Chapter 45
Beneath Rowan’s stern exterior, a hint of tenderness flickered. He quickened his steps and called, “Ms. Sutton.”
Natalie looked up to find Rowan beside her.
Had he been following her? And if so, did that mean he’d gone into the private room earlier for her sake?
She didn’t want to judge him too harshly, but so far, nothing about him had given her great impressions.
Natalie’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve been looking into me?”
Rowan’s tone was indifferent. “Mrs. Grove told me your name.”
As if that meant he hadn’t dug deeper. But Natalie wasn’t some naive fool.
Did he really think she’d buy that? Of course, he already had her number and maybe even knew which hotel she was staying at.
Natalie needed to make herself clear. “Mr. Mattel, what you said last time still stands, so there’s no need to keep showing up just to warn me.”
Rowan simply gave a noncommittal hum in reply.
That was it? Nothing more?
His reaction left Natalie confused. But staying away from a dangerous man like him was still the right move.
Natalie broke eye contact and continued barefoot down the path, her heels swinging from her fingers. But before her next step touched the ground, Rowan swept her up effortlessly into his arms.
The sudden movement left Natalie stunned.
“Rowan! What are you doing? Put me down!” she demanded as he carried her steadily toward the parking lot.
“My car broke down,” he explained calmly. “I need a ride. Consider this my thank you. I don’t like owing favors.”
Rowan’s logic was flawless, completely airtight.
But when exactly had Natalie agreed to give him a ride? First, he’d mooched a meal, and now he was angling for a free ride, too?
He’d made his point clear enough. So what more could he possibly want from her?
The parking lot lay just to their right, and Rowan certainly didn’t need Natalie’s help spotting her car. With practiced courtesy, he settled her into the driver’s seat before taking his place in the passenger seat.
Their eyes met unexpectedly. Natalie’s suspicious stare drew out Rowan’s low, resonant voice, like the accidental brush of a bow across cello strings, hypnotic and sensual. “What? Afraid I’ll eat you alive?”
“What a freak,” Natalie thought.
She scowled and turned away, her tone edged with annoyance. “Where are you headed, Mr. Mattel?”
Rowan lounged back against the seat with casual ease. “Avon Villa!
Natalie’s face froze instantly, all color vanishing from her cheeks.
Three months had passed. She never expected to hear Avon Villa mentioned again, least of all by a man she’d only met twice.
Natalie took a long moment to compose herself before finally turning to him, skepticism plain in her eyes. “You’re close with Mr. Pereira?”
Rowan remained perfectly composed, his words measured. “So, you and Mr. Pereira go way back?”
Natalie wondered exactly how much Rowan knew about her past, about the version of herself that had spent three grueling
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Chapter 45
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years dragging herself out of the mud.
Her grip tightened on the steering wheel, her mood turning darker by the second.
She drew a slow breath before responding, “You’re reading too much into this. I don’t know Mr. Pereira. I just came across an article mentioning Avon Villa and recognized it as his estate. But it’s so out of the way that you should‘
“Avon Villa belongs to me now. It’s a little gift from Mr. Pereira to secure my investment,” Rowan interrupted smoothly. He let the words hang before adding, “Ms. Sutton, I don’t like owing favors, and I don’t like others owing me, either.”
