Second Chances (55 page)

“Here,” Jessie said, gesturing to the bed laden with potential clothes for Isabella’s trip, “but I can’t believe you don’t have enough for a weekend in Montreal.”

“Oh,” Isabella began slowly as she walked toward the bed.  She selected her words carefully for maximum effect.  “We’re not going to be in Montreal for the weekend.”  She turned to face her friend who wore bulging, anticipatory eyes.  “We’re going to Aruba for ten days.”

They grabbed each other, and danced around the room squealing.  Outside, the men were getting to know each other.  Gabriel looked alarmed at the noise, ready to bolt inside and see what had caused the commotion.  Jeff reached out and patted him on the shoulder to restrain him.   “They’re all right.  You’ll get used to this.”  He laughed while Gabriel merely shook his head in amusement.

By nearly one o’clock they were finally ready to be on the road to Montreal, and they were both starving.  “Well,” Gabriel began slowly, “where shall we eat?”

Isabella knew just the place.  They had enjoyed all the haut cuisine Plattsburgh had to offer, she wanted to introduce him to the homier side.  They pulled into McSweeney’s and a
car hop ran to greet them.  Isabella motioned that they would eat inside and they climbed from the car.

The chill of the air conditioning and the spicy aroma of the red hots lingered in the restaurant as they enter.  Isabella instructed him on what he needed to try and ordered her usual.  One red hot without, an order of homemade fries, and a chocolate shake.  Gabriel ordered the same, but questioned her, “What is a red hot?”  She explained the hot dog with spicy meat sauce concept and the ways that onions could be served on it. 

Gabriel watched Isabella.  She sat across from him visibly happy, alive, bubbly, and with an intoxicating personality.  And suddenly one thought struck him.  Would ten days alone with her be enough?  He knew instinctively as he basked in the warmth of her presence that it wasn’t a sensation he wanted to forgo…maybe ever.

The remainder of the ride to Montreal found Isabella wriggling in her seat, unable to contain her excitement.  “Isn’t there anything I can do to relax you?”  Gabriel wondered.

Isabella inhaled deeply then reached into her purse.  “Well, there may be one thing.”  She pulled
a out a CD.  “Would you mind playing this?”  She handed it to him to examine.

“Andrea Boccelli,” he murmured, “Romanza.”  He pushed it into the CD player and listened intently as the first strains of “Con te Partiro” wafted from the speakers.

Isabella, for the first time since lunch, settled back into her seat, sometimes humming, sometimes singing, always with her eyes shut.  Gabriel couldn’t help himself.  He reached over and caressed her face.   In the past when he had done that she would tense up or jump back as if stung, but today she actually leaned in to his touch, relished it.  She might just be warming to him.  A relaxed smile crossed his face.

The CD continued to play as they pulled up to the guardhouse.  Isabella’s eyes opened as the car slowed down.  The guard nodded at Gabriel and opened the gate for their entrance.  They traveled up a long paved circular driveway, and parked in the garage.  Rather than taking her in through the door she saw at the far end of the room, Gabriel led her out and walked her to the front entrance.

“I thought you would want the full effect,” he explained, then added with a smirk, “You know, for Jessie.”

Isabella blushed as she followed him through the front door of the estate.  The security people must have called in advance as the entire staff had assembled in the entry way and  the man who she imagined to be Gabriel’s father could be seen making his way down the grand staircase.  Nothing in her life had prepared her for this experience.

Mr. Charmant crossed the marble foyer to greet them.  He stood a good six inches shorter than his son, with a dark complexion and distinguished graying hair.  He gave Gabriel a firm handshake, and Isabella several moist kisses on each cheek, taking her off guard as he greeted her.  “You must be the lovely woman my handsome son is so taken with.  He wasn’t ready to introduce us, but I have my ways of getting what I want.”  He smiled affectionately at Gabriel as he tucked Isabella’s hand in the crease of his arm to give her the tour of the house and grounds.

Isabella felt dizzy as she worked to take in every aspect, every detail in each room, without appearing to be gawking.  She would never want to embarrass Gabriel.  They moved from one room to the next, from floor to floor, and at last came to rest on the garden terrace.  

“You must have noticed that I didn’t take you through a couple of the wings,” Mr. Charmant commented.

Isabella nodded.  “I just assumed that they were personal, private spaces.”  Gabriel reached out to hold her hand and she firmly grasped it.

“Well, I figured I would let Gabriel give you the tour of his quarters,” he explained nodding at his son.  “I will allow you two to work out suitable sleeping arrangements.”  He looked at a cart being wheeled out to them.  “Please help yourself to some refreshments.  I can’t linger here.  Too much work to do.  It was a pleasure meeting you, Isabella.  I will see you both in the dining room at eight.”  And with that he strode to the doors and left them alone.

“Well?”  Isabella looked at Gabriel for feedback.

“You were marvelous.  He must like you, or he would have put you in the guest quarters without asking.  Do you want to see my rooms after this?”  He gestured to the refreshments the maid had brought out.  Isabella beamed.

They took the elevator to the third floor because Gabriel swore it to be the quickest way to their destination, but Isabella suspected he just wanted to show off a bit.  They glided down the hall, and Gabriel opened the tall mahogany double doors to his rooms.  Isabella stood in the doorway for a moment, just trying to take it all in.  It was probably best that he had seen her apartment first, since if she had been here before she would have been too embarrassed to share it with him.  His room was nearly the size of her entire three stories.

Gabriel’s inner sanctum varied greatly from what she had imagined, given that this place was larger, grander, and far more sophisticated.  The walls were a royal blue, the floor covered in plush cream carpeting.  A large entertainment system graced one wall, a large sofa and a couple of chairs were opposite it.   Set apart by columns were his sleeping area and private bath.  The king size bed had been made of dark mahogany with a tall head board.  And laid on the chest at the end of his bed were Isabella’s suitcases.

She turned to eye him suspiciously.  “I had to tell them some place to put it,” Gabriel explained to her.  “I knew we would figure it out later.  Right now we must decide what to wear.  My father always has numerous guests for dinner.”

Deferring to Gabriel’s expertise, Isabella allowed him free dominion over her attire for the evening.  Ultimately he selected her black sleeveless mock turtleneck, her beige tiger striped wrap around skirt, and black strappy heels.  Then he shooed her into the bathroom where the enormous Jacuzzi tub had been filled to capacity with hot foaming bathwater.  The jets were humming, music was playing lightly, and the lit candles completed the relaxing atmosphere. 

There had been so much to take in given such a short period of time that Isabella was thrilled Gabriel had suggested the bath.  She had experienced a roller coaster ride of emotions in the last twenty-four hours.  One minute he’s canceling the weekend on her, the next he shows up and spends the night.  If that hadn’t been enough to keep her completely unhinged, now she was being whisked away to Aruba for ten days.  And it would be the first time ever that she was truly away from the kids.  She sighed sadly at that thought. 

Isabella had been leaning back in the tub with her eyes closed when Gabriel entered the room, bent low and gave her a kiss on her throat.  Startled, Isabella sat upright, felt a cool breeze across her nipples and realized that parts of her breasts were exposed.  Her face turned several shades of pink; she gasped and then sank quickly beneath the bubbles.  She lay panting and wired when she finally looked Gabriel in the eye.

Even Gabriel looked startled.  He had not anticipated this type of reaction to his romantic gesture.  He wore only a towel around his waist, which started to slip as he moved back from the tub.  Normally he wouldn’t care that he might expose himself, but Isabella proved herself to be different from any woman he had ever known.  For her sake, he tucked the towel tightly into place.  “Sorry, Bella,” he murmured, cautiously reaching out a hand to her the same as he might have to a frightened animal.

Isabella softened.  “You just surprised me.”  She looked at him, recognized his concerned expression, and wanted nothing more than to soothe him, let him know all remained well between them.  “Come here,” she whispered.  Gabriel moved forward and knelt on the floor next to her.  Turning to face him, and painfully aware of the rapidly dissipating bubbles, Isabella pulled his sandy blond head toward hers and kissed him on the lips for the first time.  It was just one soft, sure, lingering kiss.  “I’m okay,” she whispered into his ear, then released his head.

Gabriel spoke in a foreign tongue in a low voice and quickly sprang into action, jumping up from the floor, and clutching the towel to him.  With a new string of words ushering forth from his lips, he rushed to the shower.  At last Isabella caught him mumbling something about having to get ready.  She giggled.  She hadn’t lost her touch after all.

How did she do it?  One moment he was staring at her lying there looking so sexy, so relaxed.  Instantly, he had been drawn to her.  Just had to kiss her once, show her how he felt about her.  He had years of practice with women, extensive practice even.  And now, a woman he had barely touched was eliciting such unfamiliar responses from him.  He shook his head as the water rushed over him.  He had been forced to stand facing the corner of the shower for several minutes before he once again had his body under control. 

Maybe he was in over his head with Isabella.  He wasn’t ready to be serious about anyone.  He had no experience in this area.  She deserved better that what he had to offer.  She deserved someone who would love her and her children, someone who could give her the forever she should have.  It couldn’t be him.  Not the way his father would have reacted had he known everything.  No, he knew where his father stood.  And in his mind he knew he should have cut Isabella loose long ago.  But even as he imagined breaking off their relationship, he felt an unfamiliar ache in his chest at the mere thought of never seeing her again, never holding her close, and all of the things he longed to do with her.  He would just have to forget about his father’s opinions and focus instead on being the man worthy of her love.  He smiled.

Dinner proved to be exhausting.  So many people were vying for her attention.  So many servants cleared plates and delivered new courses.  So much food!  Isabella sat surprised to find she could eat no more long before they offered coffee and dessert.  Gabriel at last asked that they be excused as the conversation turned toward the business realm.