Isabella in Pearls

Appearances are everything In Isabella Schofields opinion that is. All her life her family has been the object of gossip and speculation. Isabella is determined to break the cycle. She has turned Keeping Up Appearances into an art form. As a middle school English teacher she is the very definition of reserved respectability. Until one night when her less than respectable brother gets into trouble and she must bail him out, and meets the one man who will turn her staid, boring, respectable life upside-down. Jaysun and Isabella come from two different worlds, can Jaysun find a way to convince her to let go of her respectable life and trust in him? Or will Isabellas need to keep up appearances tear apart the fragile bond that has begun to grow between them?

  Isabella sat in the sleek Mercedes BMW with her arms folded across her chest and stared pointedly out the window. At the end of the drive, he made a left instead of a right. "You're going the wrong way," she said. "No, I'm not." "Yes, you are, I live the other way." "I know," he glanced at her, "I'm taking you to my place." She gaped at him. "Have you lost your mind?" "Quiet, Isabella." "Don't tell me to hush! Turn this car around right now! Take me back to Foxbriar. I am not going home with you." "Yes, you are. "Jaysun Brenton, I don't want to go to your home, in fact, as of this moment, I do not want to be anywhere near you. Take me back now!" she was practically shouting. He slammed on the breaks right in the middle of the street and turned to her. "Isabella- if you don't shut up, I am going to drag you out of this car, toss you on the hood and show you, in front of God and everyone passing by, just how much you really do want to be near me. Understand? " " Fine. Just so you know, I shall be calling a cab as soon as we get there." "Isabella-" "All right, I am hushing," she turned to the window. He wanted quiet? Well, fine he could have quiet. As if this moment she was officially not talking to him. They drove into an older section of the city, Jaysun pulled his car into the garage of a duplex and shut off the engine. He stepped out of the car and came round to her side opening her door for her. She sat stubbornly, her arms folded in front of her breasts. "Get out, Isabella." "No, I want a cab. " "Yeah, you made that really clear. But I'm not calling you one. You can sit out here all damn night, or you can come inside and do it yourself. " She didn't have her mobile, it wouldn't fit in the ridiculous excuse for a purse Karma had foisted off on her. And she didn't believe for one minute Jaysun was going to leave her sitting in the garage all night. He was just itching to heave her over his shoulder, she could tell. And she was not so sure she'd want to stop him if he tried. With a huff she climbed out of the car and allowed him to lead her into his house. In the hall he took off his coat and hung it on the coat tree set in the corner. "Give me your coat," he murmured. "No, thanks, Ill keep it," she replied with a sniff. "Isabella, give me your fucking coat before I tear it off you. " Isabella's temper sparked. She'd just about had her fill of his bossiness. Aware she was acting like a child but frankly not caring, she yanked off her coat and threw it at him, stomping past into the living room in search of the telephone. Jaysun followed her leaving her coat where it lay. "Isabella, I'm warning you. Don't push me," he cautioned. He shucked his suit jacket tossing the expensive garment to the sofa carelessly and removed his tie. She saw the warning but didn't back off. She was absolutely incensed by the way he was acting. What the hell was he thinking dragging her out of the club like some caveman? She was not his property. Isabella prided herself on never loosing her temper, in her world such displays were not tolerated, but here with Jaysun, in his dimly lit living room, rage bubbled up in her; gloriously hot and wild, practically choking her with its intensity. Abandoning the restraint of a lifetime, she snatched a coaster off the end table and hurled it at his head. ------------------- Jaysun knocked it out of his way. His forearm stung; there was real strength behind that pitch. Her anger, like his jealousy had been, was way too intense for the amount of time they'd known each other. It suited her. She quivered from head to toe, her gray eyes dark and stormy, face flushed. She looked hot and fuckable. His body responded, his cock thickening; pressing against his trousers like a heat seeking missile. His plan had been to ease her into bed. He'd looked forward to seducing Isabella. He was good at seduction, hell, he'd had lots of practice. He knew what to say to a woman, how to say it, and how to back it up. But, when he spotted her with Keith, the possessiveness he felt put a halt to all those plans. He never felt such a reaction to a woman before, the raw demanding drive to mark her as his. He wanted her under him naked, wet and yielding, screaming as he pounded into her. The rational part of his brain scoffed, he was heading into trouble here. Isabella was complicated, and usually Jaysun hated complications, with her he couldn't wait to get tangled up. His cock didn't care, it wanted inside her. And now she was throwing things at him in his own home. Three things that did not make for peaceful conflict resolution. Another coaster sailed through the air hitting him square in the chest. "Enough!" he roared, his eyes snapping. He was holding on by a thread, she really needed to back off before things got ugly. "Enough?" Isabella shouted. "Hardly, I have never been so offended in all my life. Carting me about like a sack of potatoes you- you- ASS!" she picked up another coaster drawing her arm back, and flinging it at him with abandon. Jaysun doged the thing. No small feat considering his whole body was going taut with rage and his vision clouding with a red haze. He was going to strip her naked, turn her over his knee and spank some manners into her, right before he fucked her. He jabbed a finger in her direction, "Don't do that again, Isabella," his voice lowering to a growl. The tone registered on Isabella too late, the coaster flew through the air past Jaysun's shoulder to smack against the wall behind him. The sound echoed in the room as they stared at each other. The look in his eyes was terrifying. Furious, predatory, conquering, it cooled Isabella's temper faster than a bucket of cold water. For the first time she realized how precarious her situation really was, he was six inches taller and outweighed her by at least eighty pounds. He could do anything to her. She wet her lips. Jaysun's eyes dropped to her mouth watching the movement of her tongue. She took a step back. He followed. She began to inch toward the door. Jaysun began to stalk her, moving silently across the room, never taking his eyes from hers. Instinct screamed for her to run. Isabella was a smart girl; she knew when she was out-gunned. She scuttled around the sofa and ran for the door ------------------ Rough hands grabbed her waist; shoving her up against the wall. "What do you take me for, Isabella? "Jaysun asked in that same dangerous, deep tone. "You might be used to those pansy-ass country club boys who will put up with your shit, but not me. I don't play those games, baby." "I don't know what you mean, let me go, Jaysun." "Damn, you are such a little liar. Or is this what you do, flirt, get a man all hot and bothered and then drag some other guy out to see what'll happen? That makes you a tease, baby. Or did you want to see two men fight over you? Does the one who wins get to enjoy the prize? " "Keith is just a friend." Isabella whispered, appaled he would think such a thing. Her hands grabbed his at shoulders. "I swear. I've known him since college, It's just harmelss flirting." "Harmless? Honey, he put his hands on you. I 've kicked the shit out of men for less. In fact maybe I should track this ' friend 'of yours down and make sure he learns to keep his hands to himself. " His lips hovered over hers, nearly brushing them with each word he spoke. Isabella's heart leapt into her throat. "You're not serious. Are you? Oh my god, Jaysun, please tell me you're just trying to scare me. His hand trailed up her body and closed over her throat, not choking or even squeezing, but collaring her; trapping her against the cool plaster. "What if I were serious?" he asked silkily, "what's it worth to you, little Isabella? What would you do to convince me not to beat the shit out of him?" His knee pushed between her legs forcing them open, pressing hard against her. "This? Mmm, Yeah, I think you could persuade me. I'd make you work for it though, baby."