Bartered (The Encounter #1)(46)

I shook my head, not willing to deny my feelings for him. I wasn’t all that cruel, after all. “No! Of course not.” This was something I could tell him, at least, and hopefully, it’d help ease his pain.

He took a moment and bit his bottom lip before looking down at the floor, looking lost in thought. After a good minute or so, when he did look up, I couldn’t read his face. His eyes sought mine as he stepped closer, drowning me in the familiar depths that I’d stared at for years and years of us being together. The quick jab in my heart made me bleed when I saw how much this break-up had taken a toll on him. He still looked gorgeous, yet there was something lacking in his eyes. The smile in his eyes was gone, replaced by something sad and gloomy.

“Do you still love me?”

Did he think that I didn’t? I thought ch to myself as I stared into him, seeking what I had just asked myself. In that instant, I realized that he had considered everything, even this. That my love had simply ebbed away without looking back. This…

This broke my resolve.

“I do,” I said as I shut down my brain and let my heart reign free. “I still love you.”

He reached out to cup my cheek, bringing my face towards him. “Then what’s the problem, Iso?” he asked, and before I had the chance to respond, he kissed my answer away, forgetting everything I had just told myself not to do, letting my emotions go haywire.

I was in Greece for an entire week with no sightings of my father, nor had we heard from him. I couldn’t leave without having to beg my grandmother to lend one of her helpers to live with my mother until she was well and could function on her own again. My grandmother was, of course, reluctant at first, but my relentless pursuit of the subject left her exhausted. So in the very end, it was my grandfather who told me that it was okay to borrow one of the ladies to help nurse my mum.

The short visit caused a lot of resentment and anger, yet at the same time, I couldn’t take back what had happened with Damen after we kissed. The man wouldn’t let me go after that. Moreover, given my high emotional state, I didn’t fight him off when he went further, taking his intentions to another level.





Chapter 25


Hugo


“Isobel,” I said the second I got inside her bedroom without knocking, “it’s good to see you back.” Beaming, I let my eyes rove over her beautiful face and body, needing assurance that she was safe and unharmed. She was putting her computer aside and hadn’t said a word. My curiosity was piqued at her odd behavior. “Aren’t you going to come here and greet me properly?” I slowly strode over to her, resolving her lack of response for exhaustion.

Once I got to her on the other side of the bed where she was sitting and waiting, I immediately kissed her forehead before cradling her cheek to kiss her on the lips. Her intoxicating scent filled my nostrils, and I instantly felt a wave of calmness wash over me.

“You’ve been gone for far too long. How is your mother? I hope she is well and safe.” I searched her eyes and was taken aback to see hers stare back at me full of trouble and hesitation. “Is something the matter?”

She shook her head before licking her lips and looking away. “My mum will eventually get better. Thanks for asking.”

I frowned as I gazed upon her, knowing very well that my instincts couldn’t be far off when they were telling me that something was amiss. “Is there something you want to tell me, Isobel?” My voice may be soft, but I was on edge, hoping she wasn’t hiding anything from me.

She made a wan smile. “I’m just tired…” she trailed off. “I didn’t get much sleep once I got there, so I’m beyond exhausted.”

I nodded, worried. “Of course. Have you had dinner?” It was half past eight, and from what I had been told, she hadn’t had a nibble of food since she’d flown in two hours ago. I would’ve gone home to welcome her back immediately, but I had barely flown in myself from Switzerland after some business. I had immediately come straight to see her, bound with excitement and expectation. I definitely hadn’t been picturing her as cold and distant. Weary and exhausted? Yes, of course. But standoffish? No. Especially not after how things had been between us before she’d left.

She declined my invitation for dinner, excusing herself to the bathroom to shower while I stared after her, pondering what had gone wrong.

Listening to her movements in the bathroom, I looked about her room for about five minutes before deciding to leave her be. Perhaps we could talk again in an hour or so. Maybe she’d feel better then.

Finally getting up to leave her room, I strode towards the other wing on the opposite side of the villa to my bedroom to change. All the while, I thought of our cold and detached exchange in her bedroom.

Entering my domain, I headed straight to my walk-in closet before taking my clothes off to shower before dinner. I wasn’t particularly hungry; however, I felt I needed to give her space even though all I wanted was to spend the entire night with her in her bed… naked… while we caught up on events. I wanted to hear what had happened on her trip in Athens, amongst other things.

After a quick shower, I went downstairs to work whilst having dinner, biding time until I felt she’d had enough time of her own before facing me again.

The intended one hour wait became two as I was consumed by the current project I was working on. I took a moment to breathe and gather my thoughts, feeling slightly euphoric at the thought of tasting her again tonight. After a week without her here and with no distractions to speak of, my mind—whenever not occupied with work—had continuously wandered towards her, wondering how she was doing in Athens.