She hovers behind her seat and glances briefly at me before turning to her mother, “We’re going to take off.”
“Now?” Isla’s mother asks.
The Covingtons thought they could invite Isla’s ex and his mother to dinner and that she’d sit there as if it didn’t bother her. Screw that.
Her father’s strong voice booms across the room. “Isla, your mother worked hard on this dinner.”
“And I’ll be sure to enjoy the leftovers, if you want to send them home with us.”
Her mother lets out a heavy sigh. “Isabella, we haven’t seen you in a year. What daughter does that to her family?”
“Can’t you see what you’re doing to your mother?” her father chimes in again.
No one at this table considers Isla’s feelings, aside from Brooks. But he’s been mostly silent since we arrived. He’s as fucked up over this family as Isla.
“If you can’t manage to sit at the same table as me, I can leave,” Chip says, but it’s not kind. He’s trying to manipulate her to stay.
I hope I run into him in a dark alley one day.
I clear my throat. “Isla’s not the one with the problem. I am.” Her head snaps toward me, but nothing on her face indicates she wants me to stop talking, so I continue. “I can’t listen to your bullshit any longer.”
I face Isla’s mother, then slowly turn my head toward her father. “It’s up to her who she sees. Isla made it clear she wants nothing to do with this joke of a man”—I nod in Chip’s direction, but don’t give him a modicum of my attention—“who prioritized himself over his wife. It’s embarrassing to watch him insult her because he can’t have her anymore, but it’s infuriating to watch her family join in.”
“Hold on,” Chip shouts, trying to defend himself. “I don’t—”
“You do.” I stare him down and take the time to enunciate every word so he doesn’t mistake that I’ve clocked his little boy routine for what it is. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have brought your mommy here tonight. I get it. It would suck to lose someone as incredible as Isla. I hope I never have to find out what that’s like. But she made her decision. Move on.”
Isla’s hand slips into mine, and I clasp it like it’s the precious gift it is. I don’t want to end up like Chip, full of regret and longing fora woman I’ll never have again. And if I don’t make a move, that’s exactly where I’ll end up.
I can be the guy who deserves her. Tonight I proved that to myself. Now, I need to prove it to her.
“You’re right. You should leave,” Isla’s father commands in an icy tone.
“Don’t talk to her like that,” Brooks states, voice low and firm. His stare remains fixed on his father. An entire conversation passes without either of them saying another word. Whatever their baggage is, it’s heavy.
“We are.” Isla puts a hand on her brother's shoulder. “It’s fine, Brooksy. I'll see you at home.” She bends down to whisper something into his ear, and he nods.
She turns to her parents. “I won’t be back unless you make changes to our relationship. I have to do what’s best for my mental health, and subjecting myself to nights like this isn’t good for me. I’m sorry that it has to be this way, but you’ve made your choices. This is mine.”
She turns on her heel, leading me out of the house the same way we went in, except we’re not the same. Neither of us is pretending about anything; I’m certain of it.
Isla steers me in the opposite direction from where we parked the car. I follow as she leads us around the side of this absurdly hugebuilding through an iron gate. The enormous backyard with its fireplace, waterfall, and pool could feature on an HGTV show about entertaining in the summer. I still can’t believe she grew up in a place like this.
“You said I could choose what we do after this,” Isla says as she opens the door to the pool house, a standalone building fifty feet back from the main house. She turns on the lights, which are on dimmers, and keeps them at a low setting. “No one comes out here except for parties. It’s just us, and Ineedto show you exactly how much it means to me that you had my back.”
“That’s not why I said what I did. You don’t owe me.”
“I know,” she says softly. Her hands fumble with my belt, periodically brushing against my hardening dick. “And you know that’s not why I’m offering, why I’m desperate to wrap my mouth around you.”
Fucking hell, she’s making it hard for me not to give in to her. But I don’t want to be another guy in her history who takes what he wants without being attuned to her needs.
My hands land on hers, stilling her movements. Gently, my fingers nudge her chin up, an invitation to look at me. Isla’s eyes slowly rise to meet my gaze.
“Unless this isn’t something you want.” She bites her lip, and my gut tightens.
“I can’t think of a single situation where I wouldn’t want your mouth on me, Red. But you’re not kneeling on this cold, hard floor. Follow me.”
I tug her hand, leading her over to the couch and guide her onto it. Isla Covington is going to put her mouth on me, and I’m going to be ruined for anyone else. Hopelessly lost to the figure skater who steals my breath, to the woman with the smart mouth who has no problem putting me in my place. The idea terrifies and drives me fucking wild in equal measure.
