Home Ice (26 page)

“’Night, Al.”

No matter how many times Ally had warned her about guarding her heart, Izzy always continued to jump in with both feet, whether the pool was six inches deep or six feet deep. Ally just hoped her friend would stay afloat in her Christian Louboutin shoes.

Chapter Sixteen

Out To Lunch

A few weeks later and much to Ally’s astonishment, Ben had agreed, wholeheartedly nonetheless, to play a round of golf with the one and only Mr. Pierce Spencer, Real Estate Mogul and boyfriend to one Izzy Sinclair. Ben and Pierce had left early that morning and decided to meet the girls for lunch when they were finished.

This would be the first time Ally met Pierce.

Ally was terrified.

Izzy was supposed to pick her up for their lunch and Ally looked out her living room window, chewing on her bottom lip.

An ominous black town car, obviously furnished by Pierce, pulled up in front of Gram’s house exactly when Izzy said she’d be there.

And so it began.

“My car is here,” Ally announced.

Gram chuckled over her puzzle. “Don’t let it go to your head, dear.”

“I won’t, Gram.” Ally turned her back on the window and put her purse over her shoulder. “It’s Izzy I’m worried about. She’s the one getting all caught up in Pierce’s luxurious lifestyle. It’s only been a couple of weeks and she is so…so
serious
about him.”

“I have a feeling she knows what she’s doing, Allison.”

“Well, that makes one of us.”

“Our Izzy is going to be just fine. Now, you two have fun and enjoy your girl time together.”

“Oh, don’t you worry, Gram. Izzy
always
enjoys herself.”

Ally walked up to the town car just as Izzy was rolling down the heavily tinted window.

“I feel like I’m in a movie,” Ally said to her over the top of the glass.

Izzy rolled her eyes. “Get in the car, crazy girl.”

Ally got in, or more like
squeezed in
, between a heap of shopping bags piled high on the plush leather seat.

“Oooh, is all this for me?” Ally asked, her voice thick with sarcasm.

“No. It’s for Pierce. Well, it’s for me
for
Pierce.”

“Who’s the crazy girl now?”

“You know what I mean,” Izzy shrugged. “Lingerie is just as much for a man as it is for the woman wearing it.”

“Ugh.” Ally held her revolted stomach. “Well, doesn’t this fancy car have a trunk?” Ally asked, shoving aside a bag full of shoe boxes.

“Sorry, but it’s full, too.”

Ally settled in the best she could and turned sideways against a Chanel bag. She looked over at Izzy on the seat next to her and her jaw dropped.

“I haven’t seen you for a week and look at you,” Ally exclaimed. “You’re a new and changed woman.”

Izzy was looking fresh and summery in a silk chiffon blouse and cropped Ralph Lauren cotton pants. She was completely covered up and completely chic. “What have you done with my best friend?”

“I will take that as a compliment.”

“It
was
a compliment. You look great.” Ally looked her over again. Izzy’s clothes not only looked great, but her skin was positively glowing. Wait a minute. Her skin wasn’t the only thing that was luminescent.

Ally gasped when she saw the necklace around Izzy’s neck. “My god! Did Pierce give you the Hope Diamond along with the makeover?!”

“Oh, this?” Izzy batted her eyelashes and fingered the huge diamond pendant. “This is an anniversary gift.”

“Anniversary?” Ally asked.

“Uh-huh. It’s been one month since we’ve been dating. Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but Pierce is definitely mine.”

When the car pulled up to the restaurant and they got out, Ally smiled. Izzy knew that Ally loved Mexican food, but she had an ulterior motive. She chose a quaint Mexican restaurant to show that Pierce could be comfortable in any setting and not just with sushi and caviar. Izzy was on a mission to prove to Ally that he wasn’t stuffy or pretentious and didn’t have to be surrounded by aristocrats.

Izzy ordered a pitcher of margaritas the minute they were seated. The cute, young waiter gave her a wink, but much to Ally’s surprise, Izzy didn’t even give him a second glance like she would have in the
past. Before she met Pierce, Izzy would have already been having sex in the restroom with the Cute Young Waiter. But not now. Everything was different and Ally was having a difficult time believing her eyes. Unbeknownst to her, sometime in the last few weeks, Izzy had fallen hard and fast for Pierce Spencer.

Izzy glanced at her watch. “This is perfect. We have a few minutes to talk while the driver picks up our boys at the golf course.”

“Good. I think we have some catching up to do.”

Izzy jumped right in by announcing, “We had sex for the first time last week.”

Well, sex might not have been the right word. It had been more like a revelation. Moments from the week before nudged their way back into Izzy’s thoughts. Between his capable hands and experienced mouth, Pierce had been the teacher and Izzy the pupil. She was pleasantly surprised by how attentive he was to her. She’d never slept with anyone over the age of thirty before and he was much more experienced than any man she had ever been with.

In the past, Izzy was used to being the one in charge, but Pierce had definitely taught her a thing or two about the ways of love and even her own body in the process. She’d come into her own under his attentive tutelage two, three, then four times that night. She never knew sex could be so satisfying on every level. Mentally, physically and psychologically. Pierce should have come with a stamp reading “Satisfaction Guaranteed.”

“That’s nice, Izzy,” Ally answered non-enthusiastically, popping a tortilla chip piled high with salsa into her mouth. She mumbled under her breath, “Not exactly what I had in mind by catching up.”

“Ally!” Izzy demanded her full attention.

“Whoa,” Ally snapped to attention and swallowed the chip. “Calm down.”

Izzy put her elbows on the table and leaned forward. “It was our
sixth
date and we had sex.”

“Okay. I don’t know whether to be more surprised at the fact that you went on six dates with one man or that you waited that long to sleep with him.”

Cute Young Waiter brought their margaritas and Ally took a long sip of hers.

“I told you he was different. This
relationship
is different.” She made air quotes for the word relationship. “Hell,
I’m
different.”

“I’m happy to hear that you and Pierce are getting along so well.”

“Getting along so well? Christ Ally, you sound like Gram right now. I’m talking about the most amazing man I’ve ever met and mind blowing sex and that’s what you have to say to me?”

“Sorry.” Ally took another gulp from her margarita. “Forgive me for being skeptical, but you know this isn’t the first time you’ve been caught up in a guy.”

Izzy rolled her eyes. “Pierce isn’t just
some guy
. He’s different. He’s a phenomenal man in and out of bed. He’s in really good shape, too.”

“For a senior citizen,” Ally murmured.

Izzy ignored the verbal jab. “He plays tennis three times a week and he plays golf every chance he gets.”

“Right.” Ally nodded. “Old people sports.”

“Jeez, Ally. Can’t you just give me this one? Not everyone can have a young gorgeous hockey prodigy like you. Not that I didn’t try. Mine turned out to be a total dickwad.”

“I’m sorry.” Ally’s shoulders slumped. “I’m just giving you a hard time because if I’d told you that you’d be dating someone twenty-five years older than you a month ago, you would’ve freaked.”

“Hmm. True,” Izzy couldn’t help but agree. “You’re right. But everything has changed. I’m not the same person I was a month ago.”

Deep down, Ally knew Izzy was right, but the whole situation was still hard to grasp. “So, I’m beginning to notice.”

“I finally realized that I have so much more to offer than a one night stand. I deserve to be with someone who actually cares about
me
.”

Ally looked to the ceiling, “Thank God! I’ve been telling you that for years, Izzy. Hallelujah, you finally figured it out. And with the wealthiest man in Nevada to boot!”

Izzy smiled from across the booth. Now, if she could just get Ally to cut Pierce some slack when he arrived at the restaurant.

Pierce Spencer reeked of money. He wore a navy Dior shirt and Calvin Klein slacks and not a strand of salt and pepper hair was out of place. Izzy was right. He looked like the Real Estate bigwig version of Dennis Quaid. Gorgeous smile included.

As soon as Pierce and Ben strolled up to the booth, Izzy hopped up to give Pierce a smooch on the lips. A rather loud and exaggerated smooch.

Ally could see how Pierce had made millions as a shrewd businessman. He was take-charge and distinguished, but she could see the kindness and gentleness in his eyes when he looked at Izzy. Pierce looked at Izzy like she was the only woman in the room. Pierce looked at Izzy like Ben looked at Ally.

A calm feeling crept over Ally and she knew Izzy was going to be just fine. But could she trust that feeling completely?

Lunch with Pierce went incredibly well. Ally tried to find something wrong with him but failed miserably. He had it all. Looks, money, success. And Izzy. She was obviously having the time of her life being wined and dined and catered to. It was just as well, her best friend didn’t deserve any less. And it appeared that Izzy would never have to settle for less with a man like Pierce.

On the ride home with Ben, Ally fidgeted with her purse strap. “So, how was your day golfing?” she asked.

“It was good. We had a nice time.” Ben loved playing golf and participated in tournaments with his teammates as often as he could. Even though Dom lived on the golf course, Ben still didn’t play as much as he would have liked to. Pierce had been a stellar golf companion and brought sophistication to the game where Dom did not.

“I’m glad you had fun.” She paused then added, “But that’s not exactly what I meant.”

Ben shot her a confused look and then focused his eyes back on the road. “What do you mean?”

“I want the juicy stuff,” Ally clarified. “The gossip. What did you guys talk about out there all day?”

Two guys. 18 holes. Something had to have been spilled.

“Ah,” Ben tapped his thumb on the steering wheel. “You want the dirt.”

“Yes,” Ally said, satisfied. She settled into her seat, ready for the details.

“There’s not much to tell,” Ben shrugged. “Pierce is a nice guy who definitely has a head for business. He’s extremely intelligent. And very rich.” Ben adjusted the air conditioning vent on the dash. “We talked about traveling, football and food. You know, guy stuff.”

Ally squirmed in her seat. She couldn’t take it anymore. Ben wasn’t cooperating as she had hoped he would. “No, I was talking about him and Izzy.”

“What about them?”

Great. This was turning into the one thing she didn’t want. An interrogation. Gone wrong.

“I don’t know, Ben.” Ally blew her bangs out of her face. She was still reeling from meeting Pierce for the first time. It was all too good to be true. “He’s nice and everything…”

“But?”

“But it all just seems…wrong.”

Ben shook his head. “From what I can tell, he’s doing everything
right
.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well, first of all, he treats Izzy with respect. Second, he adores her. And most of all, he loves her.”

Ally sighed. Pierce
loved
Izzy? She highly doubted
that
.

“I think he wants to marry her.”

“What?! You’ve got to be joking.”

“No, babe. I’m not. He loves her, Ally. I think they’ll be happy together.”

Ben’s profile had him looking downright…
dreamy
about the prospect.

“Hmph,” Ally pouted. Izzy was headed for another heartbreak and here was Ben probably already planning the bachelor party.

“Why are you so against them being together?” he asked her with a frown.

“I’m not,” she spat defensively. “I just don’t want to see Izzy get hurt by this rich hot shot. It wouldn’t be the first time and I doubt it’ll be the last.”

Ben raised his eyebrows at her answer. “Wow. For someone who unexpectedly found the love of her life,” he smirked at the reference to himself, “you sure are a skeptic.”

* * *

When Ben got home after dropping off Ally, his phone rang. He smiled, thinking it was her. She wasn’t going to let Pierce infiltrate her circle easily.

“Hey, Benny, its Jerrold.”

“Oh hey, Jer, what’s up?”

“I’ve got some news. Can we meet somewhere?”

The afternoon heat was stifling. Clouds above held in moisture, making it muggy. Ben didn’t notice the weather. He was eager to learn what his future held for him. Ever since the UNHL Awards, Jerrold had been in negotiations with the Denver Blizzards. Ben could tell from Jerrold’s tone on the phone that he was about to find out his fate.