Summer Breeze Kisses - Addison Moore Page 0,8

granite counter.

And here I am alone, once again.

Jemma’s words come back to haunt me, Greasy D is in town.

I shake my head.

Sometimes alone is exactly what I want to be.

Holt

Izzy Sawyer.

Just breathe.

I try to keep my hormones in check by focusing on the fact I still have another six hours left in my shift. Not that my shift ever really ends around here. I’ve been the director of operations for the last year and a half. Bryson is more or less eye candy for the female population, and I excuse it because, as my father bluntly put it, we don’t want to burden him too much since he’s in school. Not that he’s still in school. He graduated last month along with some of our longtime friends. But he’s been admitted to grad school, so he’ll be making a U-turn come fall. No one is prouder of him than me, but it is a little strange to see people excelling in life while I’m stuck behind the counter, ironically right where I want to be.

Izzy sweeps her long, dark hair off her shoulders, and all I can think of is how bad I’d like to bury my face in it. Her lips give the perfect pout. Her eyes have always been a hypnotic glacial blue that not a person on the planet can keep from staring at. My dick perks to life again, and I take a deep breath. I haven’t been within touching distance of Izzy Sawyer in months. And, God knows, my man parts have been pointing in her direction for the last eight years. She and Jemma were two of the more infamous seniors of West Hollow Brook High. Of course, they were long gone by the time I hit high school. Too bad. I would have done any and everything to take Izzy Sawyer to prom. While Bryson and the rest of our buddies were drooling over the latest Hollywood hot mess, I was busy worshiping at the altar of Elizabeth Sawyer.

I take a breath and drum up the nerve to talk to her.

Laney rushes over and sits next to her sister, so I switch gears and pretend to rearrange the glasses set out under the bar.

“So, do you have a date for the engagement party?” Laney grabs her sister by the shoulder as if trying to shake an answer out of her.

“The party you just informed me about ten minutes ago?” Izzy belts out a laugh, and the sweet sound of her voice resonates right down to my boxers. “No, I’m afraid I don’t move that fast.”

“Jemma says you don’t move at all these days.” Laney rocks into her sister as if she’s trying to get her to open up. I dated Laney once, but only because she was looking to drive Ryder off the deep end, and I’m pretty sure it worked. He still can’t stand the sight of me. Ironic since he’s good friends with my brother.

Izzy glances sideways at the exit. “Move—don’t move—believe me I’m not crying over the lack of testosterone in my life, so both you and Jem can chill out. Yes, I’ll be going to your engagement party stag and most likely your wedding, too. Is that grounds for disqualification? Too much reality for your fairytale lifestyle?”

“Very funny.” Laney jumps to her feet. “Hey, I know”—her voice pitches with hope—“let me set you up on a few dates. Nothing serious, just some quick meet and greets. We can do it right here in the bar. You never know where things could lead.”

“I know where things could lead—with me dead in a ditch.” Izzy stabs the words at her sister before shooting me a look that suggests something akin to waterboarding is in her future. I give a quick nod and suddenly feel like an ass for standing here, listening.

“I guess. Whatever.” Izzy gives in and shudders as if she just sunk a bad shot.

“Perfect!” Laney offers a quick kiss to her sister’s cheek. “I’ll catch you later. Tell Mom I said hi!” She takes off toward her tables once again.

“Yes, Holt, I still live with my mother.” Izzy’s lips curl with a sour smile, and even then she looks cute as hell.

“Nothing wrong with that.” I make my way over and feel the air stifling. I’ve always felt as if a damn inferno was about to break out between us, and I can’t for the life of me understand how this could be one-sided. Then again, I’m probably not