Maid for a Magnate(10)

* * *

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.