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Izzy flexes her clasped fingers and chews on her lower lip like she’s struggling with what to say. “I just want to make it clear that I am here to work. I’m a professional… and I hope we can put the past behind us.”
“I already have,” I say. I tilt my head and give her an appreciative grin. “That was a long time ago, Iz. I’m just really glad to see you.”
Her tight smile is unreadable. “Well, now that we got that cleared up… I won’t waste any more of your time.”
As if time with her could ever be a waste.
She stands and slips her laptop in the structured leather bag beside the desk. As she bends to scoop up the straps, I’m given the perfect view of her curved hips in a dark pencil skirt. I try not to look, but come on, with an ass like that, I think it would be a bigger insult not to look. I didn’t know I had an office attire fantasy, but you learn something new every day.
She straightens with her bag, and I jump up from my seat, hurrying to open the office door for her. We both reach for the handle and wind up completely in each other’s way, each of us zigging and zagging.
“Sorry. I—”
My hands settle gently on her upper arms, calming the awkward dance we’re doing. I’m instantly transported back to the Rossi’s house, in the long summers when we were children. All at once, I’m talking to that Izzy, the one who is as familiar as a warm cup of cocoa. “Hey, Izzy, what’s wrong? Are you really that uncomfortable being around me?”
Her frustrated expression finally breaks and she sighs. “No, Nathan. I’m sorry… this is a me thing, not a you thing.” Her eyes flick to my hands that are still on her arms. She doesn’t flinch away, which is progress, I suppose.
What happens next is impulsive. I’m aware of that, but it doesn’t stop me from pulling her into a tight embrace. See, now, this is how you greet a long-lost friend who you practically grew up next to. This feels right, especially when Izzy gently hugs me back…
I pull back, thinking I’ll kiss her on the cheek, but she moves at the same time I do and my lips brush with hers. It’s like a jolt of electricity. I freeze. She freezes. Time itself freezes. I’m too afraid to move, afraid I’ll spook her into remembering what she just said about professional distance.
Her lips move against mine, softly, but with increasing pressure as I begin to respond. If time was frozen before, all of a sudden it’s moving at light speed. I grab hold of her hips and lean into the kiss that she’s allowing by some miracle. She lets out a soft moan when our tongues brush. I groan in response, my hips giving an involuntary thrust as I grab her waist to pull her in closer.
That office attire kink is really doing it for me. Images bloom in my head of Izzy with her hands braced on the desk while I hike that pencil skirt up to her waist and thrust into her from behind.
A noise from the hall pierces that fantasy. Someone is coming down the hall barking instructions into a cell phone. It shatters this moment and Izzy jerks back. Her hazel eyes are wide with shock when they meet mine.
She wrenches out of my arms and all but evaporates into thin air. I can hear her heels clicking down the hallway in tempo with my racing pulse. I peer out of the office. My first instinct is to call after her, but I manage to quell that before I embarrass myself any further. I settle for watching her retreating silhouette as she greets Lila, who was the perpetrator of the cellphone interruption, and turns the corner.
What the hell was that?
Shortly after that, Coach introduces Izzy to the team. She won’t even look in my direction. It bothers me more than it probably should. I’m equally bothered by the remarks I overhear from a couple of the guys as we wrap up the day. I’m distracted by thoughts of Isabella Rossi all the way home that evening, and I let myself into my very large and very empty house, still thinking about her.
An idea strikes, one I can’t believe I didn’t think of hours ago. I’ll text her brother, Evan Rossi, another person I haven’t seen in quite a while. Has he known she was in Dallas all these years? Granted, Evan and I aren’t as close as we used to be since I joined the NFL, but we talk from time to time. He could’ve at least mentioned where his sister had gone, mentioned she was safe, happy…
I type out the message and send it before I can change my mind.
Ev… not to pop up out of the blue but… I’m in Dallas. Don’t know if you saw the news. Guess who else lives in Dallas?
It takes a while for him to respond, but finally, as I’m eating take-out on the couch that happens to be the only piece of furniture in this gigantic house that I purchased sight unseen, I see the three dancing dots.
EVAN
Hey man! Yeah, I saw that you were moving to the Cowboys. I’ve been meaning to tell you congrats! I take it you saw Izzy?
I set aside my styrofoam to-go box and grab my phone.
ME
Yeah, it was… weird? Is she okay? Has she mentioned being mad at me for any reason?
I didn’t get blackout drunk and profess my undying love or anything, did I?
I watch the screen as he types something, deletes it, and starts again. Finally, the message comes through.
EVAN
Not that I know of… why? Is there something you want to share with your estranged best friend?
