Maid for a Magnate(16)

Dammit. He didn't even know what to feel, how to act anymore. He wanted  her, but he wasn't thinking of forever. He wanted now. He needed her to  see he was a different man, yet he was more than ready to throw this  relationship into his father's face.

Sticking to business would have been best; at least he knew exactly  what he was getting into with real estate and oil. With Cat, he had no  clue and the fact that she had him so tied in knots without even trying  was terrifying.

Once his mission had been clear-to win back Cat to prove he could and  to show his father who was in charge. But then, somewhere along the way,  Will had shifted into needing Cat to see the true person he'd come to  be, the man who still had feelings for her and cared for her on a level  even he couldn't understand.

Cat came to her feet and started folding the throw. "I'm sorry I fell asleep on you."

Stepping forward and closing the space between them, Will pulled the  blanket from her hands, wadded it up and threw it into the corner. "You  aren't cleaning. You aren't folding, dusting, doing dishes. Your only  job is to relax. If you want a nap, take a nap. The day is yours. The  cleaning is up to me. Got it?"

Her eyes widened as she glanced at the crumpled blanket. "Are you just going to leave that there?"

Will took her chin between his thumb and finger, forcing her to look only at him. "You didn't answer my question."

Her wide, dark eyes drew him in as she merely nodded. "I can't promise, but I'll try."

Unable to help himself, Will smacked a kiss on her lips and pulled back  as a grin spread across his face. "Go freshen up and meet me on the top  deck."

Will watched as Cat grabbed her bag off the barstool and crossed to the  bathroom. Once the door clicked shut, he let out a breath.

He'd sworn nobody would ever control him or hold any power over him  again. Yet here was a petite, doe-eyed maid who had more power over him  than any business magnate or his father ever could.

Will raked a hand through his hair. He'd promised Cat a day of  relaxation and he intended to deliver just that. If she wasn't ready for  more, then he'd have to pull all of his self-control to the surface and  honor her wishes.

What had he gotten himself into?





      Nine

Maybe bringing this particular swimsuit had been a bad idea. When she'd  grabbed the two-piece black bikini, Catalina had figured she'd make  Will suffer a little. But, by wearing so little and having him so close,  she was the one suffering.

Catalina pulled on a simple red wrap dress from her own collection and slipped on her silver flip-flops.

One glance in the mirror and she laughed. The bikini would at least  draw attention away from the haggard lines beneath her eyes and the  pallor of her skin. Over the past few months, if she wasn't working for  James or Patrick, she was working for herself getting her stock ready to  showcase when the opportunity presented itself. She believed in being  prepared and the moment she saw an opening with any fashion design firm,  she was going to be beating down their doors and promoting her unique  styles.

Catalina tossed her discarded clothes back into her tote and looked  around to make sure she hadn't left anything lying around in the  bathroom. Could such a magnificent room be a simple, mundane bathroom?

With the polished silver fixtures, the glass wall shower and sparkling  white tile throughout, Catalina had taken a moment to appreciate all the  beauty before she'd started changing. The space screamed  dominance...male dominance.

Will was pulling out all the stops today. He'd purposely invited her  aboard his yacht because he knew that given her love of water she'd  never be able to say no. He was right. Anything that got her away from  her daily life and into the refreshing ocean was a no-brainer.

Exiting the bathroom, Catalina dropped her bag next to the door and  headed up to the top deck. The sun warmed her skin instantly as she  turned and spotted Will in a pair of khaki board shorts and a navy shirt  he'd left completely unbuttoned. The man wasn't playing fair...which  she assumed was his whole plan from the start.

Fine. She had a bikini and boobs. Catalina figured she'd already won  this battle before it began. Men were the simplest of creatures.

Will had transformed the seating area into a picnic. A red throw  covered the floor, a bucket with ice and wine sat to one side and Will  was pulling fruit from a basket.

"Wow. You really know how to set the stage."

He threw her a smile. "Depends on the audience."

"It's just me, so no need to go to all the trouble." She edged around  the curving seats and stood just to the side of the blanket. "I'd be  happy with a simple salad."                       
       
           



       

"There is a need to go to all this trouble," he corrected her as he  continued to pull more food from the basket. "Have a seat. The  strawberries are fresh, the wine is chilled and I have some amazing  dishes for us."

Catalina couldn't turn down an invitation like that. She eased down  onto the thick blanket and reached for a strawberry. She'd eaten three  by the time Will came to sit beside her.

With his back resting against the sofa, he lifted his knee and wrapped  his arm around it. "I have a variety of cheese, salmon, baguettes, a  tangy salad my chef makes that will make you weep and for dessert..."

He reached over and pulled the silver lid from the dish. "Your favorite."

Catalina gasped as she stared at the pineapple upside-down cheesecake. "You remembered?"

"Of course I did." He set the lid back down. "There's not a detail about you that I've forgotten, Cat."

When she glanced over at him, she found his eyes locked on hers and a  small smile dancing around his lips. "I remembered how much you love  strawberries and that you will always pick a fruity dessert over a  chocolate one. I also recall how much you love salmon, so I tried to  incorporate all of your favorites into this lunch."

Strawberry in hand, she froze. "But you just asked me last night. How did you get all of this together?"

Will shrugged and made up a plate for her. "I knew I wanted to take you  out on my yacht at some point. I was hoping for soon, but it wasn't  until yesterday that I realized how hard you've been working."

He passed her the plate with a napkin. "You need this break and I want  to be the one to give it to you. Besides, there's a lot I can do with a  few hours and the right connections."

Catalina smiled as she picked up a cube of cheese. "I'm sure your chef  was making the cheesecake before the crack of dawn this morning."

Will shrugged. "Maybe. He did have nearly everything else done by the  time I headed out to James and Bella's house this morning."

"You visited James already, too?"

Will settled back with his own plate and forked up a bite of salmon  before answering. "I wanted to see Maisey before James heads back out on  the road for football. I haven't really bonded with her much,  especially with the strain on my relationship with James. But we're  getting there and I wanted to see my niece. I'm sure she and Bella will  accompany James on the road when they can."

Something inside Catalina warmed at the image of Will playing the  doting, spoiling uncle. A family was definitely in her future plans, but  knowing Will was taking an active part in little Maisey's life awakened  something in her she hadn't yet uncovered.

But no. Will couldn't be father material. He wasn't even husband  material. No matter how much, at one time, she'd wished he was. Will was  a career-minded, power-driven man who valued family, but he didn't  scream minivan and family portraits.

"How did the bonding go?" she asked, trying to concentrate on her food  and not the fact that the image had been placed in her head of Will with  a baby. Was there anything sexier than a big, powerful man holding an  innocent child?

"She seemed to like the doll I brought her."

Of course he'd brought a doll. Now his "aww" level just exploded. Why  did the man have to be so appealing on every single level? She didn't  want to find him even more irresistible. She couldn't afford to let her  heart get tangled up with him again.

Catalina couldn't handle the struggle within her. "You took her a doll? Did your assistant or someone on your staff go buy it?"

Will glanced at her, brows drawn in. "No, I bought it the other day  when I was out and just got the chance to take it to her this morning.  Why?"

The man was gaining ground and scaling that wall of defenses she'd so  carefully erected. And in unexpected ways. He'd wanted to have a special  moment with his niece, which had nothing to do with Catalina. Yet here  she sat, on his boat, eating her favorite foods that he'd remembered  while listening to him talk of his love for his baby niece.

Why was she keeping him at a distance again?