All at once, she notices that she is the star of the room. She starts to tremble. Everyone has been watching her in stunned silence. She takes a step back, clasping her hands tightly together in front of her soft round belly to stop her hands from shaking.
"Ummmm... hello?"She gives a close wave of her hand from her hip. She crosses her legs and claps her hands tight together.
"I…ahh. Sorry about that. "
She points her thumb over her shoulder to the door, "I got a little lost on my way back." She slowly side steps, inching closer to her purse, her eyes still focused on her parents. Her purse which flew across the floor is now about a foot from my shoe. I don’t think she even notices I’m standing here.
"I, ah. I was indisposed there for a few seconds." She smiles awkwardly at the room, "Sorry I'm a little late. Maria helped me find my way back."
This was not the entrance I'm assuming she had planned. Or the way she wants to be introduced to my family or myself. I can feel the anger rising in my chest, not only from the little joke of two daughters but also from this red-dressed, sizeable woman. Is this the one my father picked as my match? I bend over and pick up her purse. Stepping closer, I held it out to her. The goldengoddess is hot. She is not.
She still hasn't noticed that I'm standing right next to her holding out her purse. She hasn't taken her gaze away from our parents, her eyes darting from one to the next, the fear on her face growing as the room falls silent.
"Here," I say glaringly, holding the purse a little higher to get her attention. Her vision zeros in on her purse, then my hand, as she follows my arm up to my face. I scowl at her.
"Oh? Umm, thanks." She takes it from my hand and casts her eyes down to the floor.
I grunt. "Alexander." I hold out my hand. It's the least I can do to save this fucked up situation.
"Oh? Yeah, I’m Isabella." She puts her hand in mine, and it's firm, not soft like her sisters. I can feel the callus on her palm. And I rub it back and forth with my index finger. What is she? A lumberjack? Why does she have rough hands like a man? She's got the height and size, I'll give her that much.
It makes her face even redder, as she can feel me stroking her palm, and I pull my hand away quickly. "Pleasure," I grunt, looking at my father straight in the eye, letting him know we WILL be having a conversation after this dinner is over.
Isabella is rubbing her palm up and down her thigh like I have a disease and she's wiping it off. She clutches her purse to her abdomen with both hands, her knuckles turning white from squeezing it so hard.
"Would you care for a drink?" Trying to gain some control over this situation, I put my hand on the small of her back. I point towards the wet bar. She shakes her head no. I can feel the warmth of her body under the red silk and it makes me want to rub my hand lower over her ass. Down, boy!
"Isabella!" Sophia snaps.
I can see the fear in her eyes growing as her mother beginsto approach from across the room. For some fucked up reason, I feel the need to protect her. From what I don't know but I instinctively move a little closer. I still have my hand on the small of her back. I press a little harder, drawing her hip closer to mine. Isabella shifts away slightly at first, but once I tug her back again, she remains still.
Her mother moves closer to her other side, leaning slightly into her ear, I’m assuming so I can’t hear the lecture she’s about to get. She whispers with a smile, her mother still looking at my parents. She hisses in Isabella’s ear.
"Where the hell have you been? And what, may I ask? Was that entrance? "
Under my hand, I can feel Isabella tense. Her back goes rigid and she attempts to step back away from us.
A hand appears out of nowhere, "Hey? My name is Sebastian. "
My little brother steps around me and stands directly in front of Isabella, shielding her from the rest of the room with his body, basically shoving Mrs. Gallo out of the way.
"Don't you wish you had a handful of Floo powder right about now?" he asks, his mouth slightly lifted in a smirk. He chuckles out right now. The smile on his face is wide and kind; his eyes are soft and twinkling. This is not the Sebastian I know, and is he hitting on my future wife?
Isabella lets out a bark of laughter. It echoes around the room, and then she quickly covers her mouth with her hand. Reaching out, still quietly giggling, she takes Sebastian's hand and holds it, leaning a bit closer to him.
"Yes, I most certainly do. But I'd need a fireplace big enough to hold me. "
She breaks out into a huge smile, and my heart literally thumps, stops, and starts again. That smile lights her whole face up, not the fake plastered smile of her mother. But a smile came fromher very being, and it was for Sebastian.
Sebastian laughs at her remark. Not letting go of her hand, he pulls her away from us and starts to walk her back past the piano, heading out onto the balcony. Christopher and Rebekah watch in stunned silence as they pass. Christopher whips his head in my direction, looking at me, then throws his head back. He starts to laugh aloud. The entire room remained in utter silence as they pretty much gave us the finger. Isabella just trails quickly behind my brother, doing a slight hop walk to keep up.
What the fuck was that shit?What the fuck is Floo powder? And who the hell does Sebastian think he is?
∞∞∞
Chapter 6 ~ Isabella
Oh, My God! Oh, sweet heaven. I am going to die. The astonished looks on everyone's faces tell's me this escape means nothing as we weave our way past elegant furniture, rushing towards the patio door.
