Awakening His Innocent Cinderella

Startled, she glanced at him, registering the distance in his demeanour as he waited for her answer. She’d taken that snap before she’d started watering the roses, so for how long had he been watching her? ‘I wanted to show him they were fine.’

‘Show who what were fine?’ He stepped closer.

She chose to focus on the smooth marble pastry bench on the opposite side from her and think about cold, cold things so she could speak without stuttering. ‘Alex. The roses.’

‘Who’s Alex?’

‘You don’t know?’ She glanced at Rafael again before remembering the searing impact on her senses.

‘I assume he’s a caretaker? This is my first visit to the villa,’ he said briefly, his intense gaze not leaving her face.

Caretaker? The man had worked on this estate for the last forty years!

‘You’ve not been here before?’ She wrinkled her nose in confusion. ‘Did you buy it without even seeing it and having that restoration work done?’

His lack of response confirmed it.

‘Wow,’ she muttered.

‘This really is about the roses?’

‘Of course it’s about the roses. Why else would I be here?’

He didn’t answer. She stared at him suspiciously. ‘Did you think I was here to, what...hope to meet you?’ The guy was unbearably arrogant.

She dragged her gaze back up from his chest to his eyes and didn’t really blame him. But still.

‘You wouldn’t be the first woman to break into one of my properties.’ A faintly amused look crossed his face as he regarded her damp blouse and skirt.

‘I didn’t break in,’ she said spiritedly.

‘Semantics.’ He leaned back against the opposite bench, that hint of amusement making him even more fascinating. ‘Mostly they try to find my bedroom.’

‘I’m not a stalker.’ At the thought of his bedroom her skin crisped.

‘I’m relieved to hear it.’ He angled his head and studied her.

Awareness rippled down Gracie’s spine. She wasn’t sure she trusted that new look in his eyes and she certainly didn’t trust her own suddenly frantic pulse.

‘You’d better go and get changed,’ she said brightly, hoping he’d take the hint and cover up quickly. ‘You obviously had somewhere to be and I need to get back to the village.’ She wriggled forward to the edge of the table, preparing to put weight on her wretched knee.

‘What’s your name?’

His question was a perfectly innocuous, normal one, yet her heart thundered. She’d given so many variations as an answer to this in her childhood. For over a decade she’d not been able to tell anyone her real name. Lying, lying, lying.

It’s for your safety, sweetheart. So we can stay together.

Hiding had meant constantly moving. She breathed in and shook off the whisper of the past. Now she’d chosen her own name—a family name too—so answering this question now shouldn’t be stressful. Yet for a reason she couldn’t quite identify, she didn’t want to tell him.

For the first time, he actually smiled. It transformed him from moody fallen angel to silver screen hero in a heartbeat. There was no way she could answer him now. She couldn’t actually speak.

‘What does it matter?’ he queried her reluctance with even more of a smile. ‘You’re never going to see me again.’

‘Right. Right, of course... The thing is...’ She bit her lip and decided to brave up. ‘You’re going to have to see me. I’m doing Alex’s job for a few days.’

That smile vanished. ‘Watering the roses?’ he asked, for cold confirmation.

‘Yes.’

‘Use an automatic hydration system,’ he snapped.

‘They’re like his babies,’ she retorted scornfully. ‘Would you use an automated feeding system for your babies?’

‘Not an issue I ever plan to face.’ He straightened to full height and put his hands on his hips, drawing her attention back to his sculpted, bare physique. ‘Why are you doing his job?’

Gracie studied the floor tiles. ‘He’s unwell. He has the flu.’

‘It’s the height of summer—’

‘He’s older—’

‘Should he still be working?’

‘Of course he should.’ She lifted her chin and glared at Rafael. The guy had no idea how lucky he was to have Alex working on his property.

‘His judgement is impaired,’ Rafael said coolly. ‘He should never have given you the security code to get inside the gate.’

‘He didn’t want your precious flowers to frizzle in this heat. He was doing what he thought best.’

‘All employees of this estate were under instruction to maintain security of the premises no matter what. Not to give the codes to just anyone.’

Gracie ignored the hit at being dismissed as ‘just anyone’. ‘He loves the roses. He’s spent his life looking after those roses.’

‘I don’t care about the roses—’

‘Clearly.’ The man was an unfeeling jerk.

‘I care about my privacy. And my security.’

‘You don’t want the common folk encroaching on your space? Or any rabid female stalkers lying in your bed?’ She immediately wished she hadn’t mentioned that as it put a disconcerting picture in her head.

‘That’s right.’ He smiled. ‘I don’t wish to be bothered.’

‘Well,’ she said formally, ‘if you’ll just let me leave, then you won’t be bothered any more. I’ll be sure to check the roses when you’re not here.’

‘Too late,’ he said softly, stepping forward so he was back in front of her. ‘I’m already bothered.’

His tone put her on edge.