5. Christian
“David,” I say, clenching my jaw before continuing. “Have you confirmed her current location?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll be sending her location to you via text message.”
Within seconds, my bodyguard gives me the name and address of the hotel where Cataleya is staying at. He’s even narrowed down what hotel room she checked into. She didn’t bother using a fake name.
That means she didn’t anticipate me ever figuring out where she holed herself up. I had a feeling that she wasn’t going out to yet another party. Not after leading me around all of New York City in one day.
“Thank you. Make sure to follow me. Alert Sebastian and Hugo to do the same,” I reply to my bodyguard before hanging up the call. Then I smash my fist against the steering wheel. “Goddamn it, Cataleya.”
What was she thinking? I wanted to believe that Cataleya has a sensible side under her petty antics, but I’m starting to think the opposite. To waste my time like this and show no remorse about it? She’s played me like a fool all day, and it’s honestly despicable.
With my three bodyguards following in black vehicles behind me, I drive to the hotel and allow the valet worker to park my car. I toss a hundred dollar bill his way before making my way inside, ignoring the stares I receive when passing by.
In front of the elevators, I wait for my bodyguards to join me so that we can all move as a group. Once outside Cataleya’s door, I tell them to wait nearby in case I need them. If Cataleya tries to flee, they will block her exit route.
There’s no way she can escape me now.
I knock thrice on the door. Then, I adjust my collar and cufflinks. Containing my anger proves to be almost an impossible task, but I do my best. I’ll never get that wasted time back, and it’s all because of the woman behind this hotel door.
Keep calm, Christian. Do not lose your control. She’ll only use that against you.
When Cataleya opens the door, she greets me with a wide smile. At first. But then her face morphs into an expression of sheer horror. Soon afterwards, disgust makes it into the mix.
I push my way through the door. “Did you really think you were going to avoid talking to me today?”
“C-Christian, what the fuck? How did you… What…” Cataleya breathes heavily, shaking her head. “How did you find me?”
“You should know better than to check into a hotel with your actual name,” I reply brusquely, taking a quick glance around the hotel suite before narrowing in on her and her outfit. I raise a brow. “Seriously? You didn’t even have the decency to put on some clothes before answering the door?”
“Shut the hell up, Christian, I was expecting room service, not you!” Cataleya exclaims, crossing her arms over her chest. “You shouldn’t be here! I made it pretty clear that I didn’t want to talk to you!”
“When are you going to realize that you don’t decide what happens between us?” I step forward, closing the distance between us. My jaw clenches. “You used me like a pawn today. You made me run around this city like a dog while you sat back and laughed. You even got yourself a nice hotel suite to relax in. I bet you feel good about yourself, huh?”
Cataleya lifts her chin up a little higher. “I did what I had to do to protect myself.”
“From me?” I point a finger at my chest. “I’m not going to hurt you, Cataleya. I never would. I just want to talk to you and you’ve shown me nothing but disrespect since I’ve arrived in this country. Honestly, what’s wrong with you? Have you lost the small bits of kindness you had left?”
Her hazel eyes glare holes into me. My internal anger rages on. Honestly, she deserves worse than a stern reprimand. Someone like Cataleya doesn’t stir at passionate words, especially when they’re used to fairly critique her ridiculous behavior.
I try to not let my eyes stray from her face, but it’s exceptionally difficult when she’s wearing nothing but a white bathrobe and a pair of slippers. Her hair is wrapped up into a white towel, which provides a nice contrast against her dark skin.
Swallowing thickly, I then realize our proximity. A foot of distance separates her and I. And considering she’s not wearing much, that makes things a bit problematic. Especially on my end.
As she turns away, the bathrobe slips off of her left shoulder, nearly exposing her breasts. I scoff at the sight, shaking my head.
“This is unbelievable, Cataleya.”
She frowns. “What the hell are you talking about now?”
“Your attempts at seduction are crass and highly uncalled for,” I say, my frustration with her seeping out with my words. It’s difficult to tear my eyes away from her body. “I should’ve known better than to expect some modesty from you.”
“How dare you?” Cataleya spits back, stepping forward so that we are toe-to-toe. “I’m not trying to seduce you at all, you freak. I was just stepping out of my bath to get my food. If I would have known it was you at the door, I would have never…”
She grimaces and turns away. She adjusts the bathrobe so that it covers more of her skin and she pulls it tighter across herself, which only accentuates the curve of her breasts. Again, this isn’t something I can easily ignore.
“So you would have let the room service man into your room dressed like that?”
Cataleya scowls. “Who says it’s a man who was coming to drop off my food? And what does it matter to you? I’m not trying to seduce you, the room service person, or anyone else in this damn building.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes! I would never sleep with you, Christian! You could be the last person on this planet and I still wouldn’t give in,” Cataleya snaps.
Something about that comment feels like a blow to my ego, but I shove it away. The feeling is mutual. I would never sleep with Cataleya. She’s far too presumptuous and overbearing in personality. Now, when it comes to her looks, she’s quite a fantastic sight, but that all goes out the window when she opens her mouth to talk.
“I feel the same way about you,” I say flatly. Turning away, I run a hand across my face. “Make yourself presentable. Until then, I’ll stick around so that we can finally have our talk.”
“Bastard,” she says under her breath as she makes her way to the bathroom. “How about you get the hell out of my life?”
“Not happening. Go on.” I wave her off and she slams the bathroom door in response. “What a childish response.”
As I make my way out of the hotel suite, I’m just about to close the door behind me when I see a young man in a dark suit pushing along a cart with a bottle of wine and a covered tray of food.
My eyebrow perks upwards, a devious idea crossing my mind.
“Sir, are you dropping off food for this room?” I ask, knocking on Cataleya’s hotel door in demonstration.
He nods. “Yes, sir.”
“Can you get me another plate of that food?” I gesture towards the plate. “I want the exact same dish. And bring another bottle of wine, too. Make sure to bill everything to Ms. Fitzrelzon.”
“Certainly, sir.”
With that, he hands off the food cart to me and departs for the same elevator he just came out of. I push the food inside and set Cataleya’s plate of food out of sight, on top of a mahogany dresser at the far side of the room.
If she wants to mess with me the whole day, then it’s only fair to do the same to her.
As I take a seat and wait for the food to come, my eyes drift towards the bathroom door and imagine what Cataleya is doing in there. I huff out a breath, recalling her bare shoulder and the doe-eyed look she sent me. She’s only trying to be innocent. I know her tricks.
Still, it has me hot and bothered. That image of her keeps coming into my mind, but that’s something I would never admit to her. It would only inflate her ego more so than it already is.