Page 40 of Until You (Forgive Me)

Isabella pushed all thoughts aside as they entered the villa, and Christian once again pulled her into his arms, his lips descending on hers.

∞∞∞

Isabella left Christian’s room early the following morning. He had to work, so she headed back to The Retreat. It wasn’t fair to leave everything to May. Their magical weekend was over, and reality was about to set back in.

Today was the official opening of The Dupree Group Asia’s factory and offices. Isabella used her job at The Retreat as an excuse for not attending the opening ceremony. In reality, she wanted to ensure she stayed out of the limelight. This was where she lived. She didn’t want to be seen as a billionaire’s plaything. She’d already taken an enormous gamble being seen out with him over the weekend, but Isabella knew today would be different. A global press presence was expected at the opening. Christian’s picture would undoubtedly be in every local and international newspaper from tomorrow. They would need to be more cautious.

The opening was a big deal for the business world and their local community. Christian, Henri, and Richard were hot property. She couldn’t resist his invitation to join the other CEOs and their wives for a celebratory dinner, especially knowing he was still there, if only for one more night. It had taken all her willpower to leave that morning. He was fast becoming her addiction. One she knew was going to leave her with horrendous withdrawal symptoms. Christian promised the celebrations would be in the hotel and a private event. When she raised her fears, May told her to live her life and enjoy each moment. Maybe she was right. Life was too short to worry about things outside her control. Plus, she was looking forward to catching up with Annelise and Patrice. Whatever else happened, those ladies would be around, and may help her pick up the pieces of her broken heart.

Chapter Eighteen

Isabella

The meal was amazing. Christian hired a private dining room in the hotel, allowing everyone to talk and laugh uninhibited all evening. Isabella could not remember a time when she’d had so much fun. This evening had topped off what had turned out to be a magical weekend. The memory of their first night being overwritten with not just mind-blowing sex, but the wonderful person Christian was. A heaviness formed in her chest when they finally called it a night. The end of the evening was so much more than a simple goodbye. Isabella knew she was being silly. Richard and Annelise were her neighbours, and Patrice would be back within a month or two... but she couldn’t shake the hollow feeling deep in the pit of her stomach. She knew the cause. When she next saw them, there would be a piece missing. Christian’s departure was imminent, leaving no certainty of his return.

Annelise pulled her in for a hug. “I’ll see you in a couple of days... hang in there,” she whispered in her ear as she kissed her goodbye. “We’ll have dinner soon.”

Isabella smiled. It was never a hardship to spend time with Annelise and Richard.

Next, Patrice pulled her in for a hug. “You’ll be fine,” she said, kissing Isabella’s cheek and holding her forearms. “He’ll be back. It will be impossible for him to stay away.”

“Am I that obvious?” Isabella asked.

If she was, she needed to school her features fast. The last thing she needed was to appear as a desperate woman. Nothing would put him off faster.

“No, but it takes a woman in love to recognise it in another,” Patrice said, smiling kindly.

“I’m not...” Patrice squeezed her arm to silence her as Henri stepped up.

“See you soon,” he said, kissing her cheek and wrapping his arm around Patrice’s waist. “Come on, we have an early flight, and we still need to finish packing.”

Isabella and Christian walked Richard and Annelise to the entrance and waited while a taxi was called. As their taxi drew out of the hotel, the pain in her chest grew, and she was not sure how long it would be before it burst free. May had appointments with Kalaya in the afternoon, so Isabella needed to return to The Retreat. It would be the perfect excuse, no long, drawn-out goodbyes.

“Are you going to come back to my room?” Christian whispered, his lips grazing her ear as he slipped his arm around her waist and hauled her back against him. There were only a few staff milling around, all the other guests having called it a night.

A shiver rippled through Isabella’s body.

“Would you like me to?” she asked, pivoting in his arms, her hands weaving their way into the short hair at the nape of his neck.

So much for leaving!

“Hmm,” he said, trailing kisses down her neck, his lips sending electrical pulses straight to her core.

He was going to be the death of her. He played her body like a finely tuned instrument.

“Yes,” she murmured, capturing his chin in her hand and lowering it so she could stare him in the eye. “Yes, I’ll stay tonight.”

As he looked at her, Christian’s face lit up with a familiar boyish grin, the one she’d come to know so well over the weekend. Had he been unsure of her answer? Despite their brief time together, Isabella couldn’t deny the intense emotions she felt for the man standing before her. Was it because she’d always harboured a crush on him? She understood that her heart would break in the morning when they said goodbye.

Taking her hand, they walked through the garden. Isabella giggled as Christian stopped them for the fifth time, pressing her against a tree and devouring her with his mouth and hands. Maybe she wasn’t the only one who didn’t want their connection to end. By the time they reached the Villa, Isabella’s heart, head, and body were spinning out of control. He pulled her into his arms once more, pressing her up against the door before opening it and hauling her up and into his arms. Christian swept them both into his room, their walk having ignited a raging fire between them. An inferno replaced the slow and tender. They shed each other’s clothes, hands and mouths everywhere. It was as though they were trying to merge into one being, unable to be apart. Isabella was unsure where she ended, and he began. If this was the end, they were going out with a bang.

Christian withdrew his body from hers, leaving them both breathing hard. As he pulled her close, she could feel the frantic beat of his heart against her cheek.

“I want to see you again,” he said.

Isabella could hear the words vibrating through his chest.

She propped her head up on his chest, resting her chin on her hand.

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