Michael disconnected the call before his brother could ask him to explain. How in God’s name was he going to be able to stay away from her?
“What the hell, Isabel. Don’t you have any regular pajamas?”
“These are pajamas.”
“I’m taking you to Nathan’s Bay.”
“No.”
“No?” His voice was firm, as though he wasn’t accustomed to anyone challenging him.
Isabel wasn’t in the mood to argue. Was he trying to intimidate her? If so, he was failing. She wasn’t going anywhere. “Oh, I’m sorry. I meant to say, ‘No, thank you.’ ”
When he turned away and didn’t respond, she accepted her small victory and sat down on the bed. Propping the laptop on her knees, she opened it. She tried to look relaxed but couldn’t get her mind to settle down. The bedroom seemed to shrink with Michael in it. He was such a big man and so muscular. She wasn’t attracted to big, muscular men, she told herself. Too bad she couldn’t sell that lie.
When had it happened? When had she changed her mind? Had Michael caused this sudden reversal? She was still furious with him over his rude behavior at Kate and Dylan’s wedding. Or could it be possible that she was angry simply because he had ignored her? Had she been attracted to him even then? What a conundrum.
Conundrum?One of her aunt Nora’s favorite words. Isabel decided she had spent way too much time with the elderly woman who had moved in with them after her mother got sick. She was beginning to think like her aunt, and that couldn’t be good.
Why had her aunt suddenly popped into her head?
She closed her laptop and set it on the nightstand. “Are all Navy SEALS as big as you are? And you’re, what? Six-two? Six-three?” Now, where had that question come from? She couldn’t seem to hold on to a coherent thought for more than ten seconds.
Michael stared at her, puzzled. What the hell was going on inside that mind of hers? For a minute she had spaced out, and now she wanted to talk about the Navy SEALS?
“Get dressed,” he repeated, ignoring her question.
If he wasn’t going to respond, she would do the same. “I read that the training is intense. It is, isn’t it?”
He stood over her, his arms folded across his chest, studying her, trying to figure out how to get her moving. “I know you’re tired and you’ve had a bad experience today... ,” he began.
“A bad experience? Killing a man was a bad experience?” She started to laugh, then stopped, fearing she sounded hysterical. Wouldn’t that be the icing on her sucky cake.
Michael decided to reason with her, and he would be diplomatic. He moved her legs out of his way, taking time to notice how smooth and golden her skin was, and sat on the bed, facing her.
“I’m not going to leave you here alone.”
“Why not?”
“You’re kind of a mess.” So much for diplomacy.
Isabel folded her arms and looked at him indignantly. “That’s a mean thing to say.”
“Put your hands out.”
She did as he demanded before she thought better of it. They were still shaking up a storm. If she had a pair of bongo drums, she could really go to town. “It’s just the aftermath of... today,” she said, not wanting to put words to the horrible incident. “Besides, I haven’t had anything to eat since yesterday... or was it the day before yesterday? Then I threw up this morning because I foolishly got trashed last night.”
“You got what?”
“Trashed,” she repeated. “You know, sloshed, soaked, hammered... I had way too much to drink. I should probably order room service. Once I eat, my hands will stop shaking.”
“If you don’t go with me, I’m staying here in this room with you.” He waited for a horrified reaction. He didn’t get one.
“Okay.” She nonchalantly picked up the room service menu.
“Hell.”
“I think I could eat a sandwich. What about you? Are you hungry?” Switching subjects abruptly, she asked, “What did you and Samuel talk about? You both looked so intense.”