“How would I know? I’ve never even had a one-night stand.”
“So you haven’t, but I should? Great advice, Dais…” Emily heard voices and leaned over the railing. Dae and Adelina were walking around the side of the villa toward the back patio. Dae’s hair was damp, and his jeans hung dangerously low on his hips. Again. His white T-shirt clung to his hot body. He was even more smokin’ hot in the daylight. Emily’s pulse quickened. Now that she knew what it felt like to be pressed against those muscular thighs and that rock-hard stomach, she could barely think of anything else.
She stole another peek over the balcony. Adelina was looking up at Dae with a soft smile. Emily imagined all women would be taken with his good looks and easy nature. Dae said something, then patted her back, and they stopped right below Emily’s balcony. She hurried back into the bedroom and sat on the king-sized bed.
“What happened?” Daisy asked.
“Nothing, why?”
“You sucked in a breath. Are you okay? Oh my gosh, he’s not still there, is he?”
“No. He’s not here.” Do I wish he were here?
“Oh.” The disappointment in Daisy’s voice was palpable.
“Daisy! He’s outside. We’re spending the day together.”
“Oh! Good. So, tell me all about him. Name? Age? Looks? What does he do? Is he an Italian stallion?”
“You’re relentless.” Having grown up with five brothers, each of whom watched her like a hawk, Emily secretly loved having her brother’s fiancées and girlfriends around. Having Daisy looking out for her was totally different from the way her brothers watched her. The girls supported and understood her wanting to fall in love, and her interest in men, while her brothers seemed to fear it. It was like she had four sisters now.
“His name is Dae Bray, and he’s—”
“Hold the boat! Day? Like day or night?”
“D. A. E. Dae. I’m not sure what type of name it is, but…I’m getting all hot just talking about him. He’s got this amazing voice that vibrates right through me, and his eyes. Oh gosh, his eyes aren’t just brown. They’re piercing. They looked almost black last night.”
“It’s called being horny, Em. Pupils dilate when we’re turned on. Tell me more.”
Emily sighed. “You’re such a doctor. Anyway, his hair is kind of longish, and he’s at least six feet tall, with broad shoulders and…Daisy, the man is pure muscle. I touched his stomach—washboard abs and all.” Emily fanned her face and exhaled loudly. “Oh, Daisy. This is bad.”
“No, this is very, very good. Go on…”
“You do remember that you’re marrying my brother in two weeks, right?” Emily teased.
“Oh, please. You know no man could compare to Luke for me, but you’re a different story. Your forever love is out there somewhere. Who knows? It could be this guy.”
Emily paced the bedroom. Rich, dark woods, cream-colored walls, and hues of peach and mauve brightened the room. A fresh bouquet of flowers graced the bureau, and a plush throw rug covered expensive tile floors in the same peachy hues. There was a throw draped over an armchair in the corner and a stone fireplace on the wall opposite the bed. The room wasn’t very large, but the textures and fall colors gave it a homey feel. Her thoughts traveled back to Dae and how easy he was to be with once she got her initial lust-fest under control. Oh shit. She remembered how she’d come onto him when they’d said good night.
“Daisy, don’t get your hopes up.” Emily wondered if she was talking to herself more than Daisy. “I mean, he’s totally hot…and fun. He seems smart and attentive, and—”
A knock at her door stopped Emily in her tracks. And I hope I didn’t scare him off.
“Someone’s at my door.”
“So? Answer it.”
“Right.” Emily rolled her eyes. “I’d better go. Hey, Dais…”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for checking on me. I wish you or Callie or Rebecca or Elisabeth were here with me. I still can’t believe I came all this way by myself.” Why had she come by herself? Why had Wes given her this expensive trip in the first place? She’d been so excited by the gift that she hadn’t really dissected the reasons behind it. Now she wondered if he’d booked the trip because he wanted to thank her for helping him or if there was something more. Did he think she needed it? Boy, did I ever need it. Did he notice how she’d swamped herself with work lately to keep from being lonely? Did everyone?
“Em, you’ve dreamed of this forever. You’re an intelligent, successful woman. You can certainly handle a little vacation on your own.”
“Thanks, Daisy. I needed to hear that.” She’d been so overcome with desire for Dae that she felt like her brain had turned to mush. She needed the reminder that she was smart and successful and that it was okay for her to enjoy a little time off. A vacation. Yes, that’s what this was. Of course it was. Wasn’t it? Something deep in her belly twisted with the thought. She felt like she’d been searching for something for months. For love? For companionship? Or was something much bigger lacking in her life, and she’d molded it into the hope of finding true love because of watching her brothers fall in love? Had she taken this trip with the hope of finding true love rather than relaxing and simply enjoying a vacation? Ugh. She pushed those thoughts as far away as she could. She was not ready to try to reevaluate her life. All she wanted was to have a good time with handsome, sexy, attentive Dae.
“I know. Besides, you’re not alone anymore. Hottie is probably on the other side of the door.” Daisy laughed.
There was another knock, rattling Emily back into the present.
“I’d better go. Wish me luck.”
“You don’t need luck. Just be safe.”
Emily smoothed her dress, wondering why on earth she was so nervous. It had only been…Oh, jeez. It had been months since she’d been on a real date. She breathed deeply before opening the door, but found no one there. She peered down the empty hall. It had to have been Dae knocking on her door. Or maybe Adelina? Had she taken that long to answer? Disappointment settled around her as she went back into her room and started to close the door.
“Wait!”
Emily spun around at the sound of Dae’s voice. He caught the door just before it closed, and when their eyes met, she saw as much relief in his as she knew she had in hers.
“Wow.” Dae dragged his eyes down Emily’s body, and she knew she was guilty of doing the exact same thing to him. “Emily, you look amazing.”
“Thanks. So do you.”
He stepped into her room, and the door closed quietly behind him. The room felt ten degrees hotter—and smaller—as he closed the gap between them, settled a hand on her hip, and kissed her cheek.
“I’m sorry I left you hanging at the door. I forgot my wallet and had to grab it from my room.”
“Where’s your room?”
He arched a brow. “Next door. They only rent out two of their rooms.”
“Oh,” was all she could manage. Next door. Her eyes slid to the wall. She’d known they rented out only two rooms, but she hadn’t thought about what that really meant in terms of her proximity to Dae’s room.
He shifted his eyes to the wall behind her bed. “Other side.”
“Oh.” Wow. Only one thin wall separated them at night. That was so hot.
“Are you ready to roll?” He looked around the room, and Emily followed his gaze to her cami lying in a heap in the center of her bed. The little pile of pink silk suddenly seemed like an invitation. Dae smiled and raised his brows.
He didn’t miss a thing, and unfortunately, neither did all her good parts, which were heating up way too fast. Emily grabbed her purse. “Um, yeah. I’m ready.” She grabbed his arm and tugged him toward the door.
“I have seen lingerie before, you know,” he teased.
“Yeah, but not mine.”
“Good point. Maybe we should stay.” He stopped and turned back toward the bed with a wicked grin.
Emily rolled her eye
s and tugged him toward the door again. “Yeah, that’s so not happening right now.” Later, maybe…but she wasn’t about to miss seeing Tuscany.
“Damn. What happened to the tipsy girl I met last night?”
“She sobered up and is starving.”
“Well…” He raised his brows in quick succession with a tease in his eyes.
“Really?” She closed the door behind him, enjoying the sexy comments. She liked this playful side of Dae. She liked it a whole heck of a lot, which was exactly why she needed to get as far away from the bedroom as she possibly could. Now.
They found Serafina and Luca having breakfast on the patio. Luca’s mop of thick, dark hair stood up at funky angles. The brown shirt he wore mirrored the color of his and Serafina’s eyes. Serafina wore a navy skirt that hung to her ankles and a comfortable-looking T-shirt of the same color. While Luca’s eyes were wide with amusement, Serafina’s were solemn and heavy lidded.
“Good morning,” Emily said. She waved at Luca, who gave her a wide, almost-toothless grin. Serafina smiled down at her son, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes.
“Good morning,” Serafina said.
Dae pulled out a chair at a nearby table for Emily.
“Buongiorno.” Adelina joined them on the patio with a flourish of energy. She set down a cup of cappuccino for each of them and opened her arms wide. “It’s going to be a beautiful day.”
“Yes, it is,” Dae said, smiling coyly at Emily.
Adelina said something in Italian to Serafina, then disappeared in the direction of the kitchen again. When she returned with a tray of jam-filled tarts with dough lacing the top like lattice, she set it on their table and eyed her daughter.
“Thank you,” Emily and Dae said at the same time.
“My pleasure.” Adelina smiled, her eyes lingering on the two of them for a moment. “These are crostata di marmellata—sweet, jam-filled tarts. My mother used to make them.” She looked at Luca, and her eyes warmed even more. “Good memories. I hope you enjoy them.”
Adelina joined Serafina at her table. “Is Luca ready to go?”
“Mama.” Serafina’s voice was just above a whisper. “Maybe it’s no use. Wishing won’t bring Dante back.”
“Tsk! Serafina.” Adelina spoke in Italian fast and with a harsh tone. Serafina dropped her gaze to Luca, then kissed the top of his head and closed her eyes for a beat.
Emily bit into the tart. “Mm. This is amazing.”
Dae ate half of his tart in one bite. “It reminds me of my mom’s comfort cakes. She used to make them when we’d have a bad day. One bite and you forgot all of your troubles.”
“I think almost anything my mom makes is comfort food. Somehow everything tastes better when she cooks it.”
“You’re really close to your family.”
You noticed already? She nodded, trying to ignore the heated discussion taking place between Adelina and Serafina.
Emily and Dae finished eating, sharing concerned glances. She was glad that Dae appeared just as empathetic as she was.
“Thank you again, Adelina. That was a wonderful breakfast,” Emily said as she rose from the table.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Adelina turned back to Serafina.
Emily heard Adelina’s tone soften as they left the patio, her words trailing behind them. “We will wish, and he will return, Serafina. I promise you. He will return.”
Emily couldn’t begin to imagine the devastation that Serafina was feeling, but she was glad Adelina was there to support her and Luca, even if she worried about keeping Serafina’s hopes too high.
They followed a stone path around the house toward the parking lot. Dae reached for her hand. Emily widened her eyes, and he laughed.
“Do you prefer an arm?”
I prefer a lot more than an arm. Calm down, girlie. “This is perfect. I was just thinking about Serafina.”
“It’s awful.” Dae’s voice grew serious. “Adelina is so hopeful. I hope they do find him.”
“Yeah, me too. I hate to say it, but three months is a really long time. Is it even possible that he’s still alive?”
Dae’s eyes grew serious. “There have been POWs that have been found years later, so I don’t know. Maybe?”
They walked through the front gardens with the sun shining brightly down on them. Emily focused on her hand engulfed by Dae’s and pushed aside thoughts of Serafina’s husband.
“That’s my rental.” Dae nodded to a champagne-colored Mercedes.
Emily had a hard time reconciling Dae to a Mercedes. She pictured him in an expensive truck or SUV, but now, watching him open the door and lean casually against the side of the car, she realized there were many sides to Dae Bray, and she looked forward to getting to know them all.
“You haven’t asked me what I had planned for today.”
“That’s because I don’t care where we go.” He waited for her to settle into the passenger seat, then closed her door and went around to the driver’s seat.
Emily wasn’t sure if she should be offended or intrigued. “You don’t care? Then why are you coming?”
He reached across the console and squeezed her hand. “I want to spend the day with you. It doesn’t matter if we see Florence, Siena, or some remote village I’ve never heard of.”
She couldn’t help but smile. He held her hand as he drove away from the villa, and she wondered if she’d ever stop smiling.
“You tell me where and I’ll take us there.”
“Florence. Do you have a GPS?” Emily glanced around the luxurious car.
“No need.” He pointed to his head.
Emily rolled her eyes. “No GPS? So, you have been here before?”
“Nope. It’s my first time, but I studied maps before I came. I like to know my surroundings.”
“Okay, but I hope you brought a map, just in case. First stop, the cathedral complex.”
“Ah, yes. The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, located at the Piazza del Duomo.”
Emily narrowed her eyes. “You sure you haven’t been here before?”
He shrugged. “History buff—what can I say? Besides, like I said, I like to know my surroundings.”
Why did she have the feeling that there was much more to Dae than he was letting on? Maybe he was a closet history addict. Emily gazed out the open window as they drove toward the city. The roads were lined with fields and farms. Low stone walls crept along the roadway in front of older villas, and trees and flowers were plentiful. The landscape looked just like the pictures she’d drooled over for so many years, only everything felt richer, more vibrant. Even the air felt cleaner than she would have imagined—and there must be an aphrodisiac among those flowers, because she’d never experienced so much want as she had since she’d met Dae.
Her phone vibrated, and she pulled it out to read the emails that had come through.
Dae gave her a sideways glance, eyeing her phone with distaste, and shook his head.
“What?” She went back to answering her emails.
“You’re in Italy.”
“It’s work.” She scrolled through her messages.
Dae covered her phone with his hand and lowered it to her lap. “Take thirty seconds to look at the flowers. They’ll be gone before you finish reading your next email.”
She sighed and turned toward the windows. Holy cow. She was mesmerized by the meadow dotted with her favorite vibrant red blooms.
“Look at all the poppies.” Emily heard the excitement in her voice. She’d never seen so many poppies in one place. “They’re even more beautiful in person than online.”
Dae pulled the car over to the side of the road.
“Why are you stopping?” she asked.
“You’ll see.” Dae got out of the car and came around to her side, then opened her door and reached for her hand.
“Where are we going?” She eyed the cars speeding past as she took his hand, and Dae led her directly into the field—and kept walking. She a
lmost allowed her mind to drift back to the idea that maybe sweet, sexy Dae was a serial killer and she was just being naive, but as quickly as the thought came, she pushed it away. They were completely surrounded by a sea of red. What kind of serial killer would make her go look at flowers?
“Experiencing life.” He released her hand and held his hands out to his sides. “Can you do this in Trusty, Colorado?” He spun in a circle and brushed the blooms with his fingertips.
“There are lots of fields of flowers there.”
He leveled her silent with a heated stare. “Yes, smarty-pants, I’m sure there are. But are there Tuscan poppies in Trusty? Are there fields of poppies that you can dance in?”
Before she could process what he was doing, he wrapped her in his arms and spun her around.
“You’re crazy.” She laughed and let herself get lost in the freedom of being spun in his arms.
“No. I’m just not confined by social norms.” He set her on the ground and took her hand in his again. “I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing, but it is who I am.” He took his phone from the pocket of those sexy jeans of his and draped an arm around her, then pressed his cheek to hers.
Oh, that feels nice.
He clicked a picture, then tickled her ribs. She squealed and he clicked another picture. Emily was a photo hoarder. She had dozens of digital albums of her family and friends. She loved that Dae had taken their picture.
“That’s more like it. I like your smile.”
“You’re not like most guys.” Emily liked that he left his arm draped around her and that it seemed so natural to be that close to him. The weight of his arm and the heat of his body in such close proximity made her wonder what it would feel like to be even closer.
Dae ran his hand through his hair. In that second, with his hair pulled away from his face, sunlight caught the sharp angles of his handsome features. Attraction tightened every nerve in her body. How could he be so virile one minute and so playful the next?
He narrowed his eyes and said in a serious voice, “Good. Most guys are douche bags.”
“Tell me about it.” She laughed. “You don’t have to date them.”
“Yeah, well, girls can be pretty lame, too.”
Dreaming of Love Page 3