Chapter Fifteen
When Dana slid into the small sports car, she was still trying to get her breathing under control. She’d always thought a man in a white shirt was nice, but nice didn’t begin to describe David Cavallo wearing one.
He looked sexy as sin, and she had to force herself to look in front of her when he got into the car. She didn’t want to be slobbering over him even before they left. Then he closed the car door, and his scent wrapped around her, caressing her skin.
“I made a reservation at an Italian place in Camp’s Bay. It’s not far from my place in Fresnay. We could have a nightcap there afterward if you like,” he said as they drove away.
She gulped. A nightcap at David’s place. The immediate images those words conjured up were black satin sheets and entwined, sweating bodies.
And, oh, hell, he was still talking but she hadn’t been listening after “nightcap.”
“What you eat?”
“Sorry?” she asked. “I…” She swallowed quickly.
He took her hand in his. “I’m asking what you like to eat. I know you like Italian food—I’ve seen you enjoy my mom’s food, but what else?”
“Oh, I love food. I’m easy, I—I mean…” She stuttered when she realized how her words sounded.
David laughed and lifted her hand to kiss her fingers. “I know what you mean.” He smiled. “But I have to differ—you might be easy when it comes to food, but I had to use all my skills to get you into bed!”
“David!” She gasped. “Don’t say things like that!” She quickly turned her head to stare out the window, feeling the blush creeping up her neck.
“It’s true. I’ve been wanting to get you into bed ever since I first saw you in my mother’s restaurant, but you wouldn’t even look at me,” he teased.
“I looked—” she started indignantly.
“Yeah?” He smiled. “Not that I remember.”
“I…” she began then closed her mouth. She couldn’t tell him she couldn’t look at him—her poor heart was out of control just being near him.
“It’s true, you know.” This time the smile was gone. He glanced in his rearview mirror before turning onto the lovely road that would take them along the sea toward Camp’s Bay.
“What’s true?” Her brain was completely muddled by his nearness. She didn’t know what he was referring to. Her hormones had taken over her brain, and following their conversation was impossible.
He parked in front of the restaurant and looked at her, her hand still in his.
“That I wanted you the minute I saw you. I didn’t know it at the time, but when I kissed you at Zoe and Dale’s wedding, I…
” His voice dropped and he bent forward.
“Knew,” he whispered, just before his lips folded over hers.
Her head fell back against the soft leather of the headrest, her hands clutched the cool seat beneath her. David’s lips caressed and stroked until she completely forgot where they were. All that mattered was that he didn’t stop.
He lifted his head, his eyes smoldering, just like she’d thought they would earlier today. To her amazement, her fingers were in his hair. She didn’t remember putting her arms around his neck.
David inhaled slowly and opened his door. “I promised you food, so let’s go and eat.” He quickly got out of the car.
Dana had a few seconds to compose herself before he opened the door on her side of the car. The dress slid up her leg as he helped her out, and his eyes dropped to watch as she pulled the dress down.
Then she was standing next to him. He pulled her close and groaned in her ear. “You’re a knockout in this dress, but all I can think about is what you are wearing underneath.”
Flames ignited just below her skin and threatened to engulf her whole body.
“I’ll show you later,” she whispered and shuddered as his eyes darkened.
Groaning, he dropped another flaming kiss on her lips before he took her hand. On unsteady legs, she followed him. When did she change into a flirt? She couldn’t believe she’d blatantly invited him to look at her underwear. Well, the very little of it there was…
Another car parked just as they entered the restaurant. A Mercedes like the one Caitlin was driving. Like the one…
David put an arm around her and ushered her into the restaurant. His hand landed on her naked back, and she forgot everything else around her. The heat from his hand had her heart jumping up and down. How was she going to survive this dinner? Her mouth was dry as dust. She couldn’t eat a thing.
They were shown to a table out on the big porch overlooking the sea. Although it was eight o’clock at night, this time of year the sun was still low on the horizon so they would be able to enjoy the usual spectacular sight of the sun setting over the Atlantic Ocean.
David talked to the waiter and pulled his chair close to hers. When his hand landed on her leg, the last oxygen left her body.
“David,” she whispered.
“Are you cold?” he asked in a low voice.
She shook her head. Cold? She didn’t think she’d ever be cold again. It would be a miracle if she didn’t burst into flames any minute.
His fingers caressed her leg for another minute while his eyes kept hers prisoner. Then he took his hand away and grabbed one of the menus.
“Let’s…” He cleared his throat. “Let’s order food. I’ve asked for a bottle of champagne; it should be here any minute. What would you like? Pasta? Veal? Steak?” He handed her the other menu.
Her fingers touched his as she took the big menu from him, and the heat from his fingers nearly scorched her.
She clutched the menu in both hands. Because that was the only way she could think of to keep her hands to herself.
What she wanted to do was not something that could be done in a public restaurant.
She tried to focus on the menu, but the letters kept jumping up and down. Fed up with herself and her raging hormones, she handed the menu to him.
“You can order for me. Anything.” Realizing how desperate she sounded, she turned her head to stare over the sea.
The waiter brought the bottle of champagne and David talked to him while he poured the bubbly into their glasses. She was behaving like a sex-starved spinster. Why couldn’t she calm down? What was wrong with her?
*
David tried to focus on giving the order to the smiling waiter.
The guy’s eyes kept darting in Dana’s direction, and David had the primitive urge to put his fist in the man’s face.
He curtly gave the order and waited for the guy to leave.
And felt immediately contrite. The poor man was just doing what came naturally.
He turned to look at Dana. She was resting her chin on her hands, looking out over the ocean. For minutes, he stared at her while images from the other day started swirling around in his head again, trying to tell him something.
She looked at him and smiled. His heart tripped before it began beating at a frantic pace. The overwhelming need to have this woman was staggering. He’d never wanted anyone with this kind of urgency before.
As if reading his mind, her smile trembled and her lips opened slightly. His hand landed on her leg under the tablecloth again, and he moved even closer to her. His fingers caressed her inner leg, and her breathing became labored.
“David,” she whispered and licked her lips.
His hand slipped under her dress, and for a minute hovered over her heated core.
Her pupils dilated, and he swore softly.
Removing his hand from under the table, he pulled her head closer and branded her lips with a kiss.
“I want you. So badly.” He growled. “But I promised you dinner.” His breathing was shallow. He lifted his champagne glass, waited for her to do the same.
“To a beautiful night.” Without taking his eyes off of her, he took a sip.
“It is a beautiful night,” she agreed and looked out over the sea again. “Look, the sun is just setting,” she whispered and touched his arm.
The last rays of the sun caressed her face, leaving her glowing for a minute. His heart stumbled and he swallowed. His body felt too small to accommodate the powerful emotions swirling inside of him.
“Beautiful,” he whispered, but his eyes hadn’t left her face.
*
How she’d managed to eat one morsel of food would always be a mystery to Dana. By the time they’d reached David’s house, she’d virtually stopped breathing. All she could hear was the roaring of her heated blood in her ears.
David had put her hand on his leg and kept it there throughout the drive to his house. He’d said it was a short drive, but she was burning up. Where the hell was his house?
Finally, the road cleared in front of them, and he stepped on the gas. His sports car shot forward.
“How much farther?” she asked and knew she sounded like a petulant child.
David barked out a laugh. “Too damn far. I can’t wait to get my hands on you, all over you, under you, in you!”
“David…” She gulped, feeling feverish and not sure how to convey it. Her hand slid up his leg.
“I want to get you there in one piece.” He grunted, but gave her hand a squeeze before putting both hands back on the wheel.
By this time, her heart was beating so loudly, he had to be aware of it too. Desire like she’d never known before raged through her, and she held on to the seat with both hands.
*
David opened the car door for Dana and looked his fill at her long legs as he helped her out. And then she was in his arms, their mouths fused together. The earth beneath his feet rocked, the blood roared through his veins, and a basic, primitive instinct took control.
Without taking his mouth from hers, he backed her up against the car, his only thought to become part of her as quickly as possible.
His fingers became entangled in her hair, and he dragged her head back, moving his mouth feverishly over her face, down her soft chin until he could bury his face in her throat.
He slid his hands down her sides, her shudder echoed through him, and his fingers found the hem of the short dress that had been taunting him all night.
With one movement of his arms, he shoved the material up over her hips so he could touch her.
She whimpered and moved her body against his, showing him what she wanted. He ran his fingers over her flat belly, slipped them beneath satin to find her hot and wet for him.
His knees buckled, and he leaned forward into her. When her legs opened, he stepped closer, pulled her body flush with his. She raked her fingers over his upper body and pulled at his shirt.
She groaned in frustration, lifted her head, and plucked at the buttons.
He tried to laugh but she sent him a searing glance, and the next minute buttons popped and flew to the ground.
That was all he needed to send him completely over the edge. Their mouths met again—hot, wet—and her tongue met his thrust for thrust. He struggled to find her heat again with his fingers, this time not succeeding in getting past the satin and lace barrier.
Grunting, he lifted his head and with one movement ripped the barrier that kept him from her. Her eyes widened, and she stilled for a millisecond.
He waited, waited.
With a determined thrust of her chin, her hand moved to his belt.
“Help me,” she commanded.
“With pleasure.” He grinned and quickly loosened his belt.
Without taking her eyes off of his, she shoved his pants down and lifted her legs around his body.
He was so ready for her, had been ever since he saw her coming down the stairs and had been this way all through dinner. Moving forward, he held her against the car and with one push he found his way home.
Her heat surrounded him like a glove. He caught her sob in his mouth and that was when he knew she was the one. This woman here in his arms was the one who had somehow managed to touch him so deeply that he would never be the same. She’d touched his very core. He loved her. It was that simple.
*
Dana couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. She could only feel—David’s warm, caressing hands on her skin, his breath on her face, his body throbbing deep within her. If she lived to be a hundred, she’d never forget this exact moment.
He lifted his head, his eyes liquid chocolate.
Amazed, her heart lifted, hovered uncertainly in the space between seconds before balance was attained and equilibrium found with a soundless click.
And she knew. She loved. Loved with everything she had, loved deeply, irrevocably, forever. David Cavallo had captured her heart, her soul, her very being. And even though this would never last, she’d always have this exquisite moment in time.
He began to move and she pulled him closer to her. Was it even possible for one’s senses to accommodate so much emotion?
Tears threatened to spill over, and she buried her face in his neck, breathing in his scent. He increased his pace, and she willingly let herself be whirled away with him to a place far beyond the stars where time and place and logic didn’t exist.
*
Deep in the night, huddled against David’s warm body, a memory nudged at her. She tried to make sense of what she was remembering, but then David pulled her closer, and she forgot everything else.