by Isabel Keats
He thought back to the woman he’d just accompanied home and shook his head. He had told Harry to introduce him to the woman he’d heard so much about, and his friend had quickly organized a dinner for four. The evening had gone fine. The young lady was his type, or at least, the type he’d liked until then—blond and curvy—and he’d decided that he would invite her to dinner, just the two of them, another evening. Tonight had been that night.
He couldn’t remember the last time he had been so bored. The poor woman had done everything she could to please him, basically serving herself up on a plate, but Leopold had no desire to take her up on her offer. Ten minutes into dinner, he was already wishing they were done eating so he could escape. She was stunned when, straight after dinner, Leopold took her home, and she was even more surprised when he turned down her invitation to go up to her apartment for a drink. It was patently clear that it was the first time that had happened to her.
When he’d gotten out of the taxi, still troubled by a gnawing, uncomfortable feeling of dissatisfaction, he had seen Catalina in Diego’s arms, and the sight had frozen him in place. Then, unseen, he had approached them and listened to everything they said. He had been suddenly overcome with a terrible urge to punch that drunken scoundrel’s lights out, and to teach Cat some sense. Someone had to show that exasperating woman that she could not go around giving hugs and kisses left, right, and center. If she continued to do so, one day she was going to get into serious trouble.
He sighed, and the white puff of air floated in front of his face. He’d better go inside if he didn’t want to catch pneumonia, he thought. And anyway, he had to pack his bags for his holiday.
CHAPTER 10
The next morning, after ringing his neighbor’s doorbell, he only had to wait a few seconds before she opened the door. Catalina was ready, dressed in tight-fitting jeans, a thick turtleneck sweater, and some high, sheepskin-lined boots. On the floor, there was a gigantic suitcase topped with a warm coat and a pile of painting materials. An obedient Milo sat waiting by her side, surrounded by his own luggage. “Very punctual.” Leopold looked approving. “Have you told your mother I’m coming?”
“Yup, I phoned her this morning, and she said she’d be delighted to have you.”
“Perfect.” He picked up most of the bags and headed to the elevator, Cat following behind with Milo.
They put the dog in the back of the Range Rover, along with the rest of the luggage, and made themselves comfortable in front. Cat stole a glance at her attractive neighbor, who was wearing an elegant sports jacket, and liked what she saw. She knew her mother would like Leo, too, and she only hoped she wouldn’t get any absurd ideas about the two of them.
The landscape outside the window was covered in a thick layer of snow, adding to its serene beauty. Fortunately, there was no ice on the road, so the journey was trouble-free and thoroughly enjoyable.
Cat was surprised to find her neighbor in such a cheerful mood. Leopold was also confused by it; he was happy that he’d decided to accompany her and was glad that he didn’t have to spend the festive season, which always felt rather depressing, by himself. They only stopped once to refuel and get coffee, so they reached Catalina’s parents’ house just in time for lunch.
They must have heard the sound of the engine approaching, because when Cat and Leopold got out of the car, her parents and three brothers formed a welcoming committee at the front door to receive them.
Leopold sensed Catalina stiffen beside him, and was amazed when she suddenly turned and ran into the snow-covered garden behind them. The reason why suddenly became clear, as her three massive brothers sprinted after her, screaming like lunatics. In the end, one of them dived at her and tackled her onto the freezing ground, while the other two stuffed snowballs down her back.
Cat yelled for help, but her parents just watched the scene with amusement, and Leo didn’t dare get involved. Finally, the three men decided that her torture had lasted long enough, and they helped the poor woman to her feet. “You’ll pay for that, you three!” Cat waved her fist in their faces, though her smiling face belied her apparent anger.
She returned to Leopold’s side, her hair mussed and her face flushed, and made the introductions. “Leopold Sinclair, my three horrible older brothers, Robert, Richard, and David.” Then she led him to the front door and introduced her parents.
Leopold held out his hand and thanked them for welcoming him on such short notice. “Don’t worry, Leo. Can I call you that?” He nodded, smiling, and Cat’s mother continued with a look of approval. “Call me Marisa, and my husband, Martin. My children’s friends are always welcome.”
Leopold was surprised by the warmth that the whole family radiated; perhaps it was their Spanish heritage that made them appear so affectionate toward one another, continually exchanging kisses and hugs without any awkwardness. For Leopold, whose family was not inclined to public displays of affection, the Stapletons were a novelty. Now he understood where his neighbor’s need to touch and kiss everyone came from.
Their home, an old Tudor-style farmhouse with a steeply pitched slate roof and white stucco walls trussed with darkened oak beams, was utterly charming. Though not especially big, it was extremely cozy. Cat led him to a small bedroom with a gabled ceiling and warned him that he’d have to share the bathroom at the end of the hall with her.
After Leopold had unpacked his bags, he went down to the living room as Catalina had instructed him and found her there, sitting on her father’s lap with her arms around his neck as if she were still a girl. Warm feelings washed through him as he observed the tender scene, and once again he felt glad that he’d come.
Marisa soon announced that lunch was ready, and they all sat around the big wooden table in the dining room. It was a cheerful meal. Cat’s brothers frequently needled her, but it was obvious she was used to it, and she took it with good humor, not once becoming angry.
Mr. Stapleton was a teacher, and Leopold had no trouble finding topics of conversation to discuss with him. Marisa was the soul of the home: she made life easier for her absent-minded husband without him seeming to notice, and she controlled her unruly sons and their sister with an iron hand, though it was obvious she adored them all. Leopold was quickly made to feel like part of the family, and before long, Marisa was chiding him for not wanting a third helping.
After the enormous lunch, they all helped clear the table. Then Cat’s parents disappeared to take an afternoon nap, and Cat suggested they go for a walk to help digest the meal. Her brothers decided to stay home, but Leo was up for a stroll—he felt incredibly full and wanted to see the scenery around the picturesque farm. So they bundled up and went outside, accompanied by an eager, off-leash Milo. They strolled for a while in the snow-covered fields, barely speaking, listening to the sound of their footsteps crunching in the deep silence of the countryside. “It’s beautiful here.”
“Isn’t it just?” Cat agreed with enthusiasm. “I adore coming home.”
Leopold glanced at her face, flushed from the cold and framed by a brightly colored woolen hat and scarf, and he found her worthy of adoration, too. “Did you spend your childhood here?”
“Yeah, I grew up here. I love wandering the fields, riding, swimming in the lake that’s just over there.” She pointed to the right. “As my mother always says, I’m her fourth boy. I was a real tomboy when I was young.”
“No one would believe it, seeing you now.”
“Gosh, Leo.” She looked at him with big, smiling brown eyes. “I think you just paid me a compliment.”
“Maybe,” was his vague reply.
“I’ll race you! First to that oak tree wins!” she cried, and shot off.
He reacted immediately, sprinting after her, but Catalina was quick and he struggled to catch up. To stop her before she reached the finish line, he leapt on top of her and tackled her to the ground as her brothers had done, and once again
Cat found herself lying in the snow. Leo turned her over and climbed on top of her, pinning her in place. “Now what?” he asked, holding her wrists above her head and moving his face closer to hers. Despite her precarious position, Cat laughed in her contagious way, and Leopold could not help but smile.
“All right, you win,” she said, grinning, her eyes dancing with amusement.
“And my reward?” Leopold gazed at her delicate features.
“We never discussed a reward, Mr. Sinclair.”
“In that case, I’ll choose my prize.” Burning with desire, he dipped his head even closer, until his lips were within an inch of her mouth. Cat wriggled under his weight, but her attempts to free herself were futile.
“Don’t do it, Leo—remember the curse,” she whispered, and her warm breath excited him even more.
“I told you, I’m a pragmatic businessman, Catalina. I don’t believe in curses.”
Ever so gently, Leopold rested his lips on her cool mouth, and just like the previous two occasions when he’d kissed her, the fuses in his mind suddenly blew. Noticing how Catalina was clearly returning his feelings, he began to kiss her with longing. For a moment, he completely forgot where they were and how they’d gotten there; his only coherent thought was that he had to make her his that instant. He slid his hand under Catalina’s sweater to cup one of her firm breasts and was happy to feel it fit perfectly in his hand. She arched against him and his passion reached a boiling point. However, he soon sensed little gloved fists thumping his shoulders, and he realized that Cat wasn’t excited; she was fighting against him. Horrified, he immediately stopped kissing her and lifted his head.
“Leo, stop, please,” she begged him with what seemed like an expression of genuine terror.
“I’m sorry, Catalina, forgive me.” His voice was hoarse and he quickly climbed off her, helping her to her feet.
Cat managed to stand despite her trembling legs. For God’s sake! She couldn’t understand how this man could excite her so much! It’d taken an almost superhuman effort to ask him to stop, and she was aware that she must not let her treacherous body be in control.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about, Leo, but we mustn’t let it happen again. I’ve already said you’re not a bad kisser. In fact, you’re rather good, but I don’t want to get involved with a man who’s getting married.” Leopold tried to tell her that was not happening, but she stopped him. “There’s no point in denying it. I know you’re not yourself right now, but when you recover your senses, you’ll be glad I stopped you before you made a silly mistake. I consider you a good friend, Leo, and it’d be crazy to throw away something so rare for a meaningless roll in the hay.”
Her prudent words rained like heavy blows on Leopold. Stunned, he looked at the lips that had just uttered them, flushed and slightly swollen, and he wanted to reach for them again and kiss them until she begged for mercy. He couldn’t understand what the devil was happening to him. He’d never lost control this way before; if Catalina hadn’t stopped him, he would’ve made love to her right there, on the freezing earth.
He shook his head, trying to regain his composure. Cat still believed he was going to marry Alison. He had to put her right, but at the same time, he wondered why he should; after all, he didn’t intend to have a serious relationship with Catalina Stapleton, did he?
The two of them were as different as night and day, and Cat didn’t even fit the curvy-blond stereotype that usually attracted him. What’s more, he knew that she’d never accept his endless work hours or his constant business trips, and he couldn’t risk introducing her to his colleagues—who knew what she might say to them?
No, Catalina Stapleton was not the right woman for him. His reaction to her was unsurprising in a sense since he hadn’t slept with a woman for almost four months, and that built-up energy had to be released somehow. A little calmer, he regained his voice. “You’re right, Catalina. I’m marrying Alison. And anyway, if you’ll forgive my honesty, it’s not that I feel attracted to you, it’s just I let myself get carried away.”
“I don’t want to hear any more! I understand,” she interrupted, with an inscrutable expression on her face.
“Really?” He was dubious; he wasn’t sure he completely understood it himself.
“It’s Mum’s stew.” She gestured for him to come closer. Intrigued, Leopold held his ear near her lips. “It has aphrodisiac effects,” she whispered.
Unable to contain her giggles for a moment longer, she dissolved into laughter while he stood staring at her scornfully. Catalina Stapleton was truly childish—she made everything into a joke. “When you’re done laughing, we should get back,” he said stiffly.
“Come on, Leo.” She draped herself unselfconsciously around his arm. “Don’t be angry. It’s much better to have a friend-neighbor than a fling-and-fight neighbor, isn’t it?”
“Yes, of course,” he said in an attempt to salvage his dignity. If that episode had meant nothing to her, then it had meant nothing to him. He’d kissed dozens of women in his life, so there was no reason to make anything of it. True, kissing Catalina had been especially enjoyable, but no doubt, as he’d concluded before, it was just because of his long months of celibacy.
Though he’d worried he’d be bored in the countryside, Leopold found the next few days immensely engaging. Every morning, he and Cat rode horses around the area, and she showed him some of the most interesting parts of the county. Sometimes her brothers went with them, and they galloped to see who was fastest; other times, they sat by the fire in the living room and played the endless games of cards that the Stapletons loved. On Christmas Eve, Leopold helped Marisa prepare the turkey for the next day, and while they chatted in the cozy kitchen, which was filling with delicious aromas, Leopold once again thought about how different Catalina’s mother was from his own.
The only strained moment was on Christmas morning. After a hot shower, Leopold came out of the bathroom with a towel around his slender hips and bumped into Catalina, who was heading into the bathroom, half-asleep. The young woman, wearing only a tiny pair of pajamas, the shorts leaving her long legs bare, walked straight into his solid torso, and he had no option but to grab hold of her arms to stop her from falling. “Sorry,” said Leopold, contemplating the heavy-lidded face still flushed with sleepiness looking up at him, and her gleaming, messy hair. Her chest rose and fell from the shock of the collision, and he had to summon all his willpower not to squeeze her against him and kiss her like he’d kissed her in the snow.
Without saying a word, he slowly let go of her and watched her close the bathroom door behind her. As he walked the few feet to his bedroom, Leopold promised himself that when he returned to London, he’d find a more suitable woman with whom to put out the fire that burned inside him.
The Christmas holidays came to an end, and Leopold and Cat had to return to the city. Leo said good-bye to everyone, thanking Marisa in particular for her hospitality and for being so kind to him. “Come back whenever you like, Leopold; you’ve been the loveliest guest Cat has ever brought home.”
“That’s true,” said Robert, the eldest sibling, throwing an arm around Catalina’s shoulders. “My dear little sister loves bringing home every poor wretch she finds on the road. Do you remember when she introduced us to that oddball Henry?”
“Don’t remind me.” Cat’s mother raised her hand to her forehead with a groan. “He was vegan and wouldn’t eat anything remotely associated with an animal. That year, I had to make Christmas turkey without turkey. Just imagine.”
“And what about Ringo?” Richard interrupted over his sister’s protests. “There’s still a mark on the living-room ceiling from when he decided to fill the house with candles to bring back the Ghost of Christmas Past. My fireman friend still moans about missing his pudding to come put out the burning curtains.”
Leopold tipped his head back and guffawed. The Stapleton family was ex
tremely likeable, and it had easily been the best Christmas he’d had for years. When they’d finished saying good-bye, he and Cat climbed in his car and set off.
“I had a great time, Catalina.”
“I’m glad.”
“Your family is wonderful—I’ve rarely met such lovely people.”
“Thanks, Leo. They liked you very much, too.”
They continued on their journey without speaking for a while, until Leo, who’d been mulling over a particular matter, suddenly broke the silence. “So I’m just another of your charity cases, eh?” He shot a sidelong glance at her. It irritated him that she’d put him in the same bracket as her sad-sack friends.
“Ignore my brothers, Leo. The others were nice guys, too.”
“You must have a soft spot for strays.”
Catalina looked at him as if reading his mind. “You’re not a charity case, Leo, you’re a winner. You’re handsome and great fun. It’s just—,” she broke off, biting her bottom lip.
“Just what?” This time, he wasn’t going to let her evade him.
“Well, ever since I met you, I’ve thought you weren’t entirely happy.”
He frowned. He was surprised by her comment. “Why wouldn’t I be happy? I have everything I could want.”
“Do you really think so?” She gazed at him with affection in her eyes, and Leopold thought he saw some pity. How dare she feel pity for him?
Catalina noticed Leopold’s back stiffening and his gray eyes turning chilly and she guessed that, once again, her neighbor was rushing to erect impregnable defenses around himself. His strong hands squeezed the wheel. It was clear he was angry, but she knew he wouldn’t let it show. His good manners were thicker than an elephant’s hide, and few things could cut through them. The young woman sighed with regret; she shouldn’t have said anything.