The Millionaire's Convenient Bride (12 page)

“Won’t they need a statement from me and Margaret?” Louisa asked.

“
You can do that on Sunday. It will wait.” Louisa wondered what strings he had had to pull to make the police wait. They were cramped in the back of the car. Margaret had gone silent and sat staring out the window. Dominic was watching Louisa. She could feel his eyes on her, yet she didn’t turn to acknowledge him. She was still riled up from all that had just happened. Her hands shook in her lap, and she felt faint yet heated from anger at how a person, a man who was respected, could attack a woman like that. What could have been going on in his head?

Louisa had met him once, at one of Sophie’s charity balls. He had seemed so balanced and
good-natured. For him to turn up now, just when everything else in Louisa’s life was centred on his daughter? Could it be possible that he was behind this, not Cassie? Dominic slid his hand between them and grasped her hand, his firm grip steadying her more than his words could. She stared straight ahead, wanting more from him, but she knew that she had to stay strong until Margaret was safe and they were alone again.

When they arrived at the apartment Dominic took Cole to one side an
d explained what had happened. Margaret and Louisa went to the kitchen to make some strong cups of tea. Margaret was still shaken, a frown creasing her young face.

“
What are you thinking?” Louisa asked.

“
That there is something you aren’t telling me,” she said. “Why was your old college roommate’s father in my apartment tonight? Does this have something to do with the company?”

Louisa didn’t answer at first
. What could she tell her? Louisa was not even sure she knew what was going on. She could not decide why Cassandra’s father would attack anyone. She had heard during college that he had a hot temper, but that didn’t make someone attack a complete stranger, and how did he even know where Margaret lived? Handing Margaret her tea Louisa decided she had to give her some kind of answer.

“
I don’t know why he attacked you. I suspect it does have something to do with everything that is happening to the company right now, but I just don’t understand how he found you.”

“
I do,” Margaret said, gazing into her mug. “I left my forwarding address with the movers and the office. He would have to call the old office to know where I was. He thought you would be with me, or at least that I would know where you were. I didn’t think that anyone would come and find me. It was more for the clients to contact me whilst the new office is being set up.”

“
It’s not your fault, Margaret,” Cole said, coming into the kitchen and laying his large hand on her shoulder. “He would have found out where you both were sooner or later. From what I have heard you were very brave tonight.”

Margaret just nodded. They all moved to the lounge and put an old black and white movie on whilst they talked late into the night. Cole seemed to have a calming effect on everyone
. Margaret even laughed at one point.

It was midnight when they were finally alone. Dominic had ordered them all dinner and had explained the situation to Cole
, who was a great help in making Margaret smile again. Louisa didn’t like the tight, stressed look that her friend had as she sat eating her dinner. The food had helped to still the last of the shakes that were in Louisa’s body. The whole thing had been a scene that most lawyers were on the other side of. Defending those who had been attacked, she had never thought she would literally defend a person.  The whole thing had worked to make her more determined to put a stop to this ridiculous game that someone was playing with her, before someone got hurt.

She looked around the room until she spotted Dominic’s laptop and sat back down on the lounge with it. She opened a new email and set about writing down her thoughts and emailing them to herself. Everything she knew about the Giles family, all that she had learnt about the events of the past few weeks. She worked as she would for a case
, laying down the facts and joining the evidence she had. She was too tired to make the connections tonight however.

“
You know that you frown when you are working?” Dominic said from the other side of the room. She hadn’t heard him come in. She sent the email and closed the computer.

“
How long have you been standing there?” she asked. He smiled and came forward to pull her to her feet.

“
Not long, I wanted to show you something before we go to bed. I’m afraid you will have to sleep with me tonight as Margaret has your bed.”

The thought sent a pleasant tingle through her body. The excitement of the evening had made her more alert and awake than she had felt in days. The thrill of the chase, of the logic behind a case always thrilled her. Now she had this incredible man standing here, protecting her, and offering her the world, even if it was only for a few weeks.

“Come on, I want to show you something that I had built a few years ago.”

Louisa was intrigued, her tiredness slipping away to make room for an electricity that filled her every time Dominic looked at her with that particular tilt of his mouth and glint in his eyes. 

“Do you trust me?” he asked.

She hardly stopped to consider what these words meant.
“Yes.”

He turned her, running his hand around her body as he guided her with his other. She shivered in response to his touch. Something silken slipped over her eyes
, and she reached up to feel that it was a sleep mask.

“
Trust me,” he said again, as he took her hands away from the mask and lifted her, cradling her in his arms. She draped one arm around his shoulders and let her other rest on his chest as he carried her out of the apartment. With her sight taken away her other senses came alive. The coarse feel of his shirt against the soft skin of her chest that was uncovered just above her top. His breath against her cheek as she leant her head on his shoulder and breathed in the male smell of his skin. She felt a cold breeze against her arm as he opened a door. The sound of the traffic was faint, and she realised they must have been on the roof.

“
Dominic, what?”

“
Just wait,” he said, and she could hear the humour in his voice.

He set her down in a place
that was sheltered from the cold night air. Brushing her hand against the soft cotton beneath her, she wondered where she was. She felt Dominic just inches from her. He bent in and brushed her lips with a kiss. Her hands searched out his cheek, and she pulled him in, savouring the taste of his mouth. He pulled away and slid the mask from her eyes. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the warm lighting. They were on the roof, in a structure which was half tent made of soft billows of sheer peach fabric. Each corner was supported by a metre wide section of wooden frame. Around three sides was a long, wide bench covered in soft pillows and cream cotton covered cushions. Louisa looked around and marvelled at the 360 view she had of the lights of the city. More than that though, she recognised this place.

“
Do you like it?” he asked leaning his body down alongside hers, propping himself up on one elbow so that their faces were level. She marvelled at how much he looked like a panther stretched out like that. All strength and power, yet it was his touch that softened him, and his words that showed Louisa the intellect behind the playboy reputation. He pulled a blanket around her when she shivered and pulled her close to his body as they lay together looking up at the roofless tent above them at the dark sky.

“
I designed this, for my elective in college when I did interior design for a semester. How did you get the plans?” Louisa asked, as her body grew heavy with sleep. She was aware of how late the hour was. She didn’t mind, not when she spent the time with Dominic.

“
Don’t you remember?” he asked, stroking her hair as her eyes closed. “When you were at school you told Sophie that you used to get stressed a lot and would always go outside when you needed to clear your head. I liked the idea and thought that if I built somewhere that I could enjoy and still have some privacy where no one would know where to find me, well, I used to come up here to the roof when life got too much for me. Then you left the drawing at Sophie’s hotel when she visited one year.”

She could tell he had been about to say something else
, but she felt too tired to question him about it. Feeling her eyes close again she fought to stay awake.

“
Go to sleep. I will wake you in the morning. Don’t forget, we are getting married tomorrow.”

He kissed her hair and lay back beside her. Any thought of sleep was driven from her mind at his last words. In all the excitement she had forgotten that tomorrow was Saturday. Rather than sink into blissful sleep with his arms wrapped around her and his body keeping her warm, she lay awake listening to his deep breathing, jealous that he could be so calm as to be able to sleep when her own nerves were alive with fear. It wasn’t for herself that she was afraid, not now, it was for those that would be
affected by this sham wedding. Sophie, Cole, he had been so good to her and to Margaret, being there every time she needed him.

She awoke to find Dominic gone and a note beside her. The sun had tu
rned the sky the dull grey of pre-dawn. She wasn’t cold. Small heaters encircled the roof beams that she hadn’t noticed in the dark last night, and the fabric sides of the structure acted to keep the heat in. She read the note and smiled. Butterflies swirled in her stomach. Dominic had left as he wasn’t allowed to see the bride on her wedding day. It was bad luck, he wrote. She folded the note and tucked it into the top of her bra for safe keeping. The wedding wasn’t until lunch time. She had plenty of time before Sophie and Amanda came over to help her get ready. She lay back and watched the sun come up over the buildings. She felt at peace with her life, with what she was doing. This may have been a fake wedding, but she would spend it with people who cared about her. After all, wasn’t that why Dominic had suggested it? She knew that she could trust him, that he would always be there for her even if they were not married. She didn’t delude herself to think that he loved her, but that was okay; what they had was enough.

“
There you are. We need to get started, Louisa, or we will be late.” Sophie stood holding up one of the sides of the structure. She looked angelic with the soft light behind her and a slight breeze running through her hair. 

“
You’re day-dreaming again, aren’t you?” Sophie asked with a smile. “Come on, future sister-in-law.” She held out her hand, and Louisa reluctantly rose to take it. 

The apartment had been transformed. Three large mirrors were set by the windows
, and the dining table was being used as a dressing table. Hanging over the door frames were three large dress bags. Louisa looked around until Sophie took her hand and thrust her into the bathroom.

“
Shower first, and then we can get started,” she said. Louisa was grateful that at least someone knew what she was supposed to do today, because Louisa had no idea. Margaret arrived after breakfast to get her own hair and makeup done. She was to be a bridesmaid with Sophie. As Louisa didn’t have any sisters Margaret was the closest thing she had to family. Louisa tried to sit whilst the other women did her hair. But she had never been good at it, so instead she grabbed the remote and tried to find something on the TV that would distract her. Settling on
Oprah
she hunkered down for a long few hours before the ceremony. Surprisingly she wasn’t nervous. Not about the wedding at least. She was more concerned for those who had planned it. All Louisa and Dominic had to do was stand there and say some words. Amanda was running around taking calls all morning. Louisa grabbed her and made her sit next to her so that she could rest for a moment. Even as she sat her leg started twitching, and soon she was back on her feet racing to get Louisa something to drink. 

“
How do you feel?” Sophie asked when they had a moment to themselves. 

“
Fine, really, Sophie, I am,” Louisa said trying to assure the other woman. “I'm happy that you could be here with me.”

“
I am so happy that the two of you worked things out,” Sophie said smiling and tucking a loose curl back into place on Louisa’s shoulder.

“
Yes, I guess we did,” Louisa said smiling.

Arriving at the hotel, Louisa stood at the top of the
aisle and looked down at the man who stood waiting for her at the end. His hands were tucked behind his back, and his stance was tense. It was his face that Louisa watched. It held such joy that she was taken aback for how much her heart swelled looking at him. He was waiting there for her. Just her, and right then, it was only them in that room. His eyes held hers until she was by his side. Then he took her hand in his, and she felt nothing but warmth that this man was here with her.

*
***

She stood in her empty office looking at the ring on her finger. She had changed out of the dress as soon as the ceremony was over. She could still see Sophie’s
tear-streaked face as she congratulated them. It had been a small ceremony with only Sophie, Cole, and Margaret and a few family friends in attendance.  Amanda had taken care of everything as she had promised, yet it all still seemed so surreal. She was married. To Dominic. She had left him to change and gone to the office to fax off the forms necessary to have the inheritance legalised. All she could think about was that now she belonged to him, for him to use and control as he pleased. The idea both terrified and excited her. Her emotions were in turmoil as she fought the rising heat in her stomach at the thought of what a husband might do to his wife on their wedding night.