She’d mentioned the date to Catarina earlier, and her friend had said, “Wear your fancy new underwear.”
Anna had flushed but intended to heed her friend’s advice. She hadn’t been able to get sex off her mind since. If everything went how she expected, she’d ask him to come inside. A thrill raced through her. She’d been tempted last time but had hesitated for a second. He’d been a gentleman and said goodnight. If she’d judged the look in his eyes correctly, when she asked, he wouldn’t refuse to come back to her hotel. Butterflies danced through her stomach.
Anna’s concern was that she’d never been the biggest fan of sex. Every time, it had been underwhelming. She’d memorized the number of dots per ceiling tile in Adam’s old apartment and the bumps on her bedroom ceiling in the townhouse. If their chemistry when they kissed was any indication, she and Isaac together could be incredible. She took a deep breath and broke into a run once more. A final push to get back to the village.
She’d have to hurry to shower and let her hair dry before Isaac arrived. The nagging feeling that she should talk to him about Adam, her parents, or her neurodivergence almost made her change her mind about sex. Shouldn’t he know everything important about her first? Isaac was curious about her past, but talking about much of it was still too raw. Maybe soon. She ran faster, once more emptying her mind of unwanted thoughts.
...
Just before seven, Isaac rapped on the door of her room. Anna jumped up from her bed where she’d been sitting. She’d been ready for fifteen minutes, and the seconds had ticked by soslowly. When she opened the door, he grinned and gathered her up in a hug. She liked that he was so affectionate, even if she typically didn’t like to be touched. He was the exception. His firm body wrapped around her in a way that didn’t seem invasive but protective.
“I’m four minutes early,” he said in her ear. “I hope that’s alright.” He set her down. “I couldn’t wait any longer.” Smile lines creased the sides of his eyes.
Every time she saw him, she found another piece of him to like. She grabbed her phone and tucked it into her purse. “I’m ready. Where to tonight?”
He jammed his hands into his pockets. “I have a suggestion. Feel free to say no.”
She raised an eyebrow, mirroring his favorite questioning expression.
“I want to cook for you, back at the house.” He looked so earnest.
She bit her lip. That wasn’t the original plan. “Will Vince be with us?”
“Vince is out. He left this morning and said he won’t be back until Monday. He was all mysterious about where he was going.” Isaac caught her fingers. “We don’t need to worry about him for days.”
Heat worked its way up her body and face. He wanted time alone with her, too. “What are you making for dinner?” She shut her door, checked that it was locked, and took his hand.
“Secret family recipe.” He grinned and hauled her down the hall at a fast walk, his eagerness reminding her of a teenager. “I even brought the car tonight.”
“That was kind of you,” she said, letting him pull her into a run as they bounded down the stairs and trotted through the lobby. “Slow down. I already ran today, and I’m not dressed for a run up the hill to your place.” She chuckled to take the harshnessout of her words. She waved to Lola, Catarina’s younger sister, at the front desk on the way out.
He whisked her outside to his small navy-blue sports car parked just down the narrow street. Of course, he drove something fast. He held the door, and she slid in with a smile. Nobody else had made her feel special the way he did with small things, like opening her door. It was old-fashioned and sweet. The ride up the hills to the home he shared with Vince was over before she had time to become nervous.
Isaac parked in a separate garage near the house with several covered motorbikes on one side, four road bikes, and three more cars.
Seeing her interest, he said, “Mostly Vince’s collection.”
They walked between the back of the house and the garage, where she glanced over her shoulder at the muted sunset spreading across the west, staining the sky in bands of soft shades of pink and orange like something from a romantic movie.
“Can I help make dinner?” She didn’t particularly like cooking, but she also didn’t want to be bored while he was occupied. Plus, she wanted to be near him.
“You can chop and keep me company,” he said, shooting her a sideways glance as they entered the kitchen. “The rest is underway.” Getting a cutting board, he pointed her toward the knives as he set a selection of vegetables in front of her. “I’m making my mom’s recipe for garlic chicken. I just have to put it in the clay baker and bake it. It’s been marinating for a couple of hours.”
“What would you have done if I’d said no to dinner?” She couldn’t resist.
“Eat it tomorrow. Did you want to say no?” He gave her another sidelong glance, his eyes twinkling.
She shook her head. He was fun to tease. “No. I enjoy being here with you. Maybe this time you can give me a tour of the house.” She returned his sidelong glance as she chopped the tomato into wedge-like sections. The fluttering in her stomach started again. She wanted another kiss, one that would make her lips sizzle and set her ablaze.
“Give me ten minutes to get this in the oven while you make the salad. Then I’ll show you around.” His smile seemed brighter than the sun. He seemed so relaxed and at home in the kitchen, his motions fluid and his face happy. He must like to cook, which was handy, because while she was a functional cook, she preferred to eat.
With the chicken in the oven and the salad on the island in a large wooden bowl, Isaac led her through the house, her fingers tingling from their contact. While there were some things that were a given for bachelors living on their own—like a massive TV hooked up to a gaming system—there were other unexpected things, like beautiful art on the walls. The house was light and airy and open with lots of large windows which looked out on the gorgeous Spanish countryside. They’d painted the walls in gentle colors, while the furniture and art provided splashes of vibrancy.
“Did Vince decorate the house himself? Or did he hire someone?” she said as they left a sunken living room with comfortable blue chairs. This would be the perfect place to curl up with a book on a rainy afternoon.
“We did it together. Do you like it?”
She nodded. “I let someone else decorate my townhouse, and I hated it. I just didn’t have the guts to tell him. Being in the living room hurt my eyes, so I pretended not to see the jarring colors, but being there put me on edge.” She braced herself for Isaac’s questions, but he didn’t push. Good, she didn’t want to talk about Adam.
