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CHAPTER 16
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2024-10-29 19:42:56She was completely mute staring at Marie totally perplexed. She can't go to this party… she couldn't go to any party. First of all, she was there to take care of the girls, and besides, she didn't have any kind of dress to attend this party that seemed to be very important. No, she had to come up with some excuse not to accompany Marie. She couldn't go, she had to stay home, with Frannie and Diana.
“I can't come with you. Please let me stay here with the girls,” she said in a pleading tone.
“And why not, dear girl? It will be a fun evening and I believe you will love it. Erica's daughter is almost your age,” Marie continued her speech helping Diana with the grapefruit. “Maybe you two will become friends...”
What could she say to Marie? That she can’t go with her to this party because she had nothing to wear? Bedsides the very thought of Shawn being next to his girlfriend was extremely disturbing. No, it was absolutely necessary to find a valid reason to stay at the villa with the girls.
“Marie, I never went to this kind of party, I wouldn't know what to do or what to say in the first place. I wouldn't know how to behave around all those guests. I would feel like a fish out of water. Besides, I don't...”
"Oh, dear God, I am so inconsiderate!" she said, cutting Isabelle's speech. "Sweetie, I didn't put two and two together..."
"I really don't..." Isabelle replied, looking away from her because she didn’t want Marie to see how embarrassed she was.
Marie looked at the girls and then at Isabelle and a smile brighter than the morning sun appeared on her lips. She knew exactly what they would do that afternoon.
“Girls, if you have finished eating your breakfast, go immediately to brush your teeth and choose your clothes to go out. I will do the same. Isabelle, do you mind helping the girls get ready to go to San Francisco? See you in front of the entrance in half an hour, ok?”
“Granny, what are we going to do in San Francisco? Are we going to visit uncle Shawn in his office?” Diana asked, getting up from the table first.
“No, my darling, we all will go shopping. You both, me and our dear Isabelle,” Marie replied leaving Isabelle totally surprised. “With your help, my lovelies, Isabelle and I will choose the right outfits for this wonderful party.”
“Marie, no... Please, I can't... I don't ...”
Marie smiled at her and stopped her from talking. She understood very well what a totally embarrassed Isabelle was trying to say to her.
“Don’t worry, dear, today we will take the first step toward a new you: a new wardrobe. It is not that I don’t like your way of dressing, so practical especially when you’re playing with the girls, but you need something else too. You're a beautiful young woman, let's show it to everybody,” she said caressing her worried face. “Sweetie, it's my way to thank you for what you are doing for my granddaughters and for me too. Frannie and Diana are very happy when you are here and I feel calmer having you here.”
“The girls are wonderful and it is a pleasure to be with them.”
“The other day, Frannie and Diana told me the same thing about you. Therefore, I don't want to hear another word from you, young lady! You will humor me and we won’t talk about it anymore!” Marie added and entered the house.
"Yes, ma'am!" Isabelle whispered, not very enthusiastic.
Isabelle turned to the girls but realized they had already inside the house. She could hear their yelling and screaming. Reluctantly, she went to their room. Marie's proposal to help her buying an outfit for the party was so nice, but she was feeling so embarrassed about accepting it. She wanted to stay at the villa since the way she was dressed was not suitable for the big city, but was paid to take care of Frannie and Diana and had no other choice than to listen to the mistress of the house.
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She sat on the edge of the chair opposite Shawn but didn't look up at him. She didn't want to prolong this agony too much.“This afternoon, I felt the strong desire to go on a horse ride and I went to "Silver Spur Ranch". And since the ranch belongs to our family, even if you and your father are living there for several years now, the people who work there are still very loyal to the Grayson family. I talked a little with every one of them, starting with the boys from the stables to the administrator of the ranch, and everyone told me a very interesting story. It’s something that I get a few evenings ago and today I had further confirmation. He stopped and sip some coffee. It had gotten cold and Shawn pushed the cup aside a little testily."I’m not sure what’s ab
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Isabelle closed the door to her room, turned on the light, and stood by the bed. Although the day had been long and tiring and ‘the match’ just ended between her and Shawn had left her without strength, Isabelle wasn’t sleepy at all. Since she hadn't had so much time to organize all the things Marie had bought for her, she opened the small closet and started looking at all the clothes lying on her bed. Marie had bought her so many clothes and she checked carefully every little thing. Her fingers touched the wonderful fabric of the dress she was to wear at Friday's party and she felt a tear rolling down her cheek. Isabelle could not believe that a stranger like Marie was acting with her as only a mother should act. Apart from Lucy, nobody had taken so much care of her. Isabelle felt so emotional... She covered her face with her hands and started to cry without making a noise. She didn’t w
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“Belle, look! I found uncle Shawn!” the little girl said softly, moving away from him and running towards her. “I wanted to play with him, but also he also told me what you told me earlier: right now, we have to go to sleep.” Isabelle took Frannie's hand without looking at Shawn. She didn't want to hear jokes from his part, she had heard enough for that evening. Isabelle wanted a truce and she would have had it at the cost of raising her voice with him and making him discover her temperament that she kept so well hidden.“Chérie, promets-moi que tu ne le feras plus! (Baby, promise me you won't do it again!)You can never run away like this again!” she said softly, trying to keep calm because she didn’t want to frighten the child, or to offer Shawn the chance to tel
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Shawn's lips brushed lightly those of a shocked Isabelle. As he lingered on her lips, Shawn heard her moan. He touched her with his lips. His mouth was soft, firm, terribly patient. That brief contact was to Isabelle like a punch in the stomach. She clung to it, opening her lips and invited him to explore it. No one had ever kissed her like this and never would have imagined it possible. A slow kiss, deep and dreamy. The floor seemed to collapse under her feet as he tasted her upper lip. She didn't want to think about what had happened that night, or what was going to happen tomorrow. She wanted to experience that wonderful present and what was happening between her and Shawn. Isabelle shivered, moaned, and let herself go. Isabelle's scent, her taste... they were irresistible. Shawn thought he could lose himself in her for a moment or a l
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The next morning, Isabelle woke up early than usual and decided to go to the terrace and have coffee before everyone else. And if by chance she will meet Shawn, she will pretend nothing happened. She will pretend that it was nothing since he had told her that their kiss wasn’t a big deal for him, that it won’t change a single thing between them, that he will keep tormenting her. Isabelle put on a pair of black trousers instead of her reliable jeans and a white silk shirt, an outfit bought for her by Marie. Even the black flats were a gift and Isabelle thought they would be perfect for her new look. She brushed her hair until it became soft and silky and decided to leave it down. Isabelle closed her eyes for a moment, thinking of Shawn's fingers while he was caressing her hair."No!" she exclaimed, shaking her head. "Isabelle, you can't! You have to stop, do you hear me?!"
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Leaning against a tree, she wrote a little, but she didn't like to sit still for too long. So, she got up and started exploring the surroundings that offered a wonderful view. Isabelle began to walk barefoot in the freshly trimmed grass, enjoying the sunlight and the scent of the roses. This was the period she preferred the most; it wasn’t too cold and not too hot outside. Isabelle looked at the blue sky, so clear and blue, and for the first time in so long, she felt free. How she would have liked to travel, go somewhere, without feeling worried about her father or Lucy. This little... work vacation, away from Andrew, was offering her a small taste of what her life would be like without too much responsibility. She started laughing and opened her arms, dancing, and singing, with a heart full of happiness and freedom. She bega
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Isabelle remained speechless. His mouth let out those words and Shawn's eyes showed to her exactly the same thing. For a few seconds, Shawn looked at her, totally lost in those blue eyes, in the emotion of the moment, in the love he was feeling for her. Then he began to gently caress the curves he hadn't forgotten for a moment. Isabelle's body surrendered in front of his sweet attack. Isabelle undressed him and he willingly let her do it."I'll take care of you now," he said helping her to sit on the bed. Shawn closed the door and returned immediately to her. He leaned towards Isabelle and kissed her breasts. “Brace yourself, my love, because what I want to do to you will take us a lot of time...” Shawn's hands returned to tease her warm skin, they got lost in the ocean of her silky
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She wanted to touch his face, to remove all that suffering that he was feeling. Shawn had hurt her in a dreadful way, but she didn't stop him. She loved him then as she was loving him now, in this instant. Shawn was so helpless, so sad, so desperate, so... human like she never saw him before.“I'm oknow, Shawn. I’m much stronger and I feel all right,” Belle replied smiling slightly. He looked at her and Isabelle saw tears in his eyes.“Yes, you are. And it's so good to see you standing on your feet, ready to move on, to build your new life. I just hope you will include me too... Marry me, my beautiful, brave, wonderful Belle!” Hearing his spontaneous proposal, Isabelle
