Chapter 17
ISAAC
I’d texted Tony. Told him I’d be at The Coral in a moment of madness.
Make that horny madness.
I wanted to see him, to be pinned by his dark gaze, to feel wanted again, to break this cycle of obsessing over Ollie. Even if it was just a bit of harmless flirting, it would be the antidote I needed to get me back on track.
You’re playing with fire…
Ollie drove us out of the repaired mansion gates, passing the reporters, none of them bothered by our presence. We rode in silence, of course, an awkward atmosphere quickly filling the car.
Honestly, my anxieties were too busy fluttering away for me to give much of a shit. Let him be quiet and moody. I didn’t care. He wasn’t the one about to make an appearance in public so close to the epicenter of drama.
I clasped my hands together in my lap, sitting ramrod straight, eyes on the windscreen. The repetitive gentle scape of the windscreen wipers pushing the rainwater away was a soothing distraction.
“Shame it had to piss down,” Ollie finally spoke.
I blinked, a tad surprised. “Absolutely.”
He turned right, taking the northern route away from the mansion, heading down a residential street. “How are you feeling about this?”
Do you give two fucks? “Weird. Torn. Like there’s two Isaacs—the Davenport one and the Aurora one. I knew I’d have to make them fit at some point, but also hoped to put it off forever.”
“Must be hard.”
Listen to him being all warm. Kind of. “Am I whining?”
“No.”
Oh, good. “It’s just I have no idea how to balance my life. I guess I’m about to find out.”
He pulled up to a roundabout, used it to take the third exit onto a country lane. “This might not sound like much, but you’re not alone. We’ve all got your back.”
If I wasn’t sat in this car seat, I’d have toppled over in shock. Did he really say that? Did Ollie Lovell really just offer me comfort?
Whoa. I couldn’t help the upward trajectory of my lips. “Thanks. I really appreciate it.”
He didn’t say anything for the rest of the drive, but I held onto those kind words.
The words of a friend.
I liked the idea of us being friends. Fuck all my nonsense. It would cool down my overheated bullshit and make way for friendship.
I kept on smiling until we reached a secluded layby tucked away from the road beneath a huge oak tree. It was pitch black, only the headlights providing illumination.
Another car was parked there, a silver Mercedes. Nice. The Brambles said another of those secret supporters of House Aurora had provided it.
“I guess I could roll up in that,” I whispered.
The nerves took over again. When I arrived at The Coral, it wouldn’t be long until I caused a stir.
I released a shaky breath as Ollie killed the engine.
The Brambles got out of the Mercedes, popping umbrellas. Alice came and opened my door, giving me the five-star treatment, sheltering me from the rain as she escorted me to the other car.
“You didn’t need to do that,” I said.
“Happy to, sir.”
I glanced back before I got in, Ollie’s door still closed, April waiting there with her back to it.
“He’s changing, sir,” Alice revealed.
“Oh.”
My clothes were carefully laid out on the back seat.
Yes. Changing separately. Why would we change in the same car? And why did my cheeks start heating?
Darn it!
“Thanks.” I swallowed the potion and climbed inside before I removed my clothes and slipped on a tight teal shirt and white, crystal-encrusted jeans.
Put on some teal shoes, and a sparkly white jacket to match the jeans.
Fixed my hair in the hand mirror, applied a touch of lip gloss, and sprayed on some cologne.
“Looking good,” I told myself, moving the mirror up and down my body.
An attention-grabbing outfit, nothing lowkey about it. Yes, I could’ve gone with a less flashy look, but when in supermodel mode…
All shiny like a Christmas bauble, I indicated to Alice that I was ready.
I watched April escort Ollie to the car through the tinted windows, their bodies cutting through the beams of the headlights. Ollie climbed into the driver’s seat, dressed in a black suit, totally hot, and totally causing a stir between my legs.
“Call us when you’re leaving,” April said. “We’ll do this again in reverse.”
“Will do,” Ollie answered.
“Thank you,” I contributed.
“Have a good meeting, sir.”
I gave her a wave and she closed the door.
I dipped my head. Soon this would be over. The decision to text Tony might have been a stupid move, but now I was also excited.
An excited prick, more like!
Ollie got the car moving, not looking at me.
I hadn’t squared this Tony business with anyone else yet. It wasn’t part of the plan, and a ridiculously irresponsible idea.
Coming to my senses, I pulled out my phone and typed out a message to Tony to tell him not to bother.
Since when did flirting with ex boyfriends lead to sunny meadows? By Hecate, I knew better. I’d seen messiness for myself firsthand. Case in point, my brother David’s endless relationships and his six marriages collapsing in his thirty-one years of life. Because of games, because of needless drama.
I sent the text and blocked his number.
But the rabbit was already out of the hat. I just knew it in my gut.
I’ve fucked up…
“Nice suit,” I told Ollie, keeping eyes down.
“Likewise,” he answered. “Well, nice outfit.”
I snorted. “Do I look okay?”
“You look good.” Not cold, but more friendly. Good. This was good.
We traveled the rest of the way talking in small bursts about the fae woman and about work stuff.
“Thanks for doing this,” I said. “This is probably the last place you want to be.”
I glanced up and met his gaze in the rearview mirror. His piercing scrutiny forced a gasp from the depths of my lungs.
Whoa. He looked ten times yummier all of a sudden.
“I’ve never been inside The Coral,” he replied. “This could be fun.”
I had to lower my eyes, unable take any more of his sexy smoldering.
“Maybe. Get ready for Hurricane Helen.”
“Is she that bad?” He stopped the car at a crossroads on a red light, Rainbow Mile shining up ahead like a beacon of entrainment in the night.
“Yes,” I answered, looking right at the darkness beyond the window. Somewhere out there was the beach and the sea.
“And she’s a bit much, is she?” he asked.
“She is. But she also put me on the map, so I can’t moan. You’ll see what I mean.”
The light turned green and off we went, moving from the darkness of the road and into the vibrant colors of Rainbow Mile.