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“That’s beautiful,” she says quietly as she quickly removes her gloves and wipes at her tears.
“I suppose it is. Theirs was a true love story. I mean my parents loved each other, but my grandparents’ love was the stuff written in these books,” I explain.
Isa sniffles and then giggles.
“What’s so funny?” I ask.
“No, it’s not…I’m sorry. I don’t mean to laugh, it’s just…I didn’t picture you as a romantic, not even a little bit,” she says with a lopsided grin on her face.
I shrug. “I’m not sure I’m a romantic, but I did love my family.”
Out of nowhere, Isa suddenly wraps her arms around my waist and hugs me. “Thank you for sharing this with me,” she says, her voice muffled against my chest.
I’m so shocked by her touch that I don’t move for a long moment, but she doesn’t back away, only grips me harder. Eventually, my arms wrap around her. It feels awkward at first, hugging another person after such a long time, but then it’s like a dam breaks inside me, and I long for more of this. How long had it been since a human touched me like this? I’d had some flings with women over the past few years, but it wasn’t intimate like this. How can this woman I’ve only known for twenty-four hours break through the wall I’ve built around my heart this quickly?
She pulls back a little and we stare at each other. My desire to kiss her overwhelms me this time and I begin to tilt my head down toward her lips. Her eyes start to close. My hands grip her backside and presses her body against mine.
“Chirp. Chirp. Chirp.” My phone’s bird ringtone might as well be a bucket of ice on us. We both jump back like we’ve touched a live wire.
“Your phone!” Isa exclaims.
“My phone!” I state at the same time. I pull it from my pocket. There’s one bar but it’s ringing. I groan because I know who it is even before I look at the screen. Bastian. That motherfucker is the worst wingman in the history of wingmen. Fine, that’s a lie, but he just killed this moment.
I answer.
“Bastian, this better be important,” I growl as I pick up the phone, putting it on speaker. I watch Isa bite her bottom lip in an attempt to stop her grin. Fuck, she’s adorable and I want nothing more than to toss this phone over the balcony and kiss those lips. Bastian better be calling with the most crucial piece of information in the history of information.
“I…storm…maybe…need…later…Max…” Bastian’s voice breaks up and I can’t understand a damn thing he’s saying.
“What?” I yell. Isa steps away, and I watch as she walks back down to the lower level of the library.
“The cell tower…fuck…call later…” Bastian’s voice breaks up again and then the call drops and I’m left with static.
“Great,” I mumble, hoping my friend is fine.
“You know Max Montgomery?” Isa’s voice calls out from below.
“I do,” I reply, wondering how she knows the owner of the best restaurant in town who also happens to be dating Bastian.
“Max’s restaurant has the best ravioli in town. Do you play any games besides chess?” she calls out, changing the subject. She’s not wrong about that ravioli. Bastian sometimes picks it up for me on his way out here.
I lean over the railing to see she’s found a stash of board games in the cupboard.
I shrug. “It’s been years.”
She looks out the windows and then pulls out Monopoly. The dogs have already taken up residence next to the chairs in front of the fireplace as if they know this is where we need to be for the remainder of the day. Traitors.
“No way, that’ll take all night,” I state.
She grins. “Exactly.”
I groan. Even her choice of games is infuriating. But with that hopeful smile on her face, I can’t say “no.” I’m beginning to think this woman has some sort of ancient magic power because I don’t cave to other people…ever. But what she doesn’t have is amazing business and strategy skills. She’s definitely going to lose.
CHAPTEREIGHT
Isa
The knocking at the door wakes me and the dogs.
