Men of Power
Dominick didn’t let his guard down often. And last night he had made it pretty plain that with her he didn’t intend letting his barriers down at all.
Nevertheless, it was still a little unnerving to see Dominick so relaxed and at ease with her mother. Unless it was all an act? Was this all an effort on his part to show he was keeping to his side of their bargain?
That was probably nearer the truth!
‘Am I interrupting something?’ Kenzie finally murmured.
Dominick’s laughter faded quickly, his expression mockingly questioning as he turned to look at her.
Confirming to Kenzie that he really was just continuing the act, and that he intended giving her no reason whatsoever to complain about his behaviour in front of her family.
Her mother continued to smile. ‘Dominick and I were just thinking he looks like one of those male strippers—just before he whips his clothes off and leaves on only the bow-tie.’
Kenzie deliberately didn’t look at Dominick again as her dark brows raised towards her mother. ‘And when did you last see a male stripper?’
The last time Kenzie had seen Dominick, he had actually been naked so there was no way she could meet his gaze at the moment!
‘Never.’ Her mother gave an exaggerated sigh of disappointment.
‘Mother!’ Kenzie chuckled affectionately.
Nancy shook her head ruefully as she gave a smile that encompassed Dominick as well as Kenzie. ‘That’s the trouble with you youngsters—you think you were the first to discover the attractions of the naked body!’
‘Not me,’ Dominick drawled, having discovered this morning that, in spite of his usual reticence, he actually liked this older version of Kenzie. He was finding it very hard to remain aloof from the happiness this family felt on the day of the youngest daughter’s wedding. ‘It’s obvious that you and Donald discovered it at least four times in the last thirty years!’ he teased.
Nancy gave a becoming blush. ‘I guess I deserved that one!’ She grinned. ‘Kenzie, I have to go and telephone the florist and find out why the flowers haven’t arrived yet, so I’ll leave you to get Dominick some breakfast.’ She gave her daughter an affectionate pat on the cheek as she moved to the door. ‘Don’t forget we’re leaving for the hairdresser’s in half an hour,’ she reminded her before going to make her call.
Now Dominick and Kenzie were alone in the kitchen, although it was obvious from the closing of doors overhead, and the sound of loud voices, that they were far from the only people in the house.
Dominick reached up and unfastened the bow-tie from around his neck to hold it loosely between his fingers as he looked across at Kenzie.
She looked about sixteen this morning, dressed in those jeans and a fitted green tee shirt the colour of her eyes, the silky length of her hair secured in a band.
She raised her long dark lashes and met his gaze, memories of their time together last night deep in their depths.
They were the same memories that had haunted Dominick for the rest of the night as he’d sat down here in the kitchen drinking coffee. Half of him had wanted to go back upstairs and finish what they had started, but the other half of him had known this wasn’t the time or the place. What happened between him and Kenzie in the future had to be on his terms. Anything else was unacceptable.
Kenzie had walked out on him, and he didn’t intend letting her get away from him again until he had exacted his pound of flesh in payment for that.
Literally!
In the meantime he was determined to keep strictly to his side of the bargain, giving Kenzie no way out of fulfilling her side. None at all. However unacceptable to her his terms turned out to be…
‘Your mother mentioned something about breakfast,’ he reminded her abruptly, more for something to say than any real appetite. Although he had so much coffee in his system it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to eat something.
Kenzie drew in a ragged breath. Whatever she had been expecting Dominick to say it certainly hadn’t been something as prosaic as requesting breakfast.
Although the alternative, discussing what had happened last night, wasn’t a good idea, either!
‘Of course.’ She moved to search through one of the cupboards. ‘I’m afraid we’re more geared to the wedding today than—ah, toast or cereal, or both?’
‘Cereal will be fine,’ he assured her dismissively. ‘What are you having done to your hair?’ he questioned as he got the milk from the fridge and carried it over to the table.
‘It’s going to be styled into curls with peach-coloured flowers entwined,’ she answered, her thoughts elsewhere as she carried over a couple of boxes of cereal and two bowls to the table, placing them down before sitting opposite him. ‘Dominick—’
‘I had no idea there was so much planning and organization involved in a wedding,’ he cut in determinedly, knowing by the frown on her face that he wasn’t going to like what she’d been about to say. ‘Ah,’ he murmured, looking at the two cereal boxes, ‘Flakes or flakes!’
She grimaced. ‘Everyone is a little—distracted, today.’
‘Understandable in the circumstances.’ He nodded, pouring the milk over his cereal.
They couldn’t even talk to each other any more, Kenzie realized with a pained wince as she poured herself a cup of black coffee, acutely aware that Dominick hadn’t found the same awkwardness when talking to her mother earlier, or having fun over a bow-tie.
‘You missed out on all of this, didn’t you?’ he suddenly remarked thoughtfully.
Kenzie blinked, looking up at him with a frown. ‘Living at home? But I moved to London years ago—’
‘I’m not talking about the living at home, Kenzie,’ he said impatiently, putting his spoon down in the barely touched cereal and pushing the bowl away, the darkness of his gaze easily holding her. ‘Wouldn’t you have liked your wedding to be like this? The excitement of a church wedding, with all your family around you, instead of being whisked off to LasVegas in the way that you were?’
‘Well…yes, it would have been nice,’ she acknowledged slowly. ‘But it wasn’t what you wanted—’
‘I don’t believe I was talking about what I wanted,’ Dominick stated, sitting back in his chair to look at her analytically.
Kenzie avoided meeting his piercing gaze. ‘I don’t think talking about this now serves any purpose whatsoever, Dominick,’ she told him wearily, pushing away her empty coffee-cup.
‘Why’s that?’ he challenged. ‘Has Carlton already promised you the white dress when the two of you get married?’
Kenzie drew in a sharp breath at the deliberate provocation. ‘Even if he felt that way about me—which he doesn’t!—I have no intentions of marrying Jerome Carlton. Or indeed any other man. Believe me, Dominick—’ she stood up ‘—once our divorce is final I will be a lot more cautious before I even think about getting married again!’
Dominick reached out to grasp her arm. ‘The feeling is mutual, I do assure you!’ he grated harshly.
‘We only have another twelve hours or so to get through together today, Dominick, can’t we at least try to be civilized about this?’ she reasoned, grimacing.
‘I think I’m being extremely civilized,’ he bit out evenly.
He probably was for him, she thought heavily. Dominick was a man who took what he wanted when he couldn’t get it any other way, and having her walk out on him, on their marriage—and, as far as he was concerned, into the arms of another man—must have dented that Masters pride more than a little.
More than a little? Having her walk out on him in that way had probably infuriated him!
What a fool she had been to put herself back in his power like this. Worse, she had now given Dominick the ideal opportunity he needed to exact his revenge. Not even the happiness she had seen on her father’s face last night was enough to take away the trepidation she felt about that!
She twisted her arm in an effort to release it from his grasp, but only succeeded in tightening his grip. ‘You’re hurting me, Dominick,’ she told him quietly.
His smile was humourless. ‘You don’t know the meaning of the word!’ he rasped as he released her abruptly.
‘More than you do, I’m certain!’ Kenzie replied angrily, resisting the temptation she had to rub the reddened skin of her wrist. ‘I’m sure my parents will understand if you want to make your excuses and return to London tonight instead of in the morning,’ she told him briskly. ‘I can easily get a train back tomorrow. And this way you can get back to your own life all the sooner.’
She really wanted him out of here, didn’t she? Dominick realized in frustration.
Out of her family home.
Out of her family’s life.
Out of her life.
And for the last four months he had thought that was the best thing for them too, that he should never have married Kenzie in the first place, and that her leaving him only served to confirm the cynicism he had always felt for the institution.
Nevertheless, standing impotently by as Kenzie walked out of his life had been the hardest thing he had ever done. Not that there had ever been the least possibility that he would ask her to stay, but after nine months of being married to her, suddenly finding himself once again living alone, eating alone, and sleeping alone, had been much harder than he had thought it was going to be.
For weeks he had raged about the place, critical of everything and everyone, so angry with Kenzie, with Jerome Carlton, but mainly with himself, because he’d known that in spite of everything he still wanted her.
But, he had told himself, he had lived alone before Kenzie came into his life, and he would survive on his own now that she had chosen to go.
And he had survived. If continuing to wake, work, eat and sleep could be called surviving…
But now Kenzie was back. Not to stay, but back nonetheless, and he had every intention of slaking his thirst for her delectable body once and for all!
His mouth twisted humorously. ‘I’m not going anywhere, Kenzie. We leave here together tomorrow as planned.’
She drew in a ragged breath, having been afraid that would be his answer. ‘If you’ll excuse me? I have to go and get ready to go to the hairdresser’s.’ She didn’t so much as glance at him again before leaving the room, hating what they were doing to each other, but unable to find a way to stop it.
If what she suspected was going to be Dominick’s revenge, then this destruction was only going to get worse…
CHAPTER SEVEN
KENZIE was as tense as a young colt as she sat beside him at the wedding reception, Dominick noted with a scowl. The meal was over, the speeches just coming to a close, and Kenzie had been tense through all of it.
What had she thought he was going to do, for goodness’ sake, stand up in the church in the middle of the marriage ceremony and pronounce that marriage, and their own marriage, was nothing but a sham?
That would make rather a nonsense of the last torturous twenty-four hours, and Kenzie should know him well enough by now to know that he abhorred wasting his time, on anything.
He had been more than prepared to play his part today, and had been gracious and charming to the rest of Kenzie’s family as Nancy had introduced him.
What he hadn’t been prepared for was the sight of Kenzie walking down the aisle behind Kathy. The floating green dress she wore, and the flowers entwined in the darkness of her hair, made her somehow look like a fairy princess.
It had given him something of a jolt, he had to admit, but it had been a weakness he had quickly brought back under control. Kenzie was playing a part just as much as he was, and the truth was she was no more a fairy princess than he was Prince Charming!
‘Oh, look!’ Kenzie murmured happily now as her cheeks became flushed, and her eyes glowed. ‘Kathy and Derek are going to start the dancing!’
Dancing?
Of course there would be dancing, Dominick told himself impatiently. Weddings weren’t his favourite things, but he’d had no choice but to attend one or two of them in the past—including too many of his own parents’—and there was always dancing after the speeches.
Had he ever danced with Kenzie?
No, he couldn’t say that he had…
‘Shall we join them?’
Kenzie turned from gazing indulgently at her youngest sister and her new husband, who had eyes for no one but each other as they slowly danced, to look up at Dominick as he stood beside her chair. His expression and eyes were unreadable as he held his hand out to her in invitation.
‘I think it’s expected,’ he growled as she made no effort to get to her feet, and he glanced pointedly at the two sets of parents and her sisters and their husbands dancing.
Of course it was expected, Kenzie acknowledged heavily. She was a bridesmaid. Dominick was her husband.
‘People are starting to stare, Kenzie,’ he whispered as she continued to look at him without speaking.
‘Of course,’ she accepted gracefully, taking his hand as she stood up, knowing that would be expected of her too.
His hand was firm and dry to the touch, and his fingers curled lightly about hers as he led her onto the dance floor. Her breath caught in her throat as he turned to take her into his arms, keeping his hand in hers as his other arm moved lightly about her waist to draw her close against him.
Kenzie could feel her pulse racing as they began to move to the music, she was so physically aware of Dominick: the warmth of his body enveloping her, the softness of his breath gently stirring the loose tendrils of hair at her temples.
He danced gracefully, easily guiding her movements to match his own. Not that she had ever expected anything else. Dominick did everything well. More than well. Business deals. Dancing. Making love…
She stumbled slightly at that last thought. Despite the busyness of the day, the memories of their lovemaking the previous night had never been far from her mind, and being held close to Dominick like this was only increasing her desire for him.
‘Steady,’ Dominick warned as his arms tightened more securely about her. He concentrated totally on her, seeming unconcerned that the other wedding guests were watching the couples circling the dance floor.
Dominick could think of nothing else but holding Kenzie in his arms as they danced. She was almost as tall as him in her heeled green satin shoes, and she was like gossamer in his arms, seeming to float around the floor. The image of a fairy princess became even more acute and yet he could still feel her tension.
‘For goodness’ sake relax, Kenzie,’ he muttered impatiently. ‘One thing you can be sure of, I’m not about to ravish you in the middle of a dance floor!’
Her eyes were like huge green lakes in the paleness of her face as she looked up at him. ‘I never for a moment thought that you were,’ she told him waspishly, her chin raised in challenge.
‘Didn’t you?’ he mocked.
‘No!’ Her eyes flashed. ‘I—the dance has ended,’ she realized with obvious relief, stepping away from him to turn and applaud the bride and groom, her face once more glowing as she watched her younger sister’s obvious happiness.
Dominick’s gaze remained fixed on Kenzie, taking in the arch of her brows, the eyes glowing beneath long dark lashes, the curve of her cheek, those full, passionate lips, and the smooth line of her jaw.
Beautiful.
Kenzie was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
His wife.
But not his wife.
Maybe not, but she wasn’t any other man’s wife yet. And she still owed him…
‘Thank you once again for all that you did this weekend,’ Kenzie told Dominick late Sunday morning as she got out of the car he had parked outside her apartment building.
She felt a surge of relief that it was all over, and she could finally get away from Dominick’s domineering presence.
Not that he hadn’t continued to behave impeccably during the rest of their stay at her parents’ house. It was just the fact that he was there that was so unnerving.
And she hadn’t slept well again last night. Dominick hadn’t seemed to have the same trouble, the even tenor of his breathing telling her that he had fallen asleep almost as soon as his head had touched the pillow.
She had thought only the innocent slept like that—and innocent was something Dominick most certainly wasn’t!
He was out of the car now and standing on the pavement beside her, her overnight bag in his hand. ‘I’ll take this up for you,’ he offered lightly.
‘There’s no need,’ she refused, frowning. ‘I can easily carry it myself.’
‘I’m sure you can.’ He nodded, his smile derisive. ‘But you must realize we haven’t finished discussing this—transaction, yet,’ he reminded her softly.
Kenzie’s shoulders stiffened, her chin lifting as she met his challenging gaze. ‘I’m not in the mood right now, Dominick!’
‘The mood for what?’
Her cheeks flushed with anger. ‘For whatever you have in mind!’
Dominick smiled, his eyes darkening, and his teeth very white against the tanned skin. ‘Right now I have it in mind to take your bag upstairs for you and let you make me a cup of coffee. If I change my mind about any of that, I’ll let you know!’
Despite his mockery Kenzie was still reluctant to invite Dominick up to her apartment. Not because she had anything to hide. She simply didn’t want his presence there, in the private space she had made for herself the last few months. Dominick had nothing to do with her life as it was now, and after being with him again this weekend that was the way she wanted it to stay.
‘Kenzie, didn’t last night prove to you that I’m not filled with unrestrained lust every time I’m alone with you?’ he taunted scathingly at her continued silence.
Her blush deepened. ‘I never thought that you were!’
‘Didn’t you?’ he questioned, a glint in his eye.
‘No,’ she assured stubbornly. ‘Look, Dominick, you’ve had your fun with me—’
‘My dear Kenzie, I haven’t even begun to have fun yet!’ he promised.
His idea of fun and hers were vastly different, then!
‘Besides,’ he added softly, ‘we really do need to discuss what you’re going to give me in return for this weekend.’
‘Give you?’ she echoed sharply.
‘Give me,’ Dominick repeated softly, reaching up to smooth the frown from between her eyes. ‘Don’t frown, Kenzie, you’ll get lines. And then what would Carlton Cosmetics, and especially Jerome Carlton, have to say?’ His mouth had tightened perceptibly.
At that moment, she didn’t give a damn what Carlton Cosmetics—or Jerome!—had to say about anything. She was far more concerned with what Dominick would want from her, what he would demand she give, after he had so generously given up this weekend for her.
It didn’t help that the skin on her forehead tingled where he had touched her!
‘Fine,’ she snapped, taking her bag from him. ‘Then you had better come up and discuss it, hadn’t you?’
Dominick watched with narrowed eyes as she turned and walked away, enjoying the sensual sway of her slender hips in her tight jeans and the way her hair cascaded down the length of her spine.
She was his.
Every sensual, delectable inch of her was going to be his again. She just didn’t know it yet.
He was smiling when he stepped into the lift she had held for him, that smile widening as he could sense her deepening annoyance as the lift ascended. An angry, spitting Kenzie was much easier to deal with than that coolly dismissive one!
‘Come in,’ she invited tersely after unlocking the door to her apartment and going inside to throw her overnight bag down on a chair.
Dominick took his time, looking around him with interest. The apartment was decorated with soft autumn colours interspersed with touches of emerald-green and Mediterranean-blue, and the prints on the walls were of dreamy scenes from the late nineteenth century, with women in floaty dresses and hats, and men wearing frock coats.
In sharp contrast, his own apartment, where he had taken Kenzie after they were married, was very contemporary, with lots of glass and chrome and leather furnishings, the paintings on the walls originals by up-and-coming modern day artists.
He had never realized Kenzie’s tastes were so different from his.
Having spent the weekend with Kenzie’s family in the ex-vicarage set within its acre of garden, Dominick recognized that the village girl in Kenzie was still very much alive.
‘Nice.’ He nodded appreciatively as he turned back to look at Kenzie.
A very tense Kenzie, he thought, who looked as if she expected, despite what he had said downstairs, him to pounce on her at any moment.
Well, she was going to be disappointed.
He’d really meant it when he’d told her he had no intention of collecting on his side of their bargain now. No, he intended to prolong that satisfaction for as long as possible. He’d wanted to make her suffer a little, in the same way he suffered every time he imagined her in Jerome Carlton’s bed!
Kenzie gave an impatient shake of her head, not interested in what he did or didn’t think of her apartment. ‘Just say what you have to say and then go.’ She glared, not at all comfortable with his invasion into her private sanctuary.
Instead of doing any such thing Dominick dropped down into one of her big overstuffed terracotta-coloured armchairs. ‘You aren’t being very polite, Kenzie,’ he drawled. ‘I told you I could do with a coffee after the drive.’
‘It’s usual to ask!’ she snapped irritably.
His dark brows raised mockingly over his amused brown eyes. ‘A black coffee would be much appreciated, thank you.’
‘Have a hangover, do you?’ she came back tartly, thinking she really would end up with lines if she didn’t stop frowning so much!
‘Sorry to disappoint you, but not at all. I only had one glass of champagne at the wedding reception, and from experience it isn’t a drink that gives me a hangover,’ he replied, completely unconcerned by her bad humour. ‘As I’m sure you remember, I happen to prefer my coffee black.’
Getting him the coffee wasn’t the problem, especially as it meant she could escape into the kitchen for a few minutes’ respite from his disturbing company. It was the time he was going to spend in her apartment drinking it that was the problem.
He hadn’t told her what he wanted from her yet, and she very much doubted he would leave until he had.
She didn’t doubt that Dominick was enjoying himself, his air of amusement having become much more pronounced this morning.
Away from her close-knit family, Kenzie was having more trouble, and much less opportunity, to remain aloof from him. Which, of course, was exactly what he wanted.
Damn him.
Dominick relaxed back in his chair as Kenzie left the room, easing the tiredness from his body. Last night, he had pretended to be sleeping, he had lain awake long after Kenzie had finally fallen asleep.
Plotting.
Planning.
Savouring.
He was not going to rush something that was giving him so much pleasure just thinking about it.
‘Here,’ she said briskly. when she returned from the kitchen and handed him the cup of black coffee.
‘Thank you,’ he said with exaggerated politeness. ‘Aren’t you joining me?’ he prompted lightly as she dropped down into the chair opposite to look across at him broodingly.
‘Just tell me what you want from me, Dominick,’ she snapped. ‘And let’s stop playing games!’
‘You really aren’t being very—gracious, are you, now that I’ve kept my side of the bargain?’ he chided.
Kenzie opened her mouth to give him another sharp reply, instead firmly closing it again, her lips clamping together as she realized that he was only speaking the truth.
But he was the one who had made a bargain of this and only after she had told him she really would be very grateful if he would do her this favour…