Strings Attached

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

"Another scary nightmare?" I asked in a raspy voice, fighting to stay awake.

"No. I just couldn't sleep." She sounded flustered and upset.

"Why?"

Isabelle didn't offer any explanation, but just continued staring at me with obvious hesitation.

"For heaven's sake, talk to me." I pushed away the covers from my body because I was hot and perspiring and she flinched away in sudden fear. Shaking my head, I sighed and looked at her in confusion. "What is going through your mind?"

There was no reply. All she did was stare at me with those pleading innocent eyes, biting down on her lower lip. I came an inch closer and her body turned to stone. Somewhere in my hazed mind, I became aware that my erection pressed against her lower belly and that none of it had been a dream. Isabelle had actually come closer to me of her own free will. Though she was asleep and it was unintentionally done, her action told me there was some part of her that didn't fear me. The fact pleased me to no end, but I could appreciate that she didn't enjoy the feeling of my arousal against her naked skin. I moved away so we wouldn't be as close to each other, but I still kept my arms wrapped around her. 

She closed her eyes and focused on her harsh breathing. Her heartbeat was so fast that I could feel it through her shirt. Although I created some space between us, I could dicscern she was still aware of my erection. You have to back off, Sebastian. But I couldn't; not when I had the feeling we were so close to making a tiny bit of progress. I wrapped my fingers around her chin and her eyes sprang open and looked straight into mine.

I swallowed and whispered in the softest voice I could produce, "Isabelle, I gave you my word. I'm not going to do anything."

"I'm sorry..." she muttered quietly and I could tell she was still upset.

"There is no need to be afraid. It's nothing." I ran my fingers down her hair and along her cheeks, trying to demonstrate that I had no intention to do anything that would cause her pain. "You don't think I'm going to hurt you, do you?"

It was clear that she tried her best to control her response to me and hide her uneasiness, but her own body betrayed her. Despite her attempt to convince me otherwise, Isabelle remained way too guarded and too stiff for someone who felt at ease. Though her fear bothered me on a very personal emotional level, I couldn't blame her for it. Trust took time and after everything she'd been through, I had no right to feel frustrated or worsened.

"I know I've crossed many limits—limits I shouldn't have crossed, but I never lied to you, Isabelle. I'm not trying to trick you, I promise." I tried to soothe her in the best way I could, but my words didn't get through to her. "I'm running a multi-million dollar company. Do you think people would want to do business with me if my word didn't hold credibility?"

Isabelle shook her head to appease me, but her gaze remained filled with the same amount of caution.

"You can shake your head all you want, but you don't trust me. I can see it in your eyes." I confronted her with reality and she continued staring at me with those sad doe-like eyes. "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked softly.

"No," she blurted out in a frightened whisper.

But we couldn't continue like this. We had to talk or we'd end up losing our minds. I turned on the lamp on the nightstand and slowly willed her to turn around and face me. When she did, I tilted up her chin and made her look at me. This was not how I imagined having this conversation. I wanted to take her somewhere where she could relax and feel at ease so that I could get her to open up to me, but desperate times called for desperate measures and I had to do everything in my power to make her understand there was no need for her to fear me. The conversation I saved for so long would happen right here and right now because Isabelle's state of mind was more important than convenience.