The door creaked and Helena switched on a light that shown dimly at the bottom of the staircase.

“Follow me,” she whispered, taking the first step down, and holding Bette by a wrist.

“God, Helena,” Bette said, as they slowly descended the steps, “This is like a dank, dark dungeon.”

“Mmm. It is. I could have renovated it when I bought the vineyard, but I wanted everything to retain it’s Old World, rustic charm,” Helena explained quietly.

“You don’t have any medieval torture devices hidden down here, do you?” Bette joked, stopping abruptly.

Helena laughed. “My darling, I don’t wish to torture you. I wish to pleasure you.”

“Well, you’ve been torturing me all day by withholding your pleasure,” Bette joked.

Helena grinned to herself and continued to the bottom of the stairs. When Bette stepped off the last step, Helena turned to greet her with a kiss. Then she untied the ribbon from around Bette’s wrists.

“Have a look around,” she invited, stepping aside and sweeping her hand across the room.

Bette smiled at her and walked forward into the cellar, each wall lined with row after row of triangular shaped bins, filled with bottle upon bottle of marvelous wines.

Bette’s mouth fell open. “Oh, Helena, I love it. It’s just as I imagined. I’m so glad you didn’t modernize it. It’s wonderful just the way it is.”

“You don’t think it’s kind of creepy?” Helena asked.

“No, no! Not at all,” Bette replied, swiveling around to look at Helena. “I think it’s so romantic!”

Helena laughed. “You do? Really?”

“Yes,” Bette said softly, walking towards Helena.

“Then you are definitely a wine lover!” Helena teased.

“Oh, I am. I truly am,” Bette murmured, brushing Helena’s hair from her face. Bette placed her other hand around Helena’s waist and leaned in to kiss her lips sweetly.

Helena smiled. “Would you like me to uncork a bottle?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Bette replied with a grin.

Walking towards the wall directly in front of her, Helena’s eyes shifted across the array of bins. “What would you like to try, darling?”

Bette’s gaze located an expanse of wine cases sitting on the floor of the cellar, and as she headed towards them, she answered, “You decide.” Bette seated herself comfortably on a case, watched Helena perusing the bins, and added, “But pick something romantic.”