Scarred Beauty (5 page)

“Tell me your name,” he said.

His voice demanded an answer.

“Noelle,” she found herself saying before she
could hand up.

“Noelle. Pretty name. I take it you want to book
an appointment to see me?”

Staring at the internet, she wondered what the
hell she was doing.

Chapter Five

Isaac stood staring down at the street below as
he talked into his personal mobile phone. The several calls had annoyed him.
The woman on the other end sounded pleasant, and he sensed she was scared to
ask for something. He had no idea how an escort sounded or the kinds of
questions asked. The only type of escort he’d been acquainted with was the type
he saw on the some of the streets he passed or the television. He would burst
out laughing at his predicament if it wasn’t so important to him to meet the
woman who’d helped his brother.

“I don’t know about booking an appointment. I’m
not really sure what I want.” Her voice sounded kind. Young. From the
information Brad had given to him, he knew she was twenty years his junior. She
was much too young for him. Being a cynical forty-year-old, he’d seen most of
the crap in the world and hated it.

“I think we should meet. We can arrange a time
and place to meet. If you’re not happy with me then no hard feelings.” He
glanced down at his watch anticipating when she would want to see him.

“When would be suitable to you?” she asked.

“How about tonight?” He was never a patient man.
The sooner he saw her and got his obsession out of the way would suit him.

“Are you sure you want to meet that soon?”

“Yes. I look forward to meeting you, Noelle.”

They scheduled a small but discreet hotel. She
would arrive around eight, and he would arrive half an hour later. They ended
the call. Isaac stared down at the phone and realised he hadn’t given her his
name.

For the first time in a long time he was looking
forward his evening. He thought about the photo Brad had shown him and the
beauty of her eyes and the innocence in her face. She must have suffered much
in her short life to feel she had to resort to an escort agency.

He waited for Brad to answer his phone.

“Hello,” Brad said.

“Noelle phoned. We’ve organised to meet
tonight.”

“I hope she finds what she’s looking for. Don’t
be horrible to her, and let her down gently. I don’t know if this is a good
idea.”

“Why wouldn’t it be a good idea?”

“Lying to her. She deserves better than this.
Promise me you’ll take care of her.”

“Of course I will.”

“Okay. I’ve got to go, and I’ll talk to you
soon.”

Brad ended the call, which left Isaac staring at
his mobile phone in confusion. This had been the other man’s idea. Not his.
Flipping his phone closed, he finished up his day of work. He intended to leave
early to prepare for his night. He had no idea what was going to happen. The
whole idea was a stupid one, and he couldn’t explain why he was going through
with it. Noelle sounded nice on the phone, and it was his own curiosity that
had made him agree.

He left his office at five, drove home and
changed for the night ahead of him. The moment he walked into his apartment, he
went straight to the shower. He pulled all of his clothes off his body and
spent ten minutes under the warm water. After he got out, he dried the water
from his body and went to his wardrobe.

He had no idea what escorts wore. Checking out
his clothes, he settled on a pair of black pants and a plain white shirt. He’d
take a jacket to keep the chill off.

This would be the first time he met a woman
without the back up of his bank balance. He wondered what it would feel like to
be Isaac the man rather than the businessman with lots of wealth. Most of the
people who came into contact with him knew more about his state of affairs than
what drink he liked.

For the remainder of his time, he sat down at
his office desk and worked some more. The work he did was a pitiful excuse for
a life.

When the clock struck eight, he made his way out
of his apartment.

****

Brad found himself at the side entrance to the
club. The man guarding gave him a frustrated look and talked into his cell
phone. Minutes later, Ben stood at the door looking furious.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“I only want to talk.”
 

Ben glared down at him and then turned and
nodded at the guard. Brad was patted down and made to follow Ben round the back
of the club through to his office. Semi-clad girls walked past him, but none of
them held any appeal. He walked into the office and waited for Ben to shut the
door.

“Have a seat.” Ben took the seat behind the desk
and stared at him. “I’m pleased you’ve gotten help, Brad. I am. I know all
about Noelle and the help she’s given you.”

“Thank you. I want to know what I did, Ben. I
can’t remember much about that time. I know you were in my life, and I believe
at one time we were lovers.”

Ben laughed. “You’re not ready to deal with what
you did to me, boy. Getting involved with you was the biggest mistake of my
life. I appreciate that you’re struggling, but my advice would be for you not
to come round here anymore.”

“I can’t just leave like this.”

“Yes. You can. Tell Noelle I said thank you, but
I think it would be best for both of us if you give me more space. I’m not
ready to deal with you, yet.”

Brad wanted to argue with him. He held his
tongue because he couldn’t find the right words to even try to defend himself.
The fact that Ben had finally decided to allow him the time to talk even though
it was to tell him he wasn’t ready, was success in itself.

Ben showed him out of the back exit of the club,
and Brad watched him walk away this time, his anger cutting into him. He’d been
the cause of Ben’s pain. He hated himself for the problems he’d caused.

Turning away from the vision of his ass moving
away from him, he went along the street until he entered the nearest bar. He
sat on a stool and looked at the lines of liquor bottles available to drown
himself in.

The bar man asked him what he wanted to drink.

“Scotch over ice.”

Minutes later, the drink was placed on the bar.
Brad stared at it. His world was once controlled by the small amount of liquid
at the bottom of the glass. He lifted the glass and scented the whiskey. His
stomach turned over even as his mouth watered for a drop.

Heart racing, he placed the drink back down. He
thought of Noelle and the effort she’d put in to getting him on the straight
and narrow. Then he thought of Ben. During his years of drinking, he’d caused
him so much pain because of the drink. It would be so easy to forget the world
and drown himself in drink and drugs, but then everyone would have been right
about him. Noelle would have no one, and he would spend the remainder of his
life wondering what would have happened if he was stronger.

Standing up from the bar, he paid the bill for
the glass of scotch and left. Drinking was not an option. He walked the small
distance to his apartment. When he entered he knew Noelle would be out with his
brother. He hoped he’d done the right thing.

Chapter Six

Noelle sat in the hotel room, her palms sweating
and her heart beating rapidly. She had made a mistake. There was no way she
could phone an escort with the idea of spending time together. Shaking her
head, she fumbled round the room, grabbing her purse and sweater. The mistake had
been all hers. She went for the door, opened it and collided with a hard male
chest.

His arms came round her, stopping her from
falling flat on her face.

Her hair covered the scar on the right side of
her face as she looked up the long length of body to find the most amazing dark
brown eyes staring back at her.

“Where are you running out so fast?” the mystery
man asked.

“I’ve got to go.”

“What are you doing in this hotel room?”
 

“I reserved this hotel room.”

He hadn’t removed his hands, his thumbs rubbing
circles where they lay. She felt the heat pool inside her body from the
smallest of contacts.

Get over
yourself. He’s a hot man who wouldn’t want anything to do with you.

“Then you must be Elle.”

“Noelle,” she said, correcting him. He placed a finger
under her chin and tilted her head back. He stared into her eyes stopping her
from breathing from his intense scrutiny.

“I want to call you Elle.”

Her hair had fallen away from the scarred part
of her face. She pulled out of his hold and back into the room. Her heart
pounded from the contact of a man while she panicked in case he ran out
screaming. She felt like a monster with the way her face was.

“Don’t hide from me,” he said. She watched as he
closed the door turning the lock. The sound echoed around the room making her
shiver.

She was alone in a hotel room with a man she
didn’t know.

Bad move.
Bad fucking move. Next time, Noelle, think of what you’re doing.

“I promise I won’t hurt you,” he said. She
noticed he didn’t move away from the door. They stared at each other. Her hair
had fallen back to cover one side of her face. “You look scared.”

“I’m fine.”

He moved away from the door and sat on the bed.
Noelle couldn’t get over how handsome he looked. He was older than she. She saw
it in the lines on his face and the easy way in which he carried himself.

His dark hair looked thick and silky. She
wondered what it would be like to touch him and feel him against her. He had
dark eyes, darker than anything she’d ever seen. His whole presence spoke of
power and wealth. She didn’t know why she thought that, but looking at him he
fit the wealthy role.

“Do you like what you see?” he asked.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to stare.”

“Look as long as you like. You may come closer
if you wish.”

She shook her head. “I’m fine standing here.”

He smiled which lightened up his whole face. She
had the sudden instinct to draw him. She wanted to capture the beauty of the
moment. He looked so at ease with himself.

Gazing down the length of her body, she was
drawn to the strength of his arms. The white shirt he wore was tight around the
muscles of his upper arms. Everything on him looked thick and sturdy.

“Do you work out?” she asked.

“Sometimes.”

“You can tell.”

“You don’t work out,” he said. Noelle blushed as
she gazed down at her body. She enjoyed eating, and her body showed her love of
food. Her dress sizes were in double figures. The last time she checked she was
well into a size sixteen with some skirts being eighteen. Her body was full and
rounded. Exercise never appealed to her. Running outside would never happen for
her, and running in one place was not an option.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. I love the way you look.”

She frowned and lifted her gaze to him. He was
looking up and down her body. “This feels awkward.”

“Then come closer, and we’ll get to know one
another.”

With small movements, she walked to where he sat
on the bed. He took her hand and set her down next to him.

“What’s your name?”

“Isaac.”

His name played in her mind. She liked the name.
It suited him.

“Do you have a last name?”

“Just call me Isaac while we’re here.”

Isaac hadn’t let go of her hand. She found
herself staring at the connection they shared. His hand was darker, sun-tanned,
which was a complete contrast next to the pale untouched colour of her skin.

He reached out to touch the side of her face
that was covered by her hair. She stopped him capturing his hand in hers. Both
of their hands touched. His heat penetrated her cold palms. He represented
everything she wasn’t, hot, sexy, warm, and many wonderful feelings she could
only wish to think about.

“You’re cold,” he said.

“My hands always are.”

“I want to see you, Elle. Trust me. I’m not like
other men.”

Tears filled her eyes as panic erupted inside
her. Most men ran away from her. By holding his hands she felt a need inside
her to be close to this one man. What if he ran when he saw her scars?

“I’m afraid.” She bit her lip to keep the tears
at bay. For too long she’d let her tears fall and given into the fear that
claimed her.

“Then fight it. You’ve already won half the
battle in being here with me. You could have given in and not come at all.
You’re here. Slowly, you’re fighting for what you want.” He pulled out of her
grip and placed his palm on the right side of her face over her hair.