Chapter Four
Isaac alternated between staring out the window at the beautiful scenery flowing below and staring at the beautiful woman seated close by. She was going through something rough, and he was now her protection detail. If only he could keep his mind from noticing every detail about her, from the way she bit at her lip to the way she splayed her fingers occasionally, as if reminding herself not to clench them. He couldn’t even let himself think about how it felt to touch her, or he’d slide down a rabbit hole that would have them cuddling close in the beach bungalow until her dad pinned down Lansky and Isaac got the chance to make things right. He liked the idea of holding her close, once he’d settled the score with Lansky.
When she stretched her fingers wide and pressed them against her thighs for the dozenth time, he asked, “Why do you do that?”
“Do what?” Her navy-blue eyes darted to his, and he felt a little stitch in his chest. He rubbed at it, hoping he wasn’t getting sick.
“Stretch your fingers out. Do they hurt?”
“Oh.” Cosette looked down at her hands and gave a soft laugh. “No. I spend a lot of time typing on the computer and clutching vials in my lab. A doctor recommended I stretch them whenever I think of it, so I don’t get arthritis or carpal tunnel or something like that. I do it so often I don’t even realize it. It bugged Vance. He’d kiss my fingers and say they were too pretty to be getting damaged by chemicals.” She snorted in derision and clasped her hands together.
Isaac’s brow furrowed. There were some burn marks on her fingers, but he didn’t mind them. He wished he could kiss them and tell her they were beautiful—but he didn’t plan on doing anything similar to what Lansky had done, and he was already forgetting that he shouldn’t get involved with her romantically. “I think it’s amazing what you’ve created,” he said instead. “I have no idea how you can create scents like you do.”
“Thank you. I think you have some idea, though. If I remember right, you and your brothers were always building bombs.”
Isaac laughed. “That was mostly Seth and Caleb, and what you do is infinitely more impressive than building bombs.”
She shrugged. “It’s all chemical reaction, right?”
“I guess so.” He smiled at her. “I’ve never known a chemist besides you, and you definitely don’t fit the stereotype.”
“What do you mean?” Her lips pursed.
“I imagine someone crazy like Doc Brown inBack to the Future,or someone all intense like Severus Snape inHarry Potter.”
Instead of laughing, she stiffened and looked away. She used to be so impetuous and adorable; now she seemed sad and withdrawn.
Isaac swallowed, not sure what he’d done wrong. He touched her arm. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”
She glanced back at him, her eyes suspiciously bright. “It’s okay. Vance pretended that he was thrilled with my career at first, and then he started mocking me about it, calling me his ‘mad scientist.’ His latest texts told me how I was straight-up crazy.”
This Vance guy had no right to call Cosette his anything, but Isaac didn’t really have that right either. “Why were you ever with that loser?” he asked quietly. He hated hearing about any kind of romance involving her with someone else, but especially with a loser like Lansky. He’d researched the guy last night. He was a cocky prick.
She didn’t meet his gaze. “When we met in Italy, I was researching for a new line and he swept me off my feet. It was a whirlwind romance, and then we went our separate ways. We communicated through FaceTime and text for about a year. It shocked me when he came to visit me in San Francisco for Christmas and asked me to marry him. He convinced me he was in love, and I said yes. I’d never had someone in love with me before.”
Isaac’s eyes widened at that. She was beautiful and brilliant and used to be a lot of fun. What man wouldn’t want to date someone like Cosette?
“When he brought me to Vegas … I saw what he was really like.” She shuddered.
Isaac thought about what she’d seen. Could he help her heal over the next week, restoring her smile as well as protecting her? For the first time since he’d been appointed to special ops, he wished for more leave time. He always enjoyed his leave and his family, but he had a higher purpose and was always ready to get back to doing his part to keep the world safe.
The jet approached a small airport, and minutes later, they were touching down. He appreciated that Cosette had opened up to him, and he could easily see how someone innocent and sweet like her could be tricked by a predator like Lansky. He still hated thinking about it.
* * *
Cosette walked through the gorgeous beach bungalow, breathing deeply of the salty breeze floating in from the ocean and the fresh smell of Pine-Sol from the cleaning ladies. The retractable walls in the main area were open, and the view was unreal. The bungalow was elevated on stilts, and the living area’s openness showcased the view of a beach lined with palm trees and an ocean as blue as Isaac’s eyes. It was a large room with a well-stocked kitchen and living area. Two bedrooms with a shared bath were off to one side. Though it was obvious the builder had spared no expense, it was intimate and … cozy. She smiled, thinking of Isaac’s nickname for her.
Now if she could only figure out what she was going to do with herself for the next week. Kiss Isaac and test different cologne samples on his skin? Hmm. Both of those would definitely have a reaction of some sort.
Cosette walked out onto the large patio. There were some comfy-looking outdoor sofas, but she was too restless to sit and enjoy the sea air. She eased down the stairs and onto the sand. Taking her sandals off, she dropped them by the stairs, wound through the palm trees, and out onto the beach. Taking in a long breath of the salty air, she let the sun kiss her face. She stretched her hands out wide and said aloud, “Thank you, Lord, for your beauties. Please help me find my sunshine again and put the darkness behind me.”
Finishing her prayer, she sauntered westward. They were on the north side of the island, on a beach that was supposed to be private. Looking around, she definitely didn’t see any intrusive neighbors. She loved the populated but beautiful beaches of San Francisco, but there was definitely a different feel to this tropical, soft-sand beach.
As a definite workaholic, Cosette spent a majority of her days in the lab and was used to being alone. Even though she itched to work, she thought she might be able to get used to seclusion like this. Especially if one handsome military man was here.
“Where are you going?” Isaac’s voice came from her left.
She whipped around and put a hand to her throat. “Don’t scare me like that with your sturdy tricks. I’m liable to have a heart attack.”