All He Needs (All or Nothing) (24 page)

“You don’t have to convince me to stay in. I like being alone with you.”

He softly exhaled. “Same here, baby. We’re both tapping into the same good vibe.”

His mother had gotten to him, she thought. And why wouldn’t she? It was all fine and good to sweep all that misery under the rug, but it surfaced from time to time. Or it was deliberately provoked by Letitia Knight.

The cold-hearted bitch had been waiting for him.

I
left our phones charging next door,” Dominic said as they entered his bedroom. “Be right back.”

In a few moments, he returned through the connecting door to his small office, barefoot now. Moving to the bed, he held out Kate’s phone. “Roscoe said I have some e-mails I should look at. He’s been deleting what he can. Maybe Nana left you a message. Did you tell her you were here?”

“Not yet.” Kate turned on her cell.

He grinned. “Or ever?”

She did an eye roll. “I’m thinking about it.”

“Let me know if I should say hi if you call her,” he teased, dropping onto the bed, pulling some pillows behind his head, stretching out beside Kate, and scrolling through his remaining e-mails. He’d deleted the one from Leo with the time and place for his meeting with Gora.

“Jeez! I have another job offer! Wow!” Kate quickly sat up, stared at the screen, read the entire e-mail, then handed it to Dominic. “CX Capital liked my work in Singapore.”

“And why wouldn’t they?” he said with an approving smile. “You’re the cyber wizard who can always find the missing loot.” Setting down his phone, he took hers and read the message he’d been waiting for. “Congratulations.” He handed her phone back. “The money’s not bad either.”

“It’s huge! Well, not compared to your idea of money,”
she said with a small smile, leaning over and placing her phone on the bedside table. “But some of us are used to living on scholarships and ramen noodles. Did you see they have a sublet apartment available for me?”

“They really want you, baby. Although you could stay at my place in London if you like.”

“Don’t be mad if I say no. Okay?”

He smiled. “I won’t be, Miss Independent. See, I’m learning. So, does the job sound like something you’d like to do?”

“Does it ever! They have some major security vulnerabilities they need closed. Is that fun or what?”

Dominic laughed. “Apparently.”

“I don’t have to be there until next week,” she said softly. “I’m glad.”

“Me too. We still have a few days then.” He reached out and pulled her on top of him. “Just us.” He lifted his head from the pillow, kissed her, and, dropping back, said quietly, “I’m happy for you, baby.”

“Thanks. I love what I do.”

“It’s a good feeling, isn’t it?” He smiled. “I’ll fly you to London. Tell them you don’t need a plane ticket. Once you’re settled in, I have to go to Rome. Business,” he added. His meeting with Gora was scheduled for Tuesday.

“Because you’ve put everything on hold for a week.”

He nodded. “Things can wait. I’d rather be with you while I can. Especially if you’re going to be working again.”

The words
I’d rather be with you while I can
triggered all her insecurities about time, or rather their lack of time, exclusivity contract or not. There were enormous dangers
in loving someone like Dominic Knight. No matter what he said, the pattern of his relationships was a huge red flag. As were all the women he’d politely evaded at the party tonight. And her jealousy was like a fire-breathing beast—not even close to tame. So even though she should have left well enough alone, accepted her place in the manifold ranks of women who’d passed through Dominic’s life, and counted her goddamn blessings, she said, “Who’s Bets?”

“Why?” His clear gaze was on her, his voice mellow.

“Because she seemed to really miss you, that’s why.”

“
You
don’t have to miss me,” he said, ignoring her question. “You’re already welcome in my life.” He reached up and touched her cheek with his palm. “I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that.”

“You didn’t answer. Who is she?”

“Bets is someone who needs someone,” he said, the quiet affirmation in his voice not meant to persuade but to confirm.

“Not just any someone. You.”

“I can’t help that. She can’t have me.” He ran a slow hand through her tousled hair. “You can have me if you like.”

She took a small breath, rolled off him, sat up, and gave him a shaky smile.

He suddenly wished like hell they’d never gone to the party. Or that Betsy hadn’t gone to the party. Or that he could think of some excuse that would placate Katherine. His mind was blank; he must be more tired than he thought.

“I know I’m supposed to be coy and not rock the boat with a big-time player like you,” Kate said, her voice very quiet despite the determined look on her face.

Not good
, he thought.
Katherine determined.

“But I’ve never been coy or cautious, so here goes. I love you. You don’t have to love me back. You probably couldn’t even if I wanted you to. But it’s all I can think of—even when I know how colossally stupid it is to love someone like you. It’s on my mind all the time, every minute, every second, so I’m telling you.”

It wasn’t about Bets. That would have been easier.

The silence lengthened.

“Say something.”

His gaze was shuttered. “What do you want me to say?”

“I think I’ve heard that line before. But this isn’t a multiple choice question. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

He smiled faintly. “I’m thinking that I wish you weren’t asking me to tell you what I was thinking.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want to piss you off.”

This time she smiled just a little. “That bad, hey?”

“No, it’s not bad. Nothing about you is bad. It’s just that I don’t know what I’m thinking. My brain doesn’t work like that.”

“Are you uncomfortable? Uncertain?” She grinned, feeling elated now that she’d made her confession; all the pressure of not talking about her feelings was gone. “Are you wishing I’d shut up?”

“Yes.”

Her brows rose. She’d rather know than not know. And it wasn’t as though she seriously expected Dominic to hand her a ring.

“Yes to all that.” An almost inaudible sigh, then his lashes
lifted and he gave her a long critical look. “Look, baby, you don’t understand,” he said softly, his blue eyes surprisingly open now. “No one ever asks me what I’m feeling. And even if they did, I’m guessing those doors were closed and locked long ago. I don’t sort out my feelings, I don’t know how. In any case, they’re irrelevant to the actions I take. My activities are based on pragmatic decisions.”

“Am I a pragmatic decision?”

“I knew you were going to say that,” he grumbled, raking his hand through his hair, hitting his knuckles on the headboard and wincing. He rubbed his knuckles, dropped his hand on the bed. “I don’t know what you are. I don’t know what fucking day it is when I’m screwing you or waiting to screw you and just finished screwing you. You’ve made my life a total take-no-prisoners clusterfuck. This is the second time I’ve walked away from my world for you, because of you… because of my obsession with you. So you might be in love, I don’t know what that means, but I’m fucking
involved
, if that’s what you’re wondering—in ways I’ve never been before.” He scowled at her. “But that’s all I know. Don’t expect me to know what love is. I don’t.”

“Even with your wife you didn’t know about love?” She shouldn’t have said it; she knew she shouldn’t have even before his whole body went completely rigid.

“I’m not talking about Julia,” he said tightly.

“But I want to know,” she said bluntly, staring him down. “So you might as well tell me.”

He didn’t say anything for a long time.

“I can outlast you,” she whispered. “Or maybe I should
start undressing.” She gave him an impudent smile. “That always gets your attention.”

He gave her a nasty look. “I don’t know why the fuck I put up with you.”

“Because I don’t roll over like the rest of them. I make you work for it. So tell me.”

She saw him flex his hands into fists, saw him stretch his fingers wide, figured he was trying to decide how little to tell her.

He looked at her with visible unease and when he finally spoke, his voice was so soft she had to lean in slightly to hear him. “I thought I knew what wanting someone meant. Being with them, doing things together, liking the same people, the same activities, never arguing. I never knew it could be like this, like it is with you.” He took a breath before he went on. “Julia was my best friend, my companion. You’re my obsession, my craziness, my waking dream. So if you’re wondering how I feel? I’m here. When I could be a thousand other places.” A muscle twitched along his jaw. “What I don’t know is how long these feelings will last, whether this—us—will last. Whether we’ll feel the same way about each other at the same time—now, tomorrow… whenever. That’s all unknown and I don’t deal well with unknowns. Also, you’re very young. You haven’t lived much, while I’ve stretched the limits of excess, lived an unchecked and incorrigible life. And while I’m not completely altruistic, your innocence is a consideration. The fact that I might be taking advantage of that innocence is a consideration. You should have choices. And I’m not sure I want to give you those choices.”

“Done now?”

He shrugged. “I guess.”

“Okay. A couple things. First, I don’t love you kindly, like some Jane Austen heroine who’s going to pine away if you leave me. Or at least I won’t pine forever. I’ll find someone else. Everyone does. But right now, right this minute, I love you like I’m on fire, or in the eye of a hurricane; I love you wildly, maybe even violently. I’m not a Bets, whatever her deal is. Don’t get me wrong. I’d miss you like hell. I did last time. But I wouldn’t have come after you. I just wouldn’t. If you don’t want me, I figure it’s your loss.” She grinned. “Arrogant bitch, hey? But then you know about arrogance, don’t you?”

“Probably.” He smiled faintly. “It sounds as if you’ve got this pretty well covered?”

“I’ve been thinking about telling you for a while. And watching all those women tonight, wanting you to notice them, talk to them, give them a smile, made it super clear that if you didn’t want me, I couldn’t make you want me.” Her lashes dipped slightly. “See—maybe I’m pragmatic too.”

“As for the second thing,” she said matter-of-factly, “I figure we have what, three, four more days to enjoy ourselves. So I’m willing to put aside the loving stuff if you tell me what you’re going to do for me”—she fluttered her lashes in flirtatious parody—“
right this minute
.”

He laughed, rolled up, grabbed her, and swung her back on top of his long, lean, powerful body. “I’ve got a few things in mind,” he murmured. “Interested?”

“Hell, yeah. I’m like you. I prefer fucking to talking.” She grinned. “But I just wanted to clear the air, reconcile the
tumult in my brain, put that long-burning fuse out before the powder blows. And now,” she playfully purred, “are you going to entertain me?”

“We’ll do our best, baby.” He gave her a quick kiss, lifted her away, dropped her on the bed. “Be right back,” he said, feeling like he could climb ten mountains and still keep going, feeling invincible. “By the way, I’m in a possessive mood,” he added over his shoulder. “Just sayin’.”

“Sounds intriguing.”

“Glad to hear it. Because you don’t have a choice.”

When he walked back into the bedroom, Kate put up her arm and grinned. “Just stand there. I can come just looking at you.” Wearing only black jeans, Dominic was broad-shouldered, hard-muscled eye candy.

He held out his cupped hands to show her what he had and kept walking. “You’re going to come even better with these.” Reaching the bed, he sat beside her. “Here’re the accessories for the evening.” He tipped his palms and dropped several items on the bed. “You can rate them for me later.”

“Jeez, I don’t know if I should be excited or nervous.”

Ignoring her comment, he gestured at the tumbled pile on the bed. “Need a rundown?”

She took a small breath. “Just those.” She pointed at the three pieces of jewelry. The silk scarf, soft brush, rubber dildo, and lube didn’t need explanation. The two bracelets just looked like bracelets, and the pearl necklace was equally innocuous.

He picked up one of the three-quarter-inch wide gold cuff bracelets, snapped open the hinge, gave a half twist
to the diamond clasp, and gently drew out a four-inch gold chain. Repeating the process with the second bracelet, he screwed the two diamond clasps together, stretched out the now eight-inch chain, folded the hinges to close the bracelets, and held up a pair of very expensive handcuffs. He smiled faintly. “Function clear?”

She ran her finger inside one bracelet.
Property of Dominic Knight
was engraved in a large font. She glanced up and said wryly, “Vanity or arrogance?”
Return for Reward
was in a smaller script but easily visible too. “And is the reward for the return of the bracelets or me?”

He shrugged. “I’m just protecting my interests,” he said ambiguously. “I told you I was possessive.”

“Jesus, do you mind? That’s a mile or so past possessive.”

“It’s never been a problem for you before.” His voice was deliberately bland.

“I’ve never seen this degree of presumption before.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“And I’ll keep in mind that I get to say no.”

“If you want to.” He smiled. “Maybe you won’t.”

He said that way too confidently.
“So tell me, Mr. Property of. How many of these have you bought before?”

“There’s no before, baby. Just these. That’s it You’re my holy grail.”

A faint lift of her brows. “You’ll forgive me if I don’t believe you.”

“You’re forgiven. But it’s the truth.” In the past, he was supplied with marketplace equipment for his sexual amusements, just like he was supplied with the women. He’d never bought anything himself before.

Briefly silenced by the frankness of his tone, she stole a look at him while strange, quixotic emotions washed over her, some beautiful, some exciting, the scent of him suddenly filling her senses. She felt her skin prickle, her palms dampen, and vaguely uncomfortable with the compromises her body was so quickly making, she gestured at the necklace. “Leaving our differences aside, what’s that for?”

Picking up the thin gold chain, he ran his fingers down a pendant comprised of five pearls separated with smaller pearls, then twisted the pendant to demonstrate its flexibility. He smiled. “These pearls are for your virgin ass.”