A shame. She’d wanted Theo to be on her side. An ally. She’d so hoped he would be on her side. He was a protector. She needed protection.
But there was no more protection for her. Theo was more determined now that he would deliver her back to Rubanestein and would walk away, leaving her to her fate. And maybe he had cause for walking away, but she would never forget him.
She’d railed against him from the very start, fighting against his heavy-handed insistence that he was taking her home against her will. But at the same time, she’d been fighting against an attraction to him that had been so unwanted and unexpected and yet so stealthy that it had managed to worm its way into her senses. Or maybe it was him, his voice, his scent, his body heat that had wormed its way into her senses?
That would do it.
Maybe that’s what had done it.
Maybe that’s why she felt conflicted, and why she couldn’t deny feeling something for him even while she resented him for being so insistent on taking her back to her brother. Because she did feel something for him. She didn’t have the wherewithal or the brain power to analyse that right now. Her mind was too heavily engaged in replaying over and over what had happened tonight. The good bit. The first bit, before he realised and sent her packing.
She laid her head on her pillow knowing she wasn’t even going to try to sleep, because her memories of being made love to by Theo, of being reminded of his touch, of his hot mouth, of the feeling of being filled by him, were far more compelling.
Who needed sleep when your body had been awakened to the pleasures of the flesh?
The next morning the winds had eased, the cloud cover evaporating. The traces of the cyclone had moved away, the twin peaks of Mt Lidgbird and Gower now clearly visible under an ever increasingly sunny sky.
But while the weather had moderated, the relations between the two occupants in the apartment hadn’t. The mood in the kitchen was frosty. Words hadn’t been exchanged since last night’s lovemaking. Any hope Isabella had that Theo might have relented in the night, and that his thoughts would soften towards her after what they’d shared turned to nothing. Theo almost refused to acknowledge her.
There were no offerings of making coffee or tea or toast from either of them. It was every man and woman for themselves. Bags were duly packed and waiting at the front door.
It was frustration that forced Isabella to speak after Theo pointedly refused to acknowledge her presence. ‘How exactly are we supposed to evade whoever is after us? They must know what times the flights come in and out.’
He glanced at her, his eyes cold, as if he’d wished she hadn’t spoken. ‘Exactly why we’re going out on a private flight I’ve organised. If they’re watching the airport for scheduled departures, hopefully we’ll catch them off guard and be gone before they notice.’ And then he turned away to check whatever news had just burped into his phone.
‘Why are you being so cold to me?’
‘What?’ he said, wanting to focus instead on the update he’d received from one of his agents.
‘If I remember correctly, we made love last night. Do you even remember making love to me?’
‘What if I do?’
‘You weren’t cold to me then. Instead, you were hot—’
‘Forget it,’ he snapped. ‘Last night was a mistake, Princess. Last night didn’t happen. And I would seriously advise you to wipe it from your memory.’
‘Oh, but it did happen, and I’m not convinced I could actually forget. I’m not sure I want to.’
He turned away. ‘It was a mistake.’
‘It was the most amazing experience of my life.’
‘I’m happy for you, Princess.’
‘But I wasn’t a princess to you last night, was I, Theo. I was Isabella, pure and simple. I was a woman.’
‘In reality you were a princess then, and you’re a princess now.’
She shook her head. ‘Do you want to know why it was the most amazing experience of my life?’
‘Not really. I don’t think we need to do this. I really don’t want to hear it.’
‘I think you do. I thought we both enjoyed a connection that had been growing, and that culminated last night in the most amazing experience.’
‘Last night was the only “connection” we had. End of story.’
‘No. We shared something more impactful than that. I know you did. I felt it. And I doubt I will ever experience sex like that again, making love to someone that I wanted to.’
