Page 31 of Until You (Forgive Me)

ISABELLA:I like the sound of that.

CHRISTIAN:Sexy stalker - it has a certain ring to it.

ISABELLA:Well, this sexy stalker needs her beauty sleep. Good night Christian.

CHRISTIAN:Good night Isabella. Sleep tight.

ISABELLA:xx

Christian found himself smiling down at his phone. Heading inside, he picked up a note from his housekeeper and retrieved his dinner from the oven. Jet-lag and the stress of the day had lifted. Christian noticed Isabella had had that effect on him in Thailand, but he’d assumed it was their location. Maybe it was more than that. She had a calm demeanour, more than anyone he knew. It wasn’t how he remembered her. His memories of Isabella were her running around screaming with Scarlett, getting on his nerves. The woman he met in Thailand was so far removed from that girl, it was scary. His response to her, even more scary.

Picking up the Financial Times, he spread it out in front of his plate. He needed to get his head back in the game and stop daydreaming about something that could never be. Especially when that someone lived nearly nine thousand kilometres away.

Chapter Fifteen

Isabella

Five months later

May entered the room carrying a sleeping Kalaya in her car seat. “What time is Christian’s plane landing?”

Isabella grabbed the car seat from May and placed it on their low coffee table. A small smile formed on Kalaya’s lips as Isabella ran a finger down the sleeping baby’s cheek. She had fallen hopelessly in love the moment Kalaya had entered the world. She was her favourite little human and brought such joy to their world.

Kalaya had arrived four months earlier. A month after, Christian had departed, and a month earlier than anyone expected. Their lives had changed overnight. For Isabella, Kalaya’s arrival had been the distraction she needed for her wayward heart, allowing her to become an honorary aunt. She was grateful her friend let her share in the joy of her baby and returned the favour often by looking after Kalaya, so May and Arkhom could still have their date night. As she’d pointed out to her best friend, someone may as well get to enjoy a date. She failed to find love before Christian, and after him, no other man compared. She was doomed!

Despite Kalaya’s early arrival, May had taken to motherhood like a duck to water. Isabella admired how her friend managed her home, new baby, and business with ease.

“What time is his flight getting in?” May asked again.

Isabella’s heart rate picked up. She’d been trying to ignore the butterflies that had taken up residence in her stomach since she’d received Christian’s message telling her he was coming back for the official office and factory opening that weekend.

Isabella’s phone had pinged just before a class, and she’d made the mistake of checking it. They messaged for months, but his return wasn’t mentioned until that day. Her subsequent class had been a disaster. Not for her guests, but for Isabella. As much as she tried to stem her racing heart, no amount of deep breathing or meditative thoughts could calm her brain or stop it from returning to that night.

“His flight gets in around seven,” she said as May opened her mouth again.

“Are you picking him up from the airport?”

“No, he said the company driver is collecting him. He asked me to join him for dinner,” Isabella said, her cheeks burning.

May grinned and waggled her eyebrows. “We are all aware of what happened the last time you two dined together.”

Isabella dropped her chin. Was she building herself up for a fall? She didn’t want to get her hopes up. Yes, there’d been flirty texts exchanged over the past few months... even engaged in phone sex... once. Although they both agreed it had left them more hot and bothered than satisfied. That was their problem. Their night together had raised the bar. Did she want to be his Thai bootie call? Who was she kidding? She would give her body to Christian for the weekend, even if it was just to prove it wasn’t a dream.

“The cogs in your brain are crunching,” May said. “Stop over thinking. It will send you to an early grave.”

“I don’t want to assume anything,” Isabella said.

May placed a hand on Isabella’s shoulder. “The man’s been messaging you for five months. I think it’s safe to say he wants to see you. He contacted you to let you know he was coming back. You didn’t ask him.”

“I know, but it’s awkward. Of course, he was going to be here for the opening. Maybe he felt he had to let me know he was coming. My mind is in a tail spin. Last time we were together everything was… so spontaneous... amazing. I just don’t know how I’m supposed to act this time around. What if he looks at me and thinks - what am I doing here?” Isabella said, sighing.

Isabella looked down, focusing her attention on Kalaya. Dark brown eyes opened and a cherubic face smiled up at her. Isabella bent down and unclasped the car seat straps, lifting her into her embrace. She inhaled deeply, Kalaya instantly snuggling into Isabella’s shoulder, the tiny noises she made and her baby scent soothing Isabella’s inner turmoil. This is what she needed: unconditional love.

“You’ll want a muslin on your shoulder,” May warned.

Isabella turned her head and kissed the gurgling baby’s cheek. “What’s a little upchuck amongst friends, ay, Kalaya? Aunty Izzy will not worry about a little baby vomit.”

May laughed. “No, but Christian might not appreciate his date stinking of baby sick.”

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