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Since I figured out you’re going to break my heart, she thought but didn’t say. “It’s just a song.”

“Sing it for me.”

For some reason she was embarrassed to sing with just him in the car and darkness all around them. It seemed too intimate. She shook her head at first, and then, with a little coaxing from Michael, she gave in. She sang the song but wouldn’t look at him until she was finished.

“That wasn’t cynical at all,” he said. He wasn’t one to give a lot of praise, and she was surprised when he added, “That was really beautiful, Isabel.”

They passed through one village and then another, the only light coming from the cottages along the route. It seemed they had been driving a long time, but when she checked her watch, less than half an hour had gone by.

A short time later they pulled off the main road onto a side road almost too narrow for two cars to pass. Tall trees hovered on both sides for a short distance until there was a clearing and they drove into a lighted circle, the grand entrance to a huge stone manor house that had been turned into a luxury hotel. Nick had pulled off another impossible feat, securing a room for them at this exclusive, out-of-the-way resort.

Though the manor had been modernized, it still displayed the elegance of a past century. Even more appealing to Isabel, it offered twenty-four-hour room service. There was a charming pub at the back of the main floor, and they could have stepped in for a quick dinner, but all she wanted was a hot shower.

Their room was quite large. The king-size four-poster bed seemed enormous after the beds she had been sleeping in the past couple of nights. In this one, Michael would have room to move around. There was also a long plush sofa across the room, should he decide to sleep there.

“What do you think? Will this be okay?” he asked.

“I’m never going to leave.”

He laughed. “I guess that’s a yes.”

A small alcove led to a large newly renovated bathroom around the corner. There was a huge shower enclosed in glass and a large marble vanity with two sinks, but what drew Isabel’s attention was the old-fashioned claw-foot tub in front of a stained-glass window.

A hot bath was just what she needed to help her decompress. Her mind was filled with worries. James Reid, the Patterson Group, Harcus... All of them were motivated by greed, and all would love to have her gone.

On a marble shelf adjacent to the tub were bottles of various bath salts. One of them was called Wild Flowers. The scent was divine. She sprinkled some into the water, got in, and with a sigh settled back and let the water wash away some of her stress.

There wasn’t anything she could do about that problem tonight, she reasoned. Tomorrow would be soon enough to take on the vultures. Her concern now was for Michael.

What was going to happen when they returned to Boston? Most likely Michael would leave her as fast as possible. The image of the cartoon character Wile E. Coyote taking off at warp speed came to mind and actually made her smile.

She hadn’t told Michael how she felt, and he hadn’t told her. Why was she playing the waiting game? Probably because she was the one who had started all this. She had seduced him, not the other way around.

Time for some honesty. This was more than attraction. As scared as she was, she couldn’t ignore the truth any longer. She was hopelessly in love with Michael. Now, how in God’s name had she let that happen?

She made up her mind. When they returned to Boston, she would tell him she loved him. At this point she didn’t care if he crushed her because he didn’t feel the same way. At least she wouldn’t be in limbo. She would know the truth.

Isabel took her time soaking in the tub, then removed the hotel’s thick cotton robe from the hook on the far wall and slipped it on. As she was tying the belt around her waist she heard the doorbell ring. Their dinner had arrived. She walked into the bedroom and was just about to tell Michael she wasn’t hungry, but then he lifted the silver domes from the plates, revealing the grilled salmon with brown rice and root vegetables, along with thick crusty rolls and sweet butter, and she couldn’t resist. She ate every bit... with one exception. Again there was a side dish of mushy peas. She didn’t touch them.

As soon as the table was removed from the room, Michael locked the door and turned to her. “I want you to stay right here. Understand? Don’t go anywhere.”

He disappeared into the bathroom before she could ask him where he thought she would go.

Isabel removed her robe and draped it over a chair, then put on a pair of baggy sweatpants and an oversize red Kansas City Chiefs T-shirt. She had no intention of trying to seduce Michael tonight. She was exhausted, and comfort won out over attempting to look desirable. The bed had already been turned down and, after her long hard day, she couldn’t wait to sink into the soft white comforter and pillows. But first she needed to talk to Michael about tomorrow. She didn’t want any surprises—though she expected there might be one or two. After rubbing some lotion on her arms and legs, she sat back against the headboard and patiently waited for him to return to the bedroom.

Unlike Isabel, it didn’t take Michael any time at all to shower. He knew he looked scruffy, but he didn’t feel like shaving tonight. He brushed his teeth, put on a pair of old boxer shorts, and was ready for bed.

Rounding the corner into the bedroom, he took a couple of steps and came to an abrupt stop. He couldn’t move. Isabel’s face was scrubbed clean, and her hair was wet and brushed back. The clothes she wore were shapeless. And yet he couldn’t take his eyes off her as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, walked across the room, and picked up the television remote. The way she moved was so sensual.

Isabel had turned everything upside down. Sex without any kind of emotional commitment used to be his standard. He wouldn’t allow any complications or expectations. What had he called it? Oh yeah. A pleasurable activity. What a cocky bastard he was.

He was nearly overwhelmed by his need for her tonight. He closed the distance between them. She was still holding the remote when he took her in his arms and kissed her warm soft lips.

Her clothes, the remote, and his shorts were on the floor before they reached the bed.

Their passion was blissful and beautiful.

When both were breathless and spent, Michael raised up on his elbows. He could feel her heart pounding under his. He didn’t have enough energy to move. He wanted to savor the feeling of her against him. “Are you okay, baby?”

Isabel couldn’t make herself let go of him yet. “If we keep this up, it’s going to kill us. You know that. Right?”

He gave her a heart-stopping smile, and said, “Yeah.”

“You’re pretty pleased with yourself, aren’t you?” she asked as she trailed her fingertips down the side of his cheek.

He slowly nodded. There was a seductive glimmer in his eyes. “Give me a minute, and I’ll try to kill us again.”

She sighed. What a wonderful way to go.


Tags: Julie Garwood Buchanan-Renard Romance