Page 56 of Isabelle and the Beast

“He called the main castle line and asked for either one of you, saying that he had called your cell phones but neither of you responded. I told him you were both occupied and would call back as soon as you were available.”

I look over at Isabelle, wondering if she’s as reluctant to call him back as I am. These moments with her are magic, and I don’t want to leave this bubble. But real life awaits, and it’s time to face it.

She nods and turns to Lionel. “Can you bring my phone here? We’ll call him together.”

Lionel inclines his head with a smile at Isabelle. “Of course.”

He leaves the room, and Isabelle turns to me. “Do you think the interview is already online?”

“Probably.” I heave a deep sigh. “Showing my face may not have been the best choice. They’ll want to break the story as soon as possible. But I wanted to help steer the conversation away from your sisters.”

“Thank you for that,” she says. She looks down at her hands. “I can’t believe I thought the interview was for me. Of course it was for my sisters.”

“No. It’s not your fault.” I slide down from the chair and sit next to her on the floor. “And you deserve to have the spotlight on you. You’re going to have an amazing career as an actress.”

Her big, brown eyes look up at me, pinching something in my chest. “You really think so?” she asks, so earnest.

I nod slowly, not breaking her gaze. “I do.”

I’m not sure which one of us moves closer, but now ourarms are touching. The heat from her body radiates into mine, but she keeps her eyes on me. I pivot slightly to face her, lift my hand, and run my fingers up her arm, reveling in the softness of her skin. She sucks in a breath, and my hand reaches her shoulder…then her neck…then wraps around the back of her head.

She knows what’s coming, and she’s not telling me no.

I lean in, our lips just a breath away. Her nose brushes mine, and I can feel her breath on my lips. Slowly, I bring my lips to hers, a feather-light touch against my mouth, and?—

“Here you are, Ms. Isabelle!” Lionel enters the room.

We break apart like two kids caught in the closet. Isabelle scrambles to her feet, and Lionel’s eyes widen comically. Once he realizes what he just interrupted, a smirk appears on his mouth.

Thanks, buddy.

Isabelle takes her phone from Lionel. “Thank you. We’ll…call my dad. Right now.”

I narrow my eyes at Lionel, but he just winks at me and walks away. “Let me know if you need anything else,” he says in a singsong voice as he exits the room.

Isabelle stares at the phone in her hand, as if in a daze. After a moment, she comes to and looks down at me on the floor. “So…I guess we’ll call my dad?”

I sigh. “Sure. Let’s call your dad.”

Chapter

Twenty-Five

ISABELLE

What I really want to do is kiss Adam. Like, a for-real kiss. Because that tiny brush of our lips wasn’t enough.

Not even close.

But the moment has been broken, and now we need to face reality. I could probably look up the interview myself, but for some reason, hearing about it from my dad will be an easier pill to swallow than watching it and cringing.

I sit on the floor next to Adam, still feeling the waves of chemistry buzzing between us even though I’m not touching him anymore. I dial my dad’s number and put it on speakerphone.

“Isabelle!” his voice rings through the room.

“Hey, Dad,” I say. “Adam’s here too. You’re on speakerphone.”

“Hello, Jim,” Adam says, his rich voice rumbling in my chest.

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