Collide (Collide, #1)(23)
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 f*ckable—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.
The amazement in Emily’s eyes was evident.
Olivia squeezed Emily’s arm, her smile wide. “I told you it’s spectacular. And you have yet to see the media room, the second level, or the backyard f*cking oasis, chick.”
Feeling almost breathless by her surroundings, Emily nodded to Olivia and followed Dillon up to the room they would share for the weekend. Olivia was right. The upstairs was no less amazing. The same flow of furnishings with warm accents and hues was sprinkled throughout the upper level. Emily felt like she was in a spa when she walked into the bathroom connected to their room. European fixtures and a marble shower encased in floor-to-ceiling glass made her want to skip the pool all together and opt for the hot steam instead.
With a wet bar in the room, Dillon prepared himself a drink and told Emily he would meet her out back. She nodded to him as she rummaged through her belongings. After applying a good bit of suntan lotion, she threw on her black bikini, slipped a sarong around her waist, and made her way into the hall.
Gavin halted midstride, grabbing for his sunglasses on the kitchen island. He spotted Emily coming down the stairs and felt a dizzying force plummet through him. Something inside him twisted, burning in his stomach to the very core of his being.
So much for trying to rid her from his mind.
Feeling depleted of air, he couldn’t concentrate on any one particular thing about her. His eyes passed over her slowly, pausing to regard her beautiful figure. He was sure the sight of her auburn hair draping over her bikini top could send him to his deathbed a happy man. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself to breathe. When they snapped back open, his eyes found hers, but she looked away.
He smiled, undeterred, and moved across the foyer to the edge of the stairs.
Standing two steps above him, Emily stared down to him, his eyes alone swallowing her whole. They were vivid, mesmerizing, and surrounded by thick dark lashes.