****
Wedding music floated through the night air. Jon walked across the room toward Danielle, swung her into his arms and danced her around the floor. She was in love and so hot for this wealthy, attractive man. He was the man dreams were made of, and the man who made dreams come true. He leaned forward and whispered sweet nothings in her ear.
“You aren’t Italian?” She was shocked and not amused.
She ran away, stumbling and falling in the grass, only to have strong arms pick her up and cuddle her close. Warmth, tenderness, and love enveloped her. She was safe at last. She looked up into dark eyes the color of coffee with a drip of cream, expressive eyes that captured her soul. Dark hair tumbled onto his forehead. She brushed it away and smiled.
Jon appeared on the grassy lawn, pulled out a handgun and shot her rescuer. She fell over his dying body, weeping as he spoke Italian words of love.
Danielle opened her eyes, sobbing and wrenching the bedsheet in her hands. She was sweating and crying…over a dream? My God, was she crazy? In her dream, she loved Jon. But Brent brought out her passion, and Jon’s jealousy put an end to the magical life she’d imagined with Brent. What did it all mean?
Dreams were the windows to inner thoughts and images experienced during waking hours. A potpourri of all a person feels and sees throughout the day. True emotions are expressed in dreams. Did it mean she loved both men? No. There was only one man she loved. And if Jon harmed one hair on his head, she would murder him.
Hmmm…
Interesting dream. Great idea. Of course, she wouldn’t really kill anyone. But she would make sure every little detail that reminded her of her relationship with Jon was absent from her current life. No distractions from what she wanted—a handsome Italian who made her heart sing. She only had to devise a way to get him back again.
****
Brent pulled into the Monarch Lavender Farm and Winery’s parking lot and parked near the entrance. They were about to close for the evening. He couldn’t find anyone in the office, so he walked around to the wine tasting bar. He came to a standstill when he noticed the man behind the bar—his nemesis, George’s son, Danielle’s ex-lover—his biggest competition.
“Hey, hello. Aren’t you one of the Lovella twins?” Jon wiped the bar top with a towel and set out two clean sampling glasses.
“That’ll be me. I have some flowers for the wedding. They were sent to my market up north by mistake.” He sat on the bar stool and leaned on his forearms. He’d changed into the jeans and t-shirt Bryce had packed for him to be more comfortable.
“You must be Bryce, the groom. How’s your brother doing?”
Why was Brent of such concern to him? “Yeah, I’m Bryce. My brother is fine. Where do you want the flowers?”
“Have a taste of this new label we’re trying out. It’s extra smooth with just a touch of lavender to awaken the flavor.” He poured two glassfuls and took one, tipping it toward Brent in a toast before taking a sip.
Brent tipped his glass and let the almost sweet but smooth wine trickle down his throat. “Very nice. Uncle Tony will like this one.”
“I have an extra case in the back room if you’d like to take one back with you.”
“Sure. Just bill Antonio’s as usual.” He finished off the wine and pushed the glass toward Jon. The sooner he got out of here, the less likely he would be to get into a clash with this guy over Danielle. “Now, where do you want the flowers?”
Jon laughed and wiped a towel across the bar. “Right. Sorry. I just wanted you to taste the new wine and get your opinion.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.” He sat patiently while Jon cleared up the counter and capped the wines, placing the opened bottles back in the wine chiller. He washed and dried his hands almost too slow to be efficient. Good thing his father owned the place.
“Come on.” Jon lifted the bar door flap and stepped into the tasting room, and led the way over to the Bridal Cottage. When he paused to find the right key, he cast a glance over his shoulder and grinned. “You know, this is a great little place to make love.”
“Yeah?” He didn’t want to hear anything this arrogant ass had to say about making love, not when he’d broken Danielle’s heart.
“Yeah. I had my girl over here this afternoon. It was so hot, man. She’s great in bed.” He turned the key in the lock and opened the door. “There’s a Victorian fainting couch I like to use in here. Makes for interesting sex positions, if you catch my drift.”
Brent didn’t know how to respond without losing his cool. He nodded and kept his temper intact and his mouth shut regarding women and sex. The guy didn’t know how close he was to getting punched. “Where do I unload the flowers?”
“If you want to drive your truck around to this side we can bring the stuff in from over there.” Jon pointed to a parking lot that circled behind the main building, used for caterers and events planners to access the area easier. “Or if there aren’t too many boxes, we can carry them in the way we just came. It’s up to you.”
“I’ll pull around. Be right back.” He walked away before he pounded his fist into the guy’s macho face. He sensed exactly what girl Jon was referring to, unless he’d found someone new. Aurora had told him Jon was still chasing Danielle.
The question was—did Jon and Danielle have sex here today, or was this guy full of shit?
Brent couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel. He’d seen her Bug in the parking lot. Though he wanted to go see her right away and try to straighten everything out, business had to come first. Besides, he’d have more time to spend convincing Danielle he was the man for her if they had the rest of the evening together.
Life just wouldn’t be right without Danielle. But he had a way to make her listen to what he had to say. Love songs were the lifeblood of Italians. He would sing to her with his baritone voice and croon his heart away to capture hers with words of love.
****
Danielle walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. Who the heck was singing in the hallway outside her hotel room? Wait…she recognized that accent.
Oh God, he was here.
She looked out the peephole and there Brent stood with a handful of blue daisies, singing in Italian. She opened the door. He grinned but didn’t stop singing. She grabbed his shirt front and pulled him inside the room. “Shush…are you crazy?”
He held out the bouquet of flowers and sang. “My darling, if I hurt you—”
“Are you done embarrassing me?” She snatched the flowers and smelled them, more to hide her face than catch a scent that was barely there.
He stopped singing. “There is one more verse in Italian.”
She waved him on. He was incredibly appealing and immensely hard to resist. When he finished singing the romantic Italian love song, he held out his arms and she walked into them. He whispered against her ear, “Only you in my heart.”
“Oh Brent, I’ve missed you so much.” Tears filled her eyes. The words to the song he sang were perfect.
“I’ve missed you too, cara mia.” He nuzzled his lips against her neck. “I’m sorry for hurting you. I would never do it intentionally.”
Her heart sensed it was true. But there was still the other woman. “What about—”
He placed his fingertips on her mouth to quiet her. “We will talk after we make love. I have missed you like no other. You are everything to me.”
He removed his shirt and kicked off his loafers. She set the flowers aside and tugged his zipper down, revealing that bulging part of him she wanted buried deep inside. “We need to talk this time Brent. We need to be honest. Both of us.”
“And we will, Dani. We will. Let me make you feel passion first.” He stepped out of his jeans and tugged off his socks. And there he was in his jock shorts and nothing more.
She dropped her towel to the floor.
“Ah, cara mia. You are bellissimo.” He pulled her into his arms and cuddled her.
All he had to do was hold her and her h
eart lightened. She was home. Safe, protected, and loved. “I’ve missed you so much.”
He kissed her again, deep and tender. She shivered in anticipation of his love-making. He ran his fingers down her tummy and touched her nub. She squirmed beneath his touch but didn’t pull away. Tingles shot from her nub to her inner core, such a wondrous sensation. She wanted more. He hummed his song in her ear as he licked, kissed, and nibbled his way down to her breast. His mouth covered her nipple, and she bent her head back in bliss. Erotic and sexy, he could push every one of her buttons.
He brought his face up to hers and smiled. “You are incredible.”
Obviously, he didn’t know how incredible he was. She rubbed his erection through his shorts. “You complete me, Brent. And that’s what makes what we have between us so special.”
****
Did she have any idea how wonderful that sounded? Brent didn’t think he’d get this close to her again or be able to caress her beautiful body and kiss her sexy lips. He laid beside her on the bed, running his hands over her smooth-as-silk skin.
He gazed into her pretty blue eyes and had to say it. “I have a confession.”
She caressed his jaw and ran her fingers down his shoulder and along his arm to his hand. Entwining their fingers, she pulled his hand to her lips and kissed it. “Me too.”
“I love you, Dani. I love you so much it hurts.”
Tears puddled in her eyes. “I love you too, Brent. I have from the first time I met you. I wanted you then, but you were Rory’s that night. And the day I came to your office—”
“That awesome day in my office, I made love to the most beautiful woman ever to exist and my heart told me she was the one for me.”
“Soulmates.”
“When we found each other, our souls were already old friends.” And from day one she was different from any woman he’d ever been with before.
“More than friends, lovers.” She slipped his thumb into her mouth and sucked it.
He swore an arrow shot straight to his cock. It begged for release. He raised his hips and obliged. “It appears my pene wants you.”
Danielle giggled as she caressed his most sensitive skin. She scooted down and licked his tip ever so lightly, running her tongue up and down his length. He moaned and shifted his hips. Not too much or he wouldn’t be able to pleasure her the way he liked. Teasing and tempting her until she could no longer hang on. He rolled her over and slipped a leg between hers.
“Let me make you smile, cara mia.” He slipped his finger into her soft warm pussy and held it there, wiggling and feeling for her G-spot. He caressed and rubbed the puffy spot. Moaning, she lifted her hips. He bent to kiss her on her tender, most sensitive place. She bucked against him. He continued moving his tongue down to his fingers and up to her nub, pumping his fingers in and out, and putting gentle pressure on her G-spot.
“Oh…my…God…Brent…Ooo…” She gasped the words as she arched her back in surrender.
He met her lips in a passionate kiss, sharing her juices, tasting her and loving her in the way he enjoyed so much. He would have her screaming in no time. “Did you like it, bella?”
Her smile melted his heart. “That was awesome and makes me crave more.”
For a response, he bent her knees and kneeled between them, touching her with his rock-hard erection. Just touching and not entering, teasing her like he couldn’t find the way in. He was already dripping cum, and he had to pinch the tip to keep from losing it.
Making foreplay last as long as possible was the way to heaven. Anticipation was half the fun. Yes, he wanted to thrust deep within her, but making her want him was the best part. He loved watching her face as she moaned and shifted, wondering when he would make her feel what she wanted to feel—complete loss of control.
He bent to lick her nipples. Grabbing his hips, she squeezed his buttocks, and pulled him closer to her waiting pussy. She bucked once and he was in all the way, throbbing and aching for release. She was hot and wet, and ready to let go. But not yet.
He chuckled and withdrew. “I need to make proper love to you, cara mia.”
“Please…”
“Are you begging for this?” He bent and suckled her nether lips, pushing his tongue inside and circling her sensitive nub. She grabbed his shoulders and hung on. “More?”
“No. Yes. I want him.” Her face flushed with passion and desire.
How could he refuse her now? He slid easily into place, and she wiggled beneath him, wrapping her legs around his hips. She made love with the strength of a woman in love. It made his heart glow. Pumping slowly in and out, he quickened the pace and slowed it, repeatedly, while she writhed in ecstasy. She raised her hips each time he pushed inside, and finally held him there, hard and shooting cum. She released a muffled cry into his shoulder.
He waited for her bite and wasn’t disappointed. She went over the edge, growling and sucking his shoulder. Letting go, she gasped for air. After he emptied his seed, he relaxed on top of her, holding his weight so he didn’t crush her delicate body.
A total climax felt like heaven in her arms.
She relaxed and lay sated beneath him. He rolled to his side and spooned her, pillowing her head on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead and let her ease into a blissful sleep.
Thank God, he was home. This is where I belong.
Chapter Seven
Daylight opened her eyes to rumpled covers, pillows everywhere, and an empty bed. Danielle yawned and stretched her arms above her head. Where did Brent go? Last night had been amazing, the best sex they’d shared to date. If this was a sample of their future together, she was going to enjoy every second of it.
She rolled out of bed and walked toward the bathroom, her eyes half open and her mouth feeling blah. Something was wrong with the carpet. Glancing down, she found a white rose petal pathway leading into the connecting room. Candles lit the inner room in a romantic setting. The shower door stood open, inviting her. She peeked inside and a smile tickled her lips. There he sat in all his naked beauty, waiting for her to adore him.
“What are you doing, Brent?”
“It’s about time you awoke, sognatore.”
Dream lover, she remembered. “Have you been sitting in here very long?”
“No.” Brent stood and pulled her inside the shower stall. “I wanted to shower with you, to pleasure you one more time before I have to leave.”
“Good thing you don’t have to undress me.” She giggled as he handed her a toothbrush already lined with gel and turned on the shower head. “You think of everything.”
“I want to kiss you and make love to you, not scare you away with bad breath. I brushed, so I thought—”
“You thought right, thanks.” He ran his hands over her body as she attempted to brush her teeth, twisting her nipples until they begged for his kiss. She spit her toothpaste down the drain and rinsed. “Stop! I’m trying to brush.”
He chuckled. The seductive sound sent shivers of anticipation along her skin. She sipped water from her hand, wiped her mouth on the towel and set the toothbrush aside. Stepping under the shower spray, the warm rush of water over her cool skin made her feel more alive. She loved to shower in the morning, it simply made the day go better.
“Cara mia, you take far too long. I need to touch you, bury myself inside you. Feel you everywhere.” He kissed her neck and sucked until she pushed him away.
“Hey, no love bites until after the wedding. I am the maid of honor, remember.”
“But I must bite something. Hmm…”
He kneeled in front of her and pulled her closer. His mouth sought out her sensitive nub, and he suckled there. Bright spasms of joy jerked her body. He spread her legs and nibbled her nether lips.
Oh… She nearly lost it. She gripped his shoulders and tugged him up beneath the water with her. She circled his mouth with her tongue, placing a tender kiss on his lips. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his erection. She rubbed her hips agains
t him, almost purring. He was hot and throbbing. Begging for release, the kind only she could give him. His vulnerable spot was his lower lip, so she sucked it into her mouth and flicked her tongue against its fullness.
Groaning, he pulled back and touched her face as though memorizing every line. “You are lovely and so special to me.”
“You’re just saying that because you want to do me doggy style.” She turned and bent over in front of him, offering herself to him.
He grasped her hips and pushed his thick cock between her legs. One thrust and he was inside. He withdrew and repeated the motion, while holding her hips to guide her slow and easy, and deeper each time.
She tossed her head back and released a howl of delight as he pumped into her with steady rhythm. Hunger for him had reached the point of desperation. She placed her hands against the tile wall for support and held on until she could hold on no more.
He pushed hard forward and she pushed back. Powerful, uncontrolled emotions washed over her, penetrating her heart in a way only a lover can do. Ecstasy rained upon her, mixing her cum with his.
She turned and hugged his shoulders, feeling both physically and emotionally drained. “Thank you.”
He cupped her face and kissed her lips softly. “Never thank me for something I receive too. Making love with you is an honor. It pleases me beyond comprehension.”
Her panting quieted, but her heart was still pounding. “You definitely please me.”
She picked up the French milled soap bar and rubbed it in her palms, lathering her hands to wash him thoroughly. His broad shoulders, his biceps, all over his well-muscled torso. She ran her hands over his silky-smooth butt and smiled. He had a great butt. After lathering up again, she cleaned his spent cock, his fantastic love machine. She pushed him back under the water to rinse, while she washed each thigh and calf. He pulled her up and covered her mouth in a kiss that sent her senses spiraling.
****
Brent couldn’t get enough of her. Damn if he didn’t want to plunge into her again. Maybe that’s what true love was like, the constant feeling of not enough, needing more, a hunger to be as close as one can get to another human being. A burning fire that never dies.
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