That Touch...

By Christi Snow

She's oblivious...

Isolde Collins has lived her life inhaling old rom-com movies and dreaming the perfect guy's out there. She just has to find him. In the meantime, she's chasing her dream of becoming an advertising power mogul, even if her father—who's also her boss—doesn't think a female is capable.

 

He has secrets...

Leo Bennett has been in love with his best friend, Izzy, pretty much their entire lives. She doesn't know and he never plans to tell her. Why screw everything up? In the meantime, he's too old to hang on to his virginity waiting for Izzy to wake up and see him. Oh, and he probably should stop following her dreams and find some of his own.

 

Things heat up...

As these two best friends hit the snowy slopes of Colorado, they find they're living a life like they see in the movies. It's just that maybe Leo's the hero and not the sidekick they both always assumed him to be.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christi Snow
• Release date: Oct 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201178758

Christi Snow

Bio for Christi Snow As an avid reader her entire life, Christi Snow always dreamed of writing books that brought to others the kind of joy she felt when she read. But...she never did anything about it besides jot down a few ideas and sparse scenes. When her husband retired from the Air Force, Christi decided it was time to chase her dream and she started writing. She hasn’t stopped since. With twenty-two published books in various romance genres, she’s found her passion. Now she spends her days with her laptop writing about sexy, alpha heroes and the loves of their lives. Writing both as Christi Snow and one-half of the writing duo, KB Jacobs, Christi has fulfilled her dream... filling the world with more romance and suspense. Her tagline is... Passion and adventure on the road to Happily Ever After. She loves this adventure and has truly found her tribe!

Book preview

Prologue

I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship. –Rick Blaine

CASABLANCA

20 years ago – 7 yo

Izzy

I rounded the corner of the boys’ bathroom and closed my eyes for a moment, hoping I wasn’t about to see disreputable things.

That was a big word, and I wasn’t sure what it meant.

Mom used it with a sneer about Mr. Henley when she talked about something scandalous he’d done with his secretary (although I hadn’t been able to figure out exactly what that had been).

I figured it might be the type of thing I’d see in the boys’ bathroom at school.

I slowly opened my eyes and had to admit the view was slightly disappointing.

This looked just like the girls’ restroom, but instead of the stuck up cluster of bi-atches (my mom told me I shouldn’t repeat that word, but I could think it and she’d never find out) giggling in the corner, I found a group of the male variety of bullies from my second-grade class.

Ugh...they were the worst! I didn’t want to explain my presence, so I turned back toward the door.

But then I heard a small sniffle from the center of the group.

Stop it. Give them back, a weak voice pleaded.

Oh, no, they weren’t...

I turned around slowly, staring the group down, trying to see who they had captured.

Forgetting my escape, I stomped over to the cluster of boys and grabbed the shoulder of the jerk closest to me, yanking him out of the way so I could see who they were tormenting.

Leo, the new kid that had joined our class late last year looked up at me, tears filling his eyes and his lips trembling.

The biggest bully of the bunch, Mikey Etheridge, held him by his shirtfront with one hand, Leo’s glasses up in the sky over Leo’s head in the other.

Michael Bartholomew Etheridge, I said using my meanest ‘mom’ voice, you give those back to him. I didn’t know what Mikey’s middle name really was, but that sounded right.

It always scared the bejeezus out of me when mom middle-named me.

Mikey hadn’t heard me walk in, and he swung his shocked gaze over to me. Izzy, he sounded pretty scandalized himself, this is the boys’ bathroom! You can’t come in here.

Well, I just did, so that shows what you know. Now unhand Leo right now or I’m going to tell Mrs. Brooks that you cheated off my math test earlier.

He opened and closed his mouth like a fish searching for food.

He was taking too long to decide to make the right move, so I took a threatening step toward him.

As a general rule, I didn’t like violence. Mom said it didn’t solve anything, but after I broke Bethany Ann Sherwood’s nose in first grade, no one teased me about my buckteeth anymore.

In my book, that was solving a problem.

In front of me, I found another problem that needed to be solved. Mikey and his friends would not bully Leo anymore. It didn’t matter that Mikey was the biggest boy in second grade. I still had several inches on him.

I looked down my nose at him now. You don’t want me to get mad, do you? I clenched my fist so he could see exactly what I meant.

His eyes widened, and he quickly let go of Leo, shoving his glasses toward him. He and his crew started a wild scramble toward the door.

I’m gonna tell... Mikey began.

I cut him off and sing-songed, Math test.

He stopped for a full second to turn a hate-filled glare at me. Bitch. Then he took off running.

My mouth dropped open.

I turned to Leo and gasped. He said the actual word.

No one in the second grade had been brave enough to use real curse words. That was unheard of.

Suddenly Mikey’s status rose in my mind. He was ballsy. Not as ballsy as me, but I respected him a tiny bit more for having the bravery to use the real curse word, even if it was against me.

Maybe I’d have to start cursing, too.

I thought about it for a moment. Mom wouldn’t like it, and dad would start another one of his lectures about how ‘proper young ladies behaved.’ I shivered.

Maybe I’d wait a year or two more before I tried it.

Are you okay? I asked Leo.

Yeah. Leo nodded and examined his glasses. Thank you. My mom would have killed me if he’d broken my glasses. It took forever to get them to fit right. He gave a weary sigh as he replaced them on his face.

I tilted my head and studied him. I’d never really paid that close of attention to Leo Bennett before, and the glasses were new. They made him look different.

I like them, I told him. They make you look distinguished.

He wrinkled his nose. I don’t know what that means.

I twisted up my mouth as I thought about it.

I shrugged. I don’t really know either, but my mom always says that Rock Hudson and Cary Grant look distinguished—like my daddy—so I think it’s really good.

His brow wrinkled like that confused him. Okay. I don’t know who they are, but I guess that’s okay, as long as you aren’t being mean.

Never, I said in my scandalized voice. Being mean isn’t nice. You and me, Leo...we’re going to be best friends and BFFs don’t say mean things about each other.

Leo’s smile took over his whole face.

I returned that smile. It made me feel good about my split second decision to replace Melody in that position, but she’d been a bi-atch lately. Leo and I might be a better fit.

Um, Izzy? Leo asked in a quiet whisper as his face turned a bright shade of red. Why are you in the boys’ bathroom?

My eyes widened, and I began to dance in place. I forgot. I need to pee like a racehorse. Guard the door for me, ‘kay?

For a moment he didn’t look too sure, but then he nodded, resolved. We’re best friends now. That’s one thing best friends should do. Then he marched over to the door while I raced into the bathroom stall, feeling relief in more ways than one.

I’d gotten a new best friend today.

Leo Bennett. He’d be my sidekick, my very own Tony Randall.

A smile took over my face.

It had been an excellent decision to sneak into the boys’ bathroom today.

Chapter One

Okay, so I’ve sown a few wild oats. – Jerry Webster

A few? You could qualify for a farm loan! – Carol Templeton

LOVER COME BACK

Twenty years later

Izzy

I paused Pillow Talk and crawled out from under my piles of blankets I’d cocooned myself in for my day of self-care so I could answer the door. Hopefully, my UberEats guy had known I needed my regular order from Tommy’s Tacos tonight, even if I hadn’t called and ordered it yet.

At this point I ordered so much, he could probably foresee my needs like that.

Maybe—and I knew this was sudden—I should date him. God, that was an idea. Forget the tall, dark, and handsome losers I kept dating who treated me like shit.

I glanced over at Rock Hudson, frozen on the screen. I should just accept my dream guy was an impossibility of fiction.

It was time to try something else. Give me a guy who could foresee my needs for tacos. Now that would be the perfect match.

I’d built this idea up in my head so much in the last few seconds crossing the room that my shoulders dropped when I opened the door and didn’t find the UberEats dreamboat.

Oh, hi, Leo.

I left the door open for him to come inside while I shuffled back to the couch.

Wow, I feel the love, he said from behind me as he followed me inside. I’m overwhelmed by that welcome. Now, I’m sure I made the right decision to skip the wrap party of the West Coast Babes show to bring my sad friend her favorite Tommy’s Tacos.

At the sound of my two favorite t words, I swung back around and realized that yes, Leo held the distinctive red and green greasy bag from Tommy’s.

I reached for it. Oh my god. Forget my UberEats guy, you’re my dream guy.

His eyes widened comically for a minute until I laughed. You should see your face. Don’t worry, Leo, definitely no romance between us. You will always and forever be my BFF. I decided that twenty years ago. I will not change my mind about it this late in the game.

Something weird flitted through his gaze before he frowned at me. If I weren’t spending the night wallowing in my broken heart, I might have considered it more.

Wait a minute. Isn’t your UberEats delivery guy like in his fifties...and... he wrinkled his nose, I’m pretty sure he’s married.

Really? I thought I had finally stumbled on an excellent solution for my tragic love life and felt even sadder now about another love lost. It just reminded me of why I’d chosen to wallow my night away.

My throat tightened as tears welled, but I forced them back as I busied myself pulling out plates and another wine glass so Leo could join me on my second bottle.

I waved a hand at him like it was no big deal as I set the bag on the counter and immediately retrieved one of the tacos that were the perfect culinary distraction to drown out the disappointments of this day.

Yeah, he probably is married. Everyone worth any effort is married it seems.

I sighed and looked lovingly at my taco, feeling slightly buoyed. But since my BFF delivered the snacks I desired, I just need to change the parameters for the search for my perfect guy. I stuffed the taco into my mouth and my eyes rolled back in my head at the perfect blend of melted cheese and spices hit my taste buds.

Leo watched me with one eyebrow raised while I made orgasmic sounds around my taco.

He cleared his throat. I’m feeling like I might need to give you some privacy for this.

I swallowed the last bite of the taco I’d inhaled and shook my head at him. No. You should have your own little orgasm via the best tacos in the world. I retrieved another taco before shoving the overflowing bag to him.

He turned a brighter shade of red, but followed my instructions anyway.

Good. Leo needed to add some spice to his life, even if it only happened via tacos.

His love life was literally non-existent.

You look really nice, I mumbled to him as I ate.

And he did. Leo always cleaned up well. He worked as a fashion photographer, so he liked to blend into the background although he kept his own sense of style. My BFF favored suspenders or vests with button-down shirts tucked into jeans, topped off with a bow tie and usually some really cool leather oxfords or low, lace-up boots. When he was tired or spent too long on the computer, his glasses came out to perfect his slightly nerdy, geeky ensemble.

For a long time, I’d thought Leo was gay and just not ready to come out of the closet, but we were both twenty-seven now, and I’d never seen him show a hint of interest in a guy...or a girl. He had to be asexual.

I wanted to ask so badly, but he’d never brought it up, so I wouldn’t force the issue. No one wanted to be outed against their will. As my best friend, he knew he could trust me if he ever wanted to discuss it.

So I had to respect that he simply didn’t want to.

We both inhaled another couple of tacos before either of us spoke again. Then he waved at the still frozen image of Rock Hudson on the TV screen we could see from the kitchen. You pulled out the big guns. So, which Rock Hudson/Doris Day movie are we indulging in tonight?

I gave him a judgmental look. As my best friend, you should know which movie this is.

He studied the screen as he bit his lip. "Doris Day’s hat is almost normal looking, so I’m guessing this is Pillow Talk rather than Lover Come Back."

I snorted. That’s how you tell the two movies apart?

Well, sure. She’s a strong, executive type in both and he’s lying about who he is all the way through both movies while falling in love with her. They’re almost identical plot lines and the scenery is very similar.

Except her hat choices? I asked to clarify, thinking that maybe I should rethink the gay idea. He definitely had an eye for fashion, but as a professional fashion photographer, that made sense. Also, his family owned one of the largest fashion houses in the world, so maybe that couldn’t be an indicator.

Although, I had to admit, it was fun getting his take on my favorite movies. My mom had raised me on rom coms of the 50s and 60s and that meant Leo had suffered through more than his fair share of watching my feel-good movies. I guessed we’d never sat back and discussed the details, so I could hear his analysis.

He winked at me. "Double D knows how to rock a hat, but some of those in Lover Come Back are a bit much, don’t you think?"

How had we never discussed this before? I honestly don’t remember. I’ve always focused on the wonderful dynamic between Rock and her, so I guess I didn’t even notice. But you’re the guy with the artistic eye, so I’ll bow to your superior knowledge.

He snorted. Yeah, sure Miss Advertising Executive, we’ll leave it at that, just because I don’t want to get into whose profession uses a more artistic eye...your graphic designs or my photography. He shoved the leftover tacos into the fridge and topped off my red wine while pouring his own glass. Come on. Let’s go finish your movie and then you can cry on my shoulder for a few hours about how they don’t make men like Rock Hudson and Cary Grant anymore.

I let him wrap me up in a hug. And that’s why you’re my best friend. You know exactly what I need. Thank you. Now, let’s go drool over Rock Hudson’s impressively wide shoulders.

THREE HOURS LATER, we’d finished both Pillow Talk and Lover Come Back just so I could compare Doris’ hat couture.

Leo was right. Some choices in Lover Come Back were tragic while everything Doris wore in Pillow Talk was the epitome of class and beauty. Just like the lady herself.

Now I was both depressed and developing a headache after all the wine and from fighting off tears all night.

I sighed. There have to be guys out there like Rock Hudson, right?

In the closet? Leo said with more than a touch of sarcasm in his voice. I have no doubt there are lots of them.

I shoved his shoulder. You know that’s not what I meant.

I hugged a pillow to my chest and closed my eyes as I imagined my dream Rock. I just want to meet a guy like the characters he plays...strong, charismatic, wide shoulders, confident, and willing to give up his playboy ways after he meets the perfect woman.

Perfect woman? Meaning you... Leo interjected.

I opened my eyes and grinned at him. Obviously. I nodded and lifted my water bottle in agreement. I’d switched my drink about thirty minutes before, so I might have a chance to function at work in the morning. There have to be good guys like that out there. But god, I’m so sick of getting my heart trampled while trying to find them.

What happened with Philip? he asked softly.

Philip had been my boyfriend for the last two-and-a-half months. He’d detonated a bomb in the middle of our relationship earlier tonight. I blew out another breath, not wanting to admit just how much Philip had turned to be like Rock Hudson, but if anyone could laugh with me about it, it would be Leo. He’d appreciate the irony.

Um, you know, sometimes a girl just gets a little too specific when she puts her wishes out into the world.

That’s what I got for wishing for my very own Rock Hudson. I laughed bitterly, but Leo didn’t respond. He waited for the rest of my story.

I just needed to spit it out quickly and get it over with. I scored tickets to this weekend’s Dallas Stars game, so I dropped by his office to surprise him because I knew he was working late.

Fuck, Leo murmured, seeing already where this story was going.

Anyone would see where this tale was going. It was a story as old as time. Hell, it was the story of how my own parents’ fairytale romance crashed its fiery death. Never ever drop unannounced on your significant other’s office unless your relationship is one hundred percent rock solid. And even then...maybe just don’t risk it if you don’t want to know.

Yep. I popped the P with a hard smack of my lips. But it’s even worse than you’re probably imagining. I walked in totally clueless, but his office door was just barely pulled shut, so I went through it. Philip was on his knees sucking Mr. Leinhert’s cock while... I let my voice trail off as I raised my eyebrows and smirked at my BFF, who already looked appropriately scandalized, as I let the anticipation build.

When I didn’t finish the sentence fast enough, Leo groaned. Oh, come on, you can’t stop there. What else?

I grimaced and tried to ignore the build-up of tears at the back of my throat. I needed to laugh about this, not mourn it. Geezus, I hated when I got mopey like this, and obviously Philip wasn’t worth my tears.

I gave Leo a watery smile. While Mr. Stanfield railed him up the ass.

My now-ex boyfriend was a lawyer who worked at the esteemed law firm, Boze, Stanfield, & Leinhert. I just didn’t realize the extent of his services to the firm.

I laughed bitterly. So, you see, he just had a bit too much in common with Rock Hudson. The tears started flowing. Gay...or at least bi. My voice broke on the word. Who would have guessed it? Ironic, right?

And then the sobs began.

Oh, honey. Leo pulled me into his arms as he murmured, It doesn’t matter if he was gay, straight, or anything else. He was an asshole who cheated on you. That means he didn’t deserve you. I’m so sorry he hurt you.

As soon as his arms encircled me, the bit of control I’d been clinging to shattered. That’s why I hadn’t wanted to tell Leo what happened. I knew his pity would break me.

He let me cling to him while I let all the emotions out. Leo, my steadfast BFF, always knew exactly what I needed.

Want me to stay the night? he asked.

I nodded into his chest, the fabric of his shirt soaked by my tears.

He pulled away. Okay. It’s late. Go wash your face and let me pick up the kitchen. I’ll be in soon.

I still had my arms wrapped around his waist, and I reluctantly let go. On a good day, I was a person who needed touch. On nights like this, I clung like an octopus.

Thankfully, he knew this about me and let me cling as much as I needed. That’s why he offered to stay. He knew I needed the comfort of a cuddle in bed to make me feel safe. Otherwise, I’d have nightmares about being alone in the world.

My therapist said I had abandonment issues, which was absurd since my parents had been happily married until I’d turned twenty-one. I should have been way past the point of something like that leaving scars on my psyche.

But Leo continually reminded me that heartbreak didn’t age discriminate and it always left some sort of mark. He also thought my dad was a jackass since dad never hid his disappointment that I hadn’t been born with a penis.

Seriously, how did I live the first seven years of my life without Leo?

Thank you, Leo. Making you my BFF was the best decision I ever made.

He chuckled. That’s what I keep saying. He kissed the top of my head. Go. It’s late and we both have to work tomorrow. I’ll be there soon.

And I knew he would. It had been proven to me over and over that most guys couldn’t be trusted with even the smallest commitment, but Leo didn’t fall into that group. He was my steadfast, always there for me when I needed him, friend.

I may have an abysmal love life, but I had Leo and a good vibrator. What else did a girl need?

Chapter Two

I think I’m in love. – Cathy Timberlake

Try to get some sleep, honey. You’ll feel better in the morning. – Connie

THAT TOUCH OF MINK

Leo

I woke up to the low morning light of Izzy’s room and inhaled the sweet scent of her Blue Lotus shampoo. Her long red hair floated around my face. But instead of being annoying, I found myself in heaven. I buried my face in the mass and tightened my hold on

Reviews for That Touch...

[L'eau · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A cute story, not badly written, but doesn't resonate well for me for some reason. Maybe the pining of our hero was just too much... but that wasn't the only thing bothering me. I can't really pinpoint it, but the writing in this one just didn't do it for me.