Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
I knew I was fucked when all it took was being alone in the elevator with Cat—seeing her eyes, smelling her perfume, and hearing her voice—to calm me down.
Of all the people I’d run into in my lifetime, I’d encountered my share of incompetent people, but Christian Jameston? I didn’t have a low enough category to file that piece of shit into.
The only reason I didn’t throw him the fuck out of my hotel after he dared to speak to me that way was that I didn’t want the bastard taking it out on Catalina. More than that, I had a feeling it would put me in a bad light with the woman.
Instead, she throttled his ass for me. I thought all was well until after I’d left the table and she was about to leave the hotel, but it seemed I was wrong.
I’d already contacted my head of security and instructed him to deploy his team to remove the man and ensure he was permanently banned from reentering the hotel.
I would’ve relished the chance to kick his ass out myself, but making sure Catalina was okay was more important.
What the fuck did Jameston say after I left him sitting there?
“What just happened?” Sebastian asked after I returned to my seat.
I didn’t look over at my friend but instead took the bourbon the waiter set down, sipped it, and watched my security remove the man from my lounge.
“He’s squealing like the little bitch he is,” Wyatt said with a laugh.
“Are you kicking him out because of Cat?” Jim questioned.
“If that was the case, I’d be removing the bastard myself,” I answered, watching the man cause a scene and tarnish whatever image his mediocre family had scraped together in the process.
“Jesus Christ,” Jake said. “And I thought our young interns were immature, spoiled brats,” he laughed into his scotch.
“This isn’t over, Hawk!” the dumbass shouted as the elevator doors closed behind him and security.
“Powerful threat,” Collin said, turning back to the table. “Seriously, what the fuck happened?”
I licked the bourbon off my lips. “He insulted me in my own hotel and disturbed my guests with his complete lack of decorum, so I had him removed,” I said, looking around at the men staring at me like a group of gossiping women waiting for the dramatic details.
“People don’t pay a hundred thousand a year for access to this place and the lounge just to have some hostile idiot interrupt what it represents. ”
“Jesus Christ,” Colton said, staring at me. “This woman has really gotten to you.”
“What the hell does that mean?” I leveled him with a gaze.
Colton simply shrugged, amused. “The Titus I know would have had him removed after he insulted him the first time.”
“Nah,” Wyatt said with a grin. “He would’ve had him removed before the dipshit could finish insulting him.”
“This is true,” I answered. “However, Cat leases her office space from the jackass, and I didn’t want anything coming back on her.”
“She could’ve handled that dipfucker,” Collin said, eyes studying me.
“Perhaps,” I answered. “I just didn’t want to make a scene.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, as it’s been a long day in surgery,” Jake said, “but I think you just did it by having that worm removed by security.”
I noticed Manchester walking in our direction and only hoped, for his sake, that the man was smart enough to offer further apologies for bringing his rude guest into my lounge.
“He wanted to impress Cat,” I heard Wyatt relay the reason I’d left the man sitting at my table.
“Forgive me for the interruption,” Manchester said. “For what it’s worth, I no longer plan to pursue business with Mr. Jameston or his group.”
I nodded, remaining seated. “A wise business choice,” I answered. “I believe your company will have a much better future moving forward without that group’s interest.”
“I’m sorry for what happened tonight,” he said.
“No need to apologize,” I said. “I’m just glad it helped prevent that man from destroying your business in the future.”
“Very good,” he said, then looked at the group I sat with. “Gentlemen,” he acknowledged, then turned to leave with the two women who had come with him and Jameston.
“Well, I guess there is no need to worry about Jameston coming to the West Coast to take over…” Sebastian laughed into his bourbon.
“No,” Wyatt chuckled. “Little Jameston is doing a swell job of burning it to the ground for his old man.”
I looked over at Colton. “We’re going to need inside people watching that man,” I said. “Something tells me he’s not going down without a fight.”
“I already have men on him,” Jim said, taking a casual sip of his drink.
I looked over at him and smiled. “Always two steps ahead of me, Mitchell.”
“No,” he smirked. “Just managing a business while you’re out chasing the girl.”
“I’m not chasing anyone,” I said.
“Shall we revisit the fact that you personally tried to hire her to do exactly what Jim did silently?” Wyatt said.
“Fine then,” I answered. “Perhaps I pursued Cat further because I enjoyed the challenge.”
“And now?” John said after ending a call he had taken during the commotion.
“And now, I’m going to bring her to the beach tomorrow.”
Sebastian and Collin both nearly spit their drinks back into their glasses, but I ignored their reactions.
“You…” Jake Mitchell remained unfazed by that realization, “… are going to the beach… with her?”
“You think I’m afraid of a little sand?” I smirked. “You know I spent much of my childhood on the Costa del Sol.”
“Yeah, well, your childhood isn’t exactly recent history.” He laughed and leaned back in his chair. “So, which private beach are you bringing her to, then?”
I smiled at him. “That’s the question of the night, actually. I need a good recommendation because she prefers public beaches, and I only know of private ones.”
“Oh, boy. She’s taking your ass to school,” Collin said with a laugh. “Bolsa if you want to surf, Huntington if you prefer something more commercial, and Laguna if you just want to chill and plan moves for tomorrow night with her.”
“Malibu is most likely your best choice,” Jim said. “It has the best of all the places Collin mentioned.”
“Why not just stay close to your place, just in case you get lucky?” Wyatt asked.
“For the record, that’s not why I’m taking her out,” I answered. “I want her to be comfortable with me.”
“Jesus Christ,” Colton said. “You really are taken with this woman.”
“I don’t know what I am,” I answered truthfully.
“You haven’t even been to a beach since we were kids,” Wyatt reminded me. “I think you’re entering a midlife crisis or something.”
I looked at my brother and realized in that moment that he was exactly right. Shit. Would I even know how to handle a casual day at the beach? I hadn’t done anything like this since before our father demanded we grow the fuck up and focus on our future.
“Well, gentlemen,” Collin said, standing. “This evening has been eventful.” He looked over at me. “Have fun at the beach tomorrow, sweetheart. Remember your sunscreen.”
Jake rose with him. “And don’t forget the beachballs, either,” he said, as he and Collin both laughed, waiting for John to stand and leave with them.
John shook his head. “Well, you’re welcome,” he said.
“For what?”
“Making your sorry, arrogant ass look good to her while she was at the hospital with her sister.”
“I highly doubt this was all you,” I answered.
“Perhaps not,” he chuckled. “But don’t fuck it up now, brother.”
“Bye, ladies,” Collin said.
With that, the conversation shifted to what Jim had in place on the inside to monitor Jameston for any shady moves.
I needed to make sure we were ahead of whatever games he was playing, because a weasel like that never went down quietly.
Men like him always wanted to burn down everything around them on the way out.
Once I was reassured that the situation was being handled, I could focus on tomorrow and on spending an enjoyable, casual day with Cat. Truthfully, I was glad none of the men were giving me too much grief over it because I knew better than anyone that this wasn’t like me at all.
The beach parking lot overlooking Malibu was already crowded by the time I arrived. Apparently, half of Los Angeles had collectively decided today was perfect beach weather.
The Pacific stretched endlessly under the afternoon sun, with waves rolling in shimmering blue lines toward the shore.
Palm trees swayed above the highway, music drifted from open Jeeps, and groups of surfers moved barefoot across the sand, carrying their boards under their arms as if this lifestyle were second nature.
Then there was my ass, leaning against my vintage silver 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder, which I hadn’t driven in almost three years.
I’d pulled the cover off the car that morning after standing in the garage, staring at my collection longer than necessary. I owned only four rare vintage sports cars, but each one meant something to me. Machines I once loved driving before business consumed every waking second of my life.
Now, most of them sat untouched beneath climate-controlled covers, like expensive museum pieces. Much like their owner.
Yet this morning, for reasons I still didn’t fully understand, I found myself wanting the Ferrari, not my driver and the damn Rolls.
Driving myself felt like the better choice, given that Malibu wasn’t the kind of place I should arrive at, surrounded by tinted security vehicles and chauffeurs.
Another reason was that Catalina Veléz somehow reminded me that there had once been a version of me who actually enjoyed life before every moment became consumed by acquisitions, projections, negotiations, and power.
It was insane how much our dinner—and now spending time together in this casual beach setting—made me feel alive again. The realization itself was strange, especially knowing all it had taken to make me feel this way was one dark-haired woman with a smart mouth and beautiful eyes.
I pulled on the collar of the gray t-shirt I wore and glanced down at the boardshorts I still wasn’t entirely sure I should be wearing.
Jesus Christ.
Three hours ago, I hadn’t owned a single thing that even remotely resembled beach attire.
Not even close. And that’s how I somehow found myself standing inside a Malibu surf shop this morning, while an aggressively cheerful eighteen-year-old employee named Annalisa looked me up and down before saying, “Oh my God. You’re totally giving rich, hot, divorced guy trying to emotionally heal at the beach. ”
Swear to God, I nearly walked back out of the store. Instead, I stood there while the young woman piled shirts, board shorts, sunglasses, and sandals into my arms, insisting they would help me blend in. Apparently, according to Annalisa, black linen and a Rolex weren’t exactly subtle.
Who knew?
My thoughts about today’s awkward shopping experience were interrupted when I noticed movement near the parking entrance.
I watched Cat’s black Porsche Cayenne roll slowly through the crowded parking lot before pulling into a space several rows ahead of me. She wore oversized sunglasses, her dark hair falling over her shoulders as sunlight hit the soft bronze tone of her skin.
God in heaven. The woman looked like she belonged here and did this shit every Friday afternoon.
I took this moment to quietly enjoy the view. She stepped out wearing loose cream-colored linen pants, a fitted brown tank that hugged her body in ways that instantly became a problem for me, and brown leather sandals.
She looked elegantly casual, while I most likely looked like a buffoon, trying to wear clothes like a teenager.
The moment she spotted me leaning against the Ferrari, her mouth slowly curved into a smile that hit me harder than any damn business deal ever had.
“Well, well,” she said as I walked toward her. “Are you going to be okay leaving that in the parking lot alone without a babysitter?” She pulled her dark glasses down and looked over them toward my car.
“It’s a car, not a child, preciosa,” I smiled at her.
“Billionaires like you usually see your possessions as more precious than a child.”
“Not all of us billionaires see things the same way,” I told her.
“No,” she folded her arms, glancing at my wardrobe and then meeting my gaze. “No, you’re right. And might I add that you, sir, do a good job of coming down to my level and blending in.”
“Oh please,” I laughed. “This is definitely a new look for me.”
“I love it,” she said in a way that halted my breath and nearly stopped my damn heart.
What the hell was wrong with me? Grown-ass men, brutal in business or not, never reacted this way toward a woman.
“What’s that look?” she said, curious, as she studied my face.
“What look?”
“I’ve seen some pretty bold expressions on your face before, but this?”
I smiled as I watched her adorably search for words. Maybe she was just as taken with me as I was with her. A man could hope…
“Do I look like a fucking idiot?” I questioned. “I do, don’t I?”
“You look like a little boy whose mom decided it was beach day and you got to ditch school to go,” she laughed at her own remark.
My mind instantly went back to those days as a boy with my mom, and I realized I felt exactly as I had then… lighter, happier, and more alive.
“Perhaps that’s exactly how I feel. When my brothers and I were children, my mother used to take us to the beach to escape our everyday lives.”
“Well, there’s an interesting fact I never believed could be true about how you were raised,” she said in a playful voice to match.
“I can only imagine how you believe my brothers and I were raised,” I said. “Here, allow me a moment to return for the ice chest and blanket I packed.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You packed our lunch? I’m incredibly impressed.”
“I did,” I said, mirroring her enthusiasm. “I even insisted that my chefs allow me to help them make the sandwiches.”
“Indeed?” she practically mocked.
“And,” I continued, as if I had just learned something new this morning, “I sealed the Ziploc bags myself.”
“Lord,” she chuckled. “Well, in all the new and exciting skills you learned, I’ll have to correct one fuck-up you made while packing us a charming little picnic today.”
“What’s that?” I said, reaching into the car, grabbing the cooler, and turning back to her.
“You’re not going to be comfortable sitting that wealthy ass of yours on just a blanket,” she chuckled. “So, I brought us beach chairs, just in case.”
“And why am I not surprised you’d think of everything?” I chuckled.
“Because it’s my job to fix the little things for men like you.” She playfully bit her bottom lip, and I knew that by the end of this afternoon, I’d be so far gone and destroyed by her that I should’ve been terrified.