"Damn." Dominic sat back in his chair. "And here you are, turning your life upside down to get back the work he sold to buy your freedom."
She blinked. Bit her lip. "Yes."
"So now you'll agree with me that he'd want you to drop the whole suit idea. Right?"
"It's obnoxious to ask a question that assumes a particular answer."
He put his elbows on the table. "You already know I'm rude. It's part of my charm. And I do want you to agree with me."
"It's not that simple."
He stared at her, his eyes almost black in shadows from the overhead light. "Your mother."
She nodded. "The only time she brightens up and shows any interest in life is when I talk about reclaiming dad's work. If I give up on that, she'll give up on life."
"What's wrong with her? How did it start?"
Bella hugged herself. Her skin felt cold. "After my dad died early last year, she just seemed to disconnect from everything. From everyone." She inhaled slowly. "I had a job at a nanotechnology lab in Northern California. I was totally immersed in my work, at the lab almost eighteen hours a day. Then I got a phone call from our neighbor that she hadn't been eating. That she didn't answer the phone. She was acting strange."
She shivered. "So I flew back here and found she was dehydrated and almost starving. She hadn't been out of the house for three weeks." Her voice started to crack. "I called a doctor. I didn't know what else to do. And they had her committed right away."
Hot tears spilled onto her cheeks. "I shouldn't have called. I shouldn't have let them take her. She went into the hospital and never came out." Her words emerged on a shaky sob. "What if she never leaves?"
She covered her eyes. She was so ashamed of what she'd done. Handing her own mother over to an authority figure as if she were a stray dog she'd found in the yard. She was anxious to get back to the experiment she'd left behind. She'd figured a week or two later, her mom would be better.
Dominic's big, warm arm closed around her back. "Hey, you did what you thought was best. She'll be fine."
She tried not to lean into his reassuring strength. "Don't say that when you don't know if it's true."
She tried to get her breathing under control. "A month later she was still in the hospital and showing no signs of improvement. I quit my job and moved back here. I told her I was at the house, waiting for her to come home. I was sure that would bring her back." She let out a shuddering breath. "But it didn't. She kept murmuring about how my dad would be alive if it wasn't for Tarrant Hardcastle."
His hard cheek was only inches from hers, his expression impossible to read. She stared at the scarred pine surface of the table. "One day I said something aloud about suing to get Dad's work back-I wasn't even serious, just talking, filling the air with sound-and she sat up and grabbed my wrist, with more passion in her eyes than I'd seen in months. How could I not at least try?"
She realized her fists were clenched so tight her nails dug into her palm. "She wants so badly to get his work back from the man she blamed for his death." She glanced up at him, expecting to see censure in his dark eyes, but she couldn't gauge his reaction in the dim light. "And so did I."
She tried to inhale, to calm down. "Now that I've read Dad's letters-"
"You know you were wrong."
She was about to finally admit it with a yes, when a sharp thought slashed into her mind.
What if the letters were a front? The public face of a dirty deal, written under duress to look pretty in the files?
It wasn't impossible. Tarrant Hardcastle was a showman to the core.
"What do you want to do?" He pushed a damp strand of hair from her cheek with his fingers. His soft touch stung her skin.
"I want to get my mom well. Bring her home, of course." Her harsh tone grated against her ears. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you, I'm just-"
"Upset. Hey, anyone would be."
"You think I'm crazy." She brushed the tears off her cheeks and blinked them out of her eyes.
"I don't think you're crazy. I think you're caring."
He didn't take his hand from her hair. Instead he let his fingers roam down to cup her cheek. Rubbed a trail of moisture away with the pad of his thumb. "I also think you need to finish this world-class dinner you made for us, then you need to get some sleep."
With me.
The unspoken words hovered around her and made her crave his embrace, even after he'd said he would soon be gone.
Even though he was the boss's son and he knew she was a fraud, a liar, and-now she had those letters-maybe even a thief.
Seven
D ominic's whole body, every cell, nerve and strip of muscle tissue ached to wrap itself around Bella. He wanted to press his skin to hers and make love to her until she lay in his arms, panting, glowing, and totally relaxed.
But he couldn't.
Bella was under extreme stress, her mother very sick in the hospital. Her job, which was no doubt paying her mother's hefty bills, was now under threat because he'd taken it upon himself to warn Tarrant about her plans.
He stiffened and pulled his fingers from her soft hair.
Her body swayed toward him as if she didn't want him to let go. But he had to. If he took advantage of her now, he was no better than his father, who used women then left them to fend for themselves when they needed him the most.
The temptation was fierce, though. His skin burned with it.
Bella's tears had dried and her usual self-possession returned. Her gray eyes regarded him with cool passion. She smoothed a hand over the front of her dress, pulling the fabric tight over her beautiful, full breasts. The gesture an unmistakable invitation.
His groin throbbed and he fought the urge to cup her breasts and run his hand over her belly. That taut cupid's bow of a mouth begged to be kissed until it was flushed, breathless and quivering.
Dominic cleared his throat and stood up.
If he didn't get out of here this minute he was going to unzip that dress, rip it off, and make love to her right here on the kitchen floor.
"I need to call a cab." His voice was thick.
She looked up, eyes wide. "You don't have to."
"I think it would be better for both of us if I left now." He ran a hot hand through his hair and glanced around for his jacket.
Bella rose from her chair, pushing herself up with her palms on the table. Just the movement of her body in the air next to him sent desire snapping through him. Every sense on alert, he picked up her scent, rich and subtle, with a distinct hint of sex.
He backed up, pressing himself to the wall as she moved past him. Her hip brushed against the wool of his pants, the skirt of her dress splaying on the fabric. He fought the urge to grab it and clutch it in his hands, to take her.
"You could sleep on the couch." She crossed her arms under her chest, which only enhanced its jutting temptation.
Dominic dragged his eyes away and fixed them on the floral sofa with its embroidered pillows. "I don't think I'd fit."
Her gaze stirred sparks under his skin as it traveled from his broad shoulders, down his torso, and along the length of his thighs and calves.
She frowned. "I see what you mean." She hesitated. Bit her delicious lower lip. "You could sleep upstairs. In my parents' bedroom. There's no one there." She shoved her hair off her face. "Well, you knew that. Just that it's a long ride back to the city and the trains don't run often at this time of night." He could see her face heating.
She didn't want him to leave. Maybe she didn't want to be alone after the bad news about her mom.
"Sure." He stood there, not sure quite what to do, which was a damned strange feeling for him.
He wasn't going to have sex with her, not if he had an ounce of self-control left in his body. "It's one o'clock. I'm tired." He lied. He needed to get a closed door between him and Bella.
"Oh, sure, sorry. It's been a long day. I lose track of the time. I don't sleep much." She moved to gather their plates off the table but he beat her to it and carried them to the sink.
"What do you do all night?" He couldn't resist asking.
"Read, mostly. Research abstracts, that kind of thing. It's hard to keep on top of a field that changes so fast."
"You really are all work and no play, aren't you?"
"I play." The overhead light caught her face as she turned to him in protest.
"How?" He felt his expression soften. He could think of plenty of games he'd like to play with her.