Chapter 3 Cutting all ties

His veined yet steady hands glided over her neck, trailing down her curves as if tracing her silhouette in the darkness.

Her back instinctively arched under his touch, a soft moan slipping from her lips as she clung to his strong arms. Then, unexpectedly, she felt the warm, moist press of his tongue against her collarbone.

His tongue danced over her skin, savoring her as though she were a forbidden delicacy. His hands gripped her delicate waist, pulling her firmly against his hardened body.

Without hesitation, she parted her legs, her body inviting him closer. As she reached to cradle his face for a kiss, he gently pulled back.

"No kissing," he murmured, his voice a rough whisper as he avoided her lips. Instead, his tongue and hands roamed her body, tracing every contour with deliberate intensity, drawing soft gasps from her as she surrendered to the sensations.

When he reached the heat between her thighs, already slick with desire, he paused. She felt him inhale deeply, the sound sending a flush of embarrassment through her. Yet his words, low and husky, melted her hesitation.

"Your scent..." he muttered, his face buried against her, breathing her in. She smelled like the sea-clean, salty, and vibrant. The sensation of his mouth on her again drew another moan from her lips, her body trembling under his fervent exploration.

His fingers slipped into her effortlessly, her arousal guiding him with ease. Sensing her subdued response, he added another, drawing a sharper moan from her lips.

"That's more like it," he murmured, his voice low and teasing, as his fingers moved with deliberate rhythm, each thrust coaxing her hips to meet his in perfect sync.

"Ah! Ah!" Her cries grew louder, her body responding to the deepening strokes as though his touch reached parts of her she didn't know could feel.

"Ahhh..."

"Isla!"

The sharp, irritated voice cut through her pleasure like a cold wind, yanking her out of the haze. Isla's eyes snapped open to find Sophie standing over her, arms crossed, looking unimpressed. Isla blinked, disoriented, as she realized her hips were slightly raised off the couch where she'd fallen asleep.

"Seriously, Isla?" Sophie sighed. "Another one of those dreams? It's been eight months!"

Flushing crimson, Isla sat up quickly, smoothing her hair as she avoided Sophie's gaze. "I-I wasn't dreaming about anything!" she stammered unconvincingly, but Sophie just rolled her eyes and muttered, "Sure, you weren't."

"I'm sure he's forgotten you even exist, Isla. You need to let him go," Sophie said, walking to the kitchen with bags of groceries in hand.

"I know, okay? But I just... can't," Isla murmured, her gaze fixed on the distance as memories of that night washed over her. "It was perfect. It felt like-"

"You'd known him forever and he was your soulmate," Sophie interrupted, glancing over her shoulder. Isla's eyes widened in shock.

"How do you know that?" she asked, startled.

"Because you've been saying the exact same thing for months, girl!" Sophie's voice rose with exasperation. "Let's break it down: you don't even know what this Mr. Stranger looks like, you didn't get his name because he bailed before you woke up, and, oh yeah-you were heartbroken and drunk. You had one night of amazing sex-amazing, I'll admit, from the way you describe it-but that's all it was. A one-time thing."

Isla sighed, reluctantly nodding. "Fine. I'll try to stop thinking about it."

Sophie scoffed, rolling her eyes as she unpacked the groceries. "You always say that. I swear, this is the last time I'm telling you to forget about him. For all you know, he's been with a dozen women since you."

"I mean it this time, alright?" Isla shot back, shaking off the lingering haze of nostalgia. "Let's change the subject. How was work today?" she asked, sitting up straighter.

Sophie gave her a pointed look, then sighed. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: it's not the same without you there. When are you coming back?"

"I've thought about it, and I've made my decision-I'm not going back," Isla said softly, her head lowered as sadness shadowed her features.

"What? Why?" Sophie asked, her voice laced with surprise.

"Because I want to cut all ties with Jeremy. That includes his father's company. I don't want anything to do with them," Isla explained, her tone resolute.

"Come on, Isla, you know how much Mr. Saxson respects you. He's nothing like Jeremy. Your desk is still there, waiting for you. And let's be honest-you can't live off your savings forever," Sophie reasoned.

"I know, Sophie. And I'm not planning to squat with you forever either," Isla replied, her voice tinged with guilt.

"I didn't mean it like that. You know you can stay here as long as you need," Sophie assured her.

"I know, but it would be selfish of me to keep imposing. I've already started looking for new jobs, and I believe I'll land an interview soon," Isla said, offering a faint smile.

Sophie sighed and moved closer, pulling Isla into a comforting side hug. "I'm sorry you're going through all this. You don't deserve it."

"No, I don't," Isla agreed, resting her head on Sophie's shoulder. "But it's done, and I just want to be as far away from him as possible."

They sat in silence for a moment before Sophie suddenly perked up. "Speaking of job vacancies, Bella-the-Proud hasn't stopped boasting about landing a job at some security company that pays insanely well," she said, pulling out her phone and scrolling.

"Really? Good for her," Isla said, though her tone was less than enthusiastic.

"Oh, please," Sophie scoffed. "If she actually got the job, she wouldn't still be in the office bragging. I don't think she got it. But..." Sophie trailed off, her eyes lighting up as she turned her phone toward Isla. "Look at this. I think I just found the perfect job for you."

Isla snatched the phone eagerly, her eyes widening as she saw the listing. "€15,000 a month?!" she exclaimed, her jaw dropping.

"Three times what Mr. Saxson was paying you. If I were you, I'd go for it," Sophie said with a grin.

Isla stared at the screen, her mind racing. "This... this could change everything," she whispered.

"Every single thing!" Sophie muttered, her eyes glued to her phone as she scrolled through the screen.

"But what's the role? Isn't it listed somewhere?" Isla asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

Sophie shook her head, still scrolling, until she found more details about the company and began reading them aloud.

"Waverly Sentinel Services is a leading private security firm, and it's owned by... uhh!" She gasped, her eyes wide with shock.

"What?!" Isla asked, her voice rising in concern.

"The CEO is Jaxon Waverly!" Sophie exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement.

"What?? The infamous billionaire Jaxon Waverly?!" Isla cried out.

"I swear on my late mother's ashes!" Sophie responded, holding her phone out to show the screen. "Gosh, he's so hot!"

"There's an email to contact. I need to apply right now," Isla said, jumping to her feet and rushing to grab her phone from the charger.

"I can't believe you have the chance to work with our crush! What?! Maybe our wildest dreams are actually coming true!" Sophie added, bouncing on her toes.

Isla's smile slowly faded as her focus returned to the screen. "That's not why I want to apply. Dating is the last thing on my mind right now. I just need to make some money... well, if they haven't already filled the position."

"We still have to try, okay? If they've already found someone, this website wouldn't still be up," Sophie pointed out.

"That's true," Isla mumbled, absorbed in her phone.

Sophie watched her for a moment before speaking again. "So, you're really done with dating? Not even Jaxon Waverly could change your mind?"

"No," Isla replied, her attention fixed on her phone screen.

"Not even Mr. Stranger?" Sophie pressed, her tone teasing. Isla rolled her eyes and glanced at her.

"Come on, of course not. Just because I'm still having memories of him doesn't mean I'm in love with him-I'm not capable of that anymore. You know I might never see him again."

"Fine, but if you get the job and Jaxon Waverly sets his sights on you, he won't be able to resist your beauty," Sophie said, grinning.

"Oh, please... you wish." They both laughed.

*

Sophie was in the kitchen, busy chopping vegetables for dinner when she suddenly heard Isla's voice from the living room.

"I got an email back!" Isla yelled.

"What?" Sophie called out, unsure if she had heard correctly.

"I was accepted! I have an interview!"