Page 278 of Enigma: The Complete Collection
“It’s okay, I can walk. Although I'm once again walking out of your club sans underwear. I better be careful, or I might get a bad reputation.”
“The only reputation you’ll get is ‘if you touch her or say a bad word about her, you’ll be buried under six feet of dirt.’”
A grin etches on my mouth until I realize he’s serious. Isaac is a protector, and I don’t want to start a fight, so I don’t bother replying to his comment. After assisting me back into the Hulk-charming bustier and trench coat, he removes the smears of mascara off my flushed face with his thumbs.
Once every smudge is taken care of, he encloses his hand over mine, then guides us out of his office door. I’m shocked when music blares my eardrums. Even at three in the morning, his nightclub is packed with partygoers.
Like always, the crowd parts when they see Isaac coming, giving him a clear path to the polished mahogany bar. My eyes roll when Tina bats her eyelashes at him while prancing his way. Her fast pace slows when she notices me standing behind his shoulder. Her eyes slit after she roams them over my face. My flushed expression, wide eyes, and tousled hair should clue her in on what we’ve been doing the past four hours. If it doesn’t, I’m sure the hickey on my neck will.
“I’m going home for the remainder of the weekend.”
Tina’s and my eyes shoot to stare at him in sync. It’s only Friday night, well, technically Saturday morning, and weekends are the busiest times for his nightclubs, let alone the fact Christmas is only two days away, so I’m shocked he's planning to spend the entire weekend at home.
“I'll be unreachable until the day after Christmas, but Roger is on standby if you have any problems.”
“But… you never… you’vealwaysworked through Christmas. We workedtogether,” Tina stumbles out.
“Things are different now.” My pulse quickens when Isaac’s beautiful eyes drop to mine. “Isabelle and I have new Christmas traditions to make?”
Since his comment is more a question than a statement, I nod.
After running his thumb over the dip in my top lip, he returns his focus to Tina. Her mouth gapes, finally clueing to the fact that I’m here for the long haul whether she likes it or not.
“Ensure that each day's revenue is stored in the safe. If all goes to plan, Roger will deposit the money into the bank Friday morning.”
Unable to speak due to shock, Tina nods before accepting the key Isaac is holding out for her.
“See you in a few days. Have a good Christmas.”
With a smirk, he guides me to his town car, which is idling out front.
“Thank you,” I say when he gestures for me to enter before him.
My heart thumps against my ribs when his glide inside concludes with him pulling me across the cool leather seat until I'm snuggled under the nook of his arm. “How did you get Jae to sign off tonight when she wouldn’t do it this morning?”
My eyes widen as my throat works hard to swallow. The longer I delay answering his question, the louder the rumble in his chest becomes. I pop my head off his chest to peer into his furious eyes. His jaw is ticking, his entire composure switched from playful to infuriatingly angry.
“You lied to me?” His tone dangerously low, and it quickens my pulse.
“No.”
His eyes narrow into thin slits, calling bullshit.
“Not one hundred percent.”
“You either lied, or you didn’t. Which is it, Isabelle?”
I exhale a shaky breath. “I didn’t goseeDr. Jae.” His whole body tenses. “Let me finish before you get all worked up. I didn’tseeDr. Jae, but we had a phone consultation.”
The tick of his jaw doesn’t lessen from my admission.
“She said if I hadn’t experienced any headaches all day and wasn’t feeling dizzy, I was free to resume normal activities. Although fucking isn’t a normal activity, it’s as necessary as breathing to me.”
He tries his hardest to hold in his smile, but the smallest one still curls on his lips. “And the letter you thrust in my chest?”
I grimace. “That was the bill from the lingerie store. I figured you’d want to know the price of the items you were planning to destroy before you shredded them.”
When he doesn’t smile at my taunt, I climb onto his lap and curl my arms around his shoulders, hating that I’ve made him angry. After resting my forehead on his, I glance into his unique, beautiful eyes. “I’m fine. I’m not dizzy. I don’t even have the slightest bit of a headache. Because of you, I feel the most alive I’ve ever felt. Tonight was incredible, Isaac. Please don’t ruin it because you feel inane guilt you shouldn’t be feeling.”
