Page 36 of Isabelle’s Forbidden Love

Orlando pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “Isa, baby, I wish I’d come to San Francisco earlier.”

“You’re here now. The night when you asked my father for a job, I felt truly safe for the first time since the kidnapping. I felt myself relax when you were near. I could finally stop looking over my shoulder, because I knew you’d have my back. And when you were injured, and I licked your wounds, I thought I’d made you angry. And I realized something else that night: I realized that I wanted you for more than just protection.”

She lifted her head to look into his face. His eyes were shimmering golden again.

“Isabelle,” he murmured and shifted so he could bring his lips to hers. “I don’t deserve you. What if you find out one day that I’m not the man you thought me to be?”

“Then I will learn to love that man too.”

Surprise flickered in his eyes, and she suddenly realized what she’d said. But she had no intention of taking back those words. They were the truth.

“Isa—”

She stopped him by pressing her mouth to his. Instantly, his lips parted, and he kissed her deeply, while he shifted on the bed until she was buried under his body again, and Orlando was plunging his rock-hard erection into her still wet pussy.

* * *

It was late morning, when Orlando stirred, realizing that something was different: the warm body he’d felt snuggled up to him while he’d slept soundly was gone. He opened his eyes, and immediately let them roam in the semi-darkness of his bedroom. He noticed that the door to the bathroom was closed, and he heard the sound of water. A sigh of relief freed itself from his chest. Isabelle was still here.

He was about to get up, when a cell phone rang. He glanced at the phone that lay on his bedside table, but the ringing didn’t come from there. He rose and dug into the jacket he’d carelessly tossed on a chair the night before and dug his burner phone from it. One look at the display, and he answered the call.

“Craig?”

“Hey, hope I’m not catching you at a bad time.”

The bathroom door opened, and Isabelle stepped out, her long hair wet, a towel wrapped around her that barely covered her torso. For an instant, the lovely sight distracted him. He could get used to seeing her like this every time he woke up.

“Uhm, no, not at all.” He patted the bed to indicate for Isabelle to sit next to him so she could listen to both sides of the conversation. She sat down close to him, one arm around his back, her ear next to the cell phone. “You have news?”

“I do. Like I said, it was a long shot. No match in AFIS. I’m sorry.”

Disappointment, but not surprise, rushed through him. “Thanks for trying.”

Before he could disconnect the call, Isabelle lifted her hand.

“Hold on a sec, Craig.” Orlando moved the cell phone to the other side, then leaned to Isabelle and whispered, “What?”

“Have him send you an electronic file with the fingerprints he found. I can run them through IAFIS.”

Orlando hesitated. “But Scanguards will find out.”

She shook her head. “I’ll be careful. Do it.”

He pulled the cell phone back to his ear. “Ahm, Craig, could you please send me the file with the fingerprints you found? You’ve got my email?”

Craig sighed. “I can, but I don’t know what you’re gonna be able to do with them. If I can’t run them through the FBI’s database, then how will you do that?”

“I’ll figure something out.”

“All right. I’ll email ‘em to you right away. We good?”

“We’re good. Thanks, Craig.”

“You bet.”

Orlando disconnected the call. “Listen, Isa.” He took her hands into his. “You don’t have to do this. I don’t want you to have to sneak around behind your father’s back.”

“Trust me, I’m well versed in every discipline Scanguards uses. I have high-level access. I can do this.” She squeezed his hands to emphasize her words.