16. Isaac
16
ISAAC
I walked through the front door and kissed Maddie on the cheek before giving Luca a backslapping bug. “Congrats, man. You start planning your retirement now that you’re an old married man?”
Luca threw his head back and laughed. “Pretty sure you told me to start saving for retirement when you invested in the company.”
“And did you?”
Luca gave me a look that said, No shit, Sherlock .
I was one of Luca’s first investors for DeRossi Hospitality. He could cook like no one else, had a big vision for the company, and was more fiscally responsible than most restaurateurs. That translated into profitable businesses and happy employees.
His most recent acquisition turned out pretty damn well. Not only did he buy Revanche—an award-winning restaurant here in Beaufort—he also found himself a wife.
Maddie showed me to the guest room. After finding the house for Luca and overseeing the sale, I could navigate it like it was my own. But I tolerated that pesky southern hospitality Maddie always insisted on .
“Feel free to take a nap or relax. You’re probably tired from… Where were you again?” Maddie asked.
“Dubai.” The trip was so fast, my body wasn’t sure what time zone it was in. Hell, I hadn’t even had time to text Hannah and tell her I was in town. It was Thanksgiving, and Luca insisted I didn’t spend it alone, eating take-out.
I faintly remembered Hannah saying she was spending Thanksgiving with Chase and Kristin before packing for New York.
I’d give her space today and then surprise her on the plane tomorrow.
“Thanks, Maddie.”
“Did you find anything to do after the wedding?” she asked innocently. There was something brewing behind her gray eyes. The wicked smirk on the corner of her mouth was a dead giveaway. “I know Beaufort can be a little quiet in the off-season. I would just hate it if you were bored.”
She didn’t seem sorry in the slightest.
I chuckled and shook my head. “Left the inn the morning after. Had to get back to the grind.” What I did in the hours between the end of the wedding, when I crashed at Hannah’s, and when I finally hopped on a plane would stay between Hell Yes Ma’am and me.
Maddie tossed her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder and said, “Pity you weren’t able to spend more time here.” She turned and lingered in the doorway. “Anyway, you rest up. I’ll send Luca to come get you when the food’s ready.”
Whatever Maddie was up to, I didn’t care. Sleep was a good idea, even if it was just for a few minutes.
When I finally rolled over and opened my eyes, it was damn near two o’clock in the afternoon.
Fuck. I slept straight through lunch.
I slid back into my dress pants, tucked my shirt in, straightened my tie, and slipped on my loafers. If this was a formal affair, I’d come back and grab my suit jacket. But if the ruckus coming from the direction of the kitchen was anything to judge the afternoon by, it was going to be laid back.
I padded down the hallway and turned the corner. The kitchen was packed. Luca and Maddie were shouting orders and the rest of their friends were in a tizzy, arranging dishes in a giant buffet.
Yeah, it was a good thing I ditched the suit jacket. Everyone wore pants with elastic waistbands. It looked more like a pajama party than a holiday dinner. Then again, my folks aired on the side of occasions that were professionally catered and styled.
The girls were in leggings and yoga pants, and the guys were in sweats.
Except for her.
Hannah looked up from her spot between the sweet potatoes and macaroni and cheese, where she was setting out serving spoons. Her mouth was gaping in shock.
While everyone was in loungewear, she was in a wrap dress with a neckline that dipped low between her tits and a hem that stopped at mid-thigh. Surprisingly, she was barefoot, but I caught a glimpse of her high heels sitting neatly beside the front door.
Luca looked between the two of us and said, “Play nice, children.”
Maddie grinned like the Cheshire cat. “Isaac, do you mind helping HJ put out the silverware?”
Hannah Jane’s eyes turned to saucers. All heads turned to look at her, and she quickly steeled her expression.
Just because we weren’t making our private business known didn’t mean I couldn’t have a little fun, teasing the hell out of her.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Hell Yes Ma’am. Nice to see you again.”
Hannah rolled her eyes, but I saw the inkling of a smile quirk at the corner of her mouth. “Knives and spoons go on the right. Forks go on the left.”
I stood behind her and reached around, grabbing half of the utensils she had in her hand. Static bounced between us. I was certain that blue sparks would fly off the silverware the moment our fingers brushed.
Hannah’s breath hitched. My crotch brushed against her ass. If I looked down, I’d be able to see straight down her dress.
She had been so distracted that she dropped the utensils, sending them to the floor in a clatter.
“Holy shit.” The gasp came from a short woman with a dark complexion and thin braids twisted up into a bun on top of her head. She was wearing light blue scrubs and had a vat of mashed potatoes in her hands.
The rest of Maddie and Luca’s friends stopped what they were doing and stared at us. Well, except for the men. Luca, Steve, and Chase looked like they were plotting a murder.
Mine, to be exact.
Luckily, the doorbell rang, distracting the mob.
“I got it,” I said through gritted teeth as I bent down to pick up the fallen silverware.
Hannah didn’t say a damn thing. One of the girls—Kristin from the inn—pulled her away and whispered, “Oh my God. That was so hot, it turned me on! ”
I did a sloppy job of putting the silverware beside the plates just because I knew it would piss Hannah off. Luca tilted his head toward the stairs. I followed him down to the speakeasy I convinced him to put into the basement when he was renovating.
As soon as my foot hit the floor, a hand shoved me against the wall. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the sexy kind. It was the homicidal kind.
“What did I tell you at the wedding? Huh?” Luca hissed, backing off and cracking his knuckles before sticking his finger in my face. “I told you not to fuck with her. That’s Maddie’s best friend. ”
Before I could get an explanation out, footsteps thundered down the stairs. Steve Pelham and Chase Brannan joined the party.
Chase looked down. “Is blood easy to get out of the flooring?”
Luca’s deadly glare didn’t leave me. “Don’t care. I’ll replace the whole damn thing if I have to.”
“Works for me,” Steve chimed in.
“Before you rearrange my face, have you considered, you know, talking like grown-ass men?” I asked.
Steve stroked his beard. No way in hell I could take him. The dude was built like The Hulk. Chase was lean, but he looked capable of inflicting some serious damage. Luca was the least of my worries. I could sic his Nonna on him.
“Keep your hands off of HJ, and we won’t have a problem,” Chase clipped.
Steve crossed his arms.
I chuckled and raised my hands in surrender. “She doesn’t like me. Nothing you have to worry about.”
That was good enough for Steve. As soon as he heard his baby crying, he was taking the stairs two at a time.
“Besides. She’s seeing someone,” Chase said.
What?
Apparently, that was news to Luca too. He wasn’t very expressive, but we’d been friends for a long time. I could read him like a book.
Jealousy bubbled up in my throat. I shoved it down.
No feelings. That was the agreement. She could date around all she wanted, but sex was exclusive. I didn’t doubt she’d been faithful to the deal, but I hated the thought of her seeing other men. The idea of her getting dressed up and going out on the town.
Did they make her feel the things I did? Did they make her breath catch in her throat? Did they make her pulse fly? Did they make her heart race ?
Maddie shouted from the top of the stairs, telling us to get our asses upstairs before the food got cold.
Chase jumped at the order and raced to the kitchen.
“Don’t fuck with her,” Luca growled.
I smirked and crossed my arms. “C’mon, man. You know me.”
“Exactly,” he clipped. “I know that you’re a good guy, but I also know how much she wants something that you’re not up for.”
My smile dropped. “And who are you to make that judgment?”
“I’m looking out for my friend.”
“I thought I was your friend,” I countered. “What happened to bros before hoes?”
Luca chuckled. “You think I’m just protecting her?” He shook his head. “Southern women are a special breed. They’re the take-no-prisoners type. You hurt one of them, and you’ll have hell to pay. The girls upstairs are scary as fuck.”
“You’re scared of Maddie?”
I mean, she was crazy, but in a fun way.
He threw his head back and laughed. “Hell yeah. I’m fucking terrified of her. But I’ll let you in on a secret—if your girl doesn’t scare the shit out of you at least a little, she isn’t worth it.”
I chewed on that little nugget of newly married wisdom throughout the meal. I also debated what kind of a guy Hannah had been seeing.
He was probably in sales or marketing. Probably drove a boring-ass gray car with a high safety rating.
Probably thought a beer and a ballgame was a lively Friday night.
Probably wore chinos and button-ups in a blend of beige, tan, and khaki. Boring and predictable.
He probably had a name like Billy or Doug.
Doug wasn’t a name she could moan. He was probably some two-pump chump that couldn’t even get her off.
I hated Doug. And he wasn’t even real .
Luck was on my side because, as each of us went through the buffet line, Maddie stood at the end and told us where to sit.
Hannah looked less than pleased to be stuck next to me. Maybe she was just as on edge as I was. I wasn’t used to being around her and not being able to touch her. The scent of her perfume had my dick revving to go. Good thing the edge of the tablecloth hid the tent in my pants.
When the rest of the table was distracted, listening to Maddie and Luca tell stories from the honeymoon, I leaned over and murmured in Hannah’s ear. “Are you wearing panties tonight, Princess?”
She jolted into a ramrod straight posture and dropped her fork into her pile of green bean casserole. No one noticed. Hannah gave her head a subtle nod.
This was going to be fun.
“Take them off,” I said casually, just low enough so that only she could hear.
Hannah choked on her wine. “Excuse me?”
“Panties off.” I slipped my hand under the table and opened my palm.
She looked around at all her friends, and then hissed through gritted teeth, “Are you out of your mind?”
“Quite possibly, yes.” I slid my hand further up her thigh. “Take them off, or I will.”
Hannah swallowed nervously. The wheels were spinning in her mind.
It turned her on. She wanted to. She was going to.
“I didn’t know you were going to be here,” she said from behind her napkin as she dabbed her lips.
“That makes two of us.” I squeezed her thigh, reminding her that I had given her an order.
Her brown eyes darted left and right, but no one was looking.
“Tick-tock, Princess,” I mumbled .
Hannah hid her hands under the hem of the tablecloth. Her ass left the seat just long enough for her to shimmy her lace thong down to her knees. To anyone else, it just looked like she scooted forward in her chair.
Her fingers brushed against mine as she shoved her thong into my waiting hand.
And then she downed her entire glass of wine.
“Happy?” she muttered while grabbing the bottle from the middle of the table and pouring herself more.
I dragged my thumb across the silky gusset, feeling the evidence of her arousal. “Ecstatic.” I smirked, pocketing her thong for later.
“So, Isaac,” Maddie smiled from across the table. “How long are you in town?”
“I’ll be heading back to New York tomorrow,” I said, sliding my hand up Hannah’s leg under the table. “There are some things I need to take care of in the city.”
Hannah hid her smile behind her glass of wine.
Luca nodded in solidarity. “I’ll be there for a few days next week.”
“Meeting with your investors?” I asked, bending my wrist and sliding my middle finger through her wet pussy. If Hannah wasn’t careful, there’d be a damp spot on her dress.
Luca laughed. “You’d know if you ever showed up to one.”
I flicked Hannah’s clit. The death grip she had on her fork and knife made her knuckles turn white. “As long as I keep getting good returns, I’ll keep sending a proxy.”
“Hannah, are you okay?” Erica, Steve’s fiancé, asked.
I slid a finger inside her pussy and stroked her walls.
She clamped her mouth shut and pretended to chew a bite. “Mhmm.”
I added another finger and flicked her clit with my thumb.
Erica frowned. “You sure? Your face looks really red. ”
I looked down at Hannah with a nefarious grin. “You need to get some air?” With my free hand, I grabbed my napkin and wiped my mouth. “I’ll step outside with you, Hell Yes Ma’am.”
The walls of her pussy clenched around my fingers. Hannah subtly rocked her hips into the seat, desperate for more.
“Be nice, Isaac,” Maddie chided.
I stroked Hannah’s G-spot. “I’m always nice.” Right when she was on the edge, I pulled my fingers away and discreetly cleaned them off with my napkin.
Hannah looked like she was about to explode.
“You know,” she began, adjusting her dress and sliding away from the table. “A little air might be a good idea. Excuse me.” She disappeared while the rest of Maddie and Luca’s entourage cleared the dishes and packed up the leftovers.
Not even a minute later, my phone vibrated. I fished it out from the pocket where I hid her panties and read the text.
Hannah Jane
Downstairs in the wine cellar.
Naughty girl.
I snuck down to Luca’s man cave, lingering a minute to make sure no one else came down. When the coast was clear, I quietly turned the handle to the walk-in closet turned wine cellar.
Hannah fisted my button up and dragged me inside. “Took you long enough,” she snapped, fumbling with my belt buckle like a madwoman.
“Need something, Princess?”
“Yeah. You to finish me.”
“Could’ve just asked nicely at the table,” I said as I shoved her against the wall, pulled my dick out, and rolled a condom on. “I would have been happy to oblige.”
Hannah hitched her leg around my hip and held onto my shoulders as I sank deep into her pussy. She let out a desperate breath. “I needed that,” she whispered, digging her fingers into my shirt.
“Tell me what else you need, Princess,” I commanded, snapping my hips in quick succession. She fit me like a damn velvet glove. Custom-tailored to every inch.
“Just your cock.”
“That’s it?” I reached up and tangled my fingers in her hair, yanking her head up, forcing her to look at me. “Just my cock? Or do you miss my mouth? Do you miss hearing all the things I want to do to you?”
What I really wanted to ask is if she missed me .
Just sex. That’s all this is. All it will ever be. Make moves, and then move on. No attachments.
Hannah keened when I yanked the neckline of her dress down and rolled her nipple between my fingers. She opened her mouth to cry out, but I clapped my hand over her lips, muffling the sound.
I drove into her cunt even harder. “Be quiet, or I’ll make you be quiet.”
Her eyebrows darted up. I pinched her nipples again, demanding a reaction. She bit her lip hard and moaned.
“Told you to be quiet,” I warned.
“I’m close,” she whimpered.
I pulled her thong out of my pocket. “Open that sassy mouth of yours.”
Her lips parted on command. I balled up her panties and held them in front of her mouth. “Bite. Maybe that’ll help you do as you’re told.”
Her pussy clamped down on my cock like a vise grip. Her head tilted back. Her cheeks were flushed as she held on to her lacy underwear with her teeth. Every muscle in her body wracked with a shudder of euphoria. Hannah collapsed against me, gasping for breath.
I smoothed her hair away from her face and gingerly took her panties back. She licked her lips and then looked up at me with wide eyes. “That was fucking awesome.”
I chuckled quietly and slid her panties into my pocket. She wouldn’t be getting them back. “Eighteen hours, then we’ll be on a plane to the city.”
Hannah straightened her dress and double-checked her appearance in the reflection of a wine bottle. “I’m nervous.”
“About New York?”
She nodded.
“Well,” I said, pulling her in for a kiss. “Let’s go upstairs and eat some pumpkin pie and pretend to hate each other.”
She giggled. “Who said I’m pretending?”
I tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned in. Softly, I said, “I don’t know about you, but I’m pretending.”
Her eyes lowered to half-mast as she stared at my lips. “I think I might be pretending too.” She was scared. It was written all over her face. Damn near terrified.
“Don’t overthink things.”
“Pie,” she said on a sigh and then smiled. “And then New York.”
I motioned to the door. “After you.”
Hannah opened the door and walked into the man cave before stopping dead in her tracks. Melissa and Kristin were sitting on one of the couches with matching glasses of wine and wide eyes.
Melissa was the first to speak up. “I’m just going to pretend like I didn’t hear any of that.”
Kristin just giggled.
Hannah glared at them both. “I have contractor-sized garbage bags and a whole stash of OxiClean. They’ll never find your bodies.”
The two of them zipped their lips.
I put my hands on Hannah’s shoulders and felt the tension melt away. “Pie and then New York,” I reminded her. “I have plenty of money to bail you out, but let’s save murder for another day.”