Exquisite

by Elizabeth Hayley

  He continued to lavish his attention on her, stimulating her sensitive nub with his tongue as his finger found its way inside of her.

  “Oh, my God.”

  “Like that?” he asked.

  “Don’t ask stupid questions right now,” she replied between panting breaths.

  He chuckled before returning to the task before him. There were so many things he found arousing about Siobhan, but there was a special eroticism to tasting her like this, feeling her coming undone on his tongue. His cock was hard and heavy, but he didn’t dare take his hands off of Siobhan to touch himself. He could wait.

  “Derick. I’m going to come.” Her fingers tightened in his hair, and she bent forward slightly as if her body were bracing for the orgasm that was about to overpower it. Seconds later, she groaned loudly as her entire body convulsed. Her clit throbbed under his tongue as her walls constricted around his fingers.

  Derick kept up his assault until he felt the last of her release work its way through her body. Then he quickly stood, hoisting her up on the way, and carried her to the bed. He kneeled on the bed, lowering them both down together. Unable to waste a single additional second, he pushed into her with one hard thrust.

  Her fingernails scored down his back as he rocked into her. The slickness between her thighs made his movements in and out of her smoother, allowed him to go deeper.

  Need burned through him. The entire evening was all too much: He’d been able to surprise her, and she’d easily accepted his gift. And God, did she look amazing. Derick couldn’t quell the feelings inside him; there was no slowing down and making it last. And as he felt his skin begin to tingle, he pumped faster, chasing the wave of pleasure that was so intense he worried he’d drown in the feeling.

  Seconds later he was coming. And his physical release was emotional as well. He let go of every doubt and worry and regret. Uncoiled, he basked in the glow of knowing he was exactly where he was supposed to be with exactly who he was meant to be there with.

  He continued to push softly into her, his cock still hard inside of her. He reached down to stroke her clit, bringing her to orgasm again. And as he watched her fall apart beneath him, he knew that Italy would mark a new beginning for them both.

  Chapter 33

  I seriously cannot believe we’re here,” Siobhan said as she placed a hand on her chest. “I’m standing in front of The Birth of Venus right now.” She turned to look at Derick. “Botticelli painted that,” she continued as she motioned to the painting. “And I’m standing here looking at it.”

  Derick smiled. She’d had a similar reaction to almost every painting she’d seen since they’d entered the Uffizi Gallery in central Florence.

  They’d elected to stay in and order dinner to their room when they’d arrived the previous day, but Siobhan had been adamant about getting up early to see the sights. So after having a nice breakfast on the terrace of their private Garden Suite at the Four Seasons in Florence, they’d called for a car and been on their way.

  Derick loved watching her take in all of the famous art around her. She approached each piece with a reverence that made him wish he knew more about the art on the walls. Other than the famous names—Rembrandt, Da Vinci, Michelangelo—Derick really didn’t know what he was looking at.

  So he settled for looking at Siobhan instead.

  She wandered around the gallery for over three hours, looking at some things multiple times as if she were trying to commit every detail to memory.

  It allowed Derick to commit every detail about her to memory. The way her breath quickened when she was excited. The way her eyes lit up when she noticed something new. How she’d fiddle with the ends of her hair as she examined the canvases as if each brushstroke had a story to tell.

  They exited the museum hand in hand and started toward the building adjacent to the Uffizi Gallery, the Loggia dei Lanzi. They walked under the large arches that opened onto the street and began surveying the sculptures inside. Derick knew even less about what he was seeing there than he had at the museum, but he could tell that most of the sculptures depicted heroes and gods from Roman mythology.

  Once they’d seen everything there was to see, they made their way across the square, past the replica of Michelangelo’s David, and into a café for a late lunch. After they’d ordered, Siobhan settled back into her chair. “There’s so much to see. It’s almost overwhelming.”

  “Hey, this is a fun, no-stress trip,” he teased. “We have five more days in Florence. And we can always come back if there’s stuff we miss.”

  Her gaze, which had been taking in the square outside the café, flew to his. Then her mouth broke into a wide smile. “Yeah. I guess we can.”

  Chapter 34

  Three days into their trip, Siobhan and Derick strolled hand in hand through the Piazza della Repubblica. Despite the early hour, the square was filled with people. Some were shopping at the stores, others were eating at the surrounding restaurants.

  Siobhan stopped to watch some street performers, two mimes who had drawn a small crowd of onlookers. “I’ve never seen a mime before,” she said, in awe of how he could silently express real emotion. His eyes spoke in a way that Siobhan couldn’t manage with words. It was an entirely different form of art than what she was familiar with.

  “I don’t think I have, either,” Derick said. “At least not that I remember.”

  The mimes finished their performance, and Derick tossed some money into the bucket on the ground before they turned away.

  “The only thing that bothers me is that mimes always seem so sad,” Siobhan said, turning to look up at Derick as they walked across the square.

  “I don’t think they’re always sad.” He laughed a bit before speaking again. “Just…most of the time.”

  Siobhan laughed, too, and swung Derick’s hand as she held it. It made her feel lighter, more carefree than she had a moment ago watching the performance. “I know what we should do,” she said suddenly.

  “What?”

  Siobhan pointed across the square, and Derick’s happy expression transformed into one of clear hesitation when he saw the carousel. “No way. I’m a grown man. I can’t go on a merry-go-round.”

  “There are adults on there.”

  “They have their children with them. I have you,” he said with a laugh.

  She let go of his hand and shoved him playfully. “Come on. It’ll be fun. I haven’t been on one since I was a kid.”

  “There’s a reason for that.” Derick rolled his eyes and kept his feet firmly planted on the ground, but Siobhan knew that wouldn’t last long.

  “Well, I’m going on,” she said simply. She started heading toward the ride again when she heard his voice behind her.

  “You can’t go on by yourself,” Derick called. “That’ll look even stranger.”

  They approached the antique carousel, which they quickly learned was from the early 1900s and belonged to a family with the last name Picci. “See?” Siobhan said. “It’s not just a ride. It’s a piece of history.”

  “Whatever you say,” Derick replied as they stepped onto the carousel and chose horses next to each other.

  Siobhan was in awe. She’d never seen a carousel this beautiful. The ceiling had paintings of cherubs, and the horses all had intricate designs full of vibrant colors. Reds, lime greens, and lavenders were painted on Siobhan’s horse. And next to her, sitting atop a blue and white one, was her knight in shining armor.

  Even Derick smiled as the ride began. It was oddly satisfying to do something most people only do as children. The experience made her heart light in a way she hadn’t felt in years.

  As the ride began to speed up, the two looked ahead, watching the same scenery pass by again and again as they went around. Finally their eyes locked on each other, unable to focus on anything else. Because, despite the cool morning breeze, there was a warmth between them. Siobhan was happy. Being here with Derick in such a romantic city had intensified the love she’d alread
y had for him, made her more conscious of how good they were together.

  “Maybe you were right,” Derick said.

  “I’m always right,” Siobhan replied with a smirk. “About what this time?”

  “It’s kind of fun,” he said. “Going around and around with you.”

  She laughed softly, remembering how far they’d come since she’d moved back to New York. “You know, not too long ago you said you were done riding the merry-go-round with me.”

  The ride slowed down, and Derick reached his hand out so Siobhan could put her palm in his. He shrugged. “Guess I just realized I’d do anything as long as it’s with you.”

  Chapter 35

  The trip had flown by. Before Siobhan knew it, their last day in Florence arrived. She stood in front of the open doors of their suite looking out over the gardens that separated them from the larger portion of the hotel. She was supposed to be getting ready—for what she had no idea—but she couldn’t help staring at the trees and beautiful landscape that surrounded them.

  Strong arms wrapped around her from behind, and she nestled back into them. “Let’s move here,” she said.

  “Okay,” Derick replied simply.

  She laughed softly. “I’m kidding. If I find out you bought this place, I’m going to be seriously irritated.”

  He pressed a kiss into her hair. “No buying the Four Seasons. Got it.”

  They stood there together for a while, enjoying the simplicity of being together.

  Finally, Derick spoke. “You need to get dressed.” And with a soft pat on her ass, he moved away from her.

  When she turned, she realized he was dressed in an expensive-looking blue suit she’d never seen before. “Where did you get that?”

  “I bought it,” he replied as he adjusted the cuff links on one wrist. “Do you like it?”

  “Of course I like it. You look amazing.” And he really did. The suit fit him in all the right ways, accentuating his broad shoulders and trim waist. “But if this place has a dress code that fancy, I’m going to be severely underdressed.” Blaine had done a good job packing a bag for Siobhan, but unfortunately she hadn’t thrown a ball gown into it.

  “Did you look in the closet like I told you to?”

  “Why would I? I know what’s in there.”

  Derick rolled his eyes. “Obviously not.” He walked over to the closet, opened the door and pulled out a garment bag. He made his way back over to her and handed it over.

  “What’s this?”

  “Open it and find out.” He grinned at her.

  The smug bastard. Siobhan walked over to the bed and laid the bag on it so she could unzip it. Inside she found an elegant, strapless, burgundy dress in exactly her size. Her eyes snapped up to his.

  “There should be matching shoes in there, too,” he said as he examined himself in the mirror. “I’ll leave you to it.” Derick strode out of the room, leaving Siobhan to wonder if she wanted to kiss him or kill him.

  She dressed quickly, savoring the way the soft satin draped around her. She took her time applying her makeup, wanting to look her best for the man she loved. Even if he did drive her crazy 90 percent of the time. She swept her hair to the side in a loose bun.

  Once she was done, she went out to join him in the living room. He lifted his head when she approached and his eyes widened. “Wow.”

  Siobhan couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her lips as she looked down at herself. “Guess that means you like it.”

  “Hell yeah I like it. Wow.”

  “You said that already.”

  “Leave me alone. I’m fantasizing.”

  “About?” she asked.

  “Like I’m going to tell you,” he scoffed.

  “Well, that’d be pretty much par for the course since you haven’t told me anything about tonight.”

  He slid his arms around her waist. “Hey, I let you pick what we did for the past five days. The least you can do is give me our last night to do what I want to do.”

  She rolled her eyes at him. “But I at least told you what we were doing.”

  He winked at her. “A guy’s gotta have some secrets.”

  Siobhan laughed drily. “I’m pretty sure secrets are our worst enemies.”

  Tilting his head slightly, Derick seemed to contemplate that for a second. He said in a low voice, “I hope this one’s different.” Then he pulled away and grabbed a box from the coffee table. “Now for the pièce de résistance.” He turned the box toward her before opening it.

  Siobhan gasped as her hand flew to her chest. Inside was the most beautiful diamond necklace she’d ever seen. The diamonds were arranged to resemble flowers. The flowers were small at the clasp, but more and more were layered as they wound around to the front of the necklace. Once the diamonds reached where Siobhan imagined her collarbone would be, there were diamond pendants that hung down from the rows of flowers. Speechless, she looked up at Derick.

  Allowing her a moment to inspect the necklace, he then removed it from the box, stepped behind her, and clasped it around her neck. He pressed a delicate kiss to her exposed nape.

  Her fingers slid up and gently touched the jewels around her neck. “Derick, I—”

  “I know you think it’s a lot,” he interrupted, his voice low and gravelly. “But for me, it’s not even close to being enough. I wanted to get you something that would remind you of this trip, and I thought the flowers looked like the ones in the garden outside.”

  She turned toward him. “Derick, I’ll never forget this trip. With or without a necklace. It’s been perfect. You’ve been perfect. I can’t possibly show you how much I appreciate all of this.”

  “Sure you can,” he said through a smile. “You can accept the necklace.”

  She knew that, in some ways, by accepting the necklace she was accepting Derick. As himself. With no compromises. She took a deep breath and dropped her hand from where it had been touching the diamonds around her neck. “How do I look?”

  He pressed his forehead to hers. “Exquisite.”

  Chapter 36

  The car took them into the Piazza della Signoria, which Siobhan was fairly certain wasn’t allowed since she hadn’t seen a single other car in the square during any of their visits there. But Derick didn’t seem concerned so she decided she wouldn’t be, either.

  They pulled up outside of the Palazzo Vecchio, a palace built in the thirteenth century. The driver opened the car door and Derick helped her out.

  “What are we doing here?” Siobhan asked.

  “You’ll see,” Derick said as he led her inside the palace. When they reached the stairs that would take them to the Arnolfo Tower, Derick stopped. “You want to take those off?” he asked, gesturing toward her shoes.

  “No, I think I’ll be okay.”

  He eyed her skeptically.

  “What does that look mean? I’ve gotten much better at walking in heels recently.”

  He rubbed a hand over his short beard. “Okay. I’ll walk behind you then. Go slow and please don’t fall.”

  “Gee, thanks for that vote of confidence,” she muttered as she slid past him and began her ascent up the stairs. Siobhan would never say it out loud, but by the time she’d reached the top, she’d wished she’d taken off her shoes.

  Yet she didn’t have long to focus on her aching feet, because in front of her stood a table for two surrounded by a circle of candles. The view from the tower was amazing, and the soft light that still emanated from the setting sun allowed her to see across the lit-up city of Florence to the mountains in the distance. Siobhan felt like a princess in that moment, high above a city she’d come to adore, gazing down at it with the man of her dreams. She whirled around toward Derick, to find him directly behind her.

  Down on one knee.

  Her body went still as her heart fluttered uncontrollably in her chest. He isn’t doing what I think he’s doing. Is he?

  He held out a hand to her, and she instinctively took it. Derick
gazed up at her, his expression serious but warm. “I’ve spent most of our time here trying to think of what I could say to convince you to spend the rest of your life with me, but I kept coming up empty. Because at the heart of it is the fact that I don’t deserve you. No one does. You’re beautiful, and brilliant, and dedicated, and talented. And I’m a guy who has a habit of doing and saying the wrong things.”

  Siobhan wanted to interrupt him—tell him he was crazy if he really thought that. But she knew that she’d ruined enough moments for him to last a lifetime. She wouldn’t ruin any more.

  He removed a small box from his pocket with the hand not grasping hers. “So I figured my only chance was to bring you to the top of the highest place I could find, and make one more wish. I don’t have a penny this time, though. I’m hoping that promising my heart is enough. I have one more diamond for you tonight. And my wish is that you’ll agree to wear this one, too.”

  He flipped open the box, removed the ring, and held the beautiful square-cut diamond up to the hand he was holding.

  “Siobhan Dempsey, I love you with everything that I am. Will you please let me be your husband?”

  Derick looked up at her, waiting for her answer, and Siobhan wasn’t even sure he was breathing. She felt her hand shaking in his grasp, but the ring remained steady.

  She never would have imagined all those months ago that she’d fall into the arms of the one man she’d end up not being able to live without. It seemed perfect that all of the chaos and fighting that had prevented them from getting their relationship off the ground had led them to this: a serene and peaceful night on top of a tower.

  And in that perfect moment came a simple word that floated in the breeze and wound itself around them both—intertwining them forever.

  “Yes.”

  About the Authors

  Elizabeth Hayley is actually “Elizabeth” and “Hayley,” two friends who love reading romance novels to obsessive levels. This mutual love prompted them to put their English degrees to good use by penning their own romances.