Completely embarrassed, Isabelle blushed and avoided looking at him. She didn't want to talk about her with Billy, she didn't want to talk about herself, about her life. She didn’t want to reveal too much about the real Isabelle.
"I have no hidden talents, really," she answered. “I just taught myself foreign languages, art, but music has always been my main passion.”
"You're too modest..." he added, smiling tenderly.
“I'm not a genius, Billy, trust me on that!”
Billy smiled at her again and took her soft yet firm hand in his and squeezed it. Isabelle felt nothing when Billy did that and she felt sad. Billy was so good to her, he listened to everything she told him, he didn't laugh at her, at her
At the end of the first part of the musical, Billy accompanied Isabelle into the lobby to get something to drink and to stretch her legs a little. Since there were enough people who had thought the same thing, Billy asked her to wait for him in a corner of the lobby. As she stood there, looking around, Isabelle saw Shawn coming towards her. Strangely, he was without Danielle, who was on the other side of the lobby, chatting happily with other people."It looks like it's going to rain tonight," he said softly, drinking the last drop of champagne.“Probably...” Isabelle replied looking out the window. That’s when she heard a rumble of thunder that startled her. Suddenly, Isabelle felt a shiver going through her body leaving her with a strange fe
Billy stopped the car on the side of the road, in a service area, and turned to her totally shocked by Isabelle's words. He was starting to understand now what he had read in her diary. Realizing what she had just told him, Isabelle covered her mouth with her hand.“Oh, Billy, please, don't mind me, I'm just very tired. He's my father, of course, he won't hurt me. Except that it scares me a lot when he’s very drunk,” she replied quickly. "Please don't pay attention to what I just said to you." He wanted to know more, but she was very scared right now and Billy decided to drive.“Don't worry, Belle... But it will be difficult to forget what you’ve told me. I would love to help you.”“For now,
The evening wasn’t such a complete disaster. She had found out a lot about Shawn's past and made things clear with Billy. Isabelle couldn’t continue to give him false hopes. She waved goodbye to him and stood in front of the door until Billy's car disappeared into the night. As she prepared to enter, she bumped into the nurse sent to her house by doctor Jones. She said to Isabelle that her father was quite all right and fortunately Andrew didn’t need her aid at all. Isabelle thanked her. Before going into her father’s room, she went into the kitchen to say hello to Lucy and tell her to go to sleep. She found her father still awake, fortunately not drunk. She told him about her ‘date’ with Billy, avoiding telling him about the episode with Shawn and Danielle and everything Billy had told
They were just about to start eating, but the sound of horse hooves could be heard from afar. They both winced when they saw a person on a horse coming in their direction. A slight smile appeared on Billy's lips as Isabelle's heart began to beat extremely fast. Even though the man on the horse was still far away, the arrogant way in which he rode betrayed his identity.“Shawn...” she whispered gasping for air. His name had left Isabelle's lips almost without her knowing.“Mom had told him about the picnic, asking if he could join us. He told her that if he would be able to get rid of a previous commitment, then he would come,” Billy said following closely Isabelle's reaction.“What a way to ride a horse… H
He sat on top of her and made Isabelle his prisoner. His strong chest crushed her breasts making every attempt to get up practically impossible. His head began to go down even further until his burning mouth found relief resting on Isabelle's surprised lips. At first, she still tried to resist him, but her body betrayed her and reacted differently. Shawn's lips were warm and convincing, and, without her being ok with all this, her lips responded to Shawn's. Eager prisoner, tight in his strong embrace, Isabelle drank the tenderness and sweetness of that endless kiss, while the afternoon breeze was caressing their bodies heated by the passion. Shawn heard an almost unnoticeable moan coming from Isabelle and right then and there he knew that she was all his and that she would never be the woman of another man. He felt his head grow heavy and groaned sligh
After the picnic, Isabelle and Billy joined Marie. She finished greeting everyone who had come there. They asked Isabelle to come with them to the ‘Villa Mimosa’, to spend the rest of the day with them and to have dinner with the whole family. But the thought of seeing Shawn again, especially after what had happened between the two of them earlier, frightened her and Isabelle refused their invitation and they didn’t insist. After saying goodbye to Marie, Isabelle asked Billy to take her to the ranch. As usual, he helped her get down and accompanied her to the entrance.“Today I had a great time with you, Billy,” she said tenderly. "But the good things must come to an end." Billy took Isabelle's hands in his. They were very cold and, in her eyes, he saw so mu
The next day, Andrew got out of bed and he dressed, willing to go into town. He was feeling good... He hadn't felt this in a long time, way too long… Since the night he fell down the stairs since he lost his wife, Michelle. He left his room and saw Isabelle who was cleaning the living-room.“It's incredible! It's really wonderful!” he exclaimed approaching his daughter who looked at him totally amazed. “I feel good, I'm myself again! I’m Andrew Baldwin again, healthy and strong!” He smiled at his daughter even if he had a strange look. “Isabelle, I absolutely have to go to the city and take care of something. And I have to do it today. I will ask James to take me to San Francisco.” She continued to look at her father, unable to believe what she was seeing and hearing. Isabel
“You told me that he won’t be here,” she whispered, looking nervously at Billy."Shawn said to all of us that he would’ve spent the day with his fiancée," he said, a little perplexed. "Belle, I promise you; I didn't know." They got out of the car, but Isabelle wanted to go back home. She didn't want to be there, she couldn't be there, with Shawn present. She didn't want to make a scene, so she decided that after lunch, she would make up an excuse and leave the villa. The day had been perfect up to this point, a quick lunch with the Graysons, and then she would have gone back home to her father. Marie, Chris, and Shawn approached the two of them. Shawn smiled gazing at Isabelle’s astonished face. He was wearing jeans and a blue shirt that was cov
She felt slightly embarrassed; Shawn's words made her shiver a little, catching her off guard. She tightened her bridle and the horse became nervous. He took a few steps back and almost threw her on the ground. Totally worried, Shawn jumped off his horse and, quickly, calmed Isabelle's horse down. He continued to caress and talk to him slowly until the animal stopped moving and being agitated. Isabelle was still shaking even though her horse was much calmer. Shawn helped her get down and held her hand as they walked away from the two horses that began to graze, unaware of what was going on. Isabelle had been so impressed with the way Shawn had handled the situation, with his self-control, that seeing his pale face and feeling his hand shaking as he held onto hers, left her perplexed."My love, are you a
"You are not capable of doing such a thing, my angel," he replied smiling tenderly. "The way you give in to my every caress is as real as my love for you." Again, they started riding next to each other. Shawn's opinion of her had left Isabelle totally surprised. She smiled softly and her gaze moved to the ring he had put on her finger. She was officially engaged to Shawn and was about to become Mrs. Grayson. She loved him very much, that's why she felt the need to tell him the story of her father's will. He had been so honest with her; it was time for her to do the same thing."You know, the engagement ring I gave you, belonged to my mother. It's one of the few memories I still have of her. I am happy to see it on your finger.""Oh, I didn't know... Shawn, are you sure of what are we going to do? You marry
When she heard the words'my future wife', Danielle felt like she was about to faint... No, she couldn't lose him! She wasn't ready to let him go! Besides, Shawn was a gentleman, she knew he wouldn't do anything to her. Those were only empty words meant to scare her off, but she already had an idea of how to respond to him. Danielle got up from her chair, took her bag, and started walking to the door. Before getting out of his office, she turned to him."One way or another, you will come back to me! This doesn't end here!" she added and went out slamming the door. Shawn took a deep breath and tried to go back to his usual self. Danielle had always been such a drama queen, so it was better not to pay any more attention to her. He had other things to do and then he wanted to go back to his Belle and spend the day with her. He pulled out
Whistling and smiling happily as never before, Shawn entered his office and sat down at his desk. He still had some small details to fix, he had to meet with the interior designer who had to prepare his apartment for Isabelle's arrival, and then he would return to his beloved. Shawn heard loud voices outside his office. Someone was arguing... it was the voice of a woman who, unfortunately, he had immediately recognized. It was Danielle and she was asking to enter Shawn's office right away. Shawn got up abruptly from his chair and went to get her and take her inside before making a spectacle of herself."What the hell are you doing here, Danielle?!" he said in a low voice. He took her by the arm and ordered her to enter. Shawn closed the door behind them, but when he turned to her, Danielle was close to him, trying to kiss him. "What are you doing? Are you insane?""You can't leave me
Isabelle raised her head and moved away from Lucy enough for the woman to look her in the eye and understand that she would never choose to marry Shawn if she wasn't desperately in love with him."Lucy, I really love Shawn Grayson. I have always loved him, since that day, at my mom's funeral, when I saw him for the first time. I would never be able to do such a thing; you know it very well. You taught me better than that!" She got up from the couch and went to the window. Still worried, Lucy continued to look at her. Isabelle was like a daughter to her and didn't want her to make the wrong choice."Dear, until yesterday, you were saying that you didn't need a man to make it happen...""And I don't, Lucy. I made my choices, but what I didn't unde
Isabelle stared at him rather perplexed, unable to fully understand what Christopher Grayson was saying to her."After what happened to your mother, your father and I, we took our separate paths, and I pushed away from my head those plans to bring our families together. But your father didn't, he always tried to make me understand how right you would be for my son, Billy." Chris smiled slightly embarrassed. "When your father called me a few weeks ago to remind me of this understanding that we had, I told him that this isn't our decision to make, that my boys and you were no longer kids, but adults who could choose for themselves that one special person.""That's why my father always insisted that I marry Billy, that's why the whole clause thing..." Isabelle added, getting up from her chair quite suddenly."What clause ar
Someone knocked lightly on her door and Isabelle smiled. She already knew who that person was, she had no doubt about it. The beating of her heart was proof that on the other side of the door it was the love of her life. She opened slowly, without making too much noise, then she took his hand and pulled him into her room.“I’ve missed you so much! After last tonight, staying away even for a few hours makes me insane!” he whispered. “Oh, my love...” She had heard those words a thousand times last night, but now, in the light of day, it was as if he was saying them to her for the first time. A strong emotion took hold of her body and her mind. Isabelle approached Shawn and passed her arms around his neck pulling him towards her. He smiled sweetly, got closer, and kissed her lightly. Shawn's lips linger
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
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