by SJ McCoy
Her heart leapt into her mouth. So, he was stepping it up a notch, was he? She held his gaze for a long moment.
“Yet, still, I’m not sure that you want to come with me.”
She pursed her lips; she knew what he meant, but she wasn’t going to answer—not least because she still wasn’t sure what her answer was. Of course, she’d love to come with him. What woman in her right mind wouldn’t? But she was still wary. She didn’t get involved with guys like him—not even for the sort of brief encounter he had in mind.
He was still holding her gaze, waiting for her to speak.
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
He smiled. “But that still doesn’t answer my question.”
She laughed. “It’s probably a bad idea.”
“Why?”
“Because of Audrey and Ted. I think they’re going to be seeing a lot more of each other. Which means that we probably will, too.”
He chuckled. “That’s my point.”
Shivers chased each other down her spine as his leg brushed against hers.
“I’d like to see a lot more of you.”
She let out an exasperated laugh. “Let it go, Diego, would you? You win. Yes, you’re an attractive man. Yes, I’m attracted to you. But no, I don’t think we should sleep together because our best friends just got together. I think they might be onto something—something special—and they’re going to need our support.”
“I agree that we must support our friends. But why would us sleeping together interfere with that?”
She pursed her lips. “Because …” She had to ask herself the same question before she could answer. Then it hit her, and she understood. “Because between you and me, it would be a one and done.”
“You don’t know that.”
She laughed. “I’d put money on it.”
He gave her a mock hurt look. “You’d have to try me before you decide that you don’t want more.”
She had to laugh. He was so damned arrogant. “Well, I can tell you that you would want more.”
That was a mistake. She’d risen to the bait, and now he was smiling, letting his leg brush against hers. “I believe you.”
She put her hand on his arm. “Can we drop this? It’s not going to happen, okay?”
He lifted a shoulder and held her gaze for a long moment. “If you say so.”
The pilot’s voice came over the speakers. “We’ve reached cruising altitude, and ATC tell me we’re in for a smooth ride. You can unbuckle now. I’ll let you know when you need to strap back in.”
Diego unfastened his seat belt and got to his feet. “Can I get you a drink?”
“Please.”
~ ~ ~
When the plane touched down on the runway in Ventura, Diego looked out of the window. He knew that this could be goodbye, and he didn’t want it to be. It wasn’t just that Izzy was such an attractive woman; he could go home and call several of those—any one of whom would be happy to come over and spend a Sunday afternoon and night with him. There was something more to Izzy. She was a challenge, yes, but there was more even than that. She made out she was a tough cookie, but there was a softness, too. He remembered the pain in her eyes last night when she’d spoken of how she hadn’t been able to have children.
Karl’s voice came over the speaker. “I’ll have you to the FBO building in just a few minutes. The car is waiting outside.”
Izzy raised an eyebrow at Diego. “The car?”
“I asked Karl to arrange one. You don’t think I’d just drop you here and leave you to fend for yourself, do you?”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
“It’s my pleasure.” He winked at her. “I could ride with you to make sure that you get home okay.”
She held his gaze for a long moment. When he was almost sure that she was about to refuse, she laughed.
“Okay, then. Why not? You got me home hours earlier than I expected to be here. I have no plans for the afternoon. Why don’t you come with me?”
He gave her a questioning look. Was she using the same wordplay that he had earlier?
She gave him a sassy smile, and his heart started to race. He could think of nothing he would rather do with his afternoon than spend it in bed with her. They’d teased each other last night and this morning—that was a protracted courtship as far as he was concerned.
He pressed the button on the arm of his chair and spoke to Karl. “You might want to refuel and then go get yourself some lunch. Maybe go to see the beach.” He smiled at Izzy. “I’m going to be a while.”
~ ~ ~
Butterflies swirled in Izzy’s stomach when he said that. What had she done? She’d almost managed to survive this infuriatingly sexy man without succumbing to his charms. All she’d needed to do was thank him for arranging a car for her and then go. Why hadn’t she?
As he held her gaze and told the pilot that he was going to be a while, it couldn’t be clearer why she hadn’t. No matter how big or macho or full-on he might be, he was irresistible. He might be the kind of guy that she didn’t go for, but she couldn’t deny that he was worth making an exception for. All the muscles in her stomach and lower tightened when he reached over and unfastened her seat belt for her as the plane came to a halt.
She was surprised to find her hand shaking when she put the key in the lock in her front door. She wanted to believe that she was shaking with excitement, not nerves.
Diego’s hand came down on her shoulder, and a rush of heat spread through her. “Do I make you nervous?”
When she turned and looked up into his eyes, she almost told him that what he made her was horny. But she thought better of it. An ego like his didn’t need that kind of boost. Instead, she pushed the door open and gestured for him to go in ahead of her.
He waited just inside the door, and when she closed it again, he stepped toward her.
It wasn’t as though she was some shy retiring little thing who’d never brought a guy home and started tearing his clothes off in the hallway before, but when she had, she’d been the one calling the shots. Diego was different.
She stepped away from him and hurried to the kitchen. “Would you like a drink?”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Wine, beer, water, something stronger?” Right now, she could use a shot of the strong stuff herself, though why he was having this effect on her, she just didn’t know.
He took a seat at the island. “I’ll take a water.”
She filled two glasses of iced water and set one down in front of him. As she brought hers to her lips to take a drink, the ice cubes tinkled against the glass, giving away just how nervous she was.
Diego took a drink and then set his glass down. He got to his feet, and for the first time, she realized just how much he towered over her. “Do I make you uncomfortable?”
She shook her head.
“What’s going on then, Miss Isobel?”
She looked up into his big brown eyes, asking herself the same thing. What was going on? She was no stranger to bringing guys home. She didn’t see anything wrong with it. It was no big deal in her mind. So, why, with Diego, did it feel so … so much like a big deal? She finally admitted to herself.
“I don’t know.” She gave him a wry smile. “I’m surprised at myself.”
He put his hands on her shoulders and then ran them down her arms until they cupped her elbows. He drew her toward him, and she went willingly.
She looked up into his eyes. Over the course of last night and this morning, she’d seen them gleam with mischief, tease her with temptation, and twinkle with amusement. Now, she was shocked to see them filled with—tenderness? That couldn’t be right. Concern maybe?
He cocked his head to one side. “I’d like to get to know you, Miss Isobel.”
For a moment, it seemed as though he was talking about something more than physically. But no. He couldn’t mean that—and if he did, she couldn’t allow herself to go anywhere near it. She laughed. “You mean in th
e biblical sense?”
He shook his head and brought his mouth closer to hers. The feel of him so close made her forget everything. Her arms acted of their own accord and reached up around his neck. Her knees went weak as he pulled her against his chest. And her mind lost its grip on reality when his lips came down on hers.
Damn, the man could kiss! She felt dazed when he finally lifted his head and smiled down at her.
“Give me one good reason why we shouldn’t get to know each other better.” His smile was gentle and even sexier than before when he added, “And not just in the biblical sense. Perhaps Ted and Audrey aren’t the only ones who have found something special.”
Her heart pounded in her chest. Of all the things she’d expected him to say, that wasn’t one of them. She’d expected something charming, or sexy, some kind of line to persuade her into bed. Not that kind of talk. She stepped away from him hurriedly.
“One good reason?”
He nodded, looking wary now.
“Well, I should have been honest with you earlier. I’m seeing someone.”
His eyebrows knit together. She wouldn’t have expected him to be the kind of guy who cared about that sort of thing, but the look on his face told her that he did. “Who is he?”
She shrugged. “I know him from the gym.” She and Rafa weren’t exactly a couple, but they had been screwing each other for a couple of months.
“I see. And it’s serious?”
She laughed at the thought, but then stopped. She’d have to say it was some kind of serious if she was using Rafa as an excuse not to sleep with Diego. “Sort of.”
He held her gaze, and for some reason, she felt bad for lying to him.
“If you must know, he’s my trainer.”
Her heart sank at the way his expression changed. “How old is he?”
She shrugged. “What does it matter?”
“I’m curious. I’d like to know.”
“He’s thirty-seven.”
Diego nodded and looked at his watch. “I should go.”
“You don’t have to.” She felt bad now. Bad that she seemed to have ruffled his feathers by telling him that she was seeing someone younger—and worse, that for some reason she’d screwed this up and wasn’t going to get to spend the afternoon in bed with him after all.
He blew out a sigh and gave her a sad smile. “I think we both know that it’s for the best.” He took hold of her hand and brought it up to his lips. The feel of them on her skin as he brushed them over her wrist made her want to kick herself for not having kept her mouth shut.
“My apologies. I hope you and your trainer will be very happy together. I’m sure I’ll see you again—I hope for Ted and Audrey’s sake that I do. But, in the future, I shall behave appropriately.”
She followed him to the door, wishing that she’d handled this differently. She watched him get into the rental car. He met her gaze one last time and gave her a rueful smile before he drove away.
She closed the door and went back inside to pour herself a stiff drink. She laughed as she did, remembering how he’d told her last night that he could help her if she needed a stiff one. How she wished she’d let him!
She knew that later she’d be glad that she hadn’t succumbed to his charms; it was for the best. She didn’t date—or even screw—guys like him. Later, she’d be proud of herself, but right now, she was only disappointed.
Chapter Five
“Are you going to fly up with us this weekend?” asked Ted.
“No. I plan to leave this evening.”
“Oh. Why’s that?”
“I have an appointment with Austin tomorrow—the realtor.”
“You’re serious about getting yourself a place up there, then?”
Diego smiled. “I am.”
“Isn’t it amazing how much can change in just a couple of weeks?”
“It might only have been a couple of weeks, but I’d say all of this has been brewing for a long time. You meeting Audrey was just the catalyst for changes that were waiting to happen.”
“You’re right.”
“Aren’t I always?”
Ted laughed. “What do you say? Do you want to get dinner together? Who knows when we’ll get the chance to do it again.”
Diego nodded. “Let’s go, but don’t say things like that. You’ll make me cry.” He was only half-joking. So much had changed in the couple of weeks since Ted had met Audrey. They were all good changes. He knew that, but it did make him feel a little sentimental to think that this era of their lives—the one where he and Ted lived here in Laguna Beach and went into the office every day—was coming to an end.
Ted grasped his arm. “In the future, we’ll have dinner together at the Boathouse. That’s all.”
“I know. But this …” He swept his arm around the boardroom, where they were still sitting long after the meeting had finished. “This life we built here, it’s coming to an end, no?”
Ted nodded. “Kind of. It’s not ending, but it’ll be taking a back seat to everything new we have going on.”
“To your new life with your new lady. Do you think things will work out at the lake for them this weekend?”
“I hope so.”
Much had happened in the couple of weeks since Ted and Audrey had met. Her first week at the lake with Ted had been cut short when her son had had an accident, and they’d come rushing back to Ventura to take care of him. Since then, they’d become very much a couple, and it had pissed her ex off no end. He’d meddled in her kids’ lives, costing them both their jobs, and Ted was bringing them to the lake this weekend to help them find work there.
Diego had supported his friend through a crazy couple of weeks, and in the process, he’d made some decisions about his own life. Coming in here to the office every day while Ted was gone had made him realize that he didn’t want to be here. The bank had been his life for more years than he cared to remember. But after his conversation with Zack about spending more time together, he was ready to make some changes.
This weekend, Ted was taking Audrey and her kids to Summer Lake to help them start a new life there. And he was going to start house hunting. There was no reason for him or Ted to come in here every day anymore. It was time to make the move.
Ted was watching him with a smile playing on his lips.
“What?”
“You haven’t asked about Izzy.”
Diego’s heart thudded at the mention of her name. It always did. Ted had talked about her a few times over the last couple of weeks. He knew he’d have to hear about her. Knew he’d have to run into her up at the lake at some point, but he’d made his decision. He wasn’t going to make any more attempts to pursue her. It was for the best. “What should I be asking?”
Ted laughed. “Whether she’s coming this weekend.”
Diego closed his eyes, briefly remembering their conversation about her coming with him. He forced himself to focus. That wouldn’t be happening. That was what she did with her trainer—her much younger trainer. He’d never thought that his fifty-seven years on this earth were a disadvantage in any respect. He knew that older meant wiser, and he was in great shape. But when it came to Izzy, his age was his downfall. He should have admitted it from the outset when he’d heard her say how hot Ted’s son was.
“Are you all right?”
He’d forgotten that Ted was waiting for an answer. He shrugged. “I didn’t think she would be. I thought that this was about you and Audrey and Ally and Brayden.”
“It is.” Ted smiled. “And I was wondering if you might want to keep Izzy company if Audrey and I get tied up with other things.”
“I wouldn’t worry about her. She’s not someone who needs a man to take care of her. And besides, if she’s looking for company, she’d probably prefer you asked one of Eddie’s friends.”
Ted laughed. “She got to you, didn’t she?”
“I told you. My ego took a bit of a hit. But …” He shrugged. “I’m over it.”
“So, will you be okay to hang out with her?”
“Of course. It’s behind us. Forgotten. I’m your best friend. She’s Audrey’s.” He smiled. “It’s all okay.”
Ted looked relieved. “Good. I’m glad to hear it.”
“You know I wouldn’t make things difficult for you.”
“Of course, I do. I was more concerned about how you would feel about it.”
Diego laughed. “You think I would be upset about a woman? When have you ever known me to do that?”
“Never. But …” Ted held his gaze for a moment. “I get the feeling there’s something different about Izzy—about you and Izzy.”
Diego looked back at him. He kept getting that feeling himself. But it was ridiculous, and apart from that, it was irrelevant. Izzy wasn’t interested in him. There was no point in him being interested in her.
~ ~ ~
Izzy made herself a cup of coffee and took it out onto the balcony. She hadn’t expected to come back to Summer Lake this soon, but she was glad to be here. It was a great place. The lake was beautiful, as were the mountains.
She took a sip of her coffee and sat down. She couldn’t help but remember the last time she’d sat out on her balcony here—after she’d said goodnight to Diego. She got goose bumps just thinking about it. How could the man still have that effect on her? It wasn’t right.
She’d been so dumb to turn him down when he’d taken her home after their last visit here. He’d asked her for one good reason why they shouldn’t sleep together, and she’d told him she was seeing Rafa! It hadn’t been a good enough reason at the time, and now it was no longer a reason at all. Rafa had come around that same afternoon not long after Diego had left.
She’d had to wonder what she’d ever seen in him. No. That wasn’t fair. She knew exactly what she saw in him; he was a good-looking guy with a great body. He was fun and … compared to Diego he was … nothing. He was a sweet guy, but he didn’t have Diego’s confidence or sense of fun. There was nothing magnetic about his personality or his … presence. She kept coming back to that word whenever she thought about Diego. There was just something about him. When he was there, you knew he was there. He filled up the room—he filled up her senses if she cared to admit it.