"As I was saying, Joseph was dealing with a lot of emotions. Let me tell you about how our beautiful home came to be … "
Joseph looked at the spectacular view from the small porch. He'd needed to get away from the city, so he'd jumped on the road and drove until he came to the Washington Floating Bridge. He drove across, remembering his grandfather taking him to Mercer Island when he was young. He'd been fascinated by the fact that such a huge structure was held up by what he thought of as balloons.
Arriving on the island, he felt his muscles relax, and his stress fade. He was instantly in love with the area.
As he watched the sunset wash the Puget Sound in a myriad of colors, he knew he'd found home. He could see himself sitting in the very spot he was standing, fifty years from now. He could also see Katherine by his side.
She'd refused his calls, ignored his requests to meet, and was making it darn near impossible for him to see her – but that was all going to stop, and very soon if he had his way.
"The owners are eager to sell. The husband moved last month and his wife wants to join him, but can't until the property is taken care of."
Joseph turned, startled by the woman talking to him. He'd forgotten she was there. He'd spotted the For Sale sign and called. The agent excitedly agreed to meet him right away. Apparently, there hadn't been a lot of interest in the location.
He didn't understand why. It was perfect.
Sitting on the sandy beach of Mercer Island, the land was engulfed in trees offering privacy. The home was old and poorly built, but that didn't matter to him. Only the land did. Sitting on ten acres, it was a true find and he couldn't believe someone hadn't snatched it up.
He knew it would be his.
The calm, dark water was lapping against the shore, offering a soothing breeze, drifting through the grass, right to him. The sunset sparkled on the water, creating a dreamlike picture.
Higher up on the land, he could practically see the home he wanted to build.
A castle.
Suited for his queen.
In his quest to forget her, he'd tried unsuccessfully to outrun his life. Each business transaction added to his resume a sense of conquering the world. But all of it had been empty, meaningless. A hollow victory.
He would crawl to her if he thought it would do him any good, but he knew she'd never respect a man on his knees. No, he'd win her, by any means necessary. She'd walked away and nearly destroyed him, but fate had given them another chance.
He wouldn't let her go again.
Katherine.
It was always about her, from the moment he'd laid eyes on her five years prior.
He was known throughout the world as being heartless. It was rumored that he had ice flowing through his veins instead of blood. He'd heard it all and inwardly smiled. Let them fear him, because they also respected him. He was never refused something he went after. Katherine being the one exception.
That was about to change, though.
"I'll take it," he said, causing the woman's mouth to drop open.
"Well, that's … um, great," she said, quickly regaining her composure. He was sure dollar signs were dancing in her head as she hadn't yet listed the price of the property. He didn't care, he'd pay whatever they asked.
The woman was underdressed for the cool night air. She was dressed to seduce. Seduce a buyer into purchasing a home by any means necessary. From the short length of her skirt, to the cle**age on display in her tight blouse, all the way to her bright red, kiss-me lips. He felt not even the tiniest stirring of lust.
No one stirred him but Katherine. Not since he'd met her.
"I've got the paperwork in my car. Why don't we drive down to a local restaurant I know and fill this out while we have a bite to eat," she offered, her manicured fingernail running down his arm.
He was sure her dining choice was in the lobby of a hotel, where she hoped to seal the deal in a room afterward.
He fought to keep the disgusted look off his face. She wasn't anything unusual. Women threw themselves at him often, some more bold than others, but always the same old story. He had money, power, and looks, it was almost expected from them - he was used to her kind of game. He'd played it years ago but he was grown up now.
"No. Here's my card. Fill out the paperwork tonight and fax it to this hotel. I'll sign and have it sent back to you."
"I haven't even told you the price," she said, shock and hurt registering in her eyes. She was trying to keep herself together, but he wasn't making it easy for her. He didn't care. He'd found what he wanted. All the rest was a waste of his time.
He raised his brows, waiting for her to get on with it.
"Let me see, here," she stalled as she looked in her folder, her fingers trembling. He blew out his breath. He knew she had the price memorized. It must be overpriced because she was hesitating to tell him. She was afraid once she did, he'd walk away.