A Deal with Benefits

He smiled and a sense of unease trickled down Ashley’s spine. This time his smile didn’t make her heart give a slow tumble. His sharp white teeth made her think of a cold-blooded animal tearing apart his quarry.

Feeling a little shaky, Ashley took a step back. Sebastian was stunning, but her memories had muted the brutal power and raw masculinity he possessed.

“Ashley,” he said silkily and gestured at the chair in front of his desk. He didn’t look surprised to see her. “Please sit down.”

“What are you doing here?” she asked as conflicting emotions swirled ferociously inside her. She felt dizzy. Vulnerable. She wanted to sit down and curl into a protective ball but she couldn’t give the man any advantage. “I don’t understand. He called you Mr. Cruz.”

“That is my name,” he said as he sat down behind his desk.

“Since when?” She winced when her voice rose. Ashley tried desperately to hold back. “You introduced yourself to me as Sebastian Esteban.”

“That is part of my name. Esteban is my mother’s family name.” His dark eyes were intent as he watched her closely. As if that name should mean something to her. “I am Sebastian Esteban Cruz.”

That was his excuse? She stared at him, waiting for more. Instead, he sat in his chair that was as big as a throne and watched her with an air of impatience. He wasn’t going to apologize for anything.

“Why did you lie to me? Is that part of your routine?” A woman only had to look at Sebastian Cruz and know he was a heartbreaker. She thought she could remain unscathed by limiting their encounter to a one-night stand. She had been wrong.

But she hadn’t been thinking during that sensual weekend, she thought as regret pricked at her. Instead, she had followed a primal call and fallen into Sebastian’s bed.

She had known better. Expected more from herself. After being raised by a philandering father, Ashley had recognized the signs of Sebastian’s tried-and-true routine. She should have remembered the devastation that immediately followed the promise of paradise.

“When a wealthy person is interested in buying property, it’s in their best interest not to reveal who they are,” he said unrepentantly. “Otherwise the sale price goes up.”

“Inez Key wasn’t for sale,” she said hoarsely as the anger whipped through her. Now she understood why he’d chosen to visit her island. He had intended to steal her family home from the beginning!

“So you kept saying.” He gave a dismissive shrug. “I had approached you through several of my representatives, but I kept getting the same answer. The offered price was extremely generous. I made a personal visit in the hopes that I could convince you to sell.”

She had thought it was strange that a man like Sebastian had arrived at her island for rest and relaxation. He was the kind of man who thrived on challenges and conquering uncharted territory. “Instead, you stole it from me,” she whispered as her stomach churned. “This is all making sense.”

“I didn’t steal it,” he corrected her. “You missed the deadline to repay the loan. Inez Key is mine.”

Ashley didn’t like the triumph she heard in his voice. She clenched her purse tighter as she choked back the fury. “That loan is none of your business! It was a private agreement between Raymond Casillas and me.”

“And I bought the loan from Casillas. You shouldn’t have put up your island as collateral.” He mockingly clucked his tongue and shook his head at her poor judgment.

“It not like I had a lot of choices,” she pointed out fiercely. How dare this man question her decision? Her father’s finances had been a shambles when he died. Sebastian had no idea what she’d had to do, what she’d had to sacrifice, to keep Inez Key. “It was the only thing I have of value.”

He tilted his head and captured her gaze. “Was it?” he asked softly.

Ashley stiffened as she sensed the danger lurking beneath that question. How much did this man know? She needed to take control of this meeting. Her legs shook and she felt jittery, but she forced herself to remain standing. “Inez Key suffered a lot of damage during the hurricane, and the insurance wouldn’t pay for all of it.”

He shrugged. “I don’t care how you got into debt.”

She wanted to claw at his bored expression. Ashley curled her fingers into her palms as she felt her temper flare dangerously. “I didn’t make an agreement with you,” she said roughly. “I had a payment plan with Raymond.”

“Which you couldn’t pay,” he said. “You took a gamble and you lost.”

Ashley gritted her teeth. It was true and she couldn’t deny it. She had taken many risks when she’d accepted the loan. She’d had difficulty finding the money to repay, but she couldn’t let it end here. She had to get Inez Key back.

“Raymond understood why I was having trouble making the payments,” she said, her voice shaking as emotions ran wild inside her. “He was giving me more time since he had been best friends with my father.”

“I’m sure he was the epitome of understanding and compassion. But it was smart of you to keep it out of the banking system.” He wagged his finger at her. “I would have found out about it earlier.”

Did he think this was funny? That this was a game? Her future was at stake here. “And then you wouldn’t have had to sleep with me to get that kind of information,” she retorted.

Sebastian’s gaze slowly traveled down her tense body, resting briefly on her gentle curves. “That isn’t why I took you to bed.”

Her skin burned. She couldn’t stop the fragmented memories flooding her mind. She remembered his hot masculine scent and the taste of his golden skin. Her dress felt tight as she recalled the sharp hiss between his teeth and the bite of pain when his strong fingers had tangled in her hair.

Ashley abruptly looked away. She had a tendency to remember that night at the most inconvenient moments. Her heart was pounding against her chest and her body was flushed. “You didn’t have seduction in mind the moment you stepped on Inez Key,” she mumbled. “I find that highly unlikely.”

“I didn’t know that you would indulge in pillow talk after sex,” he drawled as he leaned back in his chair and steepled his long fingers together. “I certainly didn’t expect you to reveal your agreement with Casillas. That was a bonus and it was impossible for me not to use that information for my benefit.”

Ashley stared at Sebastian as her chest twisted painfully. How could he be so callous about that intimate moment? Didn’t he realize that she never confided in anyone? But she had felt close and safe enough to tell him her worries. She had been interested in his opinion and valued his advice. It was only in the light of day that she realized she had been lulled into a false sense of security.

She somehow knew that rare slip of the tongue would come back and haunt her. He had used that moment of weakness to his advantage. “I will not allow you to take this island from me!”

Sebastian was unmoved by her heated declaration. “It’s too late.”

“Why are you being so unreasonable?” Her voice echoed in her ears. She lowered her hands firmly against her sides and tried again. “Why can’t you give me a second chance?”

He seemed genuinely surprised by her question. As if she was more naive than he had given her credit. “Why should I? Have you done anything that would suggest you deserve a second chance?”

She saw the way his eyes darkened. There was something about his choice of words. Suspicion slithered and coiled around her weary mind as she crossed her arms. “Is this because I kicked you out of bed the next morning?”

Ashley wanted to bite her tongue the moment she spoke without thinking. She knew she had to be careful with her words. She cringed as she heard his husky chuckle.

Sebastian’s smile was a slash of white against his dark skin. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

She knew she had caught him off guard when she’d refused his offer to continue the relationship. Sebastian would never know how much the idea had both delighted and scared her. If he had seen her resolve weaken, he would have gone in for the kill. Her answer came across cold and unfeeling and she knew the rejection had stung.

To think she had felt bad about it! She had spent hours reviewing that moment and wishing she had refused more gracefully. And more than once she wished she had the courage to have accepted his offer.

But she realized that even after one glorious night, she was in danger of becoming the kind of woman she hated. A sexual creature. A woman who was driven by her emotions and needs. She had pulled away to protect herself.

“I can’t help but think this is all personal,” she said, glaring at him.

He arched a dark eyebrow. “How is that possible when we had not met until I arrived on Inez Key?” he murmured.

Ashley felt as if she was missing something. She knew they’d never met. One would never forget the briefest encounter with Sebastian Cruz. “You lied to me about your name, you had a hidden agenda and you seduced me. I was right to follow my instincts and get rid of you.”

“And I’m right to follow my instincts and remove you from the island immediately,” Sebastian said, clicking his computer keyboard as if the discussion was over.

Immediately? Panic gripped her chest. Before she’d walked in here she’d had two weeks to leave the island. She was making this worse. “Inez Key is all I have,” she said in a rush. “Without it, I have no home, no money...”

He didn’t glance away from the computer screen. “That is not my concern.”

She marched over to his desk and braced her hands on the edge. She would demand his attention if she had to reach over and grab him by the throat. “How can you be so cruel?” she asked in a low growl.

He lifted his gaze and held hers. “Cruel? You don’t know the meaning.”

She leaned forward. “I can’t lose Inez Key. That is my home and my livelihood.”

“Livelihood?” He scoffed at the word. “You haven’t worked a day in your life. You rent out your home to wealthy people for the occasional weekend.”

She let that criticism slide. She may not have a traditional job, but that didn’t mean she didn’t work hard to hold on to everything that was dear to her. “They pay good money for privacy. You did. What makes you think others won’t?”

He reached for his pen and uncapped it. “There aren’t enough rich celebrities looking for privacy to pay back your loan.”

“I haven’t been doing it long enough,” she insisted. She needed to buy a little time. “Raymond understood that.”

Sebastian shook his head. “Raymond Casillas wanted you to dig a deeper hole. He knew you were never going to be able to pay back the loan. Why do you think he offered in the first place?”

Ashley straightened and took a step away from the desk. “I don’t know,” she muttered. She didn’t want to talk about it. Her skin felt prickly as the nausea swept through her.

“He hoped you would pay back in another way. And I think you knew that. Which is why you had requested a contract. Under most circumstances, it would have been a smart move.”

“A lot of good it did me,” she said under her breath. That contract now put her right in the hands of the ruthless Sebastian Cruz.

“You didn’t want there to be any misunderstanding. You would offer Inez Key as your collateral, not your body.” Sebastian paused. “Or your virginity.”

She flushed bright red and refused to meet his gaze. “You knew?” Ashley whispered. She had done everything to conceal her inexperience. Out of pride, out of protection. She couldn’t allow Sebastian to know how much advantage he had in that moment. But how did he know? How did she give herself away?

He set down the pen. “You should have told me.” His tone was almost soft. Kind.

Ashley took another step back. She felt exposed. She wished she could walk right out of the office, but her unfamiliar heels felt like shackles. “I had already told you too much. And how did you know that Raymond wanted...” She swallowed roughly as her voice trailed away.

“Casillas has a reputation for liking innocent girls,” he said with distaste as he leaned back in his chair. “And once he found out that you and I had been together, he was no longer interested in helping you out.”

She closed her eyes as mortification weighed heavily on her shoulders. Sebastian had discussed their private moment with Raymond? He was just like her womanizing father and his raucous drinking buddies. A wave of disappointment crashed through her. She had expected better of Sebastian. “You’re disgusting,” she whispered.

“I do what is necessary to win.”

He was a worthy opponent. She didn’t care if his indiscretion helped her escape Raymond. He was still a dangerous enemy and she needed to remember that. “This isn’t over. I will see you in court,” she declared as she headed for the door.

“Good luck with that,” he called out after her. “You can’t afford legal advice and any good lawyer will tell you that you don’t have a case.”

“Don’t underestimate me.” She tossed the warning over her shoulder.

“How badly do you want Inez Key?” he asked lazily as she grabbed the door handle.

She dipped her head as she considered the question. How could she explain? Inez Key was more than her home. It was the only thing left of her family yet it was also a constant and unwelcome reminder. It was her sanctuary but it was also her dungeon. She was both caretaker and captive. She was determined to live there until she exorcised her demons. “Probably as much as you did.”

His chuckle sent a shiver down her spine. “You shouldn’t have told me that.”

She turned around and narrowed her eyes. He looked so calm and in control as he lounged in his chair and watched her with barely concealed amusement. “What do you want, Cruz?”

His smile sent a shiver down her spine. “You.”

CHAPTER TWO

SEBASTIAN SAW ASHLEY flinch from his answer. He knew she wasn’t surprised by his admission. He saw the flare of interest in her eyes and the flush in her cheeks before she tried to shield her reaction. She was trying to hold back her response, but her body was betraying her. She couldn’t hide the hectic pulse beating at the base of her neck. Ashley still wanted him, but she wasn’t going to admit it.

“You’ve made it very obvious,” Ashley said in a withering tone.

“I’m not ashamed of it.” He didn’t consider his desire for Ashley a weakness. It was more of a problem, a distraction and a growing obsession. She, on the other hand, was ashamed by the attraction they shared. She acted as if it went against everything she believed in.

“I’m not for sale,” she declared.

The corner of his mouth slanted up. “You said the same about Inez Key and look at how that worked out.”

Her jaw clenched. “I’m serious, Cruz,” she said in a growl.

If she’d been serious, she would have tossed back his indecent proposal. Used a few choice words and punctuated her indignation with a slap. Instead, she held the door handle in a death grip. She was wavering. Horrified but enthralled. If he played this right he could have Ashley back in his bed for more than a night.

“I’m sure we can work out an arrangement,” he said smoothly as the excitement burned inside him. He had ached for her for weeks and the sensation intensified now that he knew the wait was almost over.

“You are no better than Raymond,” she said in a hiss.

Sebastian smirked. Her comment just proved how innocent and unworldly she really was. Hadn’t she realized by now that he was much, much worse?

“On the contrary, Casillas had set a trap. I’m being extremely honest about what I want.” And he wanted Ashley more than anything. It didn’t make sense. She wasn’t like the other women in his life. She was untamed and inexperienced. Trouble. An inconvenience.

He should cut her loose. After all, he was lying about what he was willing to offer in exchange. He wasn’t letting her back on that island. He wasn’t going to break a promise just so he could please this spoiled little princess. But he was intrigued to see what her price would be.

“Honest?” she asked, the word exploding from her pink lips. “How can you say that when you introduced yourself under a different name with the intent of seducing the island from me?”

He rose from his seat and approached her. This time she was too angry to be cautious. She didn’t catch the scent of danger. Her brown eyes glittered and she thrust out her chin.

Sebastian wondered why she attempted to hide behind the shapeless white dress. Her beauty was too bold, her personality too brash, to be restrained. His palms itched to pull her hair free and watch it tumble past her shoulders. He wanted to smear the pale makeup from her face and reveal the island girl he knew.

“You’re the one who isn’t being honest,” Sebastian said as he stood before her, noticing how her chest rose and fell with agitation. “You knew what Casillas was really after and you didn’t disabuse him of that idea because you needed the money.”

“I tried the banks but—”

“Casillas makes your skin crawl. Don’t you think he knew that? Did you realize that made you even more desirable to him?” Sebastian asked. “You tried to play the game and got in too deep.”

Ashley raised an eyebrow. “Did you consider that I fell into bed with you because I wanted to get rid of my virginity? That I needed to so I could escape Raymond?”

Sebastian jerked his head back. He had not considered that. The possibility ate away at him like acid. He was not going to be used by a pampered princess.

Sebastian gripped her chin with his fingers and held her still. He felt the fight beneath her smooth, silky skin. “Did you?” he asked in a low, angry tone that would send his employees scurrying for safety.

Her eyes gleamed with reckless defiance. “Not so sure anymore, are you?”

He watched her closely as the unfamiliar emotions squeezed his chest. With her natural beauty and independent spirit, Ashley Jones could have had any man. He didn’t know why she’d waited for her first sexual experience, but if she needed to get rid of her virginity, she would have picked an uncomplicated man whom she could control.

He stroked the pad of his thumb against her chin as he held his fiery emotions in check. “I think you slept with me because you couldn’t help it,” he said in a husky voice. She wanted him even though it meant yielding. Surrendering. “Casillas had nothing to do with it. You forgot all about him when you were with me.”

She tried to slap his hand away. “Dream on.”

He couldn’t help but dream about Ashley and the night they had shared. He remembered every touch and kiss. Every gasp and moan. Ashley hadn’t been faking it. “You want me so much that it scares you. And that’s why you tried to push me away.”

“I pushed you away because I didn’t want to continue the fling,” she argued. “You served your purpose and I was done. I have no interest in playboys.”

He dropped his hand. Served his purpose? He knew she said that to hide the fact that he would always be a significant part in her love life, but she was going to pay for those words. “I’m not a playboy.”

“Ha!” she said bitterly. “You tried to hide it when you were at Inez Key, but I grew up around womanizers. I know what kind of man you are. You would dangle a woman’s home as bait, but we both know you will not give it back.”

Sebastian bit back a smile. Ashley Jones thought very highly of herself. Did she really believe he would give up his treasure for another taste of what they’d shared? “I never said I’d give back your home.”

She went still and frowned. “I don’t understand. You asked me—”

“How much you wanted Inez Key,” he clarified as he stepped closer, inhaling her citrusy scent. “The ownership of the island is not up for grabs. I keep what is mine and I will not let it slip through my fingers.”

Ashley paled and she leaned against the door. “I’ve taken care of the island for years,” she said in a whisper. “I have given it my love, sweat and tears. I’ve sacrificed everything for it.”

“Why?” There was nothing remarkable about the island. It had no natural resources or historical significance. It was in an undesirable location and he had been the only prospective buyer interested in the island.

“Why?” she repeated dully. “It’s my home.”

Sebastian saw the guarded look in her eyes and knew she wasn’t giving the whole answer. He also knew she wouldn’t share it with him. She’d learned her lesson and didn’t trust him anymore.

There had been moments during that weekend when Ashley had been unguarded and spontaneous. Now she was wary. He ignored the surprising pang of regret. It was time she learned how the real world worked and he had given her a very valuable lesson. “Your attachment to Inez Key doesn’t make any sense.”

“What about you?” she countered. “Not that many people would go to such lengths to steal someone’s home.”

“I didn’t steal it,” he said with a hint of impatience. “You couldn’t pay back the loan so the island is now mine.”

“What are your plans for it?” she asked as if it hurt to think of the changes he was going to make. “I can’t imagine you want to live there. I’m sure you have many homes. Inez Key is practically roughing it in comparison.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said as he reached for the door. It was time to force her into making a decision. “Inez Key is now my concern.”

Ashley bit her bottom lip as she stared at the open door. The beat of silence stretched until her shoulders slumped. “Cruz.”

“The name is Sebastian,” he reminded her. She had said his name repeatedly during that one night. She’d said it with wonder and excitement. With longing and satisfaction. And tonight it would be the last thing she said before she fell asleep.

* * *

Sebastian. No, she wouldn’t call him that. Sebastian had been a mysterious stranger on the island. His intensity and raw masculinity had unleashed a fierce sexual hunger that she hadn’t known was in her. She would never be the same again.

This arrogant man was calculating and intimidating. He was breathtaking and she couldn’t take her eyes off him. But he was not the fantasy lover she remembered.

Maybe that was the problem. Had she built up that one magical night in her head? Everything had been so new. Almost foreign. She wouldn’t feel overwhelmed from the wild sensations if she had sex with him again. Yet the memory of sharing a bed with Sebastian still made her weak in the knees.

“If you have no intention of giving me back my home,” she asked carefully as her heart pounded against her ribs, “what are you offering?”

“You’ll be the caretaker and stay in the cottage behind the main house.”

She held back the flash of anger. She had been the mistress of the house. She had free rein of the island. Now he was offering the role as caretaker as if it was a gift? “Not good enough.”

He placed his finger against her lips. “Careful, mi vida,” he said softly as his eyes glittered with warning. “I don’t have to let you on the island at all. I don’t have to let anyone who is living there stay.”

She gasped at his thinly veiled threat. “No. This has nothing to do with the other families on the island. They’ve been there for generations.”

“You are going to champion the others?” he mocked. “How adorable.”

She thought of the five families that lived on the small island. They had been there for her during her darkest moments. Since then, she had provided for them and protected them. She wasn’t going to let them down. “Don’t interfere with their lives,” she said. “This is between you and me.”

“Yes, it is,” he drawled as he closed the door. Sebastian rested his hand above her head. He was too close. She felt trapped. Cornered.

It was a struggle to remain still and meet his gaze. “What do you want from me?”

“Two weeks in my bed.”

Her skin went hot and her mouth dropped open. “I wouldn’t stay in your bed for two more minutes, let alone—”

“Make it three,” he said coldly.