Setting the mood, Mitch filled his place with candles and flowers while he waited for her to arrive. Nerves shot through him when the doorbell rang. His breath caught when he opened the door. Her beauty never ceased to render him speechless.
This evening she wore a dress in a deep shade of green. Short and strapless, it clung to her figure and Mitch could barely contain his desire.
The moment she stepped through the door, he pulled her tight against him and devoured her lips. His hands roamed her body before hitching up her dress and pulling aside her satin thong. Easing her backwards to lean against the wall, he continued to kiss her hungrily.
His fingers caressed her as she moaned and panted into his mouth, his body pressed hard to hers, as his fingers teased her to a breathtaking climax. When she threw her head back in pleasure, he trailed kisses along her neck. Her knees gave out, but he steadied her and brought her into his arms. Once her breathing slowed, she gazed at him with satisfied eyes.
“Well, hello to you too,” she said, a slow smile spreading across her face.
“Sorry for attacking you, but you look so sexy tonight.”
“I’m not complaining.” Her eyes twinkled.
Mitch gave her an adoring smile. “Do you think you can stand now?”
“I think so.” She grinned.
“Good, because dinner is almost ready.”
“What about you?” she asked as he released her.
“What about me?”
“Isn’t it your turn to be ravished?”
“After dinner. Seeing your face is all I need right now.”
“Really?” She didn’t look or sound convinced.
“Why so surprised?”
Her response was a raised eyebrow.
“I want to please you tonight. I have something I want to ask you and I thought you might be more receptive now.” He gave her a charming grin, hoping to ease her into what was to come.
“Hmm, oh… kay…”
“Come on.” He took her hand and led her to the dining room. Her gaze floated around taking in the candles and flowers. Mitch was pleased he made the effort.
“Mitch, this is amazing,” she whispered.
“I wanted tonight to be special.”
“I can see that. You’ve gone to a lot of trouble.”
“Nothing is too much for you.” His cheeks flushed. He was totally out of his element here. Being romantic and committed was something he wasn’t used to.
“I’m loving the romantic side of you, Mitchell. A girl could get used to this.”
He led her over to the set table and sat her down before serving dinner. They ate in silence and he knew by her curious glances that she was anxious to find out what he wanted to ask. After dessert she gave him an impatient stare before speaking.
“Mitch, please don’t keep me in suspense.”
“Let’s go and sit.”
Again, he led her by the hand to the big comfortable couch in the sitting room. Once she sat beside him, he took her hands in his.
“Izzy, I love you.” Surprise filled her face and her eyes searched his before a delighted smile lifted her lips.
“I love you too, Mitch.”
It was now or never, but Mitch was petrified. Was it too soon?
“How… would you feel about staying here with me?”
“I already do.” Her brow crinkled in confusion.
“I mean permanently.”
This she hadn’t been expecting. Yes, she screamed in her mind, until she thought of Jesse. Even though Mitch was wonderful with her son, this was far too soon for him. What if they couldn’t live together and it didn’t work out? It would shatter Jesse.
“I’m not sure.”
“You still don’t trust me?’ Hurt hung heavy in his voice and she wanted to ease his mind.
“No, it’s not that. I have to think of Jesse. Our feelings for each other are strong, but they could change. I can’t give Jesse false hope.”
“My feelings aren’t going to change. I’m in love with you.”
“I can’t, Mitch, I’m sorry. Not yet.”
His face fell and her heart ached from the hurt she caused him.
“If it was just me, I would say yes in an instant. Please understand.”
She brushed the hair from his downturned face, and he lifted his eyes to meet hers and she saw she had reassured him. Although he was disappointed, he understood.
“I understand. I’ll wait.”
Mitch’s words swirled in her mind when Isabelle arrived home the following morning. Knowing he loved her as she did him filled her heart with joy. She wanted to say yes to his offer, but this wasn’t merely about her heart and feelings. If Jesse were to gain a father figure and then lose him, he would be crushed. It was too soon.
Thinking back to the previous night, Mitch had been disappointed and although he tried to hide it, she saw through him. His understanding and need to put her feelings before his own only amplified her love for him. Being in love with a wonderful man was most definitely exciting and, given some more time, when she felt totally secure, they could go down that road. Until then she would just enjoy the ride.
Carol and Jesse were having breakfast when she arrived. After catching up on her cuddles with Jesse, she joined them at the table. Although her evening with Mitch had been pleasant, a slight smile touched her lips when she remembered his greeting, Isabelle also missed Jesse when she spent the night away from him.
“There’s another letter for you,” Carol said, her tone difficult to decipher. The words sent Isabelle’s happy mood retreating into a cave.
Glancing towards the letter and then her mother, she thought it best to read it without Jesse present. It had been weeks since the last and she naively hoped he’d gone away. It seemed naive was the right word.
“I’m going to have a shower,” she said, grabbing the letter on the way past. Full of nerves, she opened it.
Dear Isabelle
I see you haven’t heeded my advice. I thought you were smart as well as beautiful, am I wrong?
End it with Mitch.
I won’t warn you again.
A
Isabelle gasped as the letter slid from her fingers and was caught by Carol now beside her.
After reading, she frowned. “Warned again? You received one like this already?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?’
“I thought he would go away, and I didn’t want to worry you.”
“You aren’t that naive, Isabelle.” Her disapproving tone made her feel five again.
“I didn’t know what else to do. I know I shouldn’t have ignored it.”
“You need to go to the police or at least tell Mitch.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Carol shook her head and mumbled something as she left Isabelle with her thoughts. Saying no to moving in with Mitch had been the right decision. Adding fuel to this weirdo’s fire wouldn’t be wise. Until the letters stopped, or a solution was found, she couldn’t put Jesse or Mitch in danger. For now, she would wait on moving into his apartment. The next question was; what to do about the letters?
Isabelle didn’t have a clue.
Chapter Sixteen
Anthony
With Mitch tucked away in his darkroom preparing for the gallery opening, Jesse at pre-school and Carol out, Isabelle made the most of the quiet.
Reflecting over- or more like agonizing over- her decision to say no to Mitch, along with who could possibly be sending or dropping the notes in her letterbox, she ran the bath and added her favorite relaxing scent.
She went over possible suspects and couldn’t imagine anyone she knew who would write the letters. The writer certainly seemed to know her. ‘A’ was all he signed; was this the initial of his or her name or did it mean something else? Racking her brain, she couldn’t think of anyone with A as an initial, except Adele and Amber and it couldn’t be them.
Shaking her head in frustration
, she turned off the taps and was about to step in when a timid knock sounded on the front door. It was so faint she wasn’t sure she heard it at all. Retrieving her gown, Isabelle slipped it on and went to answer, wondering who it could be.
After she pulled the door open a crack, she saw a young, handsome chestnut-haired man. His eyes lifted to meet hers and they were green and familiar. He offered a coy smile and his cheeks reddened. They studied each other for several moments before Isabelle broke the silence.
“Can I help you?”
“I hope so. Are you Isabelle Winters?”
“Yes.”
“Hi, um, you don’t know me, but I think we, um, my name is Anthony Erikson.”
The name swam around her mind as she tried to place it. Then a jolt of realization shot through her. How did she not place it straight away? Erikson had been Carol’s married name until she changed both herself and Isabelle back to her maiden name. Erikson was her father’s name.
“Who are you?”
Cautious eyes so like her own searched her face for a minute before he spoke. “I think I might be your brother.”
Lying back in the bath, Isabelle tried to sort through the barrage of emotions. After the initial shock wore off, she invited Anthony in, and they sat on her couch while he told his story.
At twenty, he was the only child of Sandra and Gregory Erikson. Their family had been close and his childhood happy and fulfilling. This had been difficult for Isabelle to hear. That should have been her life, but, despite this, her curiosity built for the young man who was her half-brother.
The previous year Greg had passed away and Sandra revealed that Greg was married before and fathered a child, a girl. At first Anthony was appalled by his father’s lack of interest in his sister’s life and angry that he’d done nothing to support her over the years, regardless of a legal obligation.
Isabelle told Anthony that Carol lost track of Greg and therefore received no monetary support. As it turned out, they’d moved and severed all ties with family. Isabelle remembered how his eyes flashed with resentment when he told her how upset he was at his father for not sharing the news of Isabelle while still alive. Anthony couldn’t believe the same man who was such a loving and kind father could be responsible for abandoning his first family.
Though Anthony had let go of the hurt, he still felt betrayed. The secret had gone with Greg to the grave and he had to hear it from his mother. When he discovered Isabelle’s name and tracked her down, it took weeks of doubt before he had the courage to knock at her door.
Isabelle sighed and sank further into the fragrant bubbles. All this time she had a little brother and she still wasn’t sure how she felt about it. They agreed to take it one step at a time and discussed meeting for lunch the following week to learn more about each other and find a connection. The larger family she longed for appeared to have arrived in the form of a younger brother. She’d studied the contours of his face, his green eyes and saw herself in his features. There could be no doubting they came from the same father. His chestnut waves the only difference, inherited from his mother.
When a new thought leapt into her mind, Isabelle sat up abruptly. The letters she’d received were signed ‘A’. Was it a coincidence that a half-brother appeared around the same time as the letters?
She shook her head. She was being paranoid. Why would he write the letters and then appear on her doorstep? Unless the arrival was a guise, a way to deter suspicion? What if he harbored resentment for her? The anger he felt towards their father could be projected to her. The knowledge of her shattering his illusion of a caring father, exposing a secret kept from Anthony his whole life, didn't sit well with her. Could it be a coincidence or a clever ruse?
Her head spun from the swirling thoughts, and she lay beneath the water and tried to shift the uneasiness settling within. She couldn’t talk to Mitch about her confusion, because he didn’t know about the letters, and she intended to keep it that way.
Carol was the answer and would hopefully help to sort through her myriad of emotions.
Carol’s return also brought with it another letter. Isabelle’s suspicions surfaced again, first Anthony and then a letter in the same day. Another coincidence?
Dear Isabelle
If only you could acknowledge me in your life. See the error in your decisions, the terrible choice you make by continuing to see a man who is no good for you. You should consider Jesse’s future as well as your own.
Think very carefully for your lives depend on it.
A
A chill ran up Isabelle’s spine as she read it aloud to Carol. Was this a thinly veiled threat? Would someone do something unthinkable to Jesse? She considered for a moment she should do as suggested and call it off with Mitch, but this thought intensified her fear. Living without him as well as dealing with this was too much to consider.
“You should go to the police, Isabelle,” Carol said.
“What do you think they can do?”
“I don’t know, but wouldn’t it be better to have them investigate than wonder how serious this person is?”
“The letter isn’t the only surprise I got today.”
Carol raised her eyebrows in her ‘well, get on with it’ kind of way.
Isabelle told Anthony’s story and when she finished, Carol’s response was a furrowed brow. She allowed Carol time to take it in before speaking again. Her pale face indicated the effect of the unexpected visitor.
“I’m worried that these letters and his turning up here are connected,” Isabelle said.
Carol snapped out of her reverie and stared at Isabelle. “It’s possible it isn’t a coincidence,” she said. “What are you going to do? I think you should tell Mitch about the letters too.”
“No!”
Carol shook her head. “I think you’re making a mistake. You need to take this seriously.”
“Just give me some time to think about what to do. With Anthony, the letters, work, Mitch, worrying about Jesse, everything, I need time to work through it all.” Even as she said the words, Isabelle knew how they sounded. Foolish. Yet the idea of going to the police didn’t sit well with her either. Although the letters hadn’t said as much, going to them could be unwise and aggravate the writer further.
With another frown and her mouth set, Carol looked as though she wanted to speak, but thought better of it and instead got up and disappeared into the kitchen. Isabelle slumped on the couch, her mind dizzy with confusion and her chest tight with worry, but also something else, something new.
She had a brother. This, regardless of her suspicions, filled her with excitement. She glanced at the number written on the notepad on the table and smiled. What would it hurt to call and get to know him better? Perhaps her suspicion was unfounded, and it was purely coincidence. Isabelle hoped so. It would be nice to have a little brother.
Lying entwined together later that night, Isabelle told Mitch about Anthony, leaving out the conversation with Carol and her suspicions.
The idea of telling Mitch about the letters still made her uneasy. She thought about what Carol said but couldn’t bring herself to mention them. Not only that, she’d received several letters now and Mitch would be concerned and hurt she’d left it so long to tell him. Added to all this was the upcoming wedding and gallery opening; she didn’t want to put a dampener on the exciting times ahead. Thus, she remained tight lipped while guilt nibbled at her conscience.
“Wow, what a surprise, Izzy,” he said when she finished.
“I know; it’s all quite surreal.”
“Are you going to ring him?”
“I think so.”
She silenced further conversation with a kiss, as she didn’t want to talk about it anymore. It made her uneasy and the guilt over her secret-keeping threatened to suffocate her.
She soon became lost in his mouth, warm in his embrace, and thoughts of letters and brothers were forgotten.
Chapter Seventeen
Wedding Day
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br /> The sun rose bright and warm on the morning of Mitch’s little brother’s wedding.
Mitch woke with Isabelle in his arms and knew he couldn’t be happier. All he needed now was for them to be living with him permanently. The time would come when she would be ready, he told himself. After speaking with her about the move, Mitch had placed his apartment on the market and began searching for a house. The perfect place presented itself the day before the wedding. He now awaited confirmation regarding his offer being accepted. All going to plan, he would be able to move in the week after the exhibit. He knew about her reservations but resolved to prove she had nothing to worry about.
He was rushing things again- he knew this- but he loved her and wanted them all to be together, to give her the security she longed for. Why have her family living in that cramped apartment longer? The house had four bedrooms, so there was plenty of room for them all. It was located near the coast, overlooking the ocean. A large house, it wasn’t ostentatious, and he hoped Isabelle would love it as much as he did.
Contemplating the idea of their life together and how to approach Isabelle with the subject again, he felt her stir before turning her gaze to him.
“Good morning. You look deep in thought there.”
“Just thinking about Jared. I can’t believe he’s getting married today and before me too.”
“Well, he is a lot more serious than you are,” she said, poking him in the ribs.
His automatic laughing reaction died as fast as it started. He wanted her to know how serious he could be.
“Not anymore. I’m beginning to see the benefits of taking life more seriously.”
“Not too seriously, I hope. I love you the way you are.”
“Glad to hear it.” He grinned as he wound his fingers through her hair. “Are you ready to meet my parents today?”
“Oh, I didn’t even think about that. Now I’m a little nervous.”
The Player (Broken Wishes Series Book 3) Page 10