“That’s only two days away. Can we do it that fast?”
“The documents are drawn up and are being delivered to my office today. I called your secretary and ordered the will to be sent also. I hope you don’t mind.”
His dark eyes sparkled in the half light. She felt a warmth spread through her body that had nothing to do with the tea she had drunk. She found it hard to believe that she ever mistrusted him. He was taking care of everything with such efficiency and care, and he was doing it all to help her. She didn’t know why she did it, but she found herself leaning forward and kissing the corner of his mouth.
“Thank you,” she told him, leaning back and using her next move to hide the silence that followed.
She looked up just as his hand reached behind her head and pulled her mouth to his. His lips were warm and soft, moving gently against her mouth. She opened to him and felt him deepen the kiss. He tasted of tea and something that she couldn’t identify. She wanted more. His fingers caressed her neck as he placed last kiss on her swollen lips. He pulled back slightly and rested his forehead against hers, his breath still hot against the sensitive skin of her lips.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice soft and husky. “I shouldn’t have done that. You just looked so...”
The waiter came at that moment with the food they ordered, and they broke apart reluctantly. She couldn’t look at him. She waited for her pulse to stop thundering around her body. She could still taste him on her lips. The temptation to trace them with her tongue, to taste him again, was overwhelming, and she tried to keep her hands from shaking as she ate. She had to say something to break the silence.
“Thank you for arranging this so quickly,” she said finally as she put her fork back on her plate and moved it to one side.
“It’s the least I can do after putting you in such a position. You have enough to worry about.”
He smirked as he pushed his own plate aside and made his next move on the board. “Check.”
Louisa sighed and relaxed again. She had been afraid that he might want to talk about what just happened. She smiled at the cocky grin on his lips. She had the impression he knew exactly what she was thinking.
“Drat,” he muttered, as she took his queen. He leant over and rested his elbows on his knees, a look of concentration now replacing the grin.
“Dominic, can I ask you something?”
“Mmm,” he mumbled still studying the board.
“When I left all those years ago, why didn’t you call me?”
She hadn’t wanted to ask, but she couldn’t move on with this arrangement knowing that he had just let her go once before, that he hadn’t even tried to get her to come back. She knew it was childish of her. She had been the one to walk out, but he had just let her, not even bothering to call and ask why. She spent so long after their last day together wondering. Her friends tried to take her mind off him. With every blind date Louisa felt more and more that she had lost something. Love sounded so old fashioned, but all she knew was that she felt so calm, so happy in Dominic’s arms. Once she lost that, it had taken her years to convince herself she needed to move on, and she could never forget. Telling herself it wasn’t meant to be helped her get on with her life. Now here he was again, like a ghost, and she couldn’t help but feel betrayed. The door of the café opened allowing a breeze to blow past her carrying the scent of the street, wet and cold. She had to know. Had he thought about her after that night? Or had he seen her as nothing more than another woman in a long line of conquests?
His gaze shot up to meet hers, his eyebrows raised in what was clearly surprise.
“I did call you. Each time I called, your roommate answered and said she would leave a message for you.”
Louisa frowned. She hadn’t received any messages. She asked her roommate Cassie many times over the first few weeks if anyone called for her.
She clicked her tongue against her teeth as she thought. “I didn’t get any messages.”
“Does it matter now?” he asked, taking her knight.
“I guess not.” She knew she needed to forget their past, but it was hard when it was such a big part of her life. Their affair had lasted only a few days. That short time affected her more than any other relationship she had since then. Still, she would like to know why Cassie hadn’t passed on the messages.
“I came to see you, too.”
Louisa nearly knocked over the piece she was moving. “When?” she asked desperately.
“About a month after you left. I was afraid something had happened to you because you weren’t taking my calls. I only got as far as your dorm before I saw you with another man and left.”
She could hear the hurt in his voice even though he tried to hide it.
“I didn’t date for two years after I left.”
He looked up at her, and their eyes met. She wondered how she could have been so stupid. She had loved him, maybe still did, and she had been too stubborn to call him and find out why he hadn’t contacted her. Being young and scared was no excuse for her idiotic behaviour. She wasted years that they could have spent together. He reached up and brushed her cheek with his hand, brushing away the single tear that she hadn’t known was there. She forced herself to smile and shook her head.
“Checkmate,” she said, moving her bishop into position.
Dominic looked taken aback as he stared at the board. She had never beaten him before. He finally smiled at her.
“Well aren’t you a clever girl.” He picked up her hand and kissed her fingers. “I want to show you something. Will you come with me?” he asked.
She let herself be led to the back of the café where there was a lift tucked into one corner. They rode up in silence, Louisa savouring her small hand in his large warm one. The small space allowed his personal scent to reach her nose, lavender and deep musk. Some women might think lavender was an odd choice for soap on a man, but Louisa knew it had been his mother’s favourite. Now the aroma came to her as a blanket on a cold day. It made her feel safe, protected. It was his own scent, which no other man could copy. They reached the 47th floor and stepped out into a large open plan foyer with a set of double doors opening into the office space. Dominic led her through into the room.
“It was being used to store files.” He showed her two remaining piles of boxes in the corner.
She found it hard to believe that such a beautiful space could be used as a storeroom. Windows wrapped around three walls of the room, which must have once been two rooms as some of the original wall still stood as pillars to support the ceiling. She made her way to the windows and looked out at a view worth millions, a perfect outlook over central park and the New York skyline. It was breathtaking in the afternoon sun and would be even more magnificent at night.
“I bought it from the building owner several years ago but haven’t found a use for it yet,” Dominic said coming to stand with her. “I had thought to transfer my own offices here, but the space is too small to house both my own and Cole’s staff.”
Louisa knew that the McKillip family owned two floors of their building downtown. Dominic’s office was on the top floor, and Cole’s was on the one below. Dominic had given up part of his own space shortly after his father’s death so that Cole could move his office in and they could help each other.
“I thought that I could lease it to you for a reduced cost until you build your client list back up.”
Louisa turned to him in shock. Why would he do that? He was a business man through and through. He had shown her that her whole life, in all of his dealings. He bankrupted several other companies just so that he could have the minority dealings in his own company. Louisa didn’t understand why he would now offer her a space that she knew she couldn’t have afforded even if she had several million dollar accounts to her name. Dominic’s company would lose money for every month that she was here. There had to be something he wasn’t telling her.
“I couldn’t do that,” she said shaking her head s
lowly. She searched his face for any sign that might give away why he would do such a thing.
“Why not?” he asked. His face was set, his lips pressed together and his eyes focused on hers. He knew that she would argue the point, and she knew he would have an argument for every opposition she could think of.
“I can’t afford the rent, and for you to charge me what you are suggesting will cost you thousands to support the excess.”
“You aren’t thinking in business terms, Louisa.” His face didn’t change, but something in his posture shifted and Louisa knew he would win the argument, and worse, he knew he would win. If another lawyer made the same move in court she would have called for a recess to find out what made him so sure he of himself.
“It already cost my company to have our lawyer in another state. Courier costs, travel to sign documents, it all adds up. To have you closer will save me money in the long run, and having the space empty costs me more than having cut cost renters in it.”
Louisa opened her mouth to argue, but Dominic held up a hand to stop her. “You know it makes sense, Louisa, and you wouldn’t have argued a few days ago before our arrangement.”
Louisa wanted to deny it, but she knew he was right. It wasn’t the cost that was eating her. It was the thought that she was accepting charity. She worked hard to pay back the cost of her studies and refused to take any more loans to support herself. She was self-sufficient, and that was the way she intended to remain. She gave one last pleading look before resigning herself to his proposition, again.
“I’ll call the office when we get home,” she said.
“I have already made the arrangements, so your things are being sent as we speak.”
Louisa didn’t try to hide her shock this time. He had known she would accept, had gone behind her back to arrange it before he even brought up the idea. She was furious with him. He would have done it even if she said no. She didn’t even have the control to argue with him. turning she strode back to the elevator and jammed the close door button before he could follow her. She had the image of him standing by the windows, and she was glad to see his resolve was broken, with a look of pure surprise on his handsome face.
Chapter Six
Cole was home when Dominic finally arrived back at his apartment. He had offered the space to Louisa, and she accepted as he knew she would. She was a stubborn woman, prideful, but she couldn’t deny the logic behind his offer. What he hadn’t expected was her sudden change of mood when he told her he already arranged for her things to be moved.
“What did you do?”
His brother strode up to him. Had he not known him well he would have thought the other man would hit him. From a murderous look on his face and set of his large muscled body, Dominic could tell the man had a severe beating in his plans.
He removed his coat and tried to pacify his brother before he started with a speech. “I don’t know what I did, and in any case it’s none of your business.”,
“Well she came back about an hour ago and stormed straight into your room. Did you two have a fight?”
Dominic really wasn’t in the mood to discuss it with Cole, but as his brother was blocking the hall way he didn’t see he had a choice so explained what happened.
“You really are an idiot, aren’t you?” Cole said, shaking his head and allowing Dominic to pass.
He headed straight for Louisa’s room and knocked on the door. There was no answer, and as she currently had the only key he had no way of getting in. Cole watched him as Dominic went to sit on the leather sofa and flipped on the plasma.
“She abandoned your bed for the spare room, hey? Looks like you’re sleeping alone tonight, little brother.”
It took a moment for Dominic to work out what he was talking about. Of course, they were supposedly sharing a room. He was glad Cole formed his own conclusions, or he may have just blown the whole arrangement.
“I’m ordering Chinese.”
Dominic was angrily flipping channels too fast for him to actually see what was on, but it kept his hands busy whilst he thought.
“Hey, what do you want?” Cole asked.
From his tone it was not the first time he had asked the question.
“Want? From who?” Dominic asked distractedly. Surely he wasn’t asking what he wanted from Louisa. He wanted everything from her. She made him feel more alive than he had felt in years. He had women to warm his bed, but Louisa was different. She was witty and self-assured. She didn’t look at him as money. She had the whole package, looks, body and brains and a killer sense of business. Just the thought of her soft skin against his body made him yearn for her. He imagined what she would say if he walked up and ripped her sensible sweater right off her body. Would she gasp and let him, or would she slap him and storm from the room? Both options made him smile in longing for the fiery woman.
“What do you want for dinner?”
Oh. Dominic caught on to what his brother was talking about. “The usual, and some honey chicken for Louisa. It’s her favourite.”
Cole left to place the order with a huff. The man enjoyed meddling, and Dominic was sure he wouldn’t let the subject drop without further argument. He wouldn’t put it past the other man to go and see Louisa himself, just so that he could get them back together faster. He sighed and put the remote down, scrubbing his face with his hands whilst he thought. There was no reason for Louisa to be cross with him, but on the other hand Cole seemed to think that he was in the wrong. He prided himself on being a smart man, but where women were involved he was ashamed to say he often got it wrong. Before he could make it up to her, he had to work out what exactly he had done wrong.
She hadn’t seemed too put out when he offered her the space, and he knew that she liked the office. She had lit up with excitement. Her eyes had sparkled as she gazed out the window in wonder at the life he could offer her. So no, it couldn’t have been the space. He tried to think back to what had happened after that, but nothing jumped out at him as glaringly wrong. He finally gave up and picked up the remote again, settling on a game. He didn’t know who was playing, and he didn’t really care.
****
Louisa typed quickly on Dominic’s laptop. She didn’t care if he was angry with her for borrowing it. She needed to work off her frustration. If she still had a company in a month she needed to continue her research and maintenance. She prided herself on being up to date in all of the latest laws and amendments. It helped her clients, whoever she had left, and kept her busy on the nights she couldn’t sleep. This was one of those nights. Milo rolled over her bed covers, chasing her fingers as she ran them along the rumples in the cover. A smile touched her lips. She found it hard to be angry when she looked at the little kitten, not a care in the world, content to simply chase fingers for enjoyment. If only she could let go enough to be so carefree. This was the life she chose, the life she had built for herself, and it would take her more than a day to let that all go. She knew that Dominic hadn’t meant harm in his gesture, and it only made Louisa feel worse to know that he probably didn’t even know why she was angry with him.
“Are you angry with me, too?” she asked Milo, picking him up so that she could kiss his little nose. His mouth opened, and he uttered a small mew in agreement before trying to suck on one of her fingers. Fetching his milk she fed the little tiger. He really was quite a good distraction Louisa thought as she allowed the milk to drop into his mouth. As amusing as her new friend was she needed someone to talk to who could talk back. She dialled Sophie’s number, praying the other woman was home. She answered on the third ring and listened patiently as Louisa explained what had happened.
Sophie sighed. “My dear, what did you expect? Dominic means well. You already know that. He thought he was helping you. He just doesn’t realise that you are too smart to need his help.”
Louisa thought on that. Had he not already helped her? He offered marriage just to save her company, and if that wasn’t help she didn’t know what was.
“Yes, I know all of this, Sophie. It isn’t that I’m not grateful. It’s more that he’s so arrogant that he knew he would get his way. How do you live with that?”
She could hear the smile in Sophie’s voice as she replied.
“You get used to it. You’ll have to I’m afraid if you are to be married.”
Her words rang true in Louisa’s mind. Of course Sophie didn’t know that she would be free of him, and he of her, in a few months.
“Louisa, is this all that’s bothering you?”
Louisa laughed quietly to herself. Of course Sophie knew that she wouldn’t have called for such a small problem.
“It’s just everything I guess. My business is failing, my love life is failing, and my control is failing. Everything that I know has changed, and I don’t know how to pull it back together.”
“I think your love life is fine as far as I can see. After all, any couple has their ups and downs. Has it occurred to you that it doesn’t need controlling? Sometimes it can save your sanity to let someone else in once in a while. What’s that thumping noise?” Sophie asked.
Louisa cursed under her breath at her slip-up. Of course as far as Sophie could see Louisa was a woman about to be married to her long lost love. She quickly answered her question to move the conversation safely away from her mistake.
“Oh, I’m just playing with Milo.”
“Milo?”
“Cole gave me a kitten.”
There was silence on the line for a moment. “Of course he did.”
There was a knock at the door, and Cole yelled through that dinner was here. Louisa said goodbye to Sophie and promised to call back soon.
After dinner, she sat and pretended to be interested in whatever game was on the TV. Cole had excused himself to take a phone call after enticing her from her room with dinner, leaving her alone with Dominic. She felt he was as tense as she was and couldn’t understand why. It was she who had a reason to be angry, not him. Annoyingly he smelt amazing. His hair was wet from washing. She had heard the shower running from her room earlier. He was dressed casually in a white shirt and his usual black business trousers but went barefoot. He looked almost casual. His eyes flicked to look at her but darted away again when he noticed her watching him.
The Millionaire's Convenient Bride Page 7
