Jess hung her head and scurried past Isabelle into the bathroom. Light pooled into the hall, illuminating Stefan as he glided forward and stopped a foot away from the bathroom door. His posture was casual as he leaned against the wall, but the hostility radiating from him was evident in his clenched jaw and the muscle twitching in his cheek. Isabelle fought back a shudder. It wasn't directed at her, but his wrath still frightened her.
Jess came back out quickly, flicking the light off, and casting them in darkness. She stood uncertainly in the hall, her toothbrush clutched in her hand, as she stared at Stefan warily. Stefan waved his hand elegantly for her to pass. Jess bowed her head as she bolted quickly past them.
"Are you okay?"
No, she was not okay. She was terrified of him, of everything happening to her. Jess's words echoed loudly in her head, and the truth of them caused a pit to open in her stomach. She bit her lip as she lifted her gaze to his and forced herself to nod. Strands of wet hair fell into her face, and she instantly pushed them away. He remained silent as his gaze bored into her soul. She didn't know what to say, what to do. All reasonable thought fled under his intense scrutiny.
"I uh... I'm sorry about you and Jess," she managed to stutter out.
"Why? I'm not. It's been over for three days now; I just finally got her to leave the house."
Isabelle knew he was trying to tell her something with that statement; she chose to ignore it. Just like she opted to ignore the fact he'd slept on the couch for the last three nights. She didn't have all her feelings sorted out as it was; she needed more time to assimilate this bit of information on top of everything else.
"If it had anything to do with me, I'll explain there's nothin between us," she said hesitantly.
"Isn't there?" he murmured.
"No!" she cried.
His eyes were feral in the night as a small smile curved his full lips. "If we hadn't been interrupted last night—"
"I would have come to my senses!" Isabelle cried as a dull heat suffused her body at the reminder.
"And tonight?"
Her heart began to trip hammer in her chest, and her mouth went suddenly dry. "What about tonight?" she managed to choke out.
"What will you do when I come to your room tonight, and there is no one to interrupt us?"
Isabelle's body quickened in anticipation as she gazed breathlessly at him. She wanted to tell him she would welcome him with open arms, but it stuck in her throat. It got stuck on her pride. She wouldn't give in to him so easily. She couldn't. "I'll tell you to get out."
The shadows embraced his body as he moved closer to her. She tilted her chin defiantly, but she felt anything but defiant. She felt like a quivering mass of raw nerve endings, all of which were screaming for his touch. His hand stroked her cheek. Isabelle started as everything in her reacted to his touch. Her heart hammered so rapidly she was certain it would explode.
"Will you really?"
It took her a second to recall what they’d been discussing. "Yes," she managed to choke out.
He took a step closer; his chest brushed against hers. Isabelle tilted her head back to meet his smoky gaze as he bent his head. His lips brushed against hers in a butterfly touch. The soft flicker of his tongue against her lips caused the room to tilt, the floor to fall away, and the entire world to become centered on him and only him.
Her mouth opened to his questing tongue. He only meant to taste her and show her there was something between them. However, she tasted so good, and was so responsive, he found himself losing track of his objective and wanting to devour her.
He broke away before he couldn't. She blinked dazedly up at him, her eyes smoky as shivers ran through her body. "We'll find out tonight."
The bewildered look in her eyes vanished almost instantly. "You wouldn't dare!"
"Maybe, maybe not."
He turned away from her and descended the stairs before he dragged her into his room and took her now. The thought of the others downstairs was the only thing stopping him. He was going to see her later, but he didn't want them to know about it. Her room would be much more private, and secure, for what he intended. There would be no stopping him tonight.
Isabelle slumped against the wall, trepidation and anticipation warring so turbulently within her she could barely breathe. She wanted to run for her life. At the same time she wanted to curl up in bed and wait for him to come to her. She had no doubt he would show up in her room tonight. She needed to decide if she would be there or not.
As it turned out, the decision was taken from her hands. The minute she returned to the living room, Ian asked if she wanted to go into the city. Normally she would say no, but tonight she jumped at the opportunity. She ignored everyone's astonishment as she eagerly accepted and ran down to her room. This would be her chance to prove she could be attracted to other men, that Stefan wasn't the only one who affected her.
She threw on her favorite black dress. Her mother had given it to her for Christmas two years ago; she'd never worn it out, but she'd tried it on often, loving the way it felt. It was loose and flowing, yet it emphasized the swell of her breasts, her small waist, and round hips before ending at mid-thigh. She knew Ian went
