"Huh." For a moment that stumped Jake. Dominic could almost hear his thoughts, This is worse than I thought. "Ok, then. Give the monkeys the rest of the peanuts and head for the airport. Your plane is fueling up at Logan as we speak."
Dominic hadn't become successful without learning how to adapt quickly to changing situations. He turned to his deer wise companion and asked, "Would you like to see Beijing?"
Abby's mouth dropped open. "You mean in China? I don't have a passport."
Dominic addressed Jake again while he stood, pulling Abby up next to him. "I'll be flying out of Boston in a little over an hour. Have a passport for Abigail Dartley waiting in New York along with the paperwork I need. Have Duhamel fly back before us and pack luggage for two. She'll know what I'm talking about. We'll fuel up and fly over tonight."
"You're taking your housekeeper?" Jake asked incredulously.
"Just do it." Dominic clicked his phone shut. He held onto Abby's cold hand despite her attempts to tug it free. Bringing her with him made sense and taking action made him feel calmer, more in control of the situation.
Abby held her ground when he tried to pull her with him along the path. She dug her heels in until he was forced to turn around and look down at her.
She was one stubborn woman.
"I can't go to China. I have responsibilities here. Lil is still sick…" Abby said in rushed tones.
Dominic brushed aside her concerns. "Duhamel sent a nanny over to help her while you were out today. We'll just hire her to stay."
Simple enough. He tried to guide her forward, but she wasn't budging.
"China? I can't just go there … with not even a toothbrush," Abby said. Her hand fluttered within his, giving him the first indication that she wasn't as confident as she appeared.
"We'll buy everything you need. Now come on," he said in a voice that made most businessmen rush to action and most women try to appease him.
She did neither.
"I can't…" she said again, undaunted by his tone.
Now was not the time for her adorable stubborn streak to rear its head. He'd already decided that he wasn't going to China without her. Still, outright ordering her had not been effective so far. He was going to have to try something else.
He reached for her, drawing her fully against him. Desire quickly replaced resistance and proved to be an effective bargaining tool. "I want you to come. You know you want to come. Just this once, don't play it safe."
"China?" she asked weakly, as if she was trying to remember the topic of their discussion.
Dominic swept down to taste the lips she'd licked moist in anticipation. Her quickly indrawn breath brushed her excited nipples against his chest. It was the best yes she could have given him; leaving them both trembling with desire, and him looking forward to the long flight ahead.
Chapter Nine
A few hours later Abby was seated on a long, built-in plush couch that lined one side of the interior room of Dominic's private plane. Despite the fact that she'd had time to explore the whole thing a few times over during their flight from Boston to New York, she was still in awe of the sheer size of it. It was ultra modern with light green accent pillows and trim. There were multiple bedrooms, an exercise room, a shower, a small movie theatre and even a Jacuzzi. Why any plane would have such a tub was beyond Abby, but if she'd doubted Dominic's wealth before, there was no question of it now.
For a woman who had never flown before, this was a surreal, knee knocking adventure. She would have liked to share the experience with someone, but Dominic had been on the phone for most of the flight, giving orders to employees on two continents.
Abby had friends, but none who would believe her if she tried to explain anything about the last two days. Only Lil knew and she'd screamed with excitement at the news that Abby was leaving the country with Dominic. Lil loved the nanny Mrs. Duhamel had sent over and was thrilled that Abby was finally out there living.
Abby wished she were as certain that she'd made the right choice. It was one thing to spend the day with a man she hardly knew, it was another to commit to an international outing. She didn't know where they would be staying, who she would meet while there, or when they would return.
She wanted to dig in her heels and demand the information, but Dominic's entire staff was working in crisis mode. Dominic himself was fielding questions that seemed to dwarf hers in comparison.
Who could order a man to hang up on the President of the United States to provide her with an itinerary of their trip? Which Senator could she interrupt to ask about the hotel they would be staying in?
During this short layover in New York, Dominic was seated at a conference table reviewing the contents of several folders with Jake, a man Dominic had quickly introduced then ushered away from her.