time to settle down and get involved in a serious affair. But Taylor was determined that no matter how involved she was in her career, she would take time out to become a mother. Having a child had always been her lifelong desire, but she hadn’t known to what degree until a few months back when she returned home to attend Morgan’s celebration party, after he won the council-at-large seat in Charlotte, becoming the first Steele to enter politics.
Vanessa’s best friend, Sienna, had just given birth to a little boy, who in keeping with Bradford tradition had been named Dane William Bradford IV. The moment Taylor had held Little Dane in her arms she’d known that she didn’t want to wait any longer to become a mom.
Sighing deeply, Taylor glanced at her watch. Dominic’s driver would be arriving to pick her up any moment and she wanted to be ready. When she saw Dominic again, she definitely wanted to give him a few things to think about. He would discover tonight that she was a lot more than a mover and a shaker. She was a woman who went after what she wanted and more than anything, she wanted Dominic Saxon as her baby’s daddy.
* * *
Dominic glanced at his watch periodically as he paced around his hotel room waiting for Taylor’s arrival. He couldn’t recall the last time a dinner date had him on edge.
Earlier, during a relaxing moment, he had shared a glass of wine with his parents, and as always, he had enjoyed their company. They didn’t always see eye to eye on everything but he couldn’t ask for better parents. They had always been there for him, supportive in every way.
He couldn’t help noticing how worried his father was about Franco Saxon’s health. It had taken Marcello years to finally put the anger behind him and accept the olive branch that Franco had held out after over thirty years. Dominic hadn’t been that forgiving and to this day he had come face-to-face with the man who was his grandfather only twice. The most recent time was the day Franco had flown in from Paris and had shown up at Dominic’s parents’ home in Los Angeles after getting word that his only son—the one he had years ago disowned—had a life-threatening illness. Luckily, Marcello’s condition hadn’t been as bad as all that, but it had reunited father and son. Marcello was of the mind that too much hurt and pain had passed and as long as Franco finally accepted his marriage, all was well. Before he had left to return to France, Franco had given his blessings to the marriage.
Dominic frowned. As far as he was concerned it had come years too late and he had told the old man as much. But it seemed Dominic’s words had fallen on deaf ears since Franco had refused to give up, determined to forge a bond with his only grandchild. Dominic had repeatedly turned down his grandfather’s attempts. A part of him could not put aside the deep animosity he felt and move on.
Before taking a shower he had touched base with his kitchen staff. Dinner would be served here in his suite, which was a first for him. He rarely brought company to his hotel room, but given the topic of his and Taylor’s conversation, it was important that whatever was discussed was done in private.
Hours later, after getting dressed, he paused to think about everything he knew about Taylor.
He knew from past conversations with her that her mother was still alive but that her father had died years back of lung cancer. He also knew she had two sisters and she was the middle child. And he was well aware that her family owned a multimillion-dollar business, The Steele Corporation, where she had a seat on the board of directors. He knew Chance Steele, her cousin, who was the CEO of the company. They had met years ago at a business conference and Dominic found him to be a very likable person.
Dominic also was acquainted with Cameron Cody, the man her oldest sister would be marrying. They moved in the same social circles and had even been involved in a highly successful business venture a few years back. When it came to business Cody was sharp as a tack.
Dominic wondered if Taylor’s family was aware of how she intended to branch into motherhood. She wanted a baby, but not a husband. All things considered, he could certainly entertain the thought of having a baby without a wife. However, before he agreed to Taylor’s proposal there were a number of things he had to think about, questions he needed answered.
On the flip side, he definitely had no qualms about accepting her proposal. He was attracted to her and had been from the first. Making a baby with her would definitely give him the excuse he needed to cross over the line of business only. The thought of having Taylor in bed beneath him while making love to her had kept him aroused all day.
The phone rang and he was jerked out of his thoughts. He quickly moved across the room to pick it up. “Yes?”
“Your guest has arrived, sir. Do you want me to escort her up?”
“No, I’ll be down to meet her myself.”
He hung up the phone feeling, oddly, a bit nervous.
* * *
Taylor glanced around thinking that this was the first time she had been in a Saxon Hotel. It was big and spacious with an understated degree of refined elegance. It was definitely a five-star that was replete with a luxurious-looking grand interior and a uniformed staff on duty to satisfy a client’s every whim. A person could definitely get swept away with such grace and style.
“Mr. Saxon will be coming down for you, Ms. Steele.”
Taylor glanced at the uniformed man who had spoken. He was the same one who had picked her up from her condo and now stood solidly beside her. “He is?”
“Yes.”
She figured once inside the hotel she would be on her own. Apparently not. It appeared Dominic had other ideas. When he had invited her to dinner she’d known they would be dining in his suite. He hadn’t said as much but she had assumed it. He was a private person and the majority of the time when they had dinner meetings he always made it a habit to suggest a private room. It wasn’t uncommon for him to cause a stir, especially among the media who enjoyed writing about the wealthy Saxon heir.
“Here is Mr. Saxon now.”
Taylor glanced in the direction of the elevators and caught sight of Dominic walking toward them. She had prepared herself to see him again. Or so she thought. The man was so extraordinarily sexy, so ridiculously sensual that her entire body began responding. As he crossed the wide stretch of lobby toward her, people, mainly women, stopped to stare.
She suddenly felt her heart take a nosedive into her stomach. He was wearing a tailored suit and blue shirt that fit him with precision and even at a distance she could detect his calm restraint. She was about to look away and place her focus elsewhere, when his gaze suddenly snagged hers. His penetrating stare was doing things to her, forcing her to embark on one hell of a fantastic voyage. Heat rushed through her, zinged her with a force she hadn’t felt before. The man had enough sex appeal to bottle for future generations.
Damn. Definitely not what she wanted to be up against tonight. How was she going to get through a meal with him when already she felt trapped in his gaze? All right, I can handle this. I can handle him. Those words flowed through her mind as he got closer. With a half smile she expelled another breath and forced back the thought that suddenly entered her mind about just how great it would be to share a hotel room with him, a bed, the same intimate space. Hot sex. Heated Sex. Never-ending Sex. And all for a full week. With her lips barely moving, she released a soft laugh. There would be little time for chitchat.
That thought put every nerve ending in her body on red alert. But she refused to give anything away. So she stood there waiting, looking more poised than she actually felt. She was here for a good reason
