Page 23 of Isabelle & Jason
There was no way she could tell him why it had happened or that she’d dealt with that sort of thing before. He would think she was broken, and there was a small part of her that was surprised to realize she didn’t want that to happen.
She took comfort in his presence.
Yes, that was what this strange, warm sensation was.
Comfort. Safety.
Jason reached out his hand toward her face. Isabelle jerked back, her eyes flying wide. Then immediately, her cheeks flushed hot.
“I’m sorry,” she blurted. “That was?—”
“Isabelle,” he cooed, “you don’t have anything to be sorry for. I shouldn’t have…”
Things just kept getting worse. Now that she’d done that, would he realize she wasn’t worth the hassle? Would he see her for what she really was? Broken?
“I won’t touch you if you don’t want me to.” His voice was so quiet she wasn’t sure she’d heard him right. Had he actually said that out loud?
Before she could comment, he continued down the path they’d been taking. He controlled most of the conversation, telling her about hanging out with his brother for lunch and picking up a few books at the store. Then grabbing some stuff for Nikki at the market.
She listened, grateful the attention had been taken from her. By the time they got back to the house and she was preparing to take the stairs, his question stopped her cold.
“I’d like to go running with you in the mornings… if that’s okay.” The hesitancy in his question tugged at her.
Slowly, she turned to face him, noting a familiar look of longing in his eyes. Dang those magic eyes of his. “Okay,” she rasped.
“Okay?”
Isabelle nodded. “I’d like that. Tomorrow?”
“Name the time and I’ll be there.”
For the first time in a long time, the smile she wore was genuine. “You sure you can keep up with my schedule? I tend to start early.”
“I think I can handle it,” he mused. “Bring it on.”
9
Jason
He couldsonot handle her schedule.
Jason groaned as his three o’clock alarm buzzed.
Mark muttered something incoherent across the room before rolling over and putting his pillow over his head as Jason turned the alarm off.
It had been about a week of going for runs with Isabelle. He didn’t regret a single moment of the time he spent with her, but these early wake-up times were starting to wear on him. The only thing that got him out of bed was the thought of a good cup of coffee and seeing Isabelle’s beautiful face.
She was warming up to him. He could see it in the way her expression brightened every morning as if she wasn’t sure he’d show up. Today was no different, and when she handed him a coffee, he could have kissed her.
But that was the pre-caffeinated version of him.
Their fingers brushed. A tingle of awareness skittered up his arm. This was the game that they continued to play with eachother. Tension continued to crackle between them, but neither one of them chose to act on it. Of course, he knew why Isabelle wasn’t going to do such a thing. And he didn’t expect her to.
Jason couldn’t help but wonder if Isabelle expected anything from him.
No. He wouldn’t go there. Isabelle needed to heal before he would allow anything between them to grow. He knew better than to start something with someone who wasn’t completely whole. It never ended well.
Isabelle glanced up at him from beneath her lashes before she sipped her own beverage. “Any requests?”
