by SJ McCoy
He listened to it while Karl taxied back to the FBO building.
“Hey. It sounds as though going to Ventura with me on Friday afternoon worked out well for you. Audrey says that Izzy spent the whole weekend with you. Give me a call when you get a chance. I want to hear all about it.”
He smiled. He’d talk to Ted later. For now, he tapped out a text to Izzy.
Tell me I don’t have to wait until next weekend?
He watched the screen for a few moments, willing her to answer. Hoping that she might be eager to see him again sooner than that.
She didn’t reply.
He put his phone away when Karl came out of the cockpit and let down the steps.
“Do you have anything on the schedule this week?” Diego asked.
“No. It’s looking quiet … unless you have anything coming up?”
“I might. I’ll give you a call in the morning.”
Karl smiled. “Okay. Would I be crazy to think that we might be heading back to Ventura?”
Diego laughed. “Only as crazy as I am to hope so.”
“I don’t think you’re crazy. I think Izzy’s awesome.”
“She is.”
“I liked her from that first weekend we brought her back here.” He frowned. “Mind if ask you what happened? That was a long while ago now.”
Diego shrugged. “She was worth waiting for.”
“Is this serious then?”
“It’s starting to look that way.”
“Wow. I thought you and Ted were confirmed bachelors, and now, here you both are meeting women and moving to Summer Lake.”
Diego looked at him. Was that what he was doing? Was he going down the same road that Ted had taken with Audrey? He smiled at the realization that he’d like to. But then he had to wonder if that was something Izzy would even consider.
All he could do was hope so.
Chapter Twelve
Izzy poured herself a drink and took it outside to sit by the pool. Well! She’d sure enjoyed her weekend. She smiled as she thought about Diego. In some ways, he was exactly what she’d believed him to be. He was big and sexy as sin. He was a charmer, no two ways about it. She chuckled, and he was a sex hound, too! She really needed to come up with a different word for it. He might not be chasing everything in a skirt, but there was no denying that he was a man who liked sex. Especially, it seemed sex with her.
Not that she was complaining. She was a woman who liked sex. Especially sex with him. He was amazing. He knew what he was doing, but more than that, he seemed to understand what she wanted, too.
She jumped when her phone beeped with a text. When she checked it, she had a couple of them, and a voicemail, too.
The first text was from Rafa.
I stopped by to see you, but you weren’t home.
Do you want to get together this week?
She made a face. No, she didn’t. At least, not with him. She had the feeling that she’d spend every evening—and night—wishing that she could get together with Diego, but her days—and nights—with Rafa were behind her.
I don’t. Thanks, Rafa, but it’s time we let it go.
She thought they had let it go. She’d seen him a couple of times in the last few months, but they hadn’t slept together. They’d gone for a drink, but that was all.
Can I come over? Can we talk about it?
She made a face. It wasn’t as though there was anything that needed to be said. They used to sleep together—now, they didn’t anymore.
No. I’ve had a long weekend. I’m tired.
We’re good, right? Still friends?
He was a sweet guy, but he wasn’t for her. She’d been upfront with him from the beginning. It surprised her that she needed to be. It seemed that guys these days were a lot more clingy and needy than she’d expect them to be. A few of the younger guys she’d dated had acted as though they wanted to get into something with her—some kind of relationship. All she wanted was a few laughs and a good time in bed.
Still friends. Still hoping for more.
She blew out a sigh.
Not going to happen, sweetie. Goodnight.
She checked her other messages. There was a voicemail from Audrey, who, no doubt, wanted to hear all about her and Diego. And there was a text from him, too! She smiled as she clicked on it.
Tell me I don’t have to wait until next weekend?
She pressed her lips together. She’d rather he didn’t. She’d felt as though she had to come home just to get her balance back. She’d gotten all swept up in him—in them—over the course of the weekend. She needed to step back and get right with herself before this went any further. But he’d only left her a couple of hours ago, and she was already wishing that she’d brought him home with her. Not just in the traditional sense of bringing a guy home—though she wouldn’t deny that she’d love some more of him. But she wished he was still with her. He was such good company. He was fun, yes, but more than that, he was intelligent and attentive. She blew out a sigh and looked at the text again. She wanted to tell him that no, they didn’t have to wait. But she’d come home to try to clear her head and see how she felt when she wasn’t totally intoxicated by the man.
She’d answer him in a little while. First, she wanted to call Audrey.
She dialed her number and waited.
“Hello, you! Are you home?”
“I am.”
“Oh.”
“Oh, what?”
“I just had this feeling that you might not go home, that you might stay with Diego.”
Izzy laughed. “He asked me to. I wanted to.”
“So, why didn’t you?”
“I don’t know, Audrey. I feel as though I’m drowning in a sea of Diego. I need a little time to get my head above water and figure out what’s going on.”
“I think I can tell you what’s going on.”
“I think I know what you’re going to say.”
“And you don’t want to hear it?”
“Not yet. I think you might be right, but I don’t want to hear it yet, okay?”
“Okay. So, what happens next?”
“I don’t know.”
“The two of you didn’t make any more plans?”
“Not exactly.”
“Oh.” Audrey sounded disappointed.
“Don’t worry. We’ve said we’re going to see each other next weekend.”
“Great, then that’s what happens next, isn’t it?”
Izzy chuckled. “Maybe, depending on how I answer the text he just sent.”
“Saying what?”
“Asking if he has to wait until next weekend.”
Audrey laughed. “Well, we both know the answer to that.”
“I guess we do. But anyway, tell me about you? How was your weekend? How are the kids settling in? I’ll bet they’re glad that you’re finally up there with them now, aren’t they?”
“They are. They’re doing great. Ally has a whole bunch of weddings lined up now, and Brayden’s loving his new job. They both came over for lunch today, and Ted’s son Eddie and his fiancée April came, too. It was wonderful. They both said they missed you, though.”
“Tell them I miss them, too. But this is how it goes, Audrey. You guys are patching together your new family. You don’t need me in the way for that.”
“You’re not in the way, Iz. You’re part of the family. I wish you’d get that through your head once and for all.”
Izzy shrugged.
“I’m going to say something, and you might think I’m crazy.”
“That’ll make a nice change from you thinking I am.”
“True. But listen, Iz. I have a feeling that you and Diego are going to get serious soon.”
Izzy wanted to laugh, but she didn’t. It did sound crazy, but for some ridiculous reason, it didn’t feel crazy—it didn’t feel crazy at all.
“And if you do, you’re going to need to get used to the idea of being part of a family.”
Sh
e pressed her lips together. “Diego and Zack have each other. They missed out on a lot of years by the sounds of it. Now, they want to make up for lost time. It’s different when there’s just two guys. They just need their time together, and that’s it. No big deal about family or being part of it.”
“I think you’re wrong about that. I think family is very important to Diego. He just hasn’t been able to have one. Now he has Zack back, and Zack has Maria. And I think he’ll want his own lady to be a central part of his family.”
Izzy didn’t say anything. She knew Audrey was right. That was why she’d skirted around the idea of going to Summer Lake with him. She didn’t want to encroach on his family time. And … and she didn’t dare believe that he might want her to be part of it. That was the truth.
“Are you okay?” asked Audrey.
“Yeah. You know how screwed up I am over the whole family thing.”
“I do. That’s why I’m mentioning it now.”
“Thanks, Audrey. It might not even be an issue, though.”
“Maybe not. But we both believe that it will, don’t we?”
Izzy sighed. “Yep. I have to tell you. He is freaking amazing. I thought he was so full of it. I thought he was spouting crap just to get me into bed.”
Audrey laughed. “And now you can see that he’s just a romantic, saying beautiful things and sweeping you off your feet?”
“Yeah. I suppose that’s it.”
“Well, now you can see it, I hope you can relax and enjoy it? I think most women would give their right arm to be in the position you find yourself in with him.”
“I won’t make you blush and talk about positions but err … yeah!”
Audrey laughed. “Hey. I know you thought I lived a sheltered life when I was married, and after the divorce, but I can tell you I’ve learned a thing or two in the last few months myself.”
“I’m happy to hear it—but I don’t need to hear all about it, thank you. Anyway, had I better let you get back to Ted?”
“That’s okay. He’s on the phone, too. I think Diego called him.”
Izzy had to laugh. “This should feel weird. That I’m talking to you and he’s talking to Ted, but it doesn’t. In fact, I kind of like it.”
“I do, too. Oh, actually, I have another call coming in, it’s Ally. I’d better take it.”
“Of course. Tell her I said hi. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
As she set her phone down, she wondered what Diego was saying to Ted. She could see that their friendship was similar to the one she and Audrey shared, and she liked that about him. In her experience, men didn’t usually have such close friends.
She picked up her phone again and looked at his text.
Tell me I don’t have to wait until next weekend?
She didn’t want him to wait. If she was honest, she was wishing that she hadn’t even come home. But that was crazy thinking. They’d had a wonderful weekend, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t wear thin if she stayed for longer. She knew that for her, and she’d guess that for him, too, the last couple of days were the longest time she’d spent with someone on a date. He probably took his other women out for dinner before he took them to bed—he was a gentleman, she had to give him that. She frowned at the thought of him with other women. She didn’t like that. It shouldn’t bother her, but it did.
Wasn’t that something? She wasn’t into exclusivity herself. She didn’t want someone restricting her that way. She pursed her lips. At least, she hadn’t wanted it. Now, it seemed that she did. She loved the idea of Diego wanting her all for himself. And she wanted him all for herself. How about that?
She tapped out a reply.
We don’t have to wait till next weekend.
She hit send and waited. He might not see it for a while. He might be on the phone with Ted still. Apparently, he wasn’t.
Thank you. What time are you going to bed?
She smiled. He really was sweet.
Probably around eleven.
His reply came almost immediately.
Ok. Can I talk to you at 10:30?
She wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up having phone sex before she went to sleep.
I’ll look forward to it.
His reply came in the form of a big red heart followed by:
Not as much as I am.
~ ~ ~
Diego pulled the rental car over to the side of the road a few houses down from Izzy’s. He couldn’t help smiling to himself as he took out his phone. It was 10:25 p.m. He’d wait and call her at 10:30 p.m. on the dot.
There was, of course, the chance that she wouldn’t be pleased to see him. But he didn’t believe it was much of a chance. She’d felt the same way he had when he’d left her at the airport earlier. He knew it.
He’d thought that maybe he would show up here tomorrow night—that he could bring groceries and make her dinner. But he hadn’t been able to wait. When he’d gotten home, he’d talked to Ted and to Zack; they were both enthusiastic about him having spent the weekend with her.
When she’d finally texted him back that he didn’t have to wait until the weekend to see her again, he’d called Karl to see if he’d be able to fly again tonight or tomorrow.
Then when he’d hung up, he’d received a message from Austin, the realtor in Summer Lake telling him that he should be able to close on the house on Friday. That had sealed it for him.
He wanted to close as soon as possible, but he also wanted to spend the weekend with Izzy. He was going to need some time to convince her that she should go up there with him—and there was no time like the present to get started.
He smiled as he looked at the contacts in his phone. Zack had been number one on his speed dial ever since he’d had a phone. Ted was number two. He pursed his lips as he thought about it, then nodded to himself. He added Izzy’s number at number one, and the others each moved down a place. It felt right.
He dialed and then waited.
She answered on the second ring.
“Hello!”
Just the sound of her voice made him smile. “Hola, mi amor.”
“Ooh! I like the sound of that!”
He laughed.
“Why didn’t I think of this before? I can get you to talk dirty to me in Spanish.”
“Will you understand what I’m saying?” He had to wonder if she knew what he’d just said, or if she was choosing not to question it.
“I won’t have a freaking clue, but it won’t matter. It sounds so sexy.”
“Good to know. I’ll remember that and use it when I can.”
“You can use it right now if you like. I’m in bed already.”
He smiled to himself. Did she think that was all this phone call was about? She kept calling him a sex hound, but she was the one who made everything about sex. “And what are you expecting from me?”
She laughed. “You know damned well what I’m expecting. You asked if we could talk before bedtime.”
“I did.”
“Are you going to tell me that you don’t want to talk about the kind of things that we’ve been doing at bedtime for the last couple of nights?”
“I am.” He started the car and drove the last short distance to her house.
“Oh.” She sounded confused.
“Aren’t you going to ask me why I don’t want to talk about it?” He pulled into the driveway and flashed the headlights.
“I am, but hang on a minute.”
He smirked to himself, imagining her getting out of bed to see what was going on. He cut the engine, and when he saw the curtains move, he got out of the car and smiled up at her.
“What the …? What are you doing here?”
He laughed. “I couldn’t stay away. I had to see you again. But I’ll leave if you want me to.”
The curtain closed, and he heard her laugh. “Don’t you dare go anywhere! I’ll be right down.”
The front door flew open, and she stood there smiling at him. She looked mor
e beautiful than ever in a pair of shorts and a tank top. He was thrilled when she ran out into the driveway and threw her arms around his neck. He held her close to his chest and looked down into her eyes.
If he’d had any doubts about whether she might feel the same way he did, he found his answer in the way she smiled up at him.
He cupped her cheek in his hand and claimed her mouth in a kiss that let her know just how happy he was to see her again.
When they came up for air, she took his hand and led him inside. “I can’t believe you’re here.” She looked up at him. “Did you go home and come back again?”
He nodded happily.
“I’ll bet Karl hates me?”
He had to laugh at that. “If you did, you’d lose. Karl thinks you’re wonderful. He told me so, and he also asked me why it’s taken me so long to win you over.”
She raised an eyebrow at him.
“I couldn’t tell him why.” He held her gaze for a moment. “I’m hoping that you’ll tell me why. I’m happy that I’m finally making progress at winning your heart, but I want to know what’s held you back … what holds you back.”
She didn’t look thrilled at the question, and he knew better than to push it. Instead, he closed his arms around her and kissed her again. He could take his time, but he knew that before he could ask her to move forward with him, he’d have to understand her better.
She reached up and sank her fingers in his hair. “There’s nothing holding me back right now. I have a warm bed and a gorgeous man.” She looked into his eyes. “You’re not going to hold back on me, are you?”
He wasn’t. He slid his hands inside her shorts, and the feel of her bare ass had him pressing himself against her as she kissed him. They needed to talk, but talking could wait. As she took his hand and led him upstairs, he knew that this couldn’t wait.
Chapter Thirteen
Izzy sniffed the air and smiled. Damn, the man hadn’t been joking when he’d told her he was a good cook. He’d arrived back at her place a while ago loaded down with grocery bags.
She’d been concerned because she wasn’t done with work yet. She smiled as she remembered the way he’d kissed her and then patted her ass and told her to get back to it while he made them dinner.
