by Zoe Chant
“I’ve always felt a little... different, I guess,” Isaak said, his voice low. “I don’t know how to explain it. It’s why I came out to this island. To... to try to figure out what was wrong with me.”
“Oh,” Josie blurted. “I thought it was just some eccentric billionaire thing.”
She pressed her lips together in regret as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Why did she always seem to say the wrong thing?
But to her relief, Isaak let out a low, deep laugh that sent a shiver of pleasure along her spine.
“Maybe so,” he said softly after a moment. “Maybe all of this is just self-indulgence. But... to tell the truth, I had hoped I’d find peace here. Somehow.”
“And did you?” Josie asked, raising her hand to brush her thumb over the perfect arch of his cheekbone.
There was a long pause before he answered. “No. Not until you arrived here.”
Josie sucked in a quick, surprised breath. What is he saying?
“Me?” she squeaked, suddenly feeling unsure. “But – well – I mean, I’m no one special. I mean... I’m not unspecial, but –”
Again, Isaak laughed, soft and low, and again, Josie felt pleasure rippling through her.
“Believe me, Josie, from what I’ve seen... you’re extremely special.”
Josie stared up at him, scarcely daring to believe she’d heard him right. Was she sure she wasn’t dreaming? Things like this just didn’t happen to her. Handsome billionaires didn’t just drop out of the sky and rescue her from peril and then take her back to their mansions, heal her wounds and then make love to her in ways she hadn’t even known were possible.
If this is a dream, I don’t think I want to wake up, she thought to herself as she leaned up, capturing his lips in a kiss.
The heat between them was searing and undeniable. Vaguely, Josie wondered if it was just her, or if Isaak could feel it too.
“Josie...” he murmured, breaking away from her. “Josie, before anything else happens, I feel I need to tell you something important about me.”
Oh.
Josie licked her lips, feeling coldness creep into her heart.
Here we go. Time to wake up.
Easing herself up into a sitting position, Josie tried not to let her sudden misgivings show too plainly on her face.
Maybe he’s just going to tell me he has a weird birthmark, or that he’s lost his fortune because he’s secretly addicted to online poker.
“I’m not really sure how to explain this,” Isaak said, dropping his eyes. “But I know that I must. It wouldn’t be fair on you not to know about this.”
“Wouldn’t be fair?” Josie asked, swallowing. What does he mean?
Isaak took a deep breath. “When I said that I hadn’t known peace until you came here, I was being serious. I mean that... I came here because... because I don’t know whether I can trust myself to live a normal life amongst other people.”
Josie frowned, not understanding. “What do you mean when you say you can’t trust yourself?”
He closed his eyes, clenching his fists, as if it took a huge amount of effort for him to speak. “I mean that... ever since I was a child, I’ve had a... a darkness inside me. Something terrible, something I don’t know how to explain. I can only say that it terrifies me. I’d never, ever want to harm someone. But when the monster is there, every day...”
Josie stared at him, hearing her heart pounding in her ears.
Okay, so it’s not online poker at least.
But what was she supposed to think of this?
She could see from the anguished expression on Isaak’s face that he meant what he said. He truly did believe, somehow, that he was a monster – or that there was a monster inside him.
But... but he saved me.
The thought was in Josie’s head in an instant.
Isaak had appeared out of nowhere and very likely saved her life. He had been nothing but tender and caring the whole time she had been with him.
And then, the way he had made her feel...
Josie shook her head, trying to focus.
“Isaak...” she said, unsure of what she could possibly say. Collecting herself, she tried again. “I don’t know about any of that. But what I do know is that you probably saved my life today – no, you definitely saved my life. Even if I’d survived the fall, I don’t think I could have walked far afterwards, and I only had enough food and water on me for a half-day hike. But you... you found me somehow, and you pulled me to safety. You took care of me afterwards. You’ve been nothing but a perfect gentleman this whole time.”
Isaak glanced up as if surprised, his gaze seeming to pierce her eyes – as if he was trying to see if she was telling the truth.
She swallowed a little and held his gaze. She felt a little silly saying these things – and, if she was being honest with herself, she knew they’d known each other only a few hours. But somehow, she felt a greater connection with Isaak than with anyone else she’d ever met.
“Do you know how many letters begging for funding or research opportunities I write?” she asked, reaching out to take his hand. “Or how many people I have to deal with, trying to convince them that my work isn’t just some silly bird watching hobby? Most of the time I don’t even get an answer. But you...you let me come here, even though I know this is your private sanctuary. And then you quoted my letter, word for word! As if... as if it had actually meant something...”
“It did mean something,” Isaak said, covering her hand with his own. “I could feel your passion for your work in your letter. When I read it, I felt as if... as if I knew you, somehow. And then, yesterday, when I saw you...”
Isaak shook his head, as if he was trying to clear it.
“It was like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I don’t even really know if I can explain it.”
“I know what you mean.” The words were out of Josie’s mouth before she even had time to think about them. But the truth was, she did know what he meant. Her skin had tingled every time Isaak had touched her. His voice sent excited ripples of pleasure through her belly. Even his hands on the scrape on her leg had seemed to make her feel good – almost as if his touch had drawn the pain from her body.
“The point is... I don’t think you’re a monster,” Josie said, squeezing his hand. “I believe you when you say you... you feel that way. But I also think maybe you’re better than you think you are. You came here because you didn’t want to hurt anyone. Is that the kind of thing a monster would do?”
Isaak kept his eyes averted from hers. “I don’t know,” he eventually said. “I feel like I’ve been living with this for so long...”
He turned to face her once more, his green eyes blazing intensely. He seemed to open his mouth to speak again but before he could say anything, his eyes dropped to her chest.
Josie glanced down, a little embarrassed. Her breasts were still covered by her bra, her shirt clinging to her shoulders – in the heat of their passion she hadn’t had time to take either of them off completely.
But Isaak wasn’t staring at her breasts.
Looking down, Josie realized that her grandmother’s ring, hanging around her neck, was what had caught his attention.
He was staring at it as if mesmerized, before he slowly reached out one hand, as if to touch it.
Instinctively, Josie raised her hand to it, letting her fingers slide over its cool surface.
The movement seemed to jerk Isaak out of whatever reverie he had drifted into.
“Where...” he started to ask, before swallowing heavily. “Where did you get that ring?”
Chapter Six
Isaak
Josie blinked, her hand curled loosely around the ring she was wearing around her neck.
“The ring?” she asked, sounding surprised. “I... well, it was my grandmother’s ring. She gave it to me right before she died. I’m honestly not sure where she got it from, though – I always just thought it must have been a gift from my grandfa
ther.”
Isaak caught his breath as the light struck the large blue stone set in the middle of the ring.
He wasn’t even sure why he had felt compelled to ask the question. He hadn’t noticed the ring around her neck before, he’d been so caught up in his irresistible desire for Josie. But as soon as he had seen it, it had drawn his gaze like a magnet.
It held some kind of inexplicable allure for him – not unlike the allure of Josie herself. Something about it made him want to touch it, to feel it against his skin.
Our hoard!
Isaak gasped as the beast within him suddenly reared its head. It had been quiet ever since he had pulled Josie from the cliff. It hadn’t been completely gone – it was never completely gone – but it had seemed to recede, drawing back and allowing him some peace. Something about Josie’s presence had soothed it.
But now, it was back.
And it was very interested in Josie’s ring.
What do you want? Isaak asked it in desperation. Had he really been so foolish as to think he was free of the beast’s demands?
It is our hoard... it’s ours... it was taken from us...
Isaak felt bewildered. What was the monster talking about? What did it want?
The sound of Josie’s slightly confused laughter broke into his reverie.
“Wow, you’re like... the second rich guy who’s taken an interest in this ring,” she laughed, running the tips of her fingers over its surface. “Is there something I don’t know about it?”
Isaak shook his head, trying to clear it. But the beast was insistent: at the mention of another man who had been interested in the ring, it raised its head, narrowing its eyes.
Who is after our hoard? Who tries to take it from us??
“Someone else asked about your ring?” Isaak asked, before he could think about what he was saying.
Josie nodded. “Yeah – some guy on the plane on the way over. He was... really insistent about buying it, but I told him no. It’s a family heirloom, I’d never give it away or sell it.”
Something about what Josie said seemed to calm the beast down. It seemed to sink back into itself once more, its momentary rage now sated.
Isaak almost sighed in relief.
“It is a beautiful ring,” he said. It was true – he’d seen a lot of beautiful jewelry in his time, on the fingers and around the necks of the women who hung off the wealthy men he did business with. The people he had had to mix with as part of rebuilding his father’s business had loved flaunting their wealth. He’d seen more than his fair share of diamonds in his time.
But there was something... different about this ring. The sapphire was deeply, flawlessly blue, while the diamonds that surrounded it sparkled brightly, expertly cut to show off their perfection. To be honest, Isaak was a little surprised Josie wore such a gorgeous piece when she was out in the field – it had to be worth millions. Isaak wondered who her grandparents could have been that they were able to afford such a priceless gem.
“If someone was offering to buy it from you, he was probably trying to swindle you,” Isaak continued. “I know you said it wasn’t for sale in any case, but the only way you could ever truly find out what it’s worth would be to go to an auction house like Christie’s, somewhere that knows how to manage the sale properly.”
“I – what?”
Isaak looked up to find Josie staring at him, confused.
“I... well, I mean, it’s a pretty ring, but last time I checked, Christie’s wasn’t interested in cubic zirconias,” she said.
Now it was Isaak’s turn to be confused.
“Cubic zirconia?” He shook his head, leaning in. Could it be that Josie hadn’t realized how valuable her ring was? “Josie – those aren’t cubic zirconias. Those are diamonds – and the stone in the middle is a sapphire. One of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.”
Josie only stared at him, mouth hanging open.
“No – that – that can’t be right,” she eventually stuttered. “My grandparents... well, they weren’t rich people. There’s no way they ever could have bought a ring like that.”
Isaak frowned, unsure. “I might be wrong, but I don’t think so. You said it belonged to your grandmother?”
“Well, yes,” Josie replied, still sounding stunned. “But the only value it has is sentimental. I keep it with me as a good luck charm, and to remind me of her. Not because it’s worth money.”
“Could I take a closer look at it?” asked Isaak – and immediately realized how much trust he was asking Josie to put in him. Despite the connection he felt with her, he realized they barely knew each other. She’d be well within her rights to tell him she wasn’t about to just hand him an item of such immense value, sentimental or otherwise.
But to his surprise, she immediately lifted the string the ring was hanging from over her head, moving aside her lush abundance of auburn hair as she did so.
“Here,” she said, passing the ring to him. “But there is no way this is real.”
Isaak reached out to take the ring from her. The moment his fingers brushed against it, he felt a sudden surge of... of...
He wasn’t even sure how to describe it.
It was like a surge of electricity that seared its way straight to his soul.
Like power that filled him up and made him feel more alive than he realized he could.
Like somehow the ring was energizing him, restoring him, making him better than he was before.
And inside him, his monster’s green eyes snapped open, and it let out a mighty bellow.
It’s ours! Hers and mine!
Gasping, Isaak snatched his hand away, staring at the ring. What had just happened?
Josie was giving him a puzzled look, and Isaak swallowed. He didn’t understand what had just happened, but he knew he wanted to experience it again.
The power that had surged through him as he had touched the ring...
He couldn’t explain it, but it had been incredible.
Almost as incredible as the feeling of touching Josie.
Steeling himself, Isaak reached out again, taking the ring from her hand this time.
Once again, there was the strange, electric feeling of power roiling through his veins. Isaak stared down at it, turning it over in his fingers.
He didn’t understand what was happening to him at all – not the agitation that Josie’s appearance had caused him yesterday, nor the peace that being close to her had brought him today. He didn’t understand why he had become so fixated on her ring, or why it had attracted the attention of the beast inside of him.
And he definitely didn’t understand the raw power that filled him now, almost as if two mighty wings were unfurling inside him, making him feel...
Alive.
Isaak’s breath caught in his throat. He shook his head slightly, trying to focus. Despite his many years of practice at controlling the beast inside him, this... this was different. Usually the beast was restless, angry. But now...
Now it felt almost happy.
No – not happy.
Peaceful.
Lifting the ring to the light, Isaak tried to concentrate on it. The tips of his fingers still tingled as they touched it, but after the first wild rush of electricity, he found he could control himself.
“There’s no air bubbles that I can see,” Isaak murmured as he studied the ring. “Though it may be I can’t see them from this angle. But...”
He moved the sapphire a little in the light that streamed through the doorway. It reflected only deep, perfect blue. If it had been a fake, it would have reflected many other colors, like a rainbow. And despite the fact that Josie had apparently been taking it with her when she hiked through the wilderness, the stone showed no signs of scratches or other damage.
“You can’t be sure unless you take it to a gemologist,” Isaak said, lowering the ring and gazing down at it where it sat in his palm. “But to my – admittedly, untrained – eye, this is more likely to be real than other
wise. You have a very precious item.”
Despite the warmth of the ring in his palm, Isaak found he had no trouble in allowing Josie to reach out and take it from him. She stared at it in wonder, holding it between her thumb and forefinger.
“I... I don’t believe it,” she whispered, sounding awed. “I always thought that... I mean, my grandma never said... where would they even find...”
“She never said where they got it? Or gave you any paperwork, like a certification or anything like that?”
Josie shook her head, still staring at the ring, her eyes like saucers. “No! Like I said, my family aren’t rich people – I’m still paying off my student loans! I lived off rice and beans in graduate school. A ring worth... well, I mean, how much is it worth? The guy on the plane offered me ten grand.”
“Ten... thousand dollars?” Isaak couldn’t keep the shock from his voice. “Josie, that man was definitely trying to cheat you. The sapphire alone is worth at least a hundred times that.”
Josie blinked, her mouth dropping open. “A million dollars??”
“It’s a huge, flawless sapphire – a million barely covers it, and ten thousand dollars is a plain insult.” Anger began to boil in Isaak’s chest. What kind of man tries to cheat a woman like that? What kind of evil person would steal something so precious?
Beneath that, he was aware of a different kind of anger. Something that had nothing to do with the paltry sum offered for such a precious gem, and everything to do with the fact that anyone had tried to separate Josie from her treasure at all.
How dare he? How dare he try to take our hoard?
Swallowing down the voice inside him, Isaak took a deep breath.
“You were right not to sell it. Even if it wasn’t worth so much money, it’s clearly precious to you.”
Josie didn’t answer him for a long time. She was simply gazing down at the ring.
“I... I never knew,” she finally said, her voice soft. “I don’t even know how they could have... or where...” She shook her head and squared her shoulders, looking him in the eye. “Okay, well, I’m definitely taking this to a jeweler when I get home. And then I’ll have some pretty interesting questions for my mother.”