Let Them Talk

“Same here.”

She scoffed at his words. “No, you didn’t. You made it very clear that sleeping with me was a mistake and that you’d never make it again.”

“And I meant that at the time. I didn’t like how out of control I was with you. I have spent most of my adulthood mastering the emotions that destroyed my relationship with my family and almost ruined my future. But one kiss from you, and I was driven by my emotions.”

“Well, congratulations, you have finally mastered your emotions because what you did to me was completely unemotional. It was cold and calculating to take me to bed just so you could shape me into the biddable woman you wanted me to be,” she accused. “I should have expected something like this from you.”

“It’s time to refresh your memory,” Sean said as he leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. “What we shared in bed was real.”

Isabel tossed her napkin on the table and mimicked his stance. “No, what we shared was fake,” she bit out. “You told me you wanted my sensual side all to yourself. But you were really trying to manipulate me into being the prim and proper lady everyone wanted.”

“I could never hold you back.” And, much to his surprise, he liked her aggression in bed. She didn’t hide anything when they were alone. “Your bold spirit always broke through. It may have scared off your past lovers, but it doesn’t scare me.”

She stiffened. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He realized he had inadvertently uncovered something she had never discussed. She had been too sensual or too assertive for her previous men. It hadn’t fit with her good-girl image. None of her boyfriends had noticed her naughty side. Once she had revealed that side of herself, those men hadn’t had a clue what to do with her.

“Did you hear me complain about it?” he asked. “No, not once. Because I loved it. I love the restraint you show in public and the wildness you display in private.”

Isabel leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “But you had an ulterior motive. To keep an eye on me for my father.”

He should have known his private agreement with Keith would haunt him. “How did you find out about the favor I was doing for your father?”

“I overheard you in the house yesterday.”

“I see.” He wondered how much she had heard. Had she heard him defend her choices? Or give one accolade after another about her to her father? His feelings for her had become so obvious that Keith had given his blessings for him to date Isabel. “Did you also hear me tell your father that he didn’t need to worry about you or your book club? That you have no interest in causing a scandal, you just want a chance to be who you really are?”

She drew her head back and gave him an uncertain look. “No.”

Sean sighed and speared his hands through his hair. “Then you probably didn’t hear how I defended your friends.”

“I’m supposed to take your word on all of this?”

He motioned toward the study. “Go ask your father.”

“Oh, I will confront him on this, believe me.” She pointed at Sean in accusation. “But you can’t defend what you did to me.”

Sean splayed his arms out as the frustration burned through him. “I slept with you because you’ve been in my thoughts and dreams since I met you. I slept with you because I couldn’t stand the idea of not being with you. And it’s not just for the sex. Why do you think I’ve attended these Sunday dinners for the past three years? I’m here to spend time with you.”

“And you decided to start this fling when it served your purpose,” she said quietly.

He slumped against his seat and gave a deep sigh. “It’s not like that.”

“You supposedly want to be with me, and yet you tried to make me into something I’m not.”

“When?” he asked. “When I encouraged you to take risks? When I pleaded with you to go for it?”

She frowned and abruptly pushed her chair back. “It doesn’t matter anymore. This conversation is over. We are over.”

“Don’t say that,” he said as the panic clawed at him.

“Pretend this fling never happened,” Isabel said as she stood up and marched out of the room. “I know I will.”

* * *

ISABEL RUBBED HER EYES and stared at her computer screen. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t focus on her work. The quiet of the library didn’t soothe her as it usually did. Today it grated on her nerves. She needed some noise, some distraction to crowd out the thoughts and doubts in her troubled mind.