She gulped as Dominic rapped on the tall mahogany door of Tarrant's office.
"Come in," he barked.
Dominic ushered her in first. Bella tried to plaster a confident expression on her face, but she wobbled in her heels when Tarrant blasted her with that famous aqua gaze that had intimidated far tougher opponents.
"I had nothing to do with the article," she stammered, saying anything that came to mind to fill the tense silence throbbing in the large, bright corner office.
Tarrant rounded his desk and stalked toward her across the gray carpet. "It is true, though, isn't it?"
"Um," she hesitated, terrified of saying the wrong thing and souring Dominic's relationship with his father.
"Sure, it's true," Dominic cut in. "But she's done planning to sue."
"Well, I can't live with a traitor under my roof. I've tried, and it's not working out. Miss Soros will be escorted from the building as soon as this meeting is over."
Movement in the corner caught Bella's eye. For the first time she noticed Samantha, standing in a corner, her face taut with worry. Samantha's eyes were fixed on Dominic.
Who didn't budge. "If Bella goes, I go with her."
"Don't be ridiculous." Tarrant walked up to Dominic and clapped a hand on his arm. "You'll forget her in no time. The world is full of beautiful women. I'm only sad I didn't get to know more of them."
Dominic scowled, and Tarrant obviously realized he'd said the wrong thing. "But then, as I've said before, I can see that you're different from me, and that's one of the many things I admire about you."
"Bella is a fine scientist and an asset to the company. Her actions were driven by necessity and loyalty to her family, and if you have an ounce of compassion you'll be sympathetic and look to the future, not the past."
Tarrant faltered. "The future." The words drifted from his tongue. "I won't be here to see that. Well, not much more of it. You will though, my boy."
"Will I?" Dominic cocked his head. "If I stay it'll be on my terms." He took a step toward Tarrant. His bulkier frame cast a shadow over the older man's. "I'm glad to know you, and I'm grateful that you've finally acknowledged me as your son, for my mom's sake if nothing else, but as I've said before, I don't owe you anything."
His words were forceful, controlled, but Bella could see emotion churning beneath the surface of his skin. Laying down this challenge must be hard for him. He now cared deeply about both his father and the company. How would he feel if Tarrant told him to go?
Silence stretched out over several seconds. Tension in the air grew so thick that Bella began to have trouble breathing. She shifted from one heel to the other, trying to keep her balance on the thick carpet. She began to wonder if she'd pass out cold on the floor and wake up in a crumpled heap on the hot sidewalk outside.
Then Tarrant broke into a raucous laugh. "That damn article is right. I am so goddam desperate for you to be my heir that I can overlook anything, even being laughed at in the damn New York press for being a patsy."
"So Bella stays." Dominic's gruff words were a statement, but Bella held her breath as the implied question hung in the air. "She's responsible for turning the academic studies you bought into real-world products that will make money for the company. She should continue to develop her father's work, it's good for all of us."
Tarrant's sharp gaze swiveled to Bella. She tried to hold herself steady.
"Why would you risk your reputation, your career, on a fool's errand to get your father's work back?"
She felt Dominic's body stiffen, probably with an urge to challenge Tarrant's insult, so she raised her hand to stop him.
She was glad to tell them all. "My father was the most brilliant person I've ever met-a true genius, with ideas so revolutionary most people couldn't even understand them. But he was also the sweetest, kindest and most loving man. He never cared much about the real-world application of his theories; for him it was the ideas that were important. I wanted to reclaim his legacy for my mother's sake-and for mine-so we'd see that his dreams lived on and all his hard work would amount to something, instead of being forgotten in a file cabinet."
She gulped for breath once the stream of words ran out.
Tarrant crossed his arms over his chest. "Well. I don't suppose I've ever done anything to be worthy of such filial devotion." He shot a glance at Dominic. No emotion showed in his face. "Can't say I've ever wanted any. Much easier caring for no one and having no one care for you."
He turned his cool gaze back to Bella. She trembled slightly. His jagged features seemed devoid of all compassion.
This is it. He's throwing me out. Dominic will have to choose between us.
Her heart pounded as she thought of everything he'd be losing. Not just the company, but the father he'd never had. He deserved better. He was born to run Hardcastle, and she wouldn't let him be cheated of that because of mistakes she'd made.
"Don't push Dominic out. Please! Especially if there's so little time left. Every day is precious." Her breath came in hard gasps.
Silence stung her ears and she felt every eye in the room on her. She didn't dare look at Dominic. It was as if they were waiting.
She sucked in a breath. "I'll leave right now. Do what you must." Before she'd finished speaking she struck out for the door, her heels silent in the thick carpet. She knew it was the right thing to do. Time to take the burden of decision off everyone else and put it where it belonged, on herself.
Even if it meant losing Dominic.
A hand on her arm stopped her.
She jerked back and her eyes fixed on Dominic's. Dark, intense, filled with emotion, his gaze arrested her. She couldn't breathe. The hum of the lights hurt her ears. All she wanted was to fall into Dominic's strong arms, but from his expression, the tension in his body, she had no idea if he wanted to kiss her or throw her out.
"I told you, you're not going anywhere." His voice was low, thick. "Not without me." The raw emotion in his voice tugged at her heart.
"No one's going anywhere. For crying out loud. Are you both trying to kill an old man?" Tarrant flipped open a humidor on the desk and whipped out a thick cigar. "I'm too old and sick for this kind of drama."
He pointed his cigar at Samantha, apparently expecting a light.
She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes.
"I don't care about the damn smoking laws."
"What about your son's lungs?" Samantha crossed her slim arms over her chic outfit. She was obviously a lot tougher than she looked.
Regret dripped through Bella that she'd turned Samantha's attempt to help into a near crisis. "I'm sorry for everything I've done. I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I just wanted to help my mom."
Tarrant waved a dismissive hand at her babbled apology. "We know, dear." His tone contained more than a hint of sarcasm.
He tossed his unlit cigar down on the desk. "You're all better people than I am, which I suppose is a good thing for this world. Dominic has already shown himself to be more than any man could hope for in a son. I can see he's wild about you, and since he's sharp as a samurai sword, I have no doubt that you are a woman worthy of his affections."
His words jangled together in Bella's brain. Did Dominic feel that strongly about her? It didn't seem possible. But the way his hand still held her arm-firm, supportive, his grip filled with tender passion-Tarrant just might be right.
She looked up at Dominic again. Strong emotion washed over his handsome face.
Tarrant cleared his throat loudly. His eyes were fixed on Dominic. "I'd like to see Dominic take over as president of Hardcastle Enterprises, effective this afternoon."
Tarrant swiveled his gaze to Bella. "I'll let Dominic deal with you. If he wants to make you head of research and set you to weaving cloaks of invisibility down there on fifteen, more power to both of you."
Bella felt a swell of energy from Dominic, and his hand drifted down her arm and settled around her waist. "I accept." His gruff voice almost tickled her ear. He stood so close. "But, I'm afraid you'll have to excuse us for a moment."
He grabbed Bella's hand and tugged her toward the door with such force that she stumbled and he had to halt and steady her. He shoved his arm around her waist, as if to prevent any further mishaps.
The door slammed behind them and Dominic's mouth slammed over hers.
"God, I love you." His words were lost in the hollow of her mouth.