Chapter 32: The Best Intentions

"What do you mean, daddy? I thought you meant me?" Olivia whined as soon as Isabelle left the room in a coughing fit after she choked on her wine.

"I meant Isabelle, dear." he told her and Josephine glared at him.

"Isabelle? Why her? She's always looking for trouble... At least Olivia doesn't kiss random strangers in front of the media just for attention." She exclaimed.

I bet she's kissed more people than I have.

"Enough. I don't want to hear another word." He shut Josephine up and then looked up at someone in front, and his gaze softened.

I followed his gaze and saw Isabelle walking towards us slowly.

"Ah! Isabelle, dear, are you feeling better now?" He asked her concerned now.

"Yes. Very." she told him and sat down quietly, looking down at her hands.Dessert came in as soon as she sat, we ate in silence once again. I looked at everyone eating but the tension in the air was visible. I glanced at Belle and saw her dipping her spoon into the ice cream, and bringing it to her mouth, she licked it thoroughly. Very thoroughly.

I gulped and she looked at me, surprised, then looked away suddenly and I did too.

I just saw her licking a spoon and it turned me on in ways I can't describe. I'm pathetic.

"You haven't answered my question." And her father brought me out of my wonderland once again after we were done with dessert.

I thought about it for a moment before answering.

I definitely thought of her... A lot, lately. And I think she's smart, kind, beautiful and just generally amazing... I want to see her everyday.. Her blue eyes bring a calmness to me I thought I would never find. I care for her and don't want to see her hurt because I know she deserve's so much. And I knew what I wanted to say.

"The best."

I looked at her father dead in the eye. My words were all I could him.

"I don't believe a word of the nonsense you just said." Arthur snapped at me, ruining the moment... Although I was surprised Lance kept his mouth shut because he usually didn't when it came to his sister.

What did they talk about before they joined us?

"You have my word. I have the best intentions for your daughter, Isabelle." The way her name rolled of my tongue felt liberating. "And I don't back out of my word. You know that very well." I said it more firmly this time, hoping they would believe me, and it took a while for them to respond.

"Very well.. I trust my daughter knows what she is doing." He looked at Isabelle and smiled and I saw her give him a small smile from the corner of my eye.

Everything's going according to plan.

"If I may be excused, I need to speak to Adam... alone." Isabelle suddenly rose from her seat and waited for her father to answer.

"Don't take long." He motioned towards me and I could see the threat in his eyes.

"Lead the way" I smirked at her and she rolled her eyes, leaving the room and I followed suit.

However, she stopped in the hallway for a moment, before continuing to go again.

Wait, why is she taking me to her room?

I followed her inside.

"Nice room" I said as I looked around and then at her.

She folded her arms across her chest in annoyance. "Don't pretend as if you haven't been here." And I shrugged, putting my hands in my pockets.

"So you know, huh?" I asked her.

"Yes, I know" She mimicked me, making me smile.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" I finally asked her, sighing, as I looked for a place to sit.

"I think you know exactly what I want to talk about."

"Please, enlighten me.." I made myself comfortable on the couch behind me and looked at her expectantly.

But she sat away from me. "Listen, I really appreciate all that you've done for me but really? Why would you let my dad believe we were together?" I took a while to formulate my next words, thinking hard about what I should tell her.

"Weren't we though? Together I mean?" I asked her inncoently.

"No! We were not! And for the last time, it was all a fuck*** ruse!" She suddenly snapped and surprised me, before I smiled at her confidence.

"My, my, Ms. Edward, you're not exactly the prim and proper lady everyone talks about." I said sarcastically and she scoffed, again.

"Come on, I'm sure you're dying to be with me. I know everyone else is." I looked at her play fully.

"Just because a large amount of women have an unhealthy obsession with you doesn't mean that I don't have an equally large number of love letters in my side drawer." She smirked at me, making my smile disappear and I frowned.

Were there really so many love letters in her drawer?

"What?" Was all I could say.

"You heard that right." She told me, getting comfortable. "Why? are you jealous?"

It was my turn to scoff. "Jealous? Me? Tell me something that actually matters sweetheart. Like how you look beautiful tonight. I hope you didn't take too much time getting ready for me." I looked her, hoping for a subject change and she looked back at me with such intensity that it was hard for me to keep eye contact, but I wouldn't back down now.

I'm not jealous. Right?

"This is important, and I'm not going to fake a relationship with you." She said.

And I frowned once again. Why was she so opposed to me?

"Why not? As I see it, your father already gave us his blessing, in his way, your ex is roaming around somewhere and from what I've gathered, your'e not exactly fond of him, are you? Then coming to the press, they already have pictures of us, kissing. Twice." As soon as I said this, she looked away, clearly conflicted.

"It wasn't real."She glared at me.

"They don't know that, and I don't think you can tell them, can you? I smirked at her, feeling closer than ever to reaching my goal.

She took a few moments to respond.. A few heart wrenching moments where I held my breath as I waited for her answer.

"Fine. I'll pretend to be with you, but only when we see either of our exes, that's it. Nothing less and nothing more." She stated with confidence, although not exactly happy with the idea.

Beggars can't be choosers.

"Alright."

"But, I will not, at any cost, lie to any one. That is not something I do." She told me and I just nodded my head, deep in thought.

She must have lied.

"Surely you've lied sometime in your life?"

"Never. Honesty is something I value very much. And I expect it from everyone who knows me."

"Alright." I told her and got up from my seat and so did she. I looked at her for a few seconds before I walked closer to her. Very close. "Then how do you feel now that I'm close to you?"

I felt her breath hitch. Perfect.

"Confused." She answered and I thought about it... Why was she confused?

"Hmm." I said and went even closer, taking my hands out my pockets and placing one on her face and stroking her silky soft skin lightly, and the other behind her waist, pulling her closer to me. "And now?"

"The same." She whispered. "Except a bit flustered too." It made me grin, when she looked at my eyes so carefully, as if she was soaking it all in.

"You have pretty eyes." she whispered making me smile.

No one said that to me before.

"You do too." And I leaned in, lips just inches apart and breathed out. "What about now?"

My heart was beating a lot faster than usual and I just felt so drawn to her. There was something about her that people want to lean in.

"The same, mostly."She said, breathless already, while my eyes dropped to her lips, and I pulled her against me and she ha to rest her hands on my chest.

"What are you doing?" She whispered.

What are you doing to me?

"What I've wanted to do since the day you threw that coffee on me and then had the audacity to curse me in the office." I chuckled, thinking at how she swore at me in front of everyone and it didn't make me angry, only amused. She smiled at these words, and I couldn't take it anymore. I crashed my lips onto hers, pulling her as close to me as I could.

I made her arch her back and took this opportunity to enter my tongue into her mouth and kiss her properly, wanting to taste her so badly, and she held onto my jacket for support.

I've never felt like this before, and she drives me crazy.

I kissed her passionately, like no one I've kissed before. And it made me want more, so I pulled away before I would do something I'd regret later, only returning to her lips a moment after and giving her a smaller kiss. I let go and she suddenly distanced herself from me, when I trying to regain my composure.

I want her now.

I looked at her shocked and bewildered expression before I spurted out something very dumb. "Are you okay?" just when someone knocked on the door.

"Ms. Edward, they are calling for you downstairs." And she took a glance at me before rushing out of the room so I followed her down.

"Have you talked?" Her father asked us as we reached them and she nodded her head.

"Mr. Edward, I'll be going now, thank you for inviting me to dinner." I shook hands with her father and everyone else, while her brothers glared at me so I returned the favor.

It was rude to leave them hanging.

And I left her house, thankful when the cool hair hit my face, bringing me to my senses as I climbed into the backseat and we drove off towards the penthouse.

I just kissed her, and it was fuck*** addictive.

.......................................................................................................

Isabelle might just be Adam's addiction, but does he know that?

Keep reading to find out!

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