Chapter Fourteen
“I AM NOT humming!” Emery insisted, although not only was she buzzing like a hummingbird, but little spasms were quaking through her every time she thought of Dean. She was surprised she wasn’t causing the ground to shake.
“You started humming after Oscar Martin popped your cherry,” Desiree reminded her as she headed back inside for another tray of food, Emery and Cosmos at her heels. “And the only time you hum since is when you’ve had great sex. Why are you denying it?”
Desiree stopped walking, and Emery bumped into her with an oomph!
Desiree spun around, her jaw hanging open, her green eyes wide with horror. “Oh my gosh. We’re growing apart, aren’t we? You used to tell me about your sexy escapades. First we stop telling each other things, and then we’ll stop hanging out, and it’ll only get worse from there…”
“No, we are not growing apart.” Hearing the guys in the yard, Emery took her by the arm and dragged her away from the door. Cosmos scampered back outside. “I share everything with you. I haven’t had any escapades to speak of for months.”
“But you’re humming, and you swore there was nothing between you and Dean. Oh no, please tell me you aren’t staying at his place and sleeping with someone else.”
“Yeah, that’s it. I’ve turned into a flaming slut. You’d better lock up the men, or I’ll jump all of them.” They both laughed, and Emery admitted, “There wasn’t anything between me and Dean before, or maybe there was and I didn’t let myself see it. But we haven’t done it!” she whispered emphatically. “At least not full-on it.”
“Ha! I knew it!” Desiree set her hands on her hips and smiled. “The way he looked at you over Christmas is nothing compared to how he looks at you now that you’re here. I knew you two would hook up.”
“Then you’re more intuitive than me, because I didn’t,” Emery confessed. She glanced toward the yard, where Dean’s distinct voice rose among the others’, and her stomach flipped. “Please don’t be mad, but I quit working at the resort and told Dean I’d see their customers here. I know I shouldn’t have said anything without asking you first, but I couldn’t fool around with my boss after what happened with the nimrod in Virginia.”
“That’s fine, of course, but I’m not buying that you didn’t know you and Dean would hook up.”
“I swear it!” She stopped talking as Violet descended the steps, eyeing them curiously. “Hey, Vi. I love your skirt.”
Violet looked down at the tie-dyed miniskirt covering the bottom of her black bikini. “Thanks. I made it.” She made a dramatic show of sniffing the air and said, “Ah, Rick’s a good man.”
Desiree blushed as Violet made a beeline for the crepes Desiree had set out for everyone. Then Desiree narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, staring at Emery expectantly.
“Denial,” Emery said flatly. “That’s my only defense.”
“Denial? Really? So are you two a thing now?” A smile lifted her lips, and before Emery could respond, concern wiped it away. “Em, he’s Rick’s business partner. Please tell me this isn’t a fling.”
“I don’t know what it is, but it doesn’t feel like a fling,” she whispered. “It feels right. Righter than anything ever has, other than doing serious yoga back-care. It feels as right as that, only better. And that scares me to death.”
“Why?”
Emery gazed in the direction of the voices coming from outside. The voices of her new life, her new friends, and the deep, sexy voice of the man who was singlehandedly upending her plans. “Because I feel all these things I haven’t felt before, and now that I’m not in denial, I know I didn’t stop dating friends just because I always screwed up our friendships. I stopped dating anyone because I preferred to spend the evenings with Dean, even if long-distance.”
“But, Em, those are good things. Wonderful things. Certainly not things to be scared of.”
“That’s not what scares me. What scares me is that I will probably mess this up, and I don’t want to.”
“Would you stop? You’re not going to mess anything up.” Desiree hugged her tight. “You gave me the courage to move forward with Rick, and I’m here for you, Em. Day or night. Whatever you need.”
“Thanks. I’m sure I gave Dean whiplash yesterday the way I was scared one minute and jumping in with two feet the next. But you know what? He didn’t freak out or run away. I think he really gets me.”
“You’re not that hard to get, Em. You’re pretty amazing.”
“Right back at ya, sister.” On the way back outside, Emery told her about Dean introducing her to Chloe. “I’m hoping she can get the approval for me to work with some of the residents there, but I promise it won’t interfere with my work here.”
When they stepped outside, Emery was sure all the guys looked up from the table, but she saw only Dean. He rose from his seat wearing nothing but running shorts and a predatory grin. As he ate up the distance between them, every determined step made her heart beat faster, her blood pump hotter. Oh man. She was so far past denial, she’d entered he’s mine territory.
“Hey, doll.” Dean planted a kiss on her cheek.
She was surprised by his open affection, but as she thought about the way he’d acted around Blaine and then around his friend Jonny as Jonny had measured her for a wet suit, she realized she shouldn’t be surprised. Dean was a possessive man, and boy, did she like him just the way he was.
“Looks like Em doesn’t have a problem with naked men in the morning after all.” Violet lifted her glass in a toast. “To fantastic frickery for all.”
Everyone laughed except Dean, who growled.
Emery turned his handsome face back toward her. She couldn’t help but giggle at his serious expression. “You didn’t really think you could kiss me without Violet announcing it to the world, did you?”
“This isn’t frickery,” he said angrily.
“That blush on her cheeks tells a different story,” Violet chimed in.
“Does it matter what she calls it?” Emery asked Dean. “All that matters is what we think we are.” As the words left her lips, she wondered where her confidence in their relationship came from.
He gathered her in his arms, but his expression did not soften. Why was that such a turn-on?
“And what is it, doll? What are we to you?”
She drew in a deep breath, gathering her courage and choosing her words carefully. “The start of something that feels too right to be wrong.”
He lowered his mouth to hers, causing everyone to whistle and cheer. Cosmos barked up a storm.
“Did I just see a smoking-hot kiss between you two?” Serena asked as she came through the gate.
“The frickery has begun,” Violet explained.
“Enough, Vi.” Dean led Emery to the chair beside his, and she immediately snatched a strawberry from his plate. He smiled and leaned in for another kiss.
“I guess Dean told you guys that I won’t be working at the resort,” Emery said as she plucked another piece of fruit from Dean’s plate.
“What?” Rick glared at Dean. “No, he didn’t tell us that.”
“She can’t work for me if we’re going to be together,” Dean explained.
“What about the classes I’ve booked?” Serena held a hand over her plate to stop Drake from putting a third crepe on it. “I can’t eat three, but thanks.”
“I’ll see your clients here at Summer House, if that’s okay with you guys. I’ll still give the resort a commission from each person you refer. I feel really bad about letting you down, but I swear I’ll teach just as many classes, and—”
“You didn’t have to quit,” Drake said with a hint of frustration as his gaze slid to Dean.
“I fired her,” Dean mumbled.
“No, you didn’t. I quit,” she insisted.
“We could have worked around it,” Drake said. “We’re all friends, after all.”
The relief of not having the pressure of working for Dean hanging over Emery’s head was indescribable, and she wasn’t about to go back to worrying about that. But she owed them a better explanation. “Thanks, Drake, but I wouldn’t have asked you guys to do that, and I couldn’t have done it. I had a really bad experience back home when I made the mistake of going out with my boss. I couldn’t take the chance of ruining everything if for some reason Dean and I don’t work out.”
Dean squeezed her shoulder. “We’re going to work out.”
“By that twinkle in her eyes, I’d say you already worked out,” Violet teased.
“Vi,” Dean warned.
Suddenly Emery worried that she’d put Dean in a difficult position by quitting. “Drake, if it’s a problem, I can…” Not see Dean? That wasn’t even an option anymore. “I can find someone else to teach at the resort if you want me to. I’m sure there are lots of yoga instructors here.”
“No, it’s fine,” Drake said. “And don’t worry about the commission. We don’t need it. I just didn’t want you to think you had to quit.”
“It’s fine, Emery. It’s not like we went to any great expense to prepare for you to work there,” Rick clarified. “We might have to repaint the office you were going to use, because Dean insisted on painting it buttercup yellow, but that’s not a big deal.”
Emery’s heart filled up. Dean hadn’t mentioned that he’d chosen the color. “You did that for me?”
“I would have built you an ashram,” Dean said casually. “Painting a room your favorite color was hardly difficult.”
“No, but it was the most thoughtful thing you could have done.” She mentally corrected herself. The second most thoughtful thing. Talking to Chloe about me was even more thoughtful.
“Does this mean I can use the office? You don’t even have to paint it! I love buttercup yellow,” Serena piped in. “I’ve been talking to Shift Home Interior about working with them part-time. Having an office here would allow me to see clients without having to drive all the way to Hyannis.”
“You have a job,” Drake reminded her.
“A temporary job,” Serena said. “I told you guys I’d get the resort office up and running, but hopefully by next summer I can find a replacement and get my real career back on track.”
As Serena and Drake discussed the office, Emery felt a weight lift from her shoulders. With the morning sun shining down on them and the bay kissing the shores in the distance, she thought about how much her life changed in just a few days. How much she was changing. Was she really doing this? Reorganizing her life around a man? Her brothers would have her head on a platter if they found out. Either that or they would keel over from disbelief.
Dean speared a piece of crepe from his plate and offered it to her. She glanced down at her empty plate and at his, which was overflowing with fruit and crepes.
“My girl thinks everything tastes better when it’s mine,” he said. “So I doubled up.”
Oh yeah, she was rearranging her life, all right, but not just for any man. For one of her closest friends. A very patient, caring, sinfully hot, and talented man.
AFTER A LONG day of running around town and setting up her yoga studio at Summer House, Emery raced home to shower for her and Dean’s date. Example outing, she corrected with a smile. Example, right! The bugger had known exactly what he was doing when he’d offered that up. And when he’d sent her sexy texts throughout the day. She’d been revved up all afternoon from his playful texts, which had made her imagination work overtime, like, Looking forward to getting dirty with you later.
She hurried into her room, which still looked like a tornado had hit it. Tango and Cash were curled up in her open suitcase. She really needed to unpack. This morning she’d run around the house looking for her keys for twenty minutes before giving up and borrowing Desiree’s car to pick up the plants and picture hangers for her yoga studio. While she was out, she’d handed out a few flyers—and got lost. Twice. She’d called Dean and he’d patiently directed her better than any fancy GPS system ever could. She’d probably find her keys buried somewhere beneath the clothes, but she didn’t have time to look now. It was almost six, and she promised Dean she’d be ready on time.
She moved the kitties to the bed and dug through her suitcase, choosing her favorite pink miniskirt, a cute cotton number that went perfectly with the new flowy gray tank top with a colorful dream catcher embroidered into it. She’d bought it from her friend Morgyn Montgomery’s boutique before leaving Oak Falls.
Her toiletries were scattered on top of her dresser, but for the life of her, she couldn’t find her razor.
She showered, used Dean’s razor so she wouldn’t have furry legs, and then quickly dried her hair and got ready to go. She took one last look in the mirror. Her hair was perfect, fluffy and wavy but not overdone. She smoked up her eyes the way she had the night they’d gone to the bar. A few bangles around her wrist and a pair of pretty dangling earrings and cute strappy heels took her outfit from beachy to beautiful. She was excited to go out with Dean. No matter what they were calling it, in her mind, it was a date.
Hoping to make a grand entrance so she could see his appreciative expression, she straightened her spine, inhaled a calming breath to combat the butterflies swarming in her belly, and opened her bedroom door.
DEAN LIFTED HIS gaze slowly, drinking in every inch of Emery’s long legs to the edge of her pink ultramini miniskirt, which covered the light brown birthmark he’d discovered on her inner thigh earlier that morning. Mm. He’d spent the day in a state of heightened desire, remembering those addicting sounds she’d made that morning.
He continued his visual feast, moving up her torso to the outline of her curves in a cute tank top that would look even cuter on his floor. His gaze trailed up her long, graceful neck. His mouth watered with the memory of how sweet and hot her skin tasted.
His gaze lingered on her mouth. He could stare at her lips all day long. He forced his gaze north and lost his breath at the emotions staring back at him. He needed her in his arms.
He stepped forward, one arm sweeping around her waist, the other holding the bouquet he’d made for her, of tiger lilies, purple lace cap, Queen Anne’s lace, yellow flag bottoms, daisies, and other flowers he knew she’d love. “Hi, beautiful.”
“Flowers?” she said softly. “You should give dating lessons. I’ve never been given flowers. They’re gorgeous. Thank you.”
He liked knowing he’d achieved another first with Emery. “Not nearly as gorgeous as you.”
He’d missed her so much today he’d ached with it. He tried to go slow, but his body would have no part of slow. He kissed her ravenously, causing them to stumble. Her back met the wall, and she made a mewling sound.
He tore his mouth away. “Sorry. I got carried away. Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she panted out. “That wasn’t a cry of pain.”
She grabbed his shirt and tugged him into another fierce kiss. He wanted to drop the flowers and strip her bare, so they could finish what they’d started that morning. But this wasn’t what he’d planned for tonight. This was their second example outing, and he wanted her to know she was worth more than just sex, that together they could enjoy more than hot make-out sessions. He forced himself to pull away, groaning as their lips parted.
“That was not meant as an example,” he said sharply.
She giggled. “I have a feeling I won’t have to worry about any other guys kissing me for a while.”
A while my eye. He tightened his grip on her. Yeah, he was fiercely possessive about her, and he wasn’t about to let anything come between them.
Emery must have read his mind, because she said, “We can delete those last three words.”
“Wow, you’re amazing.” He kissed her, quick and tender, so he didn’t get sidetracked again. He released her only to pick up the tall green gardening boots he’d bought for her earlier in the day.
“Flowers and rain boots? Is my man into something kinky?”
“Doll, you just keep calling me your man, and rest assured, I’m into you. We’ll be as kinky as you want to be.” He dropped to one knee and began removing her sandals. He couldn’t resist sliding his hands up her outer thighs and kissing the soft expanse of tanned skin just beneath the hem of her skirt.
Her breath left her lungs in one fast breath. An invitation? When her eyes fluttered closed, he knew it was, but one taste of her would unravel him, and he had plans for them tonight. He forced himself to finish taking off her sandals.
Later, he’d take more than a taste.
She gazed down at him as he withdrew a pair of pink ankle socks from his pocket. “Socks,” she whispered. “You thought of everything.”
When it came to Emery, thinking of the little things wasn’t difficult. It came naturally. He wanted her to be comfortable. But he wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to mark his territory. He held up the socks for her to read the message written across the toes: TAKEN.
“Only you, big guy…” She smiled as he put the socks and boots on her feet. “How did you know my size?”
He pointed to her flip-flops, which he’d collected from around the living room and lined up by the patio doors.
“My, aren’t you a clever boy,” she said as he rose to his feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. “These boots are super cute. Do you know something about the weather that I don’t?”
“No, and no more questions.”
“If you’re not going to tell me where we’re going, at least tell me if I should change my clothes.”
He was thrilled by how openly affectionate and accepting of their budding relationship she’d become. When he’d kissed her at breakfast in front of their friends, he’d expected her to recoil. Not only hadn’t she recoiled, but she’d said they felt too right to be wrong. He felt like he’d won the lottery. He was determined to prove to her that their long-distance friendship was the foundation of their future.
Dean took her hand and led her to the kitchen. He filled a vase with water and said, “You’re this landscaper’s fantasy come true. You’re not changing a thing.”
He put her bouquet in the vase and held her hand, guiding her as they walked out the back door. “If that outfit gets dirty or ruined, I’ll buy you a new one.” Her skirt barely covered her butt, and she looked so delectable, he said, “I’ll buy you a closetful of them.”
They wound through the gardens and around the tall bushes buffering his house from the rest of the resort property. He loved his privacy, and when he’d bought into the resort with Rick and Drake, he’d considered remaining in the cottage he owned in Eastham. But the minute he’d seen the cottage he now lived in, he’d fallen in love with it. Cordoning it off from the rest of the property in a way that looked natural made all the difference. He had no commute to work, except on the days he worked at the gardens at the hospital or LOCAL, where he enjoyed teaching residents how to care for the gardens.
They followed the narrow path lined with wildflowers and low-lying shrubs he’d planted in the spring. The solar lights in the ground hadn’t turned on yet, but they would soon, as the evening swallowed the last of the daylight.
A breeze swept over the dunes, and Dean pulled Emery closer. “Cold?”
“No. This is wonderful compared to home, where the humidity sucks the life out of you.”
“Careful talking about sucking, doll. I’m trying not to think about how sexy you look in that skimpy outfit.”
She pretended to write in the air. “Buy more skimpy outfits. Check.”