Page 28 of Isolated (Harper Security Ops #21)

Landen

My thoughts were all over the place.

Feeling like there was a drum beating in my chest, a tingling warmth spread throughout my body.

Iris and I had only just sat down for dinner, but I was already thrilled with how this night was going. I was happy and undeniably grateful to finally have the chance to take this gorgeous woman with her sunny disposition out on a date.

And as I sat across from her at the table, I asked myself how good it could possibly get. If it was already this good, I could only assume or, perhaps, hope that the night was only going to get better from here.

On some level, I was terrified to speak. I’d waited so long to have this with Iris that I didn’t want to say or do anything that might prematurely end this .

Confident as ever, Iris broke the silence. “This feels strange.”

Not exactly the words I’d hoped to hear. “Strange?”

She nodded. “Don’t you think so? I mean, we’re here doing this after all this time. And we’re at The Ridge, of all places.”

“You don’t like The Ridge?”

Shaking her head, Iris replied, “I don’t know. This is my first time here. I just… Well, it’s no secret this place is rather upscale. I’m surprised you’d want to bring me here for our first date.”

First date.

That seemed like such an impossibility when I already felt a strong sense of connection to this woman. Months and months of friendship and mornings working out together had led to a state of closeness with her that I hadn’t ever experienced with anyone else I’d ever taken out on a first date.

Any worries I had about screwing this up had to be put on the back burner, though. Whatever was going to happen would happen, because I refused to do anything that didn’t involve putting my full effort into this evening with her. And that meant being transparent with her about everything.

“I think I’ve made it clear that I’ve wanted to be able to do this for such a long time with you,” I told her.

A smile played at her lips. “You have.”

“So, then you can understand why I intended to do things right.”

“Simply wanting to have dinner with me and spending time with me is enough, Landen,” she insisted. “This is gorgeous. I’m sure it’s going to be fantastic, and I can’t tell you how much I love being here with you. But it’s extravagant.”

Of all that she’d said, it was hearing her admit that she loved being here with me that hit me square in the chest. I had to take a moment to allow that news to digest before I could speak.

“If you’re happy to be here, that’s all that matters to me, Iris.

I don’t want you to worry about a thing, and I want you to order yourself whatever you want. ”

“Are you sure?”

I dipped my chin. “Positive.”

She inclined her head with understanding, and for the next few minutes, the two of us perused the menus until our server arrived to take our dinner selections.

Once he walked off, leaving us alone with no menus as distractions, I thought it was only fair I was the one who broke the silence this time.

“You know, I can sense you feel some overwhelming gratitude for me bringing you here, but really, I should be the one thanking you for being willing to accept my invite,” I shared.

Iris leaned in my direction, her forearms resting on the table. “Why would you need to thank me for that?”

“Aside from the obvious reason of me having wanted this for a while, there’s the fact that you’re saving me from a blind date,” I explained.

Her brows shot up in surprise. “A blind date?”

I nodded. “One set up by my mom.”

“Oh, that sounds…”

“Terrible?”

She nodded, biting her lip while sending an apologetic look my way .

“Yeah, I know. My mom is devastated over the fact that I’m not in a serious relationship, and she saw me dressed in my suit the day I went to the wedding. It nearly sent her into a tailspin to learn I didn’t have a date for the evening.”

In an instant, Iris seemed to be transported somewhere other than this restaurant. Her eyes became slightly unfocused as she sat back and stroked her fingers through a lock of her hair that had fallen over the front of her shoulder.

“Iris?”

Blinking, her lips parted. “Yeah?”

I wanted to drag my thumb along that bottom lip before I kissed her. “Are you okay?”

She swallowed roughly. “Sorry. I was just imagining you in a suit.”

My muscles tensed. She’d been looking at me like that, thinking about how I might look in a suit? I could have sworn I saw a hint of desire swirling in her eyes the entire time.

Maybe if I pushed things, I could do more than just kiss her mouth. It seemed Iris wasn’t shy at all about sharing her deepest thoughts and desires.

“Did you get a full picture in your mind, or did you need me to model one for you sometime?” I teased.

She narrowed her eyes at me. “At least I don’t have my mom trying to set me up on a blind date.”

I laughed. “No? Then tell me why I had to go to The Steel Pub last weekend just to make sure nobody else scooped you up.”

Iris arched a brow, a hint of a smile playing at her lips. “ Because you didn’t do anything to scoop me up before then.”

Now it was my turn to squint at her. She wasn’t playing fair, but I loved that she was playing at all.

I should have known it would be just like this with her.

She’d always been playful with any conversations we had at the gym, but there was no telling if that would carry through to a date like this. I was glad to know it did.

“And with each day that passes, I’m reminded of what a fool I was.”

As though sensing that touch of despondency in my tone, Iris felt compelled to reassure me. “You weren’t a fool, Landen. Based on what you told me, I think you were being a gentleman.”

I shrugged. “Maybe. But it could have cost me this chance to get to know you better, to see if there’s something worth exploring here.”

Laughter spilled out of her. “I guess. But let’s be honest with ourselves. As you already know, nobody was banging down my door.”

Though that was such a relief, it still stunned me. “I’m still trying to figure that one out.”

“You’re not alone. All the women in my family are just as puzzled.”

“Just the women?”

She grinned. “My dad and my grandfather are just proud of my focus on my career and those accomplishments. Though they won’t come right out and say it, I suspect they feel much like my mom, grandmother, and my sisters.

They won’t push for it to happen, but I think they all believe I’d be married by now. ”

I was intrigued. From where I stood, Iris was gorgeous, funny, and confident. I could see what made her appealing, but I wondered if the things I found so charming about her were the same for her family. “Is there a reason for that?”

Before she could respond, our server returned with our dinner salads.

When he walked off, Iris picked up her utensils, set them on the edge of her plate, and draped her napkin across her lap.

As she reached for her fork, she answered, “Part of it might be that I’m getting older.

I’m thirty-one now, so time’s ticking. But I think the biggest reason they expected it is because of who I am. ”

“Who you are?”

Nodding, she revealed, “I’m the kind of girl who gets lost at the beach.”

I tipped my chin up and out to one side, my curiosity piqued. “Is getting lost at the beach a euphemism for something?”

“Nope.”

“You got lost at the beach?”

“I did.”

“I’m so confused. What happened, and what does this have to do with your family thinking you’d be married by now?”

Her eyes brightened. “I like to talk to people. And I’m the kind of girl who can make friends just about anywhere I go.

When I was eight, we took a vacation to the beach.

On our second day there, I had my whole family panicking for over an hour.

I guess they’d gotten distracted by my sisters, and when they looked up, they couldn’t find me. ”

My fork was halfway to my mouth when she stopped speaking. “Where were you? ”

“I’d gone for a stroll down the beach with another family.”

“What?”

“The daughter had the most beautiful collection of sea glass,” she declared proudly. “I’d only ever collected shells, so I wanted to see some of the pieces she’d gathered. They were stunning.”

I shook my head slowly, doing my best to hold back my laughter. “So, you left your family terrified while you checked out a sea glass collection?”

She tipped her head slightly to one side and shrugged. “You would have needed to see the collection to understand my fascination. And anyway, it all turned out fine in the end. I’m still here. I’m just not married.”

“Then I guess that only leaves me with one question…”

“What’s that?”

“Have you not found anyone you were interested in dating recently?”

“I wouldn’t say that.” When I offered no response beyond a questioning look, Iris took a sip of her drink and set down her glass.

“I’m the kind of woman who will talk to just about anyone, but I like to think I’m rather traditional when it comes to dating.

I might like a guy, but I won’t be the one to make the first move. ”

And to think I’d been waiting for months for her to give me some sign at the gym that she was interested. If it hadn’t been for what happened with her emails at work, it’s unlikely we’d have been on this date right now.

But now that I knew how her mind worked, I’d be able to act accordingly while moving forward. I’d have no problem taking the lead, if that’s what she needed, what she wanted .

“Oh, I wish I would have acted sooner.”

“I wish you would have, too.” I couldn’t miss the gleam in her eyes. “I spent so much time crushing on you, and I swear, all I thought you wanted was to be my gym buddy.”

If it wasn’t for the fact that Iris was sitting across from me with such happiness and seduction in her expression, I might have allowed the regret I felt to consume me. I was a private investigator, and somehow, I hadn’t noticed that Iris had a crush on me for months.

Months.

I’d wasted so much time.