His hands left her breasts and she wanted to cry out not to stop, but they merely slid down to her waist and pushed her halter top farther down her hips. Using the same skimming movement that he’d done to her nipples, he skimmed his thumbs over her hips and oddly, it was just as intense. His eyes held hers, watching her face.
She felt his fingers go under her shorts, pushing them down as his whole body sank downward, too, pushing all her clothes off her, including her high-cut panties, exposing her to him.
Her heart stood still for a moment.
She watched him move his head toward her stomach and place his lips against her belly button. She gasped, but that was nothing compared to the gasp she gave as he began placing little kisses down to the V at her thighs.
One by one.
She moistened her mouth. “Um…what are you doing?”
He gave her his answer. In next to no time he had her melting under his tongue. Velvet fire.
Six
For the rest of the week they took time out to walk along some of the beaches in the area and visited the beautiful waterfall at Erskine Falls. They also drove along the Great Ocean Road to Apollo Bay, then a little farther on to Cape Otway to visit one of Australia’s oldest lighthouses. In the evening they watched movies or played cards or chess.
Dominic had been right that this break would do her good. In spite of the tension between them, now that she was away from the city and all the reminders of Liam, she felt a little less stressed as each day passed by.
Dominic seemed more laid-back as well though sometimes she’d catch him staring at her with a withdrawn look about him. She didn’t have to wonder why. His opinion of her hadn’t changed. Not really. He might understand her a little more now he knew about her upbringing, but in his eyes that didn’t excuse her for being a gold digger, nor for her supposed affair. And he was still angry with her for the way he thought she’d treated Liam. He wasn’t about to let go of those feelings.
She had to admit she hadn’t cared so much before what he thought. She’d had too much else on her mind with Nicole and Joe, and had tried not to think about her and Dominic’s future together. Now it hurt. Somewhere down the track she’d imagined he would see past all the issues between them and would even come to like her, not just want her body. Only, he was seeing past the issues and he still didn’t like her much. It didn’t give her hope for a promising future.
Finally, the “honeymoon” was over, and they left for Melbourne on Monday morning. The holiday had been a lovely and much-needed break, but the closer they got to the city, the more Cassandra could feel the pressures rising between her and Dominic.
There were so many things they would have to deal with now, not the least of which was Christmas in less than two weeks. It would be a sad holiday for the family this year, and she hadn’t even reminded anyone it was her birthday on Thursday. She was happy to let it pass. It didn’t seem right to be celebrating at a time like this.
And there was the media to face, though thankfully Michael had been able to use his connections to keep news of her and Dominic’s marriage low-key. The media weren’t usually so kind, and their response said a lot about the high regard the country held for the family.
Of course, she still had to call her sister, Penny, then go sort out everything at the nursing home. She’d do that tomorrow, after Dominic went back to work. She just prayed that her share of Liam’s estate would be there without her having to ask Dominic. So far, nothing had gone into her bank account.
They arrived back at Sandringham at noon. Nesta welcomed them, then went about the business of unpacking their luggage while Dominic took Cassandra and Nicole on a tour of their new home.
It was a dream mansion and impressed Cassandra in every way it could. There was a sparkling kitchen and modern furniture throughout. Expansive glass in the living room overlooked stunning gardens. A pool and a tennis court begged to be used, and the place even had a fully equipped gym.
Upstairs, the bedrooms, designed for luxury, were en suite and the master bedroom had a private balcony with a view of the bay. And she only had to look into Dominic’s eyes to know they would make full use of the spa bath.
Her cheeks felt warm as they went back downstairs, but had cooled by the time they sat down to eat a late lunch. After that, Nicole had her afternoon nap, while Dominic needed to go into the city to speak to Adam at the office. Nesta hurried off to prepare dinner.
And suddenly Cassandra was alone.
It struck her then. This was it. This was her life now. They were back in the real world, and nothing was going to change for her. She’d still be a trophy wife, and now another husband would be busy with his work. Just like it had been with Liam until he became ill. Liam had been a very social person and she’d at least kept herself occupied arranging all his parties. Dominic was more private. She wasn’t sure what he expected of her in this regard.
Unnerved, she knew she couldn’t while away the hours doing nothing. She loved being a mother and spending time with Nicole, but this time she needed something for herself, even if it was only a couple of hours a week. Something.
Anything.
A part-time job? Volunteer work? She didn’t even have a car to get around in, Liam having insisted on supplying a driver whenever she’d needed one. It hadn’t changed after his illness had been diagnosed. In fact, having a driver had been a blessing with all the medical appointments and then the visits to see him at his parents’ house.
She took a deep breath and told herself not to panic. She wasn’t trapped inside this house for good. There were ways around things. She had four hundred dollars in the bank, and that at least could pay for a few cab trips to go see her father until the money started flowing again once the will was finalized. Then she would buy herself a car. And she would find a responsible babysitter for Nicole, or perhaps Nesta would babysit a couple of times a week. The housekeeper was a widow and had a couple of grandchildren herself.
As for today, suddenly she had the strongest urge to go to her old home. Everything had been so rushed last week that she’d walked out the door the morning of the wedding without even a last look around.
She was about to reach for the phone to call a cab when she remembered Dominic’s Porsche. Of course! Did he still have it? She hurried to check if it was there. It was. Dare she? He might even allow her to use it in the future, though she wouldn’t hold her breath. Men were funny when it came to their cars.
“I’m not sure this is a good idea,” the housekeeper fretted when Cassandra told her she wanted to go for a drive and asked her to keep an eye on Nicole, who was sleeping. She wasn’t one to dump her daughter on anyone, but she badly needed to get out of the house right now.
“Why not? It’s a beautiful day, and I want to have a look around the area by myself.” She and Liam had lived quite a few suburbs away.
Nesta reluctantly gave her the keys. “Okay, but promise me you’ll call me if you need anything.”
“I promise. Look, here’s my cell number so that you can call me if need be.” She wanted to be in contact in case Nicole needed her, and Nesta seemed happy with that.
The Porsche was a beautiful car, and for a split second she sat in it in the double garage and hesitated about driving it. Then she remembered how Dominic had gone off to the office and done his own thing this afternoon, so why couldn’t she? Anyway, she’d take it easy.
By the time she’d driven out the automatic gates, she was getting the hang of driving again. She’d forgotten how being in control had felt, especially with such a sleek, powerful car under her hands. After a while she even turned up the radio and let the breeze whip her hair, and by the time she reached her old house, some of the cobwebs in her mind had been blown away.
The first thing she saw as she pulled up in front of the town house was a For Sale sign. It took her by surprise and sent a shock of anger through her. Damn him. Dominic didn’t muck around. It had been only a week since she’d left.
&
nbsp; Feeling almost like an intruder, she parked in the driveway. Some mail was sticking out of the letterbox, so she emptied it, not surprised there wasn’t a birthday card from Penny. Her sister had never been one to send cards or letters, but Cassandra knew she cared and that was all that mattered.
Then she walked up to the front door, half expecting her key not to fit the lock, but it did and she went inside to find nothing had changed. Nothing except her, she thought, walking into the living room and seeing all the furniture still there.
Then she realized something, and she was shocked to see there were no personal items left in the room. No doubt Dominic had arranged to have them stored away somewhere, but it was typical of his high-handedness that he hadn’t even told her.
She took a couple of steps toward the kitchen to check the rest of the house, but all at once her anger was replaced by an odd feeling and her feet wouldn’t move past this point.
She simply didn’t want to walk into the kitchen, where she’d organized many a dinner party for Liam’s friends and business acquaintances, and where Keith had forced his attentions on her until Liam had walked in. Or go inside the bedroom she’d shared with Liam, and certainly not the spare bedroom he’d moved into after he’d started his intensive treatment before going home to die.
The whole house had a defeated air about it, despite the brightness of the white decor, which Liam had chosen. Or perhaps it was just the sad and unhappy memories here. More than likely that was it, she admitted, giving one last look around before truly saying goodbye to Liam in her heart and walking out the front door.
She now had closure.
Nesta looked greatly relieved to see her, and Cassandra had to admit that having a welcoming face meet her at the door made her feel slightly cherished. Cassandra then spent the rest of the afternoon “cherishing” her little girl in turn.
Dominic returned around seven and she was tempted to tackle him about the arrogant way he’d dealt with the house and personal belongings, but Nicole had been fed and bathed and was getting grumpy. But when he took the time to put her daughter on his lap and play with her for a few minutes, Cassandra’s anger at him lessened, and then her heart melted watching the two of them together. If anything happened to her, Nicole would be loved and cared for. She was so grateful for that.
It wasn’t until he gave Nicole a good-night kiss, then went off to take a shower, that Cassandra remembered she should have called Penny. It was too late now with Dominic in the house, so it would have to wait until tomorrow. And that would work out even better, she decided. She could visit her father first, then give her sister an update.
“If you want to change anything about the place,” Dominic said over dinner, “then let me know.” Change anything?
“No, this place is perfect.” And that reminded her…“By the way, I went for a drive this afternoon.”
He went still. “A drive?”
Ooh, she was going to enjoy paying him back. “In your Porsche.”
“My Porsche? What the hell!”
“Don’t worry. I didn’t damage it.” She deliberately bit her lip. “Of course, I did come rather close to that bus.” She wrinkled her nose. “But no, there were a few inches left between us by the time I slammed on the brakes.”
There! Go smoke that in your pipe, Mr. Roth.
He muttered a curse. “I don’t give a damn about the car. There are people out there who don’t have any scruples about who they hurt, let alone a woman with a small child.”
Her amusement instantly vanished. She hadn’t thought of that. “I didn’t take Nicole. Nesta looked after her.”
His mouth tightened. “A woman by herself or with a child makes no difference to some. You put yourself in danger.”
Was he just trying to frighten her to keep her on some sort of leash? “That’s a bit overkill, isn’t it?”
“No. Don’t you remember six months ago when that wealthy woman was kidnapped and killed by a disgruntled employee of her husband’s? And the gem dealer who was killed in a bungled robbery a month ago? I don’t think their families would say it was overkill, do you?”
A flutter of fear went through her, but she tried to ignore it. “I can’t live in an ivory tower, Dominic.”
“You don’t have to. If you want to drive the Porsche, then we’ll do it on the weekend together, but if you need to go out during the week, I’ll have my driver take you.” He stopped, his eyes resting firmly on her. “Promise me, Cassandra, or I’ll put a tail on you.”
“A ta-tail?” she stuttered.
“A bodyguard.”
Her heart jumped in her throat. If he did that, then she wouldn’t be able to visit her father. She couldn’t let that happen. “No one worried about any of this before I married you. I could come and go as I pleased.”
“Things have changed. All our drivers are trained to protect the family now.”
“Good Lord,” she muttered. The real possibility of something happening to any of them, but especially to her baby, made her feel sick.
“Look, it’s nothing to be too stressed over,” he assured her, his tone mellowing. “The world’s getting to be a dangerous place and we’re simply not taking any chances. Go about your business, but be aware of what goes on around you.” He paused. “It wouldn’t be nice for Nicole to lose her mother now, would it?” Thud.
So this was about him being alarmed over Nicole’s welfare, not her own. She really was grateful he was thinking about her daughter, but just once it would have been nice to be included in his concern.
Suddenly, his lack of concern for her was the catalyst she needed to stop her guilt over visiting Joe. She’d begun to feel bad about the lies she’d have to tell, but now…
“Does this mean I can’t keep my appointment with my dentist tomorrow?” she said, the excuse popping into her head. “I made it weeks ago.”
His eyes sharpened. “My driver will take you wherever you want to go. If he’s not available, there are others on hand.”
“I don’t want to put anyone to any trouble.”
“It’s no trouble,” he said coolly, but she could feel him watching her with an unexpectedly intense look.
Then she understood why. He was distrustful of her motives. He probably suspected she was going to meet a lover. God, it still hurt that she’d never been able to convince Liam of the truth. And now his brother had taken up the baton.
Ignoring the pain in her heart over being wrongly accused, she continued eating her meal, aware she’d have to be doubly careful tomorrow. Somehow she’d have to give the driver the slip. It wasn’t going to be so easy….
Of course! Her dentist was in the city center in one of the many arcades. She could get the driver to drop her off where there was no parking. If by some chance he came looking for her, she’d say she’d gotten her appointments mixed up and had gone shopping instead. And if Dominic challenged her about it later, she would deal with it then.
“So,” Dominic said, leaning back in his chair after Nesta took away their plates and while they were waiting for dessert. “Did you go anywhere in particular on your drive?”
All at once her anger rose inside her again. She glared at him. He was so damn arrogant. “To my old place. I see you’re selling it.”
“There’s no reason not to.” His mouth drew down at the corners. “Is there?”
“That’s not the point. The dust hasn’t settled on our marriage and you’ve already put the house on the market. And you pack up all my and Liam’s personal belongings and take them somewhere without even asking me.”
“Your personal belongings are in one of the spare rooms here in this house, until such time as you want to sort through them.”
Not good enough.
“You could have waited. I might have liked to do it myself.”
“I thought I’d save you the trouble.”
She wouldn’t say thank-you. She just wouldn’t.
He studied her. “You know, I used to think that house
suited you and Liam, but now I realize it didn’t suit you at all. It was Liam it suited.”
As crazy as it was, a slither of pleasure made its way past her anger. Was he starting to see her as she really was? As quickly, she realized she was fooling herself. Dominic saw only what he wanted to see.
She pretended indifference. “That’s because Liam chose the furnishings.”
“Why?”
She blinked. “Why?”
“Why did Liam choose them? Why didn’t you choose them? I’d think a new wife would have wanted to incorporate her own ideas and designs in her new house.”
“You’ve already got your answer. It was Liam’s house and Liam chose the designs.”
He scowled at her. “It was your house, too.”
She shook her head. “No, it wasn’t, Dominic. Liam bought it with his money and it was in his name. He even deeded it over to you, remember?”
“I remember, but I’m talking about more than owning the house. I’m talking about both of you being a husband and wife in that house.”
“So am I.”
His eyes closed in on her. “Is that why you had an affair?”
“Wh-what?”
“You heard me.”
She shook her head. She couldn’t let him get away with this. It was important she stand up for herself. “No. I told you. There was no—”
Just then Nesta returned carrying dessert, and Cassandra quickly swallowed back her words. The housekeeper didn’t appear to notice anything out of the ordinary as she took their empty plates and passed on a message that Adam wanted Dominic to call him back after dinner.
Once they were alone again, Cassandra waited, but Dominic didn’t resume his questioning. He did shoot her a dark look and she knew he wouldn’t believe anything she said anyway, so she was grateful when he ate his dessert then excused himself.
She could kick herself now for discussing anything about her marriage to Liam with him. She and Dominic weren’t friends. Sometime in the future he may well find out what Liam had really been like as a husband and that she’d never had an affair, but right now she was risking everything by giving information away to a man who thought she slept around. Information he could well use against her.
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