Page 22 of A Christmas Negotiation

“Actually, I was about to get on a plane back to DC. I’ve been kicked out of my hotel for the weekend and there are no vacancies this close to Christmas. My brother and Mindy both have some dreadful cold, so I don’t want to stay with them. I can’t afford to get sick.”

Jeremy’s mind was racing. He had more than enough room for Isabel. But could he resist her for a night or two? “I could put you up. If it’s just for the weekend. In your own room, of course.”

“You have that kind of space at your place?”

Jeremy wanted to keep things simple. He wasn’t about to explain to Isabel that he had a big empty house because he’d been stupid enough to hope that someday he and his wife would have children. “I do. Plenty of room.”

“Okay, then. Text me the address and I’ll be there a little after noon, suitcase in hand.”

EIGHT

Isabel had no idea what to expect when she got out of the car in front of Jeremy’s brownstone. Overhead, the early-afternoon sky had darkened with clouds and big, fat flakes were falling steadily. Ahead, an ornate wrought iron gate awaited, with a long flight of stairs up to a beautiful arched wood door. It was straight out of a movie, but Isabel couldn’t help but notice that Jeremy’s neighbors all had Christmas wreaths or holiday garland adorning their facade. Not Jeremy. Not the guy who couldn’t be bothered to give a cat a proper name. Which was just fine with Isabel. It wasn’t like she was doing much better with celebrating the holiday.

She rang the bell and waited for Jeremy to answer. When he unlatched the lock and opened the door, she was presented with an image she admired a little too much—Jeremy with his salt-and-pepper temples wearing a black sweater and dark jeans. “You weren’t kidding about the suitcase.” He gestured with a nod.

“I never joke about imposing on someone for a night or two. Are you sure this is okay? Are you sure you have enough room?”

Jeremy rolled his eyes and reached for her bag. “I wouldn’t extend the invitation if I didn’t have the space. I’ve put up plenty of clients at the house.”

“But never opposing counsel, I’m guessing.” Isabel followed him inside, where a square of beautifully restored ebony penny-tile floor marked the landing. From this first peek, his home was a showplace, every detail exceptional. Above, the ceiling soared with graceful moldings, lit up by vintage fixtures of seeded glass and rich bronze. To her left, a staircase with neat white treads and a scrolled black railing led to the floor above, then doubled back, climbing to yet another level. Ahead, a glossy dark wood floor stretched the full length of the house, past what appeared to be living room and kitchen, ending when it reached tall leaded windows through which she saw only snow-dusted trees. Taking this all in felt like more than a view of Jeremy’s residence. It felt like a look into his soul. For the man who seemed to bristle at any personal burden, keeping this home had to be, on some level, a labor of love.

He closed the door behind her, set down her bag and came up beside her, giving her a whiff of his irresistible smell. It was like the finest bourbon, rich and warm without any trace of booziness. “Actually, you’d be wrong about that. I did a negotiation here when another lawyer had a long layover at JFK. His flight got canceled and he ended up spending the night.”

Isabel felt a little better about the propriety of this now. Although given her history with Jeremy, their situation wasn’texactlythe same. “I see.”

“No need to be jealous,” Jeremy said. “He wasn’t anywhere near as cute as you.”

Isabel blushed and smiled, but then a spark in his eye caught her gaze and she was immobilized by the zap of electricity only Jeremy could deliver. Mere inches separated them, reminding her body of how blissful it was to be pressed against him, comb her fingers through his thick hair and kiss him. The fact that he was tossing around words likecutewasn’t making him any easier to resist.

“I hate that it’s this close to Christmas and we have to do this,” he said, leaning against the stair railing.

“As far as I’m concerned, as long as the fire alarm doesn’t go off, this is a vacation.”

“Brooklynislovely this time of year.” It was Jeremy’s turn to smile, but that only made her want him more. She was going to have to learn to ignore the four or five hundred irresistible traits he seemed to have. Too bad she needed the negotiations ahead to go smoothly. A little jerkish behavior on his part might help stem her personal tide of desire.

Isabel laughed. “It’s fine. I don’t celebrate Christmas anyway.”

“Jewish?”

She shook her head. “No. Just a habit I got into a long time ago.”

He pressed his lips together and nodded. “Come on. I’ll show you the place.”

Jeremy provided a quick tour of the main floor—a comfortable living room with chocolate-brown leather furniture in front of a stately fireplace with a carved white stone surround that had to be an antique. The kitchen was a cook’s delight with a generous center island topped with Carrara marble and custom cabinets of creamy gray. The sink overlooked a courtyard off the back of the house, with a patio shielded from the outside world by a row of snow-flocked Italian cypress trees, the kind you see growing alongside the roads of Tuscany.

Isabel went to the window to admire Jeremy’s outdoor retreat, an uncommon luxury, even in Brooklyn. “It’s so lovely out there. It must be amazing to sit out there in the spring or summer with a book.”

Jeremy came right up behind her and Isabel stayed impossibly still, keenly aware of her breaths as they filled her lungs. This house was a magical place, an oasis of calm and beauty in the middle of a bustling metropolis, and its owner a little too enticing. “Actually, it’s even better in the fall, when there’s a nip of cold in the air. I get the firepit going and can sit outside for hours.”

That sounded like sheer heaven to Isabel. “The house is beautiful. Truly stunning.” She dared to turn around and face him. In the natural light coming from the window, he was somehow even more handsome. More kissable.

“Thank you. It was a big project. It did not look like this when we bought it.”

We, meaning he and his wife. She really didn’t want Jeremy to know that she’d gone digging into his private history, so she kept that detail to herself. “Oh?”

He stuffed his hands into his pockets and cast his sights down at the floor. “Yeah. I was married until a few years ago. She really wanted a fixer-upper. I wanted a lot of space, so this was the perfect choice.”

Before Isabel had a chance to comment, in traipsed an adorable orange tabby, clearly taking her time with her sizable belly. “Oh my God. That must be Cat.”