Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
ISABELLE
Iblinked down at him. He shifted under my knee and I gritted my teeth.
“While I normally have absolutely no issue being pinned beneath a beautiful woman, any chance you could let me up? It’s bloody cold.”
Rising quickly, I stepped back, but thinking better of my hasty retreat, I offered my hand to the stranger.
He clearly had no idea who I was and I had just thrown him onto the ground and had a real good go at his sternum with my kneecap. Hopefully that coat was thick.
Accepting the hand with another quick grin, he stood, barely pulling any weight through me, and brushed himself off.
“Good job I was already covered in snow, eh?” He flashed his dimples and I felt a smile forming back.
Isabelle! I scolded myself, creating distance between our bodies when I gently withdrew my hand.
“So, Killer, a couple of questions.”
I looked up at him.
“One, who are you? Two, where are the boys? And three, am I correct, given the cursing, that we have an injured knee? Answers in any order.”
I stood still like a deer in headlights.
“Killer?”
“Oh. Right. Alex and Ben are at the manor?” I posed it as a question because I didn’t know if he knew what that was. “And they’re only scrapes.”
He stared expectantly.
“No name?”
I frowned. Did I need to keep my name a secret?
“Killer it is then.”
“Isabelle,” I answered immediately. “My name is Isabelle.”
Nice work, Izzy.
“Sorry, but I think you’ll find it’s Killer now.”
He indicated for me to return to the cottage, frowning gently when I didn’t move ahead of him, he then crossed to me and spun me before he steered me by the shoulders back along the path and inside.
“You aren’t really dressed for a blizzard.”
“Hmm?”
The heat of the house engulfed me and I dropped to remove my boots, storing them away in the cupboard, emerging to a puzzled look on the stranger’s face. He blinked, shaking his head, then offered his hand.
“Sebastian. Seb, Bastian. Any abbreviation works.”
“Hi, Sebastian.” I took the offered hand. It was warm from the thick gloves he had removed moments before, whereas mine was ice cold.
Sebastian shuffled around me, depositing his boots into the boot room and emerging without the huge coat. He still wore heavy snow trousers but on top he had an undershirt with long black sleeves covering toned arms.
He was like Ben and Alex in that. Tall, toned, and as he removed his hat and ruffled his dark brown hair, I realised, devastatingly attractive.
What was in the water around here?
“Shall we take a look at those knees?” His dimples were back.
“Um, no?” I frowned, withdrawing deeper into the kitchen.
He laughed, ruffling his hair once more.
“I hear how that sounded, sorry.” He didn’t look sorry. “I’m a doctor.”
My eyebrows hit my hairline.
“Knees?” he pressed.
“They’re fine.”
He looked unconvinced.
“I’m wearing leggings, it’s fine.”
He now frowned, sticking his bottom lip out, and when I didn’t offer any more excuses, he cocked his head.
“They don’t use these specific terms in medical school, but ‘Holy fuck, my knees’ would be considered a medically significant symptom, so unless you’ve had them seen to, perhaps we should give them a look?”
I must have looked extremely sceptical because he continued.
“I can make a coffee while you change into something more…” His lips twitched in a smile that he smothered. “Knee accessible. And then a quick look over and I’m sure the boys will be back and you’ll feel much safer.”
“I’m perfectly safe,” I countered.
“So, your judo tells me.” Another smile followed.
“Jiu-jitsu actually.” I heard the smile in my voice and relented. “Coffee and a quick knee-check.”
“I’ll even make a fire.”
“Well, that would do it.”
Sebastian had a small collection of first aid items arranged by the sofa when I emerged in my trusty Stitch pyjama bottoms and slid onto the sofa in front of him where he haltingly slid up the trouser legs.
The look was less aesthetic than my legging-jumper combo, but I drew the line at changing into a pyjama top for symmetry.
“Do what?”
“The holy fuck. These knees are extremely sore.” He brushed the antiseptic over them earning a hiss. “How did this happen?” He looked up earnestly, pausing his cleaning.
“Rocks?”
“Rocks.” He didn’t press any further on how exactly I interacted with those rocks. “Is this the first time you’ve cleaned them?”
“What? No. I showered today.”
“And this happened?”
“Yesterday?”
He was leading me.
“So, you scraped your knees open on rocks, yesterday, then ignored the pain, gave them the quick once-over in the shower today and Bob’s your uncle.”
His brow arched at the summary that made me look quite careless with myself. I had a lot of other, more pressing things, on my mind, but I wouldn’t be disclosing that justification to him.
“Are you saying that was insufficient?” I asked innocently and he barked out a laugh.
“Correct, Killer.”
I sighed at the nickname he’d now assigned to me, all too overfamiliar already.
He uncapped some arnica and rubbed it around the cuts over the bruised skin, the tenderness causing another flinch.
“Any other injuries?”
“Nope.” I popped the ‘p’ and instinctively fisted my hands, but he caught it, holding out his, palm upwards, and he waited for me to uncurl mine.
Slowly I did so. Sebastian was persistent, but kind, so I relented to accepting his care.
Cupping my wrist softly in his hands, he raised the cuffs of my jumper to my elbows. The cuts and grazes over my palms and forearms looked decidedly less angry than my knees, but their location kept them opening and one of the slices bled slowly.
“Oh dear, Killer. The rocks won, didn’t they?”
I scoffed and I saw the smile from the side profile as he cleaned my palms and rubbed more ointment on them before capping the tube.
“What am I meant to do now? My hands are oily so I can’t touch anything.”
His grin turned wicked. “I’m sure we can think of things to do without needing our hands.”
I had no time to reply as the back door opened, although I couldn’t see who opened it from where I sat, Ben and Alex’s voices rippled through the house. And really, who else could it be?
Sebastian raised his finger to his lips, the sound of the men nearing.
“Made ourselves another fire, I see?” Alex’s disapproval entered the space before he did.
“Always so welcoming,” Sebastian replied for me and Alex stopped in his tracks.
“Seb.” He didn’t seem too pleased at the man being in his lounge, but from the little time I’d spent with him I suspected he was never pleased.
“Good to see you too.” Sebastian threw his arms around Alex without waiting for permission and I thought I saw the ghost of a smile on Alex’s scowling face.
“What are you doing here, Sebastian?”
Alex’s question was unanswered as Ben joined them and Sebastian released him, wrapping Ben up in another hug.
“Hello, Benji.”
Ben didn’t stiffen the way he did when I came within two metres of him, he softened, bringing his arms gradually up to embrace Sebastian back.
“Seb.”
They released one another.
“Sebastian?” Alex brought Seb’s attention back from where he was openly observing Ben.
“I was giving your guest medical treatment. I have to say I was disappointed to find out she was injured yesterday and had been offered no first aid?” His tone seemed jovial but his relaxed demeanour had stiffened somewhat.
A muscle in Alex’s jaw twitched.
“You were hurt?” Ben stepped towards me, then stopped himself.
“We had no idea.” Alex defended himself to Seb, diligently keeping his attention away from me.
“I’m fine.” I rubbed my palms together to diffuse the ointment, the friction causing me to wince.
Sebastian looked from me to the men, a blatant ‘see?’ was etched into his features so I threw my hands up, palms out.
“I’m fine. See?”
Sebastian switched from disapproving, smiling instantly. “Oh, absolutely, I can see that.”
Alex and I both huffed in time.
“Sebastian. Why are you here?”
“To check up on Benji.” He grinned at the pair. “He’s due a check-in.”
“And this happens to coincide with the onset of the largest storm in fifty years?”
Sebastian grinned. “Anything for my patients.”
A light laugh had both men turning to Ben who fell quiet, schooling his features.
“How did you even get here?” Alex was all business.
“Quad bike.”
“In this weather?” Even Ben now seemed surprised.
“As I said, anything for my patients.” He shifted closer to me, a hand coming down around my shoulder. “Of which I now have two.”
As Alex watched the gesture without a word, Ben offered Seb another little smile.
“You’ll never get back into town on a quad, not now,” Alex surmised, frowning at the blankets of snow falling outside the windows.
“Oh no, you don’t think so?”
I looked up to where Sebastian towered over me, his face painted in mock concern.
“I suppose I’ll just have to wait out the storm here then.” He shrugged and flashed me a dazzling smile.
A bark of laughter from Alex sounded anything but amused. “We don’t have the capacity for another mouth.” He shot me a small glare.
“Lies. I’ve seen the outhouse. You, sir, could house the entire orphanage for the winter.”
Alex frowned. “We don’t have enough beds.”
“I’ll bunk in. Or our new friend here can bunk in?” He wiggled his eyebrows at me and I joined Alex in frowning.
“She’s in the guest room.”
Seb spun fully to Alex, taking my body reluctantly with him where I remained under his arm.
“She?”
Alex rolled his lips, not responding.
“She, Alex?”
Alex huffed.
“You don’t know her fucking name!”
I looked between the men, replaying our interactions. They didn’t!
My hand rose to cover a tiny grin as Seb fully rounded on the two.
“You two! Alex, I’d expect nothing less, but Benji, I thought I taught you better than that?”
Ben’s brows furrowed and I immediately felt bad for him.
“We’ve not really spoken, much.” I offered Ben the olive branch, not realising that I accidentally offered it to Alex.
“I found Goldilocks asleep on the sofa first thing this morning when I arrived home, and we’ve been at the manor all afternoon.”
Seb tapped his chin with his finger, his frown never easing.
“I take that to mean she’s been here for…” He looked out of the window. “Nearing twenty-four hours?”
Alex visibly gulped.
“Killer?” Seb turned to face me. While his eyes glittered with mischief, his tone said he was nothing less than unimpressed, but he was clearly having fun torturing them.
“My name is Izzy-sabelle,” I stumbled.
Ben smiled, Alex scowled.
“Thanks, Killer.” Seb beamed back at the men. “The two most inhospitable brothers I ever had the misfortune of meeting. Alex, be a lamb and storm that glowing mood back outside to grab my bags from the bike.”
Alex spun on his heels and stormed back outside, the sound of an engine starting up confirming he was doing as bid by Seb. Interesting.
“Sorry. Izzy?” Ben’s apology had his features furrowing.
“Izzy is fine.” I found myself needing to soothe him, not wanting to have caused him more discomfort than my presence seemed to have already.
“Good lad.” Seb released me and rounded on Ben drawing him into his side. The two were similar in height and build, but Ben almost eased inside Seb’s hold, shrinking slightly.
“How are you doing?” Seb’s voice lowered and I immediately felt I was intruding on a private conversation.
I expected Ben to hesitate in his reply, but he didn’t even blink. “Fine, Seb.”
“Routine?”
“Consistent.”
“Exercise?”
Ben frowned.
“Being active in the shed counts.”
Ben’s frown eased. “Good then.”
“Diet?”
“Good, Seb.” Ben finally seemed to be finding discomfort under Seb’s scrutiny.
“Yep, nearly done. Sleep,” he pressed.
Ben’s lips thinned and he dipped his head.
Seb instantly softened, voice gentle. “That’s three out of four, sounds good to me.”
Ben was worrying his fingertips when the door slammed back open and I almost missed the strong squeeze Seb gave Ben before releasing him.
Alex, who carried two large cases, kicked the door closed behind him.
“A check-in, Seb! With two suitcases?” The outrage was more than evident and a tiny snort escaped me earning me a glare.
“The second one is sustenance.”
Alex glared harder.
“And booze?” Seb offered.
Alex’s glower slipped and he sighed, placing one case on the floor and shoving it across the stone where Seb intercepted it.
Seb looked back between Ben and me, glowing with victory.
“So, tell me, Killer. You’ve taken up residence in my room?”
“The guest room,” Ben corrected.
Sebastian continued regardless. “Then am I to bunk in my room with you, or…” He looked at Ben, cocking a brow. “Do you want me, Benji?”