Perfect Partners Read online

  “Gotcha.” He nodded. “I was just breaking your chops anyway.” He turned to peek at his little man rubbing Chase’s belly in the distance. “Who’s the girl? Woman, I mean.” He leaned back on his tanned muscular arms. “I want the dirt on the almost-kiss too.”

  Izzy smiled, loving that her siblings’ interest in her love life was genuine. She tucked one leg under the other and indulged their curiosity, rewinding back to her first day at Overton and bringing them right up to the present, sparing no details about their hike two weeks ago.

  “How big was the bear?” Rick asked.

  “Men.” Elena swatted him. “Who cares about the bear?”

  He held both palms up in apology. “My bad.”

  “The bear was pretty big.” Rick had listened to her pour her heart out, so at least she could satisfy his simple curiosity. “I mean, what do I know, I never saw one in person before.” She finished her beer and placed the empty bottle next to her. “Anyway, since then all we do is talk shop and she barely looks at me,” Izzy said in defeat.

  “You think she has commitment issues?” Elena asked.

  Izzy shrugged, contemplating the theory. “I don’t know.” She was about to expound but held her tongue as Jack jogged over and heeded his dad’s orders to get cleaned up for dinner. She waited until he was in the house before she spoke. “I actually think she has abandonment issues.” Chase sprawled next to her and she petted his soft fur, considering her spur-of-the-moment hypothesis. “Her mom died on 9/11. Her ex left her for a promotion. She has this stupid rule about not dating cops…”

  Her brother and sister exchanged a look that was both sympathy and frustration. She adored their support and took a second to appreciate how lucky she was.

  Rick broke the silence, saying, “I don’t want to minimize her mom’s death, or anything she’s been through.” He leaned forward resting his elbows on his bare knees. “And I know I’m biased and all,” he said. “But, Iz, you’re a catch. You’re pretty and smart. You have a great job. A nice house.” He rubbed his hands together. “You have to make her see that you’re the real deal. Because you are.”

  “Rick, I honestly don’t know how much more I could do.”

  “You almost kissed.” He pointed right at her. “Don’t forget that. And look, if you think there’s something there, I guarantee there is. You can’t make that stuff up. When you know, you know. Trust yourself.”

  “Look at you, my big mushy bro.” Elena threw her arm across his back, pulling him close for a side-to-side hug as she chided him. She leaned her head on his shoulder but looked right at Izzy. “He’s right, though. Even if I’m marginally concerned about his manhood at the moment.” He pushed her off playfully as she continued talking. “Don’t give up. Keep trying.” Elena’s tone was full of spirit. “What do you really have to lose?”

  “I don’t know. Dignity, pride, the one shred of self-respect I have left?”

  “Dignity, shmignity.” Rick waved her off. “Do you even know how many times I asked Marina out before she agreed to date me?” He thumbed toward the house where his wife was no doubt helping with dinner. “A freaking lot. And then I had to convince her to marry me.”

  “Text her tonight,” Elena said, riding the wave of support. “We’re going to eat in ten minutes. You’ll be home by nine. See if she wants to meet up for a drink. As friends or whatever. See where it goes.”

  “She lives like two hours away.”

  “Even better, maybe she’ll have to sleep over.” Elena wiggled her eyebrows.

  Thankfully, Izzy was spared from responding to her sister’s overt suggestion when they were summoned for dinner. For the moment, she ignored Elena’s advice, concentrating instead on the simple joy of good food and great company. But hours later in the cozy comfort of her own home, fueled entirely by her siblings’ pep talk, Izzy decided to take a small chance.

  She let Chase out in the yard and paced the perimeter of her house while he took care of business. In her head, she’d committed to what she was going to do, but she stressed over the wording, changing her mind a thousand times. Once they were inside, she brewed a cup of tea, another stall tactic. Finally, she took a deep breath and went for it, typing out a question she hoped might lead to something more.

  Whatever happened to my Star Wars education?

  She hit Send and felt her blood pressure skyrocket as she waited for a response. A minute passed, then two, and she thought about googling whether there was a way to retract a text message once it was sent. Her hands were sweating and she burned her tongue on her tea, jerking quickly when a response appeared.

  Hey, you. Izzy melted at Sara’s familiar greeting. The gray bubbles followed. Sara was typing more. Her heart beat faster with every second. Are you so bored that you’d even watch Star Wars?

  She smiled. I might be.

  On a Saturday night?

  Izzy answered with the shrug emoji.

  What? No lesbian parties raging tonight? I hear Westchester County is famous for them.

  Ha! Izzy loved that she was referencing their run-in at Michelle and Dana’s. She decided to turn it back on Sara. Wait a second. Are you at a party? Text me the address. Only if there’s cute girls there, she added at the last minute.

  The reply was instant: Funny.

  Serious, she typed back, praying it wasn’t too much.

  Sadly, I know of zero parties tonight. I’m all by myself up in Phoenicia.

  Bummer. At least I have Chase to cuddle me. Izzy rubbed his side and he dropped his chin on her thigh as though he knew he was the center of attention.

  Jealous.

  The response turned her on even if she wasn’t sure whether Sara was envious of Chase or her. It didn’t matter. This back and forth was going better than she’d dreamed. It drove her crazy that she was getting the polar opposite of the woman she’d exchanged cool pleasantries with over the last fourteen days, but rather than dwell on that nuance, she chose to enjoy the moment. She dismissed a zillion racy things she could say in response to Sara’s comment, opting instead for maturity.

  How was your day?

  Really nice actually. I went for a long hike this morning. There’s awesome trails up here. You would love it.

  I’m sure.

  Now I’m chilling. A picture came through of a half-drunk glass of red wine, Sara’s soft square fingertips holding the stem. Izzy blew it up, examining the rustic-modern furnishings in the background. How about you?

  I just got back from dinner with the fam.

  Nice.

  Me and Chase were sitting here looking for a movie, and then I remembered this unfulfilled promise made to me weeks ago. Something about righting a wrong. Correcting a cinematic injustice…

  You are 100% right. I owe it to you and to the film industry to fix this massive flaw. Name the time and place.

  Izzy’s heart was going a mile a minute. Tomorrow. My house. She smiled at her bravery for putting it out there. Now the only question was whether this would actually happen. There were bubbles for a solid minute before Sara’s answer came through.

  Damn, Izzy. I can’t tomorrow. I’m sorry.

  Her spirit sank as she wondered if Sara really had a conflict or if her retreat was a reaction to the plan’s tangibility.

  As if she knew what Izzy was thinking another message popped: I have to go to DC tomorrow. I’m actually going to miss class Monday and Tuesday. She punctuated it with a frown.

  Izzy had no idea how to respond. She was sure this trip was work related, but it undoubtedly meant time with Nicole Vaughn. She resisted the temptation to ask for details, hoping playing it cool would work in her favor.

  Sara rewarded her instantly. How about next weekend? Mini-marathon. I’ll hook us up with the first two installments, you provide the food. Deal?

  Now I have to feed you too? What next?

  God, she hoped Sara knew she was kidding. Text messages were tough where tone was concerned.

  I guess you’ll just have t
o tell me what else I can do to make this experience worth your while.

  Izzy was too stunned to respond. This was beyond flirting and Sara had to know it.

  Although… Sara’s follow-up hung there for a second. Star Wars is fantastic. You may be left wondering what you can do to repay me for bestowing this life-changing gift on you.

  Oh, brother. Izzy added an eye roll emoji. Let’s see if I stay awake through the first movie before you start patting yourself on the back.

  Fair enough.

  Izzy was sure Sara’s smile matched her own, a hundred miles away. What would happen during the movie event itself remained to be seen. But if their behavior was even half as frisky as this text exchange, Izzy would count it as a complete success.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Monday and Tuesday dragged, and Izzy attributed the grueling pace entirely to Sara’s absence. She hated knowing Sara was in the capital doing God knew what with Nicole Vaughn. She tensed at the thought. More than once Sara had said she and Nicole were a thing of the past, but there was something in her body language that seemed uncertain. Perhaps it was simple nostalgia on display, but what if it was doubt? Even an iota of competition was more than Izzy felt capable of handling. And to be measured against a federal agent who’d risen to the level of director seemed completely unfair. That was without even taking Nicole’s Hollywood looks into account. With towering elegance, porcelain skin, and wavy red hair that bounced with every step, Nicole Vaughn was the center of the room, no matter where she stood.

  Izzy stared at herself in the ladies’ room mirror. The reflection didn’t lie. She was shorter than the top of the paper towel dispenser, her hair spilling out of her messy bun. She brushed off a few drops of water the overzealous faucet had sprayed on the department patch covering her left breast. Frowning, she realized this was the image she offered Sara every day. While Nicole traipsed around in designer suits, she showed up clad in NYPD standard issue training gear: tactical pants, department tee, boots, duty rig. Not her fault, but still hardly the picture of sophistication.

  She cringed inwardly, for the moment accepting defeat in the one-sided battle waging in her mind. Walking back to her seat in the classroom, she reconsidered her evening plans on the spot. Her crew of friends was headed to a small birthday gathering for Jackie, the air marshal trainee. While Izzy had initially declined the invite—things had been somewhat strained since Jackie had asked her out a few weeks back—suddenly heading home and spending the night fixating on her shortcomings was the less appealing option.

  Sliding into her classroom seat, she leaned back toward Jen, who was lounging at the desk behind her. “You think it’s weird if I go to Jackie’s with you guys later?”

  “Yay.” Jen clapped silently. “I think you should come. Why wouldn’t you?”

  “I don’t know.” She hesitated to say more.

  “You feel awkward because she asked you out and you said no?”

  Izzy had been very careful to keep the incident to herself. “How did you…?”

  “Oh, please,” Jen waved flippantly. “I have eyes, honey. And intuition.” She examined her fresh manicure. “Anyway, y’all seem to be doing okay during lunchtime. Jackie’s a sweetheart. I think she’d be fine with you being there.”

  “Good point.” Izzy mused over their easygoing lunch rapport, repeatedly clicking and unclicking the top of her pen. “But promise to hang with me. Don’t just sneak out with Mark when no one’s looking.” She tapped the top of Jen’s desk with her pen. “Or at least let me know before you plan your secret escape.” Jen’s mouth hung open at her straightforward approach and Izzy wiggled her eyebrows in jest. “You’re not the only one with intuition.”

  ***

  Three hours later, Izzy stepped out into the warm night, one hundred percent satisfied with having attended the shindig. There was good company and halfway decent pizza—for upstate, anyway. Jackie seemed not at all bothered by her presence and Izzy was relieved there’d been no awkwardness between them. Now, she just had to collect her dog and get through the last few hours before sleep.

  More important, tomorrow her countdown would be over and Sara would be back at training. Izzy crossed her fingers they might pick up their spirited conversation from the other night. But even if they didn’t, and she got reserved Instructor Sara, which was highly probable, Izzy still felt inner peace knowing she’d get to see her gorgeous face. And when she was eventually lucky enough to be granted a look into Sara’s lovely eyes, she would know there was something more between them, whether Sara chose to admit it or not.

  She swung her keys around her index finger as she passed the residential parking lot near the dorms where she knew Sara often parked when she stayed at the facility. Her heart jumped a little when she saw the black Dodge Ram backed into a space in the corner. Izzy stopped walking and looked up at the housing quarters, realizing she had no idea which unit was Sara’s. Against her better judgment, she reached for her phone and went for it anyway.

  Hey. What housing unit is yours? I’m on campus and would love to say hi.

  Sara’s response was quick: I’m in my office.

  Up for a visitor?

  Absolutely.

  Great. I’ll stop by on my way to get Chase.

  Sara answered with a smiley face and it was all Izzy could do to keep from sprinting the rest of the way.

  ***

  Sara could barely focus on her busywork as she waited for Izzy’s arrival. Still she jumped when Izzy knocked lightly on the glass wall of her office.

  “Hi.” Izzy’s voice was bright and cheerful and Sara spun her chair away from the computer to face her.

  “Come in,” she said, with a happy wave.

  “What’s this? Overtime?” Izzy asked with a slight nod at the screen.

  “Ha,” Sara answered. “I wish. Government consultants do not get overtime,” she added with a grin.

  “Just burning the midnight oil for free?” Izzy’s delicate hand grazed the top of the chair across from her desk. “That’s dedication.”

  “How was the party?” Sara asked.

  Izzy raised her eyebrows, seeming confused and impressed by Sara’s knowledge of her whereabouts.

  “Fine, fun,” she answered, turning back to examine a photo of Sara and John surrounded by a crew of work dogs. “How’d you know where I was?”

  Feeling guilty at being caught, Sara zoned in on the papers on her desk, separating the documents into three separate piles. “When you work with investigators as long as I have, you pick a few things up here and there.” She grabbed a set of manila folders and wrote headings on each of the tabs. “Also, I found Chase in the kennel. I grilled him.” She snapped her fingers crisply. “He gave you up in a second.”

  “Now I know you’re full of it.” Izzy shook her head. “Chase would never betray me.”

  “You seem awfully certain of that.”

  “You and I both know that dog is as loyal as they come.” Izzy’s voice dripped with confidence.

  “Damn.” Sara smiled, stacking up her folders. “I guess I’ll have to tell you the truth then.”

  Sara felt the change throughout her whole body. She knew she was flirting and she didn’t care. For the last seventy-two hours Izzy had more than dominated her thoughts, both when she was awake and when she slept. She was tired of fighting it.

  “The truth is, I saw your car when I got back a little while ago. I asked around. Heard about the party.” Fingering the edge of the files as she avoided eye contact, she tried to sound endearing. “Once I realized Chase was here, I knew you’d have to come back sooner or later to pick him up.” She met Izzy’s gaze. She wanted her to know she’d been waiting to see her.

  “Why didn’t you text me you were here?” Izzy asked.

  “I didn’t want to take you away from your friends.” Sara glanced at the work on her desk. “I had a few things to do here anyway.”

  “Couldn’t wait until tomorrow?” Izzy pushed.

 
Sara walked to the cabinet next to where Izzy stood. She slid the three thin folders into the top drawer. They were so close that when her forearm grazed Izzy’s it sent a chill up her body from the skin-to-skin contact, giving her arms goose bumps from wrist to shoulder. She closed the file cabinet drawer, and the loud rumble echoed in the silence between them.

  “I wanted to see you.” Sara kept her gaze on the floor.

  “I wanted to see you too.” Izzy touched Sara’s wrist with the tip of her finger. “I hated that you weren’t here for two days.”

  “Yeah?” Sara heard her own longing come out loud and clear.

  Izzy pouted. “Chase missed you.”

  “He did, huh?” Sara smiled.

  With her thumb and forefinger Izzy demonstrated the tiniest measure. “Just a little.”

  “I missed him too,” she said, hearing the desire in her voice betray her attempt at banter. She turned to her side, half leaning against the cool metal cabinet, suddenly face-to-face with Izzy, their bodies inches apart. She reached forward and ran her fingers along Izzy’s smooth forearm. “I thought about you.” She carefully caressed Izzy’s soft skin, still unable to make eye contact. “While I was gone.”

  “All I do is think about you.” Izzy’s hands found hers and she laced their fingers together. “You can’t keep doing this to me,” she said, her voice low and husky. “Flirting and getting my hopes up and then completely ignoring me. It’s torture.”

  Sara pressed her lips to Izzy’s forehead.

  “Your rules are ludicrous and archaic.”

  “I know.” Sara moved her lips along the side of Izzy’s gorgeous face, dropping baby kisses.

  “You like me. I know you do. I can feel it when we talk and text. I see it when you look at me.”

  Sara stopped when Izzy reached both of her hands into her hair and pulled her face back just an inch, staring deep into her eyes and seeming to search for proof.

  “Shh,” Sara whispered. “I do.” She leaned in and closed her eyes. “Of course, I do.” Her mouth found Izzy’s sumptuous full lips and she sank into them, feeling herself melt as she kissed her softly, sweetly, over and over, until their lips parted and their tongues met in the middle. Sara pulled Izzy closer so their bodies touched, deepening the kiss, not even caring that she was breaking all her rules. Suddenly every minute leading up to this moment was nothing but wasted time. Izzy’s mouth was lush and divine and Sara heard her making adorable tiny moans with each swirl of their tongues. She ran her hand over Izzy’s face, stroking the soft skin of her cheek and down her neck, indulging in this moment she’d fantasized about hundreds of times.