Page 62 of Isabelle and the Beast

“I know.” I pause a moment, taking a step back from the heat of the moment and the story he’s told. “Whydidyou tell me?”

He holds my gaze a moment, but it’s not awkward. He’s thinking about how to communicate his words properly, and I like that about him.

He looks down at his hands. “I’ve been alone for a long time,” he finally says. “And I don’t just mean here in the castle. I mean alone, like how I live my life.” He looks back up at me. “But with you here, I don’t feel alone anymore.”

“Why, because I’m sneaking into your office and taking over the theater?” I ask, a smile on my lips.

He doesn’t return the smile. “No,” he says quietly. He shifts to face me with his whole body, lifts his hand to my face, and cups my cheek. “Because you’re sharing my life with me. And I didn’t know how much I needed that until now.”

I swallow hard, feeling the weight of his full attention on me.

When I first got here, Adam’s intensity was frightening. I put on a brave front, forcing my way through our interactions.

But now? His intensity burns a fire in my soul, and I’m pretty sure an inferno rages within him. But all I want to do is stoke the flames of these fires, not put them out.

“You make me feel human again,” he says. “I just…” He doesn’t finish that statement.

He leans in, crushing his lips to mine, and kisses me.

I was right about the inferno. Adam kisses me with a fire I’ve never felt before. Passion and emotion pour out of him. He holds my face gently, but his lips move with fervor and desire. I keep pace with him, wrapping my hands around his neck and digging my fingers into his hair. He uses his other hand to pull me close, and our kisses finally slow to something softer and sweeter.

“I don’t want to be your fake boyfriend,” he says, low and soft.

His words surprise me, especially considering the way he’s been kissing me. “No?” I ask, my voice breathy. “Why not?”

“Because I don’t want anything fake with you.”

My heart melts at his words. “So, what do we do instead?”

He gives me another half-smile. “I can think of some things we can do for real.” And he dips his head down, kissing me again.

“No, seriously,” I say with a laugh, pulling away from him. “What do we say—publicly?”

He sighs and leans his forehead against mine. “I’m not sure. I’ve never liked sharing my personal life.” He leans back and looks into my eyes. “The snow is slowly melting. In a few days, we’ll have to leave this place and face reality. Can we just…stay like this for a few more days? Enjoy each other and what we have, and ignore the fact that there is anyone out there wanting to hear from us?”

I smile. “That sounds perfect.”

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

ADAM

Isabelle and I spend the next few days soaking in each other’s company, refusing to check our phones or acknowledge the outside world. We eat breakfast together, go out in the snow and build snowmen with Theo or have snowball fights, warm up by the fire in the study, and watch movies. Lots of movies. We argue over the best parts of the Sound of Music. She says it’s the dance scene, I say it’s when the captain joins his family on stage to sing “Edelweiss.” We agree to disagree.

Oh, and there’s lots of kissing.

The snow is melting, and with it, we know the clock is ticking down with the remaining time we have left in our bubble. The snow on the road is still thick enough that Isabelle can’t make it down in her little car, but it’s only another couple of days before that excuse disappears.

We’re sitting in the theater, Isabelle in my arms, as we watchThe Phantom of the Opera. She agreed to take a slight break from her classic musicals for the sake of one of my favorites.

“I know the phantom is a major red flag, but…” Isabelle’s voice trails off.

I turn to look at her. “Feel free to finish that sentence.”

She smiles up at me. “He’s hot.” She presses a quick kiss to my lips. “And he reminds me of you.”

“Is that so?” I ask with a smirk. I won’t admit this to her, but I’ve always felt a kinship with the phantom. Not that I’d groom and kidnap the girl I’m obsessed with, but the loneliness and darkness feel familiar. “You’re not into Raoul?”

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