Dominic heard a noise, one that made his heart jump and had him out of his bed in record time. He hastened to the door but stopped instantly, his hand outstretched towards the knob. He knew he shouldn’t. He was told to stay in his room; she hated when he disobeyed, and the last time he’d failed to do as he was told, she’d gotten incredibly angry and had locked him in that dark place. He’d been good since then, doing everything she asked without complaint. But the noise…he heard it again. Louder this time. Was someone in the house? Was she in trouble? Pressing his ear to the door, he listened carefully. There it was again! The loud thud had him blowing caution to the wind and yanking the door open. The hallway that led from his bedroom to hers was a long one, blanketed by darkness.

He hesitated again, this time standing at the threshold and staring into the gaping nothingness in front of him that frightened him like nothing else. It reminded him of that place. Dominic shuddered at the thought of having to walk through the darkness. But what if she needed him? What if she was in trouble again? The man from last time had hurt her very badly because Dominic had been too much of a coward to do anything about it. He’d hated seeing her in pain days after, even when she’d taken her anger out on him. The innate need to see that she was alright jostled him forward and before he knew it he was running down the stretch of foyer that seemed so infinite, but couldn’t have ended soon enough.

“Mom…” He was at her door, hand on the doorknob, turning it even as he heard the muffled voices inside. “Mom,” he called again, with his heart racing he heard the pained moans and entered her bedroom. “Mom, are you okay?”

“Fuck.” He heard the expletive in his search for her and found movement coming from her bed. There was some rustling of sheets before Dominic was faced with her scowling visage and that of a man he did not recognize. The man had been the one who’d whispered the obscenity. “You didn’t tell me you had a kid.” He stumbled out of the bed, nude except for the chain he wore around his neck as he frantically searched for his clothes. He found his jeans strewn on the floor a few feet away from where Dominic was currently standing. While he slipped them on, giving a small hop to get them over his hips, he looked at Dominic, who bemusedly retuned his stare.

“No, baby, don’t worry about him…” his mother tried to soothe, and with little regards to her own nudity, she chased after him.

“Jesus, Sheila, I’m not fucking you while you’re kid’s in the next room. Look, I’ll hook you up with this stash, but have my money by next week.” Having found his shirt seconds prior, he rustled a hand through Dominic’s hair on his way out.

“Come on, Randy, don’t leave. He’s a stupid little kid; he doesn’t even know what’s going on. He’s a little slow. Let me just put him in his room and we’ll party.”

“I think you’ve partied enough for the night, and I’m getting pretty tired of fucking you as payment. Free ride ends tonight. Don’t call me unless you have money to pay for it.” Dominic jumped again as the front door slammed shut behind the man who’d been in his mother’s bed.

It wasn’t too long before he felt the repercussion of his actions. She came at him with an open palm across his face. “You stupid little boy!” she screamed, anchoring a hand through his hair and tugging his head back to look into her sneering face. “God, I knew I should’ve killed you when I had the chance!” She dragged him behind her by his hair and Dominic raised his hand to hers to lessen the pain.

“Mom, I’m sorry…” Panic began to settle in when he saw exactly where they were headed. This was worse than the closet. “Mommy…Mommy, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it,” he pleaded with raw desperation as she thrust open the basement door, and tugged him down the stairs. “Mommy…Mommy, please!”

“You’re just like him!” she screeched, battling to pick him up as he struggled to free himself. But as much as he tried, his seven-year-old body was only capable of so much. “You’re horrible, just like your father!” She shoved him in the crawl space and yanked the metal door shut just before he could run out. “You ruined everything. You ruined my life!”

“Mommy, I’m sorry! I’m sorry, I won’t do it again! Mom! Mom, it’s dark! It’s too dark!” Dominic sobbed, banging futilely against the metal door. He couldn’t breathe. He was suffocating. He banged and scrapped his nails raw, bleeding and crying into the enveloping, stifling darkness until finally he succumbed to the darkness itself.

* * *

“I believe the last time you were here we came to the agreement that the sum of money we gave you would take care of the little issue, thereby permanently removing you from our lives.” Winston Virgil Armstrong stared his imperious nose down at the haggard woman standing unsteadily in front of him. She oozed of degradation; the stench of her addiction permeated the air in his office. She was someone he’d believed he’d dealt with years ago. One of his son’s proclivities having spun out of control, he’d written a substantial check to the woman who’d come crying rape because Gregory had gotten a little too physical. Winston had done so to keep their family name out of the papers, but mostly to preserve his son’s future. He and his father and his father’s father had toiled for far too long to build their enterprise.

The name Armstrong was synonymous with trust, respect, and upstanding family values to the thousands upon thousands of consumers who purchased their products. To have had such a scandal threaten to tarnish that good name would’ve been mayhem. Furthermore, with ’Gregory’s impending nuptials to Millicent Wentworth, heiress to one of the largest cosmetic lines in the country, the scandal would’ve shattered that possibility. The union presented a lucrative opportunity for a merger between their companies; it’d been quite imperative that nothing interfere with the wedding. Therefore, Winston had dealt with the problem in the manner befitting. Unfortunately, it appeared he’d been foolishly optimistic in believing the situation could’ve been so easily rectified.

“Well, I didn’t get rid of it.” She sniffed indignantly, folding her tattered cardigan over her emaciated form.

No, she certainly had not. Winston’s gaze drifted down to the gangly child at her side. He could no more deny the child’s paternity than he could ignore those unmistakable sharp, green eyes that were an inheritable trait in his family .Although he would have a definitive answer before the day was out. Then there was also the fact that the boy bore a startling resemblance to Gregory when he’d been that young. Much as he wanted to, Winston knew that the boy was his grandchild. His brow furrowed further as he carefully assessed the child. There were bruises covering his pale face, and the clothes he wore hung off his disturbingly slight figure. He looked malnourished, the gauntness of his features making him appear close to death.

“What will it take to get rid of you permanently?”

“How much is the child of a rapist worth?” she countered nastily, shrewd, despite the glassiness of her coal black eyes.

“You’re willing to part with him?”

“You can have him and my silence, for a price.”

“Name it.”

“Two million dollars.”

“Done. In turn, you will never step foot on this property again. If you return, make no mistake, I will have you shot for trespassing.”

He cut her the check and the instant she had it in her hand, she stepped away from the boy, who quickly reached out to grab her sweater. “Mommy…” he called softly.

“You’re not my problem anymore,” she said coldly, wrenching the little bit of her sweater he held in his small hand. She turned her back to him and walked out the door, leaving Dominic behind in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar faces.

* * *

He’d seen Sheila Swanson only once more after that when he’d been eighteen. She’d been a shell, more so than what he’d remembered her to be, and Dominic had been grateful for his upbringing in that his indifference had been able to help him cope with her perpetual contempt for him and the unforgettable way he’d been conceived. When he’d finally heard of her passing some months later, an overdose or some such, he’d already shut himself off from everything and had barely given her a thought until this evening. He raised a hand to the bartender for another shot, his fourth now, but Dominic had only just begun to drown the memories. God, he hadn’t gotten this drunk in quite some time now, but it seemed his demons were in quite the mood, gnawing away at Dominic’s soul with avaricious frenzy.

I hope you’re prepared to rape me, Dominic, because that’s the only way you’re going to touch me.

Ah yes, there it was again. He noticeably shuddered at the statement that continued to replay unendingly in his mind. Dominic closed his eyes, but there was no finding peace there as eidetic memory detailed the gravity of her solemn expression when she’d uttered those damning words. The irony of the situation was not loss on him he realized as he tipped another shot down the hatch. He couldn’t fault her for thinking he was capable of such a reprehensible act. But being a product of that act himself and being so unknowingly reminded of it sickened him. Dominic was many things, his vices were quite numerous, and he was the first to admit he was his own worst enemy, always toeing between that line of what was appropriate and what was not. But even he had limits. There weren’t many, but physically accosting a woman, using brute strength to force himself on her, was something he could not do.

But then his father had been such a man, hadn’t he? His mother, as twisted and loveless as she’d been, had certainly not been the first. Just another on a long list of paid off names. Dominic had never been close to his father and while Gregory was instructed to mind his new wife and the impending family that would come, Dominic had been sent abroad to boarding school and had rarely seen his father. Growing up in his grandfather’s home, it’d been Winston and the mansion staff who’d welcomed him when he’d chosen to come home for the holidays. His grandfather had been the one to raise him, and even then, that relationship had been subpar at best. When Winston had finally passed, Dominic had finally been forced to go live with his biological father. But not before he’d discovered the truth about the things his grandfather had covered up for his son. In the documents he’d hidden in his safe behind the Degas in his office, there’d been documents detailing Gregory Armstrong’s felonies, countless as they’d been Dominic had been sick from learning the truth.

When he did finally meet his father, it’d been with a very low opinion of him, one that had only plummeted in the ensuing years. Gregory had been an ornery, egotistical brute who had not only relished pitting his two sons against each other, but had made it a point to completely disregard the increasingly repressible behavior of the youngest, while continuously lambasting the eldest. Dominic had always been the outcast, the black sheep…the bastard. He’d learned very early on to stop seeking validation from Gregory, who had seen him as nothing more than a constant reminder of his mistakes. Dominic was far past the age of begrudge his father or even the cards that fate had dealt him. But what did bother him more was the increasing concern that he’d somehow predisposed to behave as his father had. From the moment Dominic had made those discoveries, to his own gradual descent into immorality, the question of whether he was like his father had never been too far from his mind.

I hope you’re prepared to rape me, Dominic…

No. He certainly had not been prepared to force himself on her. God, but the avowal had shaken him to the core, and to think, it’d all began because she’d once again dared to defy him. He’d been punctual; arriving at the restaurant with renewed focus, Dominic had been ready and willing to return a morsel of what he’d taken from her. He had even foolishly asked his personal assistant to pick out something from Eden’s favorite jeweler. He had examined the diamond tennis bracelet with an appreciative eye on his ride over and had surmised that she would like it. Dominic had waited and waited and waited, his ire meanwhile had only grown increasingly worse as the restaurant staff and patrons alike subtly looked on, spectators to his humiliation. After two hours of waiting, he’d angrily marched out of the restaurant, practically scalding James’s ear off when he’d gotten him on the phone. It had been that same anger that had pushed him to act so irrationally. But then rationality always seemed to elude him when it came to Eden. She’d made a sport out of getting under his skin, he thought morosely.

“Another, sir?”

That question penetrated through his muddled brain, and he knew another shot would put him over the edge; another shot would serve no purpose but to have him embarrass himself further, and suffice it to say, Dominic had been humiliated quite enough this evening to last him a few years. Raising a hand to indicate that he’d had enough, he rose to his feet and was grateful that he only wavered a bit. James, trusty bodyguard that he was, would handle the tab. Dominic did not wait for him as he began a measured pace towards the private elevator. Luckily for him, there was no one in the immediate vicinity to witness his attempt at walking in a straight line. He was quite coherent, but he was more relaxed now. The demons had been quelled, resting once more in the shadowed recesses of Dominic’s mind. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back against the metallic elevator wall behind him and exhaled deeply. What exactly was he going to do with his wife? And she was still his wife. Regardless of her immediate thoughts on the matter, Dominic had no intentions of granting the divorce. That was one thing he absolutely would not do; the why of it still managed to elude him, but he was adamant on the matter.

Upon entering the penthouse, Dominic was greeted with silence. The door closed with a hush snick behind him, and as he toed off his shoes, his gaze instantly searched for her. Some morbid part of him wondered if she was hiding among the shadows ready to spring out at him with a butcher knife. With a wry grin at the conjured image, he ambled further inside the expansive penthouse, making a beeline for the living room where he’d left her. And there she was. He stopped short at the sight of her, curled up on the leather couch. Dominic was momentarily arrested by the contradicting image she presented.

Huddled as she was in the fetal position, she looked like a little girl, with wisps of her hair skimming along her slumbering visage, and her mouth parted slightly, her innocence struck him. But that was where the similarity stopped. From where he stood, Dominic had a spectacular view of the sexy curve of her ass and how enticingly high her dress rode up. If he tilted his head just a bit to the right, he could see her panties and how it sweetly gloved her cunt. His cock did not thank him when he decided to forgo his teenage inclination and instead headed to his bedroom to grab a comforter.

Ah yes, she was the sweetest thing, lying there so openly, on impulse he crouched down to her level and reached a hand out to her face. God, he’d missed touching her. Just the feel of her smooth skin beneath his fingertips electrified him like nothing else. His caress was feather light, barely skimming the surface of her skin, but it was enough to send blood rushing between his legs. He needed to stop, Dominic knew that he should stop; he knew that at any moment she would wake and look at him with those stunning citrine eyes and there would be hell to pay. But Dominic was all too willing to pay the price for another second of this. He could blame his imprudence on the alcohol…he could blame the kiss on the alcohol, too. The instant his mouth fell on hers, Dominic knew it would not be enough because the soft beds of her lips compelled him to deepen the kiss. He instantly stopped himself. Rising, he raised a hand to his face in frustration. He needed a fucking shower!

* * *

Eden came awake with a jolt, puzzled for a moment as to where she was. It didn’t take too long for the memories to come crashing down on her, and she cradled her head in her hands when it began to pound.

“Here.” Startled, she whipped her head up and regretted it when she felt a twinge at the base of her skull. But she recovered quickly enough, concealing the pain long enough to look up at him. He donned only a pair of dark blue jeans, slung low to display his immaculate physique. His hair stuck out around his head, slightly damp as though he’d recently taken a shower. She didn’t even know he owned a pair of jeans, Eden thought inanely, all the while staring dimly at the black mug he held out to her. “It’s only coffee, light on the poison and heavy on the cream,” he said wryly, reading her like a book. When she still refused to accept the coffee mug, his impassive features turned into a scowl. “Suit yourself.”

“I want to go home,” she said petulantly, glaring at his retreating back. “You can’t hold me here against my will, Dominic. Besides, I have responsibilities back in Amesbury.”

“Last time I checked you didn’t have a job anymore,” he derided.

Eden’s eyes widened. “So you admit it? You’re the one who got me fired?” Sure she’d suspected it. But to have her suspicions realized was awful.

“Obviously it was not the right working environment for you if your bosses were stupid enough to believe that lie.”

Eden sprang to her feet. “What gives you the right to think you can just unravel everything I’ve worked so hard to accomplish? You had no right to interfere in my life!”

“I believe I had every right.” He strode towards her barefooted, his own coffee mug still in hand. He stopped a few feet away and Eden was internally glad for it. “As I have said before,” he continued, staring pointedly at her, making sure that she understood everything he was about to say, “you are my wife and your place is at my side. I’ve indulged your little escapade long enough. It is high time you returned home,” he finished cuttingly.

“My home is in Amesbury,” she gritted.

“I’ve instructed my men to escort Liam and Jenna to the mansion in Langston, along with some of your things. I will leave the rest for you to sort out before I put your condo on the market.”

“You did what?”

“You are no longer living in your condo in Amesbury. As of today, your home is at the mansion.”

* * *

It didn’t take long for it to dawn on Eden that she’d naively contributed in her own downfall. This had all been strategically connived from the start, and she had stupidly fallen into the well laid trap. There were no coincidences when it came to Dominic. He was painstakingly methodical about everything he did. He didn’t make a move unless he’d carefully considered all possibilities, weighing the consequences until it was within his favor, and only then would he act. So Eden understood that everything that had transpired so far had been his doing. But what truly bothered her in all this, what infuriated her most, was that she’d made the stupid mistake of sending those letters to Jenna with her name on them. One thoughtless mistake, and she’d given him the gun with which ’he now used to hold her hostage. That gradual realization was a bitter pill to swallow, and it didn’t go down easy at all. She leaned her head back against the headrest, the Rolls that had brought her to the penthouse the night before was now en-route to take her back to that place. Regardless of the manner in which she was returning to the mansion, Eden still felt like a prisoner being carted away to the penitentiary. She didn’t want to think about the memories that awaited her, or the degradation she’d faced in nearly every room of that gilt prison. The one comforting prospect in all this was that she was thankfully left to wallow in her humiliation alone. In his typical charming manner, after ordering Eden to the mansion, he’d informed her that he had business to see to, and she was not allowed to leave until he returned. Eden had tuned him out after he’d told her where Liam was.

The thought of seeing her baby boy again brought a smile to her face. Liam was her Achilles’ heel and that was the only reason she’d agreed to return to the mansion in the first place. He’d lured her with her son.

…he is my best arsenal against you…

The conversation in his office came back with a flash, taunting Eden with her failure. Liam was certainly his best defense against her, and for now, Eden would give Dominic that, she would allow him to believe that her resignation was permanent. With his ego being the size it was, stroking it further would only benefit her in the end.

When the car rolled up to the circular driveway, Eden did not wait for the driver to come open the door for her. She jumped out and made a dash up the three half-moon granite steps that led to the frosted glass entrance. Before she could reach for the brass doorknob, the door flew open and Eden was faced with Jenna’s grinning face. She didn’t even have time to collect herself when her best friend jumped into her arms and embraced Eden for all she was worth. It was silly that they were hugging like they hadn’t seen each other in years, rather than the day and a half it had been, but all the same it felt good to see a friendly and familiar face.

“I’m so happy to see you in one piece, Eden!” she breathed, taking a step back to look at Eden critically. “You are in one piece aren’t you?”

“Well, that depends on who ask. But I’m dealing, I guess.” Eden closed the door behind her as they stepped further into the mansion’s foyer, large as it was with its massive skylight just above. “Where’s Liam?”

“Taking a nap in the living room.” With their arms linked at the elbow, they walked side by side through foyer and down the hall. “He’s been a good boy, but I think he missed you.”

Eden knew she’d missed her son, too, but she didn’t know how profoundly until she laid eyes on his slumbering form. Jenna had made a bed for him on the plush carpeted floor, adding Liam’s own fleece and down blankets to provide extra comfort for him. He looked so peaceful. She blinked back tears as she detached herself from Jenna’s side and quickly made her way to him, toeing off her shoes in the process. Gingerly she knelt at his side, careful not to wake him, she bent down and pressed a lingering kiss to his forehead, taking an infinite second to inhale his sweet scent. He jerked for a brief second as though aware of his mother’s presence before settling back into sleep, the slight frown that had creased his brow disappearing in the process.

“Did he eat?” she asked a moment later, staying at his side, making sure to keep her voice low. Going nearly on two days since she’d last nursed, her breasts were engorged. The only relief she’d gotten was ridding herself of the excess in the shower earlier. But more than anything, Eden missed the bond they shared in doing something so natural.

Jenna nodded, understanding written all over her face. “Yeah, he had a bottle just a little bit ago, and he’s freshly changed.”

Eden looked at her friend with a watery smile, unable to contain herself. “Thanks, Jen,” she said quietly.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Jenna was instantly at her side, another hug at the ready. “Eden, you know I’m you’re road dog. I would do anything for you and the butterball,” she quipped. “I’m just so sorry I couldn’t prevent this from happening. Everything happened so fast, one minute I’m holed up in the apartment with Liam, and the next, they’re telling me to open the door and come with them or something bad was going to happen to you. I couldn’t do anything about it.

“Trust me, I know,” Eden returned with a reassuring smile, pulling away and wiping her tears in the process. “Dominic’s an asshole like that. No isn’t part of his extensive repertoire. He rarely ever gives you a choice when he’s got you down.”

“So are you staying here for the time being?”

Eden looked at her. “We’re staying here for the time being. At least until I can come up with a way to get us back into our condo.”

“I don’t know if he’ll let me stay, Eden, with what I’ve experienced so far, the man doesn’t seem like he wants any sort of obstacle standing between you and him.”

“You’re staying, Jenna…that is, if it’s what you want.”

“Of course I want to stay with you and Liam. You guys are all the family I have, but—”

“But nothing. If you want to stay, then you’re staying. There’s no one else I trust more than you. We’re in this together, all or nothing.”

* * *

A little while later Eden, Jenna and Liam were in the kitchen. With Eden refusing the cook’s help in making them something to eat, both women were left in peace to fend for themselves. A task that presented very little challenge for the cooking-inclined Jenna who managed to make them pesto chicken pasta for lunch with the extensive ingredients in pantry. They ate in amiable silence that was intermittently broken by Liam’s fervent coos, clearly happy to have his mother back.

“Alex has been calling me,” Jenna injected soberly, playing with Liam while Eden washed their dishes. She noted the slight pause in her friend’s movements before the other woman quickly recovered and turned to her with brows raised, waiting for Jenna to continue. “He’s the one who told Dominic where you were. I haven’t spoken to him directly, just listened to the voicemails. He’s been bragging about it. Apparently Dominic gave him a lot of money for the information. But knowing Alex, he’s probably blown through it by now. He wanted me to join him in Vegas.”

“You’re not thinking of going…are you?”

At Eden’s lingering stare, Jenna looked away guiltily, too ashamed of what had been a momentary bout of weakness to look at her best friend. “I thought about it,” she admitted ruefully. “Seven years of bad habits are extremely hard to break, I’ve learned.” She gave a deprecating smile before continuing. “And he’s really good at telling me what I want to hear.”

Eden frowned, set the dish she held on the veined marble countertop, and hurried over to Jenna. “Jen…”

“I know what you’re going to say, Ede, and trust me it’s the same things I’ve been telling myself for years. But don’t worry; I’m not ready to be used as a punching bag again. I think he actually knocked some sense into me the last time he beat me. He’s a habit I have to kick; I’m not deluding myself into thinking it’s going to be easy, but being away from him and that atmosphere has been really good.” She leaned into her friend’s one shoulder hug with a smile. “I’m afraid you’re stuck with me for a while.”

“Please, like I’m ready to get rid of you.” They laughed, and while Eden grabbed Liam, Jenna stood to retrieve a fancy bottle of water from the stainless steel subzero that blended perfectly with the black kitchen cabinetry. The kitchen, massive in size and stocked with an extensive array of food was equipped with state of the art appliances and kitchenware. It was modern, clean and simple in its aesthetics, yet it screamed class. Its best feature was undoubtedly the center island with its beautifully veined black and white marble countertop.

It had been quite overwhelming for Jenna the first time she’d laid eyes on the mansion and had continued to be blown away once she’d stepped foot inside. She’d never once imagined herself in this sort of place and was still coming to grips with the sheer splendor of it all. Casting blue eyes on Eden who was too preoccupied with Liam to notice, Jenna was assaulted with a slight twinge of envy that rapidly went away the second it arose. She flushed guiltily, hating that she’d even conjured the emotion. Eden may have been surrounded by luxury and had an über-wealthy husband, but that didn’t mean it was a good life. All of this opulence undeniably came with a price and its own set of problems which Eden had to deal with now. But still, Jenna thought quietly to herself, it must be nice to have a mansion over your head while she contended with those problems.

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.