His eyes hardened on Olivia, but Emily quickly placed her hand over his mouth to hush him. “You two are done talking for the remainder of the ride.”
Over the next few hours, while the anxiety of the weekend steadily built to unbearable heights in her chest, Emily watched as a suburban landscape replaced the disappearing concrete and steel of the city. Mature trees, grass, and smaller-sized homes flew past her peripheral vision, reminding her of where she had grown up. It was something she realized she missed since living in the city.
Eventually, the middle-class pallet melted away as the road shifted to sprawling mansions lining the Atlantic coast. They were the types of homes in which Emily had seen in magazines. Her eyes widened at the absolute beauty of the scenery. Rolling down the window, she deeply inhaled the salty air of the ocean as the chauffeur pulled up to a winding, gated driveway. He spoke with someone over an intercom before the ornate metal gates slowly swung open, allowing the limousine onto the property. Beyond the gates, a sweeping lawn holding lush specimen trees lined the flagstone drive. A garden highlighted the front of the home with flowers of every color imaginable. Large pillars on both sides of the mammoth mahogany entry door caught Emily’s gaze. Off to the side were sunken tennis and basketball courts. In the distance, a path from behind the home led to the serene ocean. The water lapping against the sand and the twinkling sun shimmering off of it brought Emily a sense of peace—if only for the barest second.
Olivia chucked a piece of ice at Dillon’s face, stirring him from his alcohol-induced nap. She laughed along with Emily, watching him blink his eyes wide open. He then glared at Olivia with a look that promised retaliation in one way or another. With their bags already at his side, the chauffeur smoothly opened the door, and they each stepped out. Dillon stretched his neck from side to side, yawning. He reached in his pocket, patted the driver on his back, and handed him a tip, thanking him for his service.
Looking up to the home, Emily felt awestruck at its size. Albeit astonishing in every way possible, she wondered why one person would need a place of such magnitude. With that fleeting thought, the reason for her newfound anxiety—and her now rapid breathing—stepped out of the front door.
Shirtless.
Emily’s heart nearly stopped dead. As Gavin made his way over to the group, she couldn’t help but admire his barely there attire. Transiently, her eyes scanned his well-defined abs, segmented with definitions of hard muscle from his shoulders to his hips. A deep V that disappeared below white swimming trunks made her heart rate jump back to life again.
He wasn’t bulky by any means; he had a body like a runner—long and lean—with just enough muscle to make any girl’s tongue dance behind her lips. It was then that she noticed he stood a good six inches over her smaller frame. His golden tan had her unconsciously biting the side of her mouth, nearly drawing blood. To further add icing to the cake, he had an intricate black dragon tattoo that snaked its way up from those white swimming trunks and curled around his left ribcage.
The only thought running through Emily’s mind at that very second: Where exactly does that tattoo begin?
Heat rose to her cheeks as she felt tension in her legs—the coils of lust that she knew she shouldn’t have—making themselves acutely present throughout her entire body. She swallowed nervously, trying to get moisture back into her suddenly dry mouth, and immediately chided herself for having any reaction at all.
He was sexy, forbidden, dangerous, completely fuckable—and she knew it.
A contagious smile washed over Gavin’s face as he stepped down from the porch. He shook Dillon’s hand and gestured with his head over to the limo now leaving the property. “How was the ride? I hope my driver treated you all well.”
“He always treats us good,” Dillon replied, grabbing for his and Emily’s bags.
Olivia tossed her arms around Gavin’s neck and leaned in to hug him. “What’s up, my man?” she asked. She then whispered something into his ear and giggled.
Emily had a good idea what it was when his eyes flicked in her direction, a boyish smile tipping the corners of his mouth. Cupping his chin in the palm of his hand, he let a laugh roll from his lips as he looked down to the ground, shaking his head.
His blue eyes swung back to Emily. “I’m happy to see you could make it. Dillon said that you might not have been able to stay both nights.”
“I know people,” Emily laughed, not by her attempted joke, but rather from her soaring nervousness at this point.
“Mmm, it’s very good knowing people,” he chuckled, taking an extra few seconds to stare into her eyes. Drawing in a deep breath, he tossed his hand through his hair. “Okay, let’s go party the weekend away.”
As the two women followed behind the men, Emily shot Olivia a look, knowing that she’d said something to Gavin about their prior meetings.
Olivia laughed and batted her eyes like a true Southern belle as they made their way into the house.
Upon entering, Emily found the home to be shockingly warm and welcoming. At first sight, standing in the two-story foyer with a cascade of staircases on either side, her eyes took in the breathtaking view of the ocean. Sunlight spilled in effortlessly through floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding the back end of the home. A double-sided stone fireplace was the center of attention in the living room. Gleaming, dark cherry hardwood floors led into a gourmet eat-in kitchen that dripped with black granite in every direction. Deep earthy tones scattered throughout a library, billiard room, and dining room.