She was just using him. Trying to distract him.
Wasn’t she?
Dominic’s strong arms held her so tight they almost squeezed the breath from her lungs. They felt so good wrapped around her, so safe. She’d been tired and lonely and scared for so long, and sometimes she couldn’t remember what it felt like to feel any other way. She didn’t want him to ever let go.
Even though she wasn’t safe at all.
Strange guttural sounds rose from her throat and mingled with his low, throaty groan as the rhythm rose to a crescendo. Her hands clutched at him, trying to get a grip, to hold on tight.
She was losing it, losing the ability to think or even feel. Then he gathered her in his arms and gave a last hard thrust that pushed her over the ragged edge of reality.
It was a high edge, and she fell and fell and fell, reaching and grasping but finding nothing to grab on to on the way down. She knew the landing would hurt. That she’d fall hard and fast and possibly be bruised, or maybe even crushed beyond repair.
And she was right.
Two hours later Dominic shoved through the revolving doors of Hardcastle Enterprises, irritation and lust still burning on his skin and in his blood.
He was disgusted with himself. He’d taken advantage of a vulnerable woman who knew he had the power to destroy her.
He was disgusted with Bella too. If she’d put up even the slightest hint of resistance he would have stopped. Was she so afraid of him, of his relationship to Tarrant, that she didn’t dare say no?
She’d said no to his kiss in the cab.
Then again, he’d said no to his father’s offer of the company, or any of its juicy component parts. That didn’t mean he didn’t want them. He just didn’t want to owe Tarrant anything.
He marched across the marble lobby toward the bank of elevators. He itched to own that chain of stores he’d lost to his father. He’d had the future of each store plotted out, right down to the inventory and staffing needs, only to see Tarrant sneak them out from under his nose.
He pushed his thumb hard on the button for the executive floor.
Hardcastle Enterprises didn’t seem to have any plans for the stores. Tarrant was just sitting on them like the proverbial dog in the manger. When he was dead, it wouldn’t be too hard to convince his successor to part with them.
When he was dead.
His gut clenched. He didn’t want Tarrant to die.
The odd realization came as the elevator opened onto the executive office floor.
“Dominic!” Samantha spotted him from where she stood chatting with the receptionist. Tarrant’s third wife was younger than he. Her pale blond hair fluttered as she sprang across the carpet and kissed him on the cheek. Only once, thank God.
“Tarrant hasn’t stopped talking about you. They’re going over sales projections for the next quarter. Totally over my head, I’m afraid, but I know he wants you in there.”
Dominic had reluctantly agreed to come to the annual board meeting, and Tarrant was almost tearful with gratitude. His own motivation had been learning insider information about the company that he might exploit to his advantage.
If he felt at all bad about that he just had to recall the memory of his mom cleaning people’s houses after work to make ends meet. Removed guilt pangs like Lava soap on grease.
But now he was late because he’d gotten held up screwing a key executive. An executive whose main goal in life was to screw Tarrant over.
“Something came up,” he muttered.
Her bracelets jingled as she pressed a hand on his arm. “Oh, he won’t mind that you’re late. I know he’s dying to introduce you to everyone.” Her expensive scent assaulted his nose.
“No, I mean I won’t be able to make the meeting. A problem cropped up, I need to get back to work.”
Her carefully made-up face crumpled. “Oh, Dominic. Please do go in, just for a minute.”
He steeled himself against her pleading expression. “I have calls to make.”
She grabbed his arm with a force that got his attention. “Come with me.” She tugged him down the hall and into an empty conference room. He was too startled to resist. That, and her manicure was close to drawing blood.
In the room she let go of him and put her hands on her skinny hips. A stray image of Bella’s glorious full hips crept into his mind and he tried to shove it away.
“Let’s not kid around. I know you’re probably disgusted that your father not only abandoned you and your mother but now he’s married to someone like me. I know I’m young, that people think I’m just a gold digger trying to get rich by marrying a sick man.”
Dominic struggled to keep his expression blank.
“I love your father. I really love him. He’s made a lot of mistakes but he’s a good man.” Her eyes grew moist. Dominic braced himself against the possibility of tears, but she seemed to get herself under control. “Nothing matters more to him than finding a successor, and you are the ideal person to take over Hardcastle Enterprises. With your retail background you already have the skill set and the knowledge required to—”
“So he told me. But from what I hear, I’m not Tarrant’s only bastard child, so I suspect he’ll come up with another heir who fits the bill.”
His blood boiled at the reality that other kids had suffered the same treatment as he and his mother. Let one of them have the company.
“I know it’s an awkward situation. You have every right to feel bitter about how you’ve been treated. Tarrant is the first to admit he was wrong. He knows he only has a short time to live and a lifetime of wrongs to right, but he’s doing his best.”
Dominic scowled. “Wrongs to right? You can’t rewrite the past.”
“He wants to make amends.” She drew in a shaky breath. “He went down to Florida last week to see your mother.”
“What?”
“He signed papers affirming paternity, and paid a full eighteen years of inflation-adjusted child support.”
Dominic realized his mouth was hanging open and he snapped it shut. “Very useful now, when she doesn’t have a child to support.”
“He also offered her a million dollars in company stock, but she wouldn’t take it.”
“I don’t blame her.”
Anger crackled through his muscles. They didn’t need anything from the man who’d pretended they didn’t exist. He could take care of his mom now.
“Tarrant will never know what my mom went through trying to raise me alone.”
“She did a great job.”
Silence hung in the air.
He forced a sarcastic smile. “Gee, thanks.”
“You don’t have to like me.” Her eyes were a fierce blue. “You don’t even have to like Tarrant. He certainly doesn’t expect you to. But please—”
She grabbed his arm again. The pressure of her fingers and her pleading gaze should have annoyed him, but instead they touched something in him.
“Please at least consider Tarrant’s offer. Stay long enough to get to know the company. Hardcastle Enterprises employs thousands of people, who need a strong leader to keep their jobs and livelihoods safe. Go into the board meeting, even if only for a minute. He’s a dying man.” Her voice rose as she pulled out all the stops, one by one.
Dominic got tired of his heartstrings being played like a harp. “Okay.” He could sit through one more meeting to get Tarrant’s wife off his case.
She heaved a sigh of relief and a huge smile spread across her face. “Thanks, Dominic.”
“He should put you in sales.”
She laughed, but she did escort him all the way to the door of the boardroom. Maybe she thought he’d try to make a run for it.
Maybe he would have.
Dominic’s muscles cramped as he sat there surrounded by people who breathed, lived and loved Hardcastle Enterprises. Any of the company men and women at the table would probably have been happy to take over the CEO role, and from what he could tell, most of them would have
been at least competent. But Tarrant wanted him, because of a blood tie he’d once rejected as meaningless.
Dominic shifted in his chair. He wished he thought it was meaningless, but he knew deep down it wasn’t At least not to him.
If he wanted revenge, he could take over the company then defy his father’s wishes by selling it or breaking it up. He could reduce the proud Hardcastle Empire to a handful of dust and memories.
Which, of course, he would never do in a million years. His mom hadn’t raised him that way.
Sometimes a deep sense of honor could be a real pain in the ass.
“And nothing makes me prouder than being able to share our best quarter ever with my son.”
Tarrant’s emotion-laden voice boomed along the walnut table. Dominic snapped out of his trance. Best quarter ever? He really should be listening.
The words my son rang in his ears. He smiled to the polite applause of the gathered Hardcastle executives and the bigwigs from other companies who sat on the board.
Was this some kind of call to arms? A test to see if he could show the family loyalty his deadbeat dad never had.
What would Tarrant do if he knew his “son” was sleeping with the enemy?
Chapter Ten
Dominic agreed to accompany Tarrant to his favorite cigar bar for a celebratory round of drinks after the meeting. When the doors to the elevator opened, he saw Bella inside.
Heat flashed over his skin and made his tie feel tight.
Tarrant ushered him and the other executives into the narrow space. “You’ve met the lovely Bella Andrews, haven’t you, Dominic?”
“Yes.”
Her fitted dress—only slightly the worse for wear from being crushed under their two sweating bodies—still clung to her enticing curves. He could imagine only too well what she’d look like without it.
Now his pants felt tight.
“Bella, my dear, we’re going for a drink, why don’t you join us?”
“I’d love to, but—” She shot a glance at Dominic. He saw her swallow hard. “I have a lot of work to catch up on. I’m just going to get a coffee, then head back to the lab.”
So you can waltz back in after-hours and spend quality time with the files.
Tarrant smiled. “So dedicated. And a body like Marilyn Monroe.”
Dominic glanced at Bella, who stared at Tarrant with her lips pressed together. He cleared his throat. “I believe that’s called sexual harassment, Dad.”
“Oh, everyone around here knows I’m incorrigible.” Tarrant winked. “If I didn’t own the joint I’d have been fired years ago.” The suited executives shared his chuckle. He put his arm around Dominic and marched him out the door on a cloud of testosterone.
Dominic resisted the urge to shake his head. No wonder Tarrant thought he walked on water. No one had the balls to tell him it was Plexiglass.
But why did it suddenly bother him that Bella was cheating his father?
Bella’s hand shook as she added cream to her coffee in the deli.
Dominic’s nod of acknowledgement in the elevator had been so cool. What did she expect? Their torrid lovemaking hadn’t been followed by vows of love, or even affectionate cuddling.
He’d rolled aside and strode off to remove the condom. Came back dressed, his tie done up tight, and a dark, closed expression on his face.
The fun was over. Though fun wasn’t the right word. There had been nothing playful about their lovemaking.
Some of the stinging, urgent desperation still clung to her. She’d been such easy prey. She deserved his scorn.
He’d used her to prove a point. That she’d do anything to keep her secret. No doubt he thought she’d just slept with him to keep him quiet. Shame tightened her muscles, compounded by the pathetic reality that his opportunistic embrace had meant so much to her.
Yes, apparently she was that starved for affection.
She’d better get a grip on herself because Dominic Hardcastle—or whatever name he usually went by—would never love her.
He’d love someone though, with the force and passion evident in the way he did everything. She admired the way he’d stood up to his father in the elevator. If everyone were more honest with Tarrant, maybe he wouldn’t be so insufferable.
Bella tried to tear her thoughts from Dominic. Thinking about the impossible only intensified her loneliness. It was especially hard and strange feeling so alone as bodies pushed and jostled by her on the crowded sidewalk—everyone in a big rush to get home for the weekend.
She was in no hurry to go back to a house full of memories but empty of the people who once brought it to life.
Week by week, the life energy of the place seemed to slip away. Bella fought to keep alive the vision of her mother back in her beloved garden, complaining about tomato hornworms and Japanese beetles, and exclaiming over the size of her David Austin roses.
It would happen. It had to.
And because it had to, she needed to complete her search tonight.
Now that he’d had her, Dominic could tire of her and expose her at any minute. Shame pinched her skin as she realized she had nothing left to bargain with. Such an easy mark.
Just before ten o’clock, she yanked open a drawer she’d checked before. She’d already copied all the obviously important documentation in the drawer, but now an empty hanging folder caught her eye. Had she forgotten to put something back? Or filed it in the wrong place?
Bella peered into the green depths and spotted a small manila envelope.
She plucked it out. On the front of the envelope was the address of Hardcastle Enterprises, and in the return address slot was...
Her parents’ address. Scrawled in her father’s familiar ballpoint chicken scratch.
Heart in her mouth, she fished into the envelope and plucked out several small folded sheets of writing paper.
She opened one up and saw that it was typed on the ridiculous old manual typewriter her father used for his personal correspondence with colleagues all over the world. God forbid there should be a computer record of anything he ever sent anywhere.
Her pulse rattled so fast that she couldn’t concentrate and her hands began to shake, blurring the closely written letters.
Too impatient for the copy machine, she shoved the letters into her briefcase, fastened it shut, and headed for the door.
As the evening wore on, Dominic’s animosity toward his colorful father seemed to get sucked into the vents at El Cubano, along with the expensive cigar smoke. Flamboyant and egocentric as he was, Tarrant Hardcastle did everything with a passion that was infectious.
“I still miss the old cash registers. I loved the sound of the drawer slamming shut and the change jingling. Stirs my blood just thinking about it.” Tarrant lifted his whiskey glass to the light. “Simple pleasures, dear boy, it’s the simple pleasures that count.”
Dominic shifted in his leather armchair. Curiosity pricked him. “Is there anything you want to accomplish that you haven’t done yet?”
“See you take over the helm.” Tarrant shot him a winning smile.
“Apart from that.” Dominic ignored the nagging sensation in his gut. “What about something you wish you’d done differently?”
“Oh...” Tarrant paused for a deep puff on his cigar. Blew out a long stream of smoke. “You mean aside from becoming hooked on these babies? Yes. I’ve been thinking a lot lately. Didn’t do too much of that when I was younger. Thought it was a waste of time.” He contemplated the ash on the end of his cigar. “I was a man of action, and sometimes reaction. I’m ashamed to admit the amount of times I’ve done something out of simple revenge.” He took a slug of his whiskey.
“I like to win. If someone wants something, then I want it more, and damn it, I’ll get it. I thought it was the natural way to do things. Now it seems rather petty and shallow. If I’d grown this business without paying any attention to who I wanted to outsell or outclass, who knows where I’d be today? Don’t ever let malice drive yo
ur bottom line.”
Dominic swallowed. His whiskey glass sweated in his hand, still full. He didn’t want to start drinking and maybe get emotional. Too much at stake.
Tarrant leaned forward. “But I can see you’d never act out of something so petty as revenge.” He patted Dominic’s knee. “Or the first thing you’d have done was tell me where to get off. Either that or agree to take over my stores and laugh all the way to the bank.” Tarrant let out a laugh.
His blue-green eyes twinkled. “Nope. You’re a class act all the way, Dominic. You’re polite to the old man, kind even, but you don’t want a single thing I have to offer.” He shook his head, a smile lifting his thin mouth. “If you weren’t my son I’d wish you were.”
Dominic took a hasty swig of his whiskey. How could he let this line of bullshit choke him up? He knew better than anyone that Tarrant Hardcastle was a master manipulator who always had an agenda. Was he still kidding himself that he planned to get revenge on the man? He needed to stop beating around the bush and get out of here before Tarrant suckered him into running the show.
“You do have something I want.” Dominic heard his own voice, cool as steel.
“Oh?” A silver eyebrow lifted.
Dominic leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “You remember the Lester chain of pharmacies?”
“Oh yes. Out in the Midwest somewhere.” He waved his cigar dismissively. “Did we buy those? I can’t recall.”
“Yes.” Dominic kept a straight face. “You did. Though I can’t figure out how, since I bid twelve million for them and you bought them for eleven.”
Tarrant stared at him for a moment, his tanned brow furrowed. Then a smile snuck over his face and lit up his eyes. He burst into a loud guffaw. ‘That was you?”
“That was me.” Dominic had a hard time not joining Tarrant in a smile. That damned infectious enthusiasm again.
“It’s all about contacts. Who you know, dear boy, who you know.” He held up his whiskey glass. “They’re yours.”
Dominic held his glass still. “I don’t want them as a gift.”
“Then give me fifty bucks for ’em.” Tarrant narrowed his sharp eyes. “Not worth much more if you ask me. Who the hell wants real estate in Trisket Falls, Iowa?” He broke into the laugh again. “Only bought ’em so Stan Richards over at Federal couldn’t get his damn hands on them for more of those dreadful discount stores. Revenge again! I’m not proud of myself, honestly I’m not. There’re a lot of people out there who think I deserve to die.” Tarrant sat back in his leather chair, suddenly small against the broad leather back and plush arms.
Volatile Chemistry (Billionaires' Secrets Book 1) Page 7
