Page 11 of Isabelle and the Beast

I stare at her blankly. “I’m sorry. What’s the problem exactly?”

She crosses her arms across her chest and presses her lips into a firm line. “Can I stay here tonight?”

I set down my fork, folding my hands on the table. “Well, well, well, that’s a little soon, don’t you think?”

She probably can’t see my smirk from across the room, but her mouth drops wide open. “I didnotmean like that!”

“I don’t know. You’re the one asking to stay the night. In my experience, that only means one thing.”

She gives a little yelp of frustration. I may have pushed too far.

Before I can salvage the conversation, though, she collects herself, straightening to her full height and slowly walking up to me at the table. She stands next to my chair and looks down at me, but I pick up my fork, keeping my eyes on my plate, and take a bite of chicken.

“Let me make myself abundantly clear,” she says, her voice low and dangerous.

And sexy.

Crap.

“There is no universe in which I wouldeverask to stay the night with you in…that way. We’ve spent barely thirty minutes together, and that has already become blatantly obvious. I am asking for you to find a shred of humanity, which I hope exists under this grizzly exterior, to allow me to stay overnight so I don’t die in a blizzard.”

I wish her words didn’t sting. I wish they didn’t cut me to the core and make me question our entire interaction today. A ‘shred of humanity?’ Does she really think I’m incapable of that?

I clear my throat. “Lionel. Make sure Brigette gets the Lily room ready for Ms. Lovett to stay overnight.”

Lionel inclines his head and leaves the room.

“Thank you,” Isabelle says. She turns and follows Lionel, and I notice her nearly untouched dinner plate. A pang of guilt runs through me. Not only did I make her wait for hours alone to eat, but now she won’t even finish her dinner.

“Wait!” I call out before she’s able to exit the dining room completely. “What about your dinner?”

Her eyes soften for a moment. Maybe she sees a ‘shred of humanity’ in me, after all. But her eyes narrow a second later. “I lost my appetite.”

And with that, she leaves.

Chapter

Six

ISABELLE

“Adam Stone is the most insufferable man I have ever met in my life!” I flop face-first onto the bed.

Brigette chuckles, busily setting out towels and amenities for me. “He’s not so bad.”

I twist around, sitting straight on the bed. “Are you kidding me? I know he’s your boss, so you probably have to say nice things about him, but COME. ON.”

Brigette stops her scurrying and faces me, a stack of towels in her arms. “He can be a bit…gruff. I agree. But he’s been through so much, especially after the accident. You have to understand…” Her voice trails off as her eyes widen, and she resumes her tasks in the room.

Accident?“Understand what?”

Brigette waves her hand at me. “It’s nothing. Forget I said anything.”

“I wish I could,” I mutter. I rub my forehead, lamenting my fate for the evening. “I’m already freaked out about staying here. Are you sure he’s not going to eat me in the middle of the night? I swear, he looks like a lion now.”

Brigette snorts. “You’ll be fine, as long as you stay out of his private office.”

My mouth drops open. Would he really do something to physically harm me?

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