Chapter 13 ~ Alexander
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I can smell her perfume permeating the air around me like a fog.
It lingers in my nose like a drug as I face the window, trying to ignore her.
I breathe in deeply, taking the scent in.
Isabella is hugging the window, putting as much distance between us as the car will allow. And for that, I’m grateful.
It’s taking all the willpower I have not to grab her and haul her into my lap and taste those lips again. Why the fuck did I do that? My one cardinal rule and I broke it while I held her plush body against the door.
I went to her office early today so I could play with her head. I wanted to see her reaction, to watch her face as I told her about her father’s decision. Gauge if she’s as innocent in all this as she portrays.
And she is. So very innocent in all things.
I walked in, and there she was. Standing high up on scaffolding, dressed in a large white lab coat that reached her mid-thigh.
It is covered in dirt and paint residues of every shade.
It exposed her thick thighs from below her skirt, her feet were in a pair of simple running shoes with little ruffled socks poking above the edges.
She had goggles on and her hands were covered in a pair of white cotton gloves. Her hair was up in a rather messy bun, with strands poking out all over with a metal tool and a tiny paintbrush stuck in the middle, holding the mass together.
She had a small pick in one hand as she slowly brushed away dirt from the immense rock wall she was working on. It was kind of cute, in a nerdy kind of way. She looked like a little girl left alone in the craft room who went nuts.
It fascinated me as I watched her work. The slow, meticulous way she would use her pick to scrape off the minuscule dirt and then brush away the dust. Pick, brush, pick, pick, brush. I couldn’t bring myself to make my presence known. I took pleasure in watching her work. I was captivated.
I had to chuckle to myself every few minutes when the top of her foot would rub the itch at the back of her calf.
She looks so damn cute standing up there all covered in dust and dirt and paint.
I don’t normally find women cute, but she was; there was no other word I could come up with to describe her.
After a while, her shoulders slumped, dropping her hands by her sides, and took a large breath, rolling her neck to ease the tension. I look down at my watch; it’s going on quarter after four. I was told she was done with work by 4:30 - 5 o’clock, so she should clean up pretty soon.
She’s was so engrossed in her painting that she hasn’t even noticed me standing there. This is twice now she has no idea how close the monster is to her. One could almost take it as an insult, but to be fair, she does have her back to me this time.
She backs herself down the ladder, rips off her gloves and throws them in the trash, tossing her goggles on the desk. Isabella hangs up her lab coat and removes the tools from her hair, gathering her brushes and putting them into a jar at her desk.
Isabella grabs her cup, slings her purse over her shoulder and makes it toward the exit, where she finds me standing there. The look on her face almost makes me laugh out loud. She’s so shocked. She has no idea I’ve been standing here for the last 30 minutes watching her pick away at the rock wall.
I couldn’t help myself. I used her travel mug to pull her closer. I needed to look into those jade-green eyes as I told her about her father and watch as her face went white with shock.
She started to tear up, and for some reason, I couldn’t help but feel kind of bad for her.
She had no idea her dad could be such a dick.
But then her attitude changes when I tell her she’s moving into my home tonight and she’s coming home right now.
I could see it as it formed over her face.
Her lips tighten, her eyes squint, and the jade green turns a darker shade of emerald. She’s pissed.
The pink started at her ample chest and moved up to her face, inflaming it with anger. Her eyes came alive with fury, and she tried to put her foot down with me, adamantly demanding that she go for a drink with her friend.
That’s not how I work. When I tell you to get into the car, you get into the car.
I must admit, I kind of liked that fire in her eyes as she tried to push past me and make her way out.
I only let her get so far before slamming her into the door, gripping her tightly and making her feel my dominance.
She was not going to win, no matter what.
She smelled so goddamn fucking good. She smelled like flowers and chemicals of some kind.
But it doesn’t deter the scent of those lilies that waft from her hair.
Again, she has her eyes closed, afraid to look at me.
And I like it. She’s submissive. But is she A submissive? There’s a huge difference.
I couldn’t help myself as I looked at her face. Her eyes were scrunched closed; her cheeks soft, her breath fogging up the window as she pants. I didn’t want to taste those lips, but I couldn’t help myself. Just a quick one, just to see how they felt against mine. It’s been so long.
And I did. I kissed them gently, but quickly.
I should’ve never done it. It sent a shock wave through my chest, and I quickly pulled back and stared at her closed features.
She chased the warmth of my breath as I backed away slightly, letting me know she wasn’t as unaffected as I believed her to be.
My little bunny has feelings. Or maybe the awakening of feelings she never knew existed.
I kept thinking all the way to the bar that I should never have kissed her.
We weren’t talking; we just walked in silence as I held her hand.
It was so small in my grasp. I could feel the callus on her palm, and now I know why.
She holds those tools all day, rubbing and picking and scraping.
It brought an image of me bringing her hand to my mouth to kiss away the stiffness.
What the hell? This is why I don’t kiss chicks.
It’s an intimate act and I don’t do that shit. I fuck.
We got to the bar, and I was introduced to Anna.
She’s quite a cute little thing, barely 5 feet tall, with a blonde pixie haircut and bright blue eyes.
She’s tiny but with a huge personality, a little spitfire.
I can see why she and Isabella get along so well, whereas Isabella is so demure and quiet.
Anna is loud and boisterous and tells it like it is. It’s quite an amusing dynamic to watch.
For some reason, my hand was drawn to Isabella the whole time we were having drinks.
I couldn't help but touch her warm skin and It was driving me crazy. I didn’t understand why I needed to keep touching her, my body just wanted to feel her so I ran with it, putting on an extra show for Anna while trying to make everyone in the bar believe we were a couple.
Who knows who’s watching? Not that it matters, but I’d like to make this look as genuine as I can.
I shouldn’t have done any of it.
I can see and feel my mistake now as she huddles in the corner of the car. The way Isabella looked at me with such sincerity when I invited Anna out for the weekend It would’ve stirred my heart if I had one. But I don’t.
It’s the first time I’ve ever seen her look at me like a human and not the monster that’s been chasing her for the last 24 hours.
Her eyes sparkled when she looked at me, making the jade green brighter.
Her lips were soft and her breath was warm against my cheek.
I just wanted to kiss her again, but I refrained.
It’s only going to take us down a road neither of us wants to travel.
Now I’m sitting in this fucking car, gripping my thighs tight so I don’t reach across, sink my hand into her silky hair, and drag her lips to mine. I’m going to take her home, show her to her room, get the fuck out of the house, and go to the club for the night.
I don’t think I can sleep across the hall from her without wanting to at least touch her once more.
I look over at her; she’s still staring out the window ignoring me.
I can’t tell if she’s pissed or hurt or both.
Women are so fucking confusing. I wish they would just say shit.
If you're mad, say you’re mad. If you’re happy, say you’re fucken happy.
Why make men guess? It’s just a stupid fucking game that leads to more and more animosity and bigger and bigger fights?
I look up at Carlos through the partition, and he’s looking at me in the rear-view mirror every once in a while.
Squinting his eyes as if telling me like ‘Talk to her man, don’t be a dick’ But I’m not saying anything right now.
I don’t even know what to say. Hey, thanks for playing the game in front of your friend. Sorry if you took it seriously.
We pull up to the gate. Carlos buzzes us in.
As the gate opens, we drive through the bright pot lights illuminating the driveway to show the way.
The glow brings Isabella out of her stupor from staring out the side window as we make our way to the front entrance.
She now leans slightly towards me, peeping through the partition as we come up the circle driveway.
Her breath hitches as she takes in my home for the first time.
Her eyes brighten, revealing a glint of the sparkle she had earlier. Somewhere deep down, I’m hoping she likes it and approves. Another part of me thinks, who gives a fuck if she likes it? But I would at least like her to be comfortable living here.
We pull up to the entrance. Carlos puts the car in park and gets out. Isabella doesn’t even wait for either of us to open the door; she just jumps out and walks around the back of the car, standing silently by the trunk. Her head swivels side to side drinking it all in.