Was it enough?
Caroline glanced down at the hand that rested protectively against an unlikely conception. She easily could get up now, dress and leave. He’d given her a snapshot of her future, their marriage. An absent husband and father. She had no real ties to him. There were other men that the service she’d hired could set her up with. Another man might be more open to having a real family rather than simply inviting a woman and a child to come live in his house. If she’d found the courage to do this once, maybe she could do it again.
But that man wouldn’t be Dominic. That was the true trap. Not some wisp of an idea that their relationship might result in a child.
“What happens if you fall desperately in love with me?” She smiled as she cupped his very stern face in her hand. She felt a muscle twitch under her palm and soothed it.
“Marry me, Caroline. Please.”
Talk about a leap of faith. She might as well have been standing outside on the cliffs. She could turn back and take the safe path home, something she’d been doing all of her life. Or she could jump. She waited for the fear to creep up on her. Was ready to do battle with it. But there was nothing. Nothing but a sense of certainty.
“All right.”
He thought she might have fallen asleep but it was hard to tell. The sex and the overwhelming release of his orgasm should have been enough to put him in a coma for the next few days, let alone hours. Instead he was staring at the ceiling.
A soft purr emanated from the space beside him.
Yes, she was definitely out. Dominic envied her sleep and wondered why he couldn’t follow. Surely, he’d gotten the better of the deal tonight. He wanted sex. He wanted a conclusion. He wanted a child.
He received one, was promised the other and had the hope of the last.
His eyes were wide open.
Was it because of the feelings she’d invoked? Taking her, he’d gone beyond desire or need. Yes, there was the symmetry of motion that made for good sex. It was easy to label it chemistry. He’d had good sex before. He knew what it felt like. This was good and different. Memorable, but also unnerving.
That was okay. They liked one another. Lusted after each other. That would help make their marriage stick.
He didn’t think that was keeping him awake.
It could be he had some antiquated notion that good sex automatically equaled a baby and as ready as he said he was for that, he wasn’t.
He only wished he could make himself believe that.
There was no point in lying to himself. He was wide awake, listening to his fiancée—his fiancée—breathe because he knew that despite his declarations he hadn’t told her the whole truth.
He should have told her who he really was. What he really was.
He should have let her know before she agreed to marry him that he could be dangerous.
Now it was too late. She was his.
Chapter 4
“Surprise!”
Caroline jerked back as a tall, svelte woman came bolting out of what was now her house and wrapped her in a ridiculously strong embrace.
“Oh, my God! I can’t believe it. You are Dominic’s wife. Of course he didn’t tell me. Didn’t give me any time to plan. If he hadn’t mentioned to Steven why he was actually going to Vegas this weekend, we might not have known about you until you showed up at the office Christmas party. So typical of Dominic.”
It took some effort, but Caroline was finally able to push her off. The woman stood over her by at least four inches and only two of those were because of her slim heels. Behind the affectionate stranger, Caroline could see a throng of people waiting for them inside the living room.
Oh, my.
A hand on her back nudged her inside and Dominic followed, dropping their bags in the foyer.
“Can you guess what this is? It’s a surprise wedding reception! Tell me I surprised you, Dominic. Tell me.” She moved around Caroline and leaned in to peck his cheek.
“I’m surprised,” he said.
Caroline sized up the brunette elegantly dressed in white slacks and a black silk sleeveless top. Money. She wore it well. It was in the cut of her clothes, in the silver designer watch that dangled from her wrist, and the two-carat stud earrings that sparkled in her lobes. She watched as the woman slid her hands up Dominic’s cotton-covered chest in an effort to balance herself while she leaned in to kiss him.
Instantly Caroline didn’t like her.
Then she shook her head. Wow, she thought. Jealous this quickly. They’d only been married two days.
The brunette turned back and offered a dazzling—and Caroline tried to believe sincere—smile. “You must be Caroline. I can’t tell you how excited I am to meet you. I’m sorry. This must be a shock for you. But I couldn’t resist. When Steven told me Dominic was getting married, I couldn’t believe it. I had to do something, so I just threw this little party together at the last minute. This way you can meet all of Dominic’s associates and friends. Although with Dominic, that’s usually one and the same.”
“And you are?”
“I’m Anne. Surely, he mentioned me. I know he’s tight-lipped, but come on, Dominic.” Anne turned to Dominic with a chastising pout. “Really, besides Denny and Steven, I’m practically your best friend. And you didn’t mention me to your wife?”
Dominic stood awkwardly in the foyer. He glanced toward Caroline, but didn’t quite meet her eyes. Before she could wonder about that, Anne linked her arm and pulled her forward. “Come along. I’ll introduce you to everyone. And then you can tell me all about how Dominic swept you off your feet.”
Caroline followed the woman’s lead, recognizing that despite the fact that she wasn’t in the mood for a party after their tumultuous trip, she did want to meet the people in Dominic’s life.
Servers worked the party dressed in formal black-and-white attire offering trays of food and flutes of champagne. The house had been decorated with masses of white flowers—roses, daises, even tulips. Elegant and not over the top. A quartet played on the lower level of the house. Sixty or so guests seemed well fed and entertained. All things considered, it was a very nice party.
Anne pulled Caroline toward a small group gathered by the window. One of the men was tall, lean and handsome with a deep tan and a pretty face. To his right was an older gentleman that Anne introduced first.
“This is my father, Russell Long. Daddy, this is Dominic’s wife.” Anne disengaged herself from Caroline’s arm and headed off to mingle.
“It’s a pleasure, my dear.” The older man had the build of someone much younger than his full head of white hair suggested. Hair highlighted by a healthy complexion earned from either the sun or a booth. It was hard to tell. His eyes were fixed on hers and Caroline had the strangest sensation of being evaluated.
“Nice to meet you,” she mumbled.
“Steven Ford,” the younger man with the California looks announced. “Husband of Dominic’s best friend and son-in-law to Russell here. Sorry to spring this on you, but once Anne has an idea in her head she’s hard to stop.”
“No, that’s fine. I’m happy to meet all of you.”
“It must have been a whirlwind trip.”
“Yes, it was.”
That and the most emotionally wrenching experience of her life.