Chapter 5
ISABELLA
I start my last lap in the park, completely out of breath but pushing on to the end. My hair escapes my ponytail, I'm all sweaty but all I can think about is the iced coffee I'm going to drink once my race with myself is over. I reach the finish line I'd set myself and stop to catch my breath. Bent over, both hands on my thighs, my breathing finally slows.
"Isabella?" I turn around when I hear my first name.
I immediately recognize the tall, dark-haired 6'3" man standing in front of me.
"Jax?" I ask him as if I don't really remember his first name, when in reality it would be impossible to forget his hazel eyes and dimples even if I wanted to. It seems he was also running since he's wearing shorts, a black tank top and running sneakers.
"Yeah, that's me. It's weird I run here every day and I don't remember running into you before."
"I moved into the neighborhood a week or so ago."
"The neighborhood is nice and quiet, you'll like it." He smiles at me, showing me his perfectly aligned white teeth. "I wanted to apologize for the way we parted last Saturday. Asher is sometimes... how shall I put it... he sometimes lacks touch with people. He didn't mean to run you off, he was just clumsy."
"It's nothing. I wanted to go home anyway." I reply, a little uncomfortable thinking back on the scene.
"I was going to get a coffee to go, I'll invite you. To make up for my big brother's attitude." He tells me with a smirk.
I want to refuse, but at the same time, I think I'll accept. He seems a nice enough guy, and a coffee's no obligation.
"You know what, I was just about to go and get myself an iced coffee."
"Perfect." He says before guiding me down the street.
"I think it must be fate that we met. Twice in one week, it can't be a coincidence." He says to me. I laugh and he adds. "Seriously, I'm glad I bumped into you today. Because I still want to get to know you, you know."
"I'm glad too but... oh my god..." I'm nervous. I don't know how to flirt with someone anymore. I sigh before continuing. "I just got out of a serious relationship. I'm recently divorced..."
"Okay, I understand. But we can still get to know each other and see where it takes us. No pressure." He reassures me.
"No pressure... that's fine with me," I reply and he opens the café's door for me.
With our drinks in hand, we go on our way, chatting about anything and everything. Without realizing it, we head for my building, but I don't think I've told him where I live.
"Sorry, I didn't realize..."
"Damn, I didn't think to ask you where you lived and like an idiot I just went mechanically towards my place." He cuts me off by running his hand through his hair.
"I was about to say the same thing."
"If you tell me you live in that building..." He points in the direction of my building. "The theory of fate more than holds water."
"I live here," I replied incredulously.
Stuart spots us at the door and opens it for us.
"Miss Moretti, Mr. Black." He nods.
I shake my head in disbelief. The odds of this happening were ridiculously low. We approach the elevator.
"I live on the top floor with my brothers."
The realization hits me. "You are brothers. You live with Asher and Knox, right?"
"Yes, how do you know Knox?" He asks me as we wait for the elevator.
I tell him about our brief encounter the night before and he laughs, shaking his head. "So you're the hot neighbor girl." I look at him with wide eyes and the red rises to my cheeks, embarrassed. "You've managed to get the three Black brothers in your pocket."
The doors open, we enter the elevator side by side and Jax presses my floor and then the Penthouse floor.
"Would you agree to go out with me one night...say next Friday?"
"With pleasure," I answer immediately. Alex is right, I have to enjoy life after all I'm only 25 and not all men are like Dominic. I deserve to meet someone nice, even if it doesn't go any further than a date.
ASHER
As I sit on one of the kitchen stools with my laptop in front of me, Jax walks through the door, coffee in hand and a huge smile on his face.
"Things turned out just the way you hoped, by the look on your face," I tell him, and the pain in the ass has the nerve to smirk at me as he approaches me.
"I've got a date with her next Friday."
"Next Friday," I repeat. "That's not bad but I have one tonight with her... but she doesn't know that yet," I tell him as I get up and close the laptop.
"What does that even mean?" He asks visibly annoyed, which makes me smile. I pick up the computer and head for my room. "You're not even going to tell me?" I can't see him, but knowing him, he must have thrown his arms in the air. "And where are you going?"
"We're going to the pack. We got a call, while you were gone." Knox answers when I pass him.
When he went to see Isabella yesterday, he told her we had an investment fund but that's only a tiny part of what we do but he couldn't tell her everything now.
We're the last three descendants of the last werewolf king. Today, each pack is independent and we only have an honorary title, but we support the largest pack in the United States. We've built up a financial empire and we're the Bank of the Packs. When a pack needs to finance projects and doesn't have sufficient funds, it turns to us. We also own the world's largest werewolf newspaper, and a restaurant chain and are majority shareholders in several companies founded by werewolves. We don't just invest in werewolf-related businesses and organizations, which brings me to tonight's charity gala, organized by the law firm of Isabella's father, Salvatore Moretti. I managed to get myself invited at the last minute when I found out she attended every year. It's always good to have competent lawyers to turn to in a pinch, and they're the biggest firm in town, so they've got all the specialties. So tonight, I intend to make up for the clumsiness of my last encounter with Isabella and raise my brother's game. At the end of the day, she's all ours, she can't accept just one, but a little competition to see who can charm her first never hurt anyone.