Beauty and the Werewolf (Entangled Covet) (San Francisco Wolf Pack) by Kristin Miller Page A

Connelly. We’re looking for a Bella Nolan painting, Werewolf in Manhattan .”
    Jack rolled his eyes. “She’s bound and determined to find pieces to add to her collection in Dublin. It’s all she talks about.”
    “Oh, I see.” Jasmine shot Jack a perfect smile. “But why don’t you just—”
    “Do you have it inside?” Jack cut her off, touching her arm as he spoke. “Would you mind if we saw it first thing?”
    Isabelle’s gaze homed in on his touch. He held Jasmine’s arm, just above the elbow. His touch was gentle and reassuring, his fingers lightly brushing against her skin. A low hum rumbled through Isabelle’s belly.
    It was the strangest thing: coffee didn’t normally give her indigestion.
    “If you’re ready,” Jasmine said, starting into the house. “It’s right this way.”
    Eager to set eyes on her painting, Isabelle strode inside before Jack and was instantly taken aback. The entire place was covered in white marble sculptures. Small pieces stood on windowsills. Larger ones were situated in the foyer, and in the corners of the great hall that led to the living area. More sculptures greeted them there. There were angels, kings, and couples lost in loving embraces.
    “Your home is stunning.” She couldn’t help but traipse slowly, taking in every inch. “How long did it take you to collect all these?”
    “Better part of two hundred years. Jack helped me find this one.” She brushed her hand along a sculpture of Aphrodite as she passed. “Remember the auctioneer winking at you?”
    He chuckled. “I remember.”
    “You could’ve had any woman you wanted,” Jasmine said, shooting Jack a sideways glance.
    Isabelle could’ve mistaken the gleam in her eye, but Jasmine sounded…jaded.
    “But you pushed everyone away,” she continued with a sigh, and then turned her attention to Isabelle as they wound through the formal dining room. “He’s a loner, this one. Better guard your heart.”
    “Oh, don’t worry,” he blurted from beside her. “She’s built up Fort Knox around it. No one’s getting in.”
    Jasmine chuckled. “You sound as if you’ve tried.”
    Isabelle glanced at Jack out of the corner of her eye. His jaw clenched and unclenched. His lips pressed white. And then he met her gaze. Though his body was tense and his movements jerky, there was a softness in his eyes that contradicted all of it.
    As they strode down a narrow hall that smelled of rose petals and vanilla, Jasmine said, “I keep the painting in the bedroom. It reminds me of the city I love so much.”
    Did they have a tryst in New York? Isabelle couldn’t help but wonder. Pangs assaulted her stomach again as the thought struck her.
    Jasmine opened the door and they swept inside into a world of white. White bedding, pillows, fluffy blankets. White floors, furniture, and curtains.
    And there, on the wall over the Ice Queen’s bed, hung Werewolf in Manhattan . The only splash of color in the pristinely monochromatic room. She couldn’t help but hold her breath.
    It was as beautiful as she remembered. The city had been buzzing with excitement that night, so she and Neil had gone to a rooftop so they had a breathtaking view of the unmistakable skyline and no one to interrupt them.
    Isabelle hadn’t realized it, but she’d walked over to the bed to get a better view. When she realized she’d been staring for too long, she twirled around. Jack and Jasmine stood near the door, whispering.

    “S omething I missed?” Isabelle asked sweetly.
    Oh, she could play it cool now, but jealousy burned in her gorgeous green eyes.
    She may not have wanted to admit it, and hell if he knew how he was doing it, but he was getting through to her. Finally getting under her skin. If only there was a way to speed up the process. Make her realize how great they could be together, especially if that was the way fate had intended.
    “Jack was just telling me that you’re from Ireland,” Jasmine said, climbing over the bed to