Page 37 of Isabelle’s Forbidden Love

“Promise me something: be careful. If you come across anything that doesn’t look or feel right, stop what you’re doing. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

Isabelle leaned in and kissed him on the spot where she’d bitten him earlier. When she licked over his skin, he pulled her to him. “Damn it, Isabelle, how am I ever gonna get you to listen to me when you do that?”

He was in his right mind to pin her down on the bed and make love to her until she promised never to do anything that would put her in danger.

“But I am listening to you,” she protested and brushed her fangs over his skin. “But you have to listen to me too. I will help you, and you can’t talk me out of it. So don’t waste your time. We need to find out who’s trying to frame you for Hong’s murder. And hopefully that’ll lead us to the person who’s out for blood because of whatever happened in Montreal.”

For a moment, he wondered whether he should tell her the truth, the whole truth about Montreal, so she would understand what she was up against. But it wouldn’t show him in a favorable light and would drive her away. And he couldn’t allow that, not while his enemy was out there. Only once that threat was eliminated, he could tell her the full truth about Montreal—and by then he hoped he’d be strong enough to let her go.

“All right then,” Orlando conceded, in part happy that Isabelle stood her ground, in part worried that he was dragging her even deeper into his screwed-up life. “Then we’d better get going. Can you give me a ride to my mechanic?”

“Scanguards’ garage? Sure. I have to go to the office anyway.”

“No, my car isn’t at Scanguards. I had a mechanic I know tow it. Didn’t want anybody at Scanguards wondering why my Hummer suddenly has four flat tires. People would be asking questions.”

“You’ve got a point. Scanguards is like a little village in itself. Everybody knows about everybody else’s business,” Isabelle mused.

“But they can’t know about mine,” Orlando insisted. “And about you and me.”

“I know.”

“Good.”

“Why don’t you take a shower and get dressed? I’ll get dressed and then get my car. I’m parked a block down from here. I’ll drive it into your garage so you can get in when you’re ready.”

“All right.” He headed toward the bathroom, stark naked. At the door he stopped, but didn’t look over his shoulder. He heard no sounds coming from Isabelle. “Are you checking out my ass?”

“It’s not a crime, is it? And you do have a very bitable ass. It’s hard not to get tempted by such perfection.”

“You know what else is hard?” He felt his cock rise to the challenge.

“I have a pretty good idea. But I’ll behave if you promise me more later.”

Isabelle knew exactly how to tease him.

“I promise.” And he would make good on his promise.

He walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

Forty minutes later, Isabelle drove her baby-blue Thunderbird into the garage of the mechanic who’d done work on Orlando’s Hummer previously. Orlando instructed her to drive all the way into the back of the large work area, where the sun didn’t reach.

Orlando reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone. “Take this. It’s a burner.”

“What for?”

“To communicate with me. I’ve programmed my number in.”

“But I have your number already.”

“Not the one for my burner. Only use this phone when you need to contact me.”

“Do you think that’s really necessary?”

“I like being prepared.”

Isabelle took the burner and dropped it into her handbag. “All right then.” Then she directed her gaze to the mechanics working in the garage. “Does your mechanic know what you are?”

Orlando shook his head. “No, but it doesn’t matter. He’s reliable and he keeps his mouth shut. I trust him.” At least as much as he could trust anybody these days. “You should leave. I don’t want anybody to get suspicious if you’re not where you’re supposed to be.”