“Well, I’m glad it worked out. I won’t keep you any longer, but bring him over tomorrow. I want to meet this young man.”
“I’ll check to see if he’s free, Dad.”
“Hmph, if he can’t make time to meet your dad, then he’s not worth it,” he grumped over the phone. Hearing her dad become all protective over a guy again made her smile grow bigger.
“I’ll send you a text later and let you know. Bye, Dad.”
“Bye, honey bee.”
She ended the call, and looked up to find Ethan watching her intently. “I take it I’ve been summoned to meet your dad?”
Nerves about the approaching get-together jangled to life and began clattering about in her tummy. There was nothing in his tone to suggest he was freaked out by the idea or was unhappy with it. “Umm, yeah. How do you feel about that?”
Ethan shrugged and then leaned forward to kiss her softly on the lips. “I’ll be happy to meet your dad, Izzy.”
Relief swept through her and she gripped the door to stop herself from falling. “You know he’ll probably grill you?” she said as she walked into her house, knowing Ethan was going to follow her.
“I would expect nothing less. Do I need to wear my dress uniform? Do you think that will impress him?”
“I don’t know about impressing Dad, but it would impress the hell out of me,” she murmured. The image of Ethan dressed in his formal uniform made her weak at the knees. She’d always been a sucker for a man in uniform.
Arms slipped around her waist as warm lips landed on her bare shoulder. She shivered at the contact, her eyes drifting shut, and she allowed her body to relax against Ethan’s strong one.
“Anytime you want me to wear my dress blues I will.” He turned her in his arms and the lips that had been creating havoc on her shoulder crashed down on hers.
This.
This was what she’d been dreaming about since he’d left two nights ago. She floated through work Friday and Meredith had taken one look at her and gave her a high five. The soft fabric of Ethan’s shirt did nothing to hide the warmth emanating from him. A warmth that enveloped her like his embrace, making her feel content. Something she hadn’t felt in a long time.
Reluctantly, he pulled his lips away from hers. His chest moved up and down rapidly beneath her fingers. Hers danced in time with him. Their bodies were tightly aligned and she couldn’t mistake the effect their kiss had on a certain part of him.
A wave of mischief trickled through the desire strumming in her veins, and she swiveled her hips against him. She was rewarded with a groan. “We have a party to get to. Don’t tempt me into brushing it aside and staying here.”
“I wouldn’t mind,” she said as she repeated her action.
This time his lips landed on hers and his own hips mimicked what she’d done to him. She went up on tiptoe while her hands found the hem of his shirt and pulled it out of his trousers. The second her fingers connected with his bare flesh all sane thoughts flew out of her mind.
“God, Izzy.” He wrenched his mouth away again. “You’re so hard to resist.”
“Then don’t stop,” she said as she trailed her hands from his back to his belly, connecting with a solid mass of muscle.
Now that she’d made the decision to move forward with the relationship, she wanted to experience everything with him.
His hand closed over hers, halting her upward movement. “As much as I really want to continue with this, I promised Zeke we’d go, and I don’t break my promises.”
“Fine,” she said pouting dramatically.
He laughed and kissed the tip of her nose. “Trust me when I say, this isn’t over.” His voice dropped a few octaves on the last three words and she shivered in response.
“I can’t wait.”
“Well, you’re going to have to wait a little longer. Have you got everything?” he asked as he tucked his shirt back in.
“Yep, let me just go grab my purse and make sure the back patio doors are locked.”
“I have a better idea.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“You get your purse and I’ll check that your doors are locked.”
Isabella cocked her head to look at him. Did he think she couldn’t be trusted to lock her own doors? “You know I’ve been living by myself for years and am quite capable of locking my own doors.”
He huffed out a sigh. “I know, but this is part of me and who I am.”
She stared silently at him, his words reminding her of their first meeting.
No way was she going to let him get away with thinking that because they were embarking on a relationship together, he could become controlling with her. “Want to tell me what this is all about?” she asked, placing her hands on her hips and tapping her foot like she did when she was waiting for one of her students to explain how a pot of paint was splattered on the floor.
“What? What am I doing?”
Isabella rolled her eyes but quit tapping her foot and relaxed her arms to the side. “What’s with the whole ‘me GI Joe, you damsel in distress’? Because, let me tell you, I’m far from being helpless.”
With two steps he’d closed the distance between them and placed his hands softly on her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Izzy. I can’t help doing what I just did. I do it to my mom and it drives her batty too, especially since Dad doesn’t act this way. Sometimes, I just can’t switch off my training. I told you I’m the first into a building after the initial breach. Sam’s and my job is to make sure there are no surprises for the team.”
“Okay, I can understand that, but this is my house, Ethan. I was inside it and in the kitchen before you arrived at my door. I know there’s nothing lurking there that’s a threat. Plus, I know I locked the door but before I go out I always give it one last check.”
A frustrated breath blew out of him and he ran his fingers over his closely cropped hair. Had he had a haircut since she’d last seen him? Shaking off her random thought she waited to see what he was going to say next. “Fine. I’ll wait here while you check the doors.”
There was a fine line they were treading here, one they needed to work out how to traverse before either one of them fell off—again.
After looking at for a few more seconds, she sighed and walked around him and into the kitchen where she’d left her purse. Striding over to the doors, Isabella tugged the handle down, confirming they were locked.
She took a few seconds to stare out over her backyard and center herself. Who knew relationships could be so fraught with clashes? Travis’s and her relationship had been smooth sailing. Would it have lasted the distance? She’d never asked herself that question before. Hadn’t seen any need. With the confidence of a teenager, she’d been sure they’d whether any storm. Now she had to wonder if they wouldn’t have fallen apart at the first sign of trouble.
But Travis and their past wasn’t what she should be worrying about. Ethan was her here and now, and that was where her focus needed to be.
Isabella jumped when warm hands landed on her shoulders and turned her to face Ethan. “Are you okay?” he whispered as he cupped her cheek.
Words lodged in her throat so she nodded and slipped her arms around his waist and hugged him. “Yeah, I’m sorry for not understanding this part of you.”
He pressed a soft kiss on her hair. “It’s all part of getting to know one another. You can’t say our path to each other is going to be boring. And I’m excited to get to know you, Izzy. Very excited.”
“Me too.” And she was, there was no denying it, she liked Ethan—an awful lot.
*
Ethan side-eyed Isabella as he turned the car off. Through the whole drive to Zeke’s place she’d been quiet, answering questions when he asked but otherwise, content to sit and watch the scenery pass by. The silence hadn’t been awkward, like he’d expected it to be. It had been the opposite, in fact, he hadn’t minded it.
“You ready?” he asked as he unclipped his seat belt.
She followed his action and picked up her purse from where she’d placed it on the floor when she’d gotten into the car. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Needing to erase the scared look on her face he leaned across the console, hooking a finger under her chin and turning her so she faced him. “They’re going to love you, Isabella Knowles. Trust me on that, how could they not?”
“Oh, plenty of reasons why they won’t like me. You guys are a team and I’m sure the women in the relationships will all be watching me closely to make sure I’m worthy of being with one of their own.”
Ethan chuckled. As much as he wanted to deny it, what Isabella said was pretty much the truth. Zeke’s wife, Anna, had sent him a dozen texts when she found out he was bringing a date to the party. He’d answered her questions, but also warned the other woman that if she so much as made Isabella uncomfortable they’d be out of there. That had earned him a few choice words and deadly looks from Zeke. His brother-in-arms protected his woman as much as Ethan was going to protect Isabella.
A stab of guilt pierced his gut. He hadn’t mentioned his possible promotion to anyone. He was still mulling everything over, the promotion and his reenlistment. Prior to meeting Isabella, it would’ve been a no-brainer. Reenlist and accept the promotion.
A week ago, he was still on track with that train of thought. Now, after finding out what Isabella had been through with her short marriage and committing to moving forward with their relationship, it wasn’t a straightforward decision. He never thought he’d give up his career for someone. He admired his mother for what she’d done, but she was ready. He wasn’t. He didn’t know if he’d ever be. And there were no guarantees that his relationship with Isabella would even go the long distance.
He had hopes it would. But giving up everything he’d worked hard for over a woman wasn’t a decision he could make lightly. He liked to think they could reach a compromise. Ethan recalled Isabella saying her dream had been to be a military wife. Maybe deep down that dream was still within her.
“Ethan? You okay?” Isabella squeezed his hand, pulling him back to the here and now.
“I am, and so will you, Izzy. It’s going to be a good afternoon, and if I have to, I’ll go all GI Joe on them.” He finished with a wink.
The comment had the desired effect and she laughed, a little of the deer-in-headlights look disappearing from her face. “I may just have to see that happen.”
Ethan closed the gap and placed his lips softly over hers. She melted against him and it took all his self-control not to thread his fingers through her hair and devour her. Walking into the party with messed-up hair and lipstick smeared everywhere was a look he was sure she didn’t want to present to his friends.
He pulled his lips away. “Come on, let’s go.”
He got out of the car and dashed around to her side so that he could open the door for her. Closing the door, he grabbed her hand, linked their fingers together, and walked down the driveway.
Zeke had told him to head straight for the backyard. The muted sound of conversations got louder the farther down the pavement they went. Isabella’s fingers squeezed his and he’d have to be on another planet not to work out that the nerves she talked about earlier were back. He’d feel the same if he were about to walk into a room filled with her work colleagues.
They rounded the corner and the second they walked through the gate all eyes turned to them.
Great, this was the last thing he wanted. He’d been hoping to ease Isabella into meeting everyone.
Anna broke through the small crowd, a big smile on her face and her hand cupped under her pregnant belly. “Ethan. So glad you could make it.” She breezed up to him and kissed him on the cheek.
“Hey, Anna, glad to be here. This is Isabella Knowles. Isabella, this is Anna Hopkins, the hostess and Zeke’s wife.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the movement of Isabella pulling herself up a little straighter and holding out her hand. “Hi, Anna, it’s nice to meet you. Thanks for having me.”
“It’s great to meet you, Isabella. And no hand shaking here, I’m a hugger.” Anna smiled big and grabbed Isabella. “Come meet everyone,” she said. As they walked away, Anna looked over her shoulder and winked at him. “You know where the drinks are don’t you, Ethan?”
Ethan didn’t know whether he wanted to shake or hug Anna and her antics. “Yeah, I do. And, Anna?”
The woman raised her eyebrow. “Yes?”
“Be nice.”
“Always,” she said on a laugh.
For a few heartbeats, he watched as Anna introduced Isabella around. At the first sign of distress from his girl, he’d be in there, breaking her free. But she seemed relaxed and smiled at everyone she met. Ethan walked over to the row of coolers set against the wall under the back porch. He had to lift a couple of lids before he found the one containing sodas and pulled a can out of the ice.
The sound of giggles had him glancing over his shoulder and he spied Isabella surrounded by women and they were looking at him. Ethan resisted the urge to check to see if he’d split his pants. But, surely, if the seams of his jeans had ripped apart he would’ve heard it. Instead he raised his can in a silent salute and popped the tab, all the while hoping his red boxer briefs weren’t on display for the whole party to see.
“Am I a master matchmaker or what?”
Dragging his gaze away from his girl, Ethan spun around to face who’d spoken to him. Seeing the smug look on Lincoln’s face, he was tempted to wipe it off. He couldn’t deny, Linc had knocked this one out of the park. But no way was he going to let his friend know that. “I wouldn’t say a master, because prior to Izzy, your setups had been pretty abysmal.”
“Izzy, huh? You guys that friendly.”
Ethan gritted his teeth to keep from snapping at Linc’s sleazy comment. “Watch it.” He took another sip of his drink.
All the amusement dancing in Lincoln’s eyes disappeared, to be replaced by a thoughtful look.
Shit.
Had he given his growing feelings for Isabella away to his friend? What he should’ve done was brush off Linc’s comment as an inconsequential remark. Fortunately, Zeke wandered up to them, oblivious to the tension simmering between both of them.
“Well, looks like your girl has got the Anna seal of approval,” Zeke commented and tapped his beer bottle against the soda can in Ethan’s hand.
“Looks that way,” he murmured as the women chatted and welcomed Isabella into the fold. When he invited her to this party, his hope was to not remind her of her loss but to show her the unity she’d seen from those women who took her in when her mom deserted her was still here. Anna was certainly going out of her way to help him with that message.
“She’s definitely hot, maybe I should’ve said I’d go on a blind date with her instead of setting the two of you up,” Linc commented. Normally Ethan could deal with Linc’s teasing and innuendo, but today it grated on him worse than fingernails down a chalkboard did.
“Shut up, Linc. You’d never had lasted the first date.”
Lincoln laughed. “Oh, you have it so bad.”
Ethan took a step toward him, clenching his fist at his side. He’d never wanted to hit his friend before, but if he made one more smart-ass comment about Isabella, Linc was going to become intimately acquainted with his left hook.
Zeke stepped between the both of them. “Knock it off, you two. I’ve got a wife who is a couple weeks away from giving birth to our first child, I don’t want any fights here. Do you understand? It’s a party, so lighten up and enjoy yourselves.”
Ethan unclenched his fist and took a couple of deep breaths. The last thing he wanted to do was create a scene. A quick look around the yard showed that no one was paying attention to him and Linc. The only person watching him was Isabella. She was now seated with the other girls. Her eyebrow rose in question and she mouthed the words, “Are you okay?” Even from this distance, he could make out the worry in her eyes.
A frown marred her forehead and she looked like she was about to get up from her chair when the person beside her placed a hand on her arm and directed her attention away from him. Relief swept through him and he looked over to his friend.
“Sorry, Linc, but yeah, I’m glad you set us up.”
Chapter Eleven
“Are you sure I can’t tempt you with some dessert?”
“No thanks. If I eat another mouthful I’m going to burst.” Isabella looked at their hostess and smiled.
She liked the other woman. Anna had done everything possible to make her feel welcome and part of the group. There was only one girl, Amy, who didn’t seem to make an effort to interact with everyone. She spent most of the time on her phone. Amy was here with a guy named Caleb, who Isabella also found out was Ethan’s roommate when he introduced them.
During their talks, Ethan had mentioned a roommate but he never named him. All the girls were worried about Caleb. From the second she’d been introduced to Ethan’s roommate she’d seen the hollow look in his eyes, like every breath hurt and he was there in body but not in spirit. There was a story there, one she wanted to ask Ethan about but didn’t feel it was her place to.
Isabella looked around the kitchen and saw the mass of dishes piled everywhere. “Are you sure I can’t help you with this?” she asked again.
Anna laughed. “Nope, follow me and watch and learn.”
As Anna waddled toward the back door, Isabella shook her head in amazement. Why a woman who was only a couple weeks away from having her first baby was having a party was beyond her, but Anna had waved off her concerns like she’d waved off Isabella’s outstretched hand when they’d first me.
When Anna opened the back door, Isabella stood to the side, so she could watch and learn.
“Okay, boys, clean-up time.”
All the men standing in the backyard put their drinks down and filed into the kitchen. When Ethan passed he dropped a kiss on her nose.
Blind Date Bet Page 9
