Bartered (The Encounter #1)(45)

When I realized that my attempts in trying to convince her to leave the country were futile, I tried to see her injury—the bruises she was hiding from me inside the blanket—but she was adamant in pushing me away. Even my attempts in feeding her soup didn’t go anywhere; therefore, I decided to leave her be for a while and come back to check on her later.

Maybe, when I tried again after she’d rested, she might change her mind and hear me out this time.



My mother skipped her lunch, but when dinner came, she took a few spoonfuls of soup. She declined any offers I had for companionship and wanted to be left alone, so I granted her wishes.

By ten that night, my mind swirled with all kinds of things. I had been arguing with myself over whether I should call Hugo and tell him I had safely landed and was okay. I wasn’t sure if he’d care because he hadn’t tried to contact me, either. Assuming and reassuring myself that he was busy and need not to be interrupted, I simply convinced myself that he was probably relieved not to have me around. Sure, we had been having fun for the past weeks, but I was certain he missed his old lifestyle. I mean, come on, the man hadn’t had the real hot sex he’d gluttonously had over the years. So without me in sight, I was almost positive that he’d had Sherry or Chantel flown in for a hot, sweaty reunion.

Thinking about them with Hugo… Well, it made me feel a little angry. Only a little. I knew he wasn’t mine, nor were we in love or anything, but still, we had been intimate in the every possible aspect without going all the way in a physical sense. He was great—funny when need be and sinfully sexy as hell—but that’s all there was. There was no depth to our circumstance. Well, that was my opinion, anyway.

Sighing, I gripped my phone before deciding to insert it in my back jean pocket as I heard the faint sound of the doorbell chime.

Was it father? He usually left his keys, especially when he was drunk. Bloody hell, the last thing I needed to end the night was a fight with my father. Couldn’t he have at least stayed back for another week or something? Or maybe never come back home again? He was a useless husband, so what point did he have in coming back here, anyway?

My defenses were up. My guards were alert. I was ready to fight him even if he’d end up choking me to death. He needed to see that this wasn’t right—what he was doing to my mother was an act done by a monster.

Fuming before yanking the door wide open, I opened my mouth to say something that would set my father off in a rage when I stopped myself short, shocked.

“Damen?” I stared at him, aghast and at the same time my heart ceasing to work for a moment at seeing him again after such a long absence. “What are you doing here?”

“When I heard you were back for a visit, I knew I had to see you.” He made a sexy, shy smile, eyes glued to me, awe and love visible in them. “You look beautiful, Isobel.”

Damn… no. Don’t go there, I silently begged with my eyes before looking away because my heart started to hurt.

“Damen, I can’t do this right now. My mum’s sick. My life is complicated and chaotic as it is. I hope you understand that.” My words seemed to strike him before I saw a flash of anger in his face, then it disappeared in the blink of an eye.

“Why?” He sounded truly hurt by my immediate rejection to his intentions of seeing me. “Did you expect that I would just step back because you left me a voicemail? We’re together—stop running away from me.”

Above all things, my heart went out to him, but I knew I shouldn’t melt my resolve because I had signed a contract with Hugo. It was written in bold letters that I was to not be alone with ex-lovers, or any man for that matter. This was definitely crossing the line, and the last thing I needed was for Hugo to find out. It would snap his already thinning patience with me.

“I’m not running away. I mean… It’s just complicated.”

“What’s the difference with not being with me and being with me while you’re interning at The Riviera? I’m confused ‘cause you were supposed to come back after you visited your father, and all of a sudden, things changed,” he pressed the subject, not willing to let it go as he started to come closer, much closer than I felt comfortable with. “Am I missing something here?” he asked in an almost whispered voice, breaking my guard a little.

His brows furrowed as he searched my eyes for answers. “If you feel pressured about our plans for the future, then say so. I won’t speak about it again if it makes you panic.” Then his eyes dropped to my lips, leaving me breathless.

Damen, please… stay back. My heart and my body responded like they usually did.

He was familiar and the man I was in love with. Could I really find fault in my reaction to him?

“I never felt pressured. Not with you—never with you.” My eyes glassed with moisture as I gave him a pleading look. “Damen… please.”

“Iso, don’t break me like this.”

“It’s only temporary. I promise.” f*uk, I could feel my conscience kicking in, working its way into my heart, my once steel resolve becoming shaky.

Damn, he wouldn’t heed anything. He simply pushed on, persisting to know answers that had boggled him ever since I had broken it off with him.

“Did you fall in love with some other guy? Is that why you wanted to take a break?” He looked broken before, but after asking me this, he seemed to be in a great amount of pain.