“Sounds like it,” he agreed. “Your mother raised all three of you without any help, didn’t she?”
“No, she had help. She went to work at a private school, and when Kiera and Kate became students there, the tuition was free. My aunt Nora moved in to take care of me.” She laughed and added, “She had quite an influence on me. Sometimes I sound just like her.”
Michael tilted Isabel’s chin up and looked at her with a concerned expression. “There’s something we need to talk about.”
Was he going to bring up her inexperience in bed? Wouldn’t that be great? She wouldn’t be feeling so insecure if she hadn’t bragged about being such a sex goddess. He’d known she was teasing, hadn’t he? Of course he had, but her mind still raced to come up with an explanation if he brought it up.
“Yes?”
“You said you never want to go onstage again.”
Relief surged through her. “Yes, that’s what I said, all right.”
He seemed puzzled. “Did you mean it?”
“Of course I meant it. I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it.”
He took her empty glass and set it on the table next to his drink, then fixed his eyes on hers. “Do you understand what happened tonight?”
“I was there, Michael, so yes, I know what happened.”
Isabel really didn’t have any idea how fantastic she was. She had become a superstar tonight, and he was shocked to learn she didn’t want it.
“I’m a songwriter,” she said. “I’m not a performer.”
Isabel didn’t want to talk about the concert any longer. She knew she would have to figure out what she was going to do, but that could wait until tomorrow. She had other ideas now. She surprised Michael when she kicked the sheet down and turned to straddle his lap. She got up on her knees and kissed him. Then she leaned back.
“I was thinking I would seduce you.”
The sexy smile in his eyes made her shiver. “Yeah?”
She nodded. “And then I’m going to write a song about it.”
He was totally unprepared for that statement and burst into laughter. “Sweetheart, that would be an X-rated song.”
She trailed her fingertips down the stubble on his cheek. He was such a rugged-looking man, and oh how his scent appealed to her. It reminded her of worn leather and the woods after a rain, but also it was male . . . so Michael. There was just something about him. When she got near him, every part of her reacted.
Isabel put her arms around his neck. “I’m going for triple X.”
Those were the last coherent words she spoke for a long while.
Later . . . much later, they fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms.
NINETEEN
MORNING DIDN’T BRING ANY REGRETS. OKAY, MAYBE THERE WERE A FEW, BUT THEY CAME
much later.
Isabel slept until after eight, and when she opened her eyes, she was alone in bed. She heard movement in the other room and surmised that Michael was an early riser, just another trait she was discovering about him. Last night had proven he was indeed a man of surprises. Groaning, she slowly stretched, then went into the bathroom to get ready for the day. When she moved, she was astonished at how tender she was, but then she had used just about every muscle in her body. How many times had they reached for each other? How many times had she reached for him? She was pretty sure she even nudged him awake once or twice. She had been that ravenous. But then, so had he.
A shower helped revive her. By the time she dressed, she was wide awake. And starving.
While she was drying her hair, she noticed Michael’s shaving kit wasn’t in the bathroom, and when she walked out through the bedroom she realized Michael wasn’t in the suite. She thought he might have gone downstairs for something until she noticed his gym bag was gone. He had packed up and taken off.
“That was rude,” she whispered. “Damn rude.” She thought of quite a few expletives she could shout just to vent her frustration, but then she came to her senses and realized how futile they would be.
Then she spotted the envelope with her name on it on the desk. She dreaded opening it. If he said, Thank you for last night, she might just let some of those expletives fly. Did he sneak away? No, of course not. Michael wasn’t the sneak-away kind of man. Still, he was gone. Didn’t he want to face her in the morning light? Why didn’t he wake her and tell her where he was going?
Isabel held the envelope in her hand for a good five minutes before she finally opened it. The note was short. Michael had a long drive to get to a meeting he couldn’t miss, and he wouldn’t be back until early evening. Regan was in the city and would drive Isabel back to Nathan’s Bay. Michael’s last line was anything but affectionate. See you at the party.