Chapter 61
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
I woke slowly, and for several seconds I simply lay there. I was warm, content, and comfortable. Then I remembered why… I was practically draped over Titus. One of his arms was around my waist, and my leg was tangled with his beneath the sheets.
I smiled and pressed a kiss to his side. Being back in his arms last night was better than anything I could have asked for. There was something to be said for having a gorgeous Spanish man worshiping your body all night.
The room was still dim, with soft morning light spilling across the ocean beyond. I lifted my head to see his face, and my heart melted. The man was completely knocked out. In the times I’d fallen asleep in his arms and woken up there, I’d never seen him sleep so deeply.
A few strands of his dark hair had fallen over his forehead. His breathing was slow and steady, and his face was relaxed in a way I’d never seen.
The last two weeks had clearly caught up with him. I couldn’t imagine he’d slept much at all in that place between attorneys, questions, uncertainty, and the possibility of facing prison… not to mention the uncomfortable accommodations.
I reached up and gently brushed a strand of hair from his forehead. He didn’t even move. Poor guy.
I carefully slipped out of bed, letting him continue sleeping. The mattress barely moved, but he was still out like a light.
I quietly pulled on a pair of flowy lounge pants and an oversized cream sweater, then sneaked toward the door.
I glanced back one last time before leaving the room. Seeing him still sound asleep, I smiled, getting the idea to make him breakfast this time, since that was what he seemed to do for me since the first time I woke up in his arms.
A few minutes later, I tiptoed downstairs barefoot. The enormous house was remarkably quiet until I entered the kitchen.
A man looked up from the enormous marble island. He couldn’t have been much older than fifty. He had dark hair streaked with silver and was immaculately dressed.
He looked over from the espresso machine, and his expression immediately brightened. “Ms. Veléz.”
I smiled. “Good morning.”
“Buenos días.”
I softly laughed. Of course Titus had a Spanish chef. “You must be the chef.”
He gave a small bow. “Mateo álvarez, senora.”
I extended my hand. “I’m Catalina.”
“I know exactly who you are,” he said with a smile. “It is wonderful to have you back with us.”
“Thank you,” I answered, glancing around the spectacular kitchen. “You wouldn’t happen to know what Titus likes for breakfast, would you?”
Mateo pretended to look genuinely offended. “Ms. Veléz…” He placed a hand over his chest. “I know everything Mr. Hawk likes.”
I laughed. “I should’ve known.”
The man smiled.
“What about on days when he has nowhere to be?” I asked.
He nodded. “He prefers a Spanish breakfast.”
I leaned forward. “Consisting of what?”
Mateo looked entirely too pleased to explain. “Fresh orange juice. Pan con tomate. Jamón ibérico. Eggs. Potatoes with onions.”
“That sounds amazing.”
“It is amazing.”
I chuckled in response. “Can I help?”
He looked horrified. “You are a guest.”
“My mother was a chef for a family in Madrid, so I feel uniquely qualified to help make breakfast.”
He studied me, then smiled. “Then you may grate tomatoes.”
I laughed again. “Wow. Really giving me the important jobs.”
“You must earn promotions.”
“I see that,” I teased back.
Twenty minutes later, I was officially employed by Titus’s chef. We had fresh tomatoes, toast points, potatoes, coffee, and orange juice.
At some point, Mateo had apparently decided I was competent enough to be trusted with eggs.
“You know, Mateo, I feel like I’ve really moved up in the world.”
“You are progressing beautifully, Senora.”
“Mm hm. I’ll add it to my résumé.”
Mateo chuckled as he arranged fruit, then he glanced past me and stopped. I followed his gaze to see Titus standing in the kitchen doorway.
He was barefoot and wearing dark lounge pants that hung low on his hips. His hair was completely disheveled, and he stood there, looking like a half-asleep little boy who had woken up too early on Christmas morning to see what Santa had brought him.
Goddamn, even like this, he looked absolutely devastatingly handsome, standing there and watching Mateo and me for God knows how long?
“Good morning, Mr. Hawk,” he said.
“Good morning, Senor Alvarez,” he answered with a friendly nod.
His eyes moved over all the food we’d been preparing. Then he looked at the flour on my shirt, and his eyes met mine. “Good morning,” I said sweetly.
The corner of his mouth slowly lifted. “Good morning.”
He continued to stare as if he hadn’t quite processed what he was seeing, then his gaze shifted back to Mateo. “You let her cook?”
Mateo looked equally offended. “Sir, as you must be aware, it is very difficult to say no to such a powerful woman.” He gave me a quick wink as Titus laughed.
“I’m all too aware, Mateo,” he said, his eyes back on me. “You were supposed to wake me.”
I smiled. “You were passed out.”
He crossed the room, his eyes never leaving mine, until he stopped directly in front of me.
He looked over at the breakfast, then at me again. “You made me breakfast?”
I leaned up, kissed him on the chin, and smiled. “Mateo and I did, and since you like to sneak out of bed to make me breakfast, I thought I’d return the favor.”
He lifted a hand and gently brushed my cheek. “I look forward to showing my gratitude for this,” he finished with a wink.
“Will you be taking breakfast on the patio this morning?” Mateo asked.
“Si, gracias,” Titus said, then took my hand and led me toward the outdoor dining area.
Mateo brought breakfast out to the terrace overlooking the Pacific soon after we sat down. The morning air was cool, and the ocean below looked calm. The entire scene felt so peaceful that it seemed almost impossible that the past two weeks had really happened.
“Mateo said this was one of your favorite breakfasts,” I said, watching Titus cut into his eggs.
His mouth twitched. “It is,” he swallowed, then he eyed my fried potatoes and onions. “Those potatoes will absolutely blow your mind.”
I took a bite and was surprisingly shocked by the seasonings Mateo used to make such a simple recipe explode with flavor in my mouth.
“How are the eggs?” I asked.
“Delicious,” he said after another bite. “Did you make them?”
I took a sip of orange juice. “You ask that as if you already know that Mateo didn’t,” I said with a laugh.
He smirked. “I’m merely curious.”
“Bullshit,” I answered. “You didn’t ask about the potatoes?”
“Fine,” he conceded with a sip of his orange juice. “Yes. Mateo seems to have magic hands, and everything he cooks has a distinct flavor and texture.”
I sighed. “Well, it looks like I failed to meet your expectations,” I teased, taking another bite of my eggs.
“I don’t think you’ve failed to meet a single expectation I’ve ever had.” His mouth curved slightly. “Thank you for this,” he said, leaning in to kiss my cheek. “I believe this is the best breakfast I have enjoyed in this home.”
“You’re very welcome,” I answered. “How’d you sleep last night?”
He arched an eyebrow at me, knowing that all we had done was take micro-naps until the sun began to rise and we fell asleep tangled up in each other.
“What sleep I got went extremely well,” he said. “The only reason I am awake is that my attorney called this morning, and I chose to answer the phone.”
I looked over at him and saw his expression change. The softness from earlier remained, but something heavier settled over his features.
“I’ve got meetings all afternoon on Monday.”
“Attorney meetings?”
He nodded. “And I plan to meet with Christian.”
I swallowed my bite of food. “You’re meeting with Christian?”
“I am.”
“Titus…”
His eyes lifted. “What?”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea. With the investigations still going on?”
“I made Jonathan aware,” he answered. “I need to see him.”
“Why?”
He stared out toward the ocean. “Because I need to understand.”
I frowned. “Understand what?”
His jaw tightened. “How someone becomes that obsessed.”
I continued watching him.
“I’ve been dealing with competitors all my life, Catalina,” he said. “People have hated me and resented my achievements and success. That’s fine. That’s part of business. However, this?” He shook his head. “He spent millions trying to ruin me.”
“I know. He’s disgusting.”
Silence settled between us before he continued.
“The bastard spent months digging through my family, my company, and my history.”
I reached across the table and placed my hand over his, and his eyes immediately dropped to it. “I know.”
He turned his hand over and laced our fingers together. “I just can’t quite make sense of it. It’s too personal an attack coming from someone I never even knew.”
I studied him. He wasn’t angry… the man was just confused, and somehow that was worse.
“How are you processing all this?” I asked, and his eyes lifted, obviously not expecting that question. I gently squeezed his hand. “I mean, how are you really processing it?”
He was quiet long enough that I thought he might not answer.
“I think I’m still catching up to it,” he finally said.
“I keep waking up, expecting to be back there,” he added, his thumb rubbing against my hand.
“I expect noise and loud buzzers before my cell door springs open when I’ve been told I have visitors.
I expect questions and attorney meetings.
” His eyes met mine again. “I don’t think I’ve actually accepted that I’m here yet. ”
I swallowed. “Oh, Titus…”
“I almost lost everything.” He looked toward the ocean again. “I don’t think I let myself think about it while I was there. I couldn’t.” A quiet laugh escaped him. “You start thinking about years… and you stop functioning.” His eyes met mine. “So, I didn’t. I just got through the next hour.”
“I don’t even know what to say…”
He smiled at me. “You don’t have to say anything. It’s just interesting. I know now, in all of that, that my company would’ve survived. The hotels would’ve survived. Hawk Enterprise would still move forward…”
I frowned, watching his somber expression.
“Everything could’ve moved on successfully without me, and that realization didn’t bother me the way it once would have.” Then his hand tightened around mine. “I could’ve dealt with losing all those things, but I don’t think I could ever survive losing you.”
My heart melted because he wasn’t trying to be charming or romantic. He was being honest.
I moved my chair closer. “You’re not going to lose me.”
“I know that now,” he nodded.
“No.” I reached up, letting my hand settle against his jaw. “I mean it.”
His eyes searched mine.
“I am right here,” I smiled, the man looking at me like he needed to hear every word. “I flew to Madrid for you, you know.”
A tiny smile appeared. “You certainly did.”
“I visited a federal detention center just to see you again.”
“You certainly did.”
I smiled. “So… I’m not going anywhere.”
His eyes softened, and neither of us spoke for several seconds.
“I love you,” he said quietly.
I brought his hand to my lips and kissed it. “I know.”
He chuckled. “That wasn’t exactly the response I expected.”
I laughed. “I love you too.”
His expression changed, as if hearing those words had settled something within him.
I brushed my thumb along his jaw. “So maybe don’t knock Christian out when you see him.”
That actually earned a laugh from him. “No promises.”
“Titus.”
“I’ll try not to.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You sound like a child.”
“I’ve had a difficult two weeks. I might not knock him out, but I am going to see the guy.”
“I understand.”
“I just need to close that chapter.”
I completely understood why, and I just hoped this wouldn’t cause him any more problems if things got out of hand.
Then again, that bastard had tried to destroy Titus’s life. At the very least, he deserved to spend several minutes feeling absolutely terrified.
Titus lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles again. “Stop worrying.”
“I’m not worrying, I’m just concerned.”
He smiled. “That’s the same as worrying.”
I sighed. “Fine. I’ll relax about it.”
He leaned over and kissed my forehead. “I promise I won’t do anything foolish.”
“It’s not you I’m worried about…”
He nodded. “I understand, and I promise I’ll come back to you.”