“Dominic,” she breathed. Ok, maybe this was
partially why she was here.
“Mmmmm.” He moaned as he moved down to kiss
the exposed curve of her shoulder. One hand slid beneath the short
hem of the dress to cup her buttocks and pull her tighter against
him.
She squirmed against him and all thought of
where they were flew out of her mind. She held onto both of his
shoulders as his kisses moved down to where fabric met skin. He
stepped forward until she was pressed against the wall. His hand
slid forward and met the moist fabric that blocked his immediate
entrance. He didn’t seem to mind; he caressed through the material
until she arched backwards in pleasure, revealing one bare nipple
that he quickly descended upon.
This was no fumbling boy. His touch held a
confident expertise that promised fulfillment for both of them.
A knock on the outer door interrupted them.
Marie’s voice carried through the door of the outer changing room.
“Does the dress fit? Should I get the blue one?”
Dominic groaned against her neck as he slowly
slid the hem of her dress back in place and pulled up her bodice.
“Not now,” he growled.
Mrs. Duhamel’s answered as if she hadn’t
heard him. “If you two want lunch, we really have to get going.
Abby has a couple of other dresses to try on.”
Embarrassment flooded Abby’s face. “Oh, my
god, she knows what we’re doing.”
Dominic cupped her face in both of his hands
and forced her to look up at him. “And has decided we need a
chaperone.” He kissed her deeply until she was quivering with need
for him again. He ended the kiss with one last gentle brush of his
lips across hers and rested his cheek against her curls, encircling
her with a tenderness that belied the brevity of their
acquaintance. For a moment, the only sound in the room was their
mutual ragged breathing and his heart beating wildly beneath her
ear. With one decisive indrawn breath, Dominic set Abby back a step
and said, “Maybe she’s right. For now.”
He moved to open the outer door for his
assistant and gave her a sheepish smile, like that of a son caught
in a guilty act. “All yours, Duhamel. You’re right. We have about
ten minutes before we should go and she can’t wear that dress.”
The older woman entered the room, discrete
enough to pretend she hadn’t interrupted just in time. Before
Dominic closed the outer door behind him, he said, “Just make sure
it’s boxed and added to today’s purchases.”
His wink was about the sexiest thing Abby had
ever seen. She fell back against the mirrored wall.
As Marie approached with a few dresses slung
over one of her arms Abby said, “We were just…I mean nothing….”
Marie waved her free hand and smiled. “You
don’t have to explain anything to me, dear.”
“I just don’t want you to think….”
“What I think, Abby, is that you’re going to
be good for Dominic.”
Abby didn’t think her face could get
redder.
“I know. I know,” Marie quickly interjected.
“I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s none of my business, but I
like you.” She held a dark blue, much more conservative dress up.
“Now, go try this dress on before Dominic wears a hole in the
carpet from pacing out there.”
Abby wondered if Dominic had any idea how
lucky he was to have Marie in his life. She reached over and gave
Marie a spontaneous hug, before taking the blue dress from her.
Marie adjusted her blouse and said, “Don’t go getting all emotional
on me, now,” but her words didn’t negate the pleased expression on
her face.
Chapter Seven
The playful mood of the morning was gone.
Abby sat next to Dominic on a dark leather couch in the corner of
an immense, book lined lawyer’s office. She wanted to reach over
and take his hand, but instead folded both of hers in her lap. Abby
didn’t know much about antiques, but the vase next to her was
obviously quite old and probably worth a decade of her annual
salary. She’d understood what Dominic had wanted at the boutique,
but here, in his world, she wasn’t sure what her role was.
An older, mostly bald gentleman walked in.
His casual gait halted just long enough for him to reveal and then
quickly conceal his surprise that Dominic was not alone. With a nod
that seemed meant for himself, the lawyer addressed them as he
walked toward them.
Dominic stood, but did not extend a hand of
welcome.
“Dominic,” the man said with no sign of
having taken offense to Dominic’s cold greeting.
Dominic seemed to bristle at his familiarity.
“Thomas.”
“It’s been a long time,” the older man said
and turned to collect a few papers from his desk before walking to
a leather chair across from them.
“Not long enough.”
“Still angry, I see.” The observation held a
hint of regret.
“I’m not here to rehash the past. Where is my
sister?” Dominic paced before the couch, his tension filling the
room.
“Her car just arrived downstairs.” His regard
moved from Dominic to Abby.
She stood and accepted the handshake he
offered.
He said, “Thomas Brogos. Long time family
attorney.”
“Abby Dartley.” Unsure how to label herself,
she left it there.
He held onto her hand as if expecting
more.
“Secretary?” he finally asked.
“Middle school teacher,” she answered,
breaking their connection and looking at Dominic’s stiff profile.
He was wound tight enough to pull a muscle. The lips that had
gently caressed and teased her an hour before were compressed in
anger.
“Interesting,” Thomas said, looking from Abby
to Dominic and back. He seemed poised to ask another question, but
Dominic stopped pacing and silenced the man with a simple raised
eyebrow. Subtle body language for a man who looked like he wanted
to hurt someone.
“Please sit,” Thomas instructed.
Dominic sat beside Abby and placed a hand on
her knee, sending another message and successfully discouraging
further questions.
The lawyer nodded, flipped open the folder
and began to organize the papers to piles on a small table between
them.
A tall, thin woman swept into the room in a
huff. Both men stood immediately. Abby stood a second later,
feeling unsure of her role in any of this.
The woman greeted the lawyer warmly, then sat
stiffly in the one remaining chair and brought the temperature of
the room down about ten degrees with the look she gave Dominic. The
resemblance between the two was striking, leaving little doubt of
their relationship. Dominic’s sister wore her black hair pulled
harshly back from her face, accentuating their most striking shared
asset, piercing gray eyes. She was dressed in a female version of
his power suit with simple, albeit expensive, shoes and only the
merest hint of makeup. She was a stunningly beautiful woman who
wanted her ideas to make an impact rather than her looks.
“Nicole,” he said. Without taking his eyes
off his sister, Dominic motioned for Abby to sit on the couch
again. He sat beside her, but felt worlds away. Once again, Abby
wondered how her presence could possibly help him. A man like him
didn’t need reassurance. He didn’t look like he needed anyone or
anything.
“Can we just get this over with?” the young
woman spat and Abby felt Dominic stiffen beside her.
Thomas cleared his throat. He set two
documents on the table before them. “Your father’s will might
surprise the two of you.”
Dominic made a sound of disbelief somewhere
deep inside his chest. He sat back, crossing his ankles in front of
him and folding his arms; a relaxed stance that did nothing to hide
the tension pouring out of him. When that seemed to impress no one,
he said harshly, “Just get to the point.”
Nicole spun on him and snarled, “Yes, say it
quickly so the great Dominic Corisi can get back to his own empire.
You couldn’t make the wake or funeral; it’s amazing you were able
to fit us into your busy schedule at all.”
“I was out of the country,” Dominic answered,
but looked distinctly less comfortable.
Thomas tapped the will with his pen. “If you
two could stop snapping at each other long enough, I’d like to
explain the will.”
Dominic sat forward, muscles bunching at the
older man’s tone, but said nothing. Nicole shifted in her seat like
a child having been told to settle down, but also held her tongue.
They each turned their attention toward him. Abby wondered at their
relationship with Thomas since it was so obviously more than simply
that of a family lawyer.
“Your father changed his will last year when
he had his first heart attack,” Thomas stated blandly.
“First?” Dominic asked. “I had no idea his
was ill.”
“You wouldn’t,” Nicole hissed.
The lawyer continued, maintaining a
professional calm, “He decided to leave what was left of his estate
and his company, Corisi Ltd, net worth of about thirty million,
entirely to Nicole.”
“That news was hardly worth the trip,”
Dominic mocked.
Thomas adjusted his tie nervously. “The
addition to the will was the stipulation that you take the role as
CEO of the company for no less than a year, Dominic. Refuse, and
your sister’s inheritance goes in a trust fund for various
charities.”
Nicole jumped to her feet. “You’ve got to be
kidding! Papa and Dominic haven’t talked in over ten years. Why
would he put him in charge of anything?”
The lawyer blanched painfully. “Corisi Ltd is
poised on bankruptcy. Your father didn’t think you could turn it
around, Nicole, since you’ve never been part of the business.”
Looking like she was about to pass out,
Nicole held onto the back of one of the tall chairs. She responded
in almost a whisper. “Because he never let me.” She wiped a defiant
stray tear from her cheek. “How could he do this to me? He knew I
got my MBA and worked in the same field so I would be ready when
this day came. I know more about the competition than even he
did.”
Dominic stood. “Nicole-”
Nicole jabbed a finger into his chest. “Oh,
you must love this. First you destroy it and now you get to play
the hero? No way! I didn’t survive one dictator to put myself under
the control of another. ”
To Thomas, Nicole said, “You’ll hear from my
lawyers.”
Abby stood when she saw the blood leave
Dominic’s face. She took his hand in hers and the move seemed to
enrage Nicole. She turned to Abby and said, “I don’t know who the
hell you are, but for your sake, I pray my brother dumps you.
Corisi men don’t love; they own. Get out while you still have your
self-respect. Run before he crushes the life out of you.”
Dominic tensed beside her, but Abby only
clung to his hand tighter. She could see the years of hurt on both
sides and was saddened that she didn’t know how to help either of
them reach across it.
“I’ll have my lawyers look over the will,
Nicole,” Dominic said tersely.
Shaking with anger, Nicole adjusted her purse
on her shoulder and began to walk out of the room. “Too little, too
late. You’re not the only one with powerful friends, Dominic. I’ll
have my lawyers contact you tomorrow, Thomas.” With that, she
slammed the door behind her.
After she had gone, Dominic mocked, “Abby,
this is my sister Nicole. Nicole, this is Abby.”
Abby looked sadly up at Dominic and her heart
swelled with sympathy for him. “You should go after her.”
“It’s fifteen years too late for that,” he
said almost to himself.
Thomas said, “She won’t find a loophole,
Dominic. You should help her stabilize your father’s company,
especially since you’re the one who brought it to the point of
bankruptcy. You owe her that much.”
“You heard her; she doesn’t want my help.”
His grip tightened on Abby’s hand, but she didn’t protest. This was
also why she’d come.
“You’d let her lose everything?” Thomas asked
in a tone that implied that only the lowliest of creatures
would.
“I am not going to help save my father’s
company. If there is no way to break the will, I’ll just give
Nicole some money. My father is not going to win just because…”
Thomas gathered some papers and shook his
head. “I guess life does come full circle. Do what you want,
Dominic, but your father finally had the best of intentions when he
wrote this into the will.”
He nodded kindly to Abby, opened the door to
the office and handed Dominic a copy of the will. “Show your
lawyers, son, then come back to see me.”
Dominic took the papers even though he
clearly didn’t want to. He pulled Abby behind him through the door.
She had to double step to keep up. “I won’t be back,” he said over
his shoulder.
“If you don’t return, I’ll know one thing for
certain.” Thomas tossed back from the entrance of his office.
Dominic stopped at outer door, positively
seething and glared back over his shoulder at the older man.
Skidding to a halt behind him, Abby barely avoided slamming into
Dominic at his sudden stop. She would have slipped her hand out of
his, but his attention was firmly planted on the lawyer and no
amount of squirming released his vice grip. “And what would that
be?” Dominic ground out.
Thomas slid his glasses up the bridge of his
nose and stated, “That you finally did become your father.”
Chapter Eight
It wasn’t until they’d reached the interior
of the limo again that Dominic realized he still held Abby’s hand
in a crushing grip. Poor woman, he must have dragged her down the
hallway behind him during his grand exit. He let her go with more
reluctance than he would have liked.
He braced himself for the verbal assault he
knew was coming. It was no more than he deserved. What kind of
idiot invites a woman he barely knows to share one of the ugliest
moments of his life? She had every right to call him her full
vocabulary of insults.