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Great.
I motion for her to sit on a stool, and I let the dogs out and feed them. Then, I look around the freezer and find some containers of Mrs. Potter’s famous loaded potato soup. She’s still known to cook me my favorite meals even with Bastian around. I warm it in a pot on the stove and pour it into two large bowls, placing one in front of Isa and another next to her where I take a seat on the second stool. We eat in silence. Isa stands to clear our bowls when we finish, but I take hers and start doing it myself.
“I can do it,” she insists, starting to jump off the stool. I’m in front of her in an instant, wedging myself between her legs.
“I. Am. Sorry,” I bite out through clenched teeth. “I shouldn’t have teased about that. I…sometimes forget not everyone has…I’m an idiot,” I stammer through my apology. And I mean it. I saw Isa’s car if you can call it that. Her clothes look like they are hanging on by a thread. She doesn’t have the type of money that I have. I should do better in understanding this. I need to do better.
She rolls her eyes. “Now, that we can agree on.”
I give her a pointed look and she gives me one right back. Damn, this woman! Even when she’s driving me crazy, I find her irresistible.
I lean in and cup her face with my hands. “You drive me crazy,” I growl.
“Right back at you, Mr. Wellington,” she replies.
I press my lips to hers and enjoy the little whimpers she makes as I show her just how crazy she drives me. I’m lost in her, in us, when a voice from behind me has me quickly turning and putting my arms out to protect Isa.
“Well, I didn’t have this on my winter storm bingo card,” Bastian says with a smirk as he leans against the hallway doorjamb.
“Christ! You scared the shit out of me,” I grumble.
Isa leans her head on my shoulder. “Hi, Bastian.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Hi, Isa. Nice outfit.”
I place a protective hand on her knee and then quickly release it. Bastian is with Max. I shouldn’t feel so possessive over Isa, let alone in front of Bastian.
I need to play this off as a snowstorm fling. If Bastian thinks I’m serious, all the staff will be up in my grill, and I can’t have that. I shudder as I remember how they all doted on me after my parents died. The Potters, Bastian, even Ben, the gardener, and my assistant, Cruz, who had just started at the company. I don’t want that again. I prefer to operate in the shadows, being left to get my work done and only having to be public when I go to the city for business.
I step away from Isa. “I’m going to work out. Did they clear the roads already?” I ask, peering out the one small window in the kitchen. I frown. It’s stopped snowing, but there’s definitely no way that Bastian drove here.
“Un, nope. I have snowshoes, and when the storm stopped, I figured I’d hike over here for my workout and make sure you two kids hadn’t killed each other,” he says with a smirk.
I glare at him which only has him widening his devious smile. Clearly, I need to be more convincing that I don’t give a shit about Isa.
“Are you staying?” I ask as I head to the door on the opposite side of the room.
“Since you only ate some soup, I’ll make you all dinner for later, but then I should head back. Sun’s going down and Max will murder me if I’m out past bedtime. He tried to come with me, but that would have doubled the time it took to get here,” he replies with a wink at Isa.
Isa giggles. “I can help…just let me change,” she says.
“Don’t get dressed up on my account,” Bastian teases as I swing the door open and head to my room to put on gym clothes.
I pass Isa and Bastian on the way back to the gym. She smiles at me, and I nod in her direction. “I’ll see you down at dinner. I need to work out and send a few work emails,” I state as I work to keep my hands from touching her skin. It takes all my willpower to pass her without throwing her up against the wall and kissing the ever-loving hell out of her again.
“Oh, OK,” she manages as she stops. I can feel her eyes on me as I make my way to the east wing.
I get on my treadmill and run until my legs begin to shake. I stop the device and lean on the control board. I need to get a grip. I’ve known this woman for three days. I can’t let her get under my armor. I won’t do that again…at least not until I know I can one hundred percent trust her, which may be never.
I take my time showering. A ding on the intercom system tells me dinner is ready.
I make my way downstairs and find Isa leaning against the dining room table chatting away with Bastian. She’s still in my clothes and something about that makes me immensely pleased.
“Thank you, Bastian. You didn’t have to cook diner and stay. Your next paycheck will reflect my gratitude for coming out here in a snowstorm,” I say as I take my seat.
He rolls his eyes and grins at Isa. “I mean…if you want to, but I didn’t hike out here for some kind of bonus, you jackass. OK, kids.” I glare at him, and he clears his throat, trying to return to his normal professional self, which is nearly impossible apparently.
“Tonight, we have a lobster bisque, followed by a rack of lamb and roasted asparagus. Isa has graciously assisted me in baking a pumpkin pie for dessert. If it’s alright with you, Mr. Wellington,” he says, emphasizing my name and my glare intensifies, “I will take my leave. I can stop back by tomorrow, likely midday unless the plows can get out here.” He pauses. “Uh, I’m letting you know that they are super not likely to get out here because that’s a shit ton of snow and it’s going to take a good day or two to plow the main roads.”
