The Unexpected Breakfast

"Our bed," he corrected. "And, fake or not, you're my wife, and I won't let you sleep on the sofa."

She looked at him, met his gaze for a second, and then looked away. So, even after saying they would only pretend to be a couple in public, was he going to treat her like his wife indoors?

"Thanks, then, if you're sure," she told him.

"But," he said, reaching forward to lean one of his hands on the counter next to her. "Do we really have to resort to that?"

Isabelle swallowed, her throat going dry at his sudden closeness. His arm brushed against her side and she stepped to the side, attempting to create more space between them.

"What?"

"We are both adults," he said, his eyes running up and down her body openly.

Was he checking her out? What exactly was he trying to do? She tried to maintain her composure, but it was hard when his dark eyes rose to hers. They penetrated hers, and for a second, she forgot how to breathe.

It wasn't her fault that he was so good-looking...

The closer Jacob got to Isabelle, the stronger the whiff he was getting of her soap or shampoo or whatever it was she had used in the bathroom got. And damned if he didn't want to close the few remaining inches between them and press his nose into her neck, or hair, just to take a deep inhale.

Dammit...was it really possible to play house with this woman without crossing the lines he had intended to draw even before he met her?

He was loving her reactions to him a little too much. As he got closer, she looked as if she wanted to bolt, but also as if she was trying hard to act like he wasn't affecting her. Her chest was rising a little more rapidly, and her hands had closed into fists.

Maybe while they were stuck in this situation, it wouldn't hurt to have a little fun...

Moving quickly, he stepped in front of her and placed his other hand on her other side, effectively caging her to the kitchen counter.

Her eyes widened instantly as her hands dropped to brace herself on the surface behind her. "What...what are you doing?"

He leaned in, closing in on her, bringing his lips to her ear. "Would you like us to be a real couple... behind closed doors?"

Her wide eyes fixated on him. "........"

"You're a beautiful woman," he whispered, making a point of keeping his voice as low as possible. "I wouldn't mind sharing a bed with you. And, of course, doing other things that a normal couple would."

Isabelle's face burned red at Jacob's words and proximity. Why was he suddenly acting this way? She had already made it clear she wasn't going to share the bed with him, let alone sleep with him! He must be teasing her!

His lips so close to her ear, he whispered, "What do you think?"

What did she think? She couldn't think, for one. The only thing she knew was that she needed to get out of that situation...

Quickly, she ducked under one of his arms and sprinted across the room to the bathroom. She didn't care how she looked like running away. She would deal with the embarrassment the next day. Now, all she had to do was remain in the bathroom until he went to sleep and she could slip back into the room.

Heaving a sigh, she walked to the mirror and took in her appearance. Her face was a raw shade of red, and when she touched her fingers to it, she felt how hot it was. Whenever was she going to stop having such a reaction to him?

When Jacob woke up the next day, the first thing that registered in his brain was the mouthwatering aroma filling the room. At first, he thought he was dreaming. Then he opened his eyes and checked the kitchen.

It was Isabelle. She was moving behind the counter, flipping something on a pan on the stove. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up and shifted his long legs to the floor. She really was making breakfast.

While he was still staring at her, she turned, a pan in hand. Her eyes flew to him and she gave him a small smile.

"Morning. Breakfast is ready."

"Morning," he replied, finally getting to his feet. "I'll pop into the bathroom for a sec."

As he went, he tried wrapping the entire thing around his head. It seemed as if everything about her was catching him by surprise. But then again, he hadn't expected to wake up to breakfast prepared by his pretend wife.

When he got back into the room, Isabelle had already prepared the breakfast table. He joined her and appraised the bowls of steaming food. And a pot of freshly brewed coffee that she got hold of and asked, "Coffee?"

He nodded, smiling. "Yes, thank you." When was the last time he had a home-cooked meal? He couldn't remember.

As the two sat down for breakfast, Isabelle noticed how heartily Jacob ate his portions. She knew she was a good cook, but she hadn't expected him to wolf everything down as if it was the most delicious meal he had ever had.

"Wow, that was very delicious," he complimented when he was done. "Thank you."

"Sure," she replied, unsure of how else to react. He looked genuinely pleased.

"You're a very good cook. I wouldn't mind eating your food every day."

Was he serious or exaggerating? Well, it didn't matter...

"I have to go somewhere," she told him, rising from her seat. "You will wash the dishes."

She headed over to the bed and picked up her purse as he asked, "Where are you going?"

To her parents, but she wasn't going to tell him that. It wasn't any of his business, anyway. They had agreed to stay out of each other's business. "See you later," she told him instead, leaving quickly.

A few minutes after Isabelle left, there was a knock on the door. When Jacob went to open it, he found Kevin, his assistant, on the other side.

"Good morning, Boss. I brought your breakfast," Kevin said as he walked into the house.

Jacob closed the door and went in after him, heading for the kitchen table to continue gathering the used dishes. "I already had breakfast," he informed his assistant. "Isabelle made it."

Kevin watched in astonishment as Jacob cleared the table. "You what? She... But... But you only eat food from the restaurant."

He knew how picky his boss was with food. He only ever ate food from one restaurant. To imagine that he had eaten breakfast prepared by his new wife...

"Stop gawking and help me clean up," Jacob admonished. "I have somewhere to be soon."

***

Isabelle had only one agenda for her visit home; to get the money for Ruth's treatment. She was already planning on how after getting the money, she would go straight to the hospital to see that Ruth's treatment began right away.

Lucy, Francis, and Naomi were in the dining room, having breakfast.

"We are having cash flow problems at the moment, so we can't pay the bill right now," Lucy said, sipping on a cup of tea after Isabelle told her what she

wanted.

"What?" Isabelle exclaimed. "You told me that as soon as I married Jacob, you would pay her bill!"

"And I'm telling you that we don't have the money right now," Lucy told her.

"Then why did you promise that you

would pay the money if you knew you couldn't? Ruth can't afford to wait any longer," she pointed out, getting upset. She felt like she was having a

nightmare. How could they do this to her? The only reason she agreed to marry Jacob Garcia was because her parents promised to pay Ruth's medical bill right away. How could they now tell her that they couldn't after she had married the man?

"Don't worry, I'll try to get you the money before this evening," Francis offered from his place at the head of the table. "When I go to my office later, I'll have my accountant-"

"Francis!" Lucy interrupted him. "You know very well that we cannot afford to pay the money right now. Do you know how expensive treatment for kidney failure is? We cannot afford to use any funds from the company at the moment. She can wait!"

"If she could wait, I would have looked for the money elsewhere instead of agreeing to marry some man I've never even met!"