Chapter 24 ~ Isabella #3
Trying to ignore the sexy man sitting beside me, I concentrate on my pancakes.
He gets up and grabs a couple of pencils and a notepad and comes over and we design the room while I eat the last of the bacon.
I take one pencil and show him my ideas.
I study him as I draw. He actually seems interested, and he’s not pretending.
He really seems genuine about this, so I relax.
It’s not like when he asked me about Harry Potter and I knew he didn’t give a shit. He actually cares about this project.
We spent the afternoon going over plans.
And it was actually fun. We laughed and joked about his lack of knowledge of plants.
We’ve never done that before, joked. And it was genuine.
It wasn’t pretending or trying to get something out of one another that we weren’t willing to give. It almost felt like a friendship.
And I guess if we’re going to have a child together, that’s the best place to start.
We agreed we’d pick up tomorrow afternoon.
I haven’t heard from Anna and I forgot my phone on my coffee table in my anger.
So, I have no idea whether she is going to stay over tonight or if she is going to come over for dinner.
It is nearly five o’clock, which means it is time to go back home.
“I guess I should head home. Anna will come over soon.” I push my chair back and Alexander gets up immediately and helps me.
I put my pencil on top of my sketches. He’s so close.
I can feel the heat from his chest at my back and I can smell that butterscotch.
And it takes everything I have not to turn around and put my nose to his neck and sniff.
I can feel my cheeks heat from my train of thought, so look away so he can’t see my face flush.
“I’ll walk you out.” Alexander puts his hand on the small of my back and guides me out of the library. We stop at the base of the stairs. And Alexander looks at me, turning me with his hands on my shoulders.
“I really enjoyed today, and I don’t want to ruin what we have going on. But I would like to give you those letters that I wanted you to read. They’re from your grandfather. I don’t want to lie to you, and I want to be straightforward from now on, with everything.”
His voice is quiet, he looks so serious.
“Read them in your own time. There’s no rush and if you have questions or anything you want to say to me or my father, just let me know.” He tucks a curl behind my ear, stroking my cheek as he takes his hand back.
“I’m really looking forward to this project with you, plus I’m really looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.”
He strokes my nose with his finger and turns to go to his office.
I completely forgot about the letters he was talking about last week.
After those gentle touches just now, I completely forgot about pretty much everything.
Alexander comes back shortly with a large envelope and hands it to me.
We walk to the back door, past the kitchen to the patio.
This feels like one of those scenes in a movie where the awkward girl in high school has a crush on the popular boy, and he’s standing right in front of her and she doesn’t really know what to do.
“Thank you for looking after my plants. And I’d like to thank you for all of my presents.” When I say it out loud, it sounds stupid and makes me feel dumb.
Trying to recover, I blurt out, “I really love all my Harry Potter stuff. Tomorrow I’ll bring some butterscotch candies. I missed them this afternoon.” I am trying to be funny, but it’s coming out weird. Taking another step down. “Thank you again, Alexander.”
His smile is wide and genuine as I look up at him. His dimples are on full display and those straight white teeth sparkle. “Well, I couldn’t let you forget about me now, could I?”
I laugh now. “No, they were a constant reminder.”
Taking the last step down, I bite my bottom lip, “Anyway, goodnight. I will see you tomorrow afternoon.” I smile up at him. He has his hands in his pocket, his powerful forearms on display, making my belly crazy.
“Yeah, okay, night. See you tomorrow.” I wave and don’t look back. I head straight to my front door, step inside and close it, leaning back against it. Christ, what am I, twelve? That was the most awkward, idiotic thing I’ve ever done?
There was a plan when I left this house this morning.
Determination drove me across that yard to tell him this was enough of the games.
To leave me alone to think. Now here I am, leaning up against the door, practically sweating.
My stomach is flipping out, acting like a teenager at a school dance because the cute guy said hi to me. Get it together Izzy!
A knock right by my head caused me to jump and let out a little squeal. Opening the door, barely an inch. Alexander is standing there, his face flushed, his eyes wide. Those dimples are gone.
He clears his throat, so I open the door wider. Maybe he’s afraid about the letters, about how I’ll react.
“Alexander? I haven’t read them yet.” He looks weird? “Are you okay?”
I tilt my head to the side and he swallows, making his Adam’s apple bob in his sexy throat. He steps up closer and I can smell him, practically taste the vanilla. Gawd!
“Just one more thing, bunny.” He sounds so serious and I get nervous, so I take a breath in to ask him what is the matter, but I don’t get a word out.
His hands cup my face and lips are on mine in a flash, soft and warm, his tongue stroking my lips, and I can taste the butterscotch candy he must have eaten.
My body freezes, my hands are on his chest ready to push him away, but Christ smells good and I give up.
Lust takes over and I attack his face like I did those candies.
Biting and sucking on his lips, sweeping my tongue inside his mouth, greedy for more of him.
We fall back against the door and he follows me, pushing his hips into my belly, and I can feel how hard he is.
I claw at his hair and he cups the back of my head, angling me for better access and draws me closer, nipping at my bottom lip.
I’m breathing heavily and he sucks my top lips in his mouth.
“Christ bunny, you taste so good.”
He growls in my mouth, sweeping inside to suck lightly on my tongue.
I grind myself on his thigh and kiss him back just as hard.
Finally, we come up for air. I look him in the eyes.
He’s just as lost as I am and I growl and go straight for the side of his neck, the place I’ve been dying to taste since our wedding night.
I lick and kiss him and suck on the skin.
I can’t get enough. Alexander shivers and he grinds his erection into me, wrapping his arms around me tight.
“Bunny?” His voice is husky, and he’s kissing the sweet spot between my neck and shoulder.
I kiss him below his ear and smell him, making some kind of weird mewling noise and drawing his skin into my mouth again.
I wrap my arms around him and lift my legs to grip him by the hips.
It’s hard with my tummy in the way, but Alexander cups my bottom in his enormous hands and squeezes them, making me whimper and I attack his mouth again.
I need more of him, more of the taste of him.
“Bunny?” He mouths into mine as I attack his lips again.
I kiss his lips, his cheek, I can feel his stubble rough on my cheek and stroke my cheek up against his face. “Mmmm?”
“Bunny? I’m going to let you down now before this goes too far.”
I pull back and look him in the eyes. Fuck!
His eyes are dilated, his breath is coming out as heavy as mine, his poor lips are swollen from my bites and kisses and I think I left a small raspberry on his neck from where I was basically eating it.
I push off his chest, and he slowly drops me to the floor.
I cover my mouth with my hand and shake my head.
“Oh, my God, Oh, my god, I’m so sorry. I totally like, raped your face! Oh, my god.”
I wiggle out from his chest and the door and walk over to the back of the couch, facing away from him. I’m so embarrassed. Oh lord, I can’t believe I did that. I can hear Alexander laughing.
“Well, I wouldn’t go that far, and I am absolutely not complaining.” He waves his hand in the air, taking a step toward me. I put my hand up, warding him off.
“Nope, you stay there, butterscotch. You smell like desert and look just as appetizing. Don’t come any closer, I mean it. You smell too bloody good, and I’m embarrassed enough as it is. I might attack your face again.”
Alexander comes another foot closer, trying to hold his laughter in and holds out his hand to me. I hesitate, but finally take it. He rubs the top with his thumb.
“Isabella, I’m attracted to you too. Your taste, your smell, your…
everything. I liked that fire in you, and I want more.
I just want to go slow. As hard as that is for me right at this moment not to take you to that bedroom, I want you to trust me.
I don’t deserve it, but I will work on earning it. So don’t be embarrassed.”
He means it. I look at him, really look, and he means every word he’s saying. He squeezes my hand, then lifts it to his mouth, placing a soft kiss on top.
“Good night, sweet girl. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He goes to the door and stops, looking back at me with a wicked grin on his face.
“Don’t forget the candies tomorrow. We have a long meeting to get through and momma’s got her babies to take care of.” He winks and leaves.
Christmas on a cracker!
That was hot and really bad, but oh, so good. Oh God, I want to taste him all over again. Shivers run down my spine and push off the couch, going to the kitchen for some water. I should just have a cold shower, honestly what the heck came over me? I never act like this.
I gulp down a full glass and fill it up again.
I need to google. Setting the envelope on the coffee table, I grab my phone, checking for messages.
There’s one from Anna. She will see me tomorrow because something came up.
Hoping in my heart that it’s Danny related.
I text her back, all good, love you, and bring up my search bar.
This has got to be a chemical thing or a pregnancy thing? I’m not like this. Snapping the lid down on the jar of candies, I push it as far away from me as I can. My phone dings, and I pick it up.
Alexander: Good night, Mrs. Russo.
I giggle, and text back.
Isabella: Good night, Butterscotch.
I should google butterscotch? Maybe that is the problem.