Page 146 of Enigma: The Complete Collection
“Jenni gave birth this morning.”
A deep sigh spills from Isabelle’s lips as the strain marring her beautiful face relaxes. “Oh, thank God,” she mutters under her breath. “Is everything okay? Is the baby safe and healthy?”
“They’re both fine. He was five weeks early, but he’s doing well.” I halfheartedly shrug. “Jenni seemed a little rattled, but she's in good spirits.”
Isabelle scoots to the edge of her chair, her concern undeniable. “Did she give birth naturally?”
When I nod, her eyes snap shut so fiercely, two tears drip down her pale cheeks. Even irritated over the situation with Megan, my heart stops beating. I fucking hate when she cries, but not any more than I hate how tired she looks. Dark rims are circling her eyes, her face is gaunt like she hasn’t eaten a proper meal in days, and her hair is well overdue for a washing.
While she brushes away the tears on her cheeks with a sweep of her finger, I stray my eyes to Hugo. “Can this wait until the morning?”
“Yeah.” Hugo nods, understanding me more than I give him credit for. “We searched Megan’s residence as thoroughly as we could, but the lighting was poor, so we decided it would be best to return in the morning. We’re planning to go back at sunrise.” He gestures his head between himself, Isabelle, and Brandon. When his gaze settles on Brandon, he asks, “Since Jenni has had the baby, has the threat been stabilized?”
The tautness on his face eases when Brandon nods.
“My guy will stay on Nick’s house until you tell me otherwise. Brandon has a lock on Megan’s bank accounts, and he added her to a travel database, so if she makes a move, we’ll be the first to know.” Hugo drifts his eyes to Isabelle for the quickest second before returning them to me. “It’s been a big day.”
I nod, acknowledging his wordless distress for Isabelle. Anger is still coursing through my veins, but Nick, Jenni, and their baby boy, Jasper, are safe, so my focus can shift to taking care of Isabelle. It’s been a draining two weeks on all of us, but Isabelle has had shit flung at her from all directions. Although I can’t clear away all the mess just yet, I can soothe her as only I can.
I lock my eyes with Hunter. “Call Peters to give him an update on the situation, and make sure he stays on the hospital grounds. Also, supply those serial numbers to Brandon to run through his database. I want to know where the equipment that was in Isabelle’s apartment came from.” I shift on my feet to face Hugo. “Have your man stay on Nick’s house, but when I return, I’ll want to meet him. I need to ensure he's a good fit for Nick and Jenni before making him an official part of their security detail.”
He nods, his smile one I haven’t seen before.
“And you…” I drift my eyes to Brandon. He goes from gawking at the shaggy-stained carpet to looking at me. “Thank you for helping…us.”
I still have apprehensions about Brandon, but if Isabelle trusts him, I can decompartmentalize my jealousy for her benefit. It’s the least I can do after what I put her through the past two weeks. The biggest grin stretches across Brandon’s face before his twinkling eyes stray to Isabelle. Her mouth is gaped wide, and her pupils are the size of saucers. Anyone would swear I’ve never issued a compliment before from the shocked expressions on Hunter, Hugo, and Isabelle’s faces.
I have, just not verbally.
CHAPTER23
ISABELLE
Before my brain can register the fact that Isaac complimented Brandon, Isaac scoops down to gather me in his arms. His intoxicating scent engulfs my nostrils, activating every one of my hot buttons. He carries me across the room, his speed faster than a bullet. I want to ask where we’re going, but not a word escapes my parched lips. I have an inkling as to what is going on in that big head of his. Our undeniable urge to have one another will have a lot of people mistaking our relationship as only being based on lust, but that isn’t the case. We have a connection that’s hard to explain unless it’s dispersed physically. That’s why we indulge in our fantasies as often as possible.
I’ll never be able to rein in my desires when Isaac is in my vicinity. Even in this complicated situation, I yearn to nurture him. If the massive erection jabbing into my backside is anything to go by, Isaac is craving the same thing.
Once he breaks into the poorly-dated room I was resting in only an hour ago, he kicks the door shut, then paces toward the bathroom. His warm breath tickles my nose when he says, “Shower and then bed.”
I nuzzle into his neck, drinking in his delicious scent. “Okay.”
His pec muscles flex when my lips brush the pulse in his jaw, but before I can relish in his body’s response to my smallest touch, we enter the minuscule bathroom attached to my room. A toilet in one corner has the vanity balancing over the top of it, and an old, pink-tiled shower is in the opposite corner. Its curtain is riddled with soap scum and mold, and there's a giant rip down the middle of it.
“I think we should keep our shoes on.”
Giggling, I nod. “Without a doubt.”
After placing me onto my feet, Isaac tugs his shirt over his head before lowering his sweat pants down his splayed thighs. I strive with all my might to keep my eyes planted on his sculptured face, but the pull to glide them over his body is too great to stop me. I float them over his smooth, hairless pecs, down the six bumps in his midsection, before darting them between the scrumptious V muscle I love tracing with my tongue.
Just when I think the visual can’t get any better, Isaac ups the ante by yanking his boxer shorts down. I become wet when his cock springs free from his trunks. It’s thick, pulsating, and has a perfect drop of precum beaded at the top. While licking my parched lips, I wrap my hand around his densely veined shaft. Isaac stops kicking his clothes to the other side of the room, his hiss coming out with a moan. As he stares into my eyes, the walls close in on me. They’re so intensely beautiful, I could topple into ecstasy without stimulation.
No words are spoken between us. We don’t need them to express ourselves. Everything is reflected in his beautiful eyes. His forgiveness for my betrayal. His sorrow for his harsh words. It’s all said without a word needing to escape his lips. This is us. This is how we show our affection to each other. We communicate our feelings through touch, not words. Besides, nothing he could say would change how I feel about him, so why waste time rehashing old issues?
When Isaac steps closer to me, I'm rendered motionless, mesmerized by the perfect specimen of a man displayed in front of me. His eyes stay locked on mine, only breaking for the quickest second when he lifts my shirt over my head to discard it on the floor. His cock twitches when he unclasps the button of my jeans before sliding down the zipper. Tingles spasm my spine when he crouches down to guide the stiff material down my quivering thighs before steering them over the ballet flats I’m wearing.
My knees curve inward when he places a kiss above my right ankle. A gentle bite closely follows it. Then another kiss, before another bite. He presses a trail of kisses and nips from my right ankle to my thigh, making my left leg jealous. After every bite, his tongue soothes the sting his teeth made, his eyes never leaving mine.
Pleasure rockets through me when his teeth graze my throbbing panty-covered clit on his way to pay the same dedication to my left leg. He gives it just as much devotion as he did my right leg, except this time, he goes from my hip to my ankle.
