Collide (Collide, #1)(21)

Letting out an audible breath, Emily stared at him. His familiar brown eyes gazed back as she opened the box, revealing a pair of stunning, one-carat diamond earrings. Emily gasped at their beauty. Dillon took them from the box, removed the earrings she was wearing, and secured them on her lobes.

Looking down to the ground, Emily lightly fingered one of the diamonds.

Dillon brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. “They look beautiful on you.” He dipped his head, forcing her to stare into his eyes. “Though, I have to say, you looked like you were about to pass out when I gave you the box.”

She raised her hand and traced her fingers against his jaw. “They’re beautiful. Thank you so much. I just got a little…nervous, you know? I’m not sure if I’d be ready for marriage just yet.”

A slow smile curled his lips as his warm fingers splayed across her lower back. He pulled her to him. “Be ready soon enough, babe,” he crooned softly against her ear. “Because I’m marrying you one day.”

With his breath in her ear, he ran his tongue along the curved edge, gently sucking her lobe into his mouth.

The hair on her nape stood on end from his rapt attention to the spot he knew would send her over the edge. Thrusting her fingers into his hair, she pressed her lips against his. Their lips moved together as he swept his tongue through her mouth. He smoothed his hands down her waist and pulled her closer, his kiss growing hungrier by the second.

With her inner senses becoming too hot for the public onslaught of affection, Emily pulled back and slowly grabbed him by the hand. “Let’s go,” she breathed out, trying to contain the spiked level of need running through her. “Okay, let’s talk before I take you right here on the docks,” she laughed.

“Alright, but the talking ends once we get back to my place.” He eyed her seductively as his grip on her hand tightened. “Okay, something to talk about…something to talk about. Oh, you took off for this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, right?”

Emily came to an abrupt stop; her brow drew up in confusion. “For what?”

“Gavin’s Fourth of July party. We told you about it last night.”

“Right, but that’s Saturday. Why do I need off all three days?”

Dillon snaked his arm around her waist and continued to lead her to his Mercedes. “Because Gavin Blake doesn’t throw what you would consider a normal Fourth of July party.” Smiling, he opened the door for her. “We party the whole weekend. We’ll sleep there Friday and Saturday night and then head back here on Sunday morning.”

Emily settled herself into the seat of his car, and he closed the door. Once again, she felt her pulse jump but for something completely different now. Her stomach felt nauseated at the thought of having to spend an entire weekend at Gavin’s home in the Hamptons. She had prepared herself to see him again—she had to because he was Dillon’s friend, and there was no doubt they would run into each other from time to time—but this…this was different.

Dillon lounged into his seat, and the engine purred to life.

Biting her lip, Emily looked over at him. “It’s already Wednesday night, Dillon. I can’t get off all three days. I told Antonio about Saturday, and he was fine with that, but I’m pretty sure he won’t be fine with me taking the entire weekend off.”

“Then, I’ll go in and say something to him,” he stated, his voice holding a tone of superiority.

“Dillon, you will do no such thing,” she replied, her tone showing aggravation. “I’ll ask him when I get to work tomorrow. Don’t you dare go there and say anything.”

“Whoa-whoa,” he laughed, taking his hands off the steering wheel momentarily and holding them up in surrender. “Damn, Emily, it was just a gesture.”

Rolling her eyes, she leaned her head against the window. She wondered two things. One, if she could actually get off work all three days on a holiday weekend, which seemed near impossible in her mind. And two, if she was able to get off, how on earth was she ever going to make it through an entire weekend around Gavin without absolutely losing her mind?





Chapter Five


The Many Layers





“Damn, Emily, how much did you pack?” Olivia asked, eyeing her friend’s suitcase as she slid a backpack over her shoulder. “It’s only two nights, chick.”

Emily’s head snapped up. She tucked the last bit of her makeup into a bag. “You’re not staying the whole weekend; that’s why you packed less. It’s really not that much.”

“It looks like you’ve stowed a small city away in there,” Olivia laughed, walking over to her. Tossing her blonde hair to the side, she wiggled her brows. “But that’s right—you’re going to be around Gavin all weekend, so I’m sure you’ll need enough clothing to change into. I’ve heard that he likes black lingerie,” she winked.

“You’re such a drama queen, Liv. Just stop with your future assumptions, okay?” Emily walked in the kitchen with her bag as Olivia followed, tickling her ribcage. She jumped and laughed, pushing her away. “Oh, and by the way, a whopping thank you for the warning about this being a two-night hiatus. I’m lucky Fallon was able to cover my shifts.”

Olivia held her hands up and shrugged. “Hey, I just assumed you knew about it.”