Page 9

ISABELLE

H arper texts me to let me know Meadow is on her way, and to head over to her place so we can start strategizing. I’ve been holed up in my bedroom for the past hour, not wanting to leave and run into Pierre. But I have no choice now.

I walk down to the guest bedroom and knock on the door.

“Harper messaged, we have to go,” I call out.

Nothing.

“Hey, did you hear me?” I call out, knocking on the door.

Nothing.

“Pierre, we have to go. We’re trying to save your fucking career.”

Still nothing.

He might have fallen asleep, he used to sleep like the dead and would always sleep through his million alarms. He did just fly in from Europe so he’s probably exhausted. My hand turns the doorknob, and I step into the spare bedroom and freeze.

Shit.

There, standing in all his naked glory running a towel through his hair, is Pierre.

Holy shit.

I blink a couple of times as I take him in, my eyes running over his large frame, across his tanned skin, the beads of water sliding down his broad chest through the dark hair down his pecs and across his six packed abs until it vanishes beneath the other towel which hangs low exposing the deep V of his hips.

He’s bulked out heaps since I last saw him naked.

What am I thinking?

No.

Don’t react. Please, you traitorous bitch of a body stop tingling. You are not turned on by this man. Pierre looks up, and a wide smile falls across his pouty lips. Lips that not so long ago touched mine in a kiss that I haven’t stopped thinking about. That I should never think about.

“Déjà vu, isn’t it? Just like the first time we met.” He smirks.

Thank goodness it’s Friday. I stomp up to my room after another exhausting day of school and throw my bag onto my bed, I walk into my bathroom to get ready to go meet my friends and scream.

“Who the hell are you?” I ask, staring at the near-naked boy in my bathroom.

My eyes roam over his hard, lean body, my cheeks warming as I take in every hard muscle on display.

My eyes drift further down to the deep V on his hips before they disappear into the towel hanging loosely.

My eyes make their way up the naked body, and still when I see the hottest guy I’ve ever seen in my life, the square jaw, the dark hair, and the clearest blue eyes.

He is gorgeous. Why is he in my bathroom?

“Hey, you must be my new roomie, Isabelle. I’m Pierre.” He smiles, introducing himself with a touch of a French-Canadian accent as he holds out his hand for me, giving me the brightest, whitest smile.

“Roomie?” I stare blankly at him as I ignore his outstretched hand.

“Yeah, I’m in the room next door, your father said it would be cool,” he explains.

“Dad,” I scream out his name as I make haste out of my bathroom and away from the naked guy in it. “Dad, what the hell?” I call out, stomping through the house, making my way downstairs. “Dad,” I call again as I storm into his office. He looks up from his desk and gives me a bright smile.

“You’re home, sweetheart. Look, there’s something I need to talk to you about before you go upstairs,” he says.

“Why there’s a boy in my bathroom.”

He stills. “Oh, so you’ve already met Pierre.”

“He was in my bathroom,” I reiterate.

“It’s his bathroom now, too.” He grins as if finding a strange boy in your home is normal. I’m used to random athletes being in my home, but not my personal space.

“Dad!” I squeal.

“Issy, sweetie, listen. This boy is a rising star in hockey, he is the next big thing in the sport, and he’s signed with the Alessi Agency.

I promised his mother that I would take care of him, educate him, train him, and give him everything he needs to become the biggest star.

That I would treat him like a son. You always said you wanted a brother,” he adds with a grin.

“Not him,” I argue.

“Pierre is a good boy. Promise me you will be nice to him. I told his mother that she wouldn’t have to worry, that my girls would treat him just like his sisters back home would. That we would be family.”

I glare at my father. Has he lost his mind? “Why couldn’t you put him on Vee and Eve’s floor, why mine?”

“Because that is where the spare room is, plus I thought the two of you would get on. You’re the same age. You’ll be going to the same school, it made sense.”

“You know I like my space,” I whine.

“I know, sweetheart, and you still have it,” my father tries to reassure me.

“I don’t because he’s in my bathroom. I’m about to head out to catch up with my friends, I need to freshen up,” I tell him.

“Perfect, why don’t you take Pierre out with you? He can meet your friends before he starts school on Monday.”

“No.”

“Issy.” His voice drops low with a disappointed tone.

I roll my eyes and cross my arms. “Fine,” I grumble as I start to leave his office.

“Be nice,” he calls out after me.

“Be nice,” I sneer, stomping around the corner and back up to my room.

“Guess it’s been a while since you’ve seen me naked, have I changed much?” He smirks again at me.

His words pull me from memories as I continue staring at his naked body.

“Asshole,” I sneer, turning around and walking out his door.

All I can hear behind me is his laughter.

What a dick. Actually, what a dick. I forgot how nice Pierre’s dick is.

Bet you all the girls from college don’t forget how good his dick was.

My stomach turns remembering how I felt seeing Missy Jenkins’ mouth on it, my champagne from earlier wanting to come up and revisit me.

Moments later his door opens, and he steps out.

“Good, you’re ready, we have to go. Harper called a meeting, that’s why I was looking for you and no other reason,” I snap just so he’s clear as I storm toward the front door.

“May not have been the reason, but you certainly did stay longer than you should have.” He chuckles, teasing me for checking him out.

I whirl around. “Fuck you. I am doing this as a favor for Harper, and because you’re a client, there is no other reason. I couldn’t give a shit about you. I don’t care if you have a broken heart. What I care about is my business, and unfortunately, that includes you, for now.”

Pierre holds up his hands. “I hear it loud and clear, but you were the one who invaded my personal space.”

“I had been knocking for ages, and you couldn’t hear me. I thought you had fallen asleep. You were always hard to wake up if you fell asleep,” I explain to him.

“Nice to know you still remember things about me. You always knew how to wake me up no matter how hard it was.” He smirks, raising a brow.

My cheeks flush at his innuendo, I flip him off and storm out of my house. The driver is waiting as we walk down the stairs and get into the car. Pierre comes around the other side and gets in.

“Kevin, just going to Harper’s place, please,” I tell my driver, who nods and merges into traffic.

“It’s weird being back in the city again,” Pierre muses as he looks out the window.

I ignore him. “Everything is so tall and everyone looks so busy. Guess I’ve gotten used to the wide-open spaces of South Dakota.

” I continue to ignore him and play on my phone.

“Are there any parks nearby to take Frankston to? I don’t know if he is going to love all this concrete,” he asks.

“No, I don’t know,” I grumble.

“He’s going to hate leaving his cushy home for all this,” he says, continuing to talk to himself.

“You can always go back.” I huff.

“And work for the man that was screwing my fiancée.” He hisses as he continues to look out the window.

Guess he does have a point there. “You’re probably thinking I deserved it, karma finally found me.

” He turns and looks at me, I see the fire of emotions in his eyes.

Maybe a tiny portion of me might have thought that, finally, now he can understand what it feels like to have your heart ripped out by someone you love, but it was only for a moment because I don’t want karma to find me too.

“I would never wish that for you,” I answer quietly.

He scoffs and continues to look out the window. I don’t like that he thinks I’m a horrible person. You were hardly empathetic when he arrived. That was shock, and I still think I am in shock. “Have you heard from Kitty?”

“Yes,” he grumbles.

“And?” I push.

He looks over at me. “She told me I had embarrassed her. That I’m a piece of shit for walking out of our wedding. That I’m a coward. I’m a loser. That she never loved me. Shall I go on?” he says. I get the picture. “Somehow, I’m the bad guy in all this. Me. She’s blaming me, as are her friends.”

“When the truth comes out no one is going to think that,” I try to reassure him.

“You think this is coming out?” he questions me. “Bill Reeves to the world is the happily married hockey legend. No one would ever suspect what Kitty and Bill did. No one. He’s almost three times her age. Plus, he’s a billionaire. He can pay anyone to make all this go away. To make me go away.”

“Is he threatening you?” I ask, slightly concerned.

“Of course he is, he has much to lose,” Pierre snaps.

“Guess it’s good that we are coming up with a plan for you then.”

“You really think Harper is going to be able to help with this?” he asks, and it’s the first time I see fear on his face.

“Harper is brilliant at her job. She knows people. There’s no way she is going to let anyone come for you. I mean it, she will fight for you,” I reassure him.

“And what about you? Will you fight for me if things go south?”

“Are you doubting my work ethic?”

“I know you’re good at your job. Will you be good at it for me?” he asks. I’m offended that he would question me like that. Why? You have made it clear all these years you want nothing to do with him. Why would he think now you’ll care?

“Of course I will. You are one of our top clients … plus, Dad would want me to.” Tightness in my chest takes over. I look out the window, trying to rein it in.

“Thanks,” he says as we fall silent again.

It’s not long till we arrive.