Her frustration matched his, but he wouldn’tbudge.
“This is different. I want to do this right, Izzie. You deserve the best. I want your first time to bespecial.”
“Silly. It’s your first too. Besides, all I want is you. It doesn’t matter where weare.”
He welcomed her hungry lips on his, letting his eyelids drop to hide his own hunger. But, he didn’t kiss herback.
“It matters to me,” he whispered inside her mouth, when she came up for air. Covering the hand Izzie had placed on his hard cock, he pulled it up to rest on his chest over his heart. “Feel this? That’s what you do to me. I don’t want it to be over before it begins. I promise, I won’t last until Santa Barbara if you keep going atit.”
Izzie sobered up, pulled away, and peered into his face. A twinkle in her green eyes betrayed her excitement. “Santa Barbara? You’re serious about thiscrap.”
Grinning like the fool in love he was, Tristan draped one arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. He rested his chin on the top of her head, inhaling the floral scent of her perfume as he kissed her hair. She snuggled under his arm, resting her face on hischest.
With his free hand, he fished a small leather box from his pocket and placed it on the back of her hand. The one she had kept over his heart. “I’ve got something foryou.”
Izzie bolted upright at the same time she opened the three-part dark blue box. Nestled in its plushy interior, a delicate Claddagh ring reflected the dim overhead light. Tiny golden hands held a ruby heart crowned by three tear-dropdiamonds.
Her gasp spoke volumes and Tristan thought the world stopped spinning when her soft stare locked with his. He wished time would stop, so he could savor that moment forever. Since the hands of the clock didn’t slow down for them, he leaned down to brush his lips over hers. He got the ring to place it on herfinger.
“Just so we’re clear, this isn’t a proposal. We’re too young for that. You’ve got your career to focus on now. I want you to become this huge household name in music. You’ve got an amazing voice, I’m so proud of you,” he whispered as he slid the exquisite piece of jewelry on her right ring finger, the heart pointed inward. “If you wear it like this, people will know you’re single, but in arelationship.”
Izzie silenced him with a kiss. Not passionate, not long. A feathery, sweet touch that went straight to hissoul.
He cupped her face, rubbing his thumbs over her cheeks, basking in the emotions she laid bare in hereyes.
She whispered, “I don’t give a damn what people think when they see this ring, though. The only thing that matters to me is that you gave it to me becauseyouare in a relationship withme.”
Tristan almost forgot his good intentions, his hard-on painfully tenting his tuxedopants.
He reined in hishormones.
Barely.
Sighing in resignation, he kissed her forehead. “You’ve got that right, love. You know what else this ringmeans?”
“My Irish ancestors must be rolling in their graves right about now,” she confessed as she shook herhead.
“Silly!” Tristan kissed the tip of her lovely nose. “The hands represent my friendship; the heart, my love; and the crown, my loyalty. The ring means you’ll always get these three things fromme.”
Her eyes brimmed with, he hoped, happy tears before she climbed on his lap. “I swear to God, I’ll slap you if you try to push me off,” shegrowled.
He chuckled. “No worriesthere.”
Tristan cradled her head with one hand as he raked the fingers of his other hand down her back and their mouths sealed together in a slow, deep kiss. He poured his soul into that gesture and it was touched by Izzie’s. Her body trembled, and her lips quivered under his, but her low moans raised the redflags.
He pulled away, rested his forehead against hers again, and tried to catch his breath. Her wriggling on his lap did nothing to help soothe his desire. “You’ll be the death of me,woman.”
Her mischievous laughter meant she knew what she wasdoing.
She promised, “I’llbehave.”
Izzie dropped her head on his shoulder, linked her fingers loosely behind his neck, and sat still until they reached theirdestination.
When Tristan opened the door of the suite, a whiff of cinnamon and vanilla welcomed them. Her head snapped up and he smiled down at her stunnedexpression.
“Youremembered!”
She was referring to a movie they had watched a couple of years before. The first one they watched together that had sex scenes in it. Overcoming the initial self-consciousness, when a particular scene was over, where the main character loses her virginity, they discussed it. Izzie told him the romantic setting was her favorite part of the whole scene. Tristan had the B&B staff recreate it to a tee, including the scented candles spread around the room, and the red rose petals marking a path from the door to thebed.
