My throat tightened up, and when I tried to swallow, I found it impossible. “Garen, I-I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes.”
I wanted to. God, I wanted to. How the hell had this happened? To go from despising a man so much I would have happily watched him burn in the street without lifting a finger, to this avalanche of relief that not only was he allowing me to stay by my brother’s side during the fight of his life, he also wanted to be right there with me.
“What if, after a day, a week, a month, that boredom you mentioned becomes a reality?”
“Then I’ll return to Canada.”
I suppressed a wince at how quickly he’d responded without a flicker of hesitancy. I guessed that meant he expected exactly that to happen, that he’d grow bored and drop me.
“And what would that mean for me, for Aiden?”
“You can remain here. My side of our deal will stand, Catriona. I will fund your brother’s treatment for as long as needed. The only difference is that I’ll release you from your end of the bargain.”
I cut my gaze to Aiden, sleeping peacefully, his dark eyelashes gracing his smooth cheeks, unaware of the bomb Garen had dropped right in my lap, one that had shredded me completely. Allowing him into my body last night had also granted him access to my heart. This wasn’t love. It was far too soon for that. Besides, I had serious doubts whether Garen was a man remotely capable of falling in love. But for me, the shift was that I realized I could love him. In time, I could.
“I want to stay.” I swung my focus from Aiden to Garen. Brother to lover.
He gave me a lopsided smile, and an ache bloomed in my core, and a swarm of butterflies took flight in my abdomen.
“Then we stay.”
I sat with Aiden until he fell back to sleep, then set off to search for Grams. I found her in the living room gossiping with Lia. Considering the two women barely knew each other, they were nattering away as if they were lifelong friends. Five minutes later, I realized my presence was not required and excused myself.
Wandering from room to room feeling like a spare part, I happened upon the cinema room Garen had mentioned. I snuck inside and settled into one of several comfortable leather recliners. I fiddled with a few buttons and managed to get the thing to come on. The screen displayed several movies, and as I scrolled down, I found hundreds more. Wow, talk about spoiled for choice. I selected a rom-com and curled my feet up beside me to watch. All the fresh air must have made me tired because the next thing I remember was Garen shaking me awake.
I rubbed my eyes, peering up at him. “What time is it?” I asked, covering a wide yawn with my palm.
“Nine-thirty. I’ve been searching everywhere for you.”
I squinted at the screen where the credits were rolling. “I missed the movie,” I said with a pout.
“That’s not such a bad thing.” He arched a dark brow. “Maid in Manhattan? Really?”
“Hey, rom-coms are fun.”
“If you say so,” he retorted, reaching to pick up the remote control to turn everything off.
“If you don’t like rom-coms, then why do you have several in your library?”
“Lia lives here all year round. I expect she downloaded them.”
“Oh, yeah.” I grinned. “Nicely dodged, by the way.”
He raised his eyes upward, which had me giggling.
“Let’s go to bed. Unless you’re hungry?”
I shook my head, still full from the enormous late lunch we’d had on the boat. “I should say goodnight to Grams and Aiden first.”
“You do that, and I’ll get naked.”
Sensing a chance to tease him, I yawned again, this time a fake one. “Actually, I’m pretty tired. I might sleep in my room tonight.”
He gave me a blank stare. “Fine, although when I make you scream my name right before you orgasm, your grandmother is likely to hear. The walls in that part of the house aren’t all that thick. If you’re comfortable with that, then so am I.”
I gaped at him. “No, I mean… no.”
“Excellent.” He captured my hand and headed for the door. “My room it is then.”
A growl rumbled through my chest at him besting me. He responded with a low chuckle.
“Five points for effort, mon petit chaton.”
I’d originally hated that nickname, but now, every time he used it, a shiver of delight shot down my spine. There was something intimate about the way he said it, and it didn’t hurt that it was in French, either. The language of love, wasn’t that what people said?
Don’t, Catriona. Just don’t.
I shoved the hope from my chest, loath to walk that path or even set a single foot on it. I had to remember Garen’s history with women. He’d been completely honest with me, and for my own sanity and the protection of my heart, I must keep that in the forefront of my mind.
He didn’t do relationships.
On any level.
And no matter how much kindness he showed to me and my family, I wouldn’t be the exception.
I checked on Grams and Aiden to say goodnight while he waited at the top of the stairs. When we reached his suite of rooms, he released my hand and crossed over to the window to draw the drapes. I toed the carpet, a wave of uncertainty holding my feet to the floor. Garen kicked off his shoes and crooked his finger, beckoning me to him. I willed my legs to move, edging toward him on muscles that might as well have atrophied for all the use they were. What the hell is wrong with me?
“You look nervous,” Garen said, inclining his head to one side. “Are you having second thoughts about our conversation earlier today?”
“No. I want to stay here with Aiden, and I’m glad you’re staying, too.”
“Just as well.” He twisted a lock of my hair and fed it through his fingers. “Because I’m going nowhere. I haven’t had my fill of you yet, and until I do, you’re stuck with me.”
A twinge of disappointment pinched my gut, which was why I blurted, “But you will, one day, have your fill of me. Yes?”
Silence filled the room while I waited for his reply. My heart thrashed against my ribcage, and I watched his eyes flick over my face, his jaw flexing as he bit down on his molars.
“I haven’t lied to you, Catriona, and I don’t intend to start now with false promises history would show I’m certain to break. All I can say is that I enjoy your company enormously. I like the way you challenge me, sometimes quietly, sometimes right in my face. Very few people are that brave, and the fact that you are excites me.” He tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “Plus, I like fucking you.”
When I remained quiet, processing what he’d said, he responded by sighing softly.
“It’s all I can offer right now, Catriona. Can you live with that?”
Could I? Or was I falling headlong into a heartbreak I might not ever recover from?
I forced a smile, but it felt strange on my lips. “Of course. We’re both adults enjoying each other. It lasts until it doesn’t.”
Relief swamped his face, which caused an even deeper depression to take root in the depths of my stomach.
“Great.”
He lifted me over his shoulder, fireman style. I squealed loudly, thankful we weren’t in my room. Grams would have a heart attack thinking he was torturing me. He tossed me on the bed then went for his shirt buttons.
“It’s just as well you had a snooze in the cinema room,” he said, raking his gaze over me where my skirt had ridden up, showing a good few inches of thigh. “It’s the last rest you’ll get for a while.”
27
Garen
“Bullshit,” Upton said with a grin. “Come on, Garen. What’s the real reason you’re staying in Switzerland for the foreseeable future? You don’t really expect us to buy this unexpected business opportunity cover story, do you?”
His openly skeptical stare was matched by the other four ROGUES board members attending an impromptu meeting arranged by me so I could update them on my temporar
y change of location.
“Yeah,” Sebastian piped up. “If it is true, then I’d like to know what the fuck you think you’re doing pissing on my territory. Europe is my patch. Canada not big enough for you or something?”
I inwardly groaned. I should have known it wouldn’t be this easy, and Sebastian had a fair point. Europe was his baby. I needed to head this off by being my usual belligerent self.
“For fuck’s sake, you bunch of egotistical jackasses. I thought I made myself perfectly clear, but for those hard of hearing, I’ll try again. There is a potential business opportunity, and it might take a couple of weeks to work through it. All I’m asking for is a little time to do some due diligence, and if it’s got legs, then I’ll hand it over to you, Seb, okay?”
I expected to stay here longer than two weeks, but I needed to buy myself some time. It all depended on how long it took me to get Catriona out of my system. Given how my dick perked up at the mere thought of her, and the hours I’d spent fucking her last night, two weeks wouldn’t cut it. I refused to acknowledge how many dates that length of time would induce, but it’d be more than four.
A new record.
It didn’t mean anything, though.
She was a good fuck. That was all. And spunky and fun. And challenging.
And frustrating.
And intelligent and beautiful
It didn’t mean anything.
“Tell us more about this opportunity.” Ryker rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I’m intrigued. How did it land in your lap?”
Bastard man was far too astute for his own good. I locked him with a hard stare. “It’s early days. Might come to nothing. There’s no point going into details until I have more information.”
“Hmm,” Ryker said, leaning forward so his face appeared larger on the screen. “And while you’re doing… whatever it is you’re doing in Switzerland, who’s keeping an eye on the hotel construction?”
Fuck. I’d barely thought of the hotel since we’d landed in Switzerland last Thursday. The ground would have been flattened by now, and I winced at the thought of Catriona’s beloved studio no longer sitting proudly in the middle of the row of businesses, and all because I wanted that location for my own venture.
“I have an excellent project manager and a very capable team who are reporting to me on a regular basis. If you’re that worried about me managing this project remotely then maybe Upton can get off his fat ass and fly up to Vancouver to check on things. It’s only a hop and a skip from L.A.”
I shot Upton a hard stare. Serve the bastard right for spotlighting my weak-as-piss excuse for staying in Switzerland for an extended period of time.
Upton responded to my venomous glare with a wide grin. “I have a delicious ass. Nothing fat about my pert derriere, thanks very much. You can cop a feel if you like, next time we meet.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry, I thought I’d dialed into a grown-up discussion. Seems my call was diverted to the kindergarten.”
Elliot barked a laugh, but it was Oliver’s expression that worried me the most. He knew me almost as well as I knew myself, and the way his eyes narrowed and he brought his arms over his chest told me I could expect a separate conversation before too long. If he called today, I wouldn’t answer. I needed time to figure out a response that wouldn’t have him drilling until he got to the truth.
Even I didn’t know the truth. All I did know was that leaving Catriona behind wasn’t an option. I craved her pussy and her company far too much for that. Once I got her out of my system, then I’d return to Canada. Until that happened, I planned to spend every night buried inside her.
“Okay, Garen,” Ryker said. “Keep us informed. Upton, fly to Vancouver tomorrow and make sure the plans for the hotel are on track, then report back to Garen.”
“Yeah, no worries,” Upton said, shooting a sinful grin into the camera. “I’ll get everything back on track.”
I grimaced, my jaw clenched. “It’s already on track,” I bit out. “I only left there five fucking days ago.”
“A lot can happen in five days,” Upton said, clearly enjoying his moment, one I’d make him pay for the next time our paths crossed in person.
“Fuck off,” I shot at him.
He laughed. “You’re so easy to wind up, Garen. Always have been.”
“Whatever,” I muttered childishly which, given my earlier comment, wasn’t exactly wise, especially when Upton’s grin widened so far, I expected his face to split. “Are we done?”
Ryker nodded. “Let’s catch up on Friday at the usual time. We can talk more then.”
The screen went blank.
I pinched the bridge of my nose, my eyes closing, and let out a deep sigh.
Can’t fucking wait.
Like a caged tiger, I paced, waiting for Catriona to return from the hospital. She, her grandmother, and Aiden had been there all day for his first treatment, and while I hadn’t expected her to call or text, the fact she hadn’t made me antsy. I didn’t like being kept in the dark, even when it was none of my business. I’d found myself praying to a fucking god I didn’t believe in that it had gone well, although given what Catriona had told me Saturday over dinner, we wouldn’t know the success or failure of the experimental treatment for several weeks or even months yet.
A beam of yellow light swung across the front of the house, signaling their return. I strode to the front door and opened it wide, then stood on the step waiting for them to appear.
Her grandmother got out of the car first, and I moved to offer her my arm, which she waved away with a flick of her wrist. Stubborn female. Aiden followed, his face pale and wan, his eyes drooping, but I didn’t miss the determined set to his jaw. I patted his shoulder.
“How’d it go? How are you feeling?”
He glanced up at me. “Tired.”
I nodded, catching Catriona’s eye over the top of his head. “You all must be. Lia has cooked dinner if you’re hungry.”
Aiden shook his head. “I’m gonna go to bed if that’s okay.”
“Of course it is,” I said. “It’ll keep.”
“I’ll take him up,” Mrs. Kelly said. “Then I’ll turn in myself. I’m dead on my feet.”
The two of them went inside, leaving me and Catriona standing beside the car. I waited, wanting to take my lead from her, but when her face crumpled, I pulled her into my arms and pressed her head to my shoulder.
“I’ve got you,” I said with more gentleness than I ever thought myself capable of. “I’m here.”
“God, Garen, it was awful. I mean, the doctors and nurses were lovely, but just watching Aiden lying in that bed having drugs pumped through a tube into his arm. He seemed so small, so fragile. I know it’s stupid, but I’ve never thought of him that way. Until these last few weeks, he’s always been my rambunctious little brother, and seeing him today has brought home just how sick he is.”
“Come on, let’s get you inside,” I said, conscious of a chill in the air. “Do you want some food?” As if feeding her could make it all better, but something in me urged me to try to get a meal inside her.
“I’m really not hungry. We had sandwiches at the hospital.”
“At least you’ve eaten something. How about a bath then? And a cup of tea?”
She tilted her head back and gazed up at me, emerald eyes glistening in the buttery-yellow light of my entranceway. “That sounds like heaven.”
“You go on up. I’ll fetch that tea.”
I tugged on my lip and watched as she used the handrail to virtually haul herself upstairs. She turned left, toward her own room rather than my suite, and I almost called out to stop her, then suppressed the impulse. If she needed space tonight, then I’d give it to her. I didn’t like it, but even I recognized demanding she spend the night in my bed was a dick move.
Walking into the kitchen, I found Lia kneading dough. She loved us to wake up to freshly baked bread in the morning, so this was her final routine before she went to bed. Sh
e glanced over her shoulder as I entered.
“Tough day for them all,” she said in her usual sage manner. “I’ll cover this food and leave it in the fridge in case any of them get hungry during the night.”
“Thanks,” I said, flicking on the electric kettle. “Catriona wants tea.”
“I’ll make it.” She rinsed her flour-covered hands under the faucet and dried them on a towel, then bustled about the kitchen. Within five minutes, she set two perfectly brewed mugs of tea on the table for me to take upstairs. “Let me know if you need anything else, okay.”
I shook my head. “Turn in, Lia. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Sounds of water running came from Catriona’s bathroom as I nudged the door open with my hip. Switching the two cups of tea into one hand, I tapped a knuckle on the bathroom door.
“Come in,” she called out.
The bath was almost full, bubbles rising above the rim. Catriona was sitting on the toilet seat, her expression weary. I handed her one of the cups.
“Here you go.”
“Thanks.” She took a sip and sighed. “I needed that.”
I shuffled my feet, uncertain whether she wanted me to stay or go. Indecision wasn’t a normal go-to emotion for me, and I didn’t like it.
“I’ll leave you to it,” I said, half turning away.
“No, Garen, stay. Please.” She scrubbed her face. “I could use the company.”
She slipped off the robe she’d changed into and let it fall to the floor. I caught a flash of side-boob and the curve of one cheek of her ass before she slipped into the water. My dick jerked in appreciation, a desire to shuck my clothes and climb in the other end then have her ride me to orgasm strengthening by the second.
Entrapped: A Billionaire Romance (The ROGUES Series Book 3) Page 15