Castle Investigations Box Set

by Dee Bridgnorth

  "Well, no," Isabel started.

  "Then I'm sorry. I can't give you any information. You can have a seat, though, and if she's able to talk to you, I can ask her if she would be ok if you came back."

  "We'll be right there," Isabel said, pointing to where Sully had already taken a seat. Isabel took Ethan's hand, and they joined Sully. Ethan didn't miss the look Sully gave him when he saw that they were holding hands.

  Get used to it, Sully, ’cause I don't plan on going anywhere.

  They’d been waiting without speaking for at least half an hour when the double doors opened, and Zach walked out.

  Isabel stood and rushed over. "Is she ok?"

  "She's ok. Dehydrated. Broken arm. Bruised ribs. Lots of contusions and a concussion. She's lucky to be alive."

  "How did you get all that information?"

  "I lied. Told them I was her fiancé." Zach shot her a grin, and if Ethan hadn't been so secure in his manhood and in what he and Isabel shared, he might have been worried. Zach had a way with the ladies. It must be his surfer-boy good looks.

  "They're going to keep her overnight, but she should be released in the morning. I'll stay with her. Make sure no one gets to her here." Ethan wondered at Zach's willingness to volunteer to keep this woman safe even though he'd just met her. If you could even call riding in an ambulance with someone, meeting them.

  "Is she conscious?" Isabel asked.

  "In and out. She hasn't been able to talk to them yet. She just keeps looking for me every few minutes. It's weird." Zach shook his head, puzzling out the mystery of why Quita wanted him near. Maybe it was just that she knew instinctually that he'd keep her safe.

  "You're a good guy, Zach," Isabel said, going up on her tiptoes to hug him.

  "I'll let you know if there's any change."

  "If they release her tomorrow, bring her to the hotel. I don't want to leave her unprotected with Bruno and Tobias hovering around," Isabel said. She felt responsible for Quita. They owed her their lives.

  "Already planned on it. If she'll let us. All indications point to this woman being a fighter."

  Isabel laughed. "She is. A feisty one. But she saved our lives. It's the least we can do to offer her a safe place to recover."

  Ethan put his arm around Isabel and drew her closer to his side. "Let us know if there's any change," he said to Zach, shaking his hand.

  Zach nodded and shook Sully's hand, then walked back through the double doors to guard Quita. He had a long night ahead of him.

  "Should we get those cuts looked at?" Ethan asked Isabel.

  She glared at him. "Just scratches. Take me back to the hotel. I could sleep for a week. I just want a hot bath and a warm bed."

  Shivers of desire raced over Ethan's skin. He wasn't stupid. He knew that Sully suspected something, and that that was part of the reason he'd put himself in the suite with Ethan and Isabel. However, if he thought that keeping an eye on them would deter Ethan from going to Isabel if she wanted or needed him there, he was mistaken.

  Chapter 19

  The steam from the tub filled the large bathroom. Heaven. Pure heaven. Isabel sank lower into the water, letting the warm liquid soothe her aching muscles and the tiny cuts on her back.

  She was lucky that the cuts were superficial. They stung like a son of a bitch, but Lucas had said that she didn't need stitches, even on the larger ones on her hands. The bruises on her face and torso would also heal. Isabel couldn't wait to climb into bed and sleep.

  Soaking until the water cooled, Isabel stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around herself. Pulling on pajama pants and a camisole, she strode into the living room to pour herself a drink at the bar. With a vodka tonic in hand, she walked out to the balcony and curled up in a chair, taking in the sights and sounds of the bustling city.

  She heard the door open and then close, and suddenly Ethan was moving to sit beside her. He didn't say anything, just sat in companionable silence while she took him in. His hair was damp and hung loose around his face in wavy curls. His strong jaw was clenched, and Isabel knew that he was thinking about the events of the evening. She took in the chiseled perfection of his bare chest and the ridge of muscles on his abdomen. Her mouth watered. Ethan was beautiful.

  Suddenly, she felt as if she had too many clothes on. Her skin was tight and flushed. Desire was a heady emotion. Ethan must have felt her eyes on him because he turned, meeting her gaze. She could feel the warmth spread to her cheeks at being caught staring, but at that moment, she didn't really care. This man was her husband.

  For now.

  She knew nothing about how to make a marriage work—didn't know if she was even capable of making it work—but at this moment, he was hers.

  His eyes darkened as he tried to determine her thoughts. Sitting forward, he reached for her hands. She sat up, their knees touching, their heads close together. Reaching out, he lifted his hand to push back the damp strands of hair away from her face.

  "I don’t know what I would have done—"

  "Shh," she said, catching his hand in hers and turning it over to place a kiss on his palm. "I'm fine."

  Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to his.

  "Your brother—"

  "Is not the boss of me," she said, smiling against his lips.

  Ethan pulled back, staring into her eyes. "Izz, there's something we need to talk about."

  "Not tonight, Ethan." She stood, taking his hand in hers.

  It was late. The living room was empty when they passed through to her room. Zach would be staying with Quita at the hospital, and Sully had already gone to bed. Isabel was grateful for that. If he had been in the common area, she'd have had to remind him that she was a grown woman. But tonight, she didn't want to argue. She didn't want to talk or reason. She just wanted to feel.

  Reaching her room, she closed the door softly behind them. When she turned around, Ethan was watching her, his eyes full of desire and another emotion Isabel couldn't quite place. She took a step forward, and he met her halfway, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her close to him.

  His lips landed on hers with a fierceness that burned her from the inside out. Isabel wanted him—wanted everything and anything he would give her. Her lips opened to allow him entrance, and his tongue swept in—tasting, seeking. She met him stroke for stroke, in an age-old rhythm that mapped out a path to pleasure.

  Ethan's hands burned a path over her collarbone and down her arms, his mouth leaving hers as he softly nibbled at the spot just under her ear. His fingers lightly brushed her ribs down to the hem of her shirt. He slipped them underneath, gently caressing the smooth skin at her waist. His touch journeyed up to the sensitive spot just below her breasts.

  She sucked in a breath, and his lips moved to cover hers again. His movements became more demanding, and she made demands of her own. Sliding her hands around to his back, she lowered them to his very firm backside. Palming both globes in her hands, she squeezed, bringing him closer to her.

  A groan escaped Ethan's lips, and Isabel couldn't help the smile that formed on hers. "Like that, Mr. Brooks?"

  "Two can play at this game, Mrs. Brooks." Isabel gasped at the use of her married name. If this was a real marriage. If she could make it work. If annulment wasn't the end game. If there weren't so many obstacles in their way.

  What were those obstacles again? Right, Sully. Their partnership. Her own insecurities about whether she could even make a marriage work. The rest of the team. Already, the atmosphere had been rife with tension. It crackled under the surface like a live wire just waiting to ignite and burn through them.

  Ethan must have sensed her hesitation, because he stopped. "What's wrong?" he asked, peering into her eyes as if trying to see her soul.

  "Nothing," she said and leaned in for another kiss. He stopped her.

  "Wait, seriously, Izz. What's the matter? Was it what I said? I was just being playful. I didn't mean anything—"

  She placed a finger over his lips to s
top him. "I'm fine. It's nothing. Just a reminder of the mess we're in. But I don't want to talk about that. I don't want to think of anything—not the consequences of our actions or what comes next. I just want this night, Ethan."

  He started to open his mouth, but she pressed her finger more firmly against his lips. "Please."

  With a groan that sounded like it came from a wounded animal, Ethan bit down gently on her finger. He tossed his head to the side, effectively removing her finger from his mouth, then dove in, capturing her lips in a kiss so sweet, it was almost a prayer.

  A promise.

  This kiss held all the hopes and dreams that Isabel refused to let herself believe in. The life she wanted. The future she wanted. With Ethan.

  For tonight, she'd pretend.

  She would pretend that this marriage was real. That she really was Mrs. Brooks. That this was their wedding night. Only Isabel couldn't tell Ethan that she loved him.

  The thought struck her like a bolt of lightning.

  She loved him.

  The realization fueled the passion that was already building between them. Her fingers traced the lines of his muscled chest, trailing over his flat nipples and skirting down the hard ridges of his abs.

  "You're so beautiful," she breathed.

  "That's my line," he whispered in her ear. She giggled as Ethan pulled her with him, backing them up towards the bed. He fell back, and she toppled on top of him. With a quick movement, he flipped her over, bracing himself above her, his elbows on either side of her head.

  His fingers tracked down between her breasts, lightly caressing her until he reached the hem of her shirt. With a gentle tug, he made his request known. Isabel sat up slightly, helping him to remove her cami. She was bare before him from the waist up.

  "Now, that is beautiful," he said reverently.

  Before she could respond, he was on her, his mouth devouring hers, his hands scorching her skin everywhere they touched. She was on fire. And she needed Ethan to put out the flames.

  "Ethan," she gasped. "I need—"

  "I know," he said, nipping at her neck, then soothing the discomfort with his tongue. She couldn't get close enough. Couldn't feel enough of him. She wanted him. All of him.

  "Make love to me," she sighed, tugging him closer, grasping his hair in her hands and forcing him to look at her. At his look of indecision, as if he hadn't known where this was going all along, Isabel tightened her hold on him.

  Had he planned to take them to the brink and then walk away? Not a chance. "Make love to me, Ethan. I want this. Nothing else. No promises, no complications. No talk of what may come. I just want you."

  With a growl of hunger and desire, Ethan loved her. Heart, mind, body, and soul. Isabel gave herself to him, biting back the words of love that hovered at her lips. With her body, Isabel showed him rather than told him of the love she held in her heart. Lying in his arms afterwards, tears spilled from her eyes as she mourned what might have been, and Ethan's soft snores lulled her to sleep.

  She'd deal with the consequences. Tomorrow.

  Chapter 20

  Ethan woke to darkness. Isabel was curled in his arms. He knew that, unlike the first time they'd made love, she'd remember this time. He kept waiting for her to remember that night. She'd been drunk, sure. They both had been. But for her not to remember anything felt off. Almost as if she were repressing the memory.

  But why would she do that?

  Ethan watched Isabel as she slept. Her face was relaxed. Peaceful. She looked so young, even with the bruises that marked her cheeks. Every time he looked at them, he wanted to kill Tobias Winters. Wished he'd pulled the trigger.

  Shaking those dark thoughts from his mind, he thought about waking her up so he could make love to her again. He'd start by trailing kisses over her eyelids, cheeks, and brow. Then he’d move down her neck. Then lower…

  His blood stirred at the thought, but she'd had a hard day yesterday and needed her sleep. It was time for him to go back to his room.

  If Sully found him here…

  Ethan shuddered at the thought. It certainly wouldn't help his plan to bring Sully around to the idea of Ethan and his sister together. He wanted Isabel. For life. For always. And her brother wasn't going to stand in the way of that.

  Sure, they'd have struggles. And maybe he wasn’t good enough for her. But that was up to Isabel to decide. And he'd spend every day of his life trying to make her happy.

  He loved Sully. Like a brother. But he loved Isabel more.

  Ethan had to believe that their love was big enough to overcome the obstacles that lay ahead of them.

  Sliding out of the sheets, he stood, pulling on his jeans. He cracked the door open and found no one in the common area. With a quiet he’d learned during his military training, he crept into the kitchen to find a pad and pencil with which to leave Isabel a note.

  Izz,

  Needed to get out of your room before Sully woke. Last night was amazing.

  Love,

  Ethan

  Love, Ethan was a ballsy way to sign off, but unless he started taking some chances, he was going to end up with an annulled marriage to the woman he loved with everything that was in him. He tore the sheet off the pad when he heard the light sound of footsteps behind him.

  As discreetly as he could, he folded the note and stuck it in his pocket.

  "You're up early," Sully said, suspicion lacing his words.

  "Yeah." Ethan shrugged. "Couldn't sleep." Ethan turned, leaning against the counter as Sully moved to the coffee machine. He put a little pod in and pulled the lever.

  "You want to tell me what's really going on with you and my sister?"

  "We're friends. Partners. End of story."

  Ethan knew he was probably going to go to hell for lying.

  "The tension in the room says different. Every time you're around each other, it's like you're about to either tear each other's clothes off or kill each other. I haven't figured out which one I'd be more comfortable with."

  Ethan paused before answering. He didn't want to lose his best friend, and if he didn't play this right, when it all came out in the end, he would lose him.

  "It's complicated," Ethan started.

  "Ethan, so help me, if you hurt my little sister—"

  Ethan brought a hand up, staying his words.

  "I have no plans to hurt Isabel."

  He started to tell him everything—started to tell him how much he loved her, how he wanted to make her his wife for real. He wanted to tell Sully that he'd thought about what he’d said to him, but that the love he shared with Isabel was bigger than just their circumstances. Sure, what he did was risky, but there were no guarantees in life. You could be walking down the street, minding your own business, and a car could run off the road and hit you. Life wasn't guaranteed. It was what you did with that life that counted. Whom you spent that life with that made a difference.

  But something stopped him from telling Sully all this. Maybe it was not knowing how Isabel felt. Whether or not she'd agree to his plans. Or maybe it was just that he'd become a chicken.

  "I'm going to go grab a shower," Ethan said, pushing away from the counter and crossing the common area to his room.

  Turning on the shower, Ethan slid the note out of his pocket, crumpling it up and throwing it in the wastebasket. He reached into his other pocket to text her when he realized he'd left his cell phone in her room. Damn.

  He'd tell her later what had happened. For now, he'd lose himself in the warm spray of water and his thoughts of last night.

  * * * *

  "Mmmm," Isabel moaned as she stretched her arms over her head. She felt achy, but the good kind of achy—from using muscles that she didn't typically use. Last night had been amazing.

  Isabel reached over to Ethan's side of the bed, her arms coming up empty. She opened her eyes and looked around the room. His jeans were gone, but his phone was still on the nightstand. Weird. But the fact still remained that he was gone. He
must have forgotten that he'd taken his phone out and placed it on the nightstand.

  Isabel had known the risks. She'd known that last night was the culmination of too many weeks spent playing the role of lovers. After realizing her feelings for him, though, she'd hoped. It hadn't felt like a booty call. It had felt as if they'd shared something deep and emotional. Not just a sating of desires, but a melding of hearts.

  Good grief, she was corny.

  The facts were simple. The risk was too great. Too many people could be negatively impacted if something between them blew up. They would just have to find a way to be normal around each other. She had to get it out of her mind that there could be something more. Ethan's absence this morning drove that point home.

  After a quick shower, Isabel took note of her injuries in the mirror. The bruises on her face were a nice shade of purple, and the cuts on her hands and back looked red and angry, though she'd live. She wondered how Quita was doing this morning.

  Isabel ambled into the kitchenette to make some coffee. She placed Ethan's phone on the counter next to hers.

  "Rough night?" Sully asked, hovering in the shadows of the little kitchen. One eyebrow was arched so high that it was practically lost in his hairline.

  "Good gosh, you scared the crap out of me, Sully. Geez," she said, holding her hand to her heart while trying to get her breathing under control.

  "I've been standing here the entire time. Seems like you're a little distracted."

  "I'm not sure what you're getting at. I just woke up and came out here to get coffee. You're the one lurking in the shadows like a weirdo."

  "Want to tell me what's going on?" he asked, moving closer to her.

  "What do you mean?"

  "Why are you and Ethan acting all cagey around each other?"

  Isabel sighed. "It's been a long few days, Sully. It's been intense. Of course we're acting weird."

  "No, this is different. I've seen you after intense situations before, and this is something else."

  "I don't know, then. Why don't you tell me what you think is going on?" Isabel had had enough. Sully kept picking at her, and with Ethan disappearing from her bed this morning, she wasn't sure what to make of any of this. She wanted to tell Sully to mind his damn business, but it seemed like every time she told him that, he would just dig even deeper.