Page 81 of Until You (Forgive Me)

Isabella sat back. “I’m still waiting to hear from Toby. Hopefully, once he gets back to me, we can get the ball rolling, and life can return to normal.”

Isabella watched as Star stared down at her drink, her finger circling the top. “That wasn’t what I meant... but is that what you want? Life to go back to normal?”

Isabella stared out of the coffee shop window. What did she want? She’d never felt so connected to another person as she did to Christian, but he’d never asked her to stay. If he did, would she want to? She had a life in Thailand. She ran a business, one she loved. Her life wasn’t in London anymore. Christian had replaced all her negative memories of the time before she left, with new, shiny ones. But could she give up all she’d achieved? Did she want to?

“I don’t know,” she answered eventually. “My life is in Thailand. My business is there.”

“What about Christian? You and he seem to be very close.”

“We’ve been together for seven weeks,” Isabella said. She was aware of how little time it had been, although it felt like she had known him a lifetime. “I’ve no idea what the future holds. My life is in Thailand. I’m not sure how we could work, even if we wanted it to.”

Isabella could not believe she was having this conversation with Star. She was the sister of the woman Christian had been in love with. The woman who still held his heart.

“When you know, you know,” Star said cryptically before changing the subject.

They spent the rest of the afternoon before pickup time discussing post-pregnancy yoga and baby clothes.

∞∞∞

“How did it go?” Christian asked as soon as she walked through the door.

Isabella jumped up to greet him, unable to keep the goofy grin off her face. She’d had so much fun.

“It was brilliant. You were right. Even the boys loved the idea of setting up their own business with something they loved doing. Skylar may just have a class of entrepreneurs with her.”

Isabella melted against him as he took her in his arms. Kissing her head. “Thank you, I know how much it meant to Skylar.”

Isabella looked up at him. “It was no trouble. I really enjoyed myself. It also reminded me how much I love my job.”

A strange expression passed over Christian’s face before he schooled his features, plastering a smile on his face.

“Confirmation you’re doing the right job is always important,” he added before untangling himself.

Chapter Thirty-six

Christian

Isabella had been up before Christian. He’d awoken to find himself in an empty bed, his body alert to her absence even before his brain was fully awake.

He padded downstairs to find Isabella in a deep, meditative state. Her body radiated a level of calm and peacefulness he could only aspire to. Not wanting to disturb her, he turned and left, making his way back upstairs to get ready for work.

As he stepped into the shower, his mind returned to the night before. What had begun as great sex had migrated and become something more. Something had snapped in his chest as he looked at her. His heart had taken over, and he’d worshipped her with his body for much of the night. When they’d finally separated, they’d fallen silent. He had been lost for words. It had appeared Isabella had felt the same. Instead of talking, Christian had wrapped himself around her and waited for her breathing to even out before he’d allowed his own brain to shut down. This morning, he was still lost. Isabella was like a drug, one he was not sure he could live without. But as he’d said to Seb, he could not ask Isabella to give up the life she’d carved out for herself any more than he was able to walk away from his own commitments. It looked like life once again had its own ideas for Christian Dupree, and they did not involve a happy ending.

When Christian came downstairs, Isabella was waiting for him in the kitchen. She looked up as he reached the bottom of the stairs, her smile taking his breath away.

“Good morning,” she said, handing him a freshly brewed cup of coffee and a bowl of porridge covered in a citrus salsa, and topped with nuts and seeds.

He’d initially pulled a face when Isabella had served it, but then he’d tried it. He had to admit, it sustained him for longer than any of his previous breakfasts, and that was when he’d even bothered to eat. Sometimes, he would send Lucy down to the canteen to grab him something if he got hungry, but now...

“Morning,” he said, putting them both on the side and pulling her into his arms. “I missed you this morning.”

He watched a flush spread over her cheeks, her hand resting on his chest. “I woke up and made the most of the early morning,” she said, almost wistfully. “Talking to the children yesterday reminded me how much I have let my practice slip since being here.”

Christian felt a wrench in his chest at her words. “Don’t let me stop you. Maybe you should show me... Skylar seems taken with it.”

Isabella looked up at him, her eyes wide. “Really? You’d try?” she asked.

Christian baulked a little. What had he just agreed to?

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