Maid for a Magnate(30)

"What's in Milan?"

Catalina tucked her hair behind her ears and crossed her arms. "My new  life. I've been working for nearly four years and I'm finally ready to  take my clothing designs and see what I can do in the world. I may not  get far, but I'm going to try."

Will's brows drew in as he listened. Catalina actually liked the fact  that she'd caught him off guard. He'd been knocking the air out of her  lungs for a good while now and it was only appropriate she return the  favor.

"I know you're angry with me for blurting out the proposal in front of such an audience, but you have to listen to me now."

"I'll listen, but you're wasting your time if you're trying to convince  me of anything. We're not meant to be, Will. We've tried, and we  weren't successful either time. I don't want to keep fighting a losing  battle."

"I've never lost a battle in my life," he informed her as he took a step closer. "I don't intend to lose this one."

"You already lost," she whispered. "On the island we were so happy and  for that time I really thought we could come back here and build on  that. But once again, I was naïve where you were concerned. As soon as  we stepped foot back in Alma, you turned into that take-charge man who  didn't want to look like a fool in front of the cameras. You were  embarrassed to be seen with the maid, and then when you realized just  how much of a jerk you were being, you opted to propose? Did you  honestly think I'd accept that?"

Will was close enough to touch, but he kept his hands propped on his  hips. "I reacted without thinking. Dammit, Cat we'd just had the best  few days together and I was scared, all right? Everything about us  terrifies me to the point I can't think straight. I've never wanted  anything or anyone the way I want you and I've never been this afraid of  losing what I love forever."

Catalina gasped. He didn't just say... No, he didn't love her. He was  using those pretty words to control her, to trick her into...                       
       
           



       

What? What was his end game here?

"You don't love me, Will." Oh, how she wished he did, but that was still the naïve side of her dreaming. "You love power."

"I won't deny power is important to me. But that also means I can use  that power to channel some pretty damn intense emotions." He leaned in,  close enough for her to feel his breath on her face, yet he still didn't  touch her. "And I love you more than any business deal, more than any  merger or sale. I love you, Catalina."

She didn't want to hear this. He'd used her full name so she knew he was serious, or as serious as he could be.

"I don't want this," she murmured, trying to look away, but trapped by  the piercing gaze. "I have plans, Will, and I can't hinge my entire life  around a man who may or may not put me above his career."

And even if she could give in and let him have her heart, she carried  this secret inside of her that would surely drive another sizeable wedge  between them.

"Listen to me." He eased back, but reached out and placed his hands on  either side of her face. "Hear every single word I'm about to tell you.  For the past four years I've fought to get you back. At first I'll admit  it was because my father wanted something else for my life and I was  being spiteful, but the longer you and I were apart, the more I realized  there was an empty ache inside of me that couldn't be filled. I poured  myself into work, knowing the day would come when I'd take over Rowling  Energy. Even through all of that, I was plotting to get you back."

He stared at her, his thumb stroking back and forth along the length of  her jawline as if he was putting her into some type of trance.

"Just the thought of you with another man was crushing, but I knew if I  didn't fight for you, for us, then you'd settle down and I'd lose you  forever. I've always put you first, Cat. Always. Even when we weren't  together, I was working my way back to you."

When she started to glance away, he tipped her head up, forcing her to  keep her eyes on his. "You think I was working this long to win you back  just to have sex with you? I want the intimacy, I want the verbal  sparring matches we get into, I want to help you pick up those little  seashells along the beach and I want to wake up with you beside me every  day for the rest of my life. Rowling Energy and all I have there mean  nothing in the grand scheme of things. I want the money and the power,  but I want you more than any of that."

Catalina chewed on her bottom lip, trying to force her chin to stop  quivering. She was on the verge of losing it and once the dam burst on  her tears, she might never regain control.

"Before you decide, I don't want anything coming between us again," he  went on. "I need to tell you something that is quite shocking and I just  discovered myself."

Catalina reached up, gripped his wrists and eased his hands away from  her face. She kept hold of him, but remained still. "What is it?"

"There's no easy way to tell you this without just saying it."

Fear pumped through her as her heart kicked up the pace. What on earth  was he going to reveal? Whatever it was, it was a big deal. And once he  told her his shocking news, she had a bombshell of her own to drop  because she also couldn't move forward, with or without him, and still  keep this secret.

"I found out that my father and your mother had an affair."

When Catalina stared at him for a moment, his eyes widened and he  stepped back. She said nothing, but the look on his face told her all  she needed to know.

* * *

"You already knew?" he asked in a whisper. "Didn't you?"

Cat nodded. Will's heart tightened. How had she known? How could she keep something so important from him?

"You've known awhile," he said, keeping his eyes on her unsurprised face. "How long?"

Cat blinked back the moisture that had gathered in her dark eyes. "Four years."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Will glanced down at the floor. He  couldn't look at her. Couldn't believe she'd keep such a monumental  secret from him.

"I didn't know when we were together," she told him. "My mom told me  after we broke up. I was so upset and she kept telling me how the  Rowling men... Never mind. It's not important."

Everything about this was important, yet the affair really had nothing  to do with how he felt for Cat. The sins of their parents didn't have to  trickle down to them and ruin their happiness.

"I still can't believe you didn't say anything."                       
       
           



       

Cat turned, walked to the door and stared out into the backyard. Will  took in her narrow shoulders, the exposed nape of her neck. She wasn't  wearing her typical black shirt and pants. Right now she had on a pair  of flat sandals, a floral skirt and some type of fitted shirt that sat  right at the edge of her shoulders. She looked amazing and she was just  out of his reach, physically and emotionally.

"I wanted to tell you on the island," she said, keeping her back to  him. "I tried once, but we got sidetracked. That's an excuse. I  should've made you listen, but we were so happy and there was no such  thing as reality during those few days. I just wanted to stay in that  euphoric moment."

He couldn't fault her for that because he'd felt the exact same way.

"There's just so much against us, Will." She turned back around and the  lone tear on her cheek gutted him. "Sometimes people can love each  other and still not be together. Sometimes love isn't enough and people  just need to go their own way."

Will heard what she was saying, but how could he not hone in on the one main point to her farewell speech?

"You love me?" He couldn't help but smile as he crossed to her. "Say it, Cat. I want to hear the words."

She shook her head. "It doesn't mean anything."

"Say it." His hands settled around her waist as he pulled her flush against him. "Now."

"I love you, Will, but-"

He crushed his lips to hers. Nothing else mattered after those  life-altering words. Nothing she could say would erase the fact that she  loved him and he loved her, and he'd be damn it if he would ever let  her walk away.

Her body melted against his as her fingers curled around his biceps. Will lifted his mouth from hers, barely.

"Don't leave, Cat," he murmured against her lips. "Don't leave Alma. Don't leave me."

"I can't give up who I am, Will." She closed her eyes and sighed. "No  matter how much I love you, I can't give up everything I've worked for  and I wouldn't expect you to give up your work for me. We have different  goals in different directions."