Isabelle stared back at him, her heart hammering as she fought to breathe normally. She was acutely aware of how awful she looked, especially compared to Jess, and for some strange reason, it bothered her. She didn't want him to see her looking like this. Silently, she cursed herself for behaving like an idiot. She didn't care what he thought of her, or how she looked; she wanted absolutely nothing to do with him or his bitch of a girlfriend.
The gleam in his eyes left her breathless and trembling. A gleam telling her he didn't think she looked as awful as she felt. In fact, he looked as if she was the most desirable woman in the world, as if he wanted to devour her. A shiver made its way down her spine; it caused her to tighten in places she’d never felt sensitive before. Part of her desperately wanted to be devoured by him, while the saner part wanted to run screaming for help and never look back.
"You look tired, Stefan, why don't you take a break?" Jess's voice was so chilly Isabelle finally tore her gaze away from Stefan.
Apprehension filled her as she turned to look at Jess. The girl was focused on Stefan, but her amusement had vanished as she stared at him with a locked jaw. When she glanced back at Isabelle, her eyes flashed with malice before she turned back to Stefan. Isabelle stepped to the side, eager to get away from all of them.
"I have to get the laundry," she said, desperate to escape.
"Why don't you wait, I'm sure Jess will help you," Stefan said coldly.
"I offered, but Isabelle said she didn't need my help," Jess replied sweetly.
Isabelle's mouth gaped open in disbelief as she spun back around. Jess batted her lashes as if she were the most innocent thing in the world. Exasperation blazed to life in Isabelle as her hands fisted at her sides.
"The hell I did!" she retorted, unable to keep her temper under control for a second longer. It usually took a lot to annoy her, but when she did blow, she could put Mount Vesuvius to shame with the force of her explosion. Jess's lie, on top of everything else, was the final straw.
Stefan tried to suppress a smile of amusement. The teddy bear Doug described was gone, and the grizzly bear took its place. He'd seen her sister subtly tell her to keep her mouth shut before, and felt Isabelle trying to control her temper, but it seemed as if her control finally snapped. The fire in her eyes, and her rigid stance, were both fetching and appealing.
"Of course I did," Jess lied smoothly.
Stefan found his amusement fading as she persisted in the lie. Vicky and Abby leapt to their feet. "Come on, Issy, we'll help you," Vicky said as she pulled at her arm.
Isabelle angrily shrugged them off, determined to bring Jess's lie to the forefront and wipe the smirk off her face.
"Mom," Abby whispered so softly Stefan barely heard her.
Isabelle closed her eyes and took a deep breath for control. She longed to lash out at Jess, to put her in her place, but she couldn't. She just couldn't do anything to upset her mother. Jess wasn't worth it. She turned quickly on her heel, determined to put as much distance between herself and Jess as possible.
"See, that proves I'm right," Jess said victoriously.
Stefan's irritation continued to mount as he turned back to her. She smiled up at him seductively as she leaned back in the chair victoriously, stretching her arms behind her head in a gesture meant to make her breasts more alluring. She failed.
"We both know you're lying," Stefan stated.
Her eyes narrowed as she leaned forward in the chair, her blatant attempt at seduction forgotten. "You would believe her over me?" she demanded haughtily.
"Yes." He didn't wait for her reply as he turned and headed back to the house.
Chapter Six
Stefan leaned back in his chair as he surveyed the group of people surrounding him. The dining room was large, but it seemed minuscule with everyone crammed into it. Ethan, Ian, Aiden, and Doug were sitting on the left side of the mahogany table, casually sprawled in their chairs. Mike sat across from him at the head of the table while David, Jack, and Jess took up the right side.
Jess's hand rested on his thigh as she teasingly drifted it toward his crotch and then back down again. Her earlier ire at him seemed to be forgotten. He grabbed her hand and, for the fifth time, dropped it back down.
Even if she wasn't still mad, he was, and he was also more than a little disgusted with her. She shot him a cross look, but he turned his attention away from her as he listened to Ethan argue with Aiden and Ian over the best way to finish off the last bathroom in the new house.
"You're not going to be living there!" Ethan announced.
"We will when we come home for vacations," Aiden reminded him.
"Why are you guys arguing about this? You know Isabelle is going to be the one who decides what color tile you use," Mike interrupted.
The two sides scowled at each other, but they quit squabbling over blue versus green. "Where is Isabelle?" Doug asked.
Stefan wondered the same exact thing.
"Finishing the laundry," Ethan answered absently.
"We are going to smell like a girl," Jack muttered dejectedly.
"This room looks pretty good, and it smells like lemons instead of flowers," David defended. "Did you know those curtains were blue?"
"I'd forgotten," Doug replied with a laugh.
"It's nice to have the place clean again, but if my laundry comes back smelling like flowers or perfume, I’m not going to be happy," Jack said.
"Trust me, Jack, perfume won't help you," Isabelle said.
Stefan's gaze darted to the doorway when she swept inside. A red bandanna covered her thick hair, but strands of
