Her newfound comfort with him was half-relief, half inevitable torture. When she had struggled to get away from him, he didn’t have to worry about being tempted every time he walked into a room. He didn’t have to steady himself before he ventured into the kitchen every morning, and force himself not to stare at the woman sitting next to him in her silk nighties. He almost regretted buying them, as even the sight of her bare shoulders was enough to tantalize him into a very obvious state of arousal.
Dominic had to wonder what the hell was wrong with him. He didn’t think he’d ever been so aware of a woman who wasn’t trying to seduce him. Even Kayla’s careful, measured smiles were enough to put his body on high alert, so he was hiding proof of what, exactly, she did to him.
Even now, he hesitated to go to bed, wondering if she would be asleep by the time he was ready to join her. It was better that way. Then, she wouldn’t notice his raging hard-on as he crept into the room.
He was sneaking around his own house like a goddamned thief trying not to be caught, and it was slightly ridiculous. When he had seen that Kayla didn’t want sex, he’d sworn to himself to respect her wishes - he just hadn’t suspected that it would be nearly this difficult.
Frowning deeply, Dominic scrolled through his e-mails, only half reading them. He had a business trip to Paris that he was supposed to be taking in two weeks time and he was toying with the idea of bringing Kayla with him. It was a masochistic move if ever there was one, but, somehow, the idea of her being with him lessened the measure of stress he anticipated.
He had to be losing his goddamned mind.
An hour later, when he’d finally made some headway on his work, he left the study to find her huddled in the living room. Instead of sitting on the couch, she was closer to the fire that Brett always kept stoked and waiting, wrapped in a blanket as she poured over one of her schoolbooks. For a moment, he just stood in the mouth of the hallway, watching her read silently. Every so often, she pushed her mass of curly hair up and out of her face to take a few notes on the pad next to her.
After about five minutes, she looked up in surprised pleasure when Brett offered her a hot chocolate topped with a mountain of whipped cream. Dominic glanced towards the kitchen to find Sophia gazing fondly at the young woman. In only two short months, his two person staff had gone from what he was certain was private, judging speculation to affection for Kayla. Unlike almost every woman he’d brought home, the young woman didn’t attempt to treat Sophia and Brett like servants. Dominic himself never treated them that way - they were his closest and most trusted companions, those he entrusted with his household and his business, and they had never let him down.
He watched Kayla thank Brett with a smile before offering him the cup first, beaming. The middle-aged man seemed taken aback, before reluctantly taking the cup to take a small sip. At his blissful expression, Kayla laughed, and Dominic felt something in his belly twist oddly.
This was new to him - having a woman live in his household. Sharing his space and his life with someone was something he had never imagined would happen. Even when he brought Kayla to the city, it was under the assumption that they would only interact as much as they needed to in order to convince the world that they were enamored of one another.
Somehow, that conception of things had already been blown out of the water. If the mere act of kissing her was enough to set his body on edge, Dominic could only imagine what would happen if they went further…
“Would you like a cup of chocolate as well, sir?” Snapping from his reverie, Dom realized he’d been discovered as he found both Brett and Kayla looking up at him. While his butler was eying him with a smile far too knowing for his own good, Kayla looked almost bashful, clutching at her chocolate as she stared upward, her cheeks slightly pink.
The young woman cleared her throat before lifting her chin in greeting. “Are you done with your work? Do you...want to come sit by the fire?”
Dominic found himself smiling at her blatant invitation. She was already comfortable here - so comfortable that she considered it home. He thought the fact might offend him when, in reality, it pleased him more than he might like to admit.
After almost five weeks of being uptight in his space, Makayla was finally beginning to relax.
“That would be nice, thank you, Miss Price. And some chocolate would be nice, thank you, Brett.”
His teasing was enough to make her frown slightly, even as he settled down next to her before the warmth of the crackling flames. “Do you have to be so cruel to me all the time?”
A smile still playing about his lips, Dominic settled himself into a lying position, gazing up at her perturbed expression amusedly. “Who’s being cruel? I quite like being invited to enjoy my own house.”
Kayla’s cheeks reddened, and she chose to take a sip of her chocolate rather than answer him. “How’s the chocolate?” He inquired lazily.
Kayla’s eyes slid shut in bliss in response. “Sophia is an angel. I’ve never tasted something so amazing in my life.”
“She and Brett are my best assets - they keep the company running; but you can’t tell anyone that. You’re sworn to secrecy.”
“Right.” Kayla’s lips quirked slightly. “You can count on me.”
Dominic nudged the edge of her school book with his toe. “How’s your work coming? You enjoying your classes?”
At the prospect of talking about her MD, Kayla beamed. “It’s amazing. My professors are some of the best in the States at what they do. I could listen to them all day.”
Dom’s eyes drifted closed as he listened to her talk. “You like to learn. That’s a pretty rare trait these days.”
“Well, I always promised myself that I would be something...someone worthwhile,” Kayla returned softly, just over the crackling of the fire. “After...well, you know...I told myself that I could do anything I put my mind to...and I happen to like putting my mind to good use.”
Dominic chuckled softly. “You are a wonder, Makayla.”
He could hear the confusion in her voice when she answered. “What’s so wondrous about me? I grew up in a shit town where the only thing special about me was the scholarships I got and how far I had to walk to get home. I’m nothing special, Dominic. I’m just pretty damn determined.”
His eyes snapped open to find her staring down at him, her expression intense. The sentiment was, of course, ruined, by the line of whipped cream on her upper lip - and also the complete nonsensical nature of her statement. She wasn’t anything special, was she? She was only one of the only women he’d ever met that wasn’t hell bent on seducing him or after his money like there was no tomorrow. She had a goal in life - a very precise goal, that she concentrated on with all her heart - even giving up her freedom and independence to achieve it. She had the curious talent of being able to seduce him with a single, innocent, wide-eyed look - certainly, this was just as annoying as it was curious, but that only made it more interesting.
Makayla Price was, without a doubt, one of the most wondrous women he’d ever met - but hell would freeze over before he let her know that.
Sitting up, Dominic looked over her, from the top of her curly head to the tips of her bare toes, painted a bright scarlet. Instead of answering her, he posed another question. “I have to go to Paris in a few weeks. Would you like to come?”
Makayla’s mouth dropped as she stared at him in shock. Surely this couldn’t come as that much of a surprise to her. When she signed the contract, she knew she would be travelling with him. It was part of making their relationship more believable. “Paris?”
Dominic chuckled lowly. “Yes, Paris. As in the capital of France.”
Makayla scowled, slapping him lightly on the shoulder. “I know where it is.”
Dominic caught her by the wrist before she could pull away, tugging her closer to him. “Of course you do. The question is: Are you coming?”
She was so close now that he could smell her - a light scent of flowers and honey with
whatever oil she used on her hair. It was absolutely heavenly.
“I don’t know.” She finally whispered softly, her eyes searching his. “I have class. I shouldn’t miss it.”
“I’ll have a note written for you.” He replied, reaching up - slowly, so she could see his every move - to cup her jaw, stroking his thumb over her cheek gently.
For someone so skittish about being touched, it was remarkable how Kayla reacted to him. As long as she knew he was going to touch her, it was almost as if she was starved for the contact. Her eyes slid closed and her lips parted slightly as she leaned into him...it was enough to have him fighting the urge to tackle her to the carpet and having his way with her. “You can ask your professors to give you the work in advance. You’ll have plenty of time to complete it while I’m in meetings.”
“Mmmm…” The low sound of pleasure rippled from her and Dominic swallowed the growl that rose in his throat.
“Kayla?” He inquired lowly, moving his hand around to the base of her neck to begin massaging slowly. “Is that a yes?”
“Mmm…” She repeated, making him smile in amusement. It was so invigorating, to touch a woman who didn’t feign enlightenment every time he came near her. Makayla genuinely appreciated physical contact, as if every time they came together, it was new to her.
It only increased his suspicions that she was actually a virgin, but he had learned not to broach that subject unless he wanted something thrown at him. Besides, that was none of his business. He wouldn’t be sleeping with her in that respect, so it was none of his business who she may or may not have been with before.
Dominic couldn’t deny, however, that the thought of Kayla with another man was enough to make him bristle with discomfort. Perhaps that was another reason why he chose to believe she was untouched - no pun intended.
“Your chocolate, sir.”
At the sound of Brett’s return, the young woman jumped, whirling in surprise to see the middle-aged man standing there with a small smile. She attempted to pull away from Dominic, only to have him wrap an arm around her waist to pull her back flush against his chest. “If you can’t do it in front of Brett,” he murmured teasingly into her ear, “How are you going to do it for the cameras?”
It was enough bait to make her go limp in his arms before she glared up at him in warning. Dom, however, was too busy sipping at his chocolate to fear she might throw her book at his head. She had a feeling that, for all her bluster, she enjoyed his teasing quite a bit.
He knew he certainly did.
Chapter 7 - More Than Touch
As it turned out, the trip Dominic planned was more apropos than he had imagined. The beginning of November marked Makayla’s very first testing period as a medical student and, despite her obvious intelligence, she ran herself ragged; staying up at all hours of the night studying, waking up early in order to cram in those few last vital facts - neglecting meals and her own well-being in favor of getting top marks.
Anyone with eyes could see that she was utterly exhausted. Brett and Sophia did their best to keep her well-fed and cared for, but the only thing that brought about her relaxation was the last of her midterms, whereupon she promptly came home and fell into a deep sleep that lasted until eight in the evening.
She emerged, bleary-eyed, in search of sustenance around nine thirty, and when she passed the open door of the study, Dominic called to her casually. “Paris tomorrow.”
The young woman paused in the middle of the doorway to look at him, still half-asleep. She was ridiculously alluring, with her hair all mussed and the sleeve of a navy silk sleep-shirt hanging down over one mocha-hued shoulder. “Hm?”
Dominic forced himself to take a steadying breath. “Our flight for Paris leaves at eight in the morning tomorrow. Are you packed?”
Slowly, her eyes widened in realization. “Oh, shit.”
No sooner had she uttered the explicative than she turned on her heel and raced for the guest room to begin the process. They would only be gone for a week, and Dominic had to imagine that, unlike most women, Kayla didn’t pack much.
Indeed, when they set out from the penthouse the next morning, she only brought one piece of carry-on luggage with her, assuring him that it had everything she needed for the trip. The young woman caught up on some much needed sleep in the car on the way to the airport, and she looked so peaceful that Dom almost hated to wake her.
Thankfully, they didn’t have to go through much security. He had elected to take his private jet this flight, which meant that they didn’t have to worry about the complications of commercial airliners. At the sight of the sleek aircraft on the runway, Kayla gaped. “We’re taking that?”
Dominic smirked. “Is there something wrong with my jet, Kayla?” He could see her fighting a losing battle in her head over whether or not she would try to argue. Ultimately, however, she just ended up trudging after him before taking the steps up into the plush interior of the aircraft.
Dominic quite enjoyed her trying to look everywhere at once. Considering how much he travelled for work, he thought a plane had been a worthwhile investment. Dominic knew many of his peers who owned planes and hardly used them, but his was fairly well travelled. In the past six years, it had seen thirty different countries, and flew about two times a month, on average. Lately, he’d been avoiding trips, trying to adjust to his new life with Kayla.
But now, he thought he could afford to relax a little.
For the first hour of their flight or so, Kayla squirmed around in her leather seat, looking from the bar at the opposite side of the plane to the long table he’d used for a conference or two in the air. A long, narrow hallway led to a small bedroom at the aft of the aircraft, which he used when he feared jetlag would keep him from getting work done.
When his mother had found out about the plane, she called it excessive. But then, Elaine West was the daughter of a coal miner - and wife to a deceased farmer. She found her son’s entire life excessive, to some degree - but that didn’t mean she couldn’t accept it.
“How long have you been flying in this thing?” Kayla finally worked up the gall to ask a question after she’d been presented with a glass of champagne by a single hostess.
Taking his own champagne, Dominic arched a brow. “A good while. Why? You don’t like it?”
Kayla immediately shook her head, her cheeks slightly flushed. “No, that isn’t it at all! It’s just...this is only my second time on an airplane, and this is in a completely different league, even, than first class.”
“Well, it cost a lot more too,” Dominic returned, his lips quirking. “But I travel a lot, so I find it a necessity.”
“You haven’t travelled all that much since I came….unless you count staying overnight at the office.” Her little jibe made him chuckle.
“Well, I was worried you’d run away if I left you alone. Was I wrong?” The young woman immediately looked away, her lips drawing downward in a pouting frown.
“I wouldn’t have backed out of our agreement.” She replied almost defensively, toying with her champagne flute. She was cute when she was pissed - he almost liked getting her riled up. “I made a commitment. I don’t break commitments.”
With a sigh, Dominic leaned back against his seat comfortably. “One of the many things I like about you.” He took a sip of his champagne, closing his eyes to savor the flavor. It was nice, he realized, to have someone else to share his jet with - nice to make a trip with a companion of his own choosing.
“Dominic?”
“Hm?” He answered her almost absently, wondering if she could possibly look any sexier in her leggings with her oversized sweater clinging to her slender shoulders. Keeping his hands off her in Paris was going to be an exercise in divine patience, that was for sure.
“Where did you grow up?”
The question made his eyes fly open as he looked at her in surprise. The question had come completely out of left field, and caught him more than a little off guard. “Where is this
coming from?” He found himself asking carefully. As guarded as Kayla could be about her own past, he wasn’t all for spouting about his either. Of course, the tabloids had it mostly right - that he was the hardworking son two middle-class people who had clawed his way to the top, but they made it seem ridiculously glamorous. There had been at least as much failure as there was success to his story, and it was a well disguised fear of that failure that kept him working as hard as he did.
If he had his way, Dominic would never go back to that dark place again.
“Well, I was going to read up on you in my spare time...but I figured...maybe a conversation would be more appropriate, considering the circumstances.” She stared determinedly at her champagne glass, running one slender finger around the rim anxiously.
Dom supposed the circumstances couldn’t be more strange - she was supposed to be his pretend girlfriend and he was sponsoring her future - but, really, there was no reason he couldn’t divulge a little. If Kayla had faced one of her most ardent fears to appease him, he could at least give her some of himself in return.
“Well…” He set his glass down on the nearest available flat surface before running a hand through hair still damp from his morning shower. “I was born in Minnesota, in the Midwest. Pretty rural town - I imagine something close to the place where you grew up.” Kayla didn’t answer, merely continuing to watch him with unwavering attention. Dominic took this as a sign to continue and launched into a history of his childhood.
Growing up on a farm, getting up at the crack of dawn every day to do chores before school - his adolescence had been like something out of a Laura Ingles Wilder book. He had carefully done his best to balance his schoolwork and his duties at home, but it was always clear that he was a far better mathematician and creative mind than he was proficient at milking cows and baling hay. Ultimately, when his father had died, his mother gave management of the farm over to a small company, and he was free to pursue his college education without worrying about leaving her in the dust.
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