by SJ McCoy
The tension was building inside her. Every thrust of his hips took her closer to the edge. She sat up and wanted to let her head fall back, but she still couldn’t tear her eyes away from his. She was gasping now as he drove her to the point of no return.
“Oh!” She gasped as all the tension inside her found its release, and her orgasm tore through her. She felt him tense, and then he joined her, feeling as though he was filling her and the whole universe around them with exploding stars. “Yes. Yes. Yes!”
When she finally slumped down on his chest, he closed his arms around her. One hand came up to tangle in her hair. She lifted her head and looked down into his eyes. She’d have expected him to be the kind to roll her off and head straight for the bathroom. Not to hold her like this.
He gave her a lazy smile and ran his hand down over her ass. “Now, we’re starting to get to know each other.”
She just stared at him. She had no idea what to say. She’d half expected that this would be the end of getting to know each other—that once he’d gotten what he’d come for, the offer of a weekend in Laguna would disappear.
He raised an eyebrow. “I know I pleased you … it’s not that, so what is it?”
She had to laugh. “Your ego! You just know that you pleased me?”
He smirked. “Of course, I felt, I saw, I heard how much.”
She rolled off him, not wanting to tell him what she’d been thinking. He surprised her again when he turned to lie face to face with her and planted a kiss on her lips. “And just so there’s no doubt, you pleased me, too.”
She wanted to come back with some sassy remark, but the look on his face stopped her. He was pleased with himself, sure. But he wasn’t being cocky or arrogant. He was happy that he’d pleased her as he put it, and he wanted her to be happy that she’d pleased him, too. What was wrong with that? Nothing, if she stopped thinking of him as just a guy who was just looking to get laid. But if she stopped thinking of him that way, then she didn’t know what the hell to think.
~ ~ ~
Diego took hold of her hand as the plane thundered down the runway. When he’d decided to fly over here with Ted this afternoon, he hadn’t known how things would go. He’d believed that Izzy would most likely turn him away. He’d wanted to see her again, to test Ted’s theory that he was, in fact, hung up on her. But he’d been under no illusions that she might be hung up on him. The fact that she was no longer seeing her trainer had been a very pleasant surprise. That she’d agreed to come with him this weekend had surprised him even more.
He wasn’t surprised how good they were in bed together, though. He’d known since the first time he met her that if they ever went there, it would be amazing. And it had been.
“How long will it take us to get there?”
“Only around twenty minutes.”
“Wow!” She shook her head. “It’d take more than two hours on the road—especially on a Friday like this.”
He nodded. “Ted and I are fortunate that we can do this.”
She held his gaze for a long moment, and he got the impression that she wanted to know how he’d gotten so fortunate. He waited for the question, but it didn’t come. She turned to look out of the window again.
“Would you like to go out to dinner, or would you rather eat at my place?”
She turned back. “You cook?”
He laughed. “Why so skeptical all the time, Miss Isobel? I’m a very good cook.”
“You know that now you’ve said that I have to put your claim to the test, don’t you?”
He chuckled. “I should have known. Then tonight we eat at home; I’ll cook for you. And tomorrow, we can go out.”
Her smile faded.
“What is it?”
“You really want to spend the whole weekend together?”
“Of course, I do. I asked. You said yes. You packed a bag. You don’t want to?” He was finding it hard to understand her. She’d been wary of him at first. Dismissive of him, but he’d put that down to the fact that she wasn’t interested because she was seeing a younger man. Now, there was no younger man in the picture, and she’d proved that she was interested in him—physically, at least. But she kept blowing hot and cold—or perhaps simply still assuming that his only interest in her was physical.
She blew out a sigh. “I’m sorry. I do.” She met his gaze, and for the first time, he felt as though she was being completely honest with him. “I think I need to relax and accept that you’re not the guy I thought you were.”
“Who did you think I was?”
She gave him a wry smile. “A sex hound.”
He laughed. “I won’t deny that I find you sexy—or that I’m hoping to spend at least some of the weekend in bed with you, but no, I am not a sex hound.”
“Okay. Well, since we’ve gotten that out of the way. What’s the deal here?”
He raised an eyebrow, not understanding.
“What are we doing if we’re not just sleeping together?”
“We’re getting to know each other.”
“You mean you want to be friends because of Audrey and Ted?” She smiled. “Friends with occasional benefits?”
He shook his head slowly. “I want to get to know you, Izzy. In your own right, for your own sake—and mine. We took a back seat to them. But that’s because they’re our friends, and we look out for them. They’re not like us, and we both wanted to make sure that they got the chance to get to know each other and to see where things could go between them. Now, they know; they’ve begun their journey together.” He held her gaze for a moment before he added. “I’d like to see where ours might go.”
Her eyes widened as she looked back at him. She didn’t say anything for a long time, and Diego almost regretted having spoken so frankly. Almost, but she needed to understand his intentions—now that he knew what they were. And he needed to know if that wasn’t going to work for her.
“You think we have a journey of our own to go on?” She looked shocked—and not in a good way.
“I’d like to. Wouldn’t you?”
She frowned. “I don’t know, Diego. I mean, you’re a good guy. Better than I was giving you credit for, but …”
His heart was hammering in his chest as he waited for her to continue. Over the course of this afternoon—ever since Ted’s revelation this morning that he hadn’t shown any interest in another woman since he’d met her—he’d realized that he was interested in exploring what could happen between them.
“But what?” he asked when he couldn’t wait any longer.
She shrugged. “I didn’t see it coming. And to be honest, you’re the kind of guy I normally avoid.”
He’d known that. He had so much going against him in her eyes—his age being the biggest obstacle. He smiled, hoping to get her smiling back. “You’re telling me that you don’t like handsome, you don’t like well-endowed, and you don’t like successful?”
She rolled her eyes and let out a short laugh. “It’s the ego that goes with them that I don’t know how to handle.”
He pursed his lips. “I think you can. I think you like it if you’re honest with yourself. I cannot make myself into some mealy-mouthed little yes-man who you can push around. You’re a strong woman, Izzy. You might enjoy pushing little boys around in bed, but what you need is a strong man beside you.”
Her first reaction was anger, he could see it flash across her face, but to her credit, she let it go and considered what he’d said. “It’s not that I like men I can push around; it’s just that I can’t stand men who want to push me around.”
“I would never do that.” It surprised him that she saw him that way. He took hold of her hand and brought it to his lips. “Never.”
She nodded slowly. “I believe you. But I’m playing catch up here. I told you you’re not what I thought, but I’m not sure where that leaves me.”
“So, take your time to work it out. We have the weekend ahead of us. Perhaps by the time I bring you home, you’ll
have a better idea of who I am—and what you want to do with me.”
“Okay. That’s fair. Let’s just have a fun weekend and see what happens, why don’t we?”
Chapter Nine
Izzy leaned on the steel rail and stared out at the ocean. The metal felt cool beneath her skin. It felt real—and she could use a good dose of reality right about now. She felt as though she’d somehow stepped into some romantic movie—only no one had told the director that she was the wrong actress for the role.
She wasn’t the kind of girl to be bowled over by Diego’s big beautiful house. Not the kind who would fall for the tall, good-looking hero and look on adoringly as he saved the world. She was her own person—not a supporting actress in someone else’s life. Not even if the someone else was a wealthy, successful, gorgeous man, who appeared to be interested in her and who, much to her surprise, was turning out to be a genuinely decent person.
She took a sip of her drink and blew out a sigh. But if she wanted to put all that aside, she could just relax and enjoy the weekend with him.
He came back out and leaned on the rail beside her. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and the way her body reacted to him did indeed make her want to enjoy the weekend with him.
“Are you all right?”
She smiled. “I am. How could I not be? I’m in this beautiful place, with a very nice man, who just happens to be cooking dinner for me.”
“But you’re not sure you want to be here.”
She turned and met his gaze. “What makes you say that?”
“When I came back out, you were looking out at the ocean with a faraway look in your eyes. As if there’s somewhere else you’d like to be.”
“No. There isn’t. I’m glad I’m here.” She looked around. “This place is wonderful.” She tapped a finger in the middle of his chest. “I’ll even admit; you are wonderful.”
He smiled at that. “But what?”
“But I don’t feel like I fit in.”
“What do you mean?”
“You, this place, all of this. You need some young blonde barbie to complete the picture. Not someone like me. You need someone who’ll hang on your every word and admire everything you do.”
He let out a short laugh. “You think I’m that superficial?”
“No! Sorry. I didn’t mean that in a bad way. It’s just that’s what completes the picture, isn’t it?”
“Not my picture, no. I don’t need a woman to bolster my ego.” He winked at her. “You already know that it’s robust enough. I know some men feel that being with a younger woman proves their … their …” He frowned as he searched for the word and then smiled when he found it. “Their virility.”
She nodded. He might say some men, but she believed it was all of them.
He moved behind her and rested his hands on the railing on either side of hers. Shivers ran through her when he spoke next to her ear and pressed himself against her. “I’ve never doubted my own virility.” The feel of him pressing against her ass made clear why he wouldn’t need to question!
“But, Izzy, it makes me sad that you feel that way. What can I do? How can I convince you that that’s not who I am?”
He straightened up and slid his arm around her waist, pulling her back against him. She relaxed and leaned back as he nibbled at her neck. “If I thought you were some weak and willing little lady, do you think I would have asked you here? Forgive me, but I wouldn’t have needed to fly to Ventura for that. Women like that are everywhere. Women like you don’t come along every day—I want to say that women like you only come along once in a lifetime.”
She spun around to look at him. There he went spouting crap again! He was so full of it. She froze when she saw the look in his eyes. He wasn’t feeding her lines—he was serious!
“What? What did I do wrong?”
She shook her head. “You mean that, don’t you?”
He nodded solemnly and closed his arms around her again. “I do. I feel so lucky that you’re here. I want to show you who I am.” He smiled. “I want you to like what you see and fall for me. I want to get to know you and fall for you. But I know that first I must earn your respect and your affection.”
His eyes were serious as they looked down into hers. They dropped down to look at her lips, and she knew what was coming. He cupped her cheek and then his lips came down on hers and she was lost.
His kisses were intoxicating. She loved the way he made her feel with big arms closed around her and that big … pressing into her belly. In her experience, a kiss like that was simply a precursor. It was the first warmup before sex. But when Diego lifted his head, he hugged her closer and dropped a kiss on top of her head.
“The things you do to me, Miss Isobel.”
She tightened her arms around his waist and allowed herself to relax and rest her cheek against his chest. She had to ask herself just what it was he was doing to her.
~ ~ ~
Diego smiled to himself when he felt her relax. It seemed she had a low opinion of men in general, and him, in particular. He could only guess that perhaps he reminded her of someone who had not treated her well.
Her suspicion of him and his motives only made him want to show her just how wrong she was. Of course, he liked sex. He’d been honest with her that he had many female friends who looked forward to his call for just that reason. But that wasn’t all he was about. And there was something about her, something that made him want to step up and be about so much more than sex.
He had always believed that a man and a woman could come together and make each other better. He believed that great couples were made up of two strong and independent people who didn’t need each other for anything, but who wanted each other. He believed all of that was possible, but he’d never met a woman who made him want to try it. Not until Izzy. She was strong and she was smart; she was proud, and she was so, so sexy. He held her a little closer still as he roused at the memory of her bouncing above him this afternoon.
He dropped another kiss on top of her head and let her go. He had to, or he’d be taking her to his bedroom for more. He wanted more, but he planned to save it for later. First, he’d promised her dinner.
He took her hand and led her back inside the house.
She looked around her as they went. “This place is something else.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Is that a good thing?”
She laughed. “Err, yeah! It’s amazing. I would have had you down for a Mediterranean style place, not all this modern steel and glass.”
It was his turn to laugh at that. “When we go to Ted’s place, you’ll see that he’s the one with the Mediterranean style. I prefer sleek and modern.”
“So, I see.” A small frown furrowed her brow, and he’d guess that she was questioning why the two of them would go to Ted’s. She wasn’t yet seeing the possibility of them as a couple in the same way that he was. He smiled to himself. That was okay; she would. And in the meantime, he’d just keep dropping little hints like that to get her used to the idea.
“Would you like to eat in the dining room or right here?” He’d started to set two places at the dining table earlier but then thought better of it. It was a wonderful place for dinner parties, but for just the two of them, it might feel too formal—and he didn’t want her to get the idea that he was trying to impress her or win her over with what he had instead of who he was.
He’d been right. She pulled out one of the barstools at the island. “I think right here would be great.”
He poured two glasses of wine and brought one to her. She took it with a smile. “Thank you. And I have to tell you, dinner smells delicious.”
“It will be.” He served up two plates and came to sit beside her. He watched as she took a bite and had to close his eyes when she moaned. He knew that sound.
“Oh, my God! That’s wonderful.”
“I told you I can cook.”
She laughed. “You can! You can cook for me anytime.”
He met her gaze and smiled. “I’d love to.”
Her smile faded, and she looked into his eyes. All her cynicism and sass were gone. It wasn’t fear in her eyes. He understood now that she wasn’t afraid of him. But there was something, some hesitation. Up until now, it had been easy to see that she just didn’t buy almost anything he said. Now, he’d guess that she was buying it, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to believe it. He knew he wouldn’t win her over with words. He’d have to prove to her over time that he was serious about exploring what might happen between them.
“I make wonderful eggs benedict if you want that for breakfast.”
She nodded.
It was probably too soon, but he decided to go for it. “And if you want, when I take you home, I’ll stick around and be your personal chef.”
She laughed. “As if!”
He should have known she’d think he was joking. “I will. I don’t have to go into the office anymore. I can shop and cook for you while you’re at work and have dinner waiting on the table for you when you get home.” He said it because he got the impression that part of what she distrusted in him was the fact that she saw him as such a macho man. She’d made comments to that effect whenever they’d been up at the lake.
To his surprise, she didn’t play along or even turn him down flat. Instead, she looked sad. “You’d only be under my feet if you were to cook while I’m working. I don’t get to go to the office anymore, either, remember?”
Of course. How could he have forgotten? She and Audrey had given up their office. She was going to work remotely now. From the look on her face, she wasn’t thrilled about that. “Sorry. I do.” He smiled. “I can cook quietly?”
“That’s okay. I don’t think you’d cope in my kitchen anyway. Not when you’re used to this.”
She might have a point there. Her house was nice, but her kitchen was small. Not big enough for him to make his mess anyway. He wasn’t going to go down that road, though. No way was he about to start comparing her house and his. He got the impression that it was just one more thing that she might hold against him. He smiled as a ridiculous thought struck him. He should probably wait, but he wanted to ... He opened his mouth and then thought better of it. He should wait until Sunday. Perhaps by then, she might even consider the crazy idea. Right now, she wouldn’t even believe he was serious.
