Cassandra, forgive me for doing this, but I have no choice. I want Nicole to be raised a Roth.
Their marriage had been a sham almost from the start. She’d loved him, but Liam had wanted only a trophy wife and hadn’t really loved her beyond her looks. He’d showered her with presents, but it had all been about putting her on display.
And then he’d accused her of having an affair with his friend Keith. He’d arrived at their house one day when she’d been home alone. She disliked Keith intensely, but she’d let him come in when he’d said he needed to talk to her. Once inside he’d followed her into the kitchen, where she’d gone to make coffee, and kissed her. Then Liam had come home unexpectedly and no amount of explaining that the kiss had been against her will had changed her husband’s mind. Certainly Keith had played the innocent, even going so far as to say that she’d seduced him months ago and that he’d been trying to end their affair, no doubt covering himself in case his wife was ever to find out.
The day after all this, Liam’s test results had come back with the worst kind of news and she hadn’t the heart to leave him then. In sickness and in health… It had been their first anniversary.
It’s not just for Nicole’s sake. I want my parents to be involved in their granddaughter’s life.
She hadn’t been prepared for his next shock a few months later. Out of the blue he’d wanted to father a child so that a part of him would live on after he’d gone. Weakened from his condition’s aggressive treatment, and no longer feeling attractive as a man, he’d then begged her to have his child by artificial insemination.
Nicole will be of great comfort to them in their grief. And that comforts me.
She’d said an adamant no at first, not wanting to bring a child into the world for the wrong reasons. But he’d known she’d badly wanted a baby when they’d first married, and he’d assured her their child would be well looked after by his family if anything ever happened to her.
Still she’d hesitated.
And in the midst of this her beloved adoptive father had needed full-time care after a stroke, and there was no way her adoptive sister could help financially. Liam—always one to grasp an opportunity—had dangled another carrot in front of her by promising to place Joe in an expensive nursing home and pay all costs if she had his baby.
She’d finally agreed.
I want you to marry Dominic. It’s the only way I can be sure Nicole stays a Roth. He will take care of her.
At Liam’s suggestion, the half-million-dollar-bond for the nursing home had been placed in her account, and Liam’s accountant had been putting a certain amount into her bank account each month, along with her monthly allowance. She’d been happy with that. It suited her to keep an eye on things herself.
Today she’d discovered that all money had been stopped. Now she knew why, God rest Liam’s soul. Had he planned this all along? Or was this something that had occurred to him near the end? She’d probably never know the answer.
If you refuse, then I’ve left a letter with my lawyer to give to Dominic. It contains the truth.
She’d never wanted to get involved with another Roth again, but it seemed her hands were tied. She now had to marry Dominic. Her brother-in-law.
Her soon-to-be husband.
On the surface Dominic Roth was cool and arrogant toward her, but deep down there was a sexual fuse between them waiting to be lit. It had always been there, only she hadn’t let herself think about it previously. She’d been a married woman, and it wasn’t something she’d wanted to acknowledge. Despite Liam’s accusations, she would never be unfaithful to her husband. Not with his brother and not with Keith.
She still didn’t want to acknowledge any sexual desire for a man she disliked. Call her naive, but she wanted to believe that love and lust went hand in hand. With Dominic she knew they wouldn’t. It would be lust, lust and more lust. There would be no love between them.
I forgive you for your affair with Keith; I blame myself for that. And I forgive you for forcing me to pay you to have my baby, darling. I know you didn’t want a child at first and that you did it for me, despite taking the money. And I know the truth, if it all comes out, will hurt you.
She swallowed hard as she looked down at the letter and let the words sink in. The truth? There was no truth in his words, not about the affair and not about Nicole. How could Liam lie like that? He was virtually saying she was an adulterer who’d “sold” her body to have the baby of a dying man. It hadn’t been like that at all. She had wanted a baby, but had hesitated for various reasons. Saying yes hadn’t been about the money. It had not been for herself.
Marry Dominic and raise Nicole together as a family. He’ll be a wonderful father. And she’s a beautiful little girl who deserves to be loved for herself.
If you refuse, Dominic already has my full blessing to fight for custody of Nicole. The letter with my lawyer detailing everything will be used against you in court.
The threat sent chills down her spine. Dominic could easily have the family lawyers paint her in a bad light for custody of Nicole. They’d have no hesitation in twisting things, especially if they dragged Keith into court. She was certain he would perjure himself to protect his marriage.
And after proving her a liar, the lawyers would simply have to point out that her monthly allowance had been increased at the same time her father had been put in the nursing home, not to mention that the five hundred thousand dollars for the bond had been given to her at the same time she’d been artificially inseminated. They’d only have to search her records, going back a few years, to discover that. And then it would “prove” she’d blackmailed her husband.
The letter will be destroyed six months after you marry Dominic. Look on this as my legacy to you all.
She could fight Dominic, of course, but what chance would an adopted kid from a low-income family have at winning against a wealthy, upstanding family like the Roths? Her parents-in-law would dislike her even more once they learned the so-called “truth.” They would want revenge, too.
So marry Dominic she would.
And let him think the worst of her she would.
She didn’t want him to know anything he could use in court against her. An unfaithful wife “paid” to have a baby wasn’t something an unsympathetic judge could choose to look kindly on, no matter the circumstances or what good she’d done with the money.
She wouldn’t risk being labeled an unfit wife and mother.
She would risk nothing where her daughter was concerned.
Two
The wedding ceremony was held in the plush surroundings of Dominic’s office in the city a few days later, in what had to be one of the quickest services on record. Even the hasty ceremony for her and Liam had been longer than this.
She wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. Dominic had juggled his schedule to fit this in, and it somehow seemed appropriate. This wasn’t a love match between them. His fleeting kiss on the side of her mouth sealing their marriage a few minutes ago was testament to that.
Fleeting but potent.
“I’m glad you dressed appropriately for your wedding,” he murmured sardonically as his personal assistant, Janice, hurried the marriage celebrant out the door.
Cassandra casually patted the jeweled hair stick in her French twist. She thought the short satin dress with the chic bolero jacket was a nice touch, especially in black. “I’m a widow, remember?”
“Not any longer.”
She winced inwardly, but wouldn’t let him know it. “Next time I marry, I’ll wear gray then.”
His brows flattened. “There won’t be a next time,” he all but snapped.
She held his gaze, then looked away to where the other witness to their marriage—his brother Adam—was opening a bottle of champagne. Oh, God, she didn’t feel in the least like celebrating being married again. There was absolutely nothing to celebrate in this travesty of a ceremony. It was the reason she hadn’t brought Nicole today or told her
sister, and Dominic hadn’t pressed her about it, either.
Thankfully his parents were still away on their yacht, mourning in seclusion and sparing her their presence today. Everyone had been sworn to secrecy to protect them until their return. Despite their feelings about her—and, dear God, that had been Liam’s doing—she didn’t dislike her parents-in-law. The opposite, in fact.
“Incidentally,” Dominic suddenly rasped in her ear, “you look very beautiful in black.”
A touch of heat rose up her neck as she watched him walk away in a dark business suit that made him look both powerful and sexy. That was the first time he’d ever made a personal comment to her, and it was devastating to know her senses were leaping all over the place. She wished she could deny it, but there had always been this “hint” of something more between them, always possibilities that could never be realized. Until today.
Just then, the champagne cork popped.
“Here we go, Cassandra,” Janice said, coming toward her. “A glass of champagne for the bride.”
Cassandra mustered a smile. “Thank you.”
Janice swung around to encompass the men. “Now that we all have some champagne, I’d like to make a toast.” She held her glass in the air. “To Cassandra and Dominic.”
There was a moment’s hesitation by everyone.
Then Adam raised his glass. “To Cassandra and Dominic,” he said, his face as enigmatic as his brother’s.
Cassandra inclined her head at her brother-in-law. Adam was too young to be a widower, and Cassandra suspected that was why he spent so much time traveling around Australia, going from store to store to make sure things were running smoothly, checking their suppliers to make sure the quality of their luxury goods remained exceptional. She hadn’t really got to know him well, and his wife’s death had happened before she’d married Liam, but he was another one who’d always been slightly aloof with her, though there had never been the sexual awareness between them like there was between her and Dominic.
Yet Adam was like Dominic in many respects. Handsome. Confident. Mature. And with the sex appeal that the Roth sons had brought into the world at the expense of other men.
“Thank you both,” Dominic said, drawing Cassandra from her thoughts. He looked at her and held up his glass. “To us,” he toasted, a challenge in his eyes.
She had the image of him holding up a starting pistol.
Let the games begin.
“To us,” she replied, giving him a cool look that said she would be ready for whatever he threw at her.
As if he’d read her thoughts, his eyes narrowed.
“Cassandra, I guess you’ll have to change your address now,” Janice observed, then looked at her boss. “Or perhaps you’re going to move in with Cassandra and Nicole?”
“No. Cassandra and Nicole will be moving in with me.” Dominic’s clipped tones brooked no discussion.
Two spots of red appeared in Janice’s cheeks, and Cassandra felt sorry for her, but the other woman should be used to her boss by now.
And Cassandra had to admit she was glad about moving out of the town house she’d shared with Liam. Of course moving in with Dominic wasn’t what she wanted, either.
“At least you don’t have to change your surname,” Adam joked, and Cassandra smiled to ease the tension in the room.
“I hadn’t thought of that, Adam,” she said.
Dominic put his glass down on the desk. “We’d better get going,” he stated coldly, and Cassandra had the feeling he wasn’t pleased about her smiling at his brother. Did he think she would seduce Adam? Probably.
He had no need to be concerned about her with Adam, she mused, more concerned at the thought of leaving with Dominic right now and starting their future together.
She didn’t have time to think further. Before she knew it, he had said his goodbyes and was leading her from the room and along the carpeted corridor. She tingled at his touch.
Once in the private elevator, she moved out of reach. “It was hardly worth the trouble of dressing up,” she said to cover her reaction.
His gaze raked boldly over her black dress, from breast to midthigh hem, his look both appreciative and condemning. “You’re lucky I didn’t see what you were wearing beforehand.”
Her heart bumped her ribs. “Why?”
“Let’s say I would have waited while you changed.”
She squared her shoulders. “And if I refused?”
“The ceremony would have been delayed.”
She opened her mouth.
“Let it go, Cassandra. It’s done now. You look beautiful no matter what color you’re dressed in.” A new glint entered his eyes. “And no matter what you wear.”
She was grateful that the elevator stopped then. His BMW and a driver were waiting as they stepped out into the underground car park. Soon they were whizzing out of the city, toward his home at Sandringham, a bayside suburb southeast of Melbourne, renowned for its yacht club and golf course.
“We’ve got a bit of a drive ahead of us,” he said beside her on the backseat just as her heartbeat had slowed. “We do?” Oh, no. “Please tell me we’re not going on a honeymoon, Dominic?” The family had a holiday home in tropical Queensland.
Something flickered at the back of his eyes. “Not exactly. A friend has lent us his bush retreat not far from Lorne on the Great Ocean Road. We’re going there for a week.”
A week with Dominic in a secluded cottage? It was going to be bad enough settling into married life with this man…sharing a bed with this man…but she hadn’t expected they’d have too much time alone together. He had a busy life. And she intended to keep busy, too, wanting something more than being a trophy wife, like she’d been to Liam.
At the thought of being considered nothing but a trophy wife, Cassandra knew she had to stand up for herself—and keep on standing up for herself—until Dominic realized she wouldn’t be pushed around.
“You really should have told me about all this,” she said, sending him an irritated look.
He turned his head toward her. “Why? What good would it have done?”
“I might have had my own plans.”
“Then you would have had to change them.”
Oh, he was so smug.
“Like I’d change my dress? Don’t be too sure, Dominic,” she said coolly, then looked out her side window, intentionally dismissive.
Tension strung between them.
Then his cell phone rang, and he reached into his pocket and answered it. He was still talking on the phone when they turned onto a tree-lined street close to the beach. At the end, behind a pair of high gates that were now automatically opening, they drove through the grounds to a mansion nestled in sun-soaked seclusion.
It was a glorious house, but Cassandra had been in no mood to appreciate it earlier, when his driver had collected her and they’d dropped Nicole off here. And she was in no mood to appreciate it now as the driver halted behind a luxury SUV parked in front of the steps.
As soon as they were out of the car, Dominic dismissed the driver, who then drove off in the BMW just as the housekeeper opened the door, carrying Nicole.
“Congratulations, Mrs. Roth,” Nesta said, coming toward them.
Cassandra’s smile was genuine as she lifted Nicole from her. There had been a kindness in the other woman’s eyes earlier that had made her think they could be on friendly terms. “Thank you, Nesta. Has she been a good girl?”
“Oh, yes. She’s a darling little thing, and I’d be happy to babysit her anytime.” Nesta touched Nicole’s cheek. “I bet she takes after her mother.”
Cassandra laughed. “Only when it comes to luxuriously long baths.” Nicole loved playing in the water at bath time, and she loved to lie back in the bubbles and soak when she had the chance. When she was growing up, there had never been the opportunity to take too long in the bathroom.
As if she agreed with her mother, Nicole babbled something, making them chuckle. She could always rely on her b
eautiful daughter to make her smile, Cassandra mused, stroking her daughter’s blond curls away from her chubby face.
All at once, she caught Dominic’s eye. He was staring back at her, a muscle pulsing in his cheek, his eyes dangerously dark and drawing her into that web of physical awareness between them again. Her throat went dry.
The moment was broken by Nesta. “I’d better let you get on your way,” the middle-aged woman said, oblivious to the undercurrents. “Everything’s ready and in the car, Mr. Roth.”
There was a small pause; then Dominic’s expression became inscrutable again. “Thanks, Nesta,” he said, but he was still looking at Cassandra. “Do you want to change your clothes before we leave?”
She noticed he had taken off his jacket and tie and was looking tantalizingly informal. “No. I’ll wait.” She wasn’t ready to go inside to the bedroom she’d share with him on their return. Right now it seemed too intimate.
His mouth compressed. “It’ll be hours before we get there,” he pointed out. “That’s okay.”
His eyes turned cool. “Suit yourself.” He strode toward the SUV.
His coldness was discouraging, but there was nothing for it except to follow him, but before she could move, Nesta put a hand on her arm.
“Don’t let him leave yet, Mrs. Roth. I’ll just be a jiffy.” The housekeeper hesitated, and thinking the woman had forgotten something, Cassandra nodded that she would wait.
Nesta hurried inside, and Cassandra went to put Nicole in the vehicle. She was mildly surprised Dominic wasn’t using the Porsche she’d seen occasionally at his parents’ place, but this was more a family vehicle and perfect for long trips and children. It looked brand-new and probably was, but at least he’d thought to have an infant’s car seat included.
Evidently that was as far as his thoughtfulness went, she decided as he stood at the open driver’s door, watching her strap Nicole in the rear seat. By the time she’d straightened, Nesta had returned.
High-Society Secret Baby Page 2
