Chapter 221
Isla’s fork paused mid–air as she glared at him. “I’m not going
anywhere with you.”
Graham barely looked up, taking another measured bite of the corned
beef, savoring it like a man with all the time in the world. “Yes, you
are. You’re coming with me to New York this Wednesday. I have work
to do, and you’ll be accompanying me.”
Her jaw tightened. “Why can’t I just stay here?”
“Because,” he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin before fixing her with a steady, unyielding gaze, “you’ve already proven how unreliable
you are when left alone. What’s to stop you from bolting like a
spooked horse the moment I turn my back?”
Her temper flared. “And what if I did? I’m an adult. I can do as I
please.”
The second the words left her mouth, Isla regretted them. She
watched as Graham’s expression shifted, his dark eyes sweeping over
her with a deliberate slowness that felt like a physical touch. It wasn’t
just a glance–it was an assessment, a knowing, lingering look that
started at her flushed face and trailed down her body as if he could
see through every layer of fabric.
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Chapter 221
“An adult, hmm?” he murmured, setting his glass down with an audible clink. There was a wicked gleam in his eyes now, a spark of
heat that made her skin prickle. “I wonder if you could really
please…”
Her face went crimson, the double meaning in his words striking her
like a lightning bolt. She opened her mouth to retort but found
herself speechless, trapped in the smoldering intensity of his gaze.
Graham leaned back in his chair, his long fingers tracing idle circles
around the rim of his glass. He was toying with her, letting the
tension build between them, watching as she squirmed under the
weight of his unspoken challenge. A part of him was sorely tempted to reach across the table, grab that delicate wrist of hers, and pull her into his lap. The image was vivid in his mind: her soft curves pressed against him, her breath hitching as his hands explored every inch of
her.
But no. Patience. He needed patience. She was as skittish as a doe,
ready to bolt at the first sign of a wrong move. He couldn’t afford to
spook her–not yet.
Isla was far from pleased. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
“No,” Graham replied, his tone calm yet sharp. “I know exactly what
you meant. Doing whatever you like, even if it ends with you dead in a
ditch?” He took another bite of the potatoes on his plate, his casual
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Chapter 221
demeanor a stark contrast to the tension simmering in the air.
“I didn’t end up in a ditch,” she argued, but her voice lacked
conviction, and they both knew it.
“You were living in a rundown, creepy guesthouse and were saved by
sheer luck from being raped or worse. Do you not understand how
close you came to disaster?” His gaze pinned her in place, sharp and
unforgiving, and for reasons she couldn’t fully understand, it made
her feel a flicker of shame.
Isla looked away, her fingers curling around the edge of her plate. She
couldn’t meet his eyes, couldn’t bear to see the disappointment–or
worse, the truth–in them. But Graham wasn’t about to let her
retreat.
He rapped his knuckles on the table, hard enough to make the dishes
rattle. The vibration startled her, and her head snapped up. His dark
eyes bore into hers, unwavering and resolute. “Look at me when I’m
speaking to you,” he said, his voice firm but not unkind. “You are my
responsibility now, and I’m going to make damn sure you’re safe and
protected.”
She swallowed hard, her throat tight. “What if I promise not to leave
Thornfield Manor while you’re gone?” Her voice wavered with unshed
tears, a vulnerability she tried but failed to hide. “Can I stay here
then?”
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Chapter 221
For a moment, something flickered in Graham’s expression–regret,
maybe, or guilt. He heard the tremble in her voice, saw the sheen of
tears in her eyes, and it struck a chord in him that he couldn’t quite
explain. He hated seeing her like this, feeling like this, and knowing
that he was the cause of it.
“I give you my word,” Isla added quickly, as if afraid he hadn’t heard
her. Her desperation was clear, and it twisted something inside him.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
