The Cinderella Arrangement (20 page)

From the look on Mary’s face, it was certain it wasn’t all right, but she was too terrified to say otherwise. I turned around to glare at my
husband
.

He shouldn’t use his status to bully people like this.

Mary’s face fell, but she recovered. “No, no sir. It’s no trouble at all.” She bit her lip as the cat jumped on one of the couches in the solarium.

“Wonderful. My wife and I want to take a nap, and then we’ll probably want dinner. Do you have any recommendations?”

“Y—yes! The Ebrington Arms is right down the street. I shall arrange for you for seven.”

“Lovely. Come,
darling
.”

My face burned, partly in anger, and partly flattered that Mary thought I was his wife. He carried both suitcases up the narrow stairs, refusing all offers from Mary for help.

“Your room is just to the right. It has a lovely view of the garden. The Wi-Fi password is within the book inside your room.”

“W—wait we’re sharing a room?” My face burned even brighter, forgetting that Mary was behind us.

He gave a good-natured chuckle. “Of course, silly!”

William’s laying it on thick.

It reminded me of his antics at the restaurant when he crashed my date with that boring guy; I already forgot his name.

“We’re newlyweds,” he explained to Mary. “She comes from a conservative background, so she was always shy.”

I clenched my fists.
Newlyweds who don’t wear wedding rings?

Mary looked perplexed by all of this information. “I had no idea. Well, I’ll go back downstairs to call the restaurant.”

Will’s face crinkled into a smile. “Thank you.” He pushed the door open and wheeled the suitcases inside.

It was a small, neat room. A small, old TV stood on top of a desk in the corner. The bed was small—probably a double--and the tiled bathroom was spotless and the towels were fresh. On the nightstand were a few snacks and a small pot for making tea. Will sat on the bed, his head a few feet underneath the triangular roof. I could see his mind whirring, analyzing every detail. The billionaire looked unimpressed.

I looked out of the window and saw a cute, small garden and even more of the English countryside.
How wonderful it must be to live here
, I thought.

“I don’t know about this place. It’s—minimalistic.”

“I think it’s great. She was so excited to see you.”

He grinned. “Lots of women are excited to see me.”

I guess I had that one coming. I tried to bury my smile. “Do you have to be such an ass?”

My heart jumped as he pushed himself off the bed and walked toward me. I suddenly realized how alone we were, and how tall and imposing he was. My heart thudded painfully. I wondered what it would be like to be married to him.

Probably hellish
.

But waking up to his face like his every morning would be a dream. Overwhelmed with that vision, my hand flew to my necklace and yanked on the chain.

His lips smiled. “You always do that when you’re nervous.”

“Do what?”

He gave me a satisfied grin. “It’s flattering, but you don’t need to be nervous around me.”

His words sent a flash of heat up my spine. The air felt too hot as his hand gripped mine. His thumb stroked the palm of my hand and I felt a wave of dizziness so strong that I stumbled back. Will’s eyes seared through me.

“You’re tired. You need sleep."

I looked at the one bed. “So much for keeping it professional.”

“Well, I pre-booked everything when I thought we would be fucking.”

“Jesus, Will!”

He shrugged. “Relax, Natalie. I won’t touch you.”

Why not? Was he really going to deny the chemistry we had? 

Still holding my hand, his head bent down to give me a chaste kiss on my cheek. He pulled back, looking pink in the face. “Thank you. For helping me.”

I felt the burn mark of his lips on my face as if he ironed it on. “No problem."

“Now go to sleep.”

“What about you?”

He shook his head. “I don’t want to sleep right now.”

He didn’t want to return to the nightmares he knew would haunt him. I let go of his hand reluctantly, but my body was screaming for sleep. The covers peeled back as I tugged, and I slid inside. Will sat on a comfortable chair near the windows. I denied the desire coursing through my veins like good whiskey. More than anything in my life, I wanted to crawl into his lap and lace my fingers around his neck. I wanted his arms wrapped around me, whispering sweet nothings in my ear.

I
woke
up to brilliant sunshine pouring into my room and propped myself up on my elbows. Will was gone. Poor guy spent the night in the chair while I slept on the bed. It was his fault for not booking separate rooms, but I still felt bad about it.

I slipped out and padded to the bathroom. The shower door sprinkled with droplets. Will took a shower while I was asleep. As I turned the water on and removed my clothes, I imagined him bursting in while I was lathering myself. A delicious shiver ran up my leg. How hot would that be?

Stop thinking about that. You’re here to do a job.

Right. I was supposed to be thinking about designs, not lusting after a man who, no matter how attractive he was, had serious issues.

Dressing quickly after my shower, I left the room and descended the rickety staircase.

“Good morning!” said Mary when I reached the first floor. “Sleep well?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Breakfast is in the solarium along with your husband.”

Husband?

Oh, right. William. I followed the sunshine into the next room, which poured through the glass windows. There, I found a tired looking Will surrounded by a banquet of food. He looked dead on his feet.

On the left was a table with plates and I grabbed one, loading it with food: figs stewed in tea, some concoction with grapefruit, fresh rolls, and homemade jam.

“Would you like coffee or tea? Traditional English breakfast or would you like the American version?”

I might as well go all the way. “Tea and English breakfast, thank you.”

She left the room, and I nodded at Will from across the table. His eyes were bloodshot.

He sipped his mug. “This British coffee is weak shit,” he hissed.

“Will, you should really go for a nap. I can walk around by myself.”

He shook his head. “I’ll be fine.”

“What do you think about the food so far?”

Will nodded in a so-so manner. “She wins points for making and selling her own jam. And it’s pretty good.”

I spread some of the gooseberry jam over a fresh roll and I moaned at the explosion of flavor. “Wow, that is good.”

“Here it is!” Mary re-entered the solarium with a heavy plate of food for me. She dropped it in front of me.

“Uh—thanks!”

There was a pile of what looked like canned beans in a red sauce, fried tomato slices, strips of what looked like ham, and fried eggs. Will smirked at me from across the table and laughed when I tried some of the beans. On the whole, it was unremarkable.

“What
is
this?”

I forked the meat, which was thick and fatty.

He laughed. “It’s English bacon.”

I tried it. It was too thick and reminded me of ham. I set it aside and picked my way throughout the plate.

“I don’t like it,” I said in an undertone.

Will gave me an amused glance. “It’s a traditional dish. If you asked me, I would have told you to avoid it.”

I didn’t ask you
. “It’s not too bad.” I shrugged.

After breakfast, Will and I left the cottage to explore the Cotswolds. We drove to Bourton-on-the-Water, where a wide, slow river ran through the whole town. Low-arched stone bridges added to the charm of the bustling village, which looked like something out of a Hollywood set. The little stone houses bordered the river. There was a market of vendors selling wool clothing. It was too cute to be real.

“God, I would kill myself if I lived here.”

“What did you expect? We’re in the country.”

I bought a Cornish pasty from a vendor on the street, which was delicious. It was filled with spiced meat and vegetables. Then we drove to a pair of villages called the Slaughters and parked the car. I wanted to walk around and get a feel for the place. I had never seen such beauty. The feeling of being sucked into a fairy-tale book was overwhelming. The stone cottages side by side, the quiet, little rivers woven through the village, the beautiful green trees and farm fields surrounded us. Everything was so moist. I couldn’t believe how quiet it was. It was strange to not hear the sounds of construction, of cars, of anything, really, except songbirds and the rustling of squirrels in trees. I had never been in such a place. I felt removed from civilization and I experienced a peace I never felt before.

We walked along the river, passing by people tending to their gardens, and came upon a mill next to a souvenir shop. Behind the shop was a path to the following village: Upper Slaughter.

Will walked beside me and I gave him a smile. I had to keep resisting the urge to pinch myself. How could this be real? The dirt path followed the river and on both sides were fields of grazing sheep. There was nothing but the sounds of our feet walking, the gentle river playing and the baaing of sheep. I stopped for a moment just to appreciate it and felt the strangest sensation as I looked over the fence to gaze at the sheep. It was like this quiet, sleepy village cast a spell on me.

“Getting ideas for designs?” he asked as he joined me on the fence.

“Yeah.” My brain was already freezing images in my head: the yellow stone cottages, the river, and the green fields. “I’ve never been to such a peaceful place.”

“I don’t know. It’s kind of boring.” He pushed himself off and threw small rocks into the river, upsetting a white swan gliding downstream.

I rolled my eyes. Of course Will would find it boring. This was the opposite of his home in San Francisco, which was always bustling with noise and activity. It was hard to find peace and quiet in California, where the brown hills were slowly filling up with little boxes. I took pictures of everything so I could refer to them later.

He stood close to the river, and I was suddenly overcome with an urge to shove him into the water. I was angry about how he treated me, and it would be wonderful payback.

Let’s see how little rich-boy handles getting his feet wet.

I tiptoed silently. He still talked as if I stood far away. Excitement pounded through my rapidly beating heart as I raised my palms to his back and shoved.

“What the fuck?” he roared.

Will stumbled forward, his right foot sinking into the icy river. He turned with an offended look as I doubled over and laughed, tears squeezing from my eyes. He looked around as if someone else must have been responsible.

“You did this? What are you, five?”

I clutched the fence, still crying with laughter as Will hopped onto the trail and shook out his drenched tennis shoe.

“That’s for being whiny about this place.”

“I’ve got water in my fucking shoe! Oh, you will pay for this.”

I screamed and sprinted down the trail as he came after me. Luckily, there was no one else around to see us behaving like idiots. Despite his exhaustion, he caught up easily and yanked me into his chest. Before I knew it, I was flying in the air and he was cradling me in his arms, smirking.

“Will! WILL!”

He carried me somewhere—I couldn’t see.

“I can’t believe you did that,” he said, smiling down at me. “That’s so out of character for you.”

My face was on his shoulder. He smelled incredible—like pine and cedar. I was caught between the ecstasy of being so close to him and fear he was planning something terrible. “Will! Put me down!”

He raised his eyebrows. “You sure? Okay.”

“No! Wait!”

There was a slight splash, and I knew that Will held me over the river, ready to hurl me inside. He looked crazy enough to do it. He loosened his grip, and I slid down slightly. I grasped his shoulders, and he tightened his arms around my waist. I was giddy from being this close to him and I was sure my face was burning.

“Apologize,” he demanded, grinning. “Or I’ll throw you in.”

I glared at him.
He wouldn’t really throw me in, would he?
“No.”

He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Icy water sank into my shoes. “No, stop! Ok, fine! I’m sorry!”

Laughing, he stepped back, and I found solid ground. I never saw him look so happy. “I can’t believe you did that.”

“Me neither,” I said, my breath caught in my throat. I was back on the ground, but his arm was still wrapped around my waist. I could feel every contour of his muscles and his rapid heartbeat. If I lifted myself on my toes, I could kiss him.

The laughter died and Will’s eyes blazed. His fingers splayed on my back and he seemed to finally be aware that he was holding me.

He bowed his head, still smiling. All of his heat surrounded me; I felt his lips claiming mine, my mouth open in shock. The gentle heat I felt in my heart amped to a blazing forest fire. His hard body was against mine, his hands almost lifting me up. I dug my fingers into his wild hair and loved how soft it was. His kisses were filled with gunpowder; they were nothing like the sweet pecks Ben always gave me. I leaned into him and bit his bottom lip.

Somehow, we stumbled back against the fence. Will’s mouth weakened me over and over, and then he was planting searing hot kisses under my jaw and down my throat. I moaned as his hands swept around my waist and moved up my abdomen. Then he seemed to realize where we were and he pulled away. Not completely, just enough to make me really disappointed.

My nerves and skin were tingling all over, oversensitive. When Will’s fingers grazed my neck, I seized as if I was in pain.

That was amazing.

I wanted to kiss him again, but Will winked at me and stepped back.

“C’mon.”

How were we supposed to behave after that? Will didn’t try to touch me again, but when he looked at me, it was in admiration. He gave me a secretive smile that made me confused and hot all over. 

We walked to Upper Slaughter and back in silence, appreciating the old-world, gorgeous scenery.

What a charming little village.

As we returned to the car, my purse buzzed. It startled me so much that it broke me out of my peaceful mood. I dug inside and found it, my heart sinking. It was Ben. Why was he calling me?

“Who is it?”

When I blushed in answer, he stepped closer and read the screen. I answered the phone, ignoring him. “H—hello?”

“Hey, Natalie.”

I gulped at the sound of his voice and tried to turn away from Will, who seemed keen on listening in. “What do you want?”

He cut right to the chase.
“I saw pictures of you at the airport with a guy. Then I called your parents, and they told me you have a new boyfriend. What the hell, Natalie?”

Well, fuck. I wasn’t aware that there were photos of us. “It’s really none of your—hey!”

William snatched the phone out of my hands and pressed it against his face. I tried grabbing it back, but he was too tall. His expressive face was animated with energy, like a hound that caught scent of a rabbit. He sneered into my phone.

“Leave her alone, you pathetic loser.”

Wow
.

Ben’s reply was so loud that I could hear it.
“Who the fuck is this?”

“I’m William Pardini, who the fuck are you?”

“I’m her fiancé!”

His low voice chuckled into the phone. “Yeah, well, I don’t see a ring on her finger. She’s with me now. I suggest you take a hint and move on.”

“I’ll kick your fucking ass!”

Will bent his head back in mirth; his eyes glittered with savage triumph. “Oh, please try me. I beg you.”

I leaped for my phone again and wrenched it from his hands. “Ben?”

But there was nothing but dead silence on the other end. I looked at William, fury shaking all of my limbs. He was smiling as if he did me a favor.

“Why the hell did you do that?” I yelled, shattering the quiet, peaceful environment.

Several passersby looked at me in alarm, but I didn’t give a shit. William was still laughing. I grabbed the scruff of his collar and couldn’t decide whether I wanted to shove or punch him.

“What did I do?” he said, shrugging. “You two were on your way out anyway.”

I released him. “That doesn’t mean you get to antagonize him.”

“Calm down.”

“I will get so much shit for this.”

I opened the car door and sat in the backseat scattered with Tom’s fur. The car door opened a crack, and I whirled to him, expecting to see a gloating smile on his face. Instead, he looked scared.

“Natalie, can I come in?”

I looked away from him and shrugged as if I didn’t care. I heard the sound of him sliding inside the car and closing the door. The air felt stifling.

“I’m really sorry.”

“Duly noted.”

The leather squeaked as he turned toward me. “Why are you so upset? I thought you and him were over. I was trying to—”

“To what?” I exploded. “To mess with him? To bring drama into my life?” I slammed my fist into the leather seat in front of me. “Damn it, I was doing
fine
. I had everything I wanted and then Jessica had to get Luke. And Ben fucked up, so I threw six years of us away. What the hell am I supposed to do now?”

It all came crashing down on me. The possibility of being alone forever felt real. I was like a ticking clock—already twenty-six. I thought I found that love with Ben.

“You threw him away because you weren’t in love with him.”

Will’s voice was smooth and self-assured. That made bile rise in my throat. What did he know about any of it?

“I
did
love him!”

“If you did, you wouldn’t have come on this trip with me. You wouldn’t have kissed me.”

He took my arm, and I wanted to jerk away, but I made the mistake of looking into his eyes. I was trapped, and he was drawing me into his sticky web, toward certain disaster. 

“Natalie, you’re better than him and you deserve better. He doesn’t love you, if he did, he wouldn’t have fooled around right after you broke up. He would have fought for you. That phone call was just him pissing on his property.”

Will slid closer and pulled me onto his lap. My chest shook at the sudden contact as if my body had been craving human contact for months and was now finally getting what it needed. With his arms around me, stroking my hair, I sighed into his chest and felt my muscles unknot.

“You’re not doing a good job of keeping things professional.”