Monster (10 page)

Throughout the latter portion of the afternoon, Eden spent time showing Jenna the rest of the mansion. All ten bedroom and ten baths, the indoor and outdoor pools, the tennis court that was well maintained but rarely used. They proceeded to the indoor workout room, the two dining rooms, the living rooms, and lastly, the guesthouse that was separated from the main house by a breathtakingly beautiful landscaped garden that appeared to provide a sweet sort of sanctuary from the outside world. The sheer magnitude of the place simply bowled Jenna over. It wasn’t just a mansion…it was an estate. She was still trying to wrap her head around everything when they sat down for dinner a few hours later.

“This place is breathtaking.”

“Don’t be fooled, Jen,” Eden warned over her salad, “it might seem nice on the outside but not everything is all rainbows and unicorns,” she echoed Jenna’s earlier sentiment. “There’s a monster that lives in the castle with me,” she deadpanned, completely serious in her statement.

Jenna patted her hand comfortingly. “We’ll figure it out, Eden. We always do.”

Indeed they did. The impending arrival of the monster however weighed on her as time marched on and the day grew that much closer to an end.

Dominic had yet to make an appearance, and while Eden had been distracted enough for the better part of the day with Liam and the impromptu showing of her former home to her best friend, she couldn’t keep him out of her mind for too long. He was always there, right around the corner of her subconscious, lurking in the shadows and waiting to pounce. But as she’d done on previous occasions, she pushed the thought of him as far away as she possibly could so she could continue the rest of her night in relative peace. Jenna had instantly taken to the guestroom Eden had led her to just down the hall and while she occupied herself with the en-suite bathroom, Eden slipped back into mommy mode.

She’d deliberately set herself up in the room furthest away from the master bedroom she’d shared with Dominic. There was no way she was going to sleep in that room. Riffling through the large bag Jenna had brought with her, Eden was cheered to find that she’d remembered to pack Liam’s brown bear, along with several of Eden’s clothing. While she got Liam ready for bed, changing his diaper, wiping him down with a cloth and some warm sudsy water, Jenna made an appearance. She looked freshly showered, pairing her pajama shorts with a cute pink camisole. She’d gathered her damp wheat blond hair to one side so that it hung just past her ample chest.

“I needed that shower,” she cheerfully announced, walking into the room with a great big smile on her makeup free face. “Do you want me to watch Liam while you get settled?”

Eden blinked, not having even thought of herself. “Uh…” She’d showered earlier this morning and had slipped back into the clothes she’d worn the previous day, when she’d barged into Dominic’s office. It would be nice to put on a clean set of clothes. “You don’t mind?” But before Eden posed the question, Jenna had already taken Liam from her.

“Go. Relax for a bit. I can hold down the fort until you’re finished.”

Eden smiled gratefully, rummaging through the bag once again, searching for some clothes for herself. There wasn’t much of an option, so she grabbed the first thing she found. “I won’t be long,” she said before disappearing inside the bathroom. This bathroom, unlike the others, didn’t have a separate bathtub, simply a standing shower that was nearly the size of the bedroom itself. Eden wasn’t looking for luxury, she simply wanted to get clean and change her clothes afterwards. She stepped out of the shower and onto the heated ceramic tiles; the thick mist enveloped her as she reached for her towel on the rack. She made short work of drying herself and sliding into the nightgown she’d grabbed. When she finally emerged from the bathroom Eden was slightly more reinvigorated and ready to nurture her child.

“I can’t thank you enough, Jen,” she said wryly, gathering the bevy of pillows against the headboard.

“Don’t mention it,” Jenna handed Liam over with a smile, “but I’m beat. I think I’m going to hit the sack.” The impromptu yawn only reiterated her statement.

“Goodnight.”

“Night.”

Then she was gone and Eden was left once again with her son. She settled against the pillows while cradling Liam in her arms. “Hi there, sweetheart,” she cooed to the wide-eyed infant, who looked back intently at her smiling face. “Mommy missed you so much.” Eden slipped the strap of her dress down her shoulder until her left breast and nipple was exposed. It took her a second to maneuver him in a position they were both comfortable with before guiding him to latch on. She winced a little when he clamped on, but soon forgot about the pain when he began to feed. “Did you have fun with your Auntie Jenna?” Eden spoke quietly into the silence as her son ate, comforted by his presence. “I’m so sorry about all this moving around, baby. But don’t worry, we’re going to go home soon enough.”

“You are home.” Eden jumped at the unexpected sound of his voice. Her eyes flew to the door and found him at the entrance. He cut an intimidating figure in his tailored charcoal grey suit, pristine white shirt, and burgundy silk tie. Eden’s heart gave an involuntary jolt at his presence, quickening considerably when he ambled further inside the room and closed the door behind him. She’d done such a spectacular job in shoving him from her mind that she’d forgotten about his arrival. Her tongue slid nervously across her lips as she watched his unhurried gait towards her, but he stopped short and Eden released a relieved sigh when he remained at the foot of the bed.

“Our home is in Amesbury,” she said tautly into the silence, regarding him from beneath a veil of dark lashes. “The only reason we’re here is because you’ve left us no choice.” As though sensing his mother’s agitation, Liam fussed a little, eliciting a rather loud mewl that Eden instantly quieted with rhythmic pats on his bum and a few shushing sounds.

Bereft of speech, Dominic was left to stare momentarily. Stunned didn’t quite capture the feeling coursing through him in that instant, yet it nevertheless seemed appropriate a word. The whole of her attention was no longer on him as she centered it on the bundle she held preciously against her chest. As he watched her, tending to that bundle, her beautiful visage transformed into something Dominic found difficult to pinpoint. But he was altogether fascinated.

“You always have a choice.” he murmured with silken reproach, “I simply steer you in the right direction.”

“Your direction,” she bit icily.

His lips quirked up. “Precisely.”

“And the fact that I want nothing to do with you bears no consideration?”

“I see you’ve settled in quite nicely, but this isn’t the room you’re supposed to be in,” he remarked with candor, disregarding her previous statement completely. “I had a crib brought to the master bedroom for the…for the boy.” He recovered quickly enough, but not before Eden had a chance to note the slight bit of discomfort that had flitted across his handsome features.

“His name is Liam, Dominic. You’ve said it before, and I’m sure you can manage to say it again. Or is it harder to say your son’s name when you’re not bullying me into submission?” she queried with icy contempt. “If you went to the trouble of getting a crib for Liam then you can go the extra length to have it brought to this room, because he and I are not going into that godforsaken bedroom. You may have brought us here, but hell will freeze over before I allow you to touch me again.” Honey gold eyes burned with unwavering fire as they met his narrowed gaze with unflinching resolve. By the stubborn set of her jaw and pursed lips, Dominic was wise enough to know he would not win this battle, at least not tonight. The war between them however was ongoing and would undoubtedly come to a head someday soon and defeat on his part would be unacceptable in that arena. So Dominic decided that conceding defeat now would only make his inevitable victory that much sweeter.

“Stranger things have happened,” he drawled. “Very well, you may remain in this bedroom for the time being, but understand that it is because I allow it.” He turned to leave but stopped short at the entrance. “The boy…Liam will have his crib here no later than tomorrow.” With that said he waltzed out of the room in the same manner he’d entered it with superiority and egotism that swathed him like a second skin.

They were at a stalemate. One week since her arrival, Dominic had yet to accomplish what he’d set out to do—bring his wife back into his bed. It wasn’t for his lack of trying, but it seemed circumstances were no longer the same. For someone who lavished in control over himself and others, admitting that his authority was now restricted, by an infant no less, wholly irked him. His expectations had been quite high when he’d set out on his course in returning Eden to the mansion where she belonged. He’d believed their marriage would revert back to what it had been when she’d left. In her yearlong absence, Dominic had surprised himself in abstaining from taking another woman to his bed. He’d made the attempt a week after learning of her disappearance. In a fit of blind rage and drunkenness, he’d invited a very eager, well-endowed blue eyed brunette to his hotel suite, where he’d then instructed her to strip and had been angrily underwhelmed by what he’d seen. He’d wanted to fuck her, but Dominic had ended up with his left hand, the images of his caramel skinned wife and the lushness of her curves had driven him to his rather unsatisfactory release. That had been the first and last time. He’d hired the PI soon after, determined to have her back. That had been a little over a year ago. He had his wife back, but not the way he’d wanted. Rather than the passion soaked reunion he’d envisioned, there was nothing but an icy tolerance of his presence, and it was all thanks to Dominic’s own child. Because of his child, he was looked upon as a scourge in his own damn home. Yes, his child. The son he had yet to acknowledge.

“Here.” Saved from reflecting on the subject for too long, Dominic accepted the amber filled short glass from Bruce with a silent thanks. They were at Bruce’s home, in his home office to be precise. The incident of Bruce abetting his wife in her escape had soured their near two decade long friendship, but not enough that Dominic would turn his back on Bruce in his hour of need. When he’d phoned, the direness of his tone had been enough to bring Dominic from his downtown office as soon as he was available. Any thoughts of going home had quickly come and gone. He would not be missed.

“Thank you for coming.” It was said with tight courtesy as he took a seat across from Dominic in the dark leather chair.

“Tell me what’s going on, Bruce,” Dominic invited with reserved patience. He brought his glass to his mouth, and from over the rim, he watched Bruce’s inner struggles play out across a face that had aged considerably in the years since he’d taken up office. They’d met in college, and in the fraternal halls of their alma mater, they’d cemented their brotherhood. Despite that they were friends, Dominic and
Bruce couldn’t have been more different. Bruce was the personification of charm; he had the movie star good looks along with a smile that had people eating out of the palm of his hand.

He was a great orator, with a public image that spoke of sturdy values and integrity that the public adored. Bruce had all the attributes of a good politician. What made him great was that he was smart enough to keep his hands clean when it came to the dirty dealings of politics. That task was charged to his best friend. Dominic’s lack of scruples made it easy to handle the matters Bruce could not. The lying and the cheating and the manipulation came at a high price, but it was one Dominic was willing to pay. They both had high political aspirations, and Dominic was content to remain in the background, pulling the strings in order to achieve their goals. They made a great team and had the chance to make it to the senate if they stayed the course.

“Cassie found out about Lucy,” he said tightly, claiming the dark leather seat across from Dominic. “She took the children to her parents’ home in Vermont. She’s threatening divorce.” He tossed back the well-aged whiskey and waved the glass around.

It was truly unfortunate that Bruce couldn’t keep his cock in line. Dominic uttered a curse with a long narrowed glance at his philandering friend. “Were we not clear that you were supposed to keep your affairs discreet, Bruce?”

“I did…I don’t know how she found out.”

“You were careless,” he condemned icily. “Are you asking me to interfere?” If he stepped in, made calls, the situation would be aptly handled and Bruce would have his wife and children before the end of the following day. The bad part about Dominic stepping in, however, was that his way was oftentimes quite ruthless, brutal even, so it was only when the situation truly called for it did he intervene.

“No,” Bruce said curtly, already aware of Dominic’s results. “I’ll take care of it.”

“It was only a one time affair. It meant nothing. You’ve been under a great amount of stress recently and she—”

“I said I got it,” he ground out impatiently. Shooting to his feet, he trudged back to the ornate liquor cabinet. “Tell me,” Bruce began casually, “how’s it going with your wife?” At the flash of those narrowed green eyes, Bruce knew he’d hit a nerve which was exactly what he’d intended. He was just drunk enough to disregard the fact that he was walking into dangerous territory. Given the current state of his own marriage, it cheered Bruce to know that his best friend was also failing at his. What was the adage? Ah yes, misery did love company. “Should we toast to your fatherhood?” At Dominic’s abrupt curse, Bruce tossed his head back and laughed.

“By all means continue, Bruce, I would so love to provide the rope with which you might hang yourself with,” Dominic murmured darkly, bringing his glass to his mouth.

“Don’t be like that, Dom,” he said laughter in his voice. “I was only remarking on the irony. Is the child even yours?”

That was a question Dominic had asked himself the instant he’d learned of the child’s presence in Eden’s life. It hadn’t taken long to obtain the answer, one which had made it possible for him to move along with his plans. An extensive search into her life in the year long course of her absence had revealed no lovers, except for the male nurse, who she’d seen only a handful of times. From Dominic’s knowledge, they hadn’t slept together; a notion that had cheered him immensely.

“He’s…” he faltered a deep frown creasing his brow, “he’s mine.” Hearing the admission was halting, so was the emotion that came along with it. It was foreign thing, difficult to process and knowing this wasn’t the place for, Dominic tamped it down, refusing to give it further thought.

Bruce whistled. “I never thought I see the day.” Dominic hadn’t either. Being anyone’s father had never been in his plans, and if he could help it, those plans would not change. “What are you going to do? You guys have an even more dysfunctional marriage than Cassie and I do.” That was mildly stating things. What he and Eden had was a business arrangement that she’d complicated by bringing this child into the world.

“Divorce seems to be rather popular these days.”

“You’re going to let her go?”

“Popular, but not an option as far as I am concerned.” Letting Eden go was something Dominic would never do, not unless of course she killed him herself, a notion he realized could very well happen considering her surmounting hatred for him. But it was a small price to pay. He would rather have her at his side, bathed in her enmity, than away from him where he knew happiness awaited her. It was selfish and petty of him, but Dominic never professed to be anything else.

* * *

Insomnia was a fickle mistress that denied him sleep, and though he should’ve spent this time in his office working on ways to appease his finicky investors, Dominic walked the darkened halls of his home with only one destination is mind. He stood outside of the guestroom door, vacillating like a recalcitrant puppy on whether to enter or turn back with his tail between his legs. He contemplated long and hard before irrational need won over logic, and he silently opened the door to creep into the room. He approached the bed silently and watched her sleep.

She shifted slightly, and he held his breath, releasing it only when she settled again, her steady breathing reassuring him that she was once again fully asleep. His brooding gaze swept over her delicate features, running lasciviously across the contours of her body, knowing fully that just beneath the royal blue sheets, was skin that he hungered to taste. His hand reached out before he could stop himself, the need for contact far too great. The gentle sweep of his fingers along her soft cheek had her moaning softly. She did not wake, but shifted restlessly, moving her body in an unconscious effort to get closer to him.

He sucked in a breath, instantly aroused. He could feel himself hardening, hot, potent blood rushing through his veins to settle like lead in his cock. His thumb skated tantalizing slow across her bottom lip, tugging it down gently to feel the wet warmness of her mouth, an inadequate substitution for the hot set of lips he knew lied between her caramel thighs. Dominic craved her, hungered to slide his tongue down her wet clit and savor the ambrosial essence of the pleasure only he could bring her. He wanted to pull away the sheet and tear at her measly nightgown, to feel the weight of her breasts in his hands, he wanted to lower his mouth to her dusky nipples until she begged him to enter the welcoming heat of her wet pussy and bury himself to the balls.

“Fuck,” he uttered harshly, taking a step back from her slumbering form. The curse came from a very dark, very primal place. It was the curse of an unsatisfied male. It was the curse of a man who knew if he continued, he would not be able to stop. What was it about Eden Mercer that enthralled him so thoroughly? Why wasn’t he able to satiate this burning hunger for her? His desire for her was so potent, so prevalent that Dominic felt her beneath his skin, in his blood. He should’ve gotten her out of his system by now. It had been his plan all along. Marrying her was not supposed to have been a long term thing. But one taste and she’d become his drug of choice. She had his dick on lock, coming to life for no one else but her. When it came to sex, she was his weakness, and Dominic hated that he wanted her this much.

A sound, a whimper from the far right of the bed drew his gaze to the crib that he’d sent his personal assistant to purchase. If Gina had been at all surprised by her boss’s odd request, she’d been professional enough to conceal it as she’d swiftly carried out his wants with the proficiency he’d associated her with. No expense was spared and the result was a hand crafted, rich espresso sleigh crib that contained one Liam Bennett Mercer, who was fully awake now and flailing arms and legs. It was with a sick sense of curiosity that prodded Dominic to move forward, slowly closing the space between himself and the crib.

When he finally stood close enough to peer into the crib, Dominic cast his critical gaze on the child. He was illuminated by a soft night light emanating from somewhere on the crib. Looking at him, staring into his large, round, hunter green eyes that were so inherently like his own, Dominic was once more taken by that foreign emotion. But unlike before, wrestling the emotion down proved rather difficult as he was forced to acknowledge it. What was it? Dominic couldn’t put a name to it, but it stirred something, something he hadn’t thought existed in himself. While he stood over the crib, scrutinizing pale cherubic features and a small body encased in a light blue onesie with tiny brown bears, Dominic waited for the indifference and the detachment to come, but he was sorely disappointed. Impulse, sheer stupid impulse, made him reach down, made Dominic awkwardly scoop up his son and hold him up to his eye level. His child. His son. He was a father. And in his hands was his child. Terror. Dominic was finally able to identify the emotion. It was pure, unadulterated terror that coursed through him as he looked into eyes that were a mirror reflection of his own.

“Hello,” he murmured thickly, “I’m sure your mother has not spoken much to you about me, and for good reason I would say,” Dominic brought him closer, his heart shifting uncomfortably fast in his chest. “But I am your father, and I am terrified of you.”

* * *

But I am your father and I am terrified of you.

In the dimly lit stillness of the room, Eden had heard the softly uttered admission. The instant she’d felt his touch, she’d come awake beneath the intimate brush of his fingers on her cheek. And when she felt the slow, enticing sweep of his thumb on her bottom lip, her body had flared with instant recognition. Fear of her body’s inevitable betrayal, Eden hadn’t dared open her eyes but had remained utterly still, fighting to control her breathing even as unwanted desire tautened her nipples and pooled between her thighs. It had been sheer torture having him stand over her, touching her as he had, and part of her had questioned whether he’d been aware of her feigned slumber and was doing this to test her nerve. But then as quickly as he’d roused her passion, he’d been quick to temper it as he’d stepped away from her with a roughened curse. In the lapse of those eternal seconds when nothing but her own heartbeats had echoed through the silence, Eden had fought to keep her eyes closed.

It was only when she’d finally felt the weight of his gaze stray away from her that Eden had dared to open her eyes. From beneath the veil of her darkened lashes she’d watched him carefully as he’d stood over the crib. When he’d reached inside to take Liam, Eden’s heart had battered fitfully in her chest, while motherly instinct to protect her child had urged her to intervene. But something had kept her rooted as she’d been force to watch Dominic handle their child. He’d held the infant as one would a foreign object, at a distance, and to Eden it’d been such an awkward display to witness. And then she’d heard him speak, the deep reverberation of his voice filling the silence as he’d uttered those words that had Eden in her current state of confusion.

Once he’d returned Liam to his crib, Dominic had taken his leave and Eden had finally been able to go to her son. She’d nursed him and rocked him back to sleep, but remained awake, venturing out of her bedroom about an hour ago to make herself some coffee. Curled up on the couch with Liam sleeping peacefully in his playpen, Eden brought her cup of coffee to her lips, hoping the caffeine would somehow help her make sense of her muddled thoughts. Dominic’s confession however continued to play ceaselessly in her mind. It hadn’t been so much the words he’d said, although they’d carried meaning in their own right, but the emotion with which he’d uttered them was what really bothered her. Part of her said that she was overanalyzing things, seeing meaning where there was none. Dominic had made it no secret that he didn’t want Liam and in doing so he’d been free to callously use their child as a weapon against Eden.