Page 29 of Isolated (Harper Security Ops #21)

“I’m disappointed I can’t go back to change anything, but I can promise you that I’m going to do everything I can to make up for the time we lost.”

Her eyes sparkled, and the smile that spread across her face transformed her. “I’m looking forward to it, even if I’m nervous. I swear, it’s like I’ve got a thousand butterflies in my belly right now.”

Was it too soon to fall in love?

Iris had a confidence about her that I’d always admired. Even though she claimed to have some nerves, she wasn’t shy about sharing that. If she was like this all the time, always open and sharing exactly how she felt, I didn’t think I’d ever want for anything else.

I reached across the table. “Give me your hand.”

Her eyes dropped to my open hand before she lightly placed hers against it. The second her fingertips touched my skin, I clasped her hand firmly in mine.

“What are you nervous about?”

“Well, now I’m even more nervous with you touching me.” I moved to release her hand, but she grasped my fingers before I could. “They’re good nerves. It’s exciting being here with you. That’s all.”

Nodding my understanding, feeling warmth move through me, my lips twitched. “I can understand that. If that’s all it is, that’s okay. If it’s anything else, you need to know that you do not have anything to be nervous about with me. Okay?”

Her fingers squeezed my hand. “Okay.”

Our server returned with our entrees, forcing us to separate our linked hands, and took our empty salad plates away.

After Iris took her first bite, I asked, “How is it? Are you glad we came here?”

“It is so delicious. Truly, this is amazing. But you should know that I would have been happy going through a fast-food drive through with you, too.”

“I’m trying to impress you, though.”

She waved her hand in the air dismissively. “You did that ages ago.”

“I did? When?”

“Have you not seen the amount of weight you lift in the gym? I’d collapse under most of that.”

No matter how hard I tried to stop it, my effort was futile. The laughter burst out of me, my head dropping back as my body shook with the force of it. It took me some time to pull myself together, and when I did, returning my attention to Iris, she was looking at me with an expression of awe.

“What’s that look for?”

She slowly released a breath, her hand resting flat against her chest. “That’s the first I’ve ever seen that.”

“Seen what? ”

“You’ve never laughed like that around me before. You’ve never smiled so huge that I’ve seen your teeth while you do it. Seeing you laugh like that was magical. It completely transformed you.”

Apparently, she’d been observing me for a long time. I found it hard to believe that I hadn’t ever laughed like that when I was with her, but perhaps it was true. Maybe I had been unwilling to let myself go too much around her for fear I might cross a line that she didn’t want me to.

But understanding how much she enjoyed it, and knowing how I felt every time I saw her laugh, I vowed to loosen up a bit and allow myself to just enjoy each second that I had with her.

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize.”

One half of my mouth quirked. “No. I think I do. Because I think what you’re feeling is similar to what I felt when I saw you in a dress for the first time that night at the pub.

You were still you in so many ways, but it was also like you’d undergone this huge transformation.

I don’t know how I kept my composure that night. ”

A knowing smile washed over her expression. “Were you spending time enjoying all the effort I’ve put in with you at the gym?”

I groaned. “Iris, if you only knew the self-control I’ve had to practice for the better part of a year or more now.”

Her lips parted, a hint of surprise taking hold, but as she tucked her chin toward her chest, her brilliant green irises darkened. “That long?”

It was an effort to hold back a second groan. Did she have to work to be this seductive, or did it come naturally? Nodding, I confirmed, “It hasn’t been easy, and I know this is only our first official date, but you’re already worth the wait.”

“I still can’t believe we’re doing this after all this time.

It’s a little crazy to think we were both holding ourselves back for so long.

As upset as I was about what happened at work, I’m kind of grateful for it now.

Otherwise, you might have wound up on a blind date, and I’d be home working right now. ”

I reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m not sure if I could have followed through with the blind date.”

“Really? You wouldn’t go on one?”

Shaking my head, I explained, “It’s not really my thing. But beyond that, even if I had agreed to go, I think I might have spent the entire time comparing her to you. It wouldn’t be fair.”

Iris tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and took a sip of her drink. “You better be careful, Landen.”

“About what?”

“If you keep saying all these wonderful things to me, I might not want this date to end.”

My laughter filled the air around us again. I couldn’t think of anything I wanted more, and the reality left me just a touch disappointed with myself. Whether she could sense the mood shift, I didn’t know, but I sent her an apologetic look. “To be honest, I’m feeling a bit of regret.”

“You regret coming out with me?”

“No.” I released her hand and lifted my glass to my lips. After swallowing the cool liquid, I said, “I regret that I didn’t plan anything to do with you after dinner because, like you, I’m not sure I’m going to be ready for this date to end once dinner is done.”

She studied me, her eyes roaming over my face. Or that’s what I thought she’d been doing. A moment later, I learned she’d been thinking up a solution. “Tomorrow is Saturday.”

“Right.”

“So, if you take me home tonight after dinner, you can come back in the morning, and we can go on another date.”

Relief swept in.

I’d already been thinking about the next time I’d be able to spend more time with her. It was a huge relief to know she was just as eager for it as I was. “I like the way your mind works. Do you have anything special you’d like to do?”

“Nothing specific yet, but we can brainstorm a few options and decide before we leave here tonight.”

Easy.

So easy.

Everything with Iris was just simple. Peaceful. And fun.

She made me laugh, and she didn’t take things too seriously. I’d struck gold with her, and I was convinced I’d never want to let her go.

We spent the rest of our time at dinner coming up with ideas for a fun date tomorrow, and we wound up splitting a dessert at the end.

Before I knew it, long before I wanted it to happen, I was standing outside Iris’s front door with her.

“I had such a wonderful time with you tonight, Landen.”

Instinctively, my hands went to her hips and tugged her toward me. The desire was swirling in her eyes, and I didn’t think I’d be able to walk away from her looking at me like that a second time without kissing her .

“I’m glad. I enjoyed myself as well, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with you tomorrow.”

Her lips parted. “We have a lot of time to make up for.”

Sliding one arm around her waist, I brought my other hand up toward her face, where I pinched her chin lightly between my thumb and forefinger.

“Yes, we do.” My thumb drifted along her bottom lip, that lip I’d been distracted by for longer than I cared to admit.

“Can I make up for some lost time in another area? Can I kiss you?”

Iris whispered, “I was hoping you would.”

The corners of my mouth tipped up in a smile as I leaned in. A heartbeat later, my lips touched hers.

Jolts of electricity shot through my body, a fluttering sensation hitting the center of my chest. It took superhuman effort to keep my hands from drifting too far as my lips and tongue coaxed and teased hers.

And when a moan crawled up her throat, the sound of it had my cock throbbing.

One moan.

One kiss.

What would this woman do to me when we took things between us further than a simple kiss at the end of a date?

I didn’t know who I was trying to kid.

There was nothing about Iris and the way she kissed that was simple.

It was gorgeous, unrelenting, and utterly seductive.

She moaned again, and this time, I groaned, slid my tongue against hers one more time, and begrudgingly tore my mouth from hers. I rested my forehead against hers, both of us attempting to get our breathing under control.

“Wow,” she whispered.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “Wow.”

I pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. When I pulled back a second time, she urged my mouth to hers again and slid her tongue past my lips. I captured it, tasting her again, and realizing I’d never tire of this. Not in a hundred years.

Eventually, we separated our mouths from one another again. “I should get going so I can get back here to pick you up in the morning.”

“Yeah. Okay.” Her words were a breathy whisper.

Smiling against her mouth, I said, “Goodnight, Iris.”

She kissed me again. “Goodnight, Landen.”

I touched my lips to her cheek, took the steps down off her porch, and waited until she opened her door and stepped inside before I walked away to my car.

By the time I got home, I thought the effects of her kiss would have worn off, but they didn’t. I could still taste her on my tongue.

Tomorrow morning couldn’t come soon enough.