An hour and a long, hot shower later, Gavin and Emily stepped from the hotel into the afternoon warmth. As they waited for the valet to bring his car around, Emily sent Gavin a wide smile that made his heart ache. Her eyes glowed with happiness, and it did things to him he never imagined.
He moved behind her and draped his strong arms around her stomach. “Thank you,” he whispered against the back of her neck, reaching for her hand. He brought it to his mouth and kissed it.
Emily craned her head toward him, pushed up on her tiptoes, and brushed her lips along his jaw. “No. Thank you.”
Gavin smiled and leaned over to kiss her. They both sank into the drugging feeling until the valet pulled up with the car.
The driver stepped out and approached Gavin. “Muy bonito carro.”
Reaching for Emily’s luggage, Gavin looked at her and back to the driver. A reverent smile broke out across his face. “Muchas gracias. Además de esta hermosa mujer que tengo a mi lado, los carros son mi segunda pasión.”
The man glanced in Emily’s direction, nodding enthusiastically. “Claro que si, los dos son muy hermosos.”
Emily looked at Gavin. “What are you two talking about?”
“Cars and you. My two favorite things.” Gavin shot her a wink as he placed her luggage in the trunk. Emily shook her head and smiled. Walking over to the driver, Gavin dug in his pocket, fished out his wallet, and handed him a tip. “Gracias de nuevo.” The driver nodded his thanks and went to give Gavin the keys, but Emily plucked them from his hand.
She looked at Gavin and shot him a wink back. “So I assume you won’t mind if one of your favorite things drives your other favorite thing?”
Gavin’s lips slid into a grin. “It’s a stick, doll.”
With a little cock of her head, Emily’s mouth dropped open. “You just assume I don’t know how to drive a stick?”
Gavin wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered into her ear, “Well, I know you’ve mastered driving a certain type of stick.” One eyebrow crept up on Emily’s face, and Gavin chuckled. He cupped her cheek and kissed the top of her head. “But yes, I naturally assumed you didn’t know how to drive the other.”
“Well,” Emily purred, slinking her arms over his shoulders, “one of your favorite things knows how to drive stick, and she knows how to drive it very well.” She brought his lips down to hers. “I also like to drive fast.”
“That’s pretty fucking hot.” He grazed his lips against her ear. “You can drive every stick I own whenever you want.”
Excitement bubbled in Emily’s stomach as she turned on her heel and headed for the driver’s side. Opening the door, she slipped in and adjusted her seatbelt. When Gavin sank into his seat, Emily looked over at him, a smirk on her face. “Now it’s my turn to tell you to get your seatbelt on.”
“A dominant woman. I love it.” Gavin reached for the seatbelt. “Just don’t get us killed.”
Emily playfully smacked his arm. Keys in hand, she frowned when she couldn’t find the ignition. “How do I start it?”
Gavin couldn’t hold back his smile. “Miss Indie 500, the car’s already on, and it’s a push button.”
Emily rolled her eyes, stepped on the clutch, and eased out of the parking lot. “Don’t make fun of me, wiseass.”
Her cute, sassy words made Gavin chuckle.
“This Indie 500 woman’s not used to driving expensive cars like this. The ones I’ve owned usually yell at me when I start them up.”
Gavin mocked shock, his blue eyes wide. “They literally yell at you? Bastards.”
Glancing in the rearview mirror, Emily smiled and nodded. “Actually, they curse me out.” Gavin barked out a laugh, and Emily stopped before turning onto the highway. She looked at him. “How did you get the window fixed so quickly?”
“Money has its advantages, sweets.” He grinned, curling his fingers around the nape of her neck. “Now turn your landlord on and show him what you got, speed demon.”
Emily smiled like the Cheshire cat and pulled onto the highway.
Gavin watched soberly as her shapely legs, belonging to him, moved under her silk sundress each time she pressed down on the clutch. Her delicate fingers curled around the shift as she glided through the gears. Her auburn hair falling in loose curls had him shifting in his seat. Fuck. He was getting turned on. Heat sliced through his stomach. But hell if she wasn’t driving like his grandmother.
He cleared his throat and hit a few buttons on the touchscreen panel to turn on the satellite radio. “You can drive a little faster.”
Emily sent him a questioning stare. “I’m doing the speed limit.”
“I thought you liked to drive fast?” Gavin lifted a confused brow.
“I said that so you’d let me drive, considering how fast you drove yesterday.” She shrugged. “I never speed.”