"Do you want help?" Vicky asked.
"No, that's all right; I'm almost done. What are you guys up to?"
"Working on our tans," Jess replied, her tone stating she thought Isabelle was an idiot for asking the question.
Most of her tension came flooding back as she opened her eyes and turned to look at Jess. She was leaning back in the chair; her long legs stretched out before her as she tilted her head to stare at Isabelle disdainfully. Her resentment notched a level higher as she met Jess's clear blue eyes. She remembered Jess as being fun, energetic, and mischievous. She didn't know what happened to the little girl, but she was beginning to greatly dislike the woman.
When she’d asked Jess if she would help her clean the house, Jess had sniffed contemptuously and informed Isabelle she didn't clean her own house; she wasn't going to clean someone else's. Isabelle managed to keep her temper then, mostly because cleaning the house was the only hope she had to keep her mind focused on something other than Stefan.
However, her mission failed, and her anger mounted with every passing minute she scrubbed, cleaned, dusted, and vacuumed with him consistently filling her thoughts. Jess's attitude, on top of her misery, was pushing her very close to a breaking point.
"We were talking about how Jess and Stefan met," Vicky said quickly, apparently detecting Isabelle's mounting ire.
"Go on, Jess," Abby urged eagerly.
"We met at a bar, by my school," Jess said, yawning as she stretched her arms before her.
"How long have you been together?" Vicky inquired.
"Three months."
"So it's serious then?" Abby's eyes took on a dreamy look.
Isabelle felt her tension growing again as she gritted her teeth and tried to remain relaxed. She was determined to try and forget about him; she didn't want to hear about him now.
"I guess so," Jess replied absently. "I mean, he did come here with us."
"He is so hot!" Vicky gushed.
Isabelle shifted uncomfortably as a flash of black, piercing eyes swept through her mind, bringing with them a wave of heat far exceeding the warmth of the day.
"He's even hotter in bed," Jess replied slyly.
Isabelle's eyes flew open as a wave of something like jealousy swept through her. Never had she felt jealous of anything, but she was fairly certain it was the emotion clutching at her chest. It scared her, but at the same time it made her want to rip her hair out in aggravation. What was the matter with her? She wanted nothing to do with him.
Delia laughed while Abby and Vicky stared at Jess in disbelief. Their gazes shot to Isabelle. They weren't used to hearing such blunt statements, and by the blushes creeping up their cheeks, they weren't comfortable with them either.
"Uh, yeah," Vicky muttered shyly.
Jess and Delia laughed. Isabelle felt her hackles rise at the obvious enjoyment they took in her sisters' discomfort. Isabelle opened her mouth to let loose with her anger, but Abby grabbed hold of her shoulder. Gritting her teeth, she turned to look at Abby, who shook her head discreetly. It took all she had to remain silent, but in the face of Abby's pleading, she managed to do so. They were Kathleen's daughters, and her mother wouldn't be at all happy if she started a war with them.
Even though she didn't say a word, her moment of relaxation was ruined. "The laundry should be done by now," she mumbled.
"Did I make you uncomfortable, Isabelle?" Jess asked with false sweetness.
Isabelle's temper flash boiled as her gaze locked on Jess's. A mocking smile curled her mouth as she stared down at Isabelle with malicious amusement in her eyes. Isabelle was about to let her temper fly when a shadow fell over her. Her mouth instantly went dry as apprehension seized hold of her. Instinctively, she knew who it was, knew he was there without having to look at him.
"Stefan!" Jess greeted. "We were just talking about you."
"I heard," he replied icily.
Isabelle's face flooded with color at the thought of what he’d overheard. She realized the sounds of the saws and hammering had ceased. Her face grew even redder as she wondered if everyone at the building site had heard too. She forced herself to look at him.
His shoulders were so broad they blocked out the sun behind him and threw him into sharp relief against its bright rays. Damp and tussled, his hair fell boyishly across his dirt-streaked forehead. Isabelle couldn't breathe from the force of his dominating presence, and the hungry gleam in his onyx eyes.
"Good thing it was nothing bad," Jess said laughingly.
Stefan forced his gaze away from Isabelle's violet eyes and beautifully blushing face. He folded his arms over his chest as he turned his attention to Jess. She smiled slyly at him, a seductive twinkle in her blue eyes. The small blue bikini she wore revealed almost every inch of her long, slender, tanned body. She was sleek with sweat and suntan lotion, a condition that would turn him on at any other point in time but did nothing for him right now.
He’d been on his way over here when he'd overheard the conversation. For some reason, instead of laughing at it like he normally would, it had irritated him. The discomfort he’d felt radiating from Vicky and Abby, and the joy pouring out of Jess and Delia, hadn’t helped to quell his anger.
If he were honest with himself, he'd admit he didn't want Jess telling Isabelle about their relationship, and what went on between them. Which was ridiculous, considering they were staying in the same room and arrived together.
His gaze returned to Isabelle as she climbed gracefully to her feet. Her hair, damp with sweat, was a tangled mess in its loose ponytail. Dirt streaked her delicate nose and high cheekbones, emphasizing her tomboyish nature. The filthy clothes she wore accentuated her full breasts, slender waist, and round hips.
Even though she was a mess, she was still exquisitely beautiful, and the most tempting thing
