Dreaming of Love (11 page)

They spent hours inside the castle, toured the bell tower and the grounds. They examined the areas that were used as the castle’s prison hundreds of years ago and took pictures in most of the rooms. Dae’s favorite picture was the one they took in front of the grand stone stairwell, which Emily deemed
too impressive for words
. He knew the image would relay the excitement in her voice. She was so easy to be with. Every little thing she did made him want her even more. It was all those things—her Emilyisms—that were coiling themselves around his heart. The adorable way she trapped her lower lip between her teeth when she accidentally made a double entendre. The way she touched his side when she wanted to show him something. Hell, even the way her eyes grew serious as she explained the history of the castle captured his attention. But what he liked most about Emily was that she was real. She didn’t pretend to be something she wasn’t, and she didn’t try to impress him. She was as vulnerable as she was strong, as witty as she was serious, and after watching her roll her eyes at her brothers’ texts, which she graciously checked only once—her love for them overrode the irritation in her exasperated sigh—he sensed that she was loyal to the core. By the time they left, Dae was completely and utterly enthralled with her.

After eating a late lunch in Poppi and exploring the city until the sun began to set, they headed back toward the villa. Dae wasn’t ready for their date to be over, especially since he’d have to spend most of the day tomorrow doing research on the property he was there to assess. The idea of being away from Emily made the muscles in his neck cord up. He glanced at her, resting against the headrest, her eyes closed. A slight smile curved her lips. She looked relaxed and happy, and she was stunning.

“Tired?”

“No,” she said softly, eyes still closed. “Just relaxed. I think it’s been years since I’ve felt so relaxed.”

“Are you up for a stroll by the river?”

Her eyes opened wide, like he’d offered her a pot of gold. “Definitely.”

Fifteen minutes later they’d parked in a quaint town that bordered the river, and with the sun kissing the horizon, they headed across the cobblestone street toward a tree-lined path along the river.

“Thanks for an amazing day,” Emily said as she gazed up at him.

Dae put his arm around her and pulled her close. “Thank
you
. But the day’s not over yet.” He kissed her temple, inhaling her floral and feminine scent.
Pure Emily
.

She leaned her head against his side as they walked along the water.

“Do I get to choose our day tomorrow?” Emily asked.

“I’m sorry, Em, but I have some things I need to do for work tomorrow.”

Her grip on him eased. “Of course. I shouldn’t have assumed…”

Dae stopped walking and turned her in his arms so she was facing him. Then he pulled her close and used his index finger to lift her chin so he could look into her disappointed eyes.

“You should assume. I want you to assume. I just need to do some research to decide if I’m taking on this job or not, and that’s going to take a few hours. Why don’t we try to get together in the evening?” Damn, he wished he could blow off his meetings. He felt a twinge of guilt not telling Emily that the meetings were about a demolition job. He needed to talk with her about that and was waiting for the right opening to do so.

“Sure, but don’t feel pressure. I don’t mean to monopolize your vacation.”

“Em, this wasn’t a vacation. It was a work trip, and then I met you. And you are far more interesting than my work could ever be. Please, monopolize me.” He pressed his lips to hers and smiled against them as her arms circled his neck.

“That’s better.” He deepened the kiss, loving the way her body softened against him.

They reluctantly parted. He ran his hands up her back, then down her rib cage, as he touched his forehead to hers and sighed her name.

“You make me feel all sorts of things I’ve never felt before,” he admitted.

“I feel them, too. Your touch, your voice, it’s like sensation overload.”

Hearing her confession amped up his arousal. Knowing that he had the same effect on her as she did on him was making it hard for him to restrain the desire spreading through him like wildfire.

They walked a little farther and sank onto the riverbank. Dae pulled Emily’s body against his, and they sat in comfortable silence, listening to the sounds of the river flowing and, in the distance, the sounds of a city slowing down for the evening.

“Tell me about your work.” Emily slid her hand along his thigh.

Work. Right.
They were alone on the riverbank. He tried to focus on something other than how much he wanted to put his hands all over her and how she might not let him after he revealed what he did for a living. But he realized that he couldn’t hide it any longer, and with Emily, he didn’t want to. “I’m into real estate investments and demolition, primarily.”

“Demolition, as in blowing things up?”

He laughed, but it was more to ease his worry about what she really thought about his profession. “You could say that. Sometimes tearing things down means blowing them up.”

“So are you here for investment purposes or demolition?”

Her hand slid up and down his thigh, and damn, if he wasn’t aroused again. He tried to concentrate on her question rather than what she was doing to him. He had to be honest, even if it meant she might back away. He cleared his throat, trying like hell to regain his focus. “Demolition.”

She nodded and leaned in to him. His hands slid down her shoulder to her upper arm. She felt too damn good, smelled too damn sexy. They were alone on the riverbank, just off the beaten path and sitting beneath the shadow of a large tree. The scent of the river mingled with the scent of Emily, and Dae couldn’t hold back any longer. He lifted her chin and pressed his lips to hers. One slip of his tongue, and she opened to him, allowing his tongue to sweep over hers. She met him stroke for eager stroke, deepening the kiss and making him hotter than hell. Damn, she could kiss. He fisted his hand in her hair and tugged gently, arching her head back, giving himself better access to her sweet neck. He kissed his way along her jaw to the tender spot just beneath her ear, where he nipped at her skin and drew a sensual moan from her lungs. She arched in to him, pressing her breasts against him as he rained kisses along the curve of her neck, then tugged her shirt off her shoulder and sucked her warm skin.

“Dae, you’re driving me crazy.”

Their eyes met, and in the next second their lips crashed together. He palmed her perfect, firm breasts, groaning with need.

“Holy hell, you feel incredible.”

He leaned in to her, gently laid her on her back, and took her in another kiss. He wanted to kiss her until she couldn’t think, until tomorrow afternoon passed and they were together again. He slid his thigh over hers, blanketing her body with his, breathing air into her lungs as his hand traveled under her shirt to the lacy bra beneath. He squeezed the taut peak between his index finger and thumb, wanting so badly to take her breast in his mouth. She arched up and wrapped her leg over his so they were coiled together like mating snakes. Her hips pressed against his, and she moaned into his mouth. He wanted to take her right there beside the river, to feel every inch of her naked body beneath him as he claimed her as his own. He couldn’t resist her any longer. He couldn’t get enough of her, feared he never would.

She drew back, her body trembling, her breasts heaving. Her eyes held his lusty gaze.

“Take me home,” she whispered.

She didn’t need to ask twice. They walked quickly toward the parking lot, kissing every few seconds, until they reached the car. He lifted Emily easily into his arms and set her on the hood of the car, spread her legs with his thighs, and kissed her again. Her center pressed against his hard length, their tongues thrusting, tasting, memorizing the feel of each other’s mouths. He pulled back to clear his mind enough to drive. He could barely think past the need to be inside her.

He set her back on the ground and helped her into the car. “Home. Now.”

She tugged his shirt and dragged his lips back to hers, his body half in and half out of the car. She was driving him out of his freaking mind. Would it be wrong to recline the seat and make love to her right here and now?
Fuck
. What was he thinking? He reluctantly pulled back, out of breath and hard as steel. He stared into her eyes, which had gone nearly black, and grabbed the sides of her head harder than he’d meant to as their lips collided again. She fisted her hands in his hair and held his mouth to hers as aggressive as he’d been with her.

Holy. Hell.

“We’re never going…” He kissed her again. “To get out…” Another steamy kiss. “Of here.”

She laughed against his lips. “Go. Drive. Hurry.”

Twenty minutes later he was fumbling for his room key, one arm around Emily, the other hand flipping through the ring of keys. Emily settled her lips on his neck and sent a bolt of heat to his already throbbing erection. He shoved the key into the lock and kneed the door open, then kicked it closed behind them. Moonlight spilled in through the balcony, drizzling light over the bed. With one swift move, he had her back against the door as he turned the lock and tossed his keys and her purse to the floor. His hands moved without any thought. He wanted to touch all of her. Now. He made quick work of lifting her shirt over her head and—
holy hell, she’s going to push me over the edge
. Her black lace bra exposed the mounds of her breasts and barely covered her nipples. She looked sexier than a Victoria’s Secret model. His hands fondled the perfect, supple mounds as he thrust and kissed her, probing, devouring. She moaned into his mouth and pulled his hips to hers, holding him against her. She clawed and grabbed and pushed at his shirt. He reached behind him and pulled his shirt over his head, sending buttons flying across the room. Her eyes rolled over his chest to his tattoos, and her lips curved up in appreciation. He lowered his mouth to her breast, laving his tongue over her tight nipple through the scratchy lace. She smelled amazing, and he couldn’t get enough of her. She gripped his head, holding his mouth to her breast.

“Oh…yes,” she panted.

He pulled her bra straps down, freeing her breasts. Still supported by the bra beneath them, they were full and beautiful and too much for him to forgo. He licked long, slow strokes around first one nipple, then the other, as he kneaded their fullness. She thrust her hips forward, and he took her in another passionate kiss. The feel of her hard nipples against his chest sent his body into overdrive. He had to have her. He tugged her jeans open, hesitating for a minute, searching her eyes for approval. Without a word she nodded and the edges of her lips curved up. He sealed his lips over hers while he slid his thumbs into the waist of her jeans and tugged them down, biting her lip as he drew back. He released her lip, and air left her lungs in a rush.

His hands slid down her ribs to the gentle curve of her hips. She was bare from the thighs up, save for her panties and her bra, bunched up between her breasts, and she was hotter than any centerfold could ever be.

“Emily, are you sure you want this? I can’t promise to stop if we go one minute further.” He held her gaze.

“Yes. I’m not…I don’t…” She paused, her eyes grew momentarily serious. “I don’t usually do this so early on in a relationship, but yes, Dae. I want you. This. Us. More than I’ve ever wanted anything.”

That was all he needed to reach behind her and unclasp her bra. It fell to their feet, and he took her glorious breasts in his hands.

“You have the most amazing body.” He pushed her breasts together and licked and kissed her nipples, then ran his tongue between her breasts, first up the center, then down the center of her body, all the way south to her belly button. He kissed her there, slipping his tongue in and out, circling the center, then probing in again, before shifting lower and dragging his tongue along the edge of her black lace panties. She arched forward and reached for her jeans, trying to push them down. He gripped her wrists.

“Not yet,” he whispered.

She groaned.

He licked her through her damp panties, then settled his teeth on her inner thigh. Emily squirmed beneath his touch, her thighs straining against the denim as she tried to widen her stance. He slid his hand between her thighs and stroked her wetness. She squirmed and panted, growing wetter by the second. Her body was so responsive to his touch. He throbbed with need as he drew the top of her panties down. She was waxed bare, which nearly did him in.

“Emily,” he groaned, resting his forehead against her lower belly.

“Going-away present,” she panted. “From Daisy. Hurt like hell. Don’t get used to it.”

 “Oh, baby. I’ll make you feel better.”

He licked up the crease of her leg beside her sex, inhaling her sweet scent and drawing another sexy moan from Emily. He moved to the other side, letting the room’s cool air brush over her wet skin, and felt goose bumps travel up her thighs. Using only his index fingers, he looped them under the hips of her panties and drew them down her thighs.

“Dae,” she whispered as she buried her hands in his hair and drew his mouth to her center.

His tongue stroked her lightly, loving the way her body shuddered against him. He spread her thighs with his hands and buried his tongue inside her, using his thumb to circle the sensitive bundle of nerves that caused her legs to stiffen and her body to quake and quiver as his name sailed from her lips. He remained there, loving her, drinking her in, until the last tremor moved through her body. Only then did he reach down and remove her shoes and pull her jeans free from her trembling legs. He kept one hand on her hip to steady her. Her eyes were closed, and she still had one hand fisted in his hair.

“You okay, baby?”

“Oh God, yes.” Her eyes fluttered open, and a sated smile parted her lips.

Dae stepped from his jeans and pressed his naked body to hers.

“You feel so good. I could devour you from morning until night.”