The Billionaire's Marriage Bargain

by Mortimer, Carole

  Chapter 12

  Whatever Kenzie had expected Dominick’s next move to be after that awful day at Bedforth Manor, she was left in suspense for the next five weeks, as the time passed with no word or sight of him.

  Not that the silence wasn’t a relief. It was just surprising at the same time.

  But this evening that was going to come to an abrupt end because tonight was the launch party of Carlton Cosmetics’ new fragrance, an event that, as the promotional face of the company, required Kenzie’s attendance. She had flown to New York especially for the occasion, and, as she knew from conversations with Jerome, Dominick had every intention of being at the party too.

  She and Jerome, united as she had warned Dominick they would be, had consulted with a lawyer to see if there wasn’t something to be done about Dominick’s stranglehold on Carlton Cosmetics and her own contract with the company. But, as she might already have guessed, there was nothing illegal about Dominick’s purchase of the shares, and there was no suitable let-out clause in her own contract, either—not wanting to work for your estranged husband wasn’t reason enough, apparently!

  Dominick, with his usual thoroughness, had tied the company, and her, up in legalities that simply couldn’t be broken.

  So they were stuck with it, and Dominick, a fact that, understandably, didn’t sit too well with Jerome.

  ‘The brute should be making his grand entrance any time soon!’

  Jerome muttered as he joined Kenzie near the entrance of the reception room at one of New York’s most prominent hotels. Chandeliers glittered over the elegant heads of the society guests and members of the media, and the room was abuzz with conversation and the soft music being played by a string quartet.

  It wasn’t too difficult, in the circumstances, to guess which ‘brute’ Jerome was referring to!

  ‘Perhaps he’ll do us all a favour and decide not to come, after all,’ she dismissed distractedly, totally on edge as she kept half an eye on the door while she circuited the room talking and smiling with the other guests.

  ‘We couldn’t be that lucky.’ Jerome scowled, still boyishly attractive despite his forty-two years.

  But Jerome’s looks were such that they had never appealed to Kenzie. Firstly because when she had met him she had still been married to Dominick and had had no interest in other men, and then later simply because she wasn’t attracted to him. As she hadn’t been to any man after she and Dominick had parted…

  ‘Here he comes now,’ Jerome announced scathingly.

  Kenzie tensed so suddenly that she spilt some of the champagne from her glass over her fingers, fingers that gripped the slender stem of the flute so tightly it was in danger of snapping.

  ‘And, damn it, he’s brought Caroline with him!’ Jerome added angrily.

  Kenzie was licking the champagne from her fingers when she turned in time to see cameras snapping as Dominick made his entrance. He looked tall and powerful in his black evening suit, snowy white shirt and red tie—the colour of which exactly matched the clinging red dress Kenzie was wearing, she was totally dismayed to see.

  Standing at his side, looking beautifully triumphant, was Caroline Carlton, her blonde hair tumbling loosely over her bare shoulders, and the black shimmering dress she wore clinging to the fullness of her voluptuous figure.

  Kenzie hadn’t known Dominick was bringing anyone with him this evening—he hadn’t deigned to inform anyone what his plans were—but it didn’t come as a complete surprise to her that he should have chosen to bring Caroline.

  There had been an almighty row between Caroline and her two brothers when they had found out what she had done, resulting in Caroline being banned from coming anywhere near them, or Carlton Cosmetics, ever again.

  No doubt it was amusing Dominick greatly to bring the other woman to an event she hadn’t been invited to!

  ‘Perhaps we should try to disconcert him and go over and say hello,’ she suggested softly, aware that the majority of the guests were now watching them.

  They were all aware of Dominick’s takeover of Carlton Cosmetics—it had been a nine-day wonder in the newspapers a month ago—and they were obviously curious to see what would happen next, the media in particular.

  But as there had still been no announcement of the impending divorce between Kenzie and Dominick—he still hadn’t signed and returned the papers—none of the press seemed to be aware of any estrangement between the two of them, thank goodness!

  Jerome gave her a glowering glance. ‘You go over and say hello—I’m going to get myself another drink!’ he muttered disgustedly before disappearing into the crowd.

  Kenzie closed her eyes briefly. Six and a half more months of her contract, that was all she had to get through—

  ‘You’re looking very beautiful this evening, Kenzie,’ Dominick whispered huskily as he appeared at her side.

  He watched as Kenzie turned to look at him with startled green eyes, her cheeks seeming to pale slightly beneath expertly applied make-up.

  Make-up that Dominick knew only too well Kenzie didn’t really need, her natural beauty such that it required no enhancement.

  She looked amazing in her clinging red dress, her breasts pert, waist slender—perhaps a little more so than he remembered—and her hips were curvaceously sensual. She seemed to stand out in this roomful of ‘beautiful people’ with the brightness of a shimmering flame, so much so that Dominick had had no trouble in immediately locating her when he had arrived, even as he’d smiled for the cameras that had clicked so annoyingly in his face.

  ‘Champagne?’ He offered her one of the two glasses he had carried over with him.

  She raised her dark eyebrows at him. ‘Shouldn’t you be offering that to Caroline?’

  He shrugged. ‘I believe she has gone over to have a chat with her elder brother.’

  Kenzie glanced across the room to where Jerome and Caroline looked to be in the middle of a heated, if muted, conversation. ‘Not a pleasant one, by the look of it,’ she dismissed coolly, totally ignoring the champagne he offered her.

  ‘Doesn’t it bother you that you’ve caused a total rift in the Carlton family?’

  Knowing how important Kenzie’s family was to her—important enough for her to have made the bargain with him in the first place!—Dominick could see that being a problem for her, possibly more of one than his usurping Jerome’s control over Carlton Cosmetics had been.

  ‘But of course it doesn’t bother you,’ Kenzie answered her own question dismissively. ‘I’m sure it only serves to confirm for you once again the fragility of family relationships!’

  Dominick’s mouth tightened at the barb. The last five weeks of deliberately staying away from Kenzie hadn’t been easy for him, his emotions fluctuating between wanting to see her again and knowing that he was the last person she wanted to see. Something she had made very plain the last time they had been together.

  The problem—and it was a problem that had grown greater with each passing day—was that he wanted to see Kenzie.

  That last time they were together, making love beside the pool at Bedforth Manor, had been earth-shattering for him, and was a memory he hadn’t been able to get out of his head.

  Kenzie had told him their marriage was over, that she wanted a divorce, and yet could she have made love to him in the way she had if she felt nothing for him?

  More to the point, could he have made love to her in the way he had if he didn’t have feelings for her…?

  He had always been a man completely in control of his emotions, and yet that day beside the pool he had completely lost that control—and had felt truly alive for the first time in months!

  It hadn’t helped that, with Kenzie’s departure that day, the anger that had burned so dangerously in him for the previous four months seemed to have disappeared, leaving him with a feeling of leaden nausea that refused to go away.

  It had always been his intention to actually be present when Jerome Carlton was told that he had lost c
ontrol of his own company, but after that last conversation with Kenzie, and the look of disappointment and disgust she had given him before she had left, he had stayed away rather than have to see that look in Kenzie’s face again.

  Whatever madness had possessed him after Kenzie had left him five and a half months ago had disappeared now, and in its place was only the realization of Kenzie’s hatred, along with the knowledge that in his desire for revenge he had single-handedly destroyed any feelings she might ever have had for him.

  All this time he had thought that was what he wanted, only to learn, once Kenzie had left him for good, that having her hate him wasn’t what he wanted at all…

  No wonder Kenzie had felt sorry for him five weeks ago.

  He would feel sorry for himself if he didn’t abhor self-pity!

  Because he had been the fool, more of a fool than he could ever have guessed.

  But the realization had come too late!

  ‘I don’t think about fragility where your own family is concerned,’ he reminded her softly. ‘I seem to remember that I agreed to come to Kathy’s wedding in order to help you in your effort not to upset or distress your father after his illness…?’

  Something flickered briefly in her deep green eyes, something so fleeting that it had come and gone before Dominick had time to analyse it.

  ‘For a price, Dominick,’ Kenzie said scathingly.

  He frowned darkly at being reminded of that price. ‘I’m not responsible for the rift in the Carlton family, either—Caroline’s greed is responsible for that.’

  Kenzie shrugged. ‘No doubt you made her an offer she would have been a fool to refuse!’

  Yes, he had. And it was obvious what Kenzie thought of such a manoeuvre.

  The self-disgust he felt was as alien to him as the self-pity.

  His mouth tightened. ‘Carlton could always make me an offer I can’t refuse and buy them back from me!’

  Kenzie gave him a searching glance, finally shaking her head in disbelief. ‘Just so that you could have the satisfaction of telling him no? I don’t think so, Dominick!’

  ‘Maybe I wouldn’t say no.’ He shrugged. ‘After all, I’ve achieved what I set out to do—’

  ‘Revenge on Jerome and humiliation for me?’ Kenzie cut in harshly, not sure how much longer she could continue this conversation. Her legs had started to feel decidedly shaky, and little flashes of light were dancing in front of her eyes.

  It was probably because she’d had nothing to eat today, she thought. She had been too nervous about seeing Dominick again this evening to even contemplate the thought of food, and had actually been physically sick this morning due to her apprehension.

  But her shakiness now told her that she should have forced herself to eat something later in the day, because she was definitely in danger of fainting at Dominick’s feet.

  ‘I didn’t—’ Dominick broke off his impatient reply, his brow creasing into a frown as he looked at her closely. ‘Kenzie, are you okay?’

  ‘No, I’m not okay,’ she answered irritably. ‘This situation is even more impossible than I thought it was going to be!’

  He could see that by the pallor of her cheeks and the dark shadows beneath her eyes. And she was thinner than when he had seen her five weeks ago…

  His frown deepened. ‘I think you need something to eat—’

  ‘And I think I just need you to leave me alone!’ she told him, agitated.

  But he couldn’t do that now that he had seen her again, talked to her again. He didn’t know how he was ever going to let her walk out of his life again!

  ‘If you’ll excuse me, Dominick.’ Kenzie grimaced, determined that she wasn’t going to collapse; if she fainted at all then she wasn’t going to be anywhere near Dominick when she did it!

  He reached out to touch her arm. ‘Kenzie—’

  ‘I need to go and powder my nose,’ she continued firmly, shaking off his restraining hand. ‘You’re welcome to join me, of course,’ she added derisively as she saw his frowning expression, ‘but I think it might look a little odd if you were to follow me into the Ladies’ room!’

  Instead it was Dominick’s gaze that followed her longingly as she moved easily across the room, pausing to talk and smile with several of the other guests as she did so.

  An elusive flame not just a shimmering one!

  Well, what had he expected?

  His behaviour five weeks ago had ensured that Kenzie would never willingly be in his company ever again. In fact, she had told him as much before she had left that day.

  But after five agonizing weeks, when he had taken a good hard look at himself—and hadn’t liked what he had seen!—he knew that he was getting exactly what he deserved.

  Even Kenzie’s relationship with Jerome Carlton was no longer so black and white to him as it had once seemed.

  Kenzie had told Dominick that she loved him, but it was a love he had told her he was incapable of returning, so maybe it was his own fault she had turned to Jerome Carlton. Maybe he was responsible for pushing her into the arms of a man who did love her…?

  Except that Dominick didn’t believe Jerome Carlton was capable of loving any woman more than he did himself.

  Jerome Carlton, he knew from enquiries five and a half months ago, was shallow and vain, and completely ruthless when it came to business—a trait Dominick recognized all too easily. His affairs were legendary, and the end of those affairs, when the woman ceased to be of interest—or use—to him, just as legendary.

  But not his affair with Kenzie. At least, not yet…

  Kenzie’s legs carried her only long enough to get safely inside the powder room before she collapsed down onto the side of the plush red velvet seat that dominated the centre of the elegantly marbled outer room, bending down to put her head between her knees as she felt the waves of nausea washing over her.

  This was awful.

  She had known tonight was going to be an ordeal, and had thought she’d been prepared for it—well, as prepared as she could be—and yet she knew she was still in danger of making a complete idiot of herself by fainting!

  She wouldn’t faint. There was no way she would give Dominick that satisfaction.

  Nevertheless, it took some minutes for the dizziness to recede enough for her to be able to go over to one of the marble sinks and splash some cold water on her face, Several other women came into the room in the meantime, and Kenzie smiled at their friendly enquiries as she assured them it was just the heat of the reception room that was making her feel slightly light-headed.

  She was standing in front of the sink, checking her appearance in front of the mirror, when she saw Caroline Carlton enter the room behind her.

  She stiffened slightly before deliberately looking away; the two women had never particularly got on before, and now Kenzie was all too aware that it was Caroline’s selling of her shares in Carlton Cosmetics that had put them all in this tenuous position.

  Caroline pursed her lips as she joined Kenzie in front of the mirror. ‘I suppose you don’t like me very much, either,’ she mocked nonchalantly as she reached in her bag before replenishing her lipgloss.

  Kenzie shrugged her bare shoulders. ‘It’s really none of my business what you choose to do with your own property, Caroline,’ she dismissed lightly, turning away with the intention of returning to the reception room.

  ‘Try convincing my big brother of that!’ Caroline muttered disgustedly.

  Kenzie gave a rueful smile as she turned back to the other woman. ‘I’m afraid I don’t have that sort of influence with Jerome.’

  Caroline gave a derisive smile. ‘That isn’t what Dominick thinks!’

  Kenzie instantly stiffened. ‘Dominick…?’ she repeated awkwardly.

  ‘It really is rather greedy of you, Kenzie,’ Caroline reproved. ‘For months Jerome has been running around granting your every whim, and you obviously still have Dominick enthralled!’

  ‘I don’t think so somehow,’ Kenzie repli
ed calmly. ‘On either count,’ she added firmly, a little tired of people making assumptions about her friendship with Jerome. And as for Dominick being ‘enthralled’ with her…!

  ‘Please yourself,’ Caroline drawled, obviously bored with the subject. ‘I only came in here to see if you’re okay, and you obviously are, so—’

  ‘Why on earth would you care if I’m okay or not?’ Kenzie frowned her surprise.

  ‘I don’t—but Dominick does,’ Caroline informed her cattily. ‘He sent me in here to check on you like I was some errand girl—’

  Kenzie didn’t hear what Caroline said next as the light-headedness returned with a vengeance, all the colours of the rainbow seeming to dance briefly in front of her eyes before she was engulfed in total blackness.

  Chapter 13

  Kenzie felt totally disoriented when she woke up. She didn’t recognize the bedroom she lay in and she definitely didn’t have any idea how she had come to be here.

  But as she began to look around the dimly lit room she did recognize the man standing so tall and forbidding in front of one of the windows as he gazed bleakly over the New York skyline.

  ‘Dominick…?’

  Dominick turned sharply at the husky sound of Kenzie’s voice, his expression lightening as he moved to sit on the side of the bed. ‘No, don’t move,’ he instructed firmly as she began to push herself up. ‘The doctor should be here in a few minutes,’ he added with impatience.

  ‘But—’

  ‘Please don’t move, Kenzie.’ Dominick reached out to lightly grasp her shoulders as he gently pushed her back against the pillows. ‘We have no idea what’s wrong with you yet, and until we do I think you should just lie still,’ he advised softly, instinctively reaching up to smooth her dark hair away from her pale face. His hand dropped away, a nerve pulsing in his tightly clenched jaw, as she just as instinctively moved away from his touch.

  She moistened her dry lips. ‘What happened? One minute I was talking to Caroline, and the next—Where am I? More to the point, how did I get here?’ She frowned her confusion.