Chapter 2
JULIAN
Pacing from one end of my office to the other, I try to put her out of my mind. Try to think of anything other than her, but it seems like the harder I try, the harder it gets. Like swimming against a current, I keep struggling, aware I don’t have enough fight in me.
Catalina is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
Her perfect features brighten up every time someone speaks to her.
The way she smiles blinds me. Fuck, it feels like I’ve been living blind, not knowing what true, pure beauty is.
Her cocoa eyes glitter under the artificial lights of the dining room, the highlights on her dark brown hair making her look like something holy.
And those curves of hers? Shit. Shit, I’m so fucked.
My mouth waters at the mere sight of those full curves.
She’s plump all over, from her pretty lips to her perfect ass.
My body thrums with contained energy, arousal making my pants tight.
And we’re only sharing a table. We’re two of the several people sitting in my dining room, having a meal together.
This shouldn’t have happened. I should not be attracted to the young daughter of one of my oldest employees.
Santiago is the head of my law department, after all, one of the most vital parts of the company.
He’s been diligently toiling for me for ages.
Since the company grew big enough that I started having problems he could deal with.
And, fuck, we’re having this getaway exactly because an employee from the financial department dated and then cheated on a PR representative.
In a twisted form of vengeance, she used the company’s assets to create rumors and false accusations, not ever thinking she might have screwed the company over.
Santiago is my law expert. What would he do to my company if he knew what I’d been thinking of his daughter from the moment she shook my hand?
“You’re so good with kids, Catalina,” Lisa says from across the table. “My sons can’t get enough of you.”
Lisa’s twin boys have, indeed, been glued to Catalina ever since they mentioned some game and she gave them her ear.
She’s attentive, even with children she doesn’t know, even with people she doesn’t need to be.
Her soft smile never leaves her face, and I keep leaning closer, trying to hear what she’s saying.
She has a quiet voice, though, and I miss her words often.
It gets worse when all my department heads keep vying for my attention.
This getaway was supposed to get everyone together. It was Lisa’s idea, of course. She’s the HR representative for a reason. She knows people, and she thought this reunion, away from the office and with their kids, would help create a sense of family.
Catalina smiles at Lisa, her pretty hands gripping her cutlery. She’s so small. Maybe it’s because of my size, but she looks so dainty and precious, like a doll. “They’re brilliant kids.”
They’ve been running and screaming ever since they arrived, but I don’t say a thing. I like to watch Catalina spending time with them either way. She’s patient, interested, and my stupid brain can’t help but imagine her pregnant with a kid of mine, holding an infant in her arms.
My eyes go round. Shit. What am I thinking? She’s gorgeous, yes, and I can’t deny the attraction coursing through my body when I look at her. But having children? That’s an entirely new thing. I’ve never thought of having children of my own. Never even thought of getting married.
I’m married to this company. And a girl like her would never want a man like me.
“Do you work with children?” Lisa asks. “Maybe a schoolteacher?”
Catalina shakes her head. “No. I’m studying to be a vet.”
Her father makes a sound. I shoot a glance at him, catching the disapproval all over his face. Bitterness coats my tongue. What is the problem with the girl wanting to be a vet? It’s a noble career. Animals have been part of human history since even before we built houses.
“A vet!” Lisa says, nodding in approval. “You’ll want to see the horses, then. Mr. Reynolds has had horses for years now.”
Catalina snaps her attention to me, her eyes shimmering with expectation. Shit, I can’t let her down. I feel like letting her down on anything would kill me. “Do you, Mr. Reynolds?”
And the way she says my name, shit. My cock twitches hard, and I shift on the seat, trying to adjust it without being obvious. “Yes. I have several. They’re beautiful creatures.”
She smiles. At me. “Yes, they are. Very beautiful. I love horses, but I’ve never had the chance to ride one.”
Her father clears his throat. I shoot him a glance, then back at Catalina.
The smile has disappeared from her face, and she looks down at her plate, lips pressed together as she slices her chicken.
What happened? An unseen tension seems to have built between them, as if they have an unspoken deal or something.
I should not get between the two. Their familial relation is none of my business... and yet, I can’t bear to see her like this. This beautiful, beautiful woman, full of light, holding back. Forcing herself to be quiet, to keep her opinions to herself.
I want to know more about her. I want to hear the things she has to say about the world.
“We’ll ride them tomorrow,” I blurt out, looking for her gaze. She meets my eyes, doubt crossing her features. “You are here to have fun, after all.”
She smiles, and the children squeal with delight when Lisa tells them the news.
The others keep vying for my attention, starting subjects, asking for my opinion.
I can only give them one-word answers, my focus still on Catalina, even when I fight it with everything I have.
Looking down, I compare the way I hold my cutlery and the way she holds hers.
Fork and knife disappear between my meaty fingers, my hold awkward, strange. Catalina holds the silver with nimble, gentle fingers, moving with grace as she finishes up her plate. How can two people be more different? How can she be so pretty and small when I’m this big and cumbersome?
I could flatten her with my body. Wound her with a hand. Then why the fuck do I keep wishing she could be mine?
This is not for me. The company I worked hard for? Yes, I can deal with that, even when I never wanted to lead. But I will not allow myself to think any more of this woman. She will have to be a beautiful memory by the end of the week.
A week, and she’ll be gone. A week and I’ll never have to feel this way again.