of her child, there was no doubt in her mind that she could handle him. What she hadn’t done was take the time to consider all of the consequences.
She traced her lips with her tongue, still tasting him there. She hadn’t counted on not being in control of any situation with him, but if that kiss had lasted any longer than it had, she would have lost control. Completely. She had been kissed before, several times, but she had never considered or remembered the occasions as being the highlight of her life. One kiss was the same as another. Mouths connecting. Lips tasting. Tongues playing.
But what she had shared moments ago with Dominic was all those things and more. She hadn’t counted on the rush of desire that had radiated through every part of her body at the same time that her insides began a slow meltdown under intense heat. She wished she could claim her reaction had been the result of restless energy being tapped or the release of bottled-up sexual tension. What Dominic had done was place an all-out assault on her senses, each one of them, and it would take her some time to recover from the tingling rush of desire she still felt. It was desire of a magnitude that had never invaded her body before. Even now she could imagine his hands on her, stroking her naked skin, his lips tasting every inch of her willing body and their bodies connecting in the most primitive way known to man. There was no doubt in her mind that when and if they shared a bed they would literally burn up the sheets.
“Sorry about the interruption.”
She slowly turned around. He might have been sorry about it, but she had welcomed it. It had given her time to pull herself together or at least try to. “No need to apologize. You’re a businessman who works 24-7.” She smiled. “As your asset manager I can certainly appreciate that.”
Her eyes roamed over him, liking the way his muscles filled out the suit he was wearing. There were a number of other things she could appreciate at that moment but decided it would be safer not to think about them right now.
When he stood there staring at her without saying anything, she felt a bit cornered, placed under his personal microscope, and she couldn’t help wondering what he was thinking. So she decided to ask. “You seem absorbed in some intense thought, Dominic. What are you thinking?”
A smile stretched his lips as he crossed the room to her. And when he reached out and ran the back of his hand along her cheek, the throbbing between her legs intensified. “I was more envisioning than thinking,” he finally said in a deep, husky tone. “I was trying to picture in my mind you pregnant with my child.”
Taylor bit her lip. He should have said anything but that. She knew at that moment her fate was sealed. He had made a decision or was close to making one. And although what they would agree to do would be illogical, definitely outlandish to some people, to her it would be absolutely incredible, a dream come true.
“Does that mean you’ve made a decision, Dominic?” she asked in a quiet voice. Her pulse was racing a lot faster than her calm words would indicate.
“Yes. And I just hope it’s what you really want. You would not only be giving me a child, but also my parents their first grandchild. I might as well warn you that it won’t be easy being the mother of the Saxon heir.” Dominic’s mouth set in a grim line when he added, “That might be something you need to really consider.”
She knew how it was when it came to first grandchildren. Her cousin Chance’s son, Marcus, had been the first for her aunt and uncle and she had been around to experience the hoopla that for years seemed endless. “I would welcome your parents’ involvement in our child’s life, and if they get too overbearing I believe that I’d be able to handle them.”
When he didn’t say anything for a while and she felt the throb in her body becoming an ache, she asked, “What is your decision, Dominic?” She stared into the intensity of his green eyes, wanting to hear him say it, refusing to assume anything.
“My decision, Taylor, is to take you to that island, spend a week with you and get you pregnant.”
Taylor’s breath caught in her throat. His words had been straightforward. No way for any misunderstanding. He had agreed to what she’d asked for. Confident that he could. He was giving her just what she wanted and she couldn’t hide her happiness. It was there in her smile. She felt overwhelmed. Touched. Totally elated. “Thank you. It’s what I want.”
She didn’t miss the look of desire in his eyes when he said in a deep, husky tone, “Me and you both.”
* * *
Dominic knew it was time for Taylor to leave or else he would be considering things that he should not have—not at this point. Deciding to be the father of her child was enough for now.
“Did you enjoy dinner?” he asked, trying to control the situation.
“Yes.”
“Good. It’s getting late. I’ll walk you downstairs for Ryder to take you home,” he said, grabbing his jacket off the back of the sofa and slipping into it.
“I’m going home for the weekend,” she said casually. He knew home to her was Charlotte, North Carolina.
“If you change your mind about anything while I’m away then—”
“I won’t be changing my mind,” he said in an assured tone as they walked toward the door. “In fact, I’ll give my attorney a call to draw up the necessary papers.” At her surprised look he said, “I’m sure you know that I’ll feel better about the situation if we treat it like a legitimate business deal—which it is. That means a binding contract between us that we can agree on.”
“Of course.”
He glanced over at her. She said the words but to his way of thinking sounded none too pleased. Had she thought he would give her a verbal agreement on anything and not follow it up in writing? Not only would doing so protect him but it would protect her, as well. All he had to do was recall what had happened to his childhood friend Matt Caulder.
Matt had fallen in love and had gotten married a few years back. The woman had been bad news from the first, but love had blinded his friend to that fact. Within months the woman had gotten pregnant and had tried using the child as bargaining power whenever she’d wanted anything. Luckily, Matt had been able to take Rhonda to court and prove he was the better parent.
He couldn’t imagine ever having to take Taylor to court for anything, but still he wanted his rights regarding any child they made together protected.
“I’ll arrange for my attorney to get the papers to you within a week. That will give you time to let your own attorney review them,” he said as they walked toward the bank of elevators. “Do you have any idea when we’ll be leaving for the island? There’re a few business matters I’d want to wrap up before then.”
“In two weeks. I’m contacting my travel agent tomorrow to set everything into motion. I’m looking at the first week in April. Will that work for you?”
Whether it did or not, he intended to make it work. A week spent on an island with her was worth shifting anything around that needed to be changed. “Yes, it will work.”
When they stepped onto the elevator she said, “Sorry I didn’t get to meet your parents.”
He nodded. He was sorry, as well. They would like her. “They were meeting friends but I thought that perhaps they would return early. I was wrong. However, considering the circumstances
