Straight From the Hip(75)
“Hi, Nick.”
He looked up, then stood.
Her first impression was of size. He was tall and muscled, which she’d figured out already, but knowing and seeing were very different. He had broad shoulders and long legs. He seemed to fill the room with his presence.
He had dark hair, which wasn’t a surprise, but piercing green eyes that were. His mouth was perfect, nearly as good to look at as to kiss.
“Izzy.”
She saw the questions in his eyes, the concern and something that might have been a little case of nerves. She smiled.
“You’re very crush-worthy.”
He gave her a slow, sexy smile that made the butterflies in her stomach sigh. He walked around the desk. “You can see.”
“Everything. I’m healed and restored and ready to swim with sharks. Oh. I can’t go swimming for a month. No swimming, no eye makeup, but otherwise, it’s back to nor—”
He silenced her with a kiss. That sensual mouth of his claimed her with lips and tongue. She hung on to him, feeling the shoulders she’d just seen, knowing what the muscled body now looked like.
Kissing him felt right, she thought, giving in to the experience. Better than right. It felt like something she would be very happy doing for the next five thousand years.
He broke the kiss and stared into her eyes. “Ready to hear I told you so?”
“You’re one of those kind of guys. That’s disappointing.”
He kissed her again.
She let the desire wash through her. It mingled with happiness and elation and every good feeling she could imagine. Today was a very good day.
He straightened and rubbed his thumb against her mouth. “What am I going to do with you?”
A question she wasn’t sure she wanted answered. “Whatever you want?”
The slow, sexy grin reappeared. “Works for me. But I was thinking about out of bed.”
“Oh. That.”
“We’re busy for the next few weeks. Want to stay and help out with the corporate retreats? Aaron always needs staff.”
She rested her hands on his chest. “You mean I wouldn’t be in charge?”
“Not this time.”
Stay here with Nick? It was the best offer she’d had all day. She would be doing work she enjoyed while getting ready to start the next phase of her life. And, hey, maybe figure out her feelings about Nick.
“I’d like that.”
“Good. I’ve already talked to Aaron and he’s giddy with excitement. He wants to meet with you this afternoon.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Now I’ll have to take notes and everything.” She grinned. “Kinda cool, huh?”
“It works for me.”
She started to leave, then turned back to face him. “Oh, I have wheels now. My sisters brought my car to the doctor’s office. It’s the red Mustang. If you ask real nice, I’ll let you drive it.”
“How nice?”
“You’ll figure it out. And that’s not the only thing that’s new.” She pulled up the hem of her T-shirt, exposing her belly button and the diamond bar nestled against her skin. “For later.”
He swallowed. “Promise?”
“Oh, yeah.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?” Aaron asked.
“Yes.” Izzy sat slumped at the kitchen table. “You’re way bossier than I remember.”“You were gone a morning. How could you possibly forget anything?”
“I didn’t have to take notes before.”
“You couldn’t see the paper before.” He tapped on her yellow pad. “Chop-chop.”
“You did not just say that to me.”
“Want to arm wrestle for dominance, honey?”
Izzy laughed. “That’s okay. Back to brainstorming.”
They were talking about ways to make more use of the ranch.
“So far we’ve got renting out the facilities without staffing them,” Aaron said. “I like that. Groups can come in and do their thing, then leave. Our expenses will be minimal. We’ll charge them a cleaning fee, so there’s the insurance issues and wear and tear. And I like your idea of expanding the obstacle course.”
“I think we should talk about having kids here longer than a weekend,” she said. “What about a week at a time?” Her plan was eventually kids would take over for the whole summer, but she doubted Nick was ready to hear that.
“What additional staff would we need?” Aaron asked. “A nurse? Counselor?”
“Maybe. What about a school counselor? They have the summer off. We could invite a counselor and his or her whole family. They’d get a free vacation, we’d get the expert we need?”