got that list?” David asked.
“Oh , yeah.” Isabelle chewed on her lip as she shifted the laundry basket, pulled a piece of paper from her pocket, and handed it to him.
David glanced at it and nodded. “No problem.”
“Thanks.” Isabelle smiled at him and left the room, the other four fil ed out behind her.
Stefan sat silently for awhile, contemplating his strange thoughts, and behavior. The room was oddly quiet without the laughter that had filled it. Without Isabelle. That realization did nothing to ease his darkening mood. He folded his hands behind his head and pretended to listen as Ethan, Mike, Doug, and Jess exchanged pleasant conversation, and more stories. He didn’t hear a word they said, and he found his gaze drawn to the door every few moments. It wasn’t until about the fiftieth time he looked that he realized he was hoping for Isabelle to reappear.
When she didn’t, and Jess placed her hand on his thigh again, he decided that it was time to go to bed.
CHAPTER 7
It was some time later that Stefan left his room. Jess was wide awake, still yelling at him when he slammed the door in her face. He was edgy, restless, and aggravated as hell. He sure as shit wasn’t going to waste his time, or energy, fighting with her. She wasn’t worth the bother. The thing that bothered him was what had started the fight. For the first time, in his exceptionally long life, he had been unable to keep himself aroused.
It was only when he’d had a flash of violet eyes that he had responded in any way to Jess’s attempts at seduction. It hadn’t lasted long. When Jess had crawled on top of him, a feeling of disgust had instantly flooded him. He had shoved her off, suddenly unable to stomach the feel of her any longer.
Now he felt like a caged animal, desperate to escape, as he made his way quickly down the hall. He didn’t know what the hell was the matter with him, but he didn’t like the feeling at all. He sighed with disgust as he made his way swiftly down the stairs.
The light in the dining room was still on. He was drawn there by soft laughter, and voices. He walked into the room, pausing as his eyes landed on Isabelle. She looked up at him, her eyes widening in surprise as they met his. For a moment he simply held her gaze, his loins instantly puls ed and throbbed to life as his body tensed with the fierce sexual urge that ripped through him. Fear darted quickly through her bright eyes as she looked quickly away. Stefan remained where he was, stunned by the she e r force of the physical reaction that rocked through him.
“Hey, I thought you’d gone to sleep,” Ethan greeted.
Stefan shrugged negligently as he walked carefully over to the chair he had abandoned earlier. His physical condition ma de it difficult for him to walk. “Couldn’t sleep.”
“Hmm. Got a two?”
“What?” Isabelle asked distractedly.
“A two?” Ethan inquired again.
She glanced at the cards in her hand, barely seeing the numbers on them. Stefan’s hungry, dark gaze had made her feel extremely uncomfortable, and edgy. Her blood seemed to be burning in her veins, and that odd tingling sensation was back between her thighs, and in her breasts. She shifted uncomfortably as a fierce yearning, that she didn’t understand, began to make its way through her. Silently she cursed herself for stupidly thinking that Stefan wouldn’t be coming back down tonight. She should have stayed in her room, buried under a pile of books like she had planned.
“Go fish,” she mumbled.
Of course, it didn’t help that he looked unbelievably sexy in his lose jeans, and tight, dark blue shirt. His hair was tussled, giving him a boyish appeal that was almost irresistible. Almost, but not entirely. She planned to resist it, and she planned to stay far away from him for now on.
“Isabelle,” Ethan said
“Oh , yeah.” Isabelle chewed on her lip as she shifted the laundry basket, pulled a piece of paper from her pocket, and handed it to him.
David glanced at it and nodded. “No problem.”
“Thanks.” Isabelle smiled at him and left the room, the other four fil ed out behind her.
Stefan sat silently for awhile, contemplating his strange thoughts, and behavior. The room was oddly quiet without the laughter that had filled it. Without Isabelle. That realization did nothing to ease his darkening mood. He folded his hands behind his head and pretended to listen as Ethan, Mike, Doug, and Jess exchanged pleasant conversation, and more stories. He didn’t hear a word they said, and he found his gaze drawn to the door every few moments. It wasn’t until about the fiftieth time he looked that he realized he was hoping for Isabelle to reappear.
When she didn’t, and Jess placed her hand on his thigh again, he decided that it was time to go to bed.
CHAPTER 7
It was some time later that Stefan left his room. Jess was wide awake, still yelling at him when he slammed the door in her face. He was edgy, restless, and aggravated as hell. He sure as shit wasn’t going to waste his time, or energy, fighting with her. She wasn’t worth the bother. The thing that bothered him was what had started the fight. For the first time, in his exceptionally long life, he had been unable to keep himself aroused.
It was only when he’d had a flash of violet eyes that he had responded in any way to Jess’s attempts at seduction. It hadn’t lasted long. When Jess had crawled on top of him, a feeling of disgust had instantly flooded him. He had shoved her off, suddenly unable to stomach the feel of her any longer.
Now he felt like a caged animal, desperate to escape, as he made his way quickly down the hall. He didn’t know what the hell was the matter with him, but he didn’t like the feeling at all. He sighed with disgust as he made his way swiftly down the stairs.
The light in the dining room was still on. He was drawn there by soft laughter, and voices. He walked into the room, pausing as his eyes landed on Isabelle. She looked up at him, her eyes widening in surprise as they met his. For a moment he simply held her gaze, his loins instantly puls ed and throbbed to life as his body tensed with the fierce sexual urge that ripped through him. Fear darted quickly through her bright eyes as she looked quickly away. Stefan remained where he was, stunned by the she e r force of the physical reaction that rocked through him.
“Hey, I thought you’d gone to sleep,” Ethan greeted.
Stefan shrugged negligently as he walked carefully over to the chair he had abandoned earlier. His physical condition ma de it difficult for him to walk. “Couldn’t sleep.”
“Hmm. Got a two?”
“What?” Isabelle asked distractedly.
“A two?” Ethan inquired again.
She glanced at the cards in her hand, barely seeing the numbers on them. Stefan’s hungry, dark gaze had made her feel extremely uncomfortable, and edgy. Her blood seemed to be burning in her veins, and that odd tingling sensation was back between her thighs, and in her breasts. She shifted uncomfortably as a fierce yearning, that she didn’t understand, began to make its way through her. Silently she cursed herself for stupidly thinking that Stefan wouldn’t be coming back down tonight. She should have stayed in her room, buried under a pile of books like she had planned.
“Go fish,” she mumbled.
Of course, it didn’t help that he looked unbelievably sexy in his lose jeans, and tight, dark blue shirt. His hair was tussled, giving him a boyish appeal that was almost irresistible. Almost, but not entirely. She planned to resist it, and she planned to stay far away from him for now on.
“Isabelle,” Ethan said
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