Dayton stood in front of the mirror and dried off.
He was reeling from the things Izzy had told him about her family. She had lived a hard life. Obviously her family didn't think she was as important as her brother, even after he was kicked out. She had had to prove herself in everything she did. She hadn't told the last part to him vocally but it was an underlying tone that he had picked up on. It was also a reason she didn't want to be kept. She had had to work for everything she had.
The only time he had seen her relax was when she was getting a massage down in the spa. He had watched her closely. She had closed her eyes when masseuse had been kneading at the muscles in her lower back. She was completely relaxed. The look on her face was of pure peace. He bet she didn't get to do things like that very often then he slapped himself mentally because he knew she didn't.
After the spa, she had come back up to the room and wrote for a couple of hours. He had stood in the parlor and watched her. Her hand scribbled crazy fast across the page. Every few minutes she'd flip the notebook and start on the other page. He admired her devotion. This was something she wanted to do and she wasn't afraid to chase after it.
Dinner came right on time and this time they had talked all during dinner. He had learned more about her during that one meal than he had the three before that. It was really interesting yet overwhelming to learn about a woman all at once. After dinner, since their day had been long and emotional, they both retired for the night.
Izzy had been gone when he woke up that morning. Breakfast hadn't been served which meant she had called and canceled the room service. He had brushed his teeth and settled down on the couch to check his e-mail. He had been reading the Vanderbilt case when there was a knock at the door. When he opened it, he found Izzy standing on the other side with a white paper bag in her mouth, drink carrier in one hand and a clothing store bag in the other. She had smiled when he let her in and dropped the white paper bag to the table along with the drink carrier.
When he asked about the other bag, she had simply walked to her room, put it up then closed the door securely behind her. It had made him smile. She was being secretive and he liked that. He had picked up one of the cups and took a sip, making a stunned face when he realized it was a New Orleans specialty. Opening the white bag, he found two orders of beignets. It was their last day in New Orleans and he assumed she had done it to prove a point.
Their afternoon had been uneventful. Once again they spent that time apart. Izzy was once again writing and this time he was working on the Vanderbilt case. Even when he wasn't working he was. Jim Hurst expected dedication to their job so he was going to dedicate his free time to the case, especially since Izzy was okay with being alone in her
room.
Around four, he got up to shower for their dinner at seven. He hadn't told Izzy anything about what Derek, his annoying, matchmaking brother, had planned for her birthday. Even though his brother was annoying, he had been right when he told him what to expect with Izzy. She wasn't like the girls on the Upper East Side so he didn't have to be scared of her.
He pulled on his shirt and buttoned it up then tucked it in his khakis. The blue matched the light blue of his sea green eyes.
"Izzy, come on. We're going to be late," he called from the parlor. He had told her not to make any plans for tonight and was surprised when she hadn't.
The door to the other bedroom opened but he didn't pay any attention at first. It was when it closed that he turned around and his mouth fell open. Izzy was dressed to kill in a short black dress with green accents. Her heels weren't as crazy as people would expect but there was enough to give her a little added height. Her red hair was piled on her head but there were curly tendrils that caressed her neck.
She was nervous as she came towards him. "What do you think?"
He held out his hands. When she took them, he pulled her to him, close enough that there were only inches between them. "I think you look amazing."
Izzy looked up at him and recognized the heat in his eyes. The one relationship she had been in had ended very badly because she wasn't ready for some of the thing he was. He had tarnished her relationship because of it. Dayton was giving her the same look but it was more subdued. He was prepared to wait.
Not thinking about it, she lifted on her tiptoes and pressed her mouth to his. He hadn't been expecting it so he was a little awkward. Finally he released her hands and wrapped his arms around her to pull her flush against him, taking it over but keeping it light. When she pulled away the first time, he released her.
"Come on," he said as he held out his hand. "We have a reservation."
Izzy took his hand and allowed him to lead her from the room.
During dinner, Dayton felt like the luckiest man in the entire restaurant. Izzy was stunning and every man that passed by them thought so as well. They kept staring at her as she sat across from him. She ignored them as she kept her eyes on him.
They talked and laughed the whole time. It was her birthday and they wanted to keep it light and classy. Dinner was a roasted duck with lemon sauce. Dayton had offered her some wine but she turned it down, opting instead for sparkling cider.
When dessert came, he surprised her with a birthday cake and candles. The wait staff sang to her and when she blew out the candles, they sparked again. She looked at Dayton with a semi-annoyed expression. He smiled guiltily as the waiters took the trick candles away from them and she cut the cake. They enjoyed the birthday cake, going as far as to flick some icing at each other.
Once all was said and done Dayton paid the bill and escorted her from the restaurant. He led her down to the French Quarter with her arm linked through his. It was a crystal clear night and both were glad it wasn't going to rain any time soon.
"Izzy?" he said as they were making the turn to go back to their hotel.
"Hmm?" she mumbled. The feeling of being full was lovely and it made her want to go back to hotel to sleep.
"I have a stupid request. You can laugh at me if you wish but I'd really like you to think about it."
"What is it?"
Dayton took a deep breath and exhaled shakily. "I want you to think about marrying me."
Izzy pulled him to a stop and looked up at him. "Say that again."
"I said I want you to marry me."
She stepped back slightly so she could look him full in the face. "We're not even dating."
"I know but I know how I feel about you."
"Dayton, wait." She covered her face then blew out a breath between her hands. "How do you know how you feel? We've barely been talking to each other. How do you know?"
"I fell in love with the woman who was reading her poetry at a coffee shop in SoHo. That passion is what I've been in love with for as long as I can remember."
"What about Caroline? You couldn't have been in love with me and her."
Dayton frowned. "When I saw you reading your poetry, it was after I had broken it off with Izzy. I've been single for more than a year because that's the length of time Tophyr and Derek have been married. Ever since that night I had been trying to figure out how I was going to talk to you and ask you out. Imagine my surprise when I walked into that café and you were waiting tables. It seemed like I had a second chance."
Izzy bit her lip thoughtfully. He was basically telling her for over a year he had been in love with the person who was writing. She couldn't deny that there wasn't something between the two of them but was she ready for such a commitment as marriage?
Dayton could help her get what she wanted because he grew up privileged, he had the connections she needed to make it in the book industry. He could help her get to where she wanted to go and if he loved her work and her, it made it all the more fulfilling. To say she didn't want a husband would be a lie. She wanted someone who would cherish her for the rest of her life.
"Izzy?"
She looked up into his expectant face. He wanted an answer but could she give it to him.
"I'm… not sure," she replied. "I mean you've known about me longer than I have about you. You've seen into my soul a lot earlier than I have yours. I haven't decided what I've felt yet."
He smiled. "Very diplomatic. I can wait for your answer."
She sighed as he took her arm and led her back to their hotel.