AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I shouldn’t have ruined your shirt,” he said.
“I dared you to.”
“Why?” His eyebrows compressed along with his lips.
“Because you have accepted the role of beast, but I don’t believe that’s who you are.” She let her gaze linger on his face before tracking down his body. “And because I like a challenge.”
“Do you?” He took a wide step toward her.
She matched his move and took one step closer to him. “Yes. I don’t wilt easily.”
He threaded her hair between his fingers, a look of longing and hurt mingling in his eyes. “I was about to lie and say I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
Shivers climbed her spine as she remembered how firm his lips felt against hers. “Maybe…you shouldn’t have stopped.”
His hands moved to grip her shoulders and he lowered his head, closer, closer…
With only a tingle of warm air between their parted mouths, the unmistakable clang of the elevator doors jolted her like a shock.
Eli looked as alarmed as she felt, jerking his head around to a wide-faced clock behind his desk.
“We’re early!” came a woman’s voice.
“Who is that?” Isa asked in a rush, the sound of an intruder sobering her like a bucket of ice water over her head.
“My sister-in-law, Merina.”
Alarm shot through her limbs. Fantastic.
Isa licked her lips and backed away from Eli, who allowed his palm to slide down her arm before he gave a brief nod of Everything is fine.
Except for the fact that Isa was trying to win over Merina and Reese, everything was fine. She fluffed her hair and straightened her shirt, which was basically useless since strings poked out here and there from the missing buttons.
Maybe Merina wouldn’t notice.
Chin up, Isa stepped from Eli’s office, the paper in her hand helping her look as if she’d been in there on official business.
Merina blinked at Isa, recognition written on her face. Isa couldn’t be sure Reese had let his wife know Isa was pretending to be an employee of Sable Concierge rather than its founder.
With a quick shake of her head she hoped communicated that, Isa moved forward, hand extended. “I’m Isabella, Elijah’s personal assistant.”
“Of course.” Merina nodded a little too vigorously. She knew plenty. “You know my husband, Reese Crane.”
“Reese, nice to see you.” Isabella shook his hand next. Okay, this was bordering on silly, but Eli wouldn’t appreciate any level of scheming, so she wasn’t about to admit she’d been lying to him all along.
She would tell him she owned Sable Concierge. Eventually.
“I should get going. We’re through for the day, aren’t we?” She directed the question to Eli. His hands, now stuffed in his back pockets, broadened his delicious chest and muscular shoulders. Yeah, so she’d just focus on packing up her things rather than drool over him for all the Cranes to see.
“For the day,” he said, his lingering gaze lighting with challenge. “Thank you, Isabella.”
Her full name sounded foreign on his tongue, but then, he couldn’t very well call her Sable, could he?
“You’re welcome. Until next week.” In two minutes, she was packed and ready to go. The elevator door opened as she was strolling to it, revealing a giant with long, elbow-length hair walking arm in arm with a petite, gorgeous blonde. The man had to be Tag Crane.
She dispensed introductions quickly, but since there was no need to lie (she’d never met Tag), those were much easier. Rachel, Tag’s girlfriend, was instantly likable the moment she grinned and said, “I love your shoes.”
“Thanks,” Isa responded. “I’m sure Eli gets tired of me clomping around here all day, but they’re a weakness.”
