When it was time for the charity auction to begin, Isabella found a seat next to Jordan. They watched as doctors outbid one another to win extravagant prizes. They auctioned off everything from tickets to the opera, to a gift basket with luxury bath items, to a night with a private chef. There was a massive bidding war for five nights at a five-star resort in Mexico. Isabella turned to see who had spent way too much money on a short vacation.
It was James.
He looked fantastic. His Armani suit coat fit perfectly, and his pants fit tight in all the right places. Isabella involuntarily licked her lips.
“He’s alone,” Jordan pointed out. “Damn, he looks fine.”
Date or not, Isabella wanted him to see what he was missing. She got up and strutted to the bar to get another glass of champagne. She posed by the bar, sipping from the flute like a socialite waiting for the paparazzi to take photos.
Jordan joined her a minute later. If James had noticed her, he was doing his best not to pay her any attention. She observed as he talked to their colleagues.
When Jordan left to speak with Dr. Jensen, Isabella was left alone at the bar. This time, she ordered a vodka tonic. She sulked as she gulped the drink.
“Have you ever been to Cabo?” a voice behind her asked.
She whipped around. It was James, waving the tickets in the air. “As a matter of fact, I have.”
“Do you want to go again?”
“Have you been drinking?” she asked suspiciously.
“Maybe,” he slurred. “I see you have been too.”
“I’m not great at social events. You know this.”
“Only the ones where you find out that your boyfriend is your brother.”
“Why are you even talking to me? I thought we were done with that.”
“The truth is, Isabella, I can’t get you out of my head. I see you at work and I want you. I want you in my home with me, curled up on the couch. I want you to come on trips with me. I want you in my bed.”
“Shh,” she hissed. “I don’t care who hears. I’ve been craving your body. I lie awake at night, dreaming of your smooth skin, your tight ass, your perfect, perky—”
“Quiet,” she warned.
“I need you, Isabella. So bad.”
She gave a sharp exhale. Oh, the things he did to her.
“I want you too,” she said, looking him straight in the eye.
Without another word, James grabbed Isabella by the wrist and pulled her out of the room. They hurried along the corridor until he found what he was looking for. He peeked in the empty coat closet. There was hardly enough room for the both of them.
He slid his hand up her thigh and yanked at her panties before loosening his belt and letting his pants fall past his knees. She slid her hand past the waistband of his underwear. He was ready to go.
He ran his lips along her neck, and she savored the sensation of his skin on hers. She gently nibbled on his ear. The hot breath in his ear always drove him wild. He forcefully hiked her skirt up, and she guided him inside her.
Isabella wrapped one leg around his waist, holding him closer to her. He grasped her ass for leverage, going deeper inside her. He touched her with his free hand, making her moan with pleasure. The sounds of her gratification sent him over the edge, and he stroked her, harder, faster. Weeks of tension between them released as they stood in the cramped closet, holding on tight to each other.
“What now?” James asked once he was dressed again. He leaned into Isabella and rested his forehead on hers.
“I don’t know.”
“I’ve been miserable without you, Isabella. I can’t stop thinking about you. I hate fighting with you.”
“Me too, but what can we do? We know that it’s going to be too difficult to stay together. You even said it yourself.”
“Is it worth working this out? I’m willing to put in the effort if you agree to put in some work, too.”
“I’m in.”
He wrapped his arms around her, picking her up so their lips met. They kissed, both not wanting to break away first.
“Come home with me tonight,” he said. “We can open a bottle of wine and talk.”
“I came here with Jordan. I can’t just ditch her.”
“I think she’ll understand.”
“Okay, let me find her. I’ll meet you at coat check.”
Isabella quickly fixed her smudged makeup and raked her fingers through her hair. She rushed back to the ballroom.
“Jordan,” she said, out of breath. “I’m going home with James. It’s a long story, and I’ll tell you all about it later. Is that okay?”
“Yes, go!” Jordan shouted with a broad smile on her face.
With her friend’s approval, she nearly ran to the entrance, where James was waiting with her coat. They got in his car and sped off. The whole ride there, her hand rested gently on the inseam of his pants.
At his house, James unbuttoned the top two buttons on his shirt, removed his tie, and rolled up his sleeves. He found a long sleeved t-shirt for Isabella.
James poured two glasses of wine and lit the fireplace. Isabella curled up next to him on the couch so that they faced each other.
“I think we need to be honest in what we want from a relationship,” James said. “I’ve said it before, but I don’t want to be dating well into my forties. I want some stability, a life partner.”
“I just don’t know how I feel about marriage. You know that.”
“What don’t you like about it?” he asked.
“I don’t hate the idea of being with the right person for a long time. I just hate the expectations that come along with it. I don’t want a big, fancy ceremony. I don’t want to have a huge legal battle if we decide it isn’t working anymore. I don’t want to quit my job and stay at home while you’re out there living the dream.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way,” he said.
“But so often, it is anyway.”
“We have such great chemistry together,” he pointed out. “I would hate for that to go to waste.”
“Yeah, I’ve never had a lover who’s as good as you. Not even close.”
They thought for a moment, both silently mulling over possible solutions.
“What if we just take things slowly?” Isabella asked. “We can be friendly, and maybe even hook up on occasion, but we don’t need to be serious or spend all of our time together. I think that things moved way too quickly the first time.”
“I want to say yes, but I can’t wait around forever, Isabella.”
“How about six months? We can re-evaluate things then.”
“Four months.”