A Deal with Benefits Read Free Page A

severe suit and a stern mouth. Her gaze traveled from his short black hair to his large brown eyes and the hard thrust of his chin. He was attractive but forbidding. Menacing.
    Sebastian’s raw power was barely concealed underneath the tailored lines of his black suit. His lean and muscular build hinted that he was sleek, swift and that he moved with stealth. This man could fight hard and dirty.
    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,”