She nodded her head and got out of the car. Isaac didn’t pull away from the curb. She walked into her building, gave him a wave. When the door shut safely, he pulled away and was gone.
Brad sat waiting for her when she let herself into the apartment.
“You should have gone to bed,” she said.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay. It’s not like you to leave for any length of time.”
“I’m sorry. I enjoyed myself and might go out again.” She ran her fingers through her hair recalling the feel of Isaac’s touch. “How was your day?”
“Fine.”
“Did you see Ben?”
“He doesn’t want to talk to me. I’m going to hit the hay. I’m glad you had a good time.” Brad got up from his seat. He walked to her, kissed her head and left to his room.
Nothing. She had no reaction to him. Brad’s touch was nothing like Isaac’s. Touching her scar, she thought of him. He hadn’t pulled away from her, repulsed by her scar.
Smiling to herself, she got a glass of water from the kitchen. One week until she saw him again. Could she last that long?
Grabbing the piece of paper from her pocket, she saved the number into her phone. No matter what time it was she would be able to get in touch with him.
She went to bed and dreamt pleasant dreams.
****
Isaac lay in his bed staring at the ceiling. The paintwork was flawless, not a single bit of imperfection within the paint. So many people demanded perfection. Anything less than the best was considered second place. Is that how Elle had lived her life since she’d gotten the scar?
When he’d seen her scar he’d felt an overwhelming need to protect her. Brad had not told him the full extent of her pain. Isaac saw it on her face as she looked at him. At every turn she expected him to leave. His c**k thickened with the thought of her body under his. One meeting was all it had taken for him to want her. She had no idea who he was. He could be the man he wanted to be without the social media destroying their time together.
Her body made him ache. Lying next to her without touching her had been a miracle. She held everything he was looking for. He wished he’d seen her hair before she dyed it the dark red colour. Closing his eyes, he saw the image of her standing before him. He remembered her br**sts in the white, lacy bra. Through the white lace he’d been able to see the dark areola of her ni**les. The temptation to take her bra off had forced his attention back to her eyes. The sparkle in her eye had grown with the time she spent with him.
Isaac couldn’t believe he was hard and aching for a woman twenty years his junior, a woman with more complications than he usually liked. His women had to come to him for sex. Nothing else. Conversation wasn’t high on his list. Fucking was the only thing he wanted to do. Hard and rough. Elle needed tenderness and time.
Wrapping his hand around his shaft, he thought about her on her back. The next time he saw her he would get her naked, her legs splayed open so he could see her cunt. He masturbated harder as he saw her spread out on the bed, looking at him with wonder in her eyes. She would trust him. Her reactions would not be rehearsed. Elle would be natural, and he would be her first. The thought of another man touching her sent a bolt of jealousy and rage through him. He would not allow another man to touch her. Elle was his. He didn’t want the world he lived in to spoil her precious quality. Two minutes in his world would destroy everything about her.
Imagining taking her, Isaac wanked his cock. She would be tight, hot, and welcoming. He imagined taking her long and slow, then hard and fast.
Fucking his fist, Isaac came with a loud growl, his sperm shooting up his stomach. Using the blanket to wipe himself, he waited for himself to calm down.
In the morning he knew Brad wanted an update on what happened. Closing his eyes, he allowed sleep to claim him. His dreams were filled with a red headed, scarred beauty.
Chapter Eight
Brad phoned Isaac from a café. He’d decided to go out for breakfast before he went straight on to work.
His brother answered on the first ring.
“Hello.”
“What happened?” he asked. Small talk wasn’t going to get him the answers he wanted. Noelle had walked through the door looking happy. At the time he wanted to question her but thought better of it. She would suspect him of something if he bombarded her with questions.
“Good morning to you, too, Brad,” Isaac said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Cut the shit. Tell me what happened.”
He heard the other man sigh down the line.
“We met and talked. She’s a lovely woman, Brad. Are you sure you don’t have feelings for her?”
Never had his feelings gone beyond the bounds of friendship. He wasn’t attracted to women at all. Just then, Ben walked into the café while Isaac was talking. Ben glanced to where Brad sat. Brad’s heart pounded. He had had no idea Ben visited the café. Otherwise he would have started coming more often.
“Are you listening to me?” Isaac asked.
“Sorry. I was distracted.”
“You phoned me, cursed down the line, and then ignored me. Do you really care for your friend or not?”
“I care for her, dammit, but I have my own life to lead as well.” Brad knew he sounded selfish. Noelle had sacrificed so much to help him. The least he could do was try to care about her the same.
“I asked if you had feelings for her?”
“No. I care about her, but I’m not in love with her. We’re best friends. That’s it. I wasn’t lying to you when I said I was g*y.”
“Good.”
“You let her down gently?” Brad asked. Ben was served his coffee and turned to make his way to where Brad was sitting.
“Yes, I did.”
“Good. I’ll talk to you soon.” Brad closed his mobile phone as Ben approached his table.
“You’re not going to give up?” Ben asked.
“No. I’m just having a coffee before I go to work. I’m not here to stalk you or anything. I didn’t know you came here.”
Ben stared at him for several seconds. Nothing mattered but the two of them. They were the only ones who existed. “How about we have some breakfast together?”
“Love some.”
Ben called out an order to the woman on the counter, smiling at him the whole time. It was a small, reserved smile, but it was a start. Brad released the breath he’d been holding the moment Ben took the seat opposite him.
He forgot about the blunt response from Isaac or how quickly he answered his question. Ben had spoken to him and was sitting with him.