Chapter 7 ~ Isabella ~
I blinked three times to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Then I raised my arm and pinched my cheek lightly.
Nothing changed.
I was still standing next to the handsome Carter Jenkins, who had his arm around my waist and was gently kneading my bottom. The caress sent warm shivers through my entire body. My skin tingled all over.
Or was that still from the kiss we had just shared?
What was meant to be a light, playful kiss had turned into the most passionate kiss I'd ever received. The eyes with which Carter Jenkins had surveyed me on the street less than an hour ago hadn't promised too much.
A kiss that was meant to be a punishment.
And now I was... engaged?
I shook my head.
It must be the alcohol, right? Earlier, I had thought that such things only happened in Hollywood. A woman rear-ends a man's car and the two become a couple. Or: A woman meets a man at a bachelorette party and they leave the evening as newly engaged.
I giggled, which was partly due to the alcohol.
Engagement.
How had Carter come up with this idea? Surely he didn't get engaged to every woman he kissed. And I had never thought about an engagement either. In all the time with Owen, I had never imagined what it would be like to be engaged or married to him. Or to grow old with him. That alone should have warned me. If I couldn't even imagine such a thing in my most secret dreams, then it wouldn't become reality.
Now I had just been introduced as a fiancée.
By the attractive Carter.
A very pleasant thought, to belong to him.
The older gentleman was just leaving the bar. I hadn't quite understood what it was about. Somehow he seemed angry with Carter. He was threatening him with some professional consequences, at least that's what I thought I heard.
And what did Carter think?
Isabella Abbott! You've known this man for less than two hours, you've kissed him once, and now you're thinking about how he feels and what he's thinking? What's gotten into you? This isn't like you. This is just for fun, remember that.
Just for fun.
Still, it felt somehow familiar.
Like it was with fiancés.
I pinched my cheek lightly again.
Carter turned to me. His blue eyes bored into my face. For a tiny moment, I thought I saw anger in them. Had he not liked the kiss?
The strange expression on Carter's face vanished as quickly as it had appeared. He smiled at me. My skin began to tingle again. Was it from the look? Or from the alcohol?
"Well, fiancée?" he greeted me now. "Did your car make it here?"
"Of course," I giggled again. The alcohol had now definitely gone to my head. I just couldn't stop laughing. "My car is used to minor collisions."
"Minor collisions..." Carter repeated, looking at me with his magnetic blue eyes that made me alternately hot and cold.
"Isabellaaaaaaaa!!! We're coming!" a chorus of voices sounded behind us.
"Hey! Let go of our Isabella!" Mira and Elly began pulling on Carter's arm at the same time. Judy put a protective arm around my shoulders.
"That was just a joke! She was just supposed to kiss you quickly. Her punishment for being late. She's always late, you know." Judy tried to pull me away from Carter.
"Well, your joke had consequences." Carter grinned at the girls. Had his smile been so slightly crooked before? Or was the alcohol playing tricks on my eyes? Either way, it just looked indecently good.
"Consequences?" Judy cocked her head back flirtatiously and looked at Carter. Her attempt at flirting, however, left him completely cold. He turned his gaze to me.
"May I introduce you to my fiancée? Isabella Abbott." He nodded to Judy, Fiona, Elly, and Mira. "You see, this isn't our first encounter."
"We know that." Fiona pursed her lips. "She totaled your car."
Did she have to emphasize that?
"I wouldn't exactly call it totaled. But Isabella did come into my life with a BANG, that's for sure. She tends to leave an impression, doesn't she?" He grinned around the group now. The girls laughed.
Carter pulled me close to him again. None of the girls objected. I hadn't said anything yet. Thoughts were buzzing around in my head so much that I had trouble following the conversation. Every time I had formulated a clear sentence, Carter and the girls were already a step ahead. But I didn't care. I was enjoying the evening and Carter's proximity.
"Are you celebrating something?" Carter wanted to know.
"Yeeees," everyone answered in unison. This time I joined in too. "Fiona here is getting married soon," I explained, giggling and pointing at Fiona.
"Oh! Well, congratulations," Carter said with a small nod in Fiona's direction. "The groom is to be envied. Though not as much as me. After all, not everyone can get engaged to Isabella."
I giggled again. I liked that Carter was continuing this game. I had no idea why he had introduced me as his fiancée to his conversation partner. I had actually expected him to say goodbye to me now. I shrugged. Let's keep playing then. Since I was enjoying it, I didn't ask any further questions.
"Girls, if you don't mind sharing your evening with a newly engaged man, I'll join you at the bar," Carter suggested at that moment. "And as is customary: The bill for the evening is on me. After all, I have something to celebrate. Or rather, we do."
With these words, Carter looked at me again. And once more, I lost myself in his eyes. How many times would this happen to me tonight?
The girls had wanted to push me out of my shell with this kiss and ensure that I met an attractive man again. They had succeeded more than they could have imagined.
Carter took my face in his hands and leaned down towards me. I closed my eyes expectantly. Carter's mouth met mine. Soon after, I felt his tongue and willingly parted my lips.
Oh yes, baby.
I wrapped my arms around Carter and pressed myself against him again. Carter's hands traveled down my back and came to rest on my butt. He gently kneaded my buttocks and pressed my hips against his. Just like before, I felt his erection, and Carter's arousal transferred to me. I rubbed against him and felt him grow even harder. My skin tingled all over my body, and now my core began to burn as well. I wanted to...
At that moment, Carter let go of me.
Isabella Abbott! Get a grip. You've known the guy for less than two hours. Yes, he's attractive. Yes, he kisses like no other. Yes, he even seems nice. But that doesn't mean you have to indulge in the wildest fantasies.
But why not?
They were just fantasies.
Because you'd love to put them into action.
I looked into Carter's bright blue eyes. He winked at me. What was that supposed to mean? Was he also getting carried away with fantasy?
"I wish I could get punished like that." Mira's laughter interrupted my thoughts. She planted a kiss on my cheek. "Come on, to the bar." With these words, she grabbed my arm and pulled me along. Carter followed us.
"What are you drinking there?"
"Tequila Sunrise, what else?" Fiona called out.
"Perfect for a bachelorette party!" Carter replied. "Another round!" This call was for the bartender. "But only for the ladies. I'll have another Glenfiddich."
"You don't like Tequila Sunrise?"
"Hmmm..." Carter mused as he sat on one of the bar stools and simply pulled me with him, so that I was sitting on his lap and could smell his masculine scent. Sandalwood and something else I couldn't identify. Yes, this position on Carter's lap suited me exceptionally well. Especially since Carter's hand was caressing my thigh and hips.
"I especially like Tequila Sunrise when I can taste it on your lips," Carter whispered in my ear and continued to caress me. The spots where he touched me tingled lightly at first, then more intensely. And I caught myself wishing Carter's hand would find other paths...
Isabella Abbott!
Again, I called myself to order. This was Fiona's evening. I couldn't steal her spotlight.
"Girls! We mustn't forget what we've prepared for Fiona," I grinned as the bartender slid five Tequila Sunrises across the counter and handed Carter a whisky.
"Oh yeaah, Isabella's right! Just because she got engaged doesn't mean you're off the hook, Fiona." That was Judy.
"I just hope you've prepared fun tasks for me too," Fiona giggled expectantly. "Though I can't get engaged anymore, I already am." She giggled again and raised her glass. "To an unforgettable evening!"
"To an unforgettable evening," we repeated in unison.
For me, the evening was already unforgettable.
After we had all taken a big sip, Judy cleared her throat. She had organized this evening. "So Fiona, the first task for the bride is..." She didn't get any further because at that moment Carter's phone suddenly rang. Carter managed to retrieve the smartphone from his suit's breast pocket without letting go of me. He glanced briefly at the display.
"I'm sorry, but I have to take this. I can't postpone it." With these words, he elegantly but firmly let me slide off his lap and hurried outside. I felt oddly abandoned, even though I knew Carter would be back soon.
Who could he be talking to?
Possibly... his wife?
He had introduced me as his fiancée, but I had no idea if he was already committed to someone else. A man with his looks and charisma couldn't possibly still be single, could he?
This thought stung my heart.
Isabella Abbott! What's wrong with you? You barely know the man. And anyway... this is just about fun!
"So what's my first task?" Fiona interrupted my thoughts. The girls had apparently forgotten about Carter as soon as he left the room.
"Well," Judy began again.
At that moment, a group of men passed by us on their way out. They must have been meeting in one of the back rooms. In the past year, our evening course had been held twice at the Hotel Tiffany to give us practical insights into hotel operations. That's why I knew about the conference rooms behind the bar.
Judy fell silent again, and we waited for the men to pass by.
But then... The third to last in the line stopped so abruptly that the men behind him ran into him and almost knocked him to the ground.
"Isabella!"
I had only noticed the man out of the corner of my eye until now. Now I looked more closely. And groaned loudly. The person standing before me in an ill-fitting suit, with a not-at-all attractive stubble and piercing eyes, was none other than Owen.
My ex.
Him? Here?
I had thought he'd left New York long ago and moved to the Bahamas. Or Hawaii.
"Owen," I responded, surprised but cool. "You're here? I never thought I'd see you again."
"Well, things never turn out the way you expect." Owen laughed mockingly.
I nodded. Owen was right about that. This was probably the first and only time in our entire relationship that I agreed with him. Today had certainly turned out differently than planned. I blinked twice. The alcohol and Carter had provided the necessary distraction, but now... Now I realized that standing before me was the man to whom I owed the mountain of debt I was sitting on, which was slowly but surely suffocating me.
"You owe me a lot of money," I said to Owen. The two men walking behind Owen looked at me curiously.
"Don't talk nonsense," Owen replied gruffly. "You're living in my apartment!"
"Your apartment!" I laughed shrilly. This wasn't usually my style, but somehow the alcohol seemed to be affecting my vocal cords at that moment. Or maybe Owen's presence had this effect. "Sure, it's half yours. Just like the debts that I'm currently paying off alone every month are half yours."
Owen shrugged. "You guys go ahead, I'll catch up," he said to his companions. They glanced at me again but then obeyed Owen. Did he have some authority over these men? Who were they anyway? And what was Owen doing here?
"Do you have a new job?" I wanted to know.
"Not specifically. I was here for exploratory talks."
Exploratory talks.
That term was usually used in politics. There it was mostly promising. With Owen, it was more likely to mean a lot of talk that amounted to nothing but hot air in the end. Although - maybe that applied to politics too.
This thought made me giggle.
Owen suddenly grabbed my arm. "Don't make fun of me!"
"Hey. Let go of me!" I demanded. Unfortunately, my voice didn't sound as forceful as usual. Damn alcohol.
"Let her go," the girls chorused in support.
"Quiet!" Owen snapped at my friends. He kept a firm grip on my arm and dragged me two steps away from the bar. I hadn't sat down again after Carter left.
"Hey! I don't want to go anywhere with you," I continued to resist. But Owen was simply stronger than me.
"I'm not going to let you ruin my reputation. Debts! Don't make me laugh! YOU live in that apartment. YOU've practically occupied it. I can't even use it. YOU threw me out."
"Yeah, because you cheated on me with your colleague."
Owen tightened his grip on my arm. "Don't you dare get insolent now."
"Insolent? Because I'm telling the truth?" I took a deep breath and tried to clear my head. The Tequila Sunrises had tasted good, but at that moment, I wished I had drunk a little less.
"Let Isabella go!" Judy and the others came to my aid again. They tried to pull Owen away from me. But Owen wasn't gentle. He lifted his leg and kicked back briefly.
"Owwww!" a voice cried out. Mira.
"Leave my friends alone!" I looked at Owen in disbelief.
Owen snorted contemptuously. "We're far from finished with each other, Isabella Abbott!"
"Yes, we are!" I wasn't going to let this guy tell me anything anymore. He had made my life hell for long enough.
"You'd like that!" Owen wasn't intimidated.
"What's going on here?" A deep male voice interrupted us. A hand was placed on my arm.
Carter.
Owen was still standing next to me, but I felt myself relax immediately. Nothing would happen to me now.
"This woman..." Owen began.
Carter interrupted him. "As I see it, my fiancée doesn't want you near her. And you're not respecting that wish. I don't like that. I don't like that at all." Carter's bright blue eyes now looked cold. Ice cold. This was not a man I'd want as an enemy.
Owen apparently thought the same. "I... uh..."
"Let Isabella go." A clear command from Carter. Owen's grip on my arm loosened. "I'd better escort you outside. It's not always easy to find the exit in this hotel. Several people have gotten lost trying." Carter's voice sounded polite, but was just as icy as the look in his eyes. He grabbed Owen by the collar with one hand and led him out. The girls behind me giggled, and after a moment, I joined in.
Owen really did look ridiculous, being thrown out by Carter like that.
I was saved.
Carter had come back at the right moment and protected me.
An invaluable feeling.
No man had ever done anything like that for me before.
Carter Jenkins was full of surprises.