I lay my cheek on his chest, just over his heart. "Most of all, I love your heart; how kind you are and how gentle you are with me. Most of the time." I add and smile up at him.

His lips part as he exhales.

"Natalie, I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I would do it again, over and over." He runs his knuckles down my cheek and kisses me tenderly as the limo comes to a stop.

"We're here."

Luke climbs out ahead of me and takes my hand to help me out of the impressive car. He pulls me to his side, and my eyes are glued to the enormous Chateau before us.

"Oh, my."

"This is Chateau Ste. Michelle. We're going to have dinner here tonight."

"I didn't know they had a restaurant." My wide eyes meet his.

"They don't. They do special events. Tonight, for a few hours at least, it's all ours."

I'm struck dumb. He rented out the entire Chateau for me?

"Come." He leads me toward the front of the building where an older woman, in her mid-fifties, is waiting for us.

"Welcome, Mr. Williams and Ms. Conner. I'm Mrs. Davidson. We're delighted to have you. Would you please follow me?" She leads us on a cobblestone path around the side of the Chateau. It's lined with old fashioned street lights, illuminating the whole side of the building.

Luke tucks my hand in his arm and escorts me along behind Mrs. Davidson. As we round the bend behind the house I gasp at the sight before me.

"Oh, Luke." I feel him grin down at me, watching my reaction to the most beautiful display I've ever seen. The stone path leads us beneath an arbor that is covered in grape vines. The vines are heavy with luscious, purple grapes. There are white twinkling Christmas lights draped over roughly ten two-person tables, and wound through the arbor and vines lining the small space. There is soft bluesy music crooning in the back ground.

The small table in the center of the stone patio is covered in a white table cloth. The china is also white, but on one plate sits a single red rose. Luke walks forward and pulls the chair out for me and I sit.

He picks up the rose and I look up into his joy-filled eyes. He sniffs the delicate flower before extending it to me.

"For you, beautiful."

"Thank you." I put the bloom against my nose and sniff its sweetness.

Luke sits opposite me at the table.

"Honey, this is wonderful. Thank you." I reach over and grasp his hand in mine, so moved by this devastatingly romantic gesture.

"I'm glad you like it." He grins and gestures to the waiter.

"Sir, madam," The waiter is dressed in a white jacket and black pants and bow-tie. He's an older gentleman with white hair and a British accent and I can't help but fall just a little in love with him.

"Thank you for joining us this evening. We will be serving you three courses, in addition to an appetizer course and, of course, dessert. I hope you're hungry." He winks at me and motions to someone inside the building.

"Here is your appetizer; chili garlic calamari paired with our 2009 dry Riesling, and Hawaiian style chicken skewers paired with the 2008 Cabinet Riesling." The plates are set in front of us with glasses of wine.

I meet Luke's eyes over the table. "It looks too pretty to eat."

"Enjoy, baby."

We dig in and enjoy the appetizers. The wines complement each dish perfectly, flooding my mouth with amazing flavors and textures.

Luke reaches over and holds my hand, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles as we finish our wine and wait for the next course.

"Are you having fun?"

"Much more than fun. This is... a fairy tale." I feel my cheeks heat, but it's the truth.

"This is a beautiful vineyard. We'll have to come again during the day so you can see the grounds."

"I'd love that."

"May I present your first course?" Our waiter is back and removes our empty plates and wine glasses. "This is our mojito marinated halibut with mango, avocado and black bean salsa, served with the 2009 Midsummer's White. Enjoy." He backs away, leaving us with the delicious meal.

We're served two more courses of pork tenderloin and New York steak with Yukon gold potatoes, and, of course, the perfect wines to accompany them.

I'm feeling very full and just a little light headed from all the wine when it's time for dessert to be served.

"Oh my God, Luke, I don't know if there is any room left in this dress for dessert." I sit back and rub my belly and Luke laughs, his eyes light with happiness. He's having a really good time, and has been light hearted and complimentary throughout our meal. He's so good at this.

He motions to the waiter who immediately steps to the tableside.

"Yes, sir."

"I think that Ms. Conner and I will share the dessert, please."

"Very good, sir."

"Good plan. Besides, we're going to work all these calories off at yoga tomorrow morning."

"Ah yes, yoga. You're going to make me go, huh?"

"No, I'm not making you."

"We could skip it and stay in bed all day." He winks at me over his wine glass.

"I can't skip it, I'm the instructor."

"I had no idea." He furrows his brow in confusion.

"I only teach three classes a week." I shrug. "Besides, I'm very flexible. You should enjoy the show." I smile smugly into my glass and watch his eyes glass over.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

The waiter reappears with our dessert of strawberry Creme Brulee tart, on one plate, and two glasses of the Eroica Ice Wine.

He also sets a baby blue Tiffany necklace sized box in the center of the table, bows to both of us, and walks away.

Oh. My. God.

Chapter Nineteen.

I stare numbly at the perfect blue box tied with a white bow. What's this?

"It's for you," he murmurs and grips my hand. My eyes find his and I just don't know what to say.

"You shouldn't have done this." My voice is a whisper.

"You haven't opened it yet," he responds dryly, but his eyes are guarded. I'm sure this is not the response he was expecting. I don't want to hurt his feelings.

He picks up the box and passes it to me. "Open it, baby."

I pull the ribbon off the box and nestled beneath it on top of the box is a note.

These remind me of you. Simply beautiful.

-Luke Oh my.

I smile up at him and I see his shoulders relax a bit with his grin. He's sitting forward, leaning on the table, waiting in anticipation for me to open the box.

I pull the lid off the box and gasp.

Nestled in Tiffany blue satin is a string of exquisite pearls. They have a platinum clasp, and the pearls are milky white, with an almost iridescent glow that reflects the soft twinkling lights around us. I lift them out of the box and they are smooth and cool to the touch.

"Luke, they're fabulous."

"Here," he gracefully unfolds his lean body from his chair and comes to stand behind me, taking the strand of beautiful pearls from my hands and unclasping them. He drapes them around my neck, and my fingers immediately touch them as he fastens them. They lay just at my collarbone. He leans down and kisses me gently on the cheek and offers his hand to me as Norah Jones begins crooning about coming away with her.

"Dance with me." His blue eyes are shining with happiness, and I'm so caught up in the romance, so caught up in him, I just can't resist him.

"It would be my pleasure." He pulls me into his arms and begins whisking me around the patio.

"Thank you for the beautiful pearls," I whisper up to him.

"You are welcome, beautiful. They look perfect on you." As he sways me back and forth in time to the music, he leans down and places his lips gently on mine.

"You're good at this."

He smiles down at me. "The studio made me take lessons."

"I approve."

"I'm happy to hear it." As the song ends he pulls me closer against his chest and wraps his arms around me, planting his lips gently on my forehead. "Come home with me tonight."

"You'd rather go to your place tonight?"

"Yes. I want you in my bed."

I smile and run my fingers through his soft blonde hair, soaking in his beautiful face. His eyes are so blue, his freshly shaven jaw chiseled. I've never loved anyone so much.

"Okay. I'm going to need a few things from my house."

His fingers trace my skin just under the pearls and a shiver dances down my spine. "Jules already took care of it."

I raise an eyebrow. "Pretty sure of yourself."

"Just hopeful, baby." He kisses my forehead again, and cups my face in his hands. His lips find my nose, my cheeks and then settle softly on my lips. It's one of his special, gentle kisses and I sigh as the muscles deep in my stomach begin to tighten.

"Take me home," I whisper against his lips and his eyes blink open, burning with desire.

He leads me back to the table and I see that our things have been gathered up and most likely taken to the car. The waiter appears with my wrap and handbag and Luke tucks my hand in the crook of his elbow and escorts me back to the car, sliding across the leather seat behind me.

Inside, there is a fresh bottle of champagne and another fresh red rose.

"What is it with you and red roses?"

"You don't like them?" His voice is worried, and he furrows his brow.

"No, I love them. You're just spoiling me." I bury my nose in the blossom and peek up at him through my lashes.

"You look very beautiful right now, in those pearls and black dress and red rose pressed to your face." He runs his finger down my cheek and I sigh.

"Thank you."

"Come here." He lifts me effortlessly onto his lap and I curl into him, burying my face in his neck.

"Tonight was the most magical night of my life, Luke."

I feel his smile as he kisses my forehead. "Mine too."

"Wake up, baby, we're home." Luke is kissing my forehead and brushing my cheek with his fingers.

"I'm sorry I fell asleep." I sit up and realize I'm still clutching the rose.

"I love holding you while you sleep, baby. Come on, let's go in." The driver opens Luke's door and he lifts me onto the seat next to him, ushering me out ahead of him. He thanks the driver and escorts me into the house.

My feet are starting to feel the effects of these fantastically beautiful shoes, but I don't want to take them off yet. Luke removes my wrap from my shoulders, skimming his fingers across my skin and just like that my libido wakes up.

"Are your feet hurting?" He's always so aware of how I might be feeling, and it makes me smile.