Claiming Isabella Read online

  I sat, because that’s what this woman makes me do.

  “Julian, I’m going to be completely honest, okay?” Her expression was so earnest, I almost felt sorry for her.

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Isabella,” I assured her.

  She rubbed her palms across the top of her thighs, in a soothing motion. “I love you. I really, really do. And, even though it’s only been a few short months, I cannot imagine not having you in my life.”

  I raised a brow at her. “But…?”

  Isabella let out a sigh that actually hurt my heart a little. “You’re so intense. I’m scare of losing myself to you, Julian. You could so easily take over my life and you make me weak enough to probably let you,” she confessed.

  Her statement bothered me, a bit, because it was true. She had every reason to worry about her freedom and independence. I wanted Isabella for myself. Now, I didn’t mind sharing her time with Avery, Quinn, Nick or Chase…it was the rest of the world I wanted to keep her from.

  I knew all about her scumbag father and how her mother was still holding out for him, so I understood where she was coming from, I really did. I just didn’t like their mistakes dictating how Isabella viewed our relationship.

  And while I benefitted greatly from her insecurities in the bedroom, I hated that she believed a man cheating was somehow tied to his wife/girlfriend not being enough.

  Isabella was more than enough.

  She was everything.

  I looked into her sweet face and fought against every instinct I had to force her to move in with me. “I’m not going to say you’re wrong for being wary about just how much of your life I want to control, because let’s face it, in my eyes, I own you, Isabella. I own every fucking inch of you. And moving in with me doesn’t change anything other than your address.”

  “It’s a safety net,” she blurted out.

  I nodded, in understanding. This wasn’t about my commitment to her. Or even her commitment to me. This was about her self-worth. She knew how I felt, but she still didn’t think she was special enough to hold me.

  And it drove me crazy.

  God, I wish there was a way for her to see inside my mind. Inside my heart and soul. If she had any clue what she meant to me, she could have me on my knees day in and day out. “I’ll give you until our six month mark, Dove. After that, your shit will be moved into my house, whether you’re ready or not.” I leaned forward and kissed the side of her face.

  She let out a defeated laugh. “Do you love me?”

  Isabella started randomly asking me that a few weeks ago and I always continue to answer her the same way. “No. Love doesn’t come close to describing what I feel for you.”

  She smiled and leaned into me until I took her in my arms and held her. “I just have issues,” she whispered.

  I couldn’t help the muffled gaff. “And all that proves is make you the perfect person for me.”

  She pulled back out of my embrace and peered up at me. She brought her hand up to my jaw and I smiled down at her. She let out a soft gasp. She always did when I smiled at her. “Jesus, Julian. You are out of this world gorgeous. But when you smile…it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

  “Dove, it’s just my face, baby. It’s just looks. It doesn’t mean anything,” I tried to point out.

  She shook her head at me. “Julian, you’re everything. You are so damn beautiful.”

  I reached for her, and grabbing her hips, I straddle her across my lap. I dug my hands in her hair, making sure she was facing me. “If God allows, we’ll live long enough for our looks to fade and our bodies to give out. But you…the goodness in your soul will always shine bright, Isabella. And that makes you way more beautiful than I will ever be. My soul will always be dark.”

  Her eyes became glossy. “Your past is dark, Julian, not you. Never you.”

  “I’m glad you think so, because no matter how much I don’t deserve you, I will never let you fucking go. And no one or nothing will ever come before you, Dove. Ever.”

  She leaned in and took my bottom lip in her teeth. I couldn’t stop the groan that emitted from deep in my throat. Because, even though Isabella was the sweet one, she was sex personified in the bedroom. I know a lot of it stemmed from needing to be enough, but if she gave any more of herself than she already did, she’d kill me.

  No one would guess that she likes pain with her pleasure and she was up for anything I wanted to do to her. The knowledge that I could use her any way I saw fit was a high that rivaled the best of drugs. She trusted me in a way I probably didn’t deserve. Hell, in a way I didn’t think anyone deserved.

  I tightened my hold on her hair and brought her in for a deeper kiss. Her wine flavored tongue plunged into my mouth to dance with mine. As much as I would love to kiss her forever, my cock was rock hard and begging entrance into her lush body. I started kissing my way down her neck as she started rubbing her pussy back and forth across my cock.

  She arched her head back, giving me more access to her neck. “Tell me how you want me, Julian,” she moaned.

  I’ve been fucking this woman for over four months now, and every time I took her, it started with her asking me that same question. Always reassuring her that I wanted her. I was looking forward to the day when she wouldn’t have to ask me that anymore, because she would already know, without a doubt, that I wanted her any way I could get her. “I want you just like this, Dove. I want to sit here while you ride my cock. I want you bouncing on my dick so hard; the tip of my dick bruises your cervix.”

  Isabella leaned back and pulled her shirt over her head with the speed of light. Before her shirt even hit the floor, I was there, reaching around, unsnapping her bra. I pulled her bra off through her arms and reveled in the sight of her fantastic tits. Isabella’s tits were big and heavy with perfect sized nipples. More than once, I’ve ran my cock through those delicious orbs as I fucked her tits until I came on her neck.

  She looked down and watched as I leaned forward and took one of her nipples in my mouth. I sucked at her tit like I was drowning in need. “Julian, oh God, that feels so good,” she cooed.

  “I love your fucking tits, Dove,” I said in between working towards her other breast.

  “Julian…”

  I took both her tits in my hands and kneaded each orb as I looked my fill. Sometimes just touching Isabella was enough to make me cum.

  I grabbed her by her hips and placed her on her feet in front of me. As soon as her feet hit the carpet, I was unbuttoning my jeans and pushing my pants and boxers down over my knees and letting them pool around my ankles.

  Isabella’s gaze never left mine as she immediately rid herself of her jeans and panties. She climbed back onto my lap before I could salivate over her standing naked in front of me.

  She wasted no time gabbing my cock and coming down on it until her pussy was filled tight with it. “Hmmmm…Julian…”

  I grabbed her hips and held her until she got accustomed to my girth. Isabella was a petite, little thing, and so no matter how many times I’ve fucked her, she always needed a second to get used to my invasion.

  Not going to lie. Each time it made me feel all powerful.

  She finally started grinding up and down on my cock and it was all I could do not to cum with her tits bouncing in my face. “I’ll never get tired of fucking your sweet tasting cunt, baby.”

  Isabella looked down at me and her dirty side came out. “Just my pussy, Julian?”

  My hands dug into her hips. Fuck no, not just her pussy. I brought one hand up and squeezed her jaw. “No. I’ll never get tired of choking you with my fucking cock, either, Dove.”

  Isabella started bouncing faster and harder on my lap. Her eyes were dilated and glassy. Her gaze was so clouded with lust, I wasn’t even sure if she could focus on my face. “What else? Where else do you need me, Julian?”

  I let go of her jaw and grabbing onto her hips again, I started pounding into her from below. I couldn’t control m
yself. Isabella’s slut talking was such a contrast to her personality outside the bedroom, that it gave me a rush to know I was the only one who saw her like this. “I’ll never get tired of fucking that hot, tight ass of yours either, baby.”

  And I wouldn’t.

  It always drove me slightly insane whenever Isabella begged me to fuck her up the ass. The memory of the first time she ever let me in that virgin hole would stay with me forever.

  She let out a scream and I could feel her pussy start convulsing around my cock. “That’s right, baby. Give it to me.”

  “Julian!”

  It wasn’t five seconds later, I followed her to completion. I felt my cum shoot out and coat every inch of her cunt.

  I was addicted to the feeling.

  Isabella fell forward and rested her forehead on my shoulder as she tried to control her breathing and the tremors that still shook her body.

  I let go of her hips and ran my hands up and down her back. I let her take all the time she needed. Hell, I’d stay like this forever if she wanted to.

  “God, Julian,” she breathed, “it feels like it gets better every time.”

  “That’s because I always want you more than I did the last time,” I reasoned.

  She let out a little laugh and leaned up to look down at me. She looked so serious. “I’m just scared, Julian. You know that, right?”

  I knew she was talking about moving in together and just wanted to make sure I hadn’t taken it personally. “I know, Dove.”

  “Do you love me?”

  “No. Love doesn’t come close to describing what I feel for you.”

  And it didn’t.

  Isabella~

  All week long I had been thinking about moving in with Julian. I knew intellectually that my relationship with Julian was nothing like what happened between my mother and father, but that still didn’t do anything to diminish the fear of losing myself to him.

  I needed my independence.

  I sat at my desk wondering how to reach a medium with Julian. Honestly, the first night we were together, I just thought all his talk about keeping me was sex talk. And everyone knows you can’t believe anything anyone says when they’re naked. I just thought he was really good at pleasuring a woman both physically and mentally. I mean, hell, the man said things that would make any woman believe in love at first sight.

  He had spent all night taking me in ways I had never been had before. Everything he had done to my body was put in the ‘Amazing’ column of my mind. But it wasn’t until he had went home and called me later that day asking me to marry him in lieu of a greeting, that I knew he was more serious than I had given him credit for.

  It was only two weeks later that I realized he was serious when he uttered those two words. When it finally dawned on me that he meant the marriage proposals, I was more scared of the fact that I wanted to say yes than the fact that this man was asking me to marry him after only knowing me two weeks.

  I was pulled out of my musings by a knock on my office door. “Come in,” I welcomed.

  The door opened and in walked one of my senior co-workers. He wasn’t exactly my boss, but he like to act like he was. “You busy?”

  I sat up straighter. “Nothing that can’t be put on pause. What can I help you with, Lyle?”

  He took one of the seats across from my desk and struggled a bit to get comfortable. I purposely chose uncomfortable furniture in my office to limit visitors.

  I know. Awful, right? But if you knew Lyle, you’d totally high five me for that ingenious move.

  “So,” he started as he began smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles in his slacks, “I hear you’re dating Julian Moretti.”

  I leaned back in my chair. “And where did you hear that?”

  “Well, it’s just water cooler talk. But there was that piece in the SFC about Nicholas Savage’s engagement to Avery Ellis. And I remember her visiting you a couple of times. She is your friend, right?”

  I was a little disturbed by how he apparently had paid enough attention to my business to know that Ace has visited me a few times here. And to remember her so well to be able to place her with Nick? What the hell?

  Lyle averted his eyes and started picking off nonexistent lint off his slacks now. “There was also that charity piece with Chase Alexander and he mentioned your other friend, Quinn I believe, in his speech.”

  “I’m not denying my relationship with Julian Moretti, Lyle. I’m just wondering why you’re bringing up Julian’s, Nick’s and Chase’s personal lives with me?”

  He flushed a little, but didn’t back down at my bluntness. “I was just thinking about what a coop it would be if we could get SMA, Global, Inc.’s marketing business.”

  I plastered on my best professional poker face. “SMA has its own marketing firm, and even if they didn’t, Lyle, I would never use my relationship with Julian, Nick or Chase to leech business from them.”

  He bristled and I knew I offended him, but I didn’t care. “That’s the very attitude, that is going to keep you stuck in this office, Isabella. You’ll never move up without taking risks.”

  I placed my elbows on my desk, and clasped my hands in front of me, as I leaned forward. “I disagree, Lyle. Especially, since I was recruited to this promotion from the Sonoma offices. And I was promoted way before I ever knew Julian Moretti.” I was getting pissed. “Also, I know everyone does things in their own way, but I don’t consider asking my boyfriend to throw me some business a ‘risk’. Seems more like some pathetic begging to me.”

  “Or maybe Julian Moretti isn’t as fond of you as you’d like to believe,” he sneered, clearly pissed that I wasn’t going to let him slink his way into an SMA account.

  Making sure I maintained eye contact, I picked up my office phone and dialed Chase’s direct office line. I mean, let’s face it, if I’d dialed Julian, he’d burn Willshire Marketing to the ground. And if I dialed Nick, he’d dial Julian, and both of them would be burning Willshire Marketing to the ground. Chase was my best bet, even though something told me he really wasn’t.

  “Chase Alexander,” he answered.

  “Chase, it’s Isabella,” I said, as I noticed Lyle’s color wan a bit.

  “Hey, Iz, what’s doing?”

  I smiled. I couldn’t help it. I was pissed at Lyle, but Chase’s friendly voice cooled me a bit. “I have you on speaker, if that’s alright.”

  Chase was smart. He knew something was up. “No problem. What can I help you with?”

  “My co-worker, Lyle, is in my office suggesting I use my relationship with Julian and my connections to you and Nick to rouse some marketing business from SMA.”

  Chase’s voice turned icy. “Did he now?”

  “Yes. When I explained that I would never abuse my relationship with any of you to leech business for Willshire, he then suggested I would never amount to more if I didn’t take risks.”

  “I see.”

  “When I went on to further explain that I didn’t consider asking my boyfriend for his business a real risk, he then implied that Julian must not be as fond of me as I’d like to believe and maybe that is why I won’t ask.” My eyes never left Lyle’s and he was squirming now.

  Chase was silent for so long, I thought I had lost the call. He finally spoke, “And you called me because I’m a one to Nick’s five to Julian’s ten?”

  Lyle had no idea what Chase was referencing, but I knew he was referring to their temperamental knee-jerk reactions. “Exactly,” I confirmed.

  However, it looked like I was wrong. “I’ll put in a call to acquire Willshire Marketing and run it to the ground until everyone loses their jobs.” Lyle gasped like the pussy he was. “I’ll be sure to include in our buyout that they all have Lyle to thank for this.”

  It was extreme, but I guess it was better than burning down the building with everyone in it as I suspect Julian would have done. “You do realize that would leave me out of a job, as well, right?” I teased.

  I knew this next
part was for Lyle’s benefit. “Doesn’t matter, Iz. You don’t need to work. Julian’s billions are your billions.”

  “Thanks, Chase, but let’s hold off on dismantling Willshire. I’m sure Lyle was just confused,” I smirked.

  “Anything you say, Iz.”

  “I’ll talk to you later, Chase.”

  “You too, Izzy.”

  I hit the speaker button, disconnecting the call and giving my complete attention back to Lyle. “Was there anything else you wanted to discuss, Lyle?”

  “Uh, sorry, Isabella…uh, my mistake.” That was all he said as he stood up and walked out of my office.

  The door hadn’t even shut behind Lyle, when my phone dinged with a text message.

  U’ll explain 2night.

  I fired off a quick response, lest Julian does show up and burn this place down.

  Of course.

  The rest of my day went off without any more fanfare. I was tired and just over it as I walked out of the elevator on my condo floor. Good thing it was drinks and karaoke tonight at The Shack.

  I was just passing my neighbors door when it opened and he stepped out holding a vase of familiar flowers. “Hey, Isabella.”

  I stumbled a bit. “Hey, Peter. How’s it going?”

  “Great,” he smiled. “Oh, hey, I came home and found these in front of your door. They looked really expensive and I was afraid someone might take them if they saw them just sitting there.

  He thrust his arms out for me to take the flowers and I almost retreated with a cringe.

  He-or she- knew where I lived??

  I didn’t want to drag Peter into my drama, so I took the flowers, even though I didn’t want to. “Thanks, Peter, that’s really nice of you.”

  “Your secret admirer must really admire you,” he teased.

  I didn’t want to talk about it. “Yeah, he must.” I held the flowers to my chest. “Uh, I should get these inside before I drop them. They’re kind of heavy.”

  “Oh, yeah, sure.” He went to go back into this condo. “Talk to you later, Isabella.”