onto the punishment, as you call it.” He paused, and she tapped the fingers of her right hand on the table as she waited for him to continue. “I’m thinking dinner. Also some wine, maybe conversation, and soft candlelight? Does it sound too horrible to you, lass?”
“Oh, well, now that does sound pretty horrible. Horribly wonderful. I love it.”
“Great. How’s Monday night for you? Are you free? Not working, I hope?”
“Oh, no. I’m free. I usually have a flexible schedule.” She rushed to assure him while frowning at the blank page in front of her. The cursor blinking rapidly taunted her and she flinched. Maybe she sounded too eager.
“Sounds good to me. If you give me your address, I’ll pick you up at eight.”
After providing him her address, they’d hung up and time had proceeded to stand absolutely still. She gave up trying to work on her current manuscript and closed her laptop.
Her characters were giving her a hard time. Her hero wanted to leave her heroine, and she couldn’t allow that. But they were fighting her…and winning.
Her writing wasn’t going nearly as smoothly as she would like.
Kind of like her life.
***
Isaac glanced in the mirror one last time when his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket as he sighed and answered without bothering to look at the caller ID. Only his friends had the number to his cell, so he knew the call would not be a professional one.
“Hello?”
“Hey, remember the problem we discussed on Saturday?” Connor asked. His voice came through urgent, yet hushed, as if he were afraid of being overheard. The clanging of pots in the background confirmed Isaac’s suspicions. Connor called him from work.
“Mmm-hmm,” he murmured.
“Tonight, at one in the morning.”
He glanced at his watch, noting he needed to leave in five minutes to pick up Sabrina. “Okay, I’ll be there.” He hung up his phone and paced. He kicked the couch and cursed at having not acted fast enough. This could have been avoided if he had been more proactive. But instead, they were embroiled in a tangled mess, disturbingly familiar, and he didn’t like it one bit.
Isaac ran his hands through his hair and finished his preparations for the evening before leaving for Sabrina’s house on time, despite the addition to his post-date plans. It wouldn’t do at all to be late since he couldn’t afford to get off on the wrong foot. It remained imperative he’d get as close to her as possible.
***
At eight o’clock sharp, Isaac knocked on Sabrina’s door. It swung open a few seconds later, and he drew in a breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding in.
She looked gorgeous. Too bloody gorgeous.
“Hello, Isaac.” She answered the door smiling, dressed in a black T-shirt and tight jeans that clung to her hips like a second skin.
God, he’d pay anything get into those jeans. Hell, to be her jeans.
“Hello, Sabrina. You look wonderful.”
His hand had been behind his back, but he brought it forward to hold out a bouquet of lavender roses for her. Something crossed in her eyes that looked like apprehension, but it melted away as she smiled.
“These pale in comparison to you, but I thought you’d like them regardless.” He grinned as she took them from his hand and brought them to her nose to inhale their fragrant scent.
“Thank you, so much. I love them, truly.”
She headed to the kitchen, and he remained in the doorway, feeling uncertain. Should he follow her, or stay in the doorway? She paused and blinked rapidly while she tilted her head to the side and stared at him.
“Please, come in. I’m going to put these in some water.” She made a sweeping gesture to invite him inside.
He grinned as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He followed her into the kitchen and remarked, “This is a beautiful house you have. So quiet and charming.”
“Thank you. Truth be told, I fell in love at first sight. It seemed to call to
“Oh, well, now that does sound pretty horrible. Horribly wonderful. I love it.”
“Great. How’s Monday night for you? Are you free? Not working, I hope?”
“Oh, no. I’m free. I usually have a flexible schedule.” She rushed to assure him while frowning at the blank page in front of her. The cursor blinking rapidly taunted her and she flinched. Maybe she sounded too eager.
“Sounds good to me. If you give me your address, I’ll pick you up at eight.”
After providing him her address, they’d hung up and time had proceeded to stand absolutely still. She gave up trying to work on her current manuscript and closed her laptop.
Her characters were giving her a hard time. Her hero wanted to leave her heroine, and she couldn’t allow that. But they were fighting her…and winning.
Her writing wasn’t going nearly as smoothly as she would like.
Kind of like her life.
***
Isaac glanced in the mirror one last time when his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket as he sighed and answered without bothering to look at the caller ID. Only his friends had the number to his cell, so he knew the call would not be a professional one.
“Hello?”
“Hey, remember the problem we discussed on Saturday?” Connor asked. His voice came through urgent, yet hushed, as if he were afraid of being overheard. The clanging of pots in the background confirmed Isaac’s suspicions. Connor called him from work.
“Mmm-hmm,” he murmured.
“Tonight, at one in the morning.”
He glanced at his watch, noting he needed to leave in five minutes to pick up Sabrina. “Okay, I’ll be there.” He hung up his phone and paced. He kicked the couch and cursed at having not acted fast enough. This could have been avoided if he had been more proactive. But instead, they were embroiled in a tangled mess, disturbingly familiar, and he didn’t like it one bit.
Isaac ran his hands through his hair and finished his preparations for the evening before leaving for Sabrina’s house on time, despite the addition to his post-date plans. It wouldn’t do at all to be late since he couldn’t afford to get off on the wrong foot. It remained imperative he’d get as close to her as possible.
***
At eight o’clock sharp, Isaac knocked on Sabrina’s door. It swung open a few seconds later, and he drew in a breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding in.
She looked gorgeous. Too bloody gorgeous.
“Hello, Isaac.” She answered the door smiling, dressed in a black T-shirt and tight jeans that clung to her hips like a second skin.
God, he’d pay anything get into those jeans. Hell, to be her jeans.
“Hello, Sabrina. You look wonderful.”
His hand had been behind his back, but he brought it forward to hold out a bouquet of lavender roses for her. Something crossed in her eyes that looked like apprehension, but it melted away as she smiled.
“These pale in comparison to you, but I thought you’d like them regardless.” He grinned as she took them from his hand and brought them to her nose to inhale their fragrant scent.
“Thank you, so much. I love them, truly.”
She headed to the kitchen, and he remained in the doorway, feeling uncertain. Should he follow her, or stay in the doorway? She paused and blinked rapidly while she tilted her head to the side and stared at him.
“Please, come in. I’m going to put these in some water.” She made a sweeping gesture to invite him inside.
He grinned as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He followed her into the kitchen and remarked, “This is a beautiful house you have. So quiet and charming.”
“Thank you. Truth be told, I fell in love at first sight. It seemed to call to
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