[BookStrand Contemporary Romance]
Emma Chauncey finds her fiancé naked with one of her bridesmaids on top of him three days before her wedding. Burned by the experience, she takes a friend on her honeymoon. They travel to an Italian villa where Emma plans to nurse her broken heart.
Wealthy, titled, and handsome women’s shoe designer Dario de Luca is also at the villa. In disguise as a dance instructor, he’s determined to find a woman to love him for himself, not his wealth and title. Sparks fly between Emma and Dario, until she learns his true identity. Hurt that another man has lied to her, and distrusting her own judgment, she flees. Dario follows her to New York. But Emma’s former fiancé is back with an agenda of his own. Can Dario convince Emma he’s the man for her even though he lied about his identity? Can he convince her she deserves true love?
Note: This book contains adult language.
A BookStrand Mainstream Romance
4 TEA CUPS: "Solo Honeymoon by Jillian Chantel is a romantic, enchanting story about these two sweet adorable characters Emma and Dario. Emma is an interesting woman with some interesting challenges in her life. She does right for going on her honeymoon to get away from her ex-fiancé. Wow, how dare he after he is cheating on his fiancé to be able to think that she could take him back for that “Oops, sorry I was not doing anything wrong”, like that is supposed to justify his actions. I applaud Emma her going to her honeymoon and making the best of her new life and not thinking about the idiot. Sure she believes that she has to move on but does not suspect that some arrogant handsome man can sweep her off her feet and make her feel like a new woman with so much passion from love making. There is something about this man Dario that taunts Emma and makes her want more but she just doesn't realize it just yet. Dario comes off as an arrogant, cocky man that makes you just want to slap him and tell him who the hell does he thinks he is to make certain remarks to Emma who is going through a desperate time in her life. After reading more into the story you find out that Dario can be charming, passionate, adorable, heroic, but he has his own problems in life that he needs to sort out before he can think about forming a new relationship with Emma. Both Emma and Dario need to deal with their life situations before commencing a new relationship and seeing if this will even work. Dario has some secrets that he needs to reveal before it is too late and is left in the dark so to speak, will it be too late? Emma also needs to realize that her ex-fiancé will not take no for an answer, she has something else coming because he is a crazy lunatic. Read this wonderful book by Jillian Chantel and find out how these two fascinating characters in the book, Emma and Dario, find out if they are truly meant to be together after they realize that they truly love each other and it is not just another “fling” of a Solo Honeymoon." -- Monica, Happily Ever After Reviews
Dario came around to the side of the table where she stood. “I’ve taken the liberty of having dinner served to us here in the conservatory. Please be seated, and the chicken sorrentino will be served.” He pulled out her chair, and she sat.
“What’s in chicken sorrentino? I’ve never had it.”
“Its chicken, eggplant, two kinds of wine, and mushrooms.”
“It sounds divine,” she said. “Why the limes?”
“I had the chef pour some marsala in a pitcher, and I like to add lime juice to it as a aperitivo. Would you like to try it?”
“Sure.”
He took a knife from the table and cut the limes open. As he squeezed the limes and smiled at her, she felt her insides melt at the intensity of his stare. His dark brown eyes were bottomless, and she knew she could lose herself in them and never want to come up for air. His hands were strong and capable as they pulverized the limes, and she blushed to think what those hands could do to her body.
“How do you say it…‘a penny for your thoughts,’ Emma?” he asked.
“I have no thoughts.”
He laughed. “So, you’re just sitting there watching me and your mind is blank?”
“Of course not. It’s just that I’m really just relaxing and have no specific thoughts.”
“Sure, cara, sure.” He smiled again at her.
Thankfully, the young man that had brought Emma the note earlier brought in the plates of food at that very moment, and she was spared having to come up with a plausible story of what she had been thinking.
Wonder what he would say if I told him I was thinking of those big strong hands squeezing my…
“Emma, are you all right?” Dario asked, interrupting her thoughts.
“Fine. Fine,” she replied as she picked up her fork and took a bite of the chicken.
The food was delicious, and Dario seemed to be on a charm offensive with her as he told her stories of his childhood days with Vincente and their adventures at the estate when they were on holiday from school.
Once the plates had been cleared, Dario stood. “I’ve brought in an old Victrola and would love for you to dance with me. We didn’t get a chance at the town party, and as dancing is my passion, I’d like to share it with you. Will you?” He stood and took off his dinner jacket. The white dress shirt he had on clung to his body. He held his hand out to her, and she rose from her chair and took his hand in her own.
They walked over to the Victrola, and Dario picked out a Viennese waltz by Strauss and put it on the turntable to play. As the scratchy sounds came from the machine, he held out his arms to Emma, and she moved into his dance space, and they began the first steps of the waltz. As soon as Dario touched her back, he stopped short. He spun her around to face away from him.
“Nice dress, Emma. I’m glad your seamstress ran out of fabric and couldn’t finish the back.”
“Very funny, Signore Conti.” She shuddered at his touch.
“Come here, woman,” he said in a low voice as he pulled her to him again.
They danced until the song ended. After the song ended, they stared into each others eyes and kept dancing as Dario hummed until the candles sputtered and went out. At some point, Dario’s hand on her back changed from the waltz position to a caress. She pulled herself closer to him as his hand ran up and down her back and eventually inside the fabric of the dress around to the side of her breast. As soon as his fingers touched her breast, she stopped moving. He stopped as well and, as his thumb inside her dress thrummed her nipple, he bent and kissed her. She groaned, and he said, “Will you go alone again to your bed tonight, bella mia?”
“No. I don’t think so, but I don’t think I can move right now to go anywhere.”
“No matter, bella, I’m not sure I can either. My passione is inflamed for you.”
“I know.”
He smiled. “You noticed?”
“Of course.”
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