn't going to win this battle. Not today. "Okay," I agreed, stepping back. "So... let's go to the tasting, then?" Relief washed over