"I don't want this to end, but I promised I'd let him go. I can't lose him as a friend." Izzy accepted the tissue Kitty placed in her hand and noisily blew her nose.
"Are you done?" Kitty asked her softly.
"Done?"
"Yeah, done crying over the misfortune of having a man like Dane Jordan making love with you? Boo hoo, girl. Stop wallowing in your insecurities and go after what you want." Kitty's gray eyes narrowed in irritation. "I can't wait to find a guy like that who will give me the best sex of my life. Shoot, right now, I'd settle for mediocre sex, as long as he doesn't ask me to leave the bed, so his neighbors won't see me doing the walk of shame."
"Oh, Kitty."
"Don't pity me, Izzy. Do me a favor and step up. Don't let Dane make the rules. Go after him."
"You're right." She nodded her head, feeling better.
"Good. Now help me unknot the scarves you tangled up." Kitty smiled.
***
Dane was sweaty and exhilarated from an hour of working out. A three-round, no–holds-barred kickboxing match with Bug turned out to be the icing on his cake. After having to sit there and take Bug's teasing as he hit on Izzy, Dane was far from reluctant to beat the snot out of the big man. He'd been happy to get a tap out from the bigger man with a sleeper hold. Still, he hadn't escaped without his own injuries. His ribs ached from a bear hug that made him see stars.
"Hey, boss. I'm heading out. Why don't you hit the shower and soak those old bones of yours?" Bug laughed as he picked up his gym bag.
"I may have old bones, but at least I don't tap out." Dane smiled back.
"Come on, man! I couldn't beat the boss on Christmas Eve. Take it as my gift to you this year." Bug laughed as Dane flipped him off.
"Lock the door front door behind you, Bug Man."
"Will do, boss."
Dane stripped off his shirt as he sat down on one of the benches. Holding the sweat-soaked shirt bunched in his hands, he stared at the floor between his sneakers. Ever since he'd dropped Izzy off on Saturday morning, he'd felt out of sorts. Oh, he'd done his duty by stopping in her shop and making nice with her customers, a lot of whom he knew anyway, but he'd sensed Izzy watching him. His flesh tingled knowing her doe-eyes were on him. She was the only one drawing his attention, though he tried to concentrate on the other women. It was obvious he was getting to be obsessed with her, and that was not good.
No way would he allow their relationship to progress too far. He valued her friendship far more than the awesome physical aspect of their arrangement. And he valued the hell out of their sex. It was clear that he might have to consider asking her to go back to their friendship status. There was no way around it.
Dane angrily tossed the shirt across the room as hard as he could, his instincts fighting his logical side as his emotions urged him to grab hold of her lush body and never let go. He dropped his head in his hands with a groan. Who the hell was he trying to kid?
No one made him feel the way Isabella Cortez could. She was a living flame beneath his hands. Every soft sigh or pleasure-filled gasp only heightened his need to make her scream. She hadn't screamed, but she did cry. Something that damn near broke his heart and made him feel an intimacy he'd never wanted to feel, yet still marveled at.
Bug was right; he was so fucking screwed.
"Did I come at a bad time?" Her voice slid over his skin like a sensual caress that caught his breath. His head snapped up to watch Izzy slowly walk into the weight room. Her hair was down, hanging in soft waves over her shoulders. She was wrapped in a long black trench coat and black knee-high boots with heels that made clicking sounds as she glided across the floor. Her hands were in the coat's pockets, and he had a tantalizing view of bare thighs beneath it.
"Iz..." He swallowed hard and sat up straight. "Hi. What are you doing here?" He saw her steps slow, but then she kept coming until she stood right in front of him. His hands lifted to touch her, but before they made contact, he dropped them back down to grasp the edge of the bench in a strangle hold.
"I came here for one thing, Dane." Her hands left her pockets to feather through his hair. Her nails lightly scraped his scalp, making his eyes want to roll back in his head at the sensation.
"What would that be?" He asked hesitantly through a suddenly dry throat.
"You." She bent her head to slowly touch her soft lips to his, her tongue sliding along his lower lip. He moved then, his hands cupping the backs of her bare thighs as she stood bent at the waist. His hands moved up, shock hitting him when he found her buttocks naked beneath the coat.
"Izzy!" He watched her grin like a wicked siren. "You aren't wearing anything under this coat?" His fingers flexed on the soft globes of her bottom, his heart doing triple time.
"Nope." She straddled his thighs, nearly giving him a heart attack when she wiggled suggestively against him. "I wanted to show you what you are going to miss out on if you let this..."—she slowly wiped a finger down the lines of worry between his dark brows—"brain of yours make you jump to a decision we are both going to regret."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't be stupid, Dane. You're overthinking what happened in your bed. If I know you right, and I do, then you're trying to figure out how to bail out before one of us gets hurt. One of us... meaning you." She pressed her finger on his lips. "Now, you can spend what time we have left together obsessing on this gallant notion of you protecting me, when it's really you that you're trying to protect, or you can man up and enjoy being with me."
"I don't want either of us to get hurt." He spoke around her finger.
"We don't have any control over that, Dane. All we can do is live, love, and try." She leaned forward and kissed his nose. "I just want you to remember my words and ask yourself them every time you think of bolting. When you run from me, are you running because you don't want me, or because you want me too much? Because anything worth having is worth fighting for." Izzy framed his face and kissed him deeply. When she pulled back, they were both breathing hard. "I'm not afraid of a good fight, you know." She pushed off him and shoved her hands back in her pockets. "I'll be ready at six. If you don't come to pick me up, I'll know you weren't strong enough to fight." Turning on her heel, she then calmly walked away.
Dane sat there for several minutes, trying to get his equilibrium back before venturing into the showers and turning the water on as cold as he could. Isabella was so going to pay for that, he thought with a reluctant smile. Damn, but she had a fine way of making a point. And it worked too. If she thought for one second that he'd be a coward about things, well... she was wrong. He was a SEAL. He didn't back down from a fight, either.
Chapter Eleven
Izzy carefully dressed in a design of her own. The dress she chose had a black satin tie around the neck that held up the bodice in two spots, creating a deep vee that showed just a hint of cleavage. The waist tightened snugly with a red bow in the back, allowing the satin material to fall in soft, fluid folds to her ankles. Her favorite black heels tied it all together with an elegance she had strived to achieve in her designs. She picked the red maxi dress because it was festive and appropriate for the holiday season. After all, Dane liked Christmas, and she wanted to be that type of woman for him. The Grinch girl was almost gone, he'd seen to that by showing her how magical snow and hot cocoa in a cocoon of pines could be. A giddy feeling came over her as she once more fussed with the dress. Maybe the small red belt that tied in a bow at the back of the red maxi dress would tempt him into unwrapping her for Christmas.
Six o'clock came and went, taking her good mood with it. She was miserable and horribly disappointed as she sank down on the arm of her couch with a sigh. "He isn't coming." Teeny responded by placing her front paws on her legs. Reaching down, she picked up her cat for a needed cuddle. The purr and head bump from her furry friend did make her feel better, but it wasn't enough to stop her eyes from watering.
"I think I came on too strong, Teeny. I acted like a tease, and he probably doe
sn't want anything to do with me. I can't blame him. I freaked out and went all femme fatale on him." Izzy wanted to cry and hide under her blankets for the rest of the season. She couldn't because there was a party to go to and once the flood gates opened, there would be no stopping them. She was shrugging into her trench coat when there was a knock on her door.
A big bunch of red roses blocked his face as she opened the door, but the wide shoulders beneath the brown suede coat left no doubt who was behind the flowers.
"I came to fight with flowers. Sorry I'm a little late. Finding a place that is open late on Christmas Eve is not easy." He dropped the flowers and smiled at her. His eyes took on a hungry look when he saw the coat she was wearing.
"I didn't think you were coming." She blinked up at him as her eyes burned with emotions.
"I'm a fighter, Izzy. I don't run from a dangerous mission. I find my way through it to the end. Are you ready to face your family? Because they are going to know about us tonight. I won't hide it." There was a determination in his gaze that gave her hope. She could only take the flowers and nod at him as he pulled her in for a kiss. The flowers were crushed between them, but neither one of them bothered to worry about it.
They arrived at her family's noisy home right on time. Izzy couldn't help feeling nervous about seeing her family. Her father would demand some answers as to why his junior had messed things up with his baby girl. She was not looking forward to that discussion! Grams met them at the door with her camera in hand. Being retired didn't sit well with her grandmother. Grams had taken the role of family photographer seriously.
"Stop right where you are, you two! Look up!" The mischievous twinkle in her pale blue eyes should have warned Izzy, but a warm sensation spread through her body as she stared up at a massive bunch of mistletoe.
"Seriously, Grams? Have you caught everyone at the door?" Izzy smiled as Dane laughed beside her.
"You both know what to do. Pucker up, Isabella." Grams lifted her camera as she spoke. Izzy turned to find Dane grinning down at her. Before she could figure out if they should do a cheek kiss or a quick peck, he took her in his arms and kissed the air right out of her lungs. She clung to him as he deepened the kiss, her sigh of pleasure mixed with a soft sigh belonging to her grandmother. Dane pulled back with a wolfish grin that had her toes curling in her boots.
"Well, that will do. Take off your jackets and hang them up. You will stay for at least a half hour. What you do after that is completely your choice." The knowing wink Margerie Cortez aimed at them made Izzy blush to her hair roots as Dane took her coat and hung it with his.
He turned back, his gaze widening in appreciation as he took in the dress and her heels. Grams cleared her throat and disappeared quietly down the entryway, leaving them alone beneath the mistletoe. Izzy raised a hand nervously to touch the black satin at her throat.
"What do you think?" She asked him shyly.
"I think you are the best mission of my life, Izzy." He reached her in two strides, his hands sliding around her bare arm to pull her in for a soft kiss that seemed to last forever. "Half an hour is too long." He groaned as he pulled back to drop his head on her shoulder.
"We just got here." She whispered back to him, loving the spicy scent of his cologne. A happy bubble formed in her chest as his fingers lightly tugged at the bow behind her.
"I've wanted to strip you since the moment you opened the door in that coat, Iz." A shiver slid down her spine as his mouth brushed her bare shoulder.
"My brothers will want you to play poker, Dane."
"Watch how fast I can go all in, babe." She laughed as he lifted her off her feet.
"My brothers would know what was up, for sure then." She shook her head and planted a kiss on his nose. "They might not like it," she warned him.
"Don't worry. I can take them." Dane kissed her hard and set her back on her heels. She wobbled a bit, but his arm wrapped around her to steady her. "Half an hour." He reminded her as he led her down the hallway toward the laughter and loud voices of her boisterous family. They found the living room was packed with Cortez relatives. Izzy was the youngest of five children and the only girl. She got a line of hugs and teasing remarks about the red maxi dress she'd finally settled on to wear for the occasion. Dane received handshakes and backslaps from the guys who immediately wanted to take him downstairs to play pool.
"Time me, Izzy." Dane winked before he bent to brush her lips with a kiss that lasted a little longer than a friendly peck. When he pulled back the heavy silence made her scan the stunned faces of her brothers. Max, her oldest brother folded his arms, his jaw hardening as he aimed a silent stare of aggression at Dane.
"Things just got interesting." Gareth, the youngest grinned, his dimples showing as he slapped Max on the back.
"What? You've never seen a guy kiss me before?" Giving into irritation, she hissed at them.
"What is going on here, Izzy? Are you two-timing the fancy lawyer?" Max demanded with a glare.
"My personal life is none of your business, Maxwell."
"We're your brothers, Iz. That's our duty, not our business." Max pointed out.
She shook her head, reaching up to wipe her lipstick off Dane's lower lip. "Forget the half hour, take their money."
"Are you sure?" He asked with a disappointed frown.
"Absolutely. Nothing makes this bunch of sore-losers whine more than losing green-backs." She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him. "I'll make it worth your while when I get you all alone." His breath hitched as he nodded his head.
"Done. Come on boys, let's take this downstairs. I have things to do tonight." Dane said heading for the cellar stairs.
"We'll see if your still in good enough shape to them." Max grunted as he followed.
"Maxwell, I know a pretty redhead who might be interested to know who sent her mystery flowers in the tenth grade." Her still single older brother sent her a dark look, but reluctantly nodded. Izzy had to smile because Dane, though liked by her brothers, was still bound to get the third degree. She grinned as she went into the kitchen to chat with her younger brother's wives.
Grams lifted her wrist to check her watch as she entered the room. "Where's Dane?" She asked with a knowing smile.
"He was dragged down to the basement with the boys to play cards. How are things going in here?"
"We need more eggnog." Grams handed her the milk and a carton of eggs. This batch, without the alcohol she was so fond of adding, was for the children. Her dad came into the kitchen with a strange expression on his handsome face. At fifty-eight, Hector Cortez was still winning cases as a man very few wanted to contend with.
"Hello, Daddy." She got a quick peck on the forehead from him and then a bone crushing squeeze.
"You didn't tell me you'd broken it off with Andrew." His tone implied he wasn't impressed.
"You didn't ask." She smirked.
"Isabella Patricia Cortez—"
"Don't get your boxers in a bunch, Hector. Our girl is doing just fine. You leave her alone." Grams tossed a towel at him along with a fierce glare.
"The boys told me you're seeing Dane." He softened his tone. Izzy's eyes traveled over her watchful family.
"I am. Is that a problem?" The challenging look she shot at him made her father take a step back in surprise, then he grinned back at her with a nod.
"Not for me as long as he treats my little girl right. However, you have a problem waiting for you out in the living room. Andrew is here asking to see you. I made him wait in the entryway."
"What?" She nearly dropped the pitcher of eggnog, but her sister-in-law Ruth Anne grabbed it just in time.
"Go clean up your mess, Isabella. Choose your man and send the other one packing. This isn't some Payton Place." Her father tugged on a curl that escaped her hair clip.
Andrew was standing in the entryway still holding his coat over his arm. He smiled when he saw her. It faded a bit when she stopped several feet away. The arrogant jerk expected her
to come closer for a kiss. Mistletoe be damned, he could wait forever as far as she was concerned.
"Andrew, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be on a cruise right now?" She glanced to the side, and her gaze collided with Dane's as he leaned against the door to the cellar stairs. He looked deceptively relaxed, but she could feel the energy vibrating off him. Oh, boy! She turned back to Andrew with the intention of sending him packing quickly.
"Maggie has the boat waiting for me. I told her I would be late. I had to come talk to you, Isabella." He shoved his hands in his long over coat. "I think we've made a serious mistake here—"
"There's no mistake, Andrew. We ended it because it was the right thing to do."
"You don't mean that. Look, we can hash this out later. I forgive you for standing me up the other night."
"Check your messages, I didn't stand you up. I told you very clearly that I wasn't going to meet you anywhere. You were just too arrogant to listen to me."
"Let's not use semantics here, honey. I forgive you." He made the move toward her and reached out for her cheek. Izzy lifted her arm, instinctively deflecting his hand to the side in a self-defense move Dane taught her.
"Don't touch me. Don't call me honey, Andrew. We are done." She saw him glance up over her head and felt Dane's warmth against her back as his hands braced her hips.
"Is there a problem here, Izzy?" At his hard tone Andrew took a quick step back. His blue eyes frosted as his narrowed gaze shifted from Dane to her. Izzy couldn't help wanting to squirm under his accusing silence. He'd been right to feel jealous of her spending so much time with Dane. True, she'd asked him to join them. She'd wanted him and Dane to form a friendship, but then, seeing the differences in the two men when they were in the same room made it glaringly clear that they were worlds apart in personalities.
Andrew was a sophisticated lawyer whose unwavering focus was on furthering his career. He didn't like sports, didn't want to be a social person, and didn't possessive a romantic bone in his body. In contrast, Dane was a physical person with a romantic heart beneath the firm muscles. He fit right in with her family and loved to have fun. He had a business and ran it well, but if there was a choice, he would rather spend his time with others enjoying life. No way did they have anything in common, and she'd been fooling herself to even hope for a friendship between them.
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