Chapter 8 Cinderella (Cael's Pov)

• Cael woke up instantly, coming alert the moment his brain woke.
• He was acutely aware of his surroundings and knew without opening his eyes that he was alone in the car.
• The woman had vanished.
• He sat up and scanned the beach, hoping to catch a glimpse of her escaping but she was nowhere to be seen.
• How she managed to get out of the car without rousing him was a mystery to him.
• What was she, a nymph? That would explain the uncharacteristic effect she had on him.
• She'd done nothing less than bewitching him without even lifting a finger.
• He never slept so deeply that he became unaware of his surroundings.
• She would have moved around, maybe gotten dressed, opened the door and left and he hadn't felt anything?
• It just went to show how much of an effect she had on him.
• With her in his arms, he'd slept like a baby. He couldn't remember sleeping that deeply in a very long time.
• And that had cost him. She was gone, vanished into thin hair. He ran a hand through his hair.
• He did that whenever he was irritated. He was irritated now. He'd let her get away from him.
• And, he was almost completely naked in his car on a beach. Thankfully, there was no one on the beach yet to see him except the guy who came in to clean.
• But he was still a good distance from Cael so he had time to get dressed before he got close enough to see.
• Cael hurriedly ransacked the car for his clothes which had been flung in different directions in the heat of the moment.
• He found his shirt in the front seat where their tryst had begun and pulled it on, buttoning it up in record time.
• He found one sock draped over the steering wheel while the other was on the backseat under his butt. He pulled them on.
• One leg of his shoes peeked out from under the seat at his feet. He found the other leg on the passenger seat.
• How did it even get there? It had been a wild night. What else? His pants. Where were his darn pants?
• A quick scan of the car didn't turn it up. He sighed. He'd have to check under the chair then.
• He knelt on the seat and peered under the seats. His pants were nowhere in sight but a flash of red caught his eyes.
• He pulled the red fabric out and checked it out. It was a pair of red panties.
• They certainly weren't his so they must belong to his Cinderella. He quite liked this choice of panties instead of a glass slipper.
• But he didn't have the time to think about that now. He needed to recover his pants.
• Since it wasn't in the car, there was only one other option.
• He looked outside the car. Sure enough, his pants on the ground outside. Wild night, indeed.
• With a sigh, Cael opened the car door and stepped out in nothing but his shirt, briefs and socks.
• The beach keeper gaped at him. Cael gave him a cool nod and picked up his trousers, pulled them on and got back into the car.
• He headed straight home. He needed a shower first before he could think.
• After the shower, Cael sat at his study table, his chin resting on his steepled fingers.
• The red thong sat on the table in front of him, wilting under the intensity of his frown.
• There was no explanation for his behaviour the night before.
• Never had a woman affected him so strongly and never had he let himself behave so rashly because of a woman.
• Heck, he hadn't even thought to take her to a nice hotel or even bring her home.
• Instead, he took her to the beach. The beach! And had sex with her in a car.
• No wonder she ran away the first chance she got.
• She probably thought he saw her a slut but he wouldn't even sleep with a slut in his car.
• Cael prided himself on treating his women well, whether their tryst was a one-day thing, a few months or even years.
• No woman who'd been with him would have any reason to complain.
• But this was a woman he'd felt something different for, and he'd treated her that way.
• She wouldn't know it but he'd made that mistake because of how she affected him. She'd blindsided him.
• She was gone without a trace. She hadn't given away any information that he could trace her with.
• She'd never even told him her name. But she didn't know him. If she did, she wouldn't even bother running.
• She couldn't escape him. He was determined to have her, and have her he shall.
• Cael never let go of things that caught his fancy. It was the reason why he did so well running the family business. In five years, he'd tripled their net worth.
• He was like a bulldog. When he sunk his teeth into something, he never let it go.
• Just recently, he was called a tenacious son of a b*tch. He smiled. It was a merciless smile.
• He was about to turn the force of his will on her. There was no escape.
• Something caught his eye on the side of the thong. He picked it up and turned it over.
• It was a loose thread; a loose thread from a set of initials stitched into the fabric. M.W, it read. His smile widened.
• Oh, she'd made a big mistake. She should have never left him anything to find her with. Anything!
• It was like waving a scented handkerchief in front of a wolf. He would chase her down to the ends of the world.
• He was like a shark with a scent of blood. Sure, he would have found her eventually. But now, it would happen faster.
• M.W...he mushed. What did that stand for? Mariah? Mary? Matha? May? No worries. Soon, he'd know for sure.
• "Hello there, M.W. Brace yourself," he whispered, "I'm coming for you."
• He crushed it in his fist and reached for his phone. He dialled a number. The person on the other end picked up after the first ring.
• "Matt, I need you to look into someone for me," he said briskly.