Tempting My Dad's Best Friend

ISOBEL

I walk into my closet at home and pull out a huge snuggly fleece pullover from the pile. Bringing it to my nose, I breathe in deeply. I love the smell of my mom’s laundry detergent. I miss it when I’m away at school. Or maybe it’s more than the smell I love.

Maybe it’s the fact that I don’t have to actually do the laundry when I’m home. That must make it smell sweeter.

“There are so many fun things we’re going to do while you’re home,” my younger sister Brielle calls out from where she’s perched on my bed. “Seeing the tree, making cookies, watching Hallmark movies, going to the mall.”

I grin, emerging from my closet in the fleece and matching pants. “It will be awesome. Although, getting a break from school after a long, grueling semester will be pretty darn cool, too.”

Brielle rolls her eyes. “Wah wah, your life is so hard. You live in South Florida, surrounded by hot shirtless guys, you study on the beach and wear shorts all year long. Cry me a freaking river, Iz.”

I pull my long hair out from the back of the fleece and twist it so it snakes down one of my shoulders. “I know. My tan does rock. But the school work is hard, Bri. It’s not a joke. I have fun, yeah, but I work my ass off.”

And I have to if I’m going to graduate magna cum laude with a business degree from the University of Miami. If I want to graduate with an offer from McKinsey and Company, one of the top management consulting companies in the country, I can’t afford to slack off. Not even for a single day.

“In the gorgeous sunshiny weather surrounded by gorgeous tatted up guys in baseball caps.” Bri’s voice takes on a dreamy tone and I can’t help but giggle.

“You have a weird perception of college life. Guys wear shirts, even in Florida.”

“I bet they’re still tatted, though.”

I put on a pair of fuzzy socks and take a deep breath, the rich scent of stewed beef and vegetables filling my lungs and making my stomach grumble. When I’m at school and someone in my family casually lets it drop that Mom is making her famous beef ragout, I immediately get crazy homesick. It reminds me of cozy nights together in front of the fireplace, playing Scrabble because Mom and I hate playing Monopoly with my sister and father because they cheat.

“The guys are fine.”

“Iz, it’s your junior year. Don’t you think it’s time for you to party a little more and study a little less? I mean, jeez. I think you’ve studied enough for your entire four years already.”

“Do you know how competitive the job market is?” I twist my hair around my finger. “I mean, yeah, Miami is a great school but there are a lot of smart kids who go there. If I lose focus for a second, someone else will blow past me in the rankings.”

“Oh, the rankings!” Bri holds a hand to her heart. “God forbid you move down in the rankings.”

I throw a teddy bear at her. “You’re a real bitch. I have goals, okay? I don’t need to go out and get plastered every weekend. Believe me, I have fun. I know how to blow off steam.”

Bri chuckles. “Liar.”

“Girls,” Mom calls from the kitchen. “Can you please come down and help me by setting the table? We’re having company and I could use the extra hands.”

Brielle jumps off my bed, checks herself out in my full-length mirror, and gives her hair a quick fluff. I roll my eyes and follow her downstairs.

I can’t argue with her, though. Partying has never been my thing and ever since Liam and I broke up last semester, I’ve kind of buried myself even deeper into my studies. Fuck guys. Especially college guys.

I hope he gets chlamydia from that whore barista he cheated on me with.

The crock pot calls out to me the second I enter the kitchen. I walk over to it, unclip the lid, and spoon out a piece of the beef.

Mom wraps her arms around my waist. “I’m not even going to yell at you for doing that even though you know it drives me crazy.”

“I know, you missed me so much that I’m going to get away with murder while I’m here.” I drape an arm over hers and peek at her over my shoulder.

“I can’t wait to go away to school so I can get away with murder,” Bri mutters.

“Who’s coming to dinner?” I reclip the lid and turn to look at Mom. “I don’t care who it is, but they definitely don’t get to take any leftovers home.”

“It’s only Harvey. I don’t think you need to worry about him trying to take leftovers. He’s not the domesticated type. I doubt he knows how to use his own microwave.”

Harvey. As in, Dad’s best friend, Harvey.

Also as in, the man I’ve been secretly obsessed with from when I was a young and gawky teenager who didn’t have boobs or game. Not like it mattered. He was already married and way out of my league.

And sadly, I never got game.

My pulse throbs hard against the side of my neck.

Jeez. The thought of him here, tonight, makes goosebumps shoot up my arms and down my legs.

“Mmm. He’s hot enough where it wouldn’t bother me at all that he has no understanding of kitchen appliances,” Bri says with a dreamy smile on her face. “I’m so glad that bitch wife of his is out of the picture.”

Cue the record scratch sound effect.

“Out of the picture?” I try to keep my voice cool and not dripping with elation.

Mom nods. “They broke up.”

My jaw drops, and I shoot an accusatory look at Bri. “How come you didn’t tell me?”

Her eyebrows furrow. “Sorry, I didn’t realize Harvey’s love life was such a big concern of yours.”

I shrug and twist my hair again. “It’s Dad’s best friend. He’s practically part of the family. Besides, when you guys keep stuff from me, it makes me feel, like, isolated and lonely.”

Chewing on the inside of my mouth, my eyes jump between Mom and Bri. That last part was kind of genius, I think, since now they feel bad about not including me in the gossip channel.

Bri walks over and throws her arms around me. “Aw, I promise we’ll never leave you out of the loop again, Iz.”

“Good.” I breathe a sigh of relief. The last thing I want is for my family to catch on to my secret crush. I mean, Harvey is a man. A ripped, tattooed, gorgeous man with eyes that have the power to melt off my panties.

Not to mention the panties of every other living, breathing woman on the planet.

Dad has tons of war stories about them growing up and I’ve heard plenty.

He’s a god among men.

My skin prickles, thin streams of sweat drizzling down my back.

I should have picked a different outfit. He’s not even here yet and I’m already overheating in this fleece.

Sweat beads pop up on the back of my neck.

“Are you sweating?” Bri asks. “You live in hundred degree weather. How is this too hot?”

I use the back of my hand to swipe at my forehead. “I guess it’s the heat from the oven.” A quick check confirms it is actually on. “I’m going to change real quick since my clothes are sticking to me.”

Darting upstairs, my heart lodges in my throat.

Harvey isn’t married anymore.

He’s single.

And he’ll be here any—

Just then the doorbell rings and Harvey’s deep voice floats through the air, the rich baritone vibration making every cell in my body tingle.

I tear through my suitcase and pull out a UMiami tank top and a pair of skimpy shorts. My reflection makes me cringe. I look like a Hooters girl in Miami gear. My eyes scour my room and I grab a zip-up from my desk chair. It covers me just enough but not too much. I pull the zipper up a bit and let it hang off my shoulders. I shake out my hair and take a deep breath to calm my racing heartbeat.

I grab my door knob and pause for a second. This is really ridiculous. I don’t know why I’m so out of my mind over the fact that Harvey is single. It’s not like he’d ever give me a second look. I mean, there was that one time at Dad’s last birthday party. Even now, delicious shivers assault my skin when I think about it.

It was right before I left for school my freshman year. He leaned in to give me a hug and wish me well. I’ll never forget the brush of his lips against my cheek or the way his muscular arms felt wrapped around me. And his cologne. His scent was all over my dress and I slept with it for days afterward like a security blanket.

When he pulled away from that hug, his deep blue eyes locked onto mine. There wasn’t anyone around at that point since the party was pretty much over. He reached out and used his thumb to stroke the side of my cheek, studying me like I was a priceless work of art. He held onto my gaze like we were both locked in some kind of trance. He leaned in slowly, like he couldn’t fight it.

And then Shanna yelled for him. Yelled. Like he was some kind of pain in the ass kid who needed to be reprimanded.

That broke the spell. It shattered immediately. He pulled away, blinked, and the moment was over.

I’ve never forgotten that. And I’ll always wonder what might have happened if she didn’t interrupt us.

But I don’t have to worry about her anymore.

Nope, there’s only one other little obstacle in the way now.

My father.