All He Needs (All or Nothing) (36 page)

“Don’t move,” he whispered, a few minutes later, unwrapping her legs and setting her feet on the bed. “We need some towels.”

“I can’t move,” she breathed, her eyes still shut. “I may never move again.”

Her sweet naïveté always pleased him. Sex was so fresh and new to her. Every climax unalloyed delight. “So I don’t have to worry about you escaping while I’m gone?” he said, rolling off the bed.

“You don’t have to worry about me ever escaping. That should frighten the hell out of you.”

She still hadn’t opened her eyes, her voice syrupy with content.

“On the contrary, baby,” he said, over his shoulder as he strode away. “It saves me the trouble of dragging you back. Because you’re mine, as in permanently, until the end of time.”

The sound of his voice died away as he walked into the bathroom.

Instantly feeling deprived, as though bereft of love and pleasure, as if the light of the world had dimmed, she suddenly opened her eyes, sat up, and cried, “Dominic!”

He appeared in the bathroom doorway, holding a stack of white towels. “I’m here, baby.” He didn’t take exception to the panic in her voice because he knew too well that feeling of loss. “I’ll always be here. In fact, I’d like to tie you to my wrist if you’d let me,” he added, walking into the bedroom. “We have to talk about that.”

Falling back on the bed, she felt her heart rate begin to slow. “Everything’s suddenly so intense, super emotional, bordering on hysteria. I’m jumpy and misty-eyed over everything and nothing at all.”

“It’s just the baby. We’ll talk to a doctor tomorrow, get some basics on prenatal moods, read those books from Mel, and just be happy about all these new changes you’re going through. I don’t care how jumpy you get so long as you stay within eyesight. You’re not the only one flipping out.” Tossing all but one of the towels at the foot of the bed, he sat beside Kate, used the towel for her, then him, dropped it on the floor, lay down beside her, and pulled her into his arms.

“You really spoil me,” she murmured, snuggling closer. “I could get up and wash. I shouldn’t be so lazy.”

“I like to spoil you. Don’t worry about it.” This from a man who wasn’t in the habit of spoiling women, other than with his talented dick. From a man who had a staff at all his homes so he didn’t have to bother with mundane practicalities.

“Are you tired? I’m a little tired.” Her voice was already sliding into sleep.

He glanced at the clock.
Christ, it wasn’t even nine.
“I’m good, baby, but we should think about going home. You’re going to need more and more sleep. And if we wait too long, it won’t be safe for you to travel.”

Immediately roused at the mention of abandoning her work obligations, Kate came marginally awake. “I can’t go home. I still have three months on my contract with CX Capital.” She sighed. “And Joanna expects me to do my share with our clients.”

Dominic was careful to keep his voice neutral. “Do you want the baby born over here?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t given it any thought.”

Maybe someone should.
“I can get you out of your contract,” he offered. “I can also find Joanna a replacement for you.”

“Could we talk about this later?” Her eyes were drifting shut again. “I’m too tired to think.”

“Sure, baby. Go to sleep.” It looked as though he was going to have plenty of time to work in the evenings. Which wouldn’t be all that bad since he was planning on spending as much time as possible with Katherine—once he talked her into going home. Because any contract could be broken; CX Capital could find another forensic accountant somewhere in the world. Maybe not as good as Katherine,
but that wasn’t his problem. As for Joanna, he could pay her enough so she could hire whomever or how many others she wished to replace Katherine. Again, not an equivalent in terms of ability, but fuck if he cared.

Dominic was in love for the first time in his life, but that didn’t mean he was undergoing a personality change. He still expected to control his world and the people in it. As for Katherine, he was willing to compromise. To what extent depended entirely on her.

Once she was fully asleep, he left the bed, pulled on his jeans, picked up his phone from the bedside table, and walked into the reception room. Dropping into a chair, he punched in a name and waited while his cell rang and rang and rang.

“Am I interrupting something?” Dominic said when Justin finally picked up.

“We’re at the symphony. I walked out into the corridor.”

“I won’t keep you then. I’ll talk fast.”

“Take your time,” Justin said. “It’s some benefit. They’re droning on about the foundation’s financial goals.”

“How hard will it be to break Katherine’s contract?”

“Not hard. Why?”

“We’re having a baby. For your ears only. I’m caught up in some complicated problems right now, so none of this is public information.”

Justin knew better than to ask. If it was complicated for Nick, it was quasi legal.
“Are congratulations in order?” he asked, like any man would knowing Dominic’s track record.

“Yes, very much in order. I’m marrying Katherine. And I’d like to take her home before it’s too dangerous for her to
travel. She, on the other hand, is telling me she can’t break her contract. I’m hoping to change her mind. If and when that happens, could you take care of things for me at CX Capital?”

“Not a problem. Bill will be sorry to see her go, but he’ll live. By the way, I’ll be expecting a wedding invitation. I never thought I’d see the day,” Justin noted drolly. “No offense.”

“None taken. I wouldn’t have placed any bets on me remarrying either. The actual wedding plans are up to Katherine, though. If she decides to invite more than family, I’ll send a plane for you and Mandy. Speaking of Mandy,” Dominic said pleasantly, “you must be a new daddy by now. How’re Mandy and your daughter?”

This Nick who asked about babies and children still threw him for a loop.
After the briefest of pauses, Justin said, “The baby was born three weeks ago, and mother and daughter are doing fine as they say. Also, the nurse and nanny are super. Mandy’s actually getting enough sleep to enjoy a night out.”

“Then you’d better get back to her. What did you name the baby?”

“Don’t ask. It’s a family name.”

“Yours or Mandy’s?”

“Her grandmother’s name. Beatrice.”

“That’s not so bad.”

“I guess. The baby’s cute as hell, though so that’ll help even with a name like Beatrice.”

“So you’re saying she looks like her mom,” Dominic said sportively.

“Thank God, yes. And seriously, I’m happy for you and Katherine. Kids are great.”

“I’m beginning to understand that. It’s pretty fucking exciting.”

Justin stood in the corridor of Royal Albert Hall after the call ended and let the stunning news settle in his brain. Not only was the man he’d thought least likely to marry about to marry, but Dominic Knight was, in his own words,
pretty fucking excited
about having a child. He wouldn’t have bet a penny on either eventuality ever occurring. Dominic’s relatively brief marriage aside, he’d always been the poster boy for serious kink and vice.

All He Wants

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2013 by Susan Johnson

Excerpt from
All He Desires
copyright © 2013 by Susan Johnson

Cover design by Brigid Pearson

Cover photo @ Allan Jenkins/Trevillion Images

Cover copyright © 2013 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.

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First ebook edition: December 2013

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ISBN 978-1-4555-2834-9

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