Steele 05 - Irresistible Forces

Once Dominic had her settled in the backseat with him, ignoring Ryder, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her again, long and leisurely.
    When he finally released her mouth he whispered against her moist lips, “Come to the hotel with me and let me fix you breakfast.”
    She took a deep breath. “You’re cooking?”
    He smiled. “Yes.”
    “Then there’s no way I’ll turn you down.”
    He gave her a soft chuckle. “I was hoping you would say that.”
    * * *
    It was late afternoon before Taylor finally entered her apartment. After Dominic had prepared breakfast—and he’d done a good job of it, she would have to admit—they took a walk around the grounds of the hotel, which eventually led to Rock Creek Park. It was a beautiful day for a walk and she couldn’t get over just how attentive Dominic had been to her. His parents called and when he mentioned she was there, they wanted to talk to her. They were overjoyed at the thought of having a grandchild and couldn’t wait to meet her. Dominic promised to fly her out to L.A. when she was free to do so.
    When they returned to his suite at the hotel, they had showered together and made love. Instead of staying in bed the rest of the day as she’d figured they would do, they had dressed and gone downstairs for brunch. Then he had taken her to the recreation room for a game of pool. He was surprised she knew how to play, and she had explained that she thanked her four cousins for acquiring such a skill. She had truly had fun, although he had beaten her each and every time.
    They had returned to his suite and had made love again before he had brought her home. He had walked her to the door, promised to call once he arrived in London tomorrow, kissed her and then had left after seeing that she was safely inside.
    Too tired to unpack her clothes, Taylor cuddled on the sofa and thought about her day with Dominic. Although neither had officially declared it to be so, they were lovers. They were doing all the things that lovers did.
    She shook her head. This part of their relationship had not been planned. It just happened. Their week together on the island had done more than create a baby, it had created an unquenchable hunger for each other. She couldn’t help wondering—when would the intense craving come to an end? When would he decide that he wanted another flavor of the month and move on?
    She knew that because of the baby her life would always be connected to his in some way. But she also knew that she needed to prepare herself for the time when he would tell her he was no longer interested in her. In her job she was a risk taker, and one thing a risk taker knew was those risks to walk away from. She could not let Dominic break her heart, and unless she did something that was just where she was headed.
    She had never been a needy person and she wasn’t going to start being one now. She’d known when she had proposed the idea to Dominic that she would be sailing solo and nothing had changed. Time away from Dominic was what she needed. It was better if she got out of the situation now, on her own, before he forced her out.
    With a heavy heart and a made-up mind, she pulled herself off the sofa and headed toward the bedroom to get ready for bed.
    * * *
    “Ms. Steele, Mr. Saxon is here to see you.”
    Taylor frowned. That couldn’t be. Dominic had called her that morning from England and said he would be in business meetings all day. There was no way he could be back in the States.
    “Mr. Saxon?” she asked, making sure she’d heard her secretary correctly.
    “Yes. Mr. Franco Saxon.”
    Franco Saxon? Taylor pondered the name around in her mind. The only Franco Saxon she knew—or rather had heard of—was the wealthy Frenchman who’d made his millions through his shipping company. Could he be one and the same and why was he coming to see her?
    “Ms. Steele?”
    “Oh, yes. Please send him in.”
    Never in a thousand years would Taylor be prepared for the sharply dressed, gray-haired older man who walked into her office. He had such charisma and style that she immediately recognized him as someone who had to be related to Dominic. But then there were the features, so like Dominic’s it was amazing. It was as if she was staring into the face of a much older Dominic. The man was tall and very handsome. It was evident the man was related to Dominic but in what capacity? Although she had yet to meet Dominic’s father, she had seen pictures of him in