AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Reputation.” Isabel made a face as she walked into the hallway to get her purse. “Who cares about that anymore?”
“It’s worth more than you think,” Sean said in a sharp tone. “Especially in a small town like Seedling.”
It meant too much in Seedling, Isabel decided. “A reputation is just another way to cage you in.”
“Spoken like a woman who takes her reputation for granted.”
She whirled around and placed her hands on her hips. “You think my reputation is a gift? An honor? It’s a burden. I can tell you it has done nothing for me or my social life.”
“You’re looking at it the wrong way,” Sean said as he mirrored her stance. “The good girl is immediately accepted and invited anywhere without question.”
“Not in bed.”
Sean froze. Isabel watched his harsh features tighten as if he was preparing for battle.
“Everyone believes I’m a good girl,” she said softly. “But you know differently, don’t you, Sean?”
“Isabel...” His voice was just as soft but she heard the steely warning.
“Although,” she said in a drawl as a naughty smile played on her lips, “we didn’t quite make it to a bed. Do you remember?”
Sean’s hands clenched at his sides. “We are not discussing that.”
“When was that decided?” she asked as anger flashed through her. “It’s been a month since we had our one-night stand and you have not mentioned it once.”
“I’m trying to be a gentleman,” he said in a low growl. “I know you were under the influence of that book.”
Isabel’s eyes widened. “Are you kidding me?”
“You would not normally act that way.” His voice was low and fierce as color scored his cheekbones. “You wouldn’t do those things.”
Her mouth dropped open as she realized he was completely serious. “You think a book made me have sex with you?”
* * *
YES, SEAN THOUGHT GRIMLY as he watched Isabel’s stunned expression. He realized that didn’t say much for his own opinion of himself, but there was no other explanation. Before reading the diary, Isabel Bennett had had no use for him. She’d been an ice princess who’d either given him haughty stares or ignored him completely.
So he refused to be ignored. He’d challenged her at every turn, demanding to be noticed. At first it had been a form of entertainment. He would say something provocative just to get a response out of her. He wanted to see the spark in her dark blue eyes.
He hadn’t expected to see grudging respect for him or the gleam of an interesting battle. He enjoyed watching Isabel’s lively responses and hearing her impulsive and uncensored opinions. There’d been times when he’d sensed a sexual buzz beneath their skirmishes, but he had assumed that he was the only one experiencing it. She’d had no interest in him. Until she read that book.
Isabel had surprised him that night a month ago. They were alone in this house, waiting for Keith to return from a business trip. The tension between them was thick and their bantering had taken a sharp edge. Isabel had made the first move. And he had responded without considering the consequences because it had been his dream come true.
“That’s insulting,” she said through clenched teeth. “What kind of person do you take me for? Am I so weak-minded that I would act against my nature because of something I read?”
He gave a cautious glance in the direction of the study. “You weren’t yourself that night,” he said quietly. He hadn’t been himself, either. Their one-night stand had been fast and furious. They hadn’t even taken the time to get naked. It had been as if they had broken out of their cages, hungry and wild.
“Then how do you explain your actions?”
He stiffened. “What do you mean?”
“According to you, I was under the influence of an erotic diary.” She tilted her head as she gave him a knowing look. “You didn’t read that book. How do you explain your behavior?”
He couldn’t explain it to her. Because it meant that he had not suppressed the wild and savage Hawkins boy from the wrong side of the tracks as well as he’d hoped. And Isabel, of all people, had uncovered that side of him. He wouldn’t let her do so again.
“I’m a man. An opportunist.” He had to let her think it meant nothing to him. “But there will be no repeats.”
“You’ve never made a pass at me the entire time we’ve known each other,” she said as the hurt shone in her eyes. “If you were such an opportunist, you would have made a move before then.”
