The Billionaire's Marriage Bargain (18 page)

Dominick was different today, she realized, frowning as she had a sudden insight into what that difference was.

That ‘ice man’ that had been such a part of their argument five and a half months ago wasn’t there…

The cold implacability of five weeks ago wasn’t there…

Quite what that meant she wasn’t sure, but surely it did mean something?

And what did he want her to know if things didn’t work out between Jerome and herself…?

‘Jerome isn’t going to like your being here.’ She sighed, knowing that didn’t bother her unduly; Jerome had been less than his charming self last night as he had berated her for disappearing with Dominick in the way that she had—as if she had had any choice in the matter!—and she could only expect more of the same from him this morning.

‘I don’t give a—’ Dominick broke off, drawing in a deeply controlling breath before continuing, ‘Jerome Carlton’s likes or dislikes are of absolutely no interest to me,’ he dismissed derisively.

‘You’re the one that’s important, Kenzie,’ he added intently. ‘You, and what you really want.’

He had reasoned last night that the Kenzie he knew couldn’t have made love with him at Bedforth Manor in the way that she had if she was in love with another man. But did that mean that she had been in love with him then?

Kenzie continued to look at him for several searching seconds, giving an impatient groan as the doorbell shrilled out for a second time. ‘Okay, Dominick, stay,’ she accepted as she moved towards the door. ‘But—oh, never mind!’ she dismissed as she gave up on the idea of requesting that there not be any more arguments.

Dominick and Jerome argued every time they met, so why should today be any different?

‘Kenzie!’

‘Yes?’ She turned back wearily, her eyes widening as Dominick strode forcefully across the room, his hands gentle as they moved up to cradle each side of her face as he looked down at her intently.

‘Do you want to marry Carlton?’ he asked huskily.

Kenzie closed her eyes to avoid the intensity of his gaze, knowing that she had misled him last night when she had told Dominick the baby she carried wasn’t his.

‘Kenzie, please!’ he encouraged gruffly. ‘Baby or not, do you want to marry Carlton?’

‘Baby or not’…?

What did Dominick mean?

‘Kenzie, for God’s sake open your eyes and look at me!’ he encouraged emotionally.

She raised her lids at last, looking deep into his eyes, searching, seeing—seeing—

What did she see…?

Something she didn’t recognize. Something she had thought she would never see in Dominick’s eyes. Something that made her breath catch in her throat.

‘No,’ she breathed shakily. ‘No, I don’t want to marry Jerome,’ she admitted softly.

Dominick continued to examine her for several long seconds, just touching her like this making his hands tremble. ‘Good,’ he finally murmured. ‘Because there is another alternative to marrying Carlton or bringing the baby up on your own.’

‘There is…?’ She frowned in confusion, still staring at him.

Dominick gave a rueful smile. ‘It may not be one you want to take, but—I want you to know it’s there nonetheless.’ He drew in a ragged breath before continuing. ‘You could stay married to me.’

Her eyes widened. ‘But—’

‘I should go and let Carlton in before he breaks the door down,’ he encouraged, releasing her from his grip as Jerome thundered on the door again.

Kenzie was stunned, moving to answer the door as if in a daze, not absolutely sure what Dominick was saying to her, or why he was saying it.

Just as she wasn’t certain what emotion she had seen in Dominick’s eyes a few minutes ago, only knowing what her first instinct had been.

Love. Bright. Shining. Intense. Love…?

She must have been mistaken, Kenzie had convinced herself by the time she got to the door. Dominick didn’t love anyone; he wouldn’t allow himself to love anyone. Least of all her.

But if he didn’t love her then why had he told her, when he believed she was expecting another man’s baby, that she had the option of staying married to him…?

‘About time,’ Jerome snapped as she finally opened the door. He looked his usual suave self this morning in a dark suit and pale blue shirt with a neatly knotted blue and navy striped tie. ‘What the hell do you mean by—’

‘Would you come through to the sitting room, Jerome?’ Kenzie made the request an order. ‘I’m not accustomed to having conversations out in the hallway for everyone to hear.’

He scowled his displeasure. ‘Maybe if you hadn’t kept me waiting outside for ten minutes—’

‘It was hardly ten minutes—’

‘You—’

‘I should accept Kenzie’s invitation if I were you, Carlton,’ Dominick growled from the doorway into the sitting room. ‘My own would be far less polite!’

Jerome turned sharply to look at the other man, his gaze narrowing. ‘I should have known! Spent the night, did you, Masters?’ he taunted before giving Kenzie a derisive smile.

Kenzie felt her cheeks pale, having seen Jerome in a very different light last night.

‘Whether or not I spent the night with my own wife is none of your damned business!’ Dominick told Jerome harshly as he moved protectively to Kenzie’s side, touching her arm lightly as he did so. ‘Why don’t we all go through to the other room and try to be civilized about this?’ he prompted softly as he felt Kenzie tremble.

This sort of scene couldn’t be good for her in her condition, he realized crossly. His presence here was probably making the situation worse, he acknowledged regretfully, at the same time knowing that he couldn’t be anywhere else, that wherever Kenzie was in future was where he wanted to be too…

‘Civilized?’ Jerome Carlton repeated scornfully as he strode forcefully into the adjoining room. ‘You made sure there was no possibility of that when you bought control of my company!’

‘Of the family- controlled company,’ Dominick corrected pointedly, at the same time maintaining his hold on Kenzie’s arm.

‘Yes, my family,’ the other man said. ‘And now you’re the one calling the shots!’

Kenzie looked at the two men in frustration before moving away from Dominick to sit down in one of the armchairs.

All she had wanted to do this morning was smooth things over with Jerome before leaving New York to go back to England, away from both men. Instead the two of them were having an argument in her apartment, like stags clashing antlers!

An inevitable argument, she accepted. But she wished they could have chosen somewhere else to have it!

Dominick thrust his hands into his jeans pockets. ‘And what if I’m not?’ he challenged softly.

‘Not what?’ Jerome came retorted.

‘The one calling the shots,’ Dominick said mildly.

Kenzie looked at him in confusion, not understanding him any more than Jerome obviously did as he gave a disbelieving snort.

‘Are you telling me that although you’re now the major shareholder of Carlton Cosmetics you have no intention of interfering with my running of the company?’ he said sceptically.

Dominick looked at the other man with mocking eyes. ‘No, I’m not saying that at all—’

‘I didn’t think so!’ Jerome Carlton snapped.

‘Carlton, if you were any good at running the company then it would never have got into the difficulties it did a couple of years ago—’

‘We got through that,’ the other man defended.

‘Only because you sold off forty-nine per cent of the shares and then contracted Kenzie to be your new face,’ Dominick said provocatively. ‘Your father built up the company, but since he retired five years ago and left it to your management it’s been going steadily downhill—’

‘That’s a lie!’ the older man came back angrily.

‘It’s the truth,’ Dominick insisted quietly. ‘You may be the eldest son and heir, but of Jack Carlton’s two sons you aren’t the one who should have been running Carlton Cosmetics the last five years.’

Jerome snorted. ‘You think my little brother Adrian could have done better?’

‘From the enquiries I’ve made, I know he could,’ Dominick assured him grimly. ‘I take it you haven’t spoken to your brother this morning?’ he added mildly.

‘To Adrian?’ the other man questioned in surprise. ‘Why would I have?’

Yes, why would he? Kenzie wondered, mesmerized by this conversation in spite of herself.

Until the last few weeks she had only ever known Jerome as the charming sophisticate he chose to show, but having witnessed his behaviour last night and this morning she knew he was anything but that. Now he seemed to be nothing but a blustering bully who was completely outclassed by the calmly controlled Dominick.

The two men were so different in looks too, Jerome with all his golden boyish good looks, and Dominick so dark and brooding, but of the two Kenzie knew which one she had always preferred. There was simply no contest!

Although Dominick had always refused to believe that.

Did he still believe that…?

Their conversation before she had answered the door to Jerome seemed to imply otherwise.

‘I had breakfast with Adrian this morning,’ Dominick informed them both. ‘We had a very interesting meeting, and I believe when you next speak to him you will find that he is in possession of an extra fifty-one per cent of Carlton Cosmetics shares and as the major shareholder is now completely empowered to run the company as he sees fit.’

Kenzie gasped. Dominick’s breakfast meeting this morning had been with Adrian Carlton, Jerome’s younger brother…?

Jerome’s handsome face darkened angrily. ‘I don’t believe you,’ he finally replied. ‘Adrian doesn’t have the sort of money to buy that amount of shares.’

Kenzie could see, from Dominick’s self-assured smile, that he was in fact telling the truth.

‘Oh, he didn’t buy them from me,’ Dominick said sardonically. ‘I’m signing them over to him later this afternoon. In exchange for his agreeing to release Kenzie from what’s left of her contract.’

‘You—’

‘That was extremely arrogant of you, Dominick!’ Kenzie gasped disbelievingly.

‘You didn’t let me finish, Kenzie,’ he told her softly. ‘Adrian will agree to release you from the contract only if you choose to be released,’ he added firmly.

‘And why would I want to do that?’ She frowned.

‘Because you’re pregnant,’ Dominick pointed out softly. ‘How do you think you’re going to carry on working when you’re seven, eight months pregnant?’

‘Surely that was for me to decide, not you?’ She shook her head.

‘You’re pregnant?’ Jerome interrupted coldly. ‘That’s the reason you fainted last night?’ He stared at her exasperatedly.

‘That’s the reason she fainted last night,’ Dominick clarified, knowing that he hadn’t explained himself to Kenzie properly, and that she saw his behaviour as high-handed. But really he was only trying to give her a let-out if she wanted one, the let-out he knew she had been seeking the last five weeks…

‘I don’t believe this!’ Jerome shook his head as he began pacing the room impatiently. ‘This is just—unbelievable,’ he muttered inadequately. ‘Did you get her pregnant on purpose?’ he accused Dominick. ‘Were you so determined to get her back that you made her pregnant to do it?’ he scorned.

Kenzie’s cheeks were flushed now. ‘Don’t be ridiculous, Jerome—’

‘You did, didn’t you?’ Jerome took no notice of her as he scowled at Dominick.

‘Jerome, don’t be so—’

‘No, let him speak, Kenzie,’ Dominick cut in evenly, keeping very still as he looked at the other man through narrowed lids. ‘What makes you so sure the baby is mine?’

Jerome snorted. ‘Who else’s would it be?’ he snorted. ‘Kenzie is so damned prudish she should take the veil! At least, she could have done,’ he added insultingly. ‘I’m not sure they accept pregnant nuns—What the hell—?’ he choked as Dominick grasped him by his shirt front and all but lifted him off his feet. ‘Take your hands off me, Masters!’ he blustered as Dominick thrust his face into his.

Letting this man go was the last thing Dominick wanted to do as the truth hit him squarely in the chest. A truth Kenzie had always insisted upon, and which he had refused to believe!

He had taken this man’s word over Kenzie’s, and had instantly believed Carlton when he had told him that he and Kenzie were involved.

It had all been a lie! A lie Carlton seemed to have forgotten completely in his anger.

‘You lied to me, Carlton!’ he denounced as he pushed the other man away from him. Touching Jerome Carlton now made him feel ill. ‘Why did you tell me that you and Kenzie were having an affair?’

‘You told him what?’ Kenzie choked incredulously as she stared at Jerome in disbelief.

‘I told him that the two of us were involved in a mad, passionate affair that was beyond both our controls,’ Jerome sneered. ‘And that the only reason you were hesitating about coming to New York with me was because you didn’t want to hurt him!’

‘But—but why would you do such a thing?’ Kenzie questioned in a daze, completly shaken by this revelation.