by C. C. Gibbs
‘We met in London.’ Dominic turned to his friend. ‘Probably – what – four, five years ago? Yash was celebrating getting his medical degree from Cambridge and I was trying to drink the club dry.’
‘A memorable night as I recall.’ At Dominic’s warning glance, Yash quickly stopped.
Dominic pointed at the leather bag on Yash’s shoulder. ‘You brought the shot?’
He nodded. ‘I have a few routine questions first. Just protocol. There can be side effects with some women …’ A short time later, after Kate had answered no to all his queries, Yash explained how the drug worked immediately within certain parameters of a woman’s period, its safety and effectiveness, the duration of its coverage, possible bodily changes. ‘Any questions?’
‘What does immediate mean?’ Kate raised her brows. ‘Realistically.’
‘There’s no rush,’ Dominic interposed. ‘It doesn’t matter.’
Another spike of her brows. ‘Speak for yourself.’
‘Apparently there’s a rush,’ Dominic said blandly, turning to Yash. ‘What kind of time frame are we talking about, hours, minutes?’
‘The literature uses the words immediately or right away, and while the drug function is clear, every woman’s reaction varies. In fact, three out of a hundred women – again, according to the literature – get pregnant even while on the drug.’
Those were good percentages. Dominic smiled at Kate. ‘Your call, babe.’
‘Three out of a hundred. Uh-uh, that’s your call.’
He shrugged. ‘Not a problem.’
‘Sure?’ A teasing light illuminated the brilliant green of her eyes. ‘Last chance to escape.’
Christ, Yash thought. He’d seen everything now if Dominic was seriously considering the possibility of having a child with this young woman, however remote that possibility might be.
A full-out smile from Dominic. ‘Why would I want to escape?’
Yash choked down a gasp.
‘OK then. I’m sure too … I think.’ Kate paused, glanced up at Dominic who was watching her with an indulgent smile. ‘Yes … yes … let’s do it.’ She turned to Yash with a faint grimace. ‘Is everyone so equivocal?’
It took him a fraction of a second to answer with Dominic’s casual reply still jolting his brain. And another fraction of a second to decide how to answer with Dominic funding his research lab. He didn’t actually have patients.
‘Tell her everyone is uncertain, Yash, or she’ll keep quizzing you. Don’t give me that look, babe; you know you overanalyse every goddamn thing.’
Kate’s brows rose. ‘Yash can answer for himself, Dominic.’
Suppressing his amazement at the lady’s audacity, not to mention Dominic’s conciliatory good humour, Yash sensibly replied per his patron’s request. ‘It’s a big decision. You’re not alone in wanting to be sure.’
‘There. See?’ Dominic turned to Yash, gave him a nod of thanks. ‘So, now what, doctor?’
Yash directed his attention to Kate. ‘If you’d like to roll up your sleeve, I’ll get the syringe.’
‘Let me do that for you, baby.’ Dominic quickly closed the small distance to the bed. ‘Hold out your arm.’
‘Dominic, for heaven’s sake. I can roll up my own sleeve.’
‘I didn’t say you couldn’t. Let me help, though, OK? Shots can be a bitch. Speaking of which,’ he added, turning back to the doctor as he shoved the blue silk sleeve aside and held it out of the way. ‘Will Katherine’s arm be sore?’
‘It’s hard to say.’ Yash held the syringe up. ‘Shots affect people differently.’
Dominic frowned. ‘Maybe you should stay till morning then, Yash. Just in case.’
‘If you like – certainly.’
‘Really, Dominic, don’t make him waste his night. It’s only a shot. I’ll be fine.’
‘Why take a chance? Yash doesn’t mind.’ Dominic gave the doctor a significant look not open to interpretation. ‘Tan will take care of you. Have that single malt you like for a nightcap. Now shut your eyes, baby. Here we go.’
Afterwards, Dominic walked with Yash out into the hall.
‘I may need you stateside for a week or so,’ Dominic said. ‘Will your schedule allow?’
‘Sure. Although if you’re worried about the lady’s reaction to the shot, you needn’t be.’
‘Good. It’s not that, though.’ Dominic took Yash’s arm and moved him away from the door. ‘Leo and Danny are coming in from Hong Kong. They should be here in a couple of hours. There’s a possibility the Balkan mafia are in town looking for Katherine.’
‘Don’t tell me she’s not what she seems?’
Dominic grinned. ‘Jesus, wouldn’t that be something out of a fucking movie.’ Then his smile faded, a rueful note entered his voice. ‘Actually, she did some work for me that may have put her in jeopardy.’
‘Does she know that?’
‘No, and I want to keep it that way. She’s’ – Dominic pursed his mouth – ‘let’s just say mafia on her trail might freak her out. So send for whatever you need for the usual emergencies. We’ll fly out early in the morning and hopefully avoid complications.’
Yash served as trauma surgeon when Dominic and his crew travelled to the outreaches of the world. Venture capital routinely pursued natural resources in some of the more violent regions of the planet. So risk and security as well as ransom were major issues. In fact, ransom took the form of a business model in some Third World countries; even wearing an expensive watch could be fatal.
‘Why is the Balkan mafia pissed?’
‘Katherine found twenty million of mine that had been stolen from a factory I own in Bucharest and shipped to a bank in Singapore. We got it back; they lost it. They don’t like to lose twenty million.’
‘No shit. They’d kill you for a thousand.’
‘Pretty much. So I’m going to make them an offer they’d be wise to accept, but in the meantime …’
‘You’re getting out of town.’
Dominic nodded. ‘The States are relatively safe. Between major profiling and stringent visa requirements, only the professionals get in.’
‘And these aren’t professionals?’
Dominic shook his head. ‘Small-time wannabes.’
‘It’ll take me about an hour to get my kit and return.’
‘Thanks. I’ll see you in the morning unless Katherine suffers some side effect from the shot.’
‘Slim to nil on that.’
‘Regardless, I don’t want to take any chances.’
‘I noticed. She’s important to you.’
‘I’ve barely slept the last month without her. We’re back together as of’ – Dominic glanced at his watch – ‘three hours, twenty minutes ago and life’s worth living again. So, yeah, she’s important.’ An unreadable look, then a smile. ‘Give my regards to Leo and Danny.’
‘Yash is settled in,’ Dominic said, as he re-entered the bedroom. ‘Everything still good? Nothing hurts?’
‘Everything’s good now that you’re back.’ She smiled. ‘I practically go through withdrawal when I can’t see you. I have no excuse. No rational one anyway.’
‘We were apart too long, we were miserable too long. The nightmare’s still too recent.’ He shut his eyes briefly, shook away the painful memory. ‘I’m thinking about handcuffing you to my wrist – no joke.’
‘You say the sweetest things,’ she cooed.
He laughed, then took a deep breath and his voice dropped to a whisper. ‘Just don’t leave my sight – OK?’
Tears suddenly choking her, she nodded.
Swinging up onto the bed, Dominic scooped her up in his arms, settled her on his lap and held her close. ‘We’re going to make this work. I promise. Come hell or high water, floods, earthquakes, fucking acts of God. My word on it.’
A hiccupy little smile. ‘Thanks.’
Brushing her tears from her cheeks with his thumb, he dipped his head and kissed her softly. ‘We’re on the yellow br
ick road this time, baby. All the bad witches are gone.’
Her eyes widened in delight. ‘You watched The Wizard of Oz too?’
‘I had to. My sister, Melanie, luuuuved it.’
Kate giggled. ‘I can’t imagine you as a kid.’
‘Just as well. I was hell on wheels.’
‘And you’re not now?’ she teased.
‘Depends who’s judging, I suppose,’ he said with a lecherous grin. ‘You’ve been known to like hell on wheels on occasion.’
‘Speaking of which,’ she murmured.
He exhaled softly. ‘Why don’t we wait until morning?’
She wrinkled her nose. ‘I don’t want to wait.’
‘You never do.’ He sighed. ‘But this is different. Maybe immediately doesn’t mean immediately. You heard Yash.’
‘Then use a condom.’
‘You’re allergic. Let’s just wait till morning.’
‘How about I get off myself,’ she offered with a flirty smile. ‘You can watch. Give me tips.’
‘Tempting, baby, but I don’t think it’s possible.’
‘Me getting off or you just watching?’
‘Guess,’ he said, drily.
‘Can I be selfish then? I think this shot is amping me.’
A lift of his brows. ‘Everything amps you.’
‘Only when you’re around. Word of God,’ she said to his sceptical look.
‘I find that hard to believe. But thanks.’
‘Hey, I mean it.’ She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. ‘You can bet your bank account on that,’ she said, sitting back and smiling up at him.
‘Good news,’ he said softly, rather than respond with the cynicism nourished by his upbringing. Bending his head, he kissed her lush pink mouth and hoped the world really was all sweetness and light.
‘So … are you coming along for the ride or not?’ she said a few moments later, even more impatient; his kiss could have brought a corpse to life.
He shook his head. ‘Not this time. I’ll help you, though.’
Her smile was sunny. ‘You’re such a dear. Unselfish. Magnanimous. Altruistic.’
‘Sensible. Practical. Not looking for trouble.’
She grinned. ‘That too.’
‘You’re sure nothing hurts now?’
‘I’ll scream if something hurts.’
‘That’s worthless,’ he drawled. ‘You always scream.’
‘I’ll scream “It hurts!” – how about that?’
‘Simple enough.’ His blue gaze was lead-us-into-temptation enticing. ‘Would you like to play a little first?’
‘Give me a minute to decide … yes.’ She slid her fingers through his sleek hair, tugged his head down for a kiss. ‘Yes, yes, yes … yes.’
‘God, it’s good to have you back, baby,’ he whispered, his heart in his eyes, his old flawed world locked away. ‘It’s fucking heaven on earth …’
CHAPTER 9
Long moments later – a slow, stirring, hot and heavy kiss later – Kate was whimpering; Dominic was thinking, Screw waiting, when a tiny fraction of his brain still functioning bellowed, HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MOTHER-FUCKING MIND?
The question didn’t register as a bellow because lust was crowding out a major chunk of his perception; the sound was faint, distant, its meaning muted. But Dominic’s fully-functioning, hard-wired fight or flight reflex heard it, frantically hit the panic button and screamed: Red alert! Red alert! The alarm bells finally blasted through Dominic’s maniac lust and, sweeping Kate from his lap with dizzying speed, he dropped her on the bed, rolled away in a flash and lay on his back, eyes shut, breathing hard, bathed in a sudden cold sweat.
‘I won’t … hold you … responsible,’ Kate gasped, feverish, impatient, insatiable desire a hard, throbbing ache deep inside. She turned to look at him, her eyes half-lidded, passion-hazed. ‘Please, Dominic. Don’t do this to me!’
He wouldn’t look at her, his self-control stretched to the limit. What if he listened to her, pleased her, pleased himself and his raging libido? What then? Every possible outcome raced through his mind – none of them advantageous, all of them pushing the three percent odds he was willing to accept. Dragging in a breath, he first raised his head, then sat up in a ripple of rock-hard abs. ‘I’ll find you … something else.’ His voice was a harsh rasp, every muscle in his body taut with restraint.
‘I don’t want something else! I want you!’ Quivering with frustration, Kate grabbed for his dick.
Catching her hand mid-air, then her other hand intent on the same target, he hauled her upright and held her at arm’s length. ‘Forgive me, baby,’ he whispered. God, he felt like shit turning her down. ‘I promise I’ll make it up to you tomorrow.’
‘No, now!’ Trembling with need, heedless to reason, she struggled to free herself, twisting in his grasp. ‘Please, I can’t wait! I can’t talk myself out of coming like you! Dominic – have pity!’
His nostrils flared; a voice was goading him, It’s only once … come on. And she was so goddamn small and defenceless, so needy, his old, hard-core impulses were urging him to ram it home. His erection surged at the thought.
‘See – you want to too!’ Her gaze on his engorged dick swelling even larger before her eyes, Kate jerked against his constraining grip. ‘Dominic, just once more! Once more can’t matter,’ she pleaded.
He shook away the brute image filling his mind, but it took him a second more to completely repress his savage impulses, keep his libido in check and another second to remind himself that the last thing he wanted right now was to frighten Kate away. ‘Baby – listen to reason,’ he said more calmly than he was feeling. ‘You don’t need my dick to come. We’ll do something else. And in a few hours everything’s wide open again – OK?’
‘No, it’s not OK!’ she hissed, flushed and overwrought, so close to orgasm reason wasn’t even on the horizon. ‘It’s goddamn not OK! I thought this was about me, not you, but you’re always in charge, aren’t you – every freaking minute!’ She tried to wrench free. ‘Let me go, damn it!’
His grip was unyielding, his voice, in contrast, gentle. ‘You don’t have to wait because I do, baby. There’s a hundred other things I can do to help you out.’ Oh, shit. Her gaze had instantly turned from flame hot to arctic.
‘Only a hundred?’ Ice a mile high in her voice.
‘It was an expression.’ He knew better than to prolong a lie by explaining too much.
A taut silence fell.
Kate was trying to deal with that hundred number like a rational adult.
Dominic was thinking how much easier it was to deal with women who only wanted his money.
‘Oh, fuck it,’ she muttered. ‘I don’t even care anymore.’ She tried to twist free. ‘Just let go will you?’
‘In a minute.’
Tension rippled through the air.
‘Do you mind?’ Kate snapped, glaring at his hands pinioning hers, twitching in his grip.
‘I’m waiting for you to relax.’
Her gaze came up like a laser. Burning hot and bitchy. ‘Are you afraid I’ll hurt you?’
Laughter flickered in his eyes. ‘Should I be worried?’
She sniffed. ‘God, I hate it when you’re so bloody calm.’
‘One of us has to be.’ In the interest of détente he didn’t mention he knew who that was.
‘I can be calm.’
‘Good. Tell me when and I’ll let you go.’
‘Jesus, you always make me feel like an unruly child.’
‘I don’t mean to. I’m older. And—’
‘You’ve been fucking way longer.’
His lashes dipped in acknowledgement. ‘Maybe that’s it. I’m more—’
‘Jaded? Been there done that a couple of thousand times?’
He sighed softly. ‘Probably. On the other hand,’ he said with a small smile, ‘it’s better that we’re not both beginners.’ A flash of amusement lit his gaze. ‘At least I know how to entertain
you – right?’
He smiled at her reluctant nod.
‘And seriously, baby, I really like your go-for-broke personality. I’m not knocking it. I’m just trying to keep our problems to a minimum. OK?’
Another grudging nod.
Dominic dipped his head and held her gaze. ‘So, are we done with this tug of war?’
‘As long as this isn’t one of your games, Mr I’m-in-Charge,’ she said fretfully.
‘I wish it were. I’m just being practical.’
‘As always. Isn’t that your motto with women?’
‘Not with you – never with you … which is the problem. Look, it’s only a few hours and, admit it, you don’t want … well … unintended consequences anymore than I do. Right?’
She didn’t immediately answer. ‘I suppose,’ she finally said with a rueful grimace. Then she sighed softly. ‘Yeah, you’re right,’ she added, flushing slightly as she acknowledged his good judgement. ‘And I don’t mean as usual so don’t get a big head.’
He smiled. ‘Thank you. I won’t.’ Dropping a kiss on her knuckles, he released her hands. ‘Now let me find something to get you through the night.’
A lift of her brows. ‘You have toys here? Why didn’t you say so before and we could have avoided all this bullshit?’
This wasn’t the time to point out to her that he had offered her alternatives. ‘Because I don’t have toys here, that’s why,’ he said instead.
‘Really?’
‘Really.’ He didn’t elaborate because he didn’t want any discussion of toys that might bring up memories of the Garden House video. ‘I should be able to manage a substitute of some kind to make you happy.’
Her sudden smile was the familiar one he remembered from their many arguments. The wide-open, cloudless smile that instantly beguiled. She never held grudges; she didn’t even much care whether she won or lost once the controversy was over. ‘How do you do it?’ she murmured, running her finger along his jaw in a small possessive gesture he would have found objectionable from any other woman. ‘You always stay uber-reasonable when I’m freaking out. Thanks too about … well … the unintended consequences issue. Really. I’m grateful.’