Seducing His Cinderella
“What do you like?” he asked.
Cat licked her lips. “What?” she whispered.
Will placed a hand on the wall, just beside her head, and leaned in slightly. “You don’t like flowers. What do you like?”
“Actually, I love flowers. I just took you for someone who didn’t fall into clichés.” She offered a slight smile, overriding the fear he’d seen flash through her eyes moments ago. “But you’re trying to seduce the maid, so maybe a cliché is all we are.”
Will slid his other hand across her cheek and into her hair as he brought his mouth closer. “I don’t care if you’re the queen or the maid or the homeless person on the corner. I know what I want and I want you, Cat.”
She turned her palms to his chest, pushing slightly, but not enough for him to think she really meant for him to step back…not when she was breathless and her eyes were on his mouth.
“I’m not for sale,” she argued with little heat behind her words.
He rubbed his lips across hers in a featherlight touch that instantly caused her to tremble. That had to be her body, no way would he admit those tremors were from him.
“Maybe I’ll just sample, then.”
Fully covering her mouth, Will kept his hand fisted in her hair as he angled her head just where he wanted it. If she didn’t want him at all, why did she instantly open for him?
The sweetest taste he’d ever had was Cat. No woman compared to this one. As much as he wanted to strip her naked right here, he wanted to savor this moment and simply savor her. He wanted that familiar taste only Cat could provide, he wanted to reacquaint himself with every minute sexy detail.
Delicate hands slid up his chest and gripped his shoulders, which meant she had to have released her hold on her shirt. Will removed his hand from the wall and gripped her waist as he slid his hand beneath the hem of her shirt and encountered smooth, warm skin. His thumb caressed back and forth beneath the lacy bra.
Cat arched into him with a slight moan. Her words may have told him she wasn’t interested, but her body had something else in mind…something much more in tune with what he wanted.
Will shifted his body back just enough to finish unbuttoning her shirt. He parted the material with both hands and took hold of her breasts. The lace slid beneath his palm and set something off in him. His Cat may be sweet, somewhat innocent, but she loved the sexy lingerie. Good to know.
Reluctantly breaking the kiss, Will ached to explore other areas. He moved down the column of her throat and continued to the swell of her breasts. Her hands slid into his hair as if she were holding him in place. He sure as hell wasn’t going anywhere.
Will had wanted this, wanted her, four years ago. He’d wanted her with a need that had only grown over the years. She’d been a virgin then; he’d known it and respected her for her decisions. He would’ve waited for her because she’d been so special to him.
Then his father had issued an ultimatum and Will had made the wrong choice. He didn’t fight for what he wanted and he’d damn well never make that mistake again.
Now Cat was in his arms again and he’d let absolutely nothing stand in the way of his claiming her.
“Tell me you want this,” he muttered against her heated skin. “Tell me.”
His hands encircled her waist as he tugged her harder against his body. Will lifted his head long enough to catch the heat in her eyes, the passion.
A jiggling of the door handle broke the spell. Will stepped back as Cat blinked, glanced down and yanked her shirt together.
“Is someone in there?” a male voice called.
Cat cleared her throat. “I got something on my shirt,” she called back. “Just changing. I’ll be out shortly, Raul.”
Will stared down at her. “Raul?” he whispered.
Cat jerked her shirt off and stalked across the room. Yanking open a floor-to-ceiling cabinet, she snagged another black shirt and slid into it. As she secured the buttons, she spun back around.
“He’s a new employee, not that it’s any of your business.” When she was done with the last button, she crossed her arms over her chest. “What just happened here, as well as in the bathroom the other day, will not happen again. You can’t come in to where I work and manhandle me. I don’t care if I work for your family. That just makes this even more wrong.”
Will couldn’t suppress the grin. “From the moaning, I’d say you liked being manhandled.”
He started to take a step forward but she held up her hand. “Don’t come closer. You can’t just toy with me, Will. I am not interested in a replay of four years ago. I have no idea what your agenda is, but I won’t be part of it.”
“Who says I have an agenda?”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re a Rowling. You all have agendas.”
So she was a bit feistier than before. He always loved a challenge—it was impossible to resist.
“Are you still a virgin?”
Cat gasped, her face flushed. “How dare you. You have no right to ask.”
“Considering I’m going to take you to bed, I have every right.”
Cat moved around him, flicked the lock and jerked the door open. “Get the hell out. I don’t care if this is your father’s house. I’m working and we are finished. For good.”
Will glanced out the door at a wide-eyed Raul. Before he passed, he stopped directly in front of Cat. “We’re not finished. We’ve barely gotten started.”
Crossing into the hall, Will met Raul’s questioning stare. “You saw and heard nothing. Are we clear?”
Will waited until the other man silently nodded before walking away. No way in hell did he need his father knowing he’d been caught making out in the damn laundry room with the maid.
Next time, and there would be a next time, Will vowed she’d be in his bed. She was a willing participant every time he’d kissed her. Hell, if the knock hadn’t interrupted them, they’d probably both be a lot happier right now.
Regardless of what Cat had just said, he knew full well she wanted him. Her body wasn’t lying. What kind of man would he be if he ignored her needs? Because he sure as hell wasn’t going to sit back and wait for another man to come along and explore that sexual side.
She was his.
Five
Alma was a beautiful country. Catalina was going to miss the island’s beautiful water and white sandy beaches when she left. Swimming was her first love. Being one with the water, letting loose and not caring about anything was the best source of therapy.
And tonight she needed the release.
For three days she’d managed to dodge Will. He had come to Patrick’s house every morning, holed himself up in the office with his father and then left, assumedly to head into the Rowling Energy offices.
Will may say he’d changed, but to her he still looked as if he was playing the perfect son, dead set on taking over the family business. Apparently he thought he could take her over as well. But she wasn’t a business deal to close and she certainly wouldn’t lose her mind again and let him devour her so thoroughly no matter how much she enjoyed it.
Lust was something that would only get her into trouble. The repercussions of lust would last a lifetime; a few moments of pleasure wouldn’t be worth the inevitable heartache in the end.
Catalina sliced her arms through the water, cursing herself for allowing thoughts of Will to infringe on her downtime when she only wanted to relax. The man wanted to control her and she was letting him because she had no clue how to stop this emotional roller coaster he’d strapped her into.
Heading toward the shoreline, Catalina pushed herself the last few feet until she could stand. Shoving her short hair back from her face, she took deep breaths as she sloshed through the water. With the sun starting to sink behind her, she crossed the sand and scooped up her towel to mop her face.
He’d seriously crossed the line when he’d asked about her virginity. Yes, she’d gotten carried away with him, even if she did enjoy those stolen moments, but her sexual past was none of his concern because she had no intention of letting him have any more power over her. And she sure as hell didn’t want to know about all of his trysts since they’d been together.
Cat wrapped the towel around her body and tucked the edge in to secure the cloth in place. This small stretch of beach wasn’t far from her apartment, only a five-minute walk, and rarely had many visitors in the evening. Most people came during the day or on weekends. On occasion, Catalina would see families playing together. Her heart would always seize up a bit then. She longed for the day when she could have a family of her own, but for now, she had her sights set on fashion.
Giving up one dream for another wasn’t an option. Who said she couldn’t have it all? She could have her ideal career and then her family. She was still young. At twenty-four some women were already married and had children, but she wasn’t like most women.
And if Will Rowling thought he could deter her from going after what she wanted, he was delusional. And sexy. Mercy, was the man ever sexy.
No, no, no.
Will and his sexiness had no room in her life, especially her bed, which he’d work his way into if she wasn’t on guard constantly.
Catalina pulled out her tank-style sundress and exchanged the towel for the modest coverup. After shoving the towel into her bag, she slid into her sandals and started her walk home. The soft ocean breeze always made her smile. Wherever she moved, she was going to need to be close to water or at least close enough that she could make weekend trips.
This was the only form of exercise she enjoyed, and being so short, every pound really showed. Not that she worried about her weight, but she wanted to feel good about herself and she felt her best when she’d been swimming and her muscles were burning from the strain. She wanted to be able to throw on anything in her closet and have confidence. For her, confidence came with a healthy body.
Catalina crossed the street to her apartment building and smiled at a little girl clutching her mother’s hand. Once she reached the stoop leading up to her flat, she dug into her bag for her keys. A movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention. She knew who was there before she fully turned, though.
“What are you doing here, Will?”
She didn’t look over her shoulder, but she knew he followed her. Arguing that he wasn’t invited was a moot point; the man did whatever he wanted anyway.
“I came to see you.”
When she got to the second floor, she stopped outside her door and slid her key into the lock. “I figured you’d given up.”
His rich laughter washed over her chilled skin. Between the warm water and the breezy air, she was going to have to get some clothes on to get warm.
“When have you known me to give up?” he asked.
Throwing a glance over her shoulder, she raised a brow. “Four years ago. You chose your career over a relationship. Seeing me was the big mistake. Ring any bells?”
Will’s bright aqua-blue eyes narrowed. “I didn’t give up. I’m here now, aren’t I?”
“Oh, so I was just put on hold until you were ready,” she mocked. “How silly of me not to realize.”
“Can I come in?” he asked. “I promise I’ll only be a couple minutes.”
“You can do a lot of damage in a couple minutes,” she muttered, but figured the sooner she let him in, the sooner he’d leave…she hoped.
Catalina pushed the door open and started toward her bedroom. Thankfully the door to the spare room was closed. The last thing she needed was for Will to see everything she’d been working on. Her personal life was none of his concern.
“I’m changing and you’re staying out here.”
She slammed her bedroom door, hoping he’d get the hint he wasn’t welcome. What was he doing here? Did he think she’d love how he came to her turf? Did he think she’d be more comfortable and melt into a puddle at his feet, and then invite him into her bed?
Oh, that man was infuriating. Catalina jerked off her wet clothes and draped them over her shower rod in her bathroom. Quickly she threw on a bra, panties and another sundress, one of her own designs she liked to wear out. It was simple, but it was hers, and her confidence was always lifted when she wore her own pieces.
Her damp hair wasn’t an issue right now. All she wanted to know was why he was here. If he only came for another make-out scene that was going to leave her frustrated and angry, she wanted no part of it. She smoothed back a headband to keep her hair from her face. It was so short it would be air-dried in less than an hour.
Padding barefoot back into her living room, she found Will standing near the door where she’d left him. He held a small package in his hands that she hadn’t noticed before. Granted she’d had her back to him most of the time because she didn’t want to face him.
“Come bearing gifts?” she asked. “Didn’t you learn your lesson after the flowers?”
Will’s smile spread across his face. “Thought I’d try a different tactic.”
On a sigh, Catalina crossed the room and sank into her favorite cushy chair. “Why try at all? Honestly. Is this just a game to see if you can get the one who got away? Are you trying to prove to yourself that you can conquer me? Is it a slumming thing? What is it, Will? I’m trying to understand this.”
He set the box on the coffee table next to a stack of the latest fashion magazines. After taking a seat on her couch, Will rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward.
Silence enveloped them and the longer he sat there, the more Catalina wondered what was going through his mind. Was he planning on lying? Was he trying to figure out how to tell her the truth? Or perhaps he was second-guessing himself.
She studied him—his strong jawline, his broad frame taking up so much space in her tiny apartment. She’d never brought a man here. Not that she’d purposely brought Will here, but having such a powerful man in her living room was a new experience for her.
Maybe she was out of her league. Maybe she couldn’t fight a force like Will Rowling. But she was sure as hell going to try because she couldn’t stand to have her heart crushed so easily again.
Catalina curled her feet beside her in the spacious chair as Will met her gaze. Those piercing aqua eyes forced her to go still.
“What if I’m here because I’ve never gotten over you?”
Dammit. Why did he let that out? He wasn’t here to make some grand declaration. He was here to soften her, to get her to let down that guard a little more because he was not giving up. He’d jump through whatever hoop she threw in front of him, but Cat would be his for a while. A steamy affair that no one knew about was exactly what they needed whether she wanted to admit it or not.
When he’d been given the ultimatum by his father to give up Cat or lose his place in Rowling Energy, Will hadn’t had much choice. Oh, and his father had also stated that he’d make sure Catalina Iberra would never work anywhere in Alma again if Will didn’t let her go.
He’d had to protect her, even though she hated him at the time. He’d do it all over again. But he didn’t want to tell her what had happened. He didn’t want her to feel guilty or to pity him. Will would win her back just as he’d won her the first time. He’d be charming and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
His quiet, almost vulnerable question still hung heavy in the space between them as he waited for her response. She hadn’t kicked him out of her flat, so he was making progress. Granted, he’d been making progress since that spur-of-the-moment kiss a month ago, but he’d rather speed things along. A man only had so much control over his emotions.
“You can have any woman you want.” Catalina toyed with the edge of the hem on her dress, not making eye contact. “You let me go, you called me a mistake.”
He’d regret those words until he died. To know he’d made Cat feel less than valuable to him was not what he’d wanted to leave her with, but once the damning words were out, he couldn’t take them back. Anything he said after that point would have been moot. The damage had been done and he’d moved on…or tried to. He’d said hurtful things to get her to back away from him; he’d needed her to stay away at the time because he couldn’t afford to let her in, not when his father had such a heavy hand.
Will had been devastated when she’d started dating another man. What had he expected? Did he think a beautiful, vibrant woman was just going to sit at home and sulk about being single? Obviously she had taken the breakup better than he had. And how sick was that, that he wished she’d been more upset? He wanted her to be happy…he just wanted it to be with him.
“I can’t have any woman,” he countered. “You’re still avoiding me.”
She lifted her dark eyes, framed by even darker lashes, and focused on him. Every time she looked at him, Will felt that punch to the gut. Lust. It had to be lust because he wouldn’t even contemplate anything else. They’d been apart too long for any other emotion to have settled in. They were two different people now and he just wanted to get to know her all over again, to prove himself to her. She deserved everything he had to give.
Will came to his feet. He couldn’t stay here because the longer he was around her, the more he wanted her. Cat was going to be a tough opponent and he knew all too well that the best things came from patience and outlasting your opponent. Hadn’t it taken him four years to best his father? And he was still in the process of doing that.
“Where are you going?” she asked, looking up at him.
“You want me to stay?” He stepped forward, easing closer to the chair she sat in. “Because if I stay, I’m going to want more than just talking.”
“Did you just come to see where I lived? Did you need this reminder of how opposite we are? How I’m just—”
Will put his hand over her mouth. Leaning down, he gripped the arm of her chair and rested his weight there. He eased in closer until he could see the black rim around her dark eyes.
“We’ve been over this. I don’t care what you are. I know what I want, what I need, and that’s you.”
Her eyes remained locked on his. Slowly he drew his hand away and trailed his fingertips along the thin tan line coming down from behind her neck.
“You’re getting red here,” he murmured, watching her shiver beneath his touch. “I haven’t seen you out of work clothes in years. You need to take better care of your skin.”
Cat reached up, grabbed his hand and halted his movements. “Don’t do this, Will. There’s nothing for you here and I have nothing to give. Even if I gave you my body, I’d regret it because you wouldn’t give me any more and I deserve so much. I see that now and I won’t lose sight of my goals just because we have amazing chemistry.”
Her pleading tone had him easing back. She wanted him. He’d broken her down enough for her to fully admit it.
What goals was she referring to? He wanted to know what her plans were because he wouldn’t let this go. He’d waited too long for this second chance and to finally have her, to finally show his father he was in control now, was his ultimate goal.
“I’m not about to give up, Cat.” Will stood straight up and kept his eyes on hers. “You have your goals, I have mine.”
As he turned and started walking toward the door, he glanced back and nodded toward the package on the table. “You didn’t like flowers. This may be more practical for you.”
Before she could say a word, he let himself out. Leaving her flat was one of the hardest things he’d done. He knew if he’d hung around a bit longer she would give in to his advances, but he wanted her to come to him. He wanted her to be aching for him, not reluctant.
Cat would come around. They had too much of a history and a physical connection now for her to ignore her body. He had plenty to keep him occupied until she decided to come to him.
Starting with dropping another bomb on his father where their investments and loyalties lay.
Six
Damn that man.
Catalina resisted the urge to march into the Rowling Energy offices and throw Will’s gift back in his face.
But she’d used the thing all weekend. Now she was back at the Playa del Onda estate cleaning for his father. Same old thing, different day.
Still, the fact that Will had brought her a sewing kit, a really nice, really expensive sewing kit, had her smiling. She didn’t want to smile at his gestures. She wanted to be grouchy and hate them. The flowers had been easy to cast aside, but something as personal as the sewing kit was much harder to ignore.
Will had no idea about her love of sewing, he’d merely gotten the present because of the shirt she’d ripped the other day. Even though he had no clue of her true passion, he thought outside the proverbial box and took the time to find something to catch her attention…as if he hadn’t been on her radar already.
Catalina shoved a curtain rod through the grommets and slid it back into place on the hook. She’d long put off laundering the curtains in the glass-enclosed patio room. She’d been too distracted since that initial kiss nearly a month ago.
Why, after four years, why did Will have to reawaken those feelings? Why did he have to be so bold, so powerful, making her face those desires that had never fully disappeared?
The cell in her pocket vibrated. Pulling the phone out, she glanced down to see Patrick’s name on the screen. She wasn’t afraid of her boss, but she never liked getting a call from him. Either she’d done something wrong or he was about to unload a project on her. He’d been so much more demanding than James had. Granted James had traveled all over the world for football and had rarely been home, but even when he was, he treated Catalina with respect.
Patrick acted as if the dirt on his shoe had a higher position in the social order than she did.
But she needed every dime she could save so that she could leave once she’d finished all her designs. She made a good income for a maid, but she had no idea how much she’d need to start over in a new country and get by until she got her big break.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Come to my office.”
She stared at the phone as he hung up. So demanding, so controlling…much like his son.
Catalina made her way through the house and down the wide hall toward Patrick’s office. Was Will here today? She didn’t want to pry or ask, but she had a feeling Patrick was handing over the reins to the twin he’d groomed for the position.
The office door stood slightly ajar, so Catalina tapped her knuckles against the thick wood before entering.
“Sir,” she said, coming to stand in front of Patrick’s wide mahogany desk.
The floral arrangement she’d brought a few days ago still sat on the edge. Catalina had to suppress her grin at the fact that the gift a billionaire purchased for a maid now sat on said billionaire’s father’s desk.
When Patrick glanced up at her, she swallowed. Why did he always make her feel as if she was in the principal’s office? She’d done nothing wrong and had no reason to worry.
Oh, wait. She’d made out with his son in the laundry room and there had been a witness outside the door. There was that minor hiccup in her performance.
“I’m going to have the Montoro family over for a dinner,” Patrick stated without preamble. “With the passing of Isabella, it’s fitting we extend our condolences and reach out to them during this difficult time.”
Catalina nodded. “Of course. Tell me what we need.”
“The funeral will be Wednesday and I know they will have their own gathering. I’d like to have the dinner Friday night.”
Catalina pulled out her cell and started typing in the notes as he rattled off the details. Only the Montoros and the Rowlings would be in attendance. Patrick expected her to work that day preparing the house and that evening cleaning up after the party… Long days like that were a killer for her back and feet. But the double time pay more than made up for the aches and pains.