Womanizer (Spoilt) (7 page)

“
When
.”

“When.”
He smiled.

Mitch poured them some wine
, and as he handed her a glass, he gestured for her to take a seat.

“I’m cooking some steak on the barbecue and have made a salad. It isn’t much but it’s about all I can cook.” His cheeks flushed again and Isabelle’s heart flip flopped.

“Sounds good to me. I can’t remember the last time I had steak.”

“You’re doing it tough
, aren’t you?” His voice held no judgment or pity, just compassion, yet she couldn’t help but feel guarded about her private life. If she was honest with herself she also felt a little embarrassed.

“You could say that.”

“Please don’t be offended. I’ve been lucky and given great opportunities with work and a family who provided well for us. Not everyone is that fortunate. I worked hard to buy this place but I’ve also never had to struggle.”

“It has been difficult to sacrifice my dreams
, but Jesse has been worth it.”

“I understand that in a way. I had to put on hold my asp
irations. Being a struggling artist didn’t appeal all that much to me.” He offered a cheeky grin. “I have saved quite a bit of money from my freelance work but not enough to live on and buy a house. I’m almost there now. Just gotta find a gallery that will exhibit my work.”

“You will.” She smiled.

“One day you’ll be able to finish your studies. You can’t give up.”

“I hope so.” She paused for a moment. “Are you using any of the pieces from your freelance work in your portfolio?”

“No.” There was a hard edge to his voice and she wondered if she had offended him when he spoke again. “I try and forget that part of my life.”

“Oh.”

“I worked in a lot of war stricken countries and I wouldn’t wish the sights I saw on my worst enemy.”

“I’m sorry, Mitch.”

“It’s all good. It helped me to grow up a lot. When I went over there I was an innocent rich kid who took his life for granted.” He paused. “Though I guess I didn’t grow up that much.” Pink colored his cheeks again.

“I don’t care about the things you did, Mitch. At first I admi
t it did put me off, the womanizing thing, but there is more to you than that.”

“I guess.” He shrugged. “Anyway, I don’t know about you but I’m hungry. Stay put, I’ll be back.”

Mitch disappeared inside, bringing back with him a plate holding two mouth-watering steaks. Isabelle pulled her chair closer to him while he cooked and they chatted about their favorite authors and movies. They ate on the balcony and Isabelle was impressed by his barbecuing and salad making skills as it tasted even better than it looked. After dinner they finished the wine, and with prompting from Isabelle, Mitch told her about the places he’d visited and the good and bad aspects of his work. His face showed the toll of his experiences and she couldn’t help but wonder whether his bed hopping was his way of dealing with the horrors that plagued him.

Realiz
ing how time seemed to fly with Mitch, she hadn’t noticed the late hour and decided she should head home. Once again they walked hand in hand, but this time neither of them felt the need to speak, enjoying the company. The walk seemed far too short and before she knew it they were walking up the path to her apartment. At the door they stood staring at each other and Isabelle knew he didn’t want the evening to end as much as she didn’t.  Their heated kisses and urgent hands sent shivers over her skin and it took everything she had to say goodnight. They arranged to see each other again the following afternoon and evening. With one last kiss, Isabelle sent him a reluctant wave and went inside.

Tiptoeing to her room she went over to check on her little man and returned the covers he’d kicked off during sleep. Isabelle decided, at that moment, to bring Jesse along on her date with Mitch the following day.

As she brushed the curls from her angel’s forehead, she hoped she wasn’t making a mistake.

Chapter Nine

Jesse

The morning went too slow for both Isabelle and Jesse, who was excited about meeting Mitch. He’d already asked what seemed like hundreds of questions about him and thought it interesting that he took photographs. At last the time came for Mitch to arrive, and when the knock at the door sounded, it was Jesse who raced to the door with Isabelle in tow.

Mitch was waiting outside nervously as the door opened to reveal a very blonde curly-haired boy with big blue eyes staring up at him. Mitch thought he must look like his father as their appeared to be no resemblance to Isabelle until he smiled and he recognized the same wide, friendly smile. Seeing Jesse surprised him but he realized that Isabelle may have planned to bring Jesse with them today and he was thrilled. He was fully aware of how much she trusted him now. This made him more determined to be a better man for her and her family.

He watched as Isabelle approached behind her son
, appearing fresh-faced and casually beautiful with her hair tied up, her flowing summery dress in yellow complementing her skin and hair. How much longer could he control his desire for her?

“Hello, I’m Jesse.”

“Hey, Jesse. I’m Mitch. It’s nice to meet you.”

Mitch shook his small hand and he couldn’t help but notice that it thrilled Jesse. Just like his nephew, he appeared to enjoy being treated as a ‘grown up’.

Mitch’s wink over Jesse’s shoulder caused Isabelle’s blood to rush and she discovered it was a feeling she could get used to and look forward too. The thrill of seeing him seemed to increase each time and she welcomed it. He looked fantastic again and she began to wonder how much longer she would be able to resist him and be content with kisses, even if they were knee buckling ones. She craved to feel his hard smooth skin beneath his shirt.

They strolled to the park with Jesse between them holding their hands. Every now and again he would count down from three before jumping high with their aid. When they reached the park, Jesse raced off towards the playground as was customary while Isabelle and Mitch located a nice shady spot close by. Mitch sat as close as suitably possible in a public park.

“He has your smile,” he said quietly.

“Yes but the rest is Adrian. It was difficult at first, the constant reminder. Now I’m just happy that there is something left of Adrian in the world. I cared deeply about him but I was never in love with him. We were best friends who occasionally ... well, you know.” She smiled. “Jesse was so young when he died and it is sad he never got to know him. He needs a father figure so much.”

“Well
, if it helps, I plan to hang around, Izzy. You and Jesse are just what I have been searching for and I don’t intend to let that go.”

The endearment caused her lips to lift and she made a decision then and there. “I want to stay with you tonight,” she whispered in his ear.

Mitch wasn’t sure he’d heard her right. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“What about Jesse?”

“I’ll tell him I’m going to a sleep over.” She grinned.

His pulse raced as he thought of touching her beautiful bronzed body. He was just about to lean over to steal a kiss when Jesse ran back and landed himself in front of them.

“What’s in the bag?” he asked Mitch.

“Jesse!” Isabelle protested.

“It’s OK,” Mitch said. “I brought one of my cameras with me,” he told Jesse.

“Can you take some photos of us?”

“That was the plan,” he said, pulling his camera from the bag.

Jesse went over to his mother and sat down on her crossed legs before hugging her around the neck and gazing up at her. When she looked down at him, Mitch captured the moment.

“We weren’t ready,” Jesse protested.

“That’s the idea, Jesse. Natural photos are better than when you pose.” Bringing up the photos on the camera screen, Mitch said, “Here, see for yourself.”

Jesse leapt up and plopped himself onto Mitch’s lap. As Mitch scanned through, Jesse looked at the pictures
, enthralled, while Isabelle watched her son sitting with the man she was falling in love with. He appeared to be a natural with children and relief swelled her heart. When she had told Mitch she wanted to stay with him, she knew it had been a hasty decision, but once said, knew it was the right one. Now that Jesse had met and obviously liked Mitch she felt much happier.

While they played and ran in the park, Mitch continued to take shots of them singularly and together. They photographed beautifully as a twosome due to their contrasting coloring. As he watched Isabelle with her son, his heart warmed and his affection grew.

This hard-
working professional model was simply a mother supporting and adoring her little boy. He wanted to do everything he could to help her somehow fulfill her dreams and he hoped one day she would allow him to do just that.

They left the park just before sunset and decided to have Jesse’s favo
rite for dinner - pizza - a luxury he rarely enjoyed. Isabelle appreciated Mitch’s gesture and his insistence on paying the bill. Pizza was not in her budget. After consuming more than his share of their family pizza, Isabelle decided he was ready for bed. Several protests later, and after much resistance, she finally - with the help of an ice cream - convinced him it was time to leave. Subsequent to several goodnights to Mitch, and one last browse through the day’s photos, Isabelle coaxed Jesse to bed while determining the best approach regarding her impending night away.

“Jesse
, honey, how would you feel if Mummy had a sleep over with Mitch?”

“Here?” She couldn’t help but miss the hope in his voice and smiled.

“No, sweetie, at Mitch’s house.”

“Will you be her
e in the morning?” he asked, rubbing tired eyes.

“Probably not before you wake up but Nan will be here.”

“That’s OK, Mummy. I like Mitch. Why do you want to stay at his house?”

“Well I guess I like him too and would like to spend some time with him.”

“Can I see him again soon?” His little hand reached up to touch her face and her heart swelled with pride.

“Yes, honey, you can. Right now
, though, it’s time for bed. I’ll be back after breakfast, before I go to work, OK?”

“OK, Mummy. I love you.”

“Love you lots, Jesse.”

Leaning over, Isabelle kissed his cheek and after sufficient cuddles, tucked him in. He rolled over and promptly dropped off to sleep. Isabelle watched the rise and fall of his chest for several minutes, amazed by her wonderful and understanding son.

Isabelle snuck from the room and came out to find her mother laughing quietly with Mitch. It seemed his charm had won her over and the relief filled her. She appeared to be won over.

“I’ll be home before work tomorrow,” she said as she approached them.

“No rush, dear. Have fun.”  Carol winked which caused her daughter to blush.

The colo
r in Isabelle’s cheeks was almost Mitch’s undoing and the urge to touch her, to love her overwhelmed him. He grabbed her hand and with a swift goodbye to Carol pulled Isabelle towards the door. Her soft chuckle could be heard as he closed the door behind them.

When they entered Mitch’s apartment he took her bag and offered her a drink as he walked towards the kitchen.

“No, thanks,” she whispered in his ear.

His response was to drop her bag and turn to face her. Neither of them moved, nor spoke, for endless moments, both taking in every feature of each other’s faces. Mitch noticed her eyes had become a deep green color and there was no mistaking the look within them, as it mirrored his.

Staring into his incredible blue eyes, Isabelle became overcome with desire but found
herself unable to move. It had been a while since she had ventured here, and him, well she knew he’d had plenty of practice and this struck her with nerves. Would she be enough in comparison to all those other beautiful women? Before she could allow her nervousness to take over, she let her desire win. She threw her arms around his neck and sought his lips with passionate abandonment.

When she kissed him
, his desire threatened to consume him and it took all of his control not to take her then and there on the kitchen floor. Pulling her hair free, he buried his hands in the thick silkiness. Her hands were at his back tugging at his t-shirt.

“I have to touch you,” she said between kisses.

Tugging his shirt off for her, he proceeded to kiss her neck while she ran her hands over his chest and shoulders, heating his skin.

“Let’s go upstairs,” he said in a deep hungry tone.

He took her hand and guided her to his bedroom. She remembered he hadn’t shown her this part of the house the previous evening but was too dazed to pay attention to her surroundings. Nerves almost threatened to overcome her as he eased her backwards towards his bed, hot kisses tracing the line of her neck and shoulder. After unzipping her dress and removing the straps from her shoulders, he followed the path with his eyes as it fell to the floor.