She tried to relax into the chair. Her skirt rode up slightly as she leant back and slid down the leather. She made to pull it back down but noticed Dominic’s eyes on her again. Was it her imagination, or had his breathing picked up? His body angled towards her, and suddenly she felt a warmth spreading up from below her stomach. She must have made a noise because Dominic gave her a small half smile that made her breath catch for the smallest second. Her traitor body turned towards him like a magnet, and he responded by running his fingers up the top of her leg, his skin barely touching yet just enough to raise goose-bumps across her flesh.
She sat back up, pulling her legs away from his wandering hands. He looked taken aback but quickly regained his composure. She cursed herself for being such a fool and allowing herself to get into this situation when all she wanted to do at that moment was curse his controlling name. Even as she thought it, she knew it was exactly that that drew her to him. With him she wouldn’t have to worry about how to make her next mortgage payment, or if she would have someone to talk to who would understand her troubles at work. Dominic always listened to her even if he didn’t understand her. Was that all that she wanted though,
for someone to be there for her? What about her being able to support him? What could she offer that he didn’t already have? She thought back to what Sophie said, to let someone else shoulder some of her troubles.
“You’re frowning.”
She hadn’t realised he was still watching her. She made an effort to stop thinking about such hard questions. Their wedding was fake. She didn’t need to love him; she just needed him to sign those papers. She immediately hated herself for thinking that it was all he was good for. She had dated rich men. Some wanted to marry her, but she turned them away. So why was she so willing to marry this man?
“Are you okay?” he asked again.
It was there, in the way his eyes sought hers when he talked to her. How he really meant it when he asked how she was and actually waited to hear the answer.
“Just stressed.”
“Are you still mad at me?” His mouth twitched up on one side, but his eyes were questioning, probing her like he wanted to pluck the answer straight from her mind. Louisa shook her head. He always thought it was funny when she got cross at him. It seemed ten years wasn’t long enough for that to change.
“Yes.” She turned and pretended to watch the TV. She could see him from the corner of her eye. He raised his hand and pushed her hair back off her face. She revelled in the warmth of his touch and felt herself lean into him again.
“I can’t understand that. I know why I’m here with you.”
“Why?” she asked him.
“Because you are the only person who challenges me. The only one who I can be myself around. I like fighting with you.” His face broke into the smile of a man who looked at the woman he loved, full of heat and passion and yearning.
“Dominic, I—” She wasn’t sure what she had meant to say, but she was abruptly cut off by his mouth pressed hard against hers in such urgency that she felt her whole body come alive. He broke away and paused for a moment, his gaze sending a passion into her that she hadn’t felt in years. His lips pressed hard against hers again, and she teased his mouth open with her tongue and deepened the kiss. His force stirred her body to yearn for his touch. She reached out and pulled him to her with a hand on his broad shoulders. His body pressed against hers, his spicy scent mixing with the taste of his mouth against hers. She breathed it in, savouring its effect on her body. She had no thoughts of the events of the last few days. She was back to when they were younger. The passion they shared was greater than any she ever experienced, and years apart had done nothing to dull their intensity for each other.
He shifted his weight so that he pressed her back, his body over hers as they lay back on the cool leather. She could feel his excitement against her leg and pressed back against it. He groaned against her neck and moved his hand up her body under her sweater. She shuddered at his touch as he glided his hand up to brush the soft skin under her breast. A shiver passed through her, met by his ragged breathing.
A sudden noise in the hall brought her back to her surroundings, and she looked up at the man above her.
“Cole could come back.”
“You’re right. Let’s go to my room.” He lifted her from the lounge and carried her, half running to his room. She couldn’t help a small giggle escape her lips at his eagerness.
Once on the bed she shifted back as he stripped his shirt off. She watched as he slid the fabric from his shoulders. She crawled forwards on her knees to run her hand along the soft fur on his chest. Leaning in, she ran her teeth along one of his nipples. He sighed, a deep sound in his chest. He grasped the tops of her arms and drew her away slightly. She pouted at him, and he laughed.
“I feel that you are wearing entirely too much clothing, my dear.” He released his hold on her arms and slid them down to the front of her top. He ripped the cloth over head as she had longed for him to do for the last week. He ran his hands freely over her belly as he pushed it back so that he could take in her lush body.
He bent over her and ran his lips, softly this time, over her mouth. She breathed in the scent of his breath and closed her eyes. His chest was warm against the exposed flesh of her body as he slid her shirt off and discarded it. His hands slid lower to the zipper at the hollow of her back. As he unzipped her she reached between them and slid her hands inside the waist of his trousers. He sighed and pressed against her. Finally when they were both free of their clothes he placed a hand under her and lifted her easily, carrying her to the middle of the bed, their bodies still pressed together, their lips close enough that Louisa could feel his breath against her swollen lips. He pressed himself against her. She slid her hand lower to guide him in, but he pulled back.
“Wait, you aren’t ready. I don’t want to hurt you.” He groaned as she pumped him slowly with her hand before guiding it to her opening.
“I’m more than ready. I need you now,” she said huskily.
He growled deep in his chest as he moved deeper inside of her. She was glad that her memory of his size hadn’t been warped with time either. He filled her completely but not so much that she was uncomfortable. He started moving with slow long thrusts. She could tell by the way his body shook against hers that he was holding back. She pushed against him faster. He grinned down at her with a fire in his eyes. His hands moved up to gently flick her nipples, making her back arch off the bed. He teased her by moving slower even as she moaned to go faster. Finally he pulled her up so that they were sitting facing each other and begun to thrust harder, his lips on her neck, his fingers between them working her hard button sending waves of pleasure through her. She threw her head back as she felt the rush of pleasure spread through her, clouding her vision as she climaxed harder than she had in years. He held her hard to his chest as he filled her, and panting they fell back onto the bed. Louisa turned until she could rest her chin on his body and work her fingers into the hair on his chest.
“Well, what were we fighting about again?” she said tauntingly.
“Don’t know, don’t care.”
The huskiness to his voice made her squirm as his arm wrapped around her waist, and he pulled her on top of him as he sat up on against the pillows.
“That’s not a good argument,” she said running a hand along the back of his shoulders.
“You do like to argue, don’t you?” It might have sounded like a scolding, but the glint in his eyes told her that he was enjoying himself.
“Only when I have someone to fight back.”
“Well, let’s get some of that fighting spirit out of you.” He swung his legs over the bed and effortlessly pulled her over his shoulder before marching into the bathroom. He turned all of the taps in the shower on and as the water hit them slid her down his body until she was straddling his hips. He stepped back so that her back was against the wall, and he held her there.
As
the hot water fell down their bodies they made love again, and Louisa reflected that she had imagined this scene so many times last night and only hours ago, yet the real thing was so much better than she had imagined. He used enough force to make the fire inside her burn yet was tender enough that she felt cherished and fragile. His hands were her tormenters, stroking and pulling away at just the right moments. She climaxed another three times that night. Each time he worked to pleasure her until she grew so hot with passion that she forgot herself and her worries. Finally they slept, his arm draped over her waist, her head nestled into his shoulder where she could hear his heart beating and his smell filled her dreams.
Chapter Seven
Cole was nowhere to be seen the next morning, and Dominic and Louisa both feigned excitement to see Amanda sitting patiently on the lounge. Fortunately, they had showered together early that morning so were both dressed and presentable. From the look of the dining table Amanda had been going over suit magazines. There was a large and ominous looking bag at her feet in which a large white board stuck out the top.
“Amanda? I’m Dominic McKillip.” Dominic took her hand and shook it looking the heart of a business man. Amanda smiled at him and winked at Louisa. She felt a twinge of pride mixed with jealously. Casting the feeling aside, she excused herself. She needed to call the office and make proper arrangements for their move to New York. Louisa had decided last night that Dominic hadn’t meant to be so controlling in organising her move. She still hadn’t completely forgiven him for being an overpowering brute, but he was quickly softening her mood.
The phone was dark, and Louisa realised that at some point it had been turned off in her bag. She powered it back up. There were three missed calls and a voice message from Margaret. Louisa knew this was not good news and hastily rang her office.
“Louisa Callum’s office.”
“Margaret, it’s Louisa. Is everything okay?”
“Oh, um, not really.”
Louisa could tell that she was nervous and choosing her words carefully.
“We have had another client leave. Not a big one, but I did some research into all of the companies that have left because I thought it was odd for them to leave at the same time.”
Louisa waited. It felt as if all of the blood in her body had just left, leaving her feeling light-headed yet heavy. “Did you find anything?”
“Well, yes.” Margaret paused again. “Do you remember your roommate from college, the lawyer you went to court with a few weeks ago?”
“Cassandra Giles?”
“Yes, that’s her. It appears she is, um, blackening your name, I guess you could say. Both companies which have left your firm have received emails ‘anonymously’ saying that the McKillip family was paying you to lie and change legal documents for them and for those they didn’t like.”
Louisa sat down on the floor in the hall way and tried to digest what Margaret was telling her. Why would Cassie do this? They had been friends in school.
“Are you sure it was Cassie?”
“I had a friend trace the emails back to her firm. I’m friends with her assistant from a while back, and she told me the whole story. She didn’t approve of her boss’s tactics, but she had been told to send the emails and didn’t want to lose her job. She asked that we not tell anyone that she told us.”
“Of course. It’s okay, Margaret.”
“Is there anything I can do?” she asked.
Louisa needed time to gather her thoughts, time she knew that she didn’t have. She stood up and tried to think of this as if it weren’t her own firm that was being targeted. As a business, she would tell anyone that it was best to abandon a sinking ship before they lost everything. She could help her clients find other representation and finish up those cases she was already working on. Her staff would all need to find other positions. She would write them references and contact other firms on their behalf. Even as she thought it, she knew she could never go through with it. As she was always being reminded, she was too stubborn for her own good. She still had some clients. She could cut down on costs, take the subway to work, pack her lunches, take a salary cut. Anything that would help save a dollar would have to be done. She considered just asking Dominic to front her the money until she could build her client list back up, but cast the idea away. He was doing enough as it was. He was providing her with the means to save her company, and all she had to do was let him.
If what Margaret had found was true though she may have bigger problems. If her name was being blackened she may not be able to hold onto the clients she had left. A few were close enough to Louisa to not believe a word of the emails, but some would think of their own good names and what being associated with her would mean for them. Any new clients wouldn’t want to hire a firm that may not be around for much longer. Louisa considered all of this in a heartbeat. She knew what had to be done.
“I need you to send an email to all of our clients. Tell them that recently we have become aware of information that is being circulated about the company. They are to disregard all emails and phone calls pending a formal investigation. Did you get all of that?” she asked, thinking what else she had to do.
“Yes, I will send it before we leave.”
“Leave?”
“Yes the moving men are almost finished with all of your things. They are getting ready to do my desk, but I will ask them to wait until I have finished with this.”
Louisa thanked her and went to find Dominic.
“Louisa, are you okay?” He strode towards her and cupped her face in his hands. She knew he could see that she was shaken, but she didn’t have time to let him soothe her.
“I need to talk with you, right now.”
“Of course.” Dominic guided her to the kitchen where they could close the connecting door. As soon as the door closed he kissed her softly then held her. Louisa let him. She needed his help, but she also knew that she was in no state to think clearly. Dominic’s arms and soothing words helped to calm her nerves. Once she felt she was calm enough to speak she explained the situation to him. He listened patiently with only one interruption when she mentioned Cassie.
“Louisa, I think that may be my fault,” he said when she finished.
“How can it be your fault you never even met her?”
“Actually we had a brief relationship right after you and I broke up.” He was watching her for her reaction, but she could also see he was keeping something back.
“You.” Louisa couldn’t understand what she was hearing. She swallowed and tried to pull away from his comforting arms. “You slept with her? When?”
“The day I went to find you. I went to your room after I saw you with the other man intending on, well I don’t know. But she was there, and all I wanted to do was forget you, forget the feelings that you gave me.”
Louisa wasn’t sure what to do. Her self-control was at its last lengths with all that had happened, and now this?
“How long were you with her?” she asked quietly. She didn’t know why she asked. She didn’t want to know any of this.
“Just once. I realised it was a mistake and left before you got back.” He was watching her with an odd expression on his face.
“So you just slept with the first woman you saw,” Louisa said, growing angry at his stupidity.
“It wasn’t like that. We had met before, at one of the charity balls. Louisa, please look at me.” He tried to turn her face up to meet his, but she pulled away.
“I can’t. I—can we just forget about that for now?” she asked. Her heart couldn’t take any more. If she was going to get through this she had to close off all feelings. She knew that it had been a long time ago. If she held on to it she wouldn’t be strong enough to deal with her current problems. She realised that was probably the reason she hadn’t been told about his messages all of those years ago. Cassie had a lot to answer for it seemed.
“What can I do about this, my firm I mean?” She asked, trying to focus. He r
eached for again, but she shrugged him off.
“There is something I need to take care of. I might be gone for several days. I will be back as soon as I can.”
“What? But what am I going to do? Not to mention you have had my whole office moved here to New York, but I have nowhere to live.” Louisa was starting to get worked up again thinking of everything that was going wrong with her life. She never cried, and worse, she hated showing weakness in front of Dominic. Her body couldn’t feel his touch anymore. She was numb to everything. It was too much for her. She just needed to get away from everything, to clear her head.
“Louisa.” He kissed her sweetly. “I will help you fix this,” he said kissing her again. Louisa let him. She hadn’t energy to stop him. “But if I am to help I must check something first. You will have to trust me.” His words hung heavily between them. Could she trust his word? She had no reason not to and had little time to fix the damage to her firm, but he seemed so sure that everything would be okay.
“Okay, I trust you,” she said finally, trying to push the image of him and Cassie together out of her mind. But he was here now, with her, and she did love him, she realised. He smiled in a way that melted her heart and left without even taking the time to pack.
Louisa sat a while longer on the kitchen bench thinking. She needed to get a hold on the situation before she lost too many clients. Dominic had said he would handle it, but she didn’t know what that meant. Did he intend to speak to Cassie, or did he mean to investigate what had been happening to her clients? She didn’t know if he could help at all. He was a good businessman, but the firm might be beyond saving with two large clients gone and maybe more to follow.
“Louisa?”
The Millionaire's Convenient Bride Page 8
