Counterpoints Book 3 Read online

  Oh, I know that face, Isabella realized.

  It was the look Christopher flaunted every time he had something crazy on his mind.

  He checked her out, leaning on the kitchen counter, his hair still wet and ruffled, as he took a few grapes and brought them to his mouth.

  His eyes locked with Isabella’s and he smiled to the side.

  Hot.

  “Are we going out now?” she whispered, her hand over the receiver so Maria wouldn’t hear.

  He nodded and gave her a look- more like a smirk- so cheeky, Isabella wasn’t sure what it meant.

  Christopher walked around the counter again and stopped right behind Isabella. He placed both hands on the counter’s surface, his chest brushing against Isabella’s back- his lips inches from her shoulder- and set a small box on the table, right in front of her.

  Isabella swallowed hard and her eyes grew wide.

  They stayed on the box for an instant, trying to register its meaning and then turned to the side to stare at Christopher.

  He glanced at her amused, curious to see her reaction.

  ‘Open it’ he mouthed the words and leaned in to kiss her briefly- the touch of his lips, like a shiver on Isabella’s mouth.

  “Uhm, Maria I have to go now” Isabella told her friend.

  “Oh really? Why? Can’t we talk a little longer?” she asked but then added “Is he there with you?”

  “Yes” Isabella’s wide eyes stayed on Christopher. “He just gave me a present”

  “Oh, wow. What are you waiting for? Open it!”

  “I am going to” Isabella laughed a little at her friend’s excitement.

  “Text me as soon as you can” Maria willed her.

  “I will, love you”

  “Love you, too”

  Isabella put down the phone and eyed Christopher, who was now standing next to her, his back leaning casually on the kitchen counter, like he was cool and not bothered.

  Like he didn’t just give me a small box with jewelry inside.

  “What is this?” Isabella took the small box in her hands.

  “A late present for your birthday” he kept his face straight.

  “You already got me something for my birthday and it was fantastic. Remember the visit to the aquarium?” Isabella looked up from the box and straight into his deep green eyes.

  Christopher tilted his head to the side and said, “Just open it, baby”

  Isabella’s eyes went down to the box again and she gripped the upper part, slowly pulling it open. Her hands were shaking, the present being so unexpected and unneeded.

  She had no idea what was inside of it, but already she knew it was too much.

  For a moment, she didn’t say a thing. Isabella just stared at its content, taking in the beautiful present Christopher had given her.

  Earrings. Gorgeous small, white stone earrings.

  “They are diamonds, of a rare kind. See the reflection of the light? They are slightly amber” he said, breaking the silence in the room. “They made me think of you”

  “They are so beautiful” This is…too much, Isabella shook her head and then turned his way.

  “They are perfect for you”

  Christopher took the sparkling stones out of the box and removed the ones Isabella was wearing- small white pearls.

  He did everything slowly, his fingertips brushing against her cheeks, his fingers moving her hair to the side and Isabella felt the burning feeling spread in her stomach.

  “They are discreet. One of a kind. Classy. Like you” he said slowly.

  Christopher adjusted the second earing and, when he was done, he looked at Isabella and said:

  “Absolutely perfect” he smiled content.

  “They are beautiful but I can’t accept them” Isabella said.

  She stared at him, searching for the right thing to say but unable find the words she was looking for.

  You could just say thank you, period.

  “Yes, you can. They are yours” he leaned forward and kissed her gently. “It’s also a thank you gift”

  “Thank you gift for what?” Isabella murmured, her lips prickled against his.

  “For staying here these three days, for taking care of me and putting up with me” he grinned.

  “And you survived my cooking, I should be grateful” Isabella grinned, too.

  She touched her left ear, her fingers drawing loops around the white stone. The earrings were absolutely gorgeous.

  Christopher touched her chin, looked into her honey brown eyes and saw something that hadn’t been there before.

  It was something he had noticed after they had been back from Berlin, after the race, after the accident. But Christopher couldn’t quite grasp its meaning, even though he was sure Isabella’s eyes were trying to tell him something. Something important.

  “You don’t have to thank me” Isabella shook her head slightly. “These days have been incredible” she went on. “You don’t have to get me presents…”

  “I don’t have to, Isabella” Christopher touched her chin again “I want to”

  She closed her eyes and then opened them again, leaning in his hand.

  I want you, I’m in love with you.

  “Thank you for the earrings. Thank you for letting me stay, I had a great time” she said instead and blushed, embarrassed at herself for not having the courage to speak her mind.

  Tell her to stay, tell her that having her by your side keeps all bad thoughts away. Tell her you love her, Christopher thought.

  “Don’t go then. Stay here with me” he suggested and Isabella smiled.

  “I can’t. I have a house remember. Actually no, I have my little hole waiting for me in Bayswater” she grinned a little. “Aren’t you tired and bored of having me around all the time? During race weekends and in your house?”

  “Impossible. You are so entertaining” he shook his head “I am anything but bored with you, especially when you hang around the house half naked”

  “I don’t walk around half naked” Isabella bashed her eyelids at him.

  Maybe I do, just a little. I love the way he checks me out…

  “I had so much fun. Apart from yesterday when you took me to the cricket game. I was so disappointed, just when I was getting the hang of the game it ended. Actually no, the first part of the game ended. So disappointing not to know the results, who won who lost…”

  “We can always go again tomorrow for the final game” he grinned and then laughed at her funny face.

  Isabella’s stare said it all. She wasn’t going to a cricket game ever again.

  Not unless the tea brake they have involves cookies and scones for me as well.

  “I want you to take this” Christopher said, as he gently opened Isabella’s hand and placed a set of keys in it. “You can come and go as you please. Anytime you want”

  Isabella looked down at their hands, at Christopher’s keys and felt heat spread across her chest.

  He had never had a woman over at his house- Christopher had told her the first time she had gone to his place. He had never shared his home with anyone and he was giving her free access to it.

  Not the studio apartment in Mayfair, not to party, not for a quick fuck.

  He wanted her to stay.

  “Thank you” she smiled wide and stood on her toes, wrapping both arms around Christopher’s neck.

  His hands ran up and down Isabella’s arms, as his deep green eyes got lost into hers. They were shining, Isabella’s eyes, and smiling, like he had never seen them smile before.

  “You know, I figured out how you could help me release some tension…” Christopher smirked.

  “Really? How?” Isabella teased.

  “Why don’t you go get dressed? I’ll wait for you in the kitchen” he touched her chin and leaned in for a kiss, slow and deep.

  As their lips locked, his strong, big hand sneaked in Isabella’s button up shirt and tickled its way up her body, lingering around her belly b
utton.

  Isabella gasped.

  “You say you want me to go, you kiss me like you want me to stay” Isabella said, her hands moving slowly on Christopher’s chest.

  She looked up at him, with the eyes of a tease.

  His kiss had left her wanting more, her lips a little swollen and prickly.

  “That’s because I can’t get enough of you” he bent down to kiss her again and then added “Go get changed or we won’t make it to the door, if you keep looking at me like that”

  “Are you going to tell me where we are going this time?”

  “Do I ever tell you where we are going?” Christopher smiled to the side, as he spoke.

  “Are you EVER going to tell me where we are going?” Isabella asked, as she stood up from her stool defeated- knowing that she would never win that argument and get a word out of Christopher.

  “Not a chance. Wear something comfortable and tie your hair up, Bresciani” he grinned “Now, let’s go take a look at this fantastic blue sky”

  Chapter 8

  Ten minutes on the highway, Isabella let out a triumphant sound.

  “Ha, got ya. We are going to the driver’s academy. That’s why you asked me to bring the camera with me”

  Isabella changed gears – her left hand finding the movement so awkward and unusual, she failed to synchronize her movement. She grinded the gear.

  Immediately, Isabella felt Christopher’s alarmed eyes on her and she grinned.

  “Maybe, maybe not. Maybe later” Christopher kept his voice casual. “Eyes on the road, Bresciani. This is the last time I let you drive my car”

  “This is the last time I am coming with you, if you don’t tell me where we are going first” Isabella scolded him.

  “Nah, you are bluffing. You are too curious to pass” he said nonchalantly and Isabella mumbled something in Italian under her breath.

  He figured me out already.

  “Let’s just say, you should be careful what you wish for” he smirked.

  “What?” Isabella glanced his way, stunned.

  “And you and I have unfinished business, signorina”

  “Unfinished business?” she looked sideways at him. They definitely weren’t on the same page. She had no idea what Christopher was talking about. “Now I am scared”

  Christopher laughed hard, then placed a hand over her lap.

  “I am kidding. I like messing with you Bresciani” he winked and pointed to the big sign to the left. “Take the next exit”

  City Airport. Canary Wharf. M22. Isabella read the indications and got totally nothing out of it.

  “Do you remember what you told me the first time we spoke?” Christopher asked.

  Isabella scanned the memories, fast in her head. She remembered the event, up at the Olive garden roof restaurant in London. She recalled the moment Christopher stepped to the bar to speak to her. The conversation replayed in her head.

  Yes, we flirted, flirted, flirted.

  “I told you I didn’t like Champagne and you nearly bribed the waiter to get me some more strawberries” she grinned.

  “That’s not all you said”

  “I don’t remember. I was too busy keeping you at a safe distance” she made a face and giggled.

  Christopher chuckled, as he pointed to a gate entrance. The long dirt path seemed to lead to an old hangar.

  Wherever they were, Isabella was sure of one thing. It surely wasn’t the driver’s academy.

  She parked the car next to a SUV in the parking lot and turned to stare at Christopher, willing him to explain.

  “That evening I told you I wanted to take you in the car with me, on track” Christopher told her.

  “Yeah, I remember now and I elegantly told you to sod off” she took his hand and smirked.

  “No, that’s not what you said” Christopher shook his head and registered confusion on her face.

  “I am not following you”

  “This is the moment of truth, Bresciani” Christopher looked at her solemnly. “Let’s see how brave you are”

  “OKAY now I am terrified, Taylor” Isabella tightened her grip around his hand. “Just tell me”

  “You have a choice. Get in a race car with me and go for a ride on track or… “

  “Or?”

  “Or follow me in that hangar and do what you told me that evening, when we met”

  “I’ll take my chances” she opened the car door and stepped out.

  I couldn’t have said anything worse than getting in a race car and drive at the speed of sound, Isabella mentally convinced herself.

  Silently, they walked to the hanger side by side, Isabella couldn’t help but laugh a little- nervous and excited at the same time, for what she didn’t know was to come.

  With his hand secured behind her back, Christopher guided Isabella through the door and her foot landed next to a colored, cloth looking object laying on the floor.

  She took a step back and held her breath. Isabella looked around the room, stunned. She felt suddenly lightheaded, like all the blood in her body had rushed down to her feet.

  Parachutes. Parachutes everywhere and bent down next to them, were men and women patiently folding them.

  The people there barely even register them coming in, too concentrated, carrying out their tasks. Christopher said hi and they all mumbled something under their breaths.

  “What the…” Isabella started to say, but a tall woman with long blonde hair greeted them.

  “Hi, so good to see you again Christopher” the woman shook his hand and then turned to Isabella “Hi I am Sylvia, your instructor today” and she shook her hand, too.

  “In-instructor?” Isabella stuttered.

  “Your skydiving instructor” Christopher wrapped his strong arm around Isabella’s shoulders and smiled wide.

  “What?” Isabella laughed hard, unable to control herself.

  Such a funny guy, she thought but then stopped laughing, seeing that no one else was.

  “It’s a joke, right?”

  Christopher shook his head and smiled to the side, the dimples on his cheeks making a scene, like they were mocking Isabella.

  “Do I ever joke about these things?” Christopher’s eyebrow went up.

  No, he doesn’t. And he isn’t.

  “When I met you, you told me that you’d rather jump off a plane, than get in a race car with me” he started to say.

  “I was joking! It was a joke, that’s me joking” Isabella laughed again and stared at Christopher, gaping as he chuckled.

  “So, what you are saying is that you’d rather get in a car with me instead and that you were just joking about the whole parachute thing?”

  “I didn’t say that either”

  “You are free to change your mind” Sylvia the instructor cut in.

  She told Isabella she could either listen to the briefing and how it all worked- skydiving in tandem with her, while Christopher would be by their side the whole time- or she could just say no. Either way she could back away any moment, even seconds before the jump.

  “I am sorry Sylvia. Could we have a moment?” he said and Sylvia nodded.

  “I’ll be waiting in the briefing room, whatever you decide” she nodded and then disappeared through one of the metal doors.

  Christopher turned, taking hold of Isabella’s shoulder.

  “You asked me earlier if there was anything you could do to help me release the tension”

  “Yes, I did. I was actually referring to something not life threatening but you seem to have absolutely no limits” Isabella told him.

  “It’s not life threatening. You are safe with me” he said the words never losing eye contact with her. A shiver ran down Isabella’s back.

  “You know that, right?” Christopher went on. “You are safe with me. I would never let anything happen to you”

  “I know” Isabella nodded slowly, as a burning feeling spread across her chest not just for Christopher’s words, but for how he was l
ooking at her, like there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her.

  “And you are right, I have no limits” he looked up, proud.

  “No, you don’t” Isabella agreed, chuckling as she felt Christopher’s hands move slowly up and down her shoulders.

  “Limits don’t exist” he raised his hand and touched her forehead. “They exist only here, in your head” his hand slid down slowly, only to linger around her shoulder blade, sending sparks all the way down Isabella’s back.

  “You have never skydived, I am guessing” he grinned and Isabella smiled.

  “Have we met?”

  She bit her lower lip and looked around the room again, at the people folding their parachutes, at how normal they all looked.

  She imagined what were their everyday jobs, how they explained their unconventional hobby to their families and friends.

  Bye mom, I am going to jump off a plane this afternoon, she imagined one of their conversations, like it was such an ordinary thing to do.

  Normal people don’t jump off planes in the afternoon, right?

  She turned to Christopher again and noticed how at ease and overjoyed he looked. She could feel his energy, how excited the situation made him feel. The tense, nervous person she had seen a few days ago, seemed miles away now. Vanished somewhere. Her Christopher was back.

  No, Isabella thought, normal people don’t jump off planes. Only extraordinary ones like Christopher do.

  “It’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever done” Christopher said, interrupting her thoughts.

  “How many times have you done this?” Isabella wondered and watched his crooked smile make a triumphant appearance on his lips.

  “Several, I lost count”

  Of course, is there anything crazy he hasn’t done?

  “I had no idea. I mean I knew you were absolute bonkers, but I had no idea you did this regularly”

  “Nobody does” he shook his head. “Just you and the guys here. They keep my secret”

  “Secret?” Isabella blinked at him.

  “I am not allowed. I am breaking the rules. By contract, some of my sponsors don’t want me doing this sort of things. Bungee jumping included”

  “Why?” Isabella wondered out loud.

  “Because to them I am worth millions, Isabella. I am a one million dollar note walking around. If I injure myself – out of the racing field- I won’t be able to race. Less chances of the sponsors on my car being seen, no sponsor duties for me, less publicity, less money. I think it’s best If I keep it a secret” he winked and then took her hands into his. “It is such an amazing feeling, to throw yourself into nothing. And today is the perfect day, too. Perfect weather”