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This was the only form of exercise she enjoyed, and being so short, every pound really showed. Not that she worried about her weight, but she wanted to feel good about herself and she felt her best when she’d been swimming and her muscles were burning from the strain. She wanted to be able to throw on anything in her closet and have confidence. For her, confidence came with a healthy body.
Catalina crossed the street to her apartment building and smiled at a little girl clutching her mother’s hand. Once she reached the stoop leading up to her flat, she dug into her bag for her keys. A movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention. She knew who was there before she fully turned, though.
“What are you doing here, Will?”
She didn’t look over her shoulder, but she knew he followed her. Arguing that he wasn’t invited was a moot point; the man did whatever he wanted anyway.
“I came to see you.”
When she got to the second floor, she stopped outside her door and slid her key into the lock. “I figured you’d given up.”
His rich laughter washed over her chilled skin. Between the warm water and the breezy air, she was going to have to get some clothes on to get warm.
“When have you known me to give up?” he asked.
Throwing a glance over her shoulder, she raised a brow. “Four years ago. You chose your career over a relationship. Seeing me was the big mistake. Ring any bells?”
Will’s bright aqua-blue eyes narrowed. “I didn’t give up. I’m here now, aren’t I?”
“Oh, so I was just put on hold until you were ready,” she mocked. “How silly of me not to realize.”
“Can I come in?” he asked. “I promise I’ll only be a couple minutes.”
“You can do a lot of damage in a couple minutes,” she muttered, but figured the sooner she let him in, the sooner he’d leave...she hoped.
Catalina pushed the door open and started toward her bedroom. Thankfully the door to the spare room was closed. The last thing she needed was for Will to see everything she’d been working on. Her personal life was none of his concern.
“I’m changing and you’re staying out here.”
She slammed her bedroom door, hoping he’d get the hint he wasn’t welcome. What was he doing here? Did he think she’d love how he came to her turf? Did he think she’d be more comfortable and melt into a puddle at his feet, and then invite him into her bed?
Oh, that man was infuriating. Catalina jerked off her wet clothes and draped them over her shower rod in her bathroom. Quickly she threw on a bra, panties and another sundress, one of her own designs she liked to wear out. It was simple, but it was hers, and her confidence was always lifted when she wore her own pieces.
Her damp hair wasn’t an issue right now. All she wanted to know was why he was here. If he only came for another make-out scene that was going to leave her frustrated and angry, she wanted no part of it. She smoothed back a headband to keep her hair from her face. It was so short it would be air-dried in less than an hour.
Padding barefoot back into her living room, she found Will standing near the door where she’d left him. He held a small package in his hands that she hadn’t noticed before. Granted she’d had her back to him most of the time because she didn’t want to face him.
“Come bearing gifts?” she asked. “Didn’t you learn your lesson after the flowers?”
Will’s smile spread across his face. “Thought I’d try a different tactic.”
On a sigh, Catalina crossed the room and sank into her favorite cushy chair. “Why try at all? Honestly. Is this just a game to see if you can get the one who got away? Are you trying to prove to yourself that you can conquer me? Is it a slumming thing? What is it, Will? I’m trying to understand this.”
He set the box on the coffee table next to a stack of the latest fashion magazines. After taking a seat on her couch, Will rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward.
Silence enveloped them and the longer he sat there, the more Catalina wondered what was going through his mind. Was he planning on lying? Was he trying to figure out how to tell her the truth? Or perhaps he was second-guessing himself.
She studied him—his strong jawline, his broad frame taking up so much space in her tiny apartment. She’d never brought a man here. Not that she’d purposely brought Will here, but having such a powerful man in her living room was a new experience for her.
Maybe she was out of her league. Maybe she couldn’t fight a force like Will Rowling. But she was sure as hell going to try because she couldn’t stand to have her heart crushed so easily again.
