by Marinelli, Carol; Hayward, Jennifer; Stephens, Susan; Anderson, Natalie
‘There are many things I don’t know about you. Yet.’
The implied intimacy brought more colour to her cheeks.
‘It is the organisation of the house that earns you back the diamonds,’ he said. ‘Our sexual relationship is outside of that bargain.’
‘We have no sexual relationship,’ she said firmly.
‘Yet,’ he repeated with a smile. ‘It’s only a matter of time, Catriona.’
‘Not everything is that predictable.’
‘This is.’
She drew in a shallow breath. ‘And if I refuse to organise the house?’
‘No necklace.’
‘But it’s not yours. It wasn’t part of the house sale and you know it.’
‘As you said yourself, possession is nine-tenths of the law. I have it, Catriona.’ He patted his pocket. ‘I’ll tell the world about your attempt to break in and steal from me. That initially I covered for you last night to spare your mortification, but that in the end you had to be charged.’
‘Wouldn’t that bring the “sideshow” you’re so keen to avoid?’ she asked, delighting in pointing out his own contradiction.
He shrugged. ‘I would prefer to avoid that, but I’ve been through worse. I’m not the villain in this—you’re the crazy woman.’
She was. She’d be labelled the desperate woman who’d faked a fiancé to save face. Humiliation sucked. This was a way of escaping with some pride intact. And it wasn’t all beneficence on his part; she knew what he wanted and frankly she was amazed—and stupidly flattered. She wasn’t anything like the beautiful, curvy models he dated.
The sound of a phone ringing startled her. Even more so when she realised it was her phone ringing.
Alejandro took her phone from his other pocket and tossed it to her, his gaze alert and speculative. ‘You’d better answer this time. He keeps ringing.’
She glanced at the screen. Teddy. He’d be having conniptions.
‘Kitty? You’re still in his house?’ her brother said as soon as she answered.
So Alejandro had spoken to Teddy. No wonder he knew about the diamonds and everything else. Her brother couldn’t keep a secret if he tried.
‘How did he catch you?’ Teddy’s astonishment rang down the phone the second she answered. ‘You got in and out so many times over the years and never got caught.’
Mainly because no one had cared enough to notice if she was missing. ‘Well, I did this time.’ The guy had to have eyes like a hawk. There’d been so many people present, she never should have been spotted.
‘Well, there’s the most preposterous story going around. My phone’s been ringing flat-out. Everyone thinks you’ve been seeing him in secret all this time. They’re saying you’re engaged.’
‘Oh, hell…’ She covered her face with her hand. She’d made the most colossal fool of herself.
She peeked through her fingers and saw Alejandro had sat back more comfortably in his chair and was smiling, as if enjoying her mortification. She realised then that he was waiting for her to decide. That maybe he didn’t actually care that much either way.
‘So it’s not true?’
She heard the disappointment in her brother’s voice. And the anxious edge. She didn’t want Teddy to worry or try to come charging in here and sorting it out and making it all even more embarrassing. Maybe this situation could be resolved best if the details were kept between her and the devil in front of her. Between only them. She’d suffer this mortification in front of Alejandro alone.
‘They’re saying he stepped in to save Dad’s cash flow because he’s been in love with you all this time,’ Teddy said.
She laughed a little hysterically. ‘Oh, Teddy, it’s not quite that simple.’
‘But you are his fiancée?’
She hesitated, glancing up to meet Alejandro’s penetrating gaze for a long moment.
‘Kitty…’ Teddy’s voice lowered. ‘Are you okay? When I phoned last night he was very short with me.’
‘Everything’s fine, Teddy.’ She tore her gaze from Alejandro’s, straightened her shoulders and made herself smile. ‘They’re more than fine. But things are a little…complicated—’
‘I didn’t think you even knew him. Last night you were—’ He broke off almost as soon as he’d interrupted. ‘Shit, is that why you were in such a hurry to get there?’
‘Look, I’ll come and see you in a couple of days, okay? I’ll explain it then. But for now I am staying here.’
‘With him?’ Teddy’s excitement barrelled down the phone. ‘You’re really staying with him?’
‘Yes.’
It took almost a full minute after ending the call with Teddy before she could lift her chin and look Alejandro in the face again. She was just waiting for him to gloat with some smart comment. But when she did look at him, she found he was watching her with just the smallest of smiles. It wasn’t even a smug one.
‘At least here you can have a bed,’ he offered blandly.
‘My own bed?’
‘Of course, until you ask to share mine.’
‘Not going to happen.’
He laughed then. ‘You’re too constricted by your own naivety,’ he jeered. ‘Believing in some fairy tale version of romance and being in a relationship “ happily-ever-after”.’
‘You don’t believe in relationships?’ Why wasn’t she surprised?
‘Not lasting ones.’ His smile flashed.
‘So not marriage.’
‘Definitely not. I will never marry.’
‘That’s sad,’ she said glibly.
‘What’s sad is the vast number of people who stay in unhappy marriages because they think they have to.’ He shrugged carelessly. ‘I like indulging—in nice food, pleasant company, good sex. Then a gentle goodbye. What’s wrong with that?’ He breathed it with utter confidence and arrogance.
‘Nothing.’ She couldn’t fault him for what seemed to be the perfect life. For him. Because she didn’t think the goodbye Saskia had got had been all that gentle.
‘I work hard. I achieve. I get what I deserve.’
‘I hope you do,’ she said pointedly.
He didn’t look remotely abashed. ‘The women I tend to date have worked every bit as hard as I have to achieve their successes.’
‘With plastic surgery and liberal use of the casting couch,’ she muttered.
‘You judge your sisters so harshly?’
She wrinkled her nose, hating that he was right and she’d been bitchy.
‘I treat all my lovers with respect and courtesy,’ he said meaningfully. ‘A little kindness goes a long way.’
‘But you have no desire to be faithful?’
His eyes widened. ‘I sleep with one woman at a time. I don’t date another until I have ensured anyone else I had been seeing is clear that we are no longer an item.’
As he’d done with poor Saskia.
‘Is that what you’ll do with me if we have an affair? Just flick me a text before jumping into bed with another woman?’
Her cheeks heated. James hadn’t done even that. He’d cheated on her.
‘We will formally end our engagement. There will be no miscommunication or misunderstanding.’
‘And now you think I should just fall into bed with you?’
‘I think if you were honest about what you want, that’s exactly what you’d do.’ He watched her closely. ‘There’s nothing wrong with lust, Catriona.’
Maybe there wasn’t, but she wasn’t ready for it. And not for him. ‘Okay, here’s some honesty for you,’ she said, trying to take control of the situation and clarify her intentions. ‘You’re an attractive man and you know it. But we don’t share the same desires. I don’t want that kind of empty pleasure. I want something m
ore meaningful and complicated. So I’ll do the house. I’ll stay until this stupid story blows over. But that’s all. And when that’s done, then I go.’
He was not winning. He was not getting everything his own way. She’d be his first failure.
‘You think you can resist this chemistry?’ He grinned, hugely amused. ‘Are you one of those women who has to believe she’s in love before she’ll have sex with a man?’
‘Not love necessarily. But something a little warmer than loathing.’
He laughed and stood. ‘I will not muddy this affair with false declarations or meaningless promises. When you want me, just let me know.’
‘I’ll send you a telegram.’ She blew him a kiss. ‘Now, go to work, darling, so I can steal from you while your back is turned.’
Alejandro knew he could have her far sooner than she pretended. Knew that it would take only a few kisses and she’d be heavy-eyed and restless in his arms, as she’d been for those too brief moments last night. But now he wanted more than that from her. Now he’d seen her defiant rise to his challenge, the determined denial sparking in her eyes. That spirit and courage showed she wasn’t so much broken as bruised. He’d help her forget the stupid ex-fiancé.
But he wanted her to hit the ignition on their affair. To be unable to deny this chemistry without his provocation. He didn’t know why. Usually he wasn’t that bothered—either he took a lover or he didn’t. It was straightforward. But Catriona presented a challenge that he couldn’t resist engaging with. Maybe some old-fashioned seduction was required, until the electricity was too high a voltage to be ignored and she came to him.
He’d worked like a demon this morning to arrange everything. He’d sent his assistant to stay in a hotel for the week. He’d be at work most of the time, but when he was here he didn’t want anyone interrupting him and Catriona. It struck him that things might get fiery at any moment. He was looking forward to that. And, with her unconventional beauty, she fitted in this house. The fact she could help with excavating all the residual stuff that was seemingly cemented inside it was pure bonus.
‘I’m happy to have you as my fiancée for the foreseeable future,’ he said, pleased with the outcome.
It was the perfect solution. He got someone to sort the house and he’d get to sleep with the most vexingly sexy woman he’d encountered in a while.
‘I’m not staying here for long.’ She suddenly looked uneasy.
Was she attempting to back out of the deal already? Because she knew she wasn’t going to win?
He smothered his smile. ‘Why not? The house is big; there’s a lot of rubbish to get rid of.’
‘It’s not rubbish—’ Indignation flared in her eyes.
‘Well, you’d better do it then—else I’ll just dump the lot,’ he interrupted dismissively.
She narrowed her gaze at him. ‘As if you’d be that reckless with an investment.’
‘No, you’re the reckless one. I’m on damage control. One month.’
Her mouth opened. Then shut. Then opened again. ‘You’re not going to get everything you want.’ She sent him another speaking look. ‘No more parties.’
‘Pardon?’
‘While I’m here as your fiancée there’ll be no parties.’
Was she trying to dictate terms to him, to renegotiate when she had zero bargaining power? He stifled another laugh. ‘I thought you Bohemian types liked parties.’
‘Your definition of a party is very different to mine.’
‘How so?’ He spread his hands in bewilderment. ‘I like parties.’
‘You like being surrounded by women who pander to your ego.’
He clamped down another smile. She really didn’t want other women around, did she? ‘No parties at home,’ he conceded, happy to be alone with her for what little time he’d have in the house. ‘But we dine out. We dance.’
He liked the ambience of a busy restaurant.
‘No dancing.’
‘Why not?’ He folded his arms, amused by her determined rejection of what he had to offer. ‘Don’t tell me you can’t.’
‘Of course I can’t,’ she declared in total irritation. ‘I have no interest in it.’
‘I’ll teach you,’ he said, unbothered. ‘Next item?’
‘No…’ She hesitated. ‘No…’
Yes, this was where she really was most vulnerable. ‘You don’t need to worry.’ Hadn’t he just told her he only dated one woman at a time?
‘I’m not having two fiancés leave me for another woman,’ she blurted it out anyway. ‘I’m not going through that again. Not even pretend.’
So she had been hurt by the ex-fiancé.
‘Fine. You’ll break my heart. Unable to get over my rampantly lusty past even though I’ll have been nothing but true to you.’ He offered the solution softly, watching her closely.
‘As if anyone would believe you had.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘You’ll have plenty of women offering to soothe your hurts.’
She was painfully insecure, and breathtakingly insulting, but he didn’t blame her. She’d been hurt. ‘And you’ll have your pride restored.’
A slightly stunned look crossed her face. ‘It’s not pride.’
‘What is it then?’
She shook her head, that expression shutting down. ‘You wouldn’t understand. You don’t seem to have the same kinds of emotions as I do.’
Her words were barbed, and they hit a spot he hadn’t realised was exposed. He had emotions all right. It was just that he worked hard to control them. He had to. Suddenly raw, he turned and walked towards the door. ‘I have to get to work. Be ready for dinner at seven.’
‘I don’t have any decent clothes with me,’ she called after him sulkily.
Drawing in a calming breath, he turned back to face her. ‘So buy some more.’
‘In case you hadn’t noticed, my family has hit the skids. You want to be ashamed by your fiancée when you take her out looking like a bag lady?’
He knew she was deliberately putting obstacles in his way to be as annoying as possible. Too bad, he wasn’t going to be bothered. ‘You don’t look like a bag lady. I like the catsuit thing.’ He smiled patronisingly at her. ‘But feel free to go out and buy whatever you want for tonight. My treat.’
Her gaze narrowed on his mouth. Awareness arrowed to his groin. He’d known she’d loathe the offer of his money and that her temper would flare. His smile deepened to genuine pleasure in anticipation of her bite.
But she didn’t give him a verbal lashing. If anything, she sounded as sultry as a siren. ‘What’s my budget?’
Only then did she lift her lashes and reveal the fury in her green eyes.
‘Will a hundred thousand do to start?’ he suggested roughly, unable to resist absorbing her dare and raising the stakes.
She didn’t bat an eyelid at that.
He strolled back over to where she still sat on the sofa, enjoying himself immensely. ‘We’ll have to get you an engagement ring too.’ He picked up her hand and studied her long, delicate fingers. ‘Just to really set the whole thing off.’
‘That’s not necessary,’ she clipped, tilting her chin so she could keep burning holes in him with her fiery gaze. ‘I’m not wearing a ring.’
So she did have a few scruples. Or maybe she was superstitious.
‘You’ve worn one before.’ And he felt a twinge of guilt about pointing that out to her so bluntly.
She tried to pull her hand from his but he gripped it harder.
‘And it brought me nothing but trouble,’ she muttered.
‘Poor Catriona.’ He couldn’t hold back a second longer. He tugged her hand, drawing her into a standing position, and reached out with his other hand to run his fingers down the length of her beautiful hair. ‘Go indulge in some
retail therapy,’ he suggested with a mercilessly condescending tease. ‘Spend hard.’
She sent him another foul look. ‘You know I could walk out with all this money of yours and skip the country, never to return.’
‘You’re too polite to do that. And you know that if you did, I would hunt you down.’ His gut clenched at the words. It was only a joke; he didn’t mean it. Not truly.
‘I’m not afraid of you.’
But he was close enough to have felt her shiver and fought his own primal response to pull her closer and keep her. He wasn’t going down that possessive route, not when he knew how destructive it could be. How terrifying. He’d rein this in and get it back to nothing more than a seductive, light tease. ‘No, but you’re afraid of what I can offer.’
‘What do you think that you can offer me that I would be afraid of?’
‘The kind of passion you think you can’t cope with,’ he taunted, leaning that last inch into her space.
‘Oh, please.’ She rolled her eyes, but he’d seen the rise of that pink under her cheeks.
He put his hands on her slender waist. Satisfaction burst within him, desire for more slammed in on its heels. ‘I won’t deny I want you in my bed, little Cat,’ he muttered, his words tumbling, rough and unstoppable now. ‘I’m looking forward to hearing you—’
She suddenly stunned him by clamping her hand over his mouth. ‘You think I haven’t heard those kinds of sleazy lines before? You want to “pet me until I purr”?’ She pushed her hand, forcing him to turn his head away for a second. ‘If you really want me, you need to try harder.’
Harder? His laugh was harsh as he pulled her flush against him, pressing his lips on hers. For a spilt-second it was pure passion, lip-to-lip, breast-to-chest, hip-to-hip and straining…but then he made himself go gently again.
Slow. Slow right down.
He’d have his control back, thanks. And he’d surprise her into that deliciously unguarded reaction she’d given him last night.
He softened, pressing small kisses on her plump pouting mouth until she opened it with the smallest of sighs. She tasted like fruit and pastry, a little tart, a lot sweet. And hot. So damn hot and vital. She might be slender, but she was strong. He slid his hand up her back, pressing her closer, needing to feel her where he was aching most. Her hands skated up his chest, curling around his shoulders as she arched her back and her neck, pressing her breasts more firmly against him, letting him deepen the kiss even more. And, heaven knew, he did. Slowly and thoroughly, he explored her mouth, caressing her with his tongue because he couldn’t get enough of her taste. He widened his stance so he could gather her closer, aching to absorb all her passion. Gentle was all but forgotten. She felt so good pressed up against him.