Maid for the Billionaire(15)

―It‘s fifteen years too late for that,‖ he said almost to himself.

Thomas said, ―She won‘t find a loophole, Dominic. You should help her stabilize your father‘s company, especially since you‘re the one who brought it to the point of bankruptcy.

You owe her that much.‖

―You heard her; she doesn‘t want my help.‖ His grip tightened on Abby‘s hand, but she didn‘t protest. This was also why she‘d come.

―You‘d let her lose everything?‖ Thomas asked in a tone that implied that only the lowliest of creatures would.

―I am not going to help save my father‘s company. If there is no way to break the will, I‘ll just give Nicole some money. My father is not going to win just because…‖

Thomas gathered some papers and shook his head. ―I guess life does come full circle. Do what you want, Dominic, but your father finally had the best of intentions when he wrote this into the will.‖

He nodded kindly to Abby, opened the door to the office and handed Dominic a copy of the will. ―Show your lawyers, son, then come back to see me.‖

Dominic took the papers even though he clearly didn‘t want to. He pulled Abby behind him through the door. She had to double step to keep up. ―I won‘t be back,‖ he said over his shoulder.

―If you don‘t return, I‘ll know one thing for certain.‖ Thomas tossed back from the entrance of his office.

Dominic stopped at the outer door, positively seething and glared back over his shoulder at the older man. Skidding to a halt behind him, Abby barely avoided slamming into Dominic at his sudden stop. She would have slipped her hand out of his, but his attention was firmly planted on the lawyer and no amount of squirming released his vice grip. ―And what would that be?‖

Dominic ground out.

Thomas slid his glasses up the bridge of his nose and stated, ―That you finally did become your father.‖



Chapter Eight

It wasn‘t until they‘d reached the interior of the limo again that Dominic realized he still held Abby‘s hand in a crushing grip. Poor woman, he must have dragged her down the hallway behind him during his grand exit. He let her go with more reluctance than he would have liked.

He braced himself for the verbal assault he knew was coming. It was no more than he deserved. What kind of idiot invites a woman he barely knows to share one of the ugliest moments of his life? She had every right to call him her full vocabulary of insults.

Her silence beside him was as painful as any thrashing could have been.

He wished she'd just say it and let it be done. He was a horrible human being, he knew it.

An unspeakably poor example of a son, a disappointment as a brother, and a money driven monster in general.

Abby was with him today only because he'd threatened her sister's job. He was a multi-billionaire who wasn't above blackmailing a school teacher . Doesn’t that just say it all?

Was that what held her tongue? Was she trying to think of way to get out of the vehicle without incurring his wrath? During the construction of his financial empire, he'd bent his moral code more than he cared to admit, but today was a new low, even for him.

If only she'd just say it.

―Where to, sir?‖ the driver asked.

Abby answered before Dominic had the chance. ―We'll need to go shopping,‖ she said.

―There is a mall in North Attleboro on Route 1.‖

Dominic turned to Abby in surprise. If she were any other woman he'd assume that her own self-gratification had overshadowed her comprehension of the past hour. However, her amber eyes were brimming with a compassion he neither deserved nor welcomed.

―It's time for me to get back to New York,‖ he said to the driver. ―You take Ms. Dartley home. Stop at the mall on the way if she wants. Have any charges billed to me and call a second limo to take me to the airport.‖

―Wait,‖ Abby said.

The driver hesitated which gave a direction for some of Dominic's anger. ―If you like your job, I'd make the call.‖

The driver began to call in the order for the second limo.

―It's just a mall,‖ Abby interjected as if issuing a dare.

Dominic sat back and squared his shoulders. ―I'm not in the mood for shopping.‖

―Afraid?‖ she asked softly, so softly he almost missed it. His head whipped around. His sweet little middle school teacher had an impish glint in her eyes.

―Not interested,‖ he lied. He was becoming more interested each time she surprised him.

She crossed her legs slowly, fully aware that she had his attention once again and folded her hands over her exposed knee. She let out an actress like dramatic sigh. ―Then you'll never know where I was going to take you after the mall.‖

There wasn't a man on the planet who could have resisted her in that moment. She was pure temptation. He leaned toward her and growled, ―Why not take me there now?‖

She shrugged lightly as if the opportunity had passed. He reached across the foot that separated them to drag her into his lap, but she scooted further away and said, ―We're not dressed for where I want to go.‖

He shifted closer to her. ―Are you sure clothes will be necessary?‖

―Positive,‖ she said. Her laughter just about sent his blood pressure through the roof of the limo.

Forget the plane. He instructed the driver to cancel the other limo and head toward North Attleboro. This was one merger he wasn't going to miss.