Prelude To You: Belmont Manor Billionaires - Duet Book 1 by Jacqueline Darling

Author:Jacqueline Darling [Darling, Jacqueline]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Saga Media Group
Published: 2024-01-12T00:00:00+00:00

21

ROMAN

“When I look at you, this is what I see.”

I betrayed my carefully guarded feelings when the words spilled from me in such a perfect moment of truth. And that was the moment everything changed. The tears welling in Isabel’s eyes, washing away her defiance and resolve.

The cameo was Isabel incarnated, carved out of shell, and my admission to her left me as surprised as it left her defenseless. It didn’t have so much to do with ravishing her anymore, as it did spending more time with her.

All these feelings suddenly barreling out of the woodwork left me more than mystified. Whether it was worth dissecting later remained to be seen. For now, all I wanted was for her to stay.

I watched her stroll to the end of the hallway, relishing the way she moved. As if the air parted to make way for her. With her being next to me the entire time, I rarely got the whole view, and what an exquisite view it was.

When she stopped at the end of the hallway, considering her options, dread took hold of my insides. She glanced right and then left. And to her right again; her chance to flee.

She pivoted on her heels and stared back at me, a thousand unspoken words drifting between us. I realized that if I stayed in the hallway, and watched her make her ultimate choice, it might all be over in the next breath. If I went back inside the auction room, I could give myself a little more time to anticipate finding her in the suite.

Then it came to me. Disappearing from her sight so suddenly might induce a need in her to see me again. Desperation made a fool out of me. But if that meant she’d be waiting upstairs…

There were fewer people in the auction room. I was the only one waiting for my purchases to be packed and bagged. Everyone else would have theirs securely delivered.

A familiar voice startled me, hissing through gritted teeth. “What are you doing, Roman?”

Steven stood behind me, as ruthless as he was intimidating. I pitied anyone who ever tried to do me harm. But for the first time in fourteen years, it irritated me that he was just always there, always somewhere in my vicinity. Even if I knew he was just doing his job.

How many times had Steven been a saving grace in a sticky situation? Running interference when a guest overstayed her welcome, a business acquaintance got ahead of himself, or my inevitable boredom with a situation begged for an escape.

It was all very simple; Steven took care of everything. He came to the rescue without being asked, so I never had to look like the bad guy. That was Steven’s job. But tonight his presence felt like a curse.

I turned to him. His was the face of a man who wasn’t going stand idly by while I played with matches in a puddle of fuel.

“I’m waiting for my purchases, Steven. What do

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