Catia (Starkis Family #6) Read Online Free Page B

“I think this is some kind of end run to get back in my good graces. But why?”
    “Maybe I hate the way things are between us,” she said, her level gaze capturing mine. “Maybe I feel like a coward for running away and I just want to make things right.”
    I wasn’t buying it. “You don’t have to move here and get a job working for my company to do that. We still see each other from time to time. You could have cornered me at some party and apologized if you wanted to ease your conscience.”
    “I’m not sure that I have anything to apologize for,” she said, squaring her shoulders. “Besides, you made it clear on several occasions that you weren’t interested in hearing anything I had to say.”
    “You don’t have anything to apologize for?” I asked, dumbfounded. “You slept with me, knowing how I felt about you, then you told me you were leaving town to get away from me.”
    “Do we really have to rehash all this now?” she asked, looking at the framed photos of my kids on the credenza behind my desk. “I think we can agree that we were in a period of transition then. It seems your life is more stable now, and so is mine.”
    “Is that so?” I couldn’t imagine Catia, the whirlwind, ever being settled.
    “Yes.” She raised her chin, looking annoyingly defiant. “I know what I want. That’s why I’m here—to get it.”
    “And what the hell do you want exactly?” She better not think I’d be stupid enough to give her a second chance, ‘cause that was never gonna happen.
    “I want a chance to prove myself at a company that doesn’t bear my last name. Where I have to sink or swim based on my abilities.” Her lips twisted in a wry smile. “Because let’s face it, I know you’d have no problem tossing me out if I’m not doing a good job. In fact, you’d probably take pleasure in it.”
    “You’re right about that.” I was being ornery, but I couldn’t help it. Cat had a way of bringing out the worst in me. “But I’m still not convinced this is a good idea.”
    “I understand. Would it help if I told you I’m serious about this commitment? I even bought a house. It’s a bit of a fixer-upper, but—”
    “The Parkers’ old house. I saw your address in your personnel file.”
    Her cheeks colored slightly as she licked her pink-tinged lips. “I didn’t think Wendy would have shown you that. I was figuring out how to tell you myself.”
    “I’m listening.” I wanted to hear what her motivation had been for buying the house across the street from me. Surely she didn’t expect me to be neighborly, given our history.
    “I hope you don’t think it’s creepy,” she said, brushing her long dark waves aside. “I kind of thought you might think it was weird—”
    “It is weird.” She looked taken aback, and I frowned. What the hell had she expected me to say—that I was used to my ex-lovers moving in down the street and securing a position with my company? “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’d seen Fatal Attraction one too many times.”
    She laughed, revealing those perfect white teeth and soft dimples. Damn. Seeing them felt like a gut-punch. I’d forgotten how potent her smile was. Scowling or sullen Catia was much easier to resist than happy Catia.
    “I don’t blame you for feeling that way. If our situations were reversed, I’d probably feel the same, but the truth is, I was ready to shake things up. I wanted a major life change, and since I enjoyed my time here, working with you, this seemed like a logical decision.”
    I couldn’t deny we’d made an incredible team. If only our time between the sheets hadn’t been the highlight for me. “How long do you plan to stay? I know you bought the house, but for someone with your resources, that doesn’t mean much. Next month, you could decide you don’t like being here after all and rent the house out.”
    “I suppose I could,” she said, shaking her head slowly. “But I won’t. Like it or not,