Dreaming of Love (16 page)

A middle ground.

Emily’s itinerary had included spending the day in the Greve in Chianti. The bike route was scenic and fairly easy without many steep inclines. They’d been cycling for a while and had already stopped twice to make notes on preserving or demolishing houses they’d seen. One looked like an abandoned cottage, and the other was a very large villa in almost pristine condition. He wasn’t sure why Emily had chosen that as a property to debate, but hey, she was game, and he wasn’t going to knock it.

Dae spotted a field of sunflowers up ahead and sped up so he was riding beside Emily.

“Let’s stop up there.”

Her cheeks were a soft shade of pink from the sun and from the exertion of riding for so long, but she looked stunning and cute as hell in her bike helmet. Dae was glad to see her smile reached her eyes again. He knew the afternoon was salvaged, and the discomfort from the morning had been set aside until they chose to deal with it again.

They laid their bikes at the edge of the sunflower field and took long swigs from their water bottles.

“This is incredible,” Emily said, a little out of breath.

“The sunflowers? I know. Have you ever seen so many in one place?”

“Everything, Dae. The bike ride, the rolling hills and views of the farms and valleys. All the different types of villas and farmhouses. It all looks so different from a bike than it does from the confines of a car. Thank you for convincing me to do this.” She leaned over and kissed him.

“If it earns me kisses, I can think of many things I’d like to convince you to do.” He raised his brows and she swatted his arm. “I’m kidding. You weren’t hard to convince. You never fought me on the idea.”

“Not aloud, anyway,” she admitted.

He pulled his phone from the pocket of his shorts and smushed his cheek to hers. “Smile pretty, Emmie.” Dae had faith that they’d figure out this blip on their radar screen, and even if it was more than a blip, Emily was worth fighting for.

She made a face, and as he clicked the photo, he kissed her cheek.

“That’s a keeper.” He laughed. “Look at that tree up on the ridge. The tallest one, standing sentinel over the patch.”

She wrinkled her nose at him, then turned to look over the sunflowers. They were almost as tall as she was, and the look of wonder in Emily’s eyes was something he never wanted to forget. He took a few pictures of Emily while she was mesmerized and unaware of his trigger-happy finger. He loved to look at her, and he knew that once he left Italy, those pictures would have to hold him over.

“It’s amazing. Do you know how much I would have missed if we’d driven?”

“Yes, and if we have it my way and we stay together…” He paused, hating the way
if
tasted. “Then I’ll make sure you never miss a thing again.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. “I think I’ve needed you in my life for a very long time.”

“Me too, baby. Me too. It’s not the things that slap us in the face that are the most impressive. It’s the things that we have to look a little harder to find. Look down.” Dae slipped his phone back into his pocket and folded her into his arms, reveling in the comfort of knowing she felt the same way he did.

“What do you see?”

“Our feet.”

He kissed her forehead. “Okay, now let’s pretend you’re in a really gorgeous field of sunflowers and you’re not looking at our feet but you’re looking for something smaller.” He paused long enough for her eyes to shift away from their feet.

“Tiny white flowers?”

“The truth of beauty is in the smaller things. The things most people never see.”

“I notice things,” she said sweetly.

“You sure do. But your mind is always working, worrying about what’s next or how pieces fit together. It’s one of the things about you that fascinates me. But I hope that one day you’ll allow yourself to really relax and realize that the rest of the world can wait while you enjoy the subtler, silent things in life.”

She rested her forehead on his chest. “Okay. You got me. I’m a little neurotic about getting things done.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that, but while you’re getting things done, you might be missing the smaller things that aren’t squeaking so loudly.”

He kissed her again and spoke just above a whisper. “Do you know how much I’m going to miss you when I leave?”

She buried her face in his neck and groaned. “Do you have to remind me? I’m pretending that you’re not leaving. Just for now. I don’t want to think about waking up without you.”

“Oh, you like that, do you?” He nibbled on her ear, earning him an adorable giggle that made his chest constrict in a way that was becoming familiar.

“I like it more than I should after such a short time. I think my brothers would have my head on a platter—or yours—for us getting so close so fast! And their girlfriends would be celebrating that I’m so happy. There’s a
thick,
dark line between male and female reactions.”

“Oh, come on. Your brothers would be happy for you if you’re happy. I know I was for my sister Leanna when she found Kurt.” He took off his helmet and ran his hand through his hair. It felt good to get out and exercise. Walking around and sightseeing was one thing, but it couldn’t compete with the daily rigorous workouts he usually put himself through. But just like Emily needing a break from her work, he, too, needed a reprieve from his normal schedule. And even if he didn’t, he’d give up his workouts to spend time with Emily.

“Honestly, I have no idea how they’ll react. They’ve never really seen me in a serious relationship. I think they’ll be happy for me, but I do think they’ll scrutinize the heck out of you.” She laughed a little, and her whole face brightened. “They won’t make it easy for you. That much I know.”

He kissed the corners of her mouth. “Well, whatever they want to do is fine by me. I still want to meet them. I wasn’t kidding about coming out to see you.”

“And I wasn’t kidding about you picking me up from the airport.” She reached into the backpack Dae had tied to the back of his bike and withdrew the two small memo pads and pens they’d been using for their
preserve or demolish
lists.

“Sunflower meadow. Demolish or preserve?” She handed him a notebook and pen.

“That’s not even a question.” He swatted her butt, earning him another flirty smile.

“It is a question. You like to demolish things. Can you demolish something as gorgeous as this without hesitation?” She tapped her pen on the seat of her bike.

“I see where this is going. Okay, write down your thoughts, missy. I’ll pick the next stop.”

“Impossible.” Emily shook her head.

He pressed his cheek to hers and whispered, “Three times in the last twenty-four hours, Miss Please More Harder, proves I’m a sure thing.” He felt her cheek heat up against his and took her in a greedy kiss without giving her time to respond—though he knew she couldn’t by the way her jaw had gone slack and her eyes had filled with a mixture of embarrassment and lust. And now, just as he’d hoped, she was kissing him back with as much passion as she had earlier that morning. It took all of his concentration to stop kissing her when a car horn sounded. They both laughed as they mounted their bikes.

Dae had mapped out a stop at Strada and another visit at a vineyard near Chianti, but the sky was beginning to turn gray, and they opted to ride past the colorful buildings of Strada and the thick rows of the vineyard straight into Greve in Chianti instead. As they approached Greve, traffic thickened. They weaved their way toward Piazza Matteotti, the main piazza in Greve, and were surprised to find a small festival in full swing. The triangular piazza was lined with a number of colorful aged medieval buildings in vibrant shades of yellow and muted creams. In front of each building was an arched stone entranceway to the shop below, and above each archway, terraces were decorated with bountiful plants. Vines and blooms in various shades of red, yellow, purple, and white spilled over the iron railings. In the center of the crowded piazza was an impressive statue of the Florentine explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, and a handful of tented booths lined the square.

They locked up their bicycles and walked hand in hand toward the booths. Dae wondered if the euphoria that was sweeping through him was caused by the commotion of the crowd, the beauty of the piazza, or the woman he was falling in love with.

“We’re so lucky to stumble across this,” Emily exclaimed. “Listen to that music.” She inhaled and closed her eyes.

It’s you. It’s definitely you.

“And that aroma is insane. Everything smells so…Italian.”

“It smells almost as amazing as you do.” Dae draped an arm around her and kissed her temple.

“I didn’t see a festival in the brochures. Did you know about this?” she asked.

“No, but I’m glad we stumbled upon it.” He led her beneath a tent, where a woman was selling handmade baskets. “Excuse me, is this an annual arts festival?”

“The annual music and wine festival is in September. This was an impromptu festival that was put together a few weeks ago. To be honest,” the woman explained, “I can’t even tell you why it was thrown together, but I’m glad it was. I’m visiting my aunt, and these baskets are her handiwork. I would have never gotten to experience any of this if they hadn’t put it together. I’m leaving tomorrow to return to California.”

They talked with her for a few minutes before making their way through the other booths. They were offered bread with thick olive oil at one of the booths, which they gladly devoured, both famished after their rigorous trek. The elderly Italian couple at the next booth offered them tastes of wine from a local winery. Dae could watch Emily for hours as she
ooh
ed and
ahh
ed over fine artistry and furniture made from olive wood. He was able to purchase a scarf she had been admiring in the next booth without her noticing. He tucked it into the backpack and circled her waist with his hands. He loved the way she snuggled in close and pressed her hand to his side when she wanted to show him something. Hell, he was beginning to realize that he loved everything about her, even her struggle to accept the possibility that the House of Wishes might come down. She was stronger than any woman he knew and was not afraid to speak her mind. He admired that, and so many other things about her, that he was already letting his mind fast-forward to a few months from now, to Thanksgiving and Christmas. He’d love to bring her back here again, when they were firmly entrenched in coupledom, without his leaving looming over their heads.

They had lunch on the patio of a restaurant at the piazza, where they could people watch as they ate. It was customary to eat the largest meal of the day at lunch, and after eating mozzarella, tomato, and fresh basil, all of which tasted heavenly, they shared a plate of tortellini that melted in Dae’s mouth. From the moans of appreciation coming from Emily, he knew she was just as delighted with the delectable assault on her senses as he was.

After they ate, an attractive brunette waitress offered them tiramisu and coffee.

“I’m too full to move, thank you.” Emily patted her stomach.

The waitress’s eyes lingered on Dae, pushing past politeness to uncomfortable. Dae set his eyes on Emily and reached across the table for her hand.

“Just the check, please,” he said without taking his eyes off of Emily. Dae was used to attention from women, and he took it in stride. Until now. He didn’t want Emily to feel the least bit threatened by any other woman.
Ever
. She made him feel things he’d never imagined he would, and he’d never met anyone with the ability to slay him with a glance, or a whisper, or a touch, the way Emily could. He was beginning to understand how Leanna had felt when she’d fallen for Kurt so quickly. And like his sister, he wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of the feelings that were becoming more intense with every second they were together.

“I guess I should get used to that, huh?” She bit her lower lip.

He debated playing it off like he had no idea what she was talking about and quickly decided against it.
Head-on
. That was the only way to handle things. The next two days would go by in the blink of an eye, and by the time he left, he wanted no question in Emily’s mind about how he felt about her.

“What you need to get used to is knowing, and trusting, that it won’t matter who looks at me. I only have eyes for you.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, holding her eyes with a steady gaze that he hoped translated how deep his feelings were taking root. “Never doubt that as long as we’re a couple, whether you’re with me or if you’re a million miles away, there’s not another woman on the planet who could draw my eyes, much less my heart, away from you.”

“Oh, Dae.” His name came out as one long breath.

He shook his head and leaned across the table. “Now that I know what your other
O
s feel like, when I hear you say it, my body remembers, too.”

She flushed, and he kissed her softly on the lips.

“I know it’s a lot to take in after knowing me such a short time, but, Em, it’s how I feel. And when I leave on Thursday, I want you to know, without a shadow of a doubt, exactly where I stand.”

EMILY COULDN’T BEGIN to form a response to Dae professing his feelings for her. She was sure her heart had swelled so large it would burst. He’d said everything she could hope to hear, but she was afraid to reciprocate. Wouldn’t it just make it that much harder when they both realized that they might never find a middle ground? Would he ever see her side or understand her love of preserving culture and history—even if some of that culture and history was intangible? Or was she just being stupid to worry and think about this stuff at all? Was this what relationships and love were really like? Did people pretend their way through life, giving in when they didn’t really want to, accepting each other regardless of their own beliefs?

How would she ever know for sure?

She needed to talk to someone, but over the past year she’d become closest with her brothers’ girlfriends, and they weren’t going to tell her those things. Not when she was loyal to her brothers and there was a chance it would get back to them. Family always came first. And yes, when she was with Dae, he was first. Above family. Above her brothers when they texted her. Her priorities had shifted so fast and without any warning. She never knew the heart was so powerful, so all important.