Chapter 10

JAX

Last night, I didn't hear Ash so I couldn't ask him how his evening went.

Knox and I wait patiently for him to deign to come out of his lair.

"How much longer do you think he's going to make us wait? He's up, I heard noises coming from his room."

"I know. You know how he likes to play on other people's nerves." I reply, pouring myself a cup of coffee.

"We could find an excuse to go downstairs and..."

"Don't bullshit me. We've got to give her some space. She just got divorced. If we keep coming down on her, she's going to be overwhelmed and that won't work in our favor."

"He's right." Our big brother confirms as he enters the kitchen. "But last night she didn't seem overwhelmed to me." He adds with a smirk. He pours himself a cup of coffee and starts taking eggs to cook.

"Are you fucking serious? Are you going to wait for us to interrogate you and tell us what we want to know?"

He beats the eggs with his back to us. "Where do you want me to start? We talked, almost kissed, danced, I walked her home and she thought I was going to fuck her. So, dear brothers? What do you want to know?" The arrogant fuck tells us.

"Everything. From the beginning." I answer him seriously.

He gives us a detailed summary of his evening with Isabella. The fucker has thought of everything to make sure everything goes in his favor. That's part of why I admire him. He always knows what he wants and he's not afraid to do whatever it takes to get it. After what he told me, I'm even more eager to get to know her and find out what that jerk of an ex-husband did to her to make her lack confidence.

"It confirms what we already knew. We need to go easy on her. We need to think long term." I tell them.

"Shit, she thought you were going home with her. Do you think she would have let you?" Knox asks him.

"I don't think so, I'm sure." He pauses. taking a bite of an omelet. "But Jax is right, you have to take it slow. That jerk gave her a run for her money." He frowns. "I hope for his sake I never run into him."

He was looking for any excuse to wipe him off the map. He said it was because of the way Isabella had been treated, when in fact it must have been because they had been married. She chose him then and she could choose him again.

ISABELLA

The week flew by. I spent my time between work and Alex, who came home two nights in a row. There are not only advantages to sharing. He told me that being in a peaceful place wasn't so bad from time to time. I'm still behind my screen when the doorbell rings. I leave my office with a sigh and open the front door.

Alex raises an eyebrow when I discover him on the other side. "You're not going to your date dressed like that, are you?"

Oh fuck my date with Jax. I'd completely forgotten. I haven't run into any of the Black brothers this week and I haven't heard anything. Which isn't surprising since we haven't gotten past the number exchange stage.

"I completely forgot. Maybe it just doesn't make sense anymore." I tell him and he shakes his head as he enters.

"Cut the crap. Let's go pick out your outfit. I knew I was doing the right thing coming in." He announces as he passes me and goes straight to my room.

He goes through my clothes with a disapproving look. "Remind me to go shopping with you soon." He sighs again as his eyes light up. He turns around with a red dress in his hand and a huge smile on his face.

" No way," I tell him firmly.

"Yes, there is. It's the perfect dress."

"No. We're only going to see my breasts."

"Exactly. That's why it's the perfect dress." He replies, wiggling his eyebrows. "It's about time there was some action down south." He adds, pointing to my crotch.

I roll my eyes. "That's all you're interested in, my sex life."

"No, I'm interested in your life in general. Try this on." He throws the dress at me and I catch it in midair, wincing.

As I put on the dress in my bedroom, I hear Alex talking to me from the living room.

"By the way, didn't Mr. Dickhead invite you to the restaurant tonight?"

"Ah, shit. I'd completely forgotten... not that I was planning to go."

"Do you think he remembers that your favorite restaurant is La Trattoria?"

I snort." I doubt it. He couldn't even remember my favorite flowers."

"I'm sorry, Isa. I shouldn't have mentioned him. Did you try on the dress? Show me." He tells me to change the subject.

I look in the mirror and don't think I look so bad. One thing Dom wasn't wrong about, red really is my color.

"Don't do anything you don't want to do, okay?" Alex tells me seriously outside the door, before leaving.

"Seriously? I thought I was supposed to enjoy life..."

"Yes, you have to enjoy it, but what I wanted you to understand is... you deserve the best in life, so don't put up any barriers. You're free to do whatever you want, so don't feel guilty and go for it." He kisses me on the forehead and before I can say anything, he's already getting on the elevator.

I close the door behind him.

He's right, I look hot in my dress and I've got a date with a hunk. I take a deep breath and there's a knock on the door.

The look on Jax's face when I open the door confirms my thoughts exactly.

"Fuck me." He says, breathless.

I smile shyly at him. "Does that mean I'm pretty?"

"Pretty? You're a lot more than that." He says seriously and I feel like I've forgotten to breathe for a moment. "Here, this is for you." He hands me a bouquet of white lilies. My favorite flowers. Is this a sign?