A moody beauty who was making him insane. Yet he didn’t blame her; she’d been through something horrific. If only she’d let Isaac help her, hold her, love her. He shoved those unrealistic ideas away. He was her protection. Hopefully, talking to her dad would help him remember that. “She’s fine. We’ve spent time running, swimming, and she’s cooked and baked almost nonstop.”
Her dad chuckled. “Sounds like her mother. Cooking always soothed both of them. I’m sure you don’t mind eating it either.”
“No, sir. She’s an incredible cook.”
“Are you … getting too friendly?”
He wished. His mind reflected back on last night, when she’d put scents on him, leaned so close, blown on his neck, and then kissed it. They’d been friendly then. Sadly, he wasn’t lying that they weren’t “friendly” right now. “No, sir.”
“Thank you for being there for her, son.”
Isaac squinted at the quiet house. He wished he could be there for her in ways her father would not appreciate. “Of course. Any developments with Lansky?”
“I’ve got several private investigators following him around the clock, shooting pictures and videos. It’s going great. The man’s a snake and loves to intimidate, threaten, and hurt others, definitely thinks he’s above the law. I think by tomorrow, or the day after, I’ll have enough to turn it all over to a friend in the FBI. By the end of the week, Cosette will be safely back in her lab and you’ll be heading to Florida. It’ll be great.”
Isaac wanted Lansky caught and punished, but he hated the thought of Cosette in her lab in San Francisco and him across the country. “Sounds great.”
“I’ll check back with you in a day or two.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“No, thank you, Isaac.” Blaine’s voice lowered. “I can’t tell you what it means to have Cosette with someone I trust. Your family have always been there for us, and knowing that you not only have the skills but are also an honorable man means the world to me.”
He wouldn’t think so if he could see how Isaac had checked out his daughter today. “Thank you,” Isaac said again.
“Talk to you soon.” Blaine hung up.
Isaac stood on the beach for a long while. Cosette was obviously upset at him. Her father was praising him for being “honorable.” If Cosette was into him, there wouldn’t be much honorable about the thorough way he wanted to kiss her. Yet that wasn’t fair. There was nothing wrong with kissing, and if Cosette was back to the adorable girl she’d been yesterday, he would’ve definitely predicted some incredible kissing tonight. As it was, he should try to rest. Who knew what tomorrow would bring with a smart, sometimes fun, always beautiful, and thoroughly confusing woman? At least there was no threat from Lansky and the security detail was a cake job. Isaac had enough on his mind trying to figure out Cosette.
* * *
Cosette rolled over in bed again. She punched her pillow, then fluffed it. She’d hardly slept last night. Why couldn’t she crash tonight?
Isaac. He was in the next bedroom. Close, but so far away. Did he think she was some moody, crazy woman? No, he’d never acknowledged that she was a woman. He’d acted like she was having her time of the month and should be handled with kid gloves. Kid. Ha! There was the source of the problem. He thought of her as just a girl, and she was certain she’d played into that stereotype with her lack of social graces and her inability to look away from his bare chest. She knew she was impetuous and innocent, and okay, maybe “crazy chemist” or “Loony Lovegood” fit a little bit, but she’d thought that Isaac was drawn to her. The way he looked at her sometimes seemed to confirm it, but then he’d call her a girl, and she couldn’t even count how many times he’d said she was cute, innocent, or adorable.
“Argh!” she screamed. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth.
She heard movement in the next room, and Isaac’s footsteps marched across the tile floor and into the space between the rooms. He rapped softly on the door.
She lay stock-still, saying nothing. Her heart skittered out of control.
“Cosette? Cozy? You okay?” he called through the door.
“Spider!” she yelled back.
The door flung open and soft light from the mood lighting in the main area spilled in, silhouetting the delectable man, who was once again in nothing but some shorts. For the sake of Pete, he needed to put on some clothes. If he had no desire for her, she should be strong enough to stop checking him out. A shirt would help the situation immensely. Would it? His blue eyes alone made her want to beg him to hold her close.
“You okay?” Isaac asked in a rush. “Do you want me to kill it?”
“Um … I think it’s gone.”
“You sure?” Isaac walked into the room, turned on the flashlight on his phone, and beamed it around.
Cosette’s heart was picking up speed again. He looked so good, and he was right here. Why couldn’t she kiss him and see how he responded? She wanted to prove to him that she was a woman, not a little girl. Yet what if her kissing skills stank as bad as Vance claimed? The thought kept her frozen to the bed.
“I don’t see anything,” Isaac finally said. He shut off the light and turned to her with a smile creasing his handsome face. “Hopefully you can sleep now.”
“Thanks. I’m sure I will.” She faked a brave smile and pressed her arms along her sides on top of the thin sheet covering her.
His gaze roved over her form in the bed, and his smile disappeared. “Good night,” he said quickly before hurrying out of the room and shutting the door behind him.
Cosette lay there, almost panting for air from the way he’d looked at her. That had been the gaze of a man looking at a woman. Was there hope?
Rolling over, she realized that she had hardly thought about Vance since coming here. Isaac filled up all her brain space. If only she had a chance with him. The terror and belittlement of Vance would definitely be a distant memory.