Page 48 of Sweet Passions at Bayside
“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 doingseriousyoga 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 friendsjustbecause I always screwed up our friendships. I stopped datinganyonebecause 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 enteredhe’s mineterritory.
“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’tfrickery,” 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.”
