Knight's Game (27 page)

‘She didn’t actually play much,’ Dominic said coolly. ‘She was trying to learn.’ He turned to Kate and smiled. ‘Ready to take me on, baby?’

At which point, two glowering, seriously frustrated women melted into the background.

Dominic and Kate played for blood as usual, both averse to failure.

Since the children had been playing with Dominic for years, they were all heatedly involved in the game, giving advice, shouting instructions, jumping up and down when someone made a slick move. Even Ellie understood when something good happened and she’d smile around her teddy bear’s wet ear and the thumb in her mouth.

Towards the end Kate and Nicole were playing keep away with their king and one knight, trying to avoid Dominic who was aggressively in pursuit. They were staying out of trouble, but they were always running backwards and, short of saving their king by having him stand his ground, it was inevitable that Dominic finally checkmated them.

‘Took you long enough,’ Kate said, smiling.

He grinned. ‘You’re a real pain in the butt to catch. I was wondering how long you were going to keep your king on
that safe square.’ He wasn’t really. He knew she’d make a break for it. Katherine never played safe for long.

‘Another game, another game!’ the children screamed.

‘We can’t,’ Dominic said. ‘I promised Katherine a walk on the beach tonight. We’ll play some other time.’

‘Tomorrow! Early!’ A clamour of shouting that was only satisfied after a glance passed between Dominic and Kate.

‘Tomorrow, but not early,’ Dominic warned. ‘We’ll text you.’ Lifting Kate to her feet, he rose from the bed and politely glanced at the two pouting women. ‘Good to see you again,’ he said, then turned back to the children. ‘OK, kids, practise on your own. We’ll see who wins tomorrow.’

‘Hug! Hug!’ Ellie squealed, jumping up and down on the chair where she and her teddy bear had viewed the game.

Bending down, Dominic picked up the toddler, hugged her, gave her a kiss and set her down. ‘Anyone else?’ he said, surveying the other children with a faint smile.

They all wanted hugs, even the boys who were trying to be grown up.

Even Nicole who hung back at first until Dominic winked at her and she rushed into his open arms.

‘Nicole’s almost past the hug stage,’ Dominic said a moment later as he and Kate moved down the hallway. ‘The kids are growing up fast. I remember when she was born.’

‘They’re great kids. Do you think you should have let Nicole win?’

‘Did you want me to?’

She shrugged. ‘I can’t decide.’

‘Did Gramps let you win?’

‘I think he might have every once in a while.’

‘Give me a look then next time. I can do that. See, you’re making me a better person.’

‘You’re doing pretty well on your own. The children all love you.’

The sudden silence was awkward, the word
love
suddenly lighting up their brains.

They both started talking at once.

‘You first,’ Dominic said, cautious in the face of danger.

‘I was just going to say you left two very disappointed women behind,’ Kate said, sensibly dismissing notions of love. ‘I think they were hopeful.’

‘They shouldn’t be.’

‘They’re both lovely.’ Truthfully, they were. Perfect in a plastic sort of way.

He shrugged. ‘If you say so.’

‘How well do you know them? Forget it. You don’t have to tell me. Really, I don’t know why I asked?’

‘Yeah, you do. Because you’re jealous like me. And I hate it,’ he muttered. ‘It’s driving me nuts as much as you are. Look, I took them out a few times years ago. That’s it.’

‘Jesus. Hope springs eternal then. Or are they recently divorced or something.’

‘Haven’t a clue. They’re not on my radar.’

‘Friends of Melanie’s?’

‘More or less.’ He blew out a small breath. ‘Women like Charlie and Angela are attracted to my money. They don’t
know how boring I am. Work, work and more work. That’s all I do.’

‘Maybe they like your dick too.’ That kind of hard-eyed, claimant prerogative she’d just witnessed wasn’t exclusively about money.

‘Let’s not go there,’ he said softly, holding out his hand for her as they reached the top of the stairs. ‘It doesn’t matter what they like. Let’s talk about something else.’

‘Are we really going for a walk on the beach?’

He smiled. ‘Thank you. Your tact is admirable. And yes, if you don’t mind. I’d like to show you my bridge.’

‘Yours?’ she said drolly, flirtation always safer than actual emotion.

He grinned. ‘It is when I’m home. And I want you to see it. Now, let me find Roscoe,’ he said when they came to the bottom of the stairs. ‘I’ll say a few words and we can leave’ – he glanced at his Santos watch – ‘right on schedule.’

Roscoe didn’t look at all like Kate had imagined. She knew he was older, so had anticipated someone overweight, bald or greying, a few wrinkles.

He was dressed in jeans and a grey silk long-sleeved shirt buttoned at the neck, his blond hair long like Dominic’s, his lean face tanned, and either he’d had some good cosmetic surgery or he had good genes. He didn’t look a day over forty.

‘So you’re the sorceress,’ he said gruffly when Dominic introduced her.

‘Uh-uh, Roscoe, Katherine’s my good luck charm. Life’s
been much better since I met her. So be nice.’ Although he was already. Roscoe had modulated his voice and spoke more quietly than his usual wake-the-dead volume.

Roscoe smiled. ‘Thanks for bringing in the twenty mil.’

Dominic had said Roscoe had been married twice. She could see how women would like him. That was a very nice smile. ‘My pleasure.’

‘You should work for us.’

‘I’d rather not, but thank you.’

He lifted his brows to Dominic. ‘What the hell’s wrong with you, Nick? Can’t you make her an offer she can’t refuse?’

‘I’m trying, Roscoe. But she doesn’t care about money. How do you deal with that?’

‘I’m sure you’ll think of something,’ Roscoe murmured. ‘If you have a minute, I’d like to talk about a couple of things.’

Dominic gave Kate a searching glance. ‘Do you mind, baby. Five minutes?’

‘I’ll go find Gretchen. Come get me when you’re finished.’

‘See, Roscoe? Is she perfect or what?’ He took Kate by the shoulders and spun her round. ‘There’s Gretchen. Five minutes, I’ll come get you.’

Kate went to the kitchen first because Po’s martini was like the nectar of the gods and she was addicted. She’d find Gretchen once she had her drink.

But she’d just reached the counter where the bartender was working and ordered her drink when a man’s
voice close to her ear said, ‘Dominic has excellent taste as usual.’

She turned to find a tall, tanned, fair-haired man smiling at her and wondered if all Dominic’s friends looked like California surfers.

‘Kip Watson,’ he said with a dip of his head. ‘I can’t tell you how pleased I am to meet you.’ His voice was soft and low, a playful twinkle in his eyes.

‘Katherine Hart. Nice to meet you too.’

‘You’re not from around here.’ He grinned. ‘Fargo?’

‘Everyone says that. And I don’t think I have an accent.’

‘It’s charming. Don’t change it. Can I get you a drink?’

‘I’ve ordered, thanks.’

‘Will you be around long?’ His gaze slowly raked her figure before returning to her face. ‘I’m saying a little prayer here. Tell me yes,’ he said, his smile slow and easy.

‘I’m not sure.’ She shrugged faintly.

‘That’s better than a no. May I take you to dinner some night?’

‘No, you can’t,’ Dominic said, coming up and slipping his arm around Kate’s shoulder. ‘She’s mine.’

‘Mine?’ Kip lazily arched his brows. ‘What the hell does that mean?’

‘It means back off, Kip, or I’ll break your neck,’ Dominic said with the same lazy arch of his brows.

Kip’s smile was smug, a little swagger in his voice. ‘You’re not a teenager on the beach intimidating some rogue surfer, Nick. Those days are long gone.’

‘I know exactly where and who I am,’ Dominic quietly said, his glittering blue gaze squarely focused on Kip.

‘So you’re not going to do anything to me.’

‘I wouldn’t count on it.’

‘Here? In Mel’s house? Who the hell are you kidding?’

‘Did I say I’d do it here? I don’t remember saying that. But I remember saying I’ll break your neck if you get anywhere near Katherine.’ Dominic leaned forward slightly, aggression straining every nerve, his quiet voice deadly. ‘And that’s a promise. So stay the fuck away from her.’

Slack-jawed, fear passed over Kip’s features with hurtling speed, like a movie clip in double time.

‘Now get the hell out,’ Dominic said, very, very softly.

Terror-stricken, Kip looked like a deer in headlights. ‘Would you like help?’

The whispered words acted like the crack of a whip.

Kip leaped back, spun round and fled.

‘How’s that?’ Dominic nuzzled Kate’s cheek. ‘No scene. I didn’t even raise my voice.’

She turned and looked up. ‘Break his neck. Really?’ she said, with mild surprise. ‘Do you think you might have overreacted just a tad?’

Dominic frowned. ‘Kip’s an asshole on his best day. You don’t know him like I do. It wasn’t really a dinner invitation.’

‘I wouldn’t have said yes.’

‘He had no right asking,’ Dominic said curtly.

‘You can’t threaten everyone who comes near me.’

He could and he would. ‘Sorry, babe.’ He lightened his tone. ‘Maybe Kip just got to me.’

She gave him one of her sidelong looks. ‘Did you fight a lot when you were young?’

It took him a moment to answer, his teenage years fully occupied: school, sports, sex, surfing. He had always been busy. ‘I don’t know about
a lot
of fights. But between seething hostility over family issues and raging hormones …’ He shrugged. ‘I had a fight or two. I wasn’t the only one. Teenage boys, what can I say? It seemed as though there was always some dude on the beach who was trying to prove something. And I played football so I knocked a few heads around there, but nothing out of the ordinary. I played baseball too but that’s not a contact sport.’ No way he was going to mention the endless sex – which
was
a contact sport. ‘I didn’t sit around much, but I never went looking for a fight, if that’s what you were wondering.’ He smiled his most charming smile, the one that salved female peevishness and displeasure; the one that had gotten a helluva lot of use. ‘Are we good now? Am I normal enough not to make you nervous? Can we get out of here?’

But it took them another half hour to reach the door because everyone wanted to talk to Dominic or get a closer look at the woman he’d kissed with such extraordinary drama.

Those who wanted to talk to Dominic were almost entirely women, but he sidestepped most of them with a smile and a few brief words, until one woman grabbed his arm and wouldn’t let go.

She was like so many of the women here tonight: elegant, slender, well dressed, well coiffed, beautiful.

‘Come for coffee sometime,’ she said, breathy and soft. ‘Anytime.’

‘I’ll check with Katherine,’ Dominic said, gently freeing himself from her grip. ‘She’s running our schedule. How are Joe and the kids?’

The woman didn’t seem to hear or comprehend. ‘I really miss you,’ she whispered.

‘Thanks, Bets. I’m sorry,’ he said softly, backing away towards the door, ‘but we’re on our way out.’

Before Kate could fall prey to the realization that the scene she had just witnessed might well be her shortly, her melancholy thought was swept aside by the sound of a sharp, familiar voice.

‘You should get a haircut, Dominic.’

Letitia Knight was standing stiffly between them and the door, a sneer on her perfect face, her pink manicured fingers clasped at her waist in a pose reminiscent of the Queen on a walkabout. Only the purse was missing.

Dominic came to a stop. ‘If I wanted a haircut, Mother, I’d get one.’

She sniffed. ‘You’re not a surfer any longer.’

‘What makes you think that?’ he said pleasantly.

A quick, condescending glance Kate’s way. ‘I see Miss Hart is still keeping you company.’

‘Yes, she is. I feel very fortunate. Is there something on your mind?’

‘Charlie said you were dismissive of her, actually rude to her.’

‘And that’s of interest to you because?’

‘Because her mother is a dear friend of mine. I expect you to be more courteous.’

‘Don’t expect anything from me, Mother. That ship sailed years ago. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re leaving.’ When she didn’t move, Dominic dropped Kate’s hand, walked up to his mother and said very quietly, ‘Please move, Mother.’ He dipped his head, his gaze completely blank. ‘You’re in my way.’

She moved.

‘Wise choice,’ he murmured. Then he turned, walked to the closet, took out Kate’s raincoat, helped her on with it under Letitia’s icy gaze, and without further communication with his mother, guided Kate to the door.

A moment later, they stood outside.

‘Sorry about that,’ he said with a small sigh. ‘I was hoping to avoid her.’

‘Don’t be sorry. She’s of no significance to me.’

He smiled. ‘Another area of agreement for us.’ He looked up. ‘Hi, Leo. Everything quiet?’

Leo came out of the shadows. ‘Everything’s fine.’

‘It was a nice party but we’d both rather be home.’

‘Don’t blame you.’

Dominic took Kate’s hand and started walking. ‘Let’s take a rain check on the bridge tonight,’ he said quietly, trying to shake away his mother’s confrontation, wondering why
she’d irritated him more than usual tonight. ‘Suddenly, home is more appealing.’

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

He exhaled softly. ‘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.’