Riordan by Kathi S. Barton Page A

the
    woman coming toward her and rethought everything that had been going through her head. This
    was the woman he’d given her up for? Christ, she could barely walk. And she was dressed in
    what appeared to be scrubs, of all things. When she put out her hand to shake it, she had a
    moment of panic. The other woman just stared at it as if she had some sort of dirt on her.
    “You must be the ex-girlfriend. You’re just what I expected.” Isabell had no idea how to
    take that so said nothing. “You’re kind of…I don’t know…girly, aren’t you?”
    “I’m a woman. What are you?” The woman laughed, and it sounded like she really was
    enjoying this. “You should really work on your manners some. Riordan expects his dates to be
    delicate and well behaved. And well dressed. What are you wearing?”
    “Well, then he’s shit out of luck since he started seeing me.” The woman moved around her,
    like she was inspecting her or something. And Isabell thought she found her lacking in every
    way. “You’re not in very good shape, are you? Kind of flabby. You should really try to join a
    gym or something. Might take away some of the cellulite you have under that dress of yours.”
    “What?” Isabell looked around for someone to help her. Mrs. Harrison was there, but she
    wasn’t going to be any help. The woman could barely stand she was laughing so hard. And the
    young man that had met her at the car was sitting on the steps laughing as well. She looked at the
    woman again. “Just who the hell to you think you are talking to me this way? I’ll have you know
    that I come from a good family with the proper upbringing. I’m not flabby, nor do I have
    cellulite, as you have suggested. Why am I even bothering with you? Surely Riordan knows that
    you’re no match for me.”
    “I’m Storm Browning. I do have a pedigree like you think you have, but that doesn’t really
    matter much to me. Dogs make me itch.” Isabell was sure she’d been insulted again but wasn’t
    sure. Storm continued on with her introduction, if that was what it was. “My family has more
    money and more prestige than you do in all of your entire linage. Not that it means all that much
    to me, but it’s there should I ever want to claim it. How about you, Isabell Applegate? How
    much is enough for you? Or do you think there is no limit to the amount you could get your
    hands on?”
    “Money? You? I doubt that very much. Just look at you. I’m here to see Riordan. I don’t
    have any idea what you think you’re trying to prove with me, but it won’t work.” Storm just
    smiled and nodded. “You’re just a fling with him. Nothing more than a good lay and something
    to keep me in line.”
    “It’s a good fuck, honey, not lay, and he is good at that.” Isabell felt her face heat up. “You
    really should get that stick out of your ass and maybe someone might show you the difference
    sometime. I can tell you about it if you really want to know.”
    “I most certainly do not.”
    Isabell was ready to call for Riordan when she saw him. She had no idea how long he’d been
    standing there, but she thought it rude that he’d not come to her rescue sooner. As he
    straightened up from the newel post that he’d been leaning on, she put out her hand for him to
    take it. There was no way this woman was real. It had to be a joke that he’d given her up for this
    thing. But he moved by her and put his arm around the woman.
    “Isabell, I didn’t know you were coming here.” She didn’t know how to respond to him.
    There was so much anger in his voice that she thought for sure he was upset with Storm for
    speaking to her this way. “I see you’ve met my Stormy. She’s a little on the blunt side. You’ll
    have to forgive her.”
    “No, I don’t. She’s rude and nasty. You shouldn’t allow her to talk to me this way, Riordan.
    It’s not the way I was raised. And I’m thinking it wasn’t the way you were raised either.” She
    looked at