She rested her palm against his chest, the heat seeping in while his heart thumped. “I’d like that.”
“Until tomorrow, then.” He swallowed. If he didn’t leave her room now, he would try to stay all night. It might be fantastic, but he wanted to be the kind of guy that got to know someone first. He didn’t want her to think this was purely physical and that he just wanted to get her into bed. He wanted to be the kind of man who had a relationship.
“Tuesday?” she said, lifting her eyes to meet his gaze.
“Tuesday is perfect.” Monday they’d travel home. Date on Tuesday. Unable to resist, he cupped her face between his hands. She quivered, and he kissed her again. Long and slow, enjoying her lips, showing her he considered her precious. He pressed his lips to her forehead as he wrenched himself away. “Goodnight, Anna.”
“Goodnight, Isaac.” With messy hair and swollen lips, she was stunning.
He walked out, unable to wipe away the grin that stretched across his face. He still knew nothing about her past, but he wanted to take the time to find out everything.
...
Isaac fidgeted in his seat next to Vince on the plane, his palms sticky. They were due to land in Barcelona in less than an hour. He’d waited until they were almost home before saying something.
He drank some of his ice water before turning down the volume on Vince’s TV and breaking the silence. “Anna and I spent a lot of time together this weekend.”
“I noticed.” Vince didn’t look away from the superhero movie he was watching. “I take it she still isn’t interested in going on a date with me.”
Isaac shook his head. Swallowing. It really shouldn’t be this difficult. “We’re going out for dinner on Tuesday. A date.”
Vince turned, his face expressionless. “I was wondering if you were going to tell me what was going on.”
“I really like her.” Isaac kept his voice steady. No pleading.
“She might be a distraction.” Vince’s voice was flat. “You know that, though.” He paused, then shrugged. “Lots of other fish out there for me.”
His brother wouldn’t put up with a distraction of that kind, but Isaac didn’t care. He’d been plenty focused on race day. “This is probably my last year in MotoGP. I have to look out for what comes after.”
Vince nodded. “That makes sense.” His eyes flicked back to the screen. They seldom talked about life after racing or settling down, but since their dad had passed, Isaac got the impression that Vince was determined to race for as long as possible. Another championship would ensure a contract extension. Isaac’s life might look drastically different without racing, but he wanted to figure out what it could be. For Vince, the idea was unfathomable. Racing was still everything.
“You aren’t surprised?” The conversation didn’t seem done.
“It surprised me you volunteered to walk her to the Inn that first day. And you started a book club. In English. Now, I’m just surprised it took you so long to ask her out.” Vince nudged his shoulder. “She seems more your type than mine, anyway.”
Isaac shook his head. “Thanks.” He didn’t need permission or Vince’s blessing, but it didn’t hurt.
Vince waggled his eyebrows. “You think the red-headed flight attendant is staying over in Barcelona? She mentioned her shift’s over when we land. You might need to arrange your own ride home.”
CHAPTER 7
Anna
Anna dropped to a walk gasping for oxygen, sweat dripping down her face and soaking into her running clothes. She kept striding along the quiet roadside, her arms swinging at her sides. As part of making her life healthier, she wanted to be in better shape, but this was her first workout since she’d left Seattle. Being outside might make exercise more enticing. Back there, her cardio had been on the exercise bikes at the gym, not in the countryside. This was preferable.
She surveyed the green landscape, admiring the beauty of the hills. Catarina had dropped her off out here and said to follow the road back into town. No way to get lost. Anna had asked for a five-mile route, and she wasn’t far from Cervera now. Perhaps the distance had been a little ambitious, but exercise often helped clear her mind.
Dinner with Isaac two nights ago had been pleasant. She reminisced as she ran. They ate baked chicken, roasted vegetables, and shared a chocolate dessert. Their hands gravitated across the small table, toward each other at every opportunity, his touch sending a current buzzing through her.
Over dinner, they dissected the gangster book in detail. He’d noticed interesting things about the story, and she’d shared what she’d liked about the writing. He looked at her with interest when she said she’d outlined several chapters of her own story,and he offered to read it when she was ready—her first potential reader. The idea made her slightly nauseous, but if she was going to be a writer, shouldn’t she get used to the idea of someone reading her words?
Anna had started a dozen stories over the years, but hadn’t finished a book-length manuscript before, always convincing herself that what she’d written wasn’t good enough. This time would be different. She had an idea for a twisted fairytale that had promise, and she wouldn’t let her insecurities get in the way. She’d noticed several fairytale retellings on the market, but none like hers. Her idea was unique.
After dinner, Anna and Isaac walked hand-in-hand through the nighttime streets of Cervera, where he’d shared stories about growing up there and some of the crazy things he and his brother had done when they were younger. She got the sense that he was trying to help her get to know him and put her at ease—and it was working. The kiss in the hotel room had promised more, and she felt ready.
She hadn’t told Isaac much about her life, though she mentioned that she’d left her job in marketing. She still didn’t want to talk about Sandra and her betrayal. What was more important was that she’d never liked her job and needed something different. She told him about her dream of making a living someday as a writer. Adam’s name hadn’t come up. She wasn’t avoiding the subject. He just wasn’t relevant anymore. Not really. Though, perhaps at some point, it would be proper to share how they’d broken up. Everything back in the States already seemed like a distant lifetime.
She quickened her pace. She and Isaac had plans again tonight. He was coming down to the village for a walk and they’d find some place interesting for dinner. He’d probably been everywhere before, but they could still see what they found together. She pictured Isaac escorting her back to her roomafterward. That’s what she needed to do with all this extra energy.
