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"I've been told that so many different times by different men who claimed to love me when I was a popular racer." Ellie saw his eyes widen so she put her hands on the sides of his face and he sighed as he leaned closer to her. "You don't have to tell me things you think women like to hear.  I've heard them. You're a very real person when it comes to life. You need to adapt that to love."

Henry staggered back.  "I can't lose myself in a relationship, Ellie.  I watched my parents do so and it was the undoing of our family name.  The new Wong cannot be in love. Love doesn't last. That alone I can trust.  Everything crumbles to dust if you let it sit out long enough." He touched her face and kissed her intensely.  He rolled her bottom lip under his teeth to bit it teasingly as if he wanted her to forget her inquiries. "You're a fast women to push me this far, Ellie.  You really do need to learn to slow down sometimes."

Ellie pulled him closer mischievously.  "Why wait? I know we have chemistry--I can enjoy the ride while I drive this road for the first time.  You're a beautiful man with a wild heart hiding under all of your suits."

Henry moved back.  "I'm not wild. I would never do something like that with . . . no.  I've told you. My parents were never faithful to each other. They did crazy things for their partners.  I'm not wild enough to make a fool of myself to ruin the business I have worked so hard to cultivate."

His voice hitched and Ellie felt something in her drop so she leaned closer to him.  She wanted to absorb all of his tangled emotion so she touched his back and tried to relax him enough for his tangled thoughts to be loosened enough for him to resume his celebrating.  "It's not something a lot of people talk about, Henry, but I know from my experiences if you keep your desires bottled up like this, you're going to be miserable when this moment passes.  Do you want to look back on your life and regret that you didn't do something here with me when you wanted to? You seem not to completely hold the affections of the lady in your eye. I know in that sort of relationship the relationship dynamic will be uneven.  You will lose yourself doing everything for her. Are you sure you can honestly win someone like that?"

"It's not like that, you know I can't give up on her." He turned his head and Ellie saw that the planes of his shirt had slid open.  Henry loosened his own buttons as he intensely kissed Ellie.

Ellie felt all of his frustrations as he began to reach for the zipper at the back of her dress.  She pushed his hands back as she looked into his half lidden misery reflected eyes. "You can't go then unprepared, Henry.  Maybe you can have stability here with me so you understand what a woman needs. Maybe then you can see with a lens that isn't so clouded.  You'll make a better decision and I won't hold it against you once you're done with me."

Henry bared his teeth as he bit her lip like a tyrant playfully.  His intensity lessened as he chuckled. "I could never. You're precious you know.  I just wish I could admire you as someone else takes good care of that. I would apologize to you a thousand times, until the world ended that truly I don't want to do that."

"It's like your holding onto two things and can't decide which item will be a better investment.  I shouldn't be surprised as you have your acute senses." Ellie leaned forwards as she fully unbuttoned Henry's shirt to reveal the musculature which was unusual for his profession.  The slight sheen of sweat that had appeared between the two of them made his pectorals stand out like a six pack drink carrier. The plastic rims like his own muscles, each gleaming with a perfectly even amount of sweat collected.  Ellie laughed as one hand lazily traced this strange miracle. She couldn't believe that Nolan had figured out love before her own hard headed neanderthal. Love, was his weakness, Ellie wished it was something else. Anything else would have been easier to tackle.  She tried again. "I have many casual experiences that I know you don't have. I know you don't like being vulnerable because you'll get hurt. I know you want someone else to take good care of me, but I know you need to learn to be emotional so you can get her. My emotions can be sane and rational so you don't have baggage from me.  I like touching all of this, I don't think this would be such a bad idea."

The muscles in his chest moved as he brought her closer.  Henry began to move his hands upwards as she realized he had already zipped down the back of her dress.  Ellie felt self conscious as the fabric began to droop forwards to reveal the bra she was wearing underneath.  His hand moved to cup both of her breasts. He caught his breath as he touched her there.

"What are you trying to do, Henry?  You're saying one thing, but you're doing the opposite.  Why are you doing this? I wish I could be more into this." Her voice chilled him as he immediately stopped his motions.

"Well," Henry said slowly.  He wondered where he had put his shirt.  It was probably somewhere in the darkness, hopefully not as damp as he felt.  He felt like someone had thrown a glass of water on him. "We are here in this beautiful winery and it's my birthday.  You're asking me questions about things I don't want to think about. I just want to enjoy you here right now. You're beautiful.  I want to touch all of you. Our marriage be damned if I didn't get to kiss you once."