Dreaming of Love (17 page)

“Babe?”

One look at Dae and she understood, could feel the difference from her scalp to her toes and everywhere in between. He was her priority. She blinked past her confusion, bringing Dae’s handsome, concerned face back into focus.

“I’m sorry. I spaced out a little.”

Dae paid the bill and took Emily’s hand as they walked back into the crowd. He didn’t push her for a response after laying his heart out on the line, and she knew that had to be killing him. But she was afraid that the minute she started to explain—again—what she was feeling, sadness would hit her and tears would rob her of her voice. They made their way to the statue in the center of the square, and while Dae read the plaque, Emily tried to sift through the roller coaster of emotions that were confusing her to no end. She knew what she felt for Dae. She should tell him that, at least. He deserved to know that he’d opened her heart in a way that no man ever had, and that whether they were together or apart, she thought about him every second. He deserved to know that when they made love, her world came together in a blissful state she never wanted to leave.

He deserves to be with someone who doesn’t think that blowing up the House of Wishes is one of the worst offenses he could commit.
The thought made her throat close up.

“You had the museums on your list. Do you want to head over that way?”

She met his warm, loving gaze. She expected to hear a grating in his voice over her lack of response, or to see a lessening of emotion in his eyes. She didn’t expect him to simply accept her for who she was and for what she had to offer at this very second, which wasn’t much more than silence. Guilt settled around her as heavily as the gray clouds that were moving across the sky.

She stepped in closer and pressed her cheek to his chest, taking comfort in how naturally, and willingly, he folded her into his arms. His heart beat strong and sure beneath her cheek.

I love you, Dae. I love the way you treat me. I love how thoughtful you are and how you’re eager to do the right thing. I don’t care that it’s fast or that we’re both thousands of miles away from anything familiar. This. You. Me. It feels right. This feels real. And I never want it to end
.

He kissed the top of her head, and she knew that she didn’t have to say any of the things she was thinking. Somehow, he knew.

The good. The bad. And the conflicted.

THEY FOLLOWED THE Chiantigiana Road back the way they’d come. The blue sky that had smiled down on them on their way to Greve had clouded over during the long afternoon. The wind had picked up, and Dae worried about Emily getting caught in the rain. Her sheer top and shorts weren’t exactly rainproof, and he didn’t want her biking on slippery roads. He hadn’t even thought to bring a slicker in case the weather changed. Damn. And he thought he’d been so prepared. He cocked his head to the side and shifted his eyes up to the ominous gray above, which was darkening by the second.

He flagged Emily over to the side of the road.

“Is something wrong?” Her skin glistened with the sheen of her exertion.

“It looks like the rain is moving in fast.” He spoke loudly so she could hear him over the wind. “We should find a place to get you under cover.”

“
Pfft
.” She waved her hand. “What’s a little rain? I’ll be fine. I really want to make it to the House of Wishes. It’s not that far from here.”

He glanced up the hillside at a weathered farmhouse. Maybe they should consider finding shelter until after the storm. “Em, I’m not sure I want you on the roads when it’s wet and windy. It’s dangerous.”

“You worry too much, and you sound like my brothers. I’m fine.”

“See the farmhouse up there?”

She nodded, brows drawn together.

“See the barn off to the right?”

“Yeah. It looks like it’s ready to fall down.”

“Preserve or demolish?” He grinned, knowing this was the last thing she’d expect—and he’d put his money on her tearing down the lopsided structure, which had a roof that dipped by at least thirty degrees on one side and walls that sagged like skin on a shriveled old woman.

She rolled her eyes. “Really?” A gust of wind howled over the meadow. “In this wind, with the rain about to pour down on us, you want me to assess a barn?”

He didn’t say a word, just raised his brows as he dug out the memo pads and handed her one. She scribbled fast, her face pinched in irritation. She shoved the pad back into the pack, and he glanced up at the farmhouse again, hoping that standing in the path of the gusty wind might soften her resolve.

“Em—”

“Don’t even say it. I’m not going to ask some stranger if I can sit out a little rain in their house. Besides, aren’t you the one who said life’s too short to miss out on anything?”

She climbed on her bike, and he had no choice but to admire her determination. And her hot little body as she sped away.

The clouds darkened even more as they neared the House of Wishes. When the first droplets of rain dotted Dae’s skin, he glanced up at Emily. She was pedaling fast and hard. He couldn’t help but be impressed. She was fiercely determined in everything she did. It was no wonder she was having such a difficult time with what he did for a living. She was probably used to reasoning her way through with clients—and winning. He had to wonder if she’d be as disturbed by his love of things that go boom if the latest object of his demolition skills weren’t the House of Wishes. She was an intelligent, reasonable woman. She was an architect. Surely she knew that certain structures were dangerous if not torn down. He thought back to the things she’d said about preserving culture, family, and things that weren’t tangible, like myths and legends. She had a heart as big as the moon, and he couldn’t really fault her for that. He only wished he knew how to get that heart of hers to be more accepting of his ability to make the right decision.

As the villa came into focus just over the ridge, the clouds opened up, sending a torrent of rain like a wall of water down upon them. The wind howled across the fields, picking up speed with the hammering rain. Dae barely had time to think as he pedaled faster to reach Emily. Her foot slipped from the pedal, and her bike keeled to the left. He pedaled faster, coming up behind her as she skidded over a rut in the road. As if in slow motion, Emily’s front tire stopped and the rear of her bike lifted off the ground and jerked to the side, sending her flying over the handlebars.

Dae jumped from his still-moving bike. “Emily!” His voice was drowned out by the storm. His heart shattered in his chest as she landed on the grass in a heap.

“Em!” He hovered over her, trying his best to shield her from the pummeling rain, which now felt like a smattering of bullets against his skin. Mud streaked her cheeks, forehead, and hair. He ran his hands down her arms and legs, feeling for broken bones.
No breaks. Thank goodness
. Her pain-filled eyes opened, tears mingling with the rain and mud covering her face.

“Emily. Baby, are you okay? Where do you hurt?” He wiped her tears with the pad of his thumb, but the rain just slicked her skin again. Her body trembled and shook as he shifted his body to try to cover her head to toe from the rain. “Can you move your arms and legs? I don’t want to pick you up if something’s broken.”

“I…” She wiggled her fingers, then shifted her legs. “Damn, that hurts.”

“Where?” His heart slammed against his chest. He knew he shouldn’t have let her ride. He was supposed to protect her, not let her determination sway him.

“Everywhere. My shoulder and hip are sore from landing on them, but I think I’m okay—just shaken up.” She rolled onto her back and blinked at the tears in her eyes. The side of her cheek was laced with scratches and pitted with pebbles. She pushed up onto her elbow.

“Don’t get up. I’ll carry you to the house. It’s not far.” He brushed the loose pebbles from her cheek and took off her helmet, then removed his own and tossed them aside.

“Carry me?” She pushed up to a sitting position. “I’m okay, Dae. I might be sore as heck tomorrow, but I can walk.”

“Like hell you will. I’m not taking any more chances.”

She slid her knee up so her foot was flat on the ground and gasped a sharp breath.

“Ankle?” He slid his hand down over the bones, again feeling nothing broken.

“It’s okay. Just twisted or something.” She tried to flatten her foot again and cried out in pain.

Dae didn’t hesitate. He scooped her into his arms and held her shivering body against his chest. Her skin was ice cold. His only thoughts were to protect her from the driving rain, check out her injuries, and get her inside. He imagined that, like with everything else Emily did, she’d try to muster through the pain, wanting to be strong and needing to feel like she was in control. He knew her well enough to see that although she loved the way her brothers protected her, she was driven by a daily need to prove she was just as strong and successful as they were. When she rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes, he felt a wave of gratitude roll through him. He knelt with her in his arms and unhooked the backpack from its tether to the forgotten bike. He tugged his bike off the road. He’d come back later to retrieve it. Right now he had to get Emily out of the rain. He hooked the pack over his shoulder, shifted Emily in his strong arms, and with her nestled firmly against him, rose to his feet and crossed the field toward the property that had stolen a part of Emily’s heart, which he hoped to reclaim, or at least share.

DAE’S BODY WAS warm despite being drenched. Emily bumped against his muscular chest with every determined step as he trudged up the driveway toward the front door of the property. She clung to his soaking-wet T-shirt, feeling stupid for having fallen off her bike in the first place. She should have been watching the road. If she had, she could have avoided the rut in the road, but she’d been lost in thoughts of Dae. When he’d asked her about the dilapidated barn, her mind had traveled down a naughty path. She’d had thoughts of what it would be like to be stuck in that falling-down building with Dae, with no way to reach anyone outside of the barn walls. Just the two of them relying on each other for warmth and safety. With no outside influences vying for their attention. Oh, the sinful thoughts that sifted through her mind. The idea was ludicrous. They both had cell phones, and there was a farmhouse just across the field, but still, a girl could dream.

Oh no. Am I a self-fulfilled prophecy? Did I cause this?

Now I’m really being stupid
.

She wrapped her arms around Dae’s neck and felt his grip tighten around her as he mounted the stairs to the porch and carried her out of the rain.

“Did I hurt you? Your whole body just tensed up.”

You noticed?
“No, it’s just the cold.”

“I’m sorry, babe. I’ve got a key. We’ll be inside soon.” He pulled off his pack and knelt again, cradling Emily against him.

“You have a key?” Even through the shivering cold and shock of falling from her bike, she was excited to be able to see the inside of the House of Wishes. She wondered if it would feel like a magical place that made wishes come true.

“Of course. The assessment is more than just taking in the exterior.” He fished around in the backpack for the keys as thunder rumbled overhead. She startled, and he stopped fishing for the keys and wrapped his arms tightly around her.

“I’ve got you, babe. Sounds like we’re in for a worse storm than we’d anticipated.”

“Then it’s a good thing I fell.”

He narrowed his eyes.

“Otherwise we’d still be riding in the rain. We’re a good distance from Adelina’s, remember?”

He kissed her forehead as he withdrew the keys. “Yes, I remember. How’s your ankle?”

She wiggled her foot. It didn’t hurt too badly, just a little shock of pain, like when she’d twisted her ankle as a kid. “Twingy.”

“Twingy. Even injured you’re cute as hell.” He rose to his feet and unlocked the door. “Let’s get your twingy ankle inside and see how bad off it really is.” He had to jiggle the key a few times, but eventually the heavy wooden door creaked open. Dae carried her into a stone foyer that must have been twenty feet deep and only about half as wide. The dampness didn’t just follow them in; it greeted them front and center, surrounding them with a moist, cold feeling. Definitely not the magical feel Emily had imagined. A small puddle formed at Dae’s feet and trickled along the crevices of intricately laid mosaic tiles beneath his drenched sneakers. Thick stone walls rose to an arched ceiling, and two archways led into other rooms off to the right. A wide staircase curved toward the second floor and took up nearly the entire back wall of the foyer. The door blew further open with a blast of wind as thunder cracked across the sky. Dae tightened his grip on her again and used his shoulder to push the door closed, then tried the light switch.

“Electricity’s off. That means the water’s off, too.”

“At least we’re dry. You can put me down. You’ve carried me a long way, and I’m sure I’m heavy.” Emily wasn’t overweight, but she didn’t want him to feel as though he
had
to take care of her. She had spent her life proving how strong and self-sufficient she was. It took a little getting used to for her to allow herself to be cared for in this way.

His eyes met hers with a look that told her he’d make the decision as to when he’d set her down. And the way he clenched his jaw told her that the decision was not negotiable.

She shifted her eyes away before she barked out that she was fine and could walk by herself. Or hobble, maybe.
Hop?
She had to remind herself that Dae wasn’t one of her brothers mollycoddling her, and although she hated feeling like a damsel in distress, she was enjoying being in his strong arms. She allowed herself to lean against him and accept the comfort he offered.

 “Look at this place. This type of high-arched stone ceiling isn’t very common. It’s reminiscent of a thirteenth-century building, and I’d guess this one to be nineteenth century, or maybe even a little later.”

He smiled down at her. “You’re sexy as hell when you go all architectural girl on me. We’re in the twenty-first century now, so let’s see if they have someplace comfortable and dry from this era where you can relax and get warm.”