Chapter 1
“No tossing him off!” Natalie lectured sternly, her green eyes staring into defiant, brown ones. Gritting her teeth, because she could see the mischief in the big guys beautiful eyes, she added, “I don’t want you pushing this new guy up against a tree either. Got it?”
The big brown eyes continued to stare “innocently” back at her, which Natalie knew wasn’t a good sign. “I know you understand me, Charlie. Don’t even try to play dumb!”
A snort was Charlie’s only response and Natalie paced back and forth along the straw covered floor. “You’re going to be good today, got it? That’s your part of the deal. Mine is to make sure that you are protected.”
Charlie only shook his dark mane and twitched his ears, telling her that he didn’t agree with her.
Natalie glared, pointing her finger angrily. “Don’t do this, Charlie. You agreed.”
Another shake of his head and he started to turn away as Natalie’s temper flared. “No! You promised! We agreed!” She stomped her foot in frustration.
The laughter behind her, deep and sexy, caused a long ago memory to flare in her mind. Spinning around, she stared but, because of the early morning sunshine streaming in through the open doorway, she couldn’t determine if….
“Do you really think the horse will obey?” the voice continued.
Natalie’s body froze. Even the air in her lungs refused to budge as her mind sifted through the shocking memories that incredible voice generated.
It couldn’t be! Surely, she’d heard incorrectly! It simply wasn’t possible…the voice, that deep, resonant voice…he couldn’t be here! Natalie’s heart pounded and, for the briefest moment, intense joy filled her heart. Even Charlie sensed her excitement and nudged her forward. But then reality came back to her, the pain and the humiliation Natalie had buried years ago coming right back to her consciousness, and she froze.
Please, it couldn’t be him! Not that particular man. He wasn’t here, he was in Spain!
This was someone else. It had to be! No, the voice wasn’t his! The voice had only sounded similar.
The tall figure with impossibly broad shoulders pushed away from the wide, stable doorway, coming closer. And closer. As he moved away from the door, away from the bright sunshine outside and into the dim lighting of the barn, his features slowly became visible. Her eyes widened as Javier Emmanuel Gustavo Vasquez, Marques of Astrana, walked towards her. As Natalie’s hungry eyes looked upon the handsome features, features similar to the beloved ones she saw every day, her heart ached with the pain of what might have been.
And then that pain morphed into anger. Fury! Fury for what might have been…if only…
“You!” she gasped, the initial flood of excitement she’d felt upon hearing his voice dissipating as he approached and she remembered her hatred. All those long, lonely, terrifying nights when she’d needed him and he’d…he’d banished her! Tossed her away like a used, worn out shoe!
“I can see you still have an elegant turn of phrase, Natalie,” he observed dryly, stopping only about a foot from where she stood, trembling and trying to control a fresh burst of fury.
Oh, that wasn’t fair! She was always tongue-tied around him! He used to tease her about how she’d struggle with words whenever he was close. Four years ago, she’d been a naïve graduate student, touring Spain before finishing her master’s degree. She’d been young and impressionable, overwhelmed by this man and his suave sophistication. They’d spotted each other and, from that moment on, she’d been lost. Lost in his eyes, in his charm, in the way he touched her. He’d made her laugh and feel like she was the center of his world, which had been perfect, because he’d become the center of her world. She’d fallen so hard for him! He was tall and sophisticated, experienced and charming, it was no wonder that he’d rattled her.
But bringing up how flustered he used to make her…that wasn’t fair and only stoked her temper higher.
Fisting her hands by her side, she glared at him, focusing on not slapping that supercilious smirk from his handsome face. “You need to leave. You’re trespassing!”
She should have known that issuing a command to Javier never stood a chance of being obeyed. The man was literally a law unto himself in his country. As one of the most powerful men in Europe, possibly the world, he was exempt from petty little things like rules and consideration for another person’s feelings. Not to mention, the police turned a blind eye to his misdemeanors, such as speeding…things ordinary citizens would be, and were, ticketed for.
If she were being fair, Natalie would acknowledge that the Vasquez family ensured that the people in their village and the surrounding areas were taken care of and protected. If someone had a death in the family, the Vasquez family covered funeral costs, a significant portion of any major medical expenses, and looked out for the villagers if they needed a job or had any sort of hardship.
But Natalie didn’t feel like being fair. Not today! And not towards him! When she’d needed him most, he’d rejected her. His father had thrown her out like yesterday’s trash, called her a liar and a cheat.
So be it, she told herself. Taking a deep breath, she tried to find a calm, a peace within herself.
It was hard to do, but she’d done it before. She was older and wiser now. She could handle this man.
“You’re even more beautiful now than you were four years ago, mi belleza.”
Jerking backwards as his long, elegant fingers moved towards her face, she glared up at him, hating that he was so much taller than she was. “Don’t touch me!” she hissed. “You don’t get to touch me! You lost that right…” she pressed her lips together, not willing to rehash their painful past. “Just go away, Javier. We have nothing to discuss.”
In response, he moved even closer, trapping her against the side of the stall, his arms braced either side of her head. “Ah, but I think we do,” he replied, his voice deceptively smooth and gentle.
Natalie knew that tone. He was angry. Furious, actually. Javier never yelled. But the lower his voice, the more furious he was. “Get away from me and get off my property!”
His eyes narrowed at her command. “Or you’ll do what?”
She clenched her teeth together before she snapped out, “I’ll call the police! You don’t own them here, Señor imperioso.” Her fingers tightened into fists. “In America, we don’t care about titles or aristocracy! We don’t care about all the power you wield in Europe.”
His hand moved and Natalie jerked, sensing she’d notched his fury up higher.
When his long, elegant finger stroked down her cheek, she knew she was in trouble. Big trouble.
“You must remember what I used to do to you when you challenged me, enojada.”
Angry one? He dared to call her angry? Well, she was, but wasn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?
Then his words hit her and she panicked. Because she did remember how he used to resolve all of their arguments. In bed! It had never taken much effort from Javier to subdue her. Just one kiss and...
“Get away from me!” she hissed.
She tried pushing against his chest, but the man was strong, powerfully built. It had never worked in the past and it definitely wasn’t working now!
“I think you need a reminder of exactly how I reacted to your anger. What do you think? Shall we see if my old methods still work?”
Natalie’s mouth fell open in horror. “No!”
But the word was barely out before his mouth was covering hers, his tongue invading while his body pressed against hers. Javier was the ultimate lover, using every part of himself to make love to a woman. So when his body pressed against hers, she was trapped, invaded in ways she’d never been able to define. In the past, she’d gloried in his possession, in the way he could override everything and reduce their worlds down to a kiss, a touch. An explosion of pleasure.
Nothing had changed!
Oh, she might have struggled for a few seconds. Maybe two.
Okay, so two might be generous.
All Natalie understood was that he was kissing her, all of those feelings, the sensations of being utterly out of control, hit her like a truck. She wasn’t aware of her hands gripping the material of his shirt or the way her hips shifted against his – which meant that he’d already lifted her higher so that their bodies were more aligned. There was no thought process at all when Javier touched her.
If Charlie hadn’t nudged her shoulder, snorted his disapproval at being ignored, she might have…
Pulling back, she looked around, not sure where they were or…why her shirt was…
“Stop!” she gasped, pushing against his shoulders. When he started to move in for another kiss, she panicked, wiggling away from him. Probably the only reason she was successful was because he hadn’t expected her resistance. Lord knows, she hadn’t had any when they’d been together the last time.
She moved to put several feet of space between them and turned away. Her stomach was cold and she looked down, gasping when she realized that the man had already exposed the pale skin of her belly to the cold, spring air. Quickly, she rearranged her clothing, pushed her hair out of her eyes, and took several deep breaths as she tried to quiet her racing heart.
When she thought she had herself pulled together, she turned around, slowly, to face the man who had turned her world upside down.
Looking at him, she was once again struck by how tall, how utterly masculine he was. There was a strange beauty about the man. He wasn’t traditionally handsome. The skin on his features was pulled too tightly, his nose too angular, and the hardness in those dark eyes would terrify anyone who dared to contradict the man.
But the rawness, the blatant, almost tangible, virility in him, was an awesome and alluring force. There was no shame in admitting that, she told herself. In fact, admitting the truth, acknowledging the power he had, was probably a good thing. She needed to accept that he still had power over her. Acknowledging and accepting were the first steps to healing and recovery. She’d learned that the hard way, the last time she’d been around this man.
Taking a deep breath, she searched deep for strength.
“All better?” he asked, his tone mocking, and it took everything inside of her not to lose her temper again.
“You have to leave,” she stated flatly and was proud that her voice sounded calm even though her body was still shivering with awareness and reaction after that kiss. “I have no idea why you decided to show up today, after four years, but you have to get out of here.”
She lifted a leather saddle from the saddle stand and lugged it over to…
He took the heavy saddle out of her hands and easily lifted it onto Charlie’s back.
“I can do that myself,” she pointed out through gritted teeth.
“I’m sure you can,” he replied, his tone perfectly clear that he didn’t think she had the strength to lift the saddle up and over the tall stallion’s back. His strong hands smoothed the horse’s neck, soothing the enormous beast.
“Go away!” she groaned. “I really will call the police. I’m not afraid of you anymore.”
He stilled at that declaration, looking down at her strangely. “I never wanted you to fear me, Natalie.”
She stopped and looked up into his dark eyes. “It doesn’t matter what you wanted or didn’t want, Javier. Go away. I really do have business.”
“You’re selling this magnificent beast,” he agreed, his hand moving down Charlie’s flank. “I know.”
Natalie fumbled with the girth belt under Charlie’s legs, her suddenly numb fingers letting the ends drop. Charlie turned, nuzzling her, telling her that she needed to hurry because he was eager for a ride, but Natalie focused all of her attention on Javier. Her body tensed and her mind spun for a long moment. “You’re not…”
“I am your potential buyer, pequeña,” he murmured softly, moving closer. “So it would seem, I am here legitimately.”
Natalie’s mouth opened and closed as she tried to absorb this new reality. “You’re not Mr. Tito!” she gasped when her brain caught up with her mouth.
“No,” Javier agreed as he stepped even closer to her. “Andrew Tito is my agent. He spoke so highly of your horse that I decided to fly here myself to see him.”
Natalie ignored the jolt of disappointment at the news that he hadn’t come here to find her. But she couldn’t stop the spurt of fury. The two reactions weren’t connected, she told herself firmly. They were completely separate issues.
Pulling her eyes away from his dark, intense gaze, she moved around Javier and jerked the heavy saddle off Charlie’s back. “He’s not for sale.”
“I beg your pardon?”
She wouldn’t look at him. She couldn’t! If she did, he would see the pain that was lashing her heart. “Go away. Charlie is not for sale. Not to you!”
Javier watched as the furious beauty lugged the heavy saddle away. She was still the most shockingly feminine woman he’d ever laid eyes on. Even with her honey blond hair barely constrained in the messy bun on top of her head and the old, tattered jeans and sweatshirt, she still looked lush. Alive. So sensuously innocent, she made his teeth ache with the need to possess her. He remembered the way her hair felt when he’d tangled his hands in her soft tresses, or the way she would drive him insane with that hair against his stomach, his thighs as she kissed him, explored his body. And he remembered the way he would turn the tables, pulling her underneath him and exploring her body with his mouth, teasing her until she was screaming out his name, begging him for release.
Even now, the amazingly passionate memories of how he could overwhelm her, despite her initial inhibitions, made his body harden with need, with a desire so intense, he’d never experienced it’s equal before…or since.
“Why not me? Is my money tainted in some way?”
He watched her carefully, seeing the anger build up in her lovely eyes. They were angry now, but he’d just proven that he could easily change that fury to something different. Passion always lurked just below the surface with Natalie. She was so controlled, so demure most of the time. But one touch, one kiss, and she became a different woman.
Was she like that with other men? She’d been a virgin the first time he’d made love to her. The thought of her in another man’s arms, another man sharing in her delightful body, made him so livid, his body tensed for battle.
“Maldito sea!” he cursed, turning away for a moment. How could this woman control him so completely?
Turning back to her, he reined in his temper. “I was under the impression that you were pressed to sell your stallion. At least, that was the impression you gave my agent. Was he wrong?”
Her adorable chin jutted out and he knew that she was trying to come up with a lie. Instead, she nodded reluctantly. “Your agent was correct.”
“So, let us see what this handsome beast can do. Perhaps there is some…”’
“No!” she shook her head, causing some of those honey blond tresses to fall. Had she done that on purpose? Was she trying to tease him? To show him all that she was denying him? Four years ago, before she’d walked out of his life, he would have sworn that Natalie hadn’t any concept of how to tease a man. He would have vowed that she was too innocent, too open and honest.
Now he knew better. She was a conniving, deceitful, manipulative liar.
“I do need to sell Charlie. But to anyone but you, Javier.” She dumped the saddle back onto the saddle stand and moved over to Charlie. “Sorry, big guy,” she whispered, soothing the horse’s confusion. He obviously was more than ready to show off what he could do.
Javier watched with increasing jealousy as Natalie soothed the horse’s feelings, stroking his neck and promising that she would take care of him later. Her words didn’t soothe him since he wanted the exact same thing the horse wanted.
“Infierno!” he muttered as he realized that he was jealous of a horse! A damn horse! It was outrageous!
“Go away, Javier!” she snapped with a voice that trembled slightly.
Javier glanced away, trying to figure out the best way to handle this glorious beauty. Their past, the way she’d left four years ago…that was between them. It was also hindering his ability to think properly, which further infuriated him. He never, ever, allowed emotions to inhibit his ability to negotiate!
Surveying the area, he noticed the tiny house higher up on the hill, the stables that desperately needed repairs, the other two horses, smaller and not thoroughbreds, were watching from a distant pasture. Why were there so many dead plants everywhere? There was a small garden and, since the spring was starting to warm the earth, he could see small green sprouts trying to rise from the dirt, but they didn’t look healthy. In fact, they appeared as if they were ready to give up on life even before they started. And yet, over to the other side, there were bushes that seemed to be about to burst into color. The dichotomy of plants was a mystery, as was the woman. She wore torn, ragged jeans and couldn’t even afford to take down the child’s play set left by the previous owner of the house. And yet, she owned a powerful stallion, a prize to anyone’s stable. Nothing about this woman made sense.
Except for her reaction when he kissed her.
He turned back to the woman, gritting his teeth as his eyes took in her round bottom, the denim pulled tight across the delectable roundness as she bent down to pick up something from the floor.
“Can you really afford to keep that horse?” he asked, his tone silky smooth and he knew by her body’s reaction that he’d hit the issue right on the head.
Natalie’s simmering temper boiled over, swinging around, she glared up at him. “Don’t you dare talk to me about money! Not after…!” she stopped, remembering the humiliating threat his father had issued on the day she’d left. On the day his father had forced her away.
Pulling back quickly, she pressed her lips together. “Just go away, Javier. We have nothing else to discuss.” She unlatched the gate to the coral and patted Charlie’s flank, encouraging him to go have fun with his friends. He was king of the herd, ruling the two ladies with a firm lead. But her ladies loved Charlie. He was a very beneficent king. She often laughed at how her two mares would tease and taunt Charlie, only to nuzzle him back into a good mood. Horses were beautiful animals, kind and gentle, and far more loving than most people realized.
Natalie’s cell phone rang and she pulled it from her back pocket, her heart starting to pound when she realized it was Alejandro’s school calling. “Yes?” she quickly answered.
“Good morning, Ms. Shaw. I’m sorry to bother you but Alejandro has come down with the tummy bug that is going through the school.”
“Is he okay? How long has he been sick?” Natalie asked, already hurrying up the yard towards the house.
“It isn’t anything to worry about,” the school principal soothed. “From what we’ve seen, this bug is bad for only about twelve hours or so, and it passes quickly.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” she said, sprinting as fast as she could over the grass and up the hill. “Tell him I’ll be there!”
Suddenly, she stopped and looked back at the man who had torn her world apart four years ago. He stood there with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes still hidden by the shadows caused by the morning sunshine, so she couldn’t see what he was thinking.
Natalie glared at Javier for a brief moment, but her mind was frozen in a panic. Her son was sick and, no matter how many times this happened, she still hated to see her little boy in pain. “Go away, Javier. Don’t be here when I get back. Don’t ever come back.”
Toby and Tanya, her tabby cats, strolled out of the barn and looked around, trying to determine why yelling had ruined their naps. With a flick of their tales, they both moved off towards the forest, determined to catch some birds today, still unaware of the bells around their necks that warned the birds. The felines kept the mouse population under control, but Natalie didn’t want any birds to suffer at the hands of her kitties.
Javier watched as the lovely lady hurry up to her house. She never glanced back at him and he hated that. He wanted to walk up to her and toss her over his shoulder, carry her into that pathetic excuse for a house and tumble her into her bed so that he could make love to her until she was once again screaming his name. Then he would demand answers.
Four years ago, she’d left him when his father refused to give in to her demands for more money. Apparently, she’d demanded more and more. Unbeknownst to Javier, his father had been giving her the money, wanting to make her happy because Natalie made Javier happy. Until he’d told her no more. In a fit of rage, she’d left, telling Javier’s father that she’d come back only if he started paying her a monthly allowance.
Initially, Javier hadn’t believed his father. Natalie had never asked for money, had even refused to allow him to buy her things. He’d wanted to shower her with gifts, take her on shopping sprees. But after only a few trinkets, she’d told him no more.
He’d thought his father’s explanation for her abrupt departure odd at the time, not believing his father. Natalie hated shopping. It had only been when he’d tricked her into entering a store would she allow him to buy her clothes or jewelry. Finally, his father had shown him the cashed checks. Only when he’d seen her dainty signature on each of the checks his father had written to her, had he accepted the truth. And even then, he’d thought it strange that he’d never seen any evidence of where she’d spent the money.
Looking around, he guessed that she’d gone through all of the money, but he still didn’t know where. Perhaps to buy Charlie. That would make sense, he thought as he leaned against the fence, watching the stallion run with the mares across the field.
But if she’d wanted a horse four years ago, all she’d had to do was ask him for it. Not to mention, he had a full stable of prime horseflesh at Castle Astrana. He knew that Natalie had ridden every single day, sometimes being out for hours and had seemed to truly enjoy the horses in his stable. She’d never asked him for anything other than his time.
Looking around, seeing how sparsely she lived now with the horses seeming to be her only luxury, he wondered if he’d misunderstood his father all those years ago.
There was a mystery here.
And unfortunately, he acknowledged that he still wanted Natalie. Even after she’d run from him, just one taste and she was back in his head.
Oh, he knew that he couldn’t bring her home as his wife. No, his father would never accept Natalie as Javier’s Marquesa after she’d demanded money, reducing their relationship down to a business transaction. Not that Javier would be controlled by his father’s wishes. If Javier wanted to marry a woman, he would find a suitable bride and be done with it. He’d never allowed his father to control him and he never would, which had caused many arguments between them over the years. But he respected his father and knew that Natalie had wounded the older man.
No, he couldn’t disrespect his father by bringing Natalie home as his wife, nor would he foist a mercenary woman like her onto his friends and acquaintances.
But there were other ways, other arrangements that might be more satisfying to both of them. Looking around, he considered all of the possibilities. She had nothing here other than her horses and a job that obviously didn’t pay her enough to keep her in the style to which she’d aspired before.
Perhaps he could entice her back to Spain. Not to live in the castle as she’d done before. No way. She’d abused that privilege four years ago with her demands for money. He’d never offer it again.
But an apartment…perhaps, his penthouse in Barcelona. Yes, he did a great deal of business there. And Natalie could travel with him. She’d like that, he thought. She’d wanted to travel with him before, but he’d told her that he was too busy to take her with him. As his wife, he’d wanted more for her than sporadic nights.
As his mistress…yes, as his mistress, he would require her presence while he traveled. And her passion. After the kiss they’d shared earlier, he didn’t doubt that her passion would be forthcoming. Apparently, that was the only aspect of their previous relationship that had been real.
Yes, Natalie as his mistress sounded like a very good idea.
Glancing at his watch, he knew that he needed to get to his next meeting. Decision made, he walked up the hill towards his waiting driver. Slipping into the back of the limousine, he pulled out his cell phone and made some calls, setting up what he suspected would be enough to entice his mercenary woman.
And yes, Natalie was still his woman. After that kiss in her barn, he knew that there was still something between them. The attraction was still there, still just as, if not more, powerful than it had been four years ago.
Preferring to face reality rather than hide from it, he knew that he’d never really gotten over Natalie’s betrayal. Nothing had ever made any sense. Maybe now he could figure out what had happened.
He told himself that he didn’t care how many men she’d had since she’d walked away from him. As his wife, he would have cared. He would have demanded fidelity. As his mistress, he would demand fidelity until this attraction between them burned out. He would definitely require exclusivity.
Before, he’d been prepared to marry Natalie, to treat her like a queen. He’d been her only lover and he was honest enough to admit that her innocence had pleased him. As his mistress, he told himself he didn’t give a damn how many other lovers she’d had in the past as long as she was faithful to him for as long as their business arrangement lasted.