Page 21 of Until You (Forgive Me)

Isabella squeezed his hand again, the connection feeling right.

“That little girl is lucky to have you in her life. Any mother would see that.”

“Life is not always what it seems,” Christian added cryptically. “Star had every right to keep Skylar away from me. I’ve been far from an angel...”

A knock at the door broke them apart.

“Ahh, dinner is served,” Christian said, getting up and moving to the door to let the butler in.

Isabella excused herself while Christian oversaw the setup of their dinner. Upon her return, a beautiful banquet was laid out on the table, and the butler had left.

“This looks and smells amazing,” Isabella said, moving towards the chair Christian was holding out for her.

Once seated, Christian opened the wine and filled her glass.

“A toast... To brighter futures,” Christian said.

Isabella smiled across at him. “To brighter futures.”

Isabella could not fault the food or the company. She’d forgotten how entertaining Christian was, or maybe she’d never had the chance to realise. She and Scarlett had always been on the outside with him and his friends.

As the night went on, their conversation moved on to the London scene, although Christian was clear that it no longer held the draw it once had.

“This really is delicious. Thank you for this evening. It’s been wonderful catching up.”

“Do you have a boyfriend here?” Christian asked.

Isabella chuckled. “No. The business is my boyfriend.”

Before Christian could say any more, his phone rang.

“Christian,” he answered, mouthing an apology for the interruption.

They’d all but finished their meal, so when Christian got up and walked away from the table, Isabella set about clearing away their plates. Her stomach hardened as she watched his demeanour change. He rubbed the back of his neck as he cursed. It was evident that the person on the other end of the phone was the bearer of bad news.

Not wanting to eavesdrop, Isabella made herself scarce, returning to the garden and sitting with her feet dangling into the pool. The water was the perfect temperature, having been heated by the Thai sun.

Closing her eyes, Isabella let her surroundings ground her. All the talk of the past had thrown her off balance, and she wanted to recenter. It was something she had learned early in her transformation. To enjoy the moment, let herself become one with nature. Learning mindfulness alongside yoga changed her life. She now took the time to appreciate each moment, savour it, instead of living for what was coming.

She sensed when Christian came and sat down next to her. He remained silent.

“Is everything all right?” Isabella asked, opening her eyes and turning her head to face him.

She could sense the restlessness coming off him.

“It will be,” Christian said, sighing. “I fly home tomorrow. I’ll deal with it then.”

Isabella placed a hand on his thigh, feeling the muscle contract.

“It must be tough. Having all that responsibility,” Isabella said.

She knew how she felt about her own business, its staff, and clients. She could not imagine the weight Christian carried.

“It has its moments. At least it’s expanding. There was a time...” Christian stopped.

Isabella could feel the tension running through his body. She wondered if he was even aware of the stress he was carrying. He’d looked relaxed earlier, but he was far from that now.

Isabella moved behind him, her hands going to his shoulders, her thumbs digging into the tense muscles. Christian let out a groan as Isabella continued to knead his shoulders and back.

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