Maid for the Billionaire(48)

Abby bounced for joy within his embrace. ―Oh, Dominic, that‘s perfect!‖ She rained kisses on his jaw. ―You are one amazing man.‖

―I know,‖ he said with a self satisfied smile that held a hint of something else. From the way he was beginning to shift against her, she knew that his mind was already wandering away from the evaluation of his character and back to the master bedroom he‘d shown her just a few moments earlier.

She ran a finger lightly over his lower lip. ―Have I told you how much fun being here is?

Even if I‘m technically no longer being held against my will.‖

He pulled her tighter against him, lifting her slightly off her feet. ―I‘ll do my best to make it live up to your fantasy.‖ He swung her up and over his shoulder and announced in a poor pirate impression, ―Yer mine, wench, to take back to my room and ravish as I wish. Arrh.‖

Abby laughed against his back. ―Thank God you went into computers and not theatre.‖

Dominic spanked her playfully on top of his shoulder. ―Don‘t mock yer captor, woman.

There‘ll be a price to pay for yer insubordination.‖

Just before Dominic stepped through the large double doors and into the house‘s interior, the mood was broken by the sound of two helicopters landing on the lawn on the opposite side of the house. Still hung upside down over Dominic‘s shoulder, Abby watched in horror as, simultaneously, a military plane squealed to a halt on the airfield in the distance.

Dominic slid Abby down to her feet beside him. The two stood side by side in shocked silence for what seemed like an eternity before Dominic asked, his voice laced with humor, ―Did you call Zhang back to tell her that we‘d made up?‖

Abby covered her mouth with one hand, ―Crap.‖

Dominic waved over one of his security guards to apprise him of the situation calmly.

Dominic accepted the complication with surprising grace; simply handing Abby his cell phone and saying, ―Well, you‘d better call her now, because the men jumping off that plane have machine guns. I don‘t think they are going to listen to me.‖

Zhang‘s laughter boomed through airwaves in response to Abby‘s hasty explanation and apology. Instantly there was a reorganization of the men on the airfield, followed by a reboarding of the plane which efficiently headed back down the runway for takeoff. Abby let out a relieved breath and agreed to Zhang‘s only request.

After closing the phone, Abby handed it back to Dominic.

―What did she say?‖ he asked.

―She wants to be invited to the wedding,‖ Abby said with a smile, but couldn‘t shake off the uneasiness she‘d felt at what else Zhang had said. ―But, Dominic, she said that she didn‘t send any helicopters. So, who is on the front lawn?‖

Formerly invisible security filled the home and headed toward the unidentified intruders.

Dominic and Abby rushed after them. The press wouldn‘t be foolish enough to follow them here, would they? She doubted Dominic would deal lightly with any trespassing on his island.

Security systems were lighting up throughout the house giving the glass fortress the kind of protection many of its medieval predecessors would have envied.

"The Cavalry has arrived," Abby said with irony when the first of the intruders stepped out of the helicopters. The ever efficient looking Mrs. Duhamel was quickly followed by Jake who had his arm protectively over the back of Lill and her baby.

Mimicking Dominic‘s earlier tone, Abby teased, ―Did you forget to tell Jake?‖

Dominic‘s lips pursed in humor at her well aimed jab.

The door of the second helicopter opened and Thomas Brogos, the family‘s lawyer stepped out with an older woman Abby didn‘t recognize. Dominic‘s hand went stone cold within Abby‘s.

"What is it, Dominic?" Abby asked, seeing his attention rivet to the older woman. "Who is she?"

"My mother," he said hoarsely.

Abby continued standing on her shaky knees only out of determination to stay calm for Dominic. His mother? Here? How was it possible?

Lill handed Colby to Jake and broke from the group in a run. She wrapped her arms around her sister, asking fervently, "Are you ok, Abby?"

Abby hugged her back just as tightly. "I'm fine, Lil."

Lill held her at arms‘ length and searched her face for any signs of abuse. "The news said that Dominic practically forced you to come here. I called Jake right away and he arranged for Marie and I to take a jet to Alghero. Jake said you were fine, but I had to see for myself. Is this payback for all the years of grief I gave you?"

Abby smiled and reassured the sister who now seemed hellbent on hugging the life out of her. "It was just a misunderstanding."

Mrs. Duhamel stepped forward. "Dominic, you release Abby at once." She pointed to the security that was scattered across the perimeter of the lawn. "You've probably got the girl scared half to death with this chauvinistic power play. In my day, a man showed more respect..."

Her lecture tapered off when Abby disentangled from her sister long enough to give the older woman a quick hug. "He‘s asked me to marry him, Marie, and I said yes!‖

Mrs. Duhamel coughed in surprise and hugged her back. "Well, that‘s fine, then.‖

In her excitement, Abby hadn't realized that Dominic was no longer beside her. She turned to check his reaction to her announcement and saw him standing off to the side, about ten feet away from the woman who shared many of his facial features.