Strings Attached

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

As I approached the aisle where Isabelle stood, the intoxicating scent of flowers invaded my senses. It took all my self-control to restrain myself from giving in to the urge to possess every inch of her personal space. Holding my breath, I paused and observed her from a relative distance.

The sun illuminated the long strands of her wavy golden hair. They fell over her face and all the way to the edge of the simple white dress that complimented her slim figure to the point of making her look like a goddess. Settling on one of the books from the shelf, she pulled it out and inspected its covers with undivided interest—all the while murmuring the chorus of Wicked Game. My heart filled with warmth at seeing Isabelle in her element. Unlike all those times when I'd witnessed nothing but worry and fear in her expression, now she appeared relaxed and at ease.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, a voice whispered I should just leave and let her be, but my body wouldn't listen to me. I was caught in a trance...unable to do anything else than to stare at this woman who haunted my thoughts for each and every minute of every single day. Only now when she was in front of me did I realize how much I'd missed her. I missed her so fucking much it was messing with my head.

Suddenly, the music came to an abrupt end and—almost like some subconscious instinct warned her of my presence—Isabelle glanced my way and jerked with such force that she dropped the book to the floor. Our eyes met for a brief moment, and  she bent over to pick up the book before I got the chance to say anything. My gaze followed her movement as she slowly stood up to face me again. The sight of discomfort and wariness settled right back onto her features and filled me with regret. I cursed at myself because this wasn't how I had imagined our first encounter after Vegas. I wanted to know exactly what I was going to say and do in order to ease her fears and make her feel comfortable. Instead, I couldn't form a single word and I stared at her in a telling way that gave away my own restlessness and inner turmoil. Desire I had for her was so strong that I couldn't hide it. Pull yourself together, Sebastian! You are freaking her out.

Adamant to regain control over myself, I pushed all those unsettling thoughts away and forced what I hoped was a reassuring smile on my face.

"I'm sorry," I apologized softly. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Those wide doe-like eyes gazed at me in confusion and it almost appeared she searched for traces of menace or threat on my face. There is nothing to fear, sweetheart. I'm not here to hurt you.

"How long have you been here?" she asked, still observing me with caution.

"For a while." I smirked, remembering the sound of her soft melodic voice.

Isabelle flushed like she could read my thoughts and I could tell she was embarrassed.

Parting her lips, she spoke in a small mortified voice. "How... how did you—"

"I figured the library is the first place to look if I wanted to find you. Your love for literature didn't go unnoticed," I complimented her by uttering a little white lie because I wanted to distract her from the fact I had caught her singing.

"I guess I'm really predictable," she reasoned, staring at me with the same amount of wariness.

"I beg to differ. So far, you've been nothing if not full of surprises," I muttered in a soft voice and found myself taking slow measured steps in her direction.

Once again, she blushed but made no attempt to move away or express any signs of discomfort to my closeness. Though I burned to come as close as possible, I forced myself to remain on a safe distance because I didn't want to overwhelm her. I had every intention to prove I'd keep my promise and respect her boundaries. As she gazed at me, her eyes filled with a sense of surprise and her expression went distant.