We headed back to Garen’s home in the mountains where Aiden promptly disappeared to his room to sleep, and Grams said she felt like a snooze, too. The house was quiet, with no signs of the seven members of staff Lia mentioned this morning. Deciding to explore a bit, I set off for a walk around the extensive and pristine gardens. I’d never seen anything quite like it. The grass looked as though it had been cut with scissors rather than a lawn mower, and the borders teemed with regimented rows of flowers and shrubbery, probably too afraid of the owner to even attempt to grow out of line.
My stomach rumbled, reminding me of the meager apple I’d half-finished a few hours ago. I trundled back to the kitchen and peered inside. No sign of the mountain of food from breakfast. I hoped Lia had called in reinforcements to eat it, rather than let it go to waste.
Driven by hunger, I opened the large stainless-steel fridge and spied a block of cheese. I hunted around for some bread. I worked fast, anxious to get in and out. I wished Lia were here, not because I expected her to make my sandwich, but I wouldn’t feel as much of an interloper then.
“Finding everything you need?” a deep, rasping voice asked behind me.
I dropped the knife with a clatter and spun around to find Garen, smartly dressed in a dark-gray suit and looking good enough to eat, standing with his shoulder propped against the wall at the entranceway to the kitchen.
I swallowed, aware of the thump of my heartbeat as I ran my gaze over him. “You scared me. Lia said you weren’t due back until this evening.”
He shrugged. “My meetings finished earlier than expected.” His lips curved into a hint of a smile. “Disappointed, Catriona? Or pleased?”
Do not answer that.
I turned my attention back to my sandwich, catching sight of him out of the corner of my eye as he pushed off the wall and walked—or rather stalked—toward me. Passing right by, he leaned down, opened a cabinet, and straightened, holding two white china plates. He set them down beside me, then opened the fridge and removed a bottle of wine. He grabbed two glasses and pointed his chin at my sandwich.
“I’d love one if you wouldn’t mind making another. Then perhaps you’d like to join me on the roof terrace for lunch.”
I narrowed my eyes, searching his face. For what, I wasn’t sure. Maybe I was steeling myself for a cruel taunt or a callous remark. Instead, I found his expression open and interested.
“Sure,” I said, hitching one shoulder in what I hoped came across as nonchalant.
I felt his stare heat up the back of my neck as I hastily assembled another cheese sandwich. He sidled up to me until our shoulders touched. I briefly closed my eyes, breathing in the smell of his cologne, his masculine scent, the bodywash he’d used in the shower this morning.
His fingertip touched the nape of my neck, and he traced it slowly down my spine.
“What are you doing?” I whispered, keeping my gaze averted. I didn’t trust myself to look at him.
“You have exquisite skin. Soft like silk. And you move with such grace and poise. I could watch you for hours.”
My breath hitched. I picked up the knife, cut both sandwiches in half, and put them onto the plates he’d fetched. I picked them up and shifted out of his reach.
“Shall we go?”
Without waiting for a response, I set off up the winding staircase, a fluttery, empty feeling in my stomach.
Just hunger, Catriona. Hunger. Not anticipation and excitement at spending one-on-one time with Garen.
Nope. Not at all.
20
Garen
This had never happened to me before.
I’d left a meeting early, citing a personal issue that needed my immediate attention when I realized I hadn’t listened to a single word in more than thirty minutes. Every kilometer that passed during the forty-five-minute trip back here, I’d gotten more and more excited at the thought of seeing Catriona. When she’d run away following our kiss yesterday, I’d left her alone, even though every fiber in my body had urged me to go after her and demand an answer to the burning question: What did this mean?
She’d said she couldn’t bear for me to touch her, but that was a lie she told herself to avoid facing up to the reality. She was as attracted to me as I was to her. I felt it in the way her mouth parted, how she clung to my arms, the enthusiasm in how her tongue jousted with mine. Her horrified reaction had been a reflex to the situation she found herself in.
I’d given her some space. Now I was determined to crowd her, to force her to confront her feelings. I would not allow her to retreat. To run and hide. To continue to lock up the passion I’d sensed coursing through her veins.
I wanted to conquer her, fuck her, watch with fascination as she came undone beneath me, as much as a test for me as for her. Catriona Landry absorbed my every waking moment, and I found myself curious whether that obsession would dissipate as soon as I got her into bed.
It could go either way.
I led her out onto the roof terrace. After a chilly start to the day, normal for this time of year, the warmth of the afternoon sun beat down. I set the wine and the glasses on the coffee table and took a seat on one of two couches set at right angles. Where Catriona chose to sit would give me an idea where her head was at.
When she sat beside me, I held back a triumphant grin. She handed me my sandwich, then rested her plate on her knees and picked hers up. Taking a bite, she chewed slowly while gazing down at the lake. I poured the wine and pushed a glass in front of her.
“It’s very peaceful here,” she said with a little sigh that perked up my dick. “So beautiful.”
“It is,” I agreed. “Very beautiful. Made more so by you sitting here beside me.”
She turned to me, her expression full of suspicion. “What do you want, Garen?”
I deposited my plate on the table and rested my arm along the back of the couch, close enough to touch her hair. I casually crossed my left ankle over the opposing knee and reached out, clasping a lock that I twirled through my fingers. “I thought I’d made it perfectly clear. I want you, Catriona.”
“Why?” she asked, inclining her head in genuine interest. “You’re… mean to me.”
I chuckled, because it was true. At least sometimes. On occasion, the urge to say hurtful things to her, to perform heinous acts like making her think she’d have to suck me off to help her brother, overwhelmed me, and I’d give in to my baser, ruthless instincts. Then other times I’d feel a desperate need to protect and support her. To just be with her, and not because I wanted to fuck her, but to hear her laugh, listen to her thoughts, and watch her take pleasure in the simple and unspoiled beauty around her.
The dichotomy was driving me crazy.
“Am I being mean now?” I traced the tip of my finger along the back of her neck, replicating the move I’d made in the kitchen.
She shuddered, and her eyes briefly closed. “No,” she whispered. “But in the next breath, you could be.”
I cupped her nape and shuffled closer until my thigh pressed up against hers. “How about if I try harder?”
She blinked at me, her green eyes reminding me of Lake Carezza in Italy, so vibrant I wanted to dive right in. I should take her there one day.
Fuck. What the hell am I thinking? There would be no trip to Italy. As soon as I fucked her a few times, I was certain this weird hold she had over me would disappear. First things first—get her into bed. Worry about the rest later.
“I think you’re you, Garen. Leopards don’t change their spots.”
A stabbing inside my chest took me by surprise, and an impulse to prove her wrong engulfed me. Words came cheap. I needed to show her with actions. I’d have to dig deep and demonstrate to her that I had a compassionate side. Hidden very deep, but if I mined for it, it’d come to the surface.
“Come to dinner with me tomorrow night. There’s an amazing place not far from here where you can sit out on the veranda and look down at the city and the lake below. It’s peaceful, an
d the food is outstanding.”
She bowed her head. “Grams and Aiden might need me.”
“Lia will be here,” I cajoled. “She’d love to spoil them with a specially cooked meal. And Aiden can watch movies in the cinema room if he’d like. Or play games. Whatever he prefers.”
Shielding her eyes from the sun, she said, “You have a cinema room?”
I grinned. “I must get Lia to give you all the guided tour. Come on, Catriona. You know you want to. Aiden’ll have a blast, and Lia would love to have some company if your grandmother is willing. I don’t come here very often.”
“Yeah, Lia mentioned that this morning.”
I canted my head, mildly curious about what my housekeeper had shared with our new guests. “She did? What else did she say?”
She nibbled on her lip, drawing my eye. I suppressed a groan. Patience.
“She told me to be very careful, that when you do come here, you bring women and then they are never seen again.”
My eyebrows shot up, fury zipping through my veins in an instant. I clenched my hands into fists, a reflex to the anger boiling up inside. I’d fucking kill her. Two women I’d brought here. Two. And both had been a gigantic mistake.
Catriona burst into a fit of giggles. “You should see your face,” she said between gasping for air. “Hilarious.”
As I realized I’d been had, I lunged for Catriona. She leaped to her feet and sprinted across the terrace, giggling. I ran after her. She moved fast, but I was faster. I snagged her around the waist and spun her around. She was out of breath, and her hair was all mussed up.
Fuck me, she’d never looked hotter. I hardened instantly.
“Little tip for you,” I said, my lips hovering dangerously close to hers. “Giving chase turns me on.”
She managed to snatch a single breath before I kissed her. I snaked my arms around her waist and held her against me. She’d have no doubt how much I wanted her, but just to drive home the strength of my need for her, I slid my hands to her ass, circled my hips, and ground against her like a fucking teenager. The groan she let slip almost made me come in my pants. The scent of her perfume filled my nostrils, sweet and fragrant, and addictive.
I knew the second her mind gained control of her body. She stiffened in my arms, and while our lips were still connected, our tongues still exploring, I’d give it five seconds until she wriggled out of my arms.
I counted to four.
“Garen,” she panted, shaking her head at the same time her eyes pleaded with me to carry on, to take it to the next level. “I’m sorry. I just don’t trust you not to hurt me, use me, fuck me, and forget me.”
I drew my knuckles down her warm cheek. “I could never forget you, Catriona.”
A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips. “Interesting that out of the four choices, that was the one you focused on.”
Shit. I briefly closed my eyes. “You’re reading too much into it.”
“Am I?”
“Yes,” I insisted. “Look, come to dinner. We can talk. I’m aware we haven’t had the most auspicious of starts, but I like you. You don’t take my shit, and I respect that. I want a chance to get to know you better, and to have you get to know me, too.”
She lifted her chin and stared right into my eyes, her own hauntingly innocent with a steely underlayer. She kept me waiting, a punishment no doubt, and one I’d likely earned ten times over. Eventually, she put me out of my misery with a short nod.
“Okay.”
“Great,” I said, triumphant in my victory. For a brief moment, I thought I was losing my touch. “Now, let’s finish our lunch and enjoy a glass of wine while taking in the view.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You just love getting your own way, don’t you?”
I winked. “Who doesn’t?”
She emitted an irritated huff, but when I held out my hand and she took it, my heart thrashed about against my ribcage, and my stomach clenched. Somewhere along the line, this had become less about just another conquest, a notch on my overflowing headboard, and while I didn’t understand the emotions streaming through me right now, I had enough emotional intelligence to understand they were different, unusual, the kinds of sensations that were fresh and exciting, and that I was eager to explore.
“I still don’t trust you.” She bit into the second half of her sandwich.
I grinned, picked up my wineglass, and tapped the base against hers. “That’s because you’re smart.”
21
Catriona
I frowned into the mirror and tugged at the sides of my dress. It was a simple wraparound that ended just above my knees. I wasn’t all together happy with it, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. When I’d packed to come here, it hadn’t occurred to me to bring going-out clothes. Why would it have? The original plan had been to stay here until Tuesday morning and then fly back to Canada. Not to mention Garen wasn’t supposed to be here at all.
A nibble of anxiety arose within my stomach. I couldn’t see Garen eating at the local diner, or chain restaurant, and while I was hardly familiar with smart, exclusive establishments, even I knew I wasn’t dressed accordingly. Maybe I should have gone shopping. I could have easily caught a cab into Geneva and purchased a more suitable outfit.
With a resigned sigh, I brushed my nerves aside. If my attire wasn’t good enough for Mr. Billionaire, he’d have to suck it up. He was the one who’d pushed to take me to dinner until I caved.
A tap at my door was followed by Grams hobbling through. She took in my garb with a full head-to-toe eye sweep.
“I know, I know.” I threw my hands in the air. “It’s more suited to a fast-food joint than a fancy restaurant, but what else can I do?”
Grams arched a brow in query. “Why are you so concerned, Catriona? A couple of days ago, you couldn’t stand the man. And now here you are, fussing over a perfectly suitable dress.”
I caught the twinkle in her eye and scowled. “Stop teasing me.”
She came to stand in front of me, brushing at a piece of fluff that had hitched a ride on the left sleeve. “Remember this, girl. You are his equal. I don’t give a flying flick how much money he has in the bank. He still visits the bathroom like the rest of us. Stand tall, shoulders back, and be proud of who you are, which is a damn fine woman he’s lucky to have on his arm.”
A smile inched across my face at Grams and her curse word stand-ins. “You’re a wise woman, Grams.”
“Pfft.” Her hand sliced through the air. “When you’ve lived as long as I have, very little surprises you. Now listen to me. I can see how your opinion has shifted over the last couple of days. You thought this man was a monster, an evil, cruel being who took pleasure in taunting you, yet now, you’re seeing a different side. As long as you stay true to who you are, you’ll be fine. Just don’t let him coerce you into anything you’re not comfortable with. Remember, you’re in control, whatever he might think.”
I bent down and kissed her soft, wrinkled cheek. “Love you, Grams.”
“Oh, be gone with you, girl,” she said, although I could tell my compliment had pleased her.
“Will you and Aiden be all right here by yourselves?”
She raised her eyes to the ceiling. “I don’t need a babysitter, thank you very much, and neither does your brother. Now go. Be young for a change. Eat the food, drink the wine, kiss the man.”
“Grams!” I scolded.
She shooed me away with a flick of her wrist. “Go, or I’ll take your place. I like the idea of a rich, handsome man on my arm for the evening.”
I chuckled as I left my room and set off toward the elaborate staircase. Grams was a real character, and my life was richer for having her in it. But her sage words rang in my ear. However much I’d thawed toward Garen, underneath his philanthropy lay a ruthless man who put his own interests before anyone else’s. I must remember that he expected payment for funding Aiden’s treatment and accommodation. When we returned to Canada next week, I’d no doubt fi
nd myself called upon to perform some kind of duties, although the details of those still confused me. To attend dinners and banquets and smile at politicians. No matter which way I cut it, I still thought it a very odd request for a man who could click his fingers and have a bevy of beauties lined up in five minutes flat.
I reached the top of the stairs, and my eyes fell on Garen waiting at the bottom. I hadn’t seen him since our impromptu lunch yesterday, and his scorching good looks stole my breath. He’d dressed in a single-breasted suit that probably cost more than I made in a year, and he smiled when he spotted me, sending a shiver of pleasure inching down my spine.
Self-consciously, I picked my way down the stairs, hoping I didn’t stumble. Not that I expected to. One thing being a dancer gave me was superb balance. But with Garen’s hot gaze traveling over every inch of me as I put one foot in front of the other, it wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility to fall over one of them and splat onto my face.
“You look lovely,” he said, holding out his arm for me to take. “Shall we go?”
I nodded, ducking my head to hide the dash of pink in my cheeks brought on both by his compliment, and relief my dress mustn’t be too out of place after all.
Cocooned in the interior of the car with the smell of leather invading my nostrils, I glanced out of the window as we smoothly drove away to find Grams standing just inside the front door, waving. I waved back.
“Your grandmother is a fearsome woman,” Garen said, drawing my attention to him. “And one hell of a character.”
I smiled. “I agree, on both counts.”
“I’m probably taking my life in my hands by telling you this, but she sought me out earlier to give me a stark warning that if I didn’t take good care of you, she’d cut off my balls.”
My eyes widened. She never said a thing to me. The sly old woman. Just wait until I saw her next. But despite the hint of annoyance at her interference, the fact it came from her desire to protect me warmed my heart.
Entrapped: A Billionaire Romance (The ROGUES Series Book 3) Page 11
