Page 12 of His Secret Wish

Izzy spun around and planted her hands on her hips. It was her go to pose when she was pissed, and had been forever. The corner of his mouth twitched, but he bit his lip to stop the smile from spreading. He was already in hot water. Best not to rile up the pot.

“That was completely uncalled for, Owen.” Her voice was that same hushed whisper as before when they’d been by the front door. It was impressive, since it was almost like whisper yelling. She smacked him on the bicep for good measure.

“What? I didn’t do anything.” He matched her whisper, not wanting the rest of the family to overhear them. He shrugged for good measure, knowing there was no way in hell she’d buy it.

“You know exactly what you did.” She huffed out a breath. “That caveman, marking your territory bullshit. You might as well have whipped it out and peed on me.”

He wasn’t even going there with that image. “You were the one who wanted us to pretend to still be together.”

She opened her mouth to say something and then snapped it shut. He cocked an eyebrow, mostly because he wanted to see what she would do next. Her lips turned down in the cutest frown, and she narrowed her eyes at him. “Fine. But you still didn’t have to be an ass about it.”

“You’re right.” He sighed and ran his hand though his hair. “I’m sorry I acted like an idiot.”

Her mouth opened again, but again, nothing came out. She closed it and then tilted her head and stared at him. Hard. Almost like she was studying him. Peeling back the layers that made up Owen Callahan and searching for what made him tick. He didn’t like it.

After far too long, even though it was only a couple of seconds, she nodded. “Apology accepted.” The smile she gave him was small, but it was sweet. It had been far too long since he’d seen that sort of expression on her pretty face.

Tension he didn’t realize that had crept into him released, and his shoulders relaxed. His own lips slid up in a matching smile. It was almost like an understanding passed between them. They were getting to know each other again, and he couldn’t deny, it felt fucking fantastic.

Isabella’s aunt Lucia appeared next to them, a huge smile on her face. “It’s so good to see you, Mija.” She pulled Izzy in for a hug and kissed her temple. Then she turned to Owen. “And you, too, Mijo.” She leaned in and hugged him. It caught him by surprise, and he stiffened. She laughed and patted his back, and he relaxed, hugging her back.

How affectionate the family was shouldn’t be a surprise after all these years, but for some reason, it always caught him off guard. Especially now, since it had been some time since he’d been around them. Not that he was anti-touchy-feely or anything—his mother was a big hugger—but over the last couple of years he’d become known as the cranky, anti-social one, and everyone had decided to give him a wide berth.

Not that he could blame them. He was known to bite the head off of anyone that pissed him off. Or disagreed with him. Or basically talked to him.

Okay, he’d been a massive asshole to everyone. He could admit it. And he clearly had some apologies to make once he got home.

“Okay,” Lucia said, clapping her hands like she was wrangling a bunch of kindergarteners. “We’ve put you in one of the spare rooms on the third floor, the one of the right-hand side. I know you guys had a long drive today, so feel free to go freshen up or whatever.” She gave them an over-the-top wink, and then turned and walked away.

Refusing to even think about what Lucia might be implying, he racked his brain trying to remember what the third floor looked like. The top floor of the house was basically the attic, and if he remembered correctly, there were two bedrooms and a bathroom up there. Of course, that was what the floor plan had looked like the last time he was here. Things may have changed since then.

Izzy looked up at him. There was a flash of something in her gaze that he didn’t catch before it was gone. “Let’s grab our bags and go have a look.”

He nodded and turned toward the front door. Izzy followed behind, playing interference when folks tried to get them to stop and chat. It made the trip to the front door and then through the house to the stairs, which were off the kitchen, much faster. He couldn’t deny that hearing her soft, sweet voice flow from English to Spanish and then back again was a huge turn on. The way she rolled her r’s sent goosebumps climbing up his spine.

The staircase was narrow, and he gestured for her to go ahead of him. Mostly because it was the gentlemanly thing to do—his mother had instilled an old-fashioned sense of chivalry in her boys—but also because he liked watching her ass sway as she climbed the stairs.

Sure, she’d instilled some chivalry in them, but they were still red-blooded horndogs on occasion. It was a balancing act.

As they made their way up the squeaky steps, he couldn’t tear his gaze away from her. She’d put on a little weight, but it looked amazing on her. Enhanced her curves, gave something more to hold on to if required. His cock bumped against his fly.

He closed his eyes for a second and blew out a breath. His hormones needed to chill the fuck out.

On the third-floor landing, she glanced over her shoulder at him, and the sight of her stole his breath. The small windows nestled near the roof, sent shafts of late afternoon light through the space, making her glow. Her dark hair, which was tied back in her signature braid and draped over her shoulder, looked silky and smooth. The gold flecks in her brown eyes sparkled.

“What?” She cocked her head, one side of her mouth scrunching up.

He shook his head. When she’d looked at him, he’d stopped without thinking, just soaking in her beauty. “Nothing.”

No point in getting all sappy with her right now. She would think he was certifiable, especially considering their most recent history. He needed to work his way up to telling her how he was feeling. It was the smart thing to do.

Yeah, and it has nothing to do with the fact that you’re terrified she’s going to tell you to go to hell. That she doesn’t want to get back together with you, not after everything that happened. Everything you put her through.

He pushed that unhelpful thought aside and made his way up the last few steps. Izzy had disappeared into the room on the right. He followed her inside.

The room was tiny. Like, there was barely enough room for the double bed, which was pushed up against the far wall. A small side table with a single lamp and an alarm clock was jammed in by the head of the bed. There was also a long, skinny bureau packed into the space, but in order to open the drawers, you’d probably have to sit on the bed. An antique looking mirror hung over the dresser. The single window was high on the wall due to the vaulted ceiling.

“Umm...” He squeezed past Izzy, brushing against her in maybe a not so accidental way, and placed their bags on the bed. The springs gave a squeak. Yeah, because that wasn’t going to get annoying. “It’s a little small.”