Close Enough (High Rise Novella Four) (3 page)

“I’m not that wasted.” The words came out much colder than Isabella had anticipated, much colder than how she was feeling.

Nat shot up and immediately Isabella missed the friendly stare of her blue eyes. She dug her hands in the pockets of her jeans and glanced around. Clearly Nat didn’t have a clue what she was doing here either.

“Hey.” All rational thought left Isabella. She was tired and hurt and had had enough of harsh words and disappointed facial expressions. She extended her hand. “Come here.”

Nat slipped her fingers around Isabella’s and her touch sent a jolt of electricity through Isabella’s bones. Isabella pulled her close until Nat fell down on the sofa next to her.

“Don’t get your hopes up,” she said as she pressed her lips against the back of Nat’s hand. “Because this doesn’t mean anything.”

One more time
, Isabella thought.
Just one more time.
Then her mind went blank.

She frantically tugged at Nat’s t-shirt and tore off her bra. If she was doing this—and oh how she wanted to—she’d make sure not to display too much of the silly, crazy affection she had for this girl. No tenderness and no time for niceties.

Nat’s eyes blazed with fire. Her mouth came down hard on Isabella’s lips as she unbuttoned her blouse. She yanked it off, threw it on the floor and pushed Isabella down on the sofa.

“Just one thing,” Nat panted in between shallow breaths. “I know I don’t deserve you and I also know I have a funny way of showing it, but I’m crazy about you.”
 

“Show me now.” Isabella stared up into Nat’s eyes. Ideally, she’d be on top, but half a bottle of Scotch and Nat’s dominant bedroom habits were a bit too much to contend with.

“I will.” Nat fixed her glare on Isabella while she zipped her out of her skirt. Isabella’s panties soon followed and there she was, lying naked beneath the lover she’d only just kicked to the curb.

“Take off your pants,” Isabella commanded.

A small smile played around Nat’s lips. She shook her head. The ongoing fight for top was half the reason why sex between them was always so devastatingly good. Isabella fully realised she didn’t stand a chance tonight. Surrendering was her only option.

Isabella’s head spun out of control when Nat closed her lips around her nipple. She didn’t suck gently. Her teeth grazed along the ridge as goosebumps spread over Isabella’s skin. Isabella buried her hands in Nat’s hair and pulled her head towards her mouth. Their lips met and Isabella wondered how she would ever live without these sensations delivered by someone with whom she should be so out of touch but who felt so right for her.
 

When someone is about to slip their finger inside of you it hardly matters that they’re more than a decade younger. When someone has you panting at their fingertips just because of the bright blue stare of their eyes, their emotional maturity is not really a factor.

Isabella knew she was smitten. She’d known it all along. She wasn’t the forgive-and-forget kind though. She’d meant what she’d said earlier. Neither one of them should get their hopes up too high, but first, before she allowed the cold, hard facts to reign again, she had a climax to receive.

Nat’s fingers traced down, halting at her breasts to twist her nipples into hard peaks, trailing south before skating through Isabella’s wetness. The intensity of their kiss amped up the lower Nat’s hand ventured—more teeth than tongue already. Nat slid two fingers inside and it felt as if the entire day fell away from Isabella. As if none of it had happened. Nat started with slow thrusts, but already Isabella felt herself tumble through the cushions of the sofa, felt her mind wander off to that no man’s land of pure pleasure.

Nat curled her fingers inside, faster and faster, while she sucked Isabella’s bottom lip into her mouth. She bit down hard and slipped in deep and Isabella’s blood pounded in her veins.

“Oh fuck,” she moaned into Nat’s mouth, spurring her on to increase her speed.
 

Head spinning and muscles trembling, Isabella cried out. “You,” she screamed. “You always do this.”

NAT

Nat bit back a tear. She looked down at Isabella in her wrecked, pleasured state and she realised what she had lost.

“I’m in no condition to reciprocate, I’m afraid,” Isabella mumbled as she drew Nat near.

Nat allowed her body to sink into Isabella’s. She drank in her scent of liquor and magnolias. She had no idea what to say.

“You can’t stay.” Isabella held onto Nat, her actions not following the meaning of her words.

Nat nodded against Isabella’s neck. “I know.” She didn’t move, didn’t want to move. They lay wrapped up in each other for minutes and Nat wasn’t sure if this was the last goodbye or perhaps a cautious new beginning.

“Don’t fall asleep on top of me,” Isabella whispered in Nat’s ear and giggled.

Nat pushed herself up and exclaimed the words to their private joke. “You’ve topped me enough for one day.” The smile on Isabella’s face acted as a warm balm to her heart. “Come on, I’ll put you to bed.” Isabella was still naked beneath her, skin smooth and muscles soft.

“I think I’m old enough to take care of that myself.” Isabella reached for a blanket she kept tucked away behind the sofa, ushering Nat off of her in the process.

Nat scanned the room for the whereabouts of her t-shirt. She found it flung over a corner of the coffee table, next to the short story she’d brought Isabella. While Isabella wrapped herself chastely in the blanket, Nat slipped into her t-shirt and, with the disappearance of naked body parts, the atmosphere in Isabella’s flat changed dramatically—all reminders of what had just happened erased.

“Do you need anything before I go?” Nat asked. She wanted to add, “more water,” but the look on Isabella’s face made the words freeze in her throat. As if the day’s events had just caught up with her again, Isabella’s glance turned to ice. She huddled in the corner of the sofa and curtly shook her head.

“I’m sorry,” Nat said one last time before making her way to the door. “See you around.”

* * *

Days went by without a word from Isabella. Nat sat in The Bean for hours, ignoring Cindy’s shy glance, staring out of the window, at the escalator zooming past, waiting for Isabella’s regal posture to glide by. Whenever she hung out in the lobby of The Ivy, always finding a reason to linger about longer than necessary, her mouth went dry with anticipation, but Isabella never showed.

She didn’t turn up for any of Alex’s classes and both Maddie and Alex claimed not to have heard from Isabella in a while. Nat suspected Maddie to be under strict orders not to divulge any information.

After a week of Isabella nothingness, Nat couldn’t take it anymore. She called Isabella’s secretary, gave a false name and booked an appointment for the next day.

Isabella’s office was located around the corner of The Ivy, catering mainly to overpaid expats and their spouses living in the Mid-Levels. Nat’s heart hammered in her throat as she pushed open the door. She’d never been there and the fact she’d never met Isabella’s assistant worked in her favour.

A petite Chinese woman manned the desk. The badge pinned to her collar read Charlotte. Charlotte was all reassuring smiles and gave Nat an extensive first-timer questionnaire to fill in. Everything she wrote down was a lie.

“Can I pay in advance?” She asked when she returned the clipboard to Charlotte. “I have an important appointment scheduled after this and I will have to run.” She figured if she’d already paid for Isabella’s time, she’d be less likely to get thrown out.

“Of course, Miss…” Charlotte checked the papers Nat had filled in. “Evans. Just a minute.”

Nat scanned her surroundings while Charlotte billed her for time with her ex-girlfriend. The reception slash waiting area was decorated in a completely different style than Isabella’s home. The armchairs were big and plush, inviting you to sink into their warm brown cushions. A large shag carpet adorned the floor and the walls were covered with a dozen golden-framed Hong Kong sea and mountain views.

“That’ll be three thousand, please,” Charlotte said without scorn.
 

Nat forked over the money with a smile and settled in one of the chairs, waiting her turn.

At exactly five minutes before eleven the door of Isabella’s office swung open. A perky blonde with big green eyes exited, Isabella’s hand resting on her shoulder. While the blonde made her way to the reception desk, Charlotte handed Isabella the clipboard holding a Miss Caroline Evans’s information.

“See you next week, Kelly,” she said to the blonde, before eyeing the papers in her hands and approaching the arm chair Nat occupied.

“Miss Ev—” Nat’s fake name didn’t make it off Isabella’s lips. Her eyes narrowed while most colour drained from her face.
 

“Doctor Douglas.” Nat rose and extended her hand. “Pleasure.”

Isabella shook her hand briefly and stepped aside to invite Nat into her office. She didn’t turn around immediately after closing the door, as if contemplating a counter move.

“I suppose asking what the hell you are doing in my office would be a stupid question?” Isabella motioned for Nat to take a seat in one of two low chairs positioned across from each other. A small round table stood in between.

“Did no one ever tell you there’s no such thing as a stupid question?” Nat was glad she at least had the element of surprise on her side.

They sat down and faced each other.

ISABELLA

Isabella quickly regained composure. “Give me one good reason to not ask you to leave this instant?” She leaned back and slung one leg over the other.

“I’ll give you two, Doc.” Nat appeared to be her confident self again. “One: I’ve paid three thousand honkies for your time.” She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head. “And secondly, I poured my soul into that story I gave you and I’m still waiting for a critique.”
 

Isabella couldn’t help but smile. “Don’t you belong to a writers group for that?”

“An extra opinion never hurts. Especially because I was writing slightly out of my genre and comfort zone.” Nat’s cocksure facade started to crack.

The story Nat had given her on the night they’d last seen each other was a scorching, sensual tale of a younger and an older woman falling madly in love. It wasn’t difficult to see where Nat had gotten her inspiration.

“Since when are you dabbling in non-fiction?” Isabella had read the story multiple times and each time it had left her a sobbing mess.

“It’s as much fiction as any of my other stuff, unless, of course, you want to change the outcome of current events.” Nat’s blue eyes glared at Isabella.

“I do agree there is a fictional element to it, seeing as the younger character is much more honourable than the person I presume she is based on.” Isabella didn’t waiver under Nat’s unflinching glance.

“I thought it would be obvious from the undertone of the story that it’s not a question of honour.” Nat sucked her bottom lip into her mouth before continuing. “Or maybe you just didn’t get it.”

“Nathalie Orange, always up for a quick repartee.” Isabella felt anger flare through her bones again, because, from where she was sitting, it was Nat who clearly didn’t get it. “But when will she learn that actions ring so much truer than words?”

“I’m sitting here in front of you. That required an action.”
 

Isabella could tell Nat was getting antsy. She probably wasn’t used to her games not having the desired effect on people. “That’s hardly the kind of action I’m referring to.”

“If I could undo what I did, don’t you think I would?” Nat’s voice grew small.

Isabella shook her head. “No, I honestly don’t think you would.”

Nat’s features narrowed, hurt visible in the drawn lines of her face. Isabella shuffled forward in her chair.

“I know why you do what you do. I know being with these girls makes you feel safe. And it’s pretty obvious being with me takes you so much out of your comfort zone, all you want is to retreat into your safe haven. Be my guest, Nat. Just don’t expect any encouragement from me.” Nat’s posture deflated and the ice in Isabella’s chest started melting. “Hey, you’re a paying client.” Isabella turned her palms upwards. “You should get your money’s worth.”

“All I’m asking for is a second chance.” Nat was a mere shadow of the woman who had walked into Isabella’s office fifteen minutes ago.
 

As much as Isabella wanted to say yes, she knew it would be a mistake. She had her own heart to take into consideration as well. “No.” Isabella suppressed the urge to crouch next to Nat and put a comforting hand on her knee while she explained her categoric refusal. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the effort you’ve made to come here, but it’s not that simple. Nothing has changed. For all I know, as soon as you leave this building, you’re up to your old tricks again. I waited beside you for hours that night of your book party, well past a woman my age’s bedtime, and even that didn’t stop you.” The distance between them gaped wider with every passing second. “You’re not ready for the kind of relationship I want.”

A minute of silence passed. Isabella waited for Nat to regain composure and say something.

“What can I do?” Nat’s voice hesitated between defeated and arrogant. “Because, obviously, I don’t have a clue.”

“You’ve been in successful long-term relationships before. Why is it so hard for you now?”

Isabella watched the transformation take place in front of her eyes. The vulnerability Nat had just displayed morphed into a false sense of confidence and the
Nat Swag
was back. “Hell if I know, Doc.” Nat stood up. “But all this psycho babble is driving me insane.”

Isabella checked her watch. Part of her wanted Nat to stay, but she knew it wouldn’t lead anywhere. The Nat standing in front of her now was the one who chased young girls and drank her pain away with too many glasses of Scotch. “We have some time left.”

“That’s all right. I won’t ask for a refund.” Nat headed for the door. “Why don’t you buy yourself a bottle of nice champagne and toast to your obvious superiority.”