Chapter 16
Isabella
The meeting went as planned, and I was confident our team had things under control here. Dante’s consulting team was invaluable, and the research they provided was stellar. This man was a godsend. After everything had concluded, I retreated to my suite at the hotel. I was left with my thoughts. I kept thinking about that damned letter.
It seemed silly to suggest Nathan would have some other motive for marrying me besides love. But lately, things had been different. Perhaps I was just thinking about it too much. I probably should just clear my mind of it.
After the display Maya put on during our flight here, I had her apologize to both Dante and Gaspard. I told her there would be no alcohol on the way back home, at least none for her. I didn’t want her aggressive flirtation to scare off Dante. We were planning to meet up at a nightclub for some leisure activity after that daylong meeting. Apparently, Dante owned real estate here, and the club he was taking us to already had the VIP section ready for our arrival. I didn’t feel like going out, but I didn’t want to appear rude or seem like a killjoy.
Besides, maybe I could try to extract information from Gaspard on what their real motives were for my company. I was sure once the drinks started flowing, the truth would come out. More importantly, Maya and I could throw some ideas around to figure out who was sending me these letters.
My husband hadn’t called me since I’d arrived here, and each time I tried to call him, it went directly to voicemail. I hoped nothing had happened to him. He was probably sleeping during the day as usual and just missed my calls. That didn’t explain why he hadn’t called me back though. Maybe I would give him a call when I got back from the nightclub. He should be up by then.
“Are you ready?” Maya asked, knocking on my door. I looked through the peephole and Gaspard was by her side. I didn’t see Dante there, however.
“Give me a minute,” I shouted, putting on a burgundy velvet maxi dress. It was sleeveless and hugged my curves. Maya had picked it out for me. I’d never thought we would be going out on this business trip, so I hadn’t bothered to bring any clothing for the occasion. Luckily, Maya was a fashion guru and packed everything I might need if the opportunity presented itself. She always thought ahead, and despite her drunken display on the way here, I was glad she’d come along. Otherwise, I would have been stuck wearing one of my business suits or just jeans and a T-shirt to the nightclub.
“Isabella, come on, let’s go,” she said.
“I said give me a minute,” I shouted again. They sure seemed to be in a rush. All gussied up and prepared to hit the nightlife of Seoul, I opened the door to greet the impatient duo.
“You look amazing. I knew that dress would fit you,” she said, clearing the hair off my face. Gaspard’s jaw dropped with the look of a stunned deer in the middle of the road. I guess he liked the dress more than Maya did.
“Where’s Dante?’ I asked, trying to get Gaspard to snap out of his daze.
“He’s on his way,” he said. We took the elevator downstairs and exited out the front entrance. To no one’s surprise, there was a stretch limousine waiting for us right outside of the hotel. Gaspard grabbed Maya’s hand to help her into the back seat. As I went to join her, Gaspard put his hand on my shoulder and slowly pushed me away. He grabbed my hand and put his lips close to my ear.
“Dante wants you to meet him on the roof. Take this key and hand it to the manager of this hotel. He’s standing right over there waiting for you.” He placed the key in my hand. I looked at him with confusion.
“Are you two coming or not?” asked Maya.
“Please, if you don’t hurry, you’ll miss the opportunity to see his entrance. We’ll meet you at the nightclub later,” he said.
“Whose entrance? Dante’s?” I asked, still confused.
“Right this way, ma’am,” said the hotel manager, sweeping me away in haste. I looked back, and Gaspard had already closed the door to the limo.
“What is this about?” I asked the manager.
“No idea,” he said. He hurried me to the elevator, put the key into the panel, and turned it. I felt as if my world were spinning. The more time progressed, the more I found Dante to be the secretive type, full of surprises. We made it to the roof. The manager took the key out of the wall and gave it to me. I walked out of the elevator, but he didn’t follow. The elevator doors closed, leaving me on the roof by myself.
“Wait!” I screamed, but he was already gone. The sky above glistened with stars, and the wind blew my hair all out of position. What in the blue hell was going on? There was nothing up here. Were they planning to keep me up here while they took over my company or something? That’s when it started to rain. I was going to be pissed if this dress was ruined while I waited out here.
Gazing at what few stars I could see, I noticed something approaching in the distance. It sounded like a helicopter. The closer it got, the more I could make it out. To my surprise, it was a helicopter. I backed away as the aircraft landed, holding my hair and dress with each hand. Dante was at the helm. I would never have thought he knew how to fly a helicopter.
He shut the engine down, and the rotor blades slowed. Once the blades stopped completely, he disembarked. This stunning man was wearing a black Brioni Vanquish II suit. He looked so elegant, so sophisticated, so . . . handsome. The wind blew his enchanting scent toward me as he approached. It almost made me blush. What was this man doing?
“Hello, Mrs. Williams. Are you ready to go for a ride?” he asked, smiling his cute smile. That feeling came to me for a second time. The same feeling as when I first saw him. My palms became sweaty once again.
My head was spinning out of control. All these emotions and doubts were swirling around me, crumbling my inhibitions. The letters, my husband, and now him. I could be reading more into this than there was, but why else would he separate Maya and his business manager from us? Could it really be him?
“Isabella, is everything all right? I hope I haven’t stunned you with the suddenness of my offer. I was just hoping we could talk a little without distraction. I thought maybe we could get to know one another on a more personal level. It would be beneficial to the both of us if we knew more about each other, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, sure,” I said nervously. He advanced to me, took my hand, and pulled me closer. The sweat on my palm must have soaked his hand, yet he seemed not to care. He couldn’t take his eyes off me, and each time he looked at my face, his eyes lit up with joy. What was happening? I had never been able to differentiate when a man was flirting or just being nice, and in this instance, I was just as confused as ever. He knew I was a married woman. What could he be thinking? Should I just go along with it?
“Have you ever flown in a helicopter before?” he asked.
“Yes, sometimes the traffic in California can get quite congested, and often I hitch a ride to work by helicopter.”
“Perfect. Then please let us take this ride together.”
“I’ve never flown at night, though.”
“There’s a first time for everything,” he said, moving the hair out of my face and helping me into my seat. My heart began to thump faster as he started the engine and prepared to take us out into the night sky. Then my phone rang. It was Maya.
“Go ahead and answer it,” he said.
I could barely hear as it was with the engine from the helicopter going full throttle, but I swiped left and put the phone to my ear. “Hello! Hello!” I heard Maya scream.
“Hello, yes, I’m here,” I replied.
“Where in the hell are you?”
“I’m with Dante. We’re about to go on a ride in his helicopter!”
“What? Let me talk to—” she said before the signal was lost.
“Are you ready?” he asked, lifting us into the air. Nervous, I fumbled my phone and dropped it onto the roof of the hotel.
“Oh, crap!” I shouted.
“Don’t worry. We’ll get it later,” he said. “Hold on!” We climbed higher into the night sky. The stars lit up, and the city lights were more beautiful than anything I could have imagined. I turned to look at him, with his stern, strong face. He glanced over at me for a moment and smiled. My heart dropped.
There was only so much emotion one woman could take. He winked at me before nose-diving us toward the water. Terrified, I held on for my life, mouth gaping as he pulled up right above the watery terrain. I couldn’t believe my eyes as I looked down into the water to see various glowing fish swimming all around us. Colors of green, gold, red, and white all illuminated the water.
“Beautiful, isn’t it? I had those fish put there for this moment. I hope you like them,” he said calmly. I turned to him and smiled.
“Yes. They’re beautiful.” Beautiful was an understatement. It was one of the most gorgeous displays I had ever seen.
He took us back into the air and leveled us off. “I hope you’re enjoying yourself, Isabella. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.”
“I am enjoying myself. Thank you so much for this,” I said, grasping at my dress so it didn’t flare up. I wondered what he meant when he said he’d been waiting for this for a long time. Maybe he’d been planning this from the start.
I was probably overthinking things again. In any event, I was having the time of my life. It had been a long time since I’d enjoyed myself. What was supposed to be a business trip had turned into a mini-vacation. I was so thankful for all the things he had done for me. My mind was in a cloud of confusion until now. Dante had released the euphoria within me, and I thanked him for that.
“Look, over there; that’s where we’re going,” he said, pointing to a building with shining neon lights. We drew nearer, and I saw a team of people on the roof awaiting our arrival. “These lights remind me of a dream I once had where I was surrounded by cherry blossoms,” I thought I heard him say.
“What did you just say?” I exclaimed.
“Uhhh . . . I said these lights remind me of a dream I had where I was being fed cherries in a plane of blossoming flowers,” he said nervously. I thought my mind must have been playing tricks on me because I could have sworn he described a scene in one of the letters I received. Nah, it couldn’t be him. I must be hearing things.
We landed on the rooftop and disembarked. Waiters and hosts greeted us. The ride here gave me quite an appetite, and there was a spread of various dishes on the table for us to try. Dante had already pulled out a seat for me. I sat in the chair and noticed him staring into my eyes. The way things were looking, I was getting the impression he might be trying to seduce me. I just didn’t understand why, if that was the case. He was one of the wealthiest men in the world, and he could have any woman he wanted. I thought I should allow the night to play through and see where things went.
“You have a knack for daydreaming,” he said.
I blinked and focused my eyes on him. “I’m sorry. I was just thinking about some things.”
“Such as?”
“It’s not important.” I deflected so I wouldn’t have to go into detail about my dilemma.
“Whatever you may be thinking, Isabella, rest assured you can share it with me. I would like for us to be very close and open with each other,” he said with his eyes gleaming. Once again, he couldn’t keep them off me. What was it with those eyes that made my heart race? There was something about him that made him seem so familiar—so intense. His commanding voice, firm posture, and confidence were forcing me to form an attraction unlike anything I had ever experienced, not even with my husband as of late. Why couldn’t he take his eyes off me? They were making me weak and flustered as if I could explode at any minute.
It’ll be all right, Isabella. Just think about Nathan. Your loving husband who emotionally abused you and treated you like crap. Yes, think about him.
“Are you not hungry?” he asked, snapping me back into reality.
“I’m so sorry, Dante. My mind is somewhere else.”
“Please, by all means, Isabella, tell me what’s on your mind, if it will help you eat.”
“I don’t know if I should.”
“I believe honesty and openness to be two good traits to have in any successful partnership. Besides, having a conversation with you is the reason I brought you here.”
“You brought me here just to talk?”
“Well, of course. Why else would we be here?”
“That’s a relief.”
“What is?”
“This is so embarrassing, but I thought all this, the helicopter ride, the fish, the dinner—everything. I thought you were trying to seduce me.” I blushed.
“Trust me, Isabella, if I were going to seduce you, you would definitely know it,” he said before taking a bite of his gimbap. The way he said that was so sensuous my temperature began to rise. “You needn’t worry, Isabella. I would never interfere in the affairs of a married couple.” I raised my brow. Again, that sounded just like one of the passages in one of the letters I’d gotten.
“Dante, would you mind if I saw your handwriting?” I asked.
“My handwriting? For what reason?”
“Please, Dante?”
“Okay,” he said, pulling out a pen from his pocket. “What would you like me to write?”
“Write my name.”
He gave a slight smile. “Whatever you say.” As he wrote, I noticed something strange in his hand positions. “Dante, I saw you eating with your right hand, yet you write with your left?”
“Yes, I’m ambidextrous.”
“Do you usually write with your left hand?”
“Yes, most of the time. There you go,” he said, handing me the napkin. His handwriting was completely different from that of the letters I received. If I were to ask him to write it again with his right hand, I wondered what his reaction would be.
“If seeing my handwriting was the thing that was bothering you, then I hope you’re now satisfied. Try the kimchi; I hear it’s rather spicy.” I sighed. I was thinking about this way too much. I was embarrassing myself. His image of me was probably tainted now.
“Dante, I would like to thank you for bringing me here tonight and all the other wonderful things you’ve done for my company and me. I don’t know how to repay you for your kindness.”
“Being close to you is all the reward I need, Isabella,” he whispered. Once more, I could not tell if this man was flirting with me or just being nice. With statements like that, it would seem obvious, but he was hard to read sometimes.
“Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”
“Go for it.” He sipped a glass of water to wash down the kimchi he’d just eaten.
“Are you single?”
He paused. “Well, you can’t get any more personal than that. Yes, I am single.” He chuckled.
“Why?”
“Why? I don’t know. I guess I haven’t found the right one. Or you could say I’m waiting for that right one to become available to me.”
“So, the right one is currently taken.”
“You could say that.”
“Who is she?” I asked. He became silent and started to focus on his meal.
“Dante . . .”
“Yes?”
“Who is she?” I asked again.
“Why do you want to know?”
“Just out of curiosity.”
“If we continue to work together, you will know soon enough.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. When she does become available to me, I will not hesitate to court her. And after I’ve decided she’s the one, I will get down on one knee and present her with a Cracker Jack ring.” He laughed.
“A Cracker Jack ring? You mean those toys that come in those boxes of caramel popcorn?”
“Yes. I want to see what her reaction will be when I slip it on her finger.”
I curled my brow and laughed. “So you say.”
“Well, enough about me. Tell me about you. What is your husband like? Since we’ve known each other, you have never spoken of your husband. Tell me, what does he do for a living?”
I was hesitant to answer those questions. A man of his stature would probably be shocked if I told him about the man I’d married.
“On the ride here Maya told me he’s something of a sadist. I believe cheating bastard was the phrase she used.”
“What?” I exclaimed. I was going to freaking kill her when we got back to the US.
“I’m sorry, Isabella. I hope I didn’t offend you,” he said sympathetically.
“No, please, Dante. You don’t have to apologize for anything. Maya was drunk. I’m sure she didn’t mean it.”
“My apologies again. I shouldn’t have repeated her drunken words. How about you tell me about him so that I can get the correct image of his personality.”
I took the bottle of wine sitting on the table and gulped from it. I was so embarrassed. I needed something to mellow me out. The night went on, and we talked and talked about everything from our relationships to business. I hadn’t had a conversation with someone like this in a very long time.
It was almost as if he could anticipate my words and counter them with sublime poetry—everything my ears needed to hear. I started to feel woozy. The wine had done its job in mellowing me out, but it may have brought with it slurred speech, dizziness, and the overwhelming urge to vomit. The night had been spent, as the sun rose over the city.
“We’ve been out here talking all night,” I said in a slur.
“Yes, and I think you may have had a little too much to drink. Come; let’s go back to the hotel. I don’t think you’d be able to endure a helicopter ride. There’s a limo waiting for us downstairs.”
“Whatever you say, Mr. Bossy-boss.” He laughed at me, and I was stunned. What did I just say? That did not just come out of my mouth. I’d lost all motor control, and Drunken-Isabella had overcome me.
On the ride back, I sat on his lap and curled into a ball, placing my head on his chest. He didn’t seem to mind. I could hear him whispering something to himself, but I couldn’t quite make out what he was saying. He appeared nervous, as if he wanted to confess something. I hoped I wasn’t making him uncomfortable being so close. Either way, I was too drunk to care. My only concern was not throwing up.
We made it back to the hotel, and I’d been restrained enough to keep Drunken-Isabella from vomiting all over his nice suit. We stumbled as we walked to the front door of the hotel and toward the elevator. Sensing I could no longer stand, he scooped me up in his arms and carried me the rest of the way. He opened my door, laid me on the bed, and took my shoes off.
“You’ve given me quite a pleasurable evening, Isabella. Have a nice night, or should I say morning,” he said, laughing. I grabbed him by the arm before he could get too far.
“Dante . . . stay with me. Don’t leave.” He raised his brows and stared at me. What was I saying? Drunken-Isabella was going to get me in trouble.
“Isabella, I can’t stay here. I have to go.”
“You don’t have to go.” Stop it, Isabella.
“Please don’t do this to me. My heart can’t take it. Besides, you’re drunk. You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“I know what I’m saying. Just stay here with me. Don’t walk out that door.” What are you doing, Isabella?
“If I stay here with you, it will torment me. Everything I am will crumble because deep down I know that I—I can’t . . .”
“You can’t what?”
“I can’t have you.”
“So, you want me?” Isabella, what the hell?
“I have to go,” he said sternly. He threw my hand off his cuff and walked toward the door.
“Wait, Dante!” I shouted just as he was about to leave.
“Isabella, please, allow me to go.”
“Just stay with me until I fall asleep.”
He took a deep breath and walked back to me slowly. “I promised myself, I promised myself,” he continuously muttered under his breath.
“Promised what?” I asked.
“Nothing. Let’s just rest,” he said, stroking my hair back. He took off his shoes and climbed into bed with me. I could feel him shivering. He couldn’t be cold, as it was close to seventy-five degrees in here. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close. I hadn’t felt this sensation in years.
I could feel his heartbeat with each passing moment, faster and faster. The heartbeat of someone nervous or someone in love? I closed my eyes and fell into a slumber with his muscular, hard chest pressed against my back, his breath soothing against my neck and hair. Yes, this was the feeling I had been longing for. The warmth and comfort of someone who wanted to hold me as I fell asleep in his arms. We lay on top of this soft, warm bed, slowly falling into each other’s comfort zone. I felt so safe with him. This was exactly what I needed. Thank you, Dante. Thank you . . .