Drawn despite herself because she knew she shouldn’t tempt her best friend’s husband, Jenna checked to make sure the top half of her two-piece was on properly before hastening onto the stamped concrete of the pool deck. The amazingly lush landscape of shrubbery and blooming flowers made the pool feel like an oasis, but even that wasn’t enough to combat the oppressing mid-August heat that instantly drew sweat to the surface of her skin. Though tempted to turn and head back to the air conditioning of the mansion, Jenna continued her journey, finally coming to a stop at one of the lounge chairs around the pool. She took a seat, setting her bottle of sunscreen on the ground. Although the crystal blue water of the pool was temptation enough, something far more interesting caught Jenna’s eye. She slipped her sunglasses in place concealing her watchful stare. Naked except for the swimming trunks he wore, Dominic was utterly exposed to her, and Jenna sat back to enjoy the view.
It was extraordinary the effect children could have on people, and it was clear that Dominic was incredibly influenced by his son. Jenna had noticed a change in him the last two months since they’d all come to live in the mansion, and it awed her to see him so uninhibited when he believed no one was watching. There was a slight softening to his typically granite features, and smiles that were rarely seen made frequent appearances, changing the cruel twist of his mouth to something altogether pleasing. Only when in the presence of his child did Dominic display any form of genuine human emotion. It was quite riveting to watch, and Jenna found herself fascinated, reflecting that maybe Eden had been wrong about him. There was definitely more to Dominic than he chose to reveal, and Eden had certainly missed out on it. But that certainly wasn’t to say that he had abandoned his aloofness; he was still just as reserved as the day Jenna had met him, keeping mostly to himself and making very little effort to befriend her. Maybe friendship was a stretch, but at the very least, he could be kind enough to acknowledge her presence. It was in that effort that Jenna made up her mind to approach him.
Dominic noticed her the moment she stepped outside, but then it was impossible to miss her with what she was wearing. There was also the rather tantalizing performance she was putting on in applying sunscreen to her body. Any red-blooded male would’ve been instantly aroused by the display, and it wasn’t to say that Dominic was immune to the subtle game of seduction she was employing, but his mind was consumed by another woman who had eyes like citrine and a body capable of hardening his cock at just the thought of her. A woman who could evoke the most explosive reactions from him, be it anger or the dark desire that nearly always tempted him to drag her off to their bedroom and perform acts on her that some would consider highly unconventional. There was nothing else and no one else that compared to her, every other woman paled in comparison, and that included Jenna Mills.
“Mind if I join you guys?”
“By all means.” He returned his hold on Liam, remaining in the cool water of the pool. The late afternoon had dulled the stifling heat of the scorching August sun, making it much easier and comfortable for Dominic to enjoy swimming lessons with his fast growing son. Two months had already gone by in which he’d learned an overwhelming amount of information about this child who continued to worm his way into the empty hollow of Dominic’s chest, the ruins of a secret dark place that had not seen light in a very long time. Yet every moment he spent in Liam’s company was a moment Dominic wanted to prolong, a moment he found himself cherishing because he knew how fleeting they were. Affection however did not come easily, having it stripped from him at such a young age it evaded him now, remaining ever elusive, even in his anguish to grasp it. There was nothing, no source of love from which Dominic could draw from to bestow upon his son, and it seemed that his failure was imminent, yet with every toothless smile he received and every milestone he saw Liam through, Dominic understood that, if nothing else, his son needed him in his life. It was that one fact, that one assurance that kept him battling the part of himself that wanted to withdraw, to keep his son at distance and guard that which had been so severely damaged. Damaged beyond repair he feared.
“Dominic?” the soft call of his name drew Dominic from his internal reflection to find Jenna peering reservedly at him. She was at the shallow end of the pool, not too far from where he stood. The water lapped rhythmically at her waist as she slowly moved, and while he said nothing, she continued, finding that she now had his attention. “I just want to thank you for letting me stay here and for giving me the job as Liam’s nanny. I really appreciate you doing that for me.”
“I didn’t do it for you,” he imparted laconically, his perforating stare prompting Jenna to look away in embarrassment.
Unaccustomed to his candor, she sank beneath the water for a moment trying to recover her bruised pride. Of course Jenna knew he hadn’t done it for her, but was he so jaded that he couldn’t even accept her simple gratitude? “I know…I know you did it for Eden, but I’m still grateful. It’s not every day your boss treats you to a spa and day of shopping.”
Dominic eyed her curiously and though he did not display his confusion, he did angle an inquisitive brow. “I’m afraid I have no idea what you are talking about,” he replied flatly. “I have never treated you to anything.”
Jenna frowned now, wondering if he was playing with her. “But I…Eden told me…”
“She told you what?”
Jenna shook her head, knowing that she probably put her foot in her mouth. “Nothing…she didn’t say anything,” she said weakly. He had her in his line of vision, and as skewered as she was by the intensity in his green gaze, Jenna could do nothing but simply stand there.
“I am not partial to people lying to me, Jenna, and I despise the trait even less in my employees,” he asserted calmly, placing Liam in the bright yellow inflated duck that had been among the many toys Dominic had purchased for him. “If you are to remain in my employ, I would strongly suggest you learn to be honest. Now, would be a perfect time to start.”
His highhandedness was overwhelming, and the slick way he went about acquiring what he wanted was even more alarming. And to think this was only because she’d evaded telling him the truth. Jenna couldn’t even imagine what it would be like if she betrayed him outright. It was easier for her to understand why Eden wanted to distance herself from him, especially when he looked as he did now, like he relished the thought of causing her pain. For a moment, Alex came to mind; Alex who was volatile and angry and had battering rams for fists, but could apologize like a saint.
These two men, both worlds apart in personality, mannerism, upbringing, social class, and wealth could not have been more different and yet to Jenna they were exactly alike in one aspect, the similarity was so prominent that she didn’t know how she’d missed it before. It frightened her that she hadn’t caught it until now. Eden had not shared much of her marriage with Dominic, but Jenna knew that he’d hurt her, not physically, but Jenna could spot the effects of emotional abuse a mile away and Eden had been swathed in it. She, more than most, understood abuse, both physical and mental, and though the body healed and the bruises disappeared, the emotional scars remained long after, affecting the individual in the worse way possible. Alex had abused her and Dominic had done the same to Eden, the only difference was that one knew how to dress it up better.
“She told me it was a gift from you, the spa treatment and the shopping trip. I was so happy that I didn’t even question it, but I know she paid it for herself now. I can’t believe I didn’t realize it before. I mean, it’s not like she’s been spending your money. God, I bet she probably used up all her paycheck and tips to—”
“Tips?” He clutched on that one word as a look of black fury blazed across his features. There was only one implication to that word for Dominic, and it touched on a distant memory of his wife on a steel pole.
Aware of the conclusion he was making, Jenna quickly tried to dissuade the situation. “Look, Dominic, she’s not working at—”
“Where is she?” he enquired slowly.
“She’s working at Carver’s Grill,” she replied. “It’s nothing like Craze Pussy!” she yelled after him. He handed Liam off to her and hastened out of the pool.
It was easy enough for him to find the address, and though he could’ve taken James with him, Dominic decided to forgo his bodyguard and instead, journey out to find Eden on his own. The car he chose was a shiny, sleek black, import with a six speed transmission he handled with enviable expertise as he gunned down the streets with one destination in mind. It was only Jenna’s assurance that Eden had not resorted back to stripping that made him handle the car with care, but still, he kept a lead foot on the gas, needing to find her and demand to know why the hell she was working for tips. She hadn’t spent a dime of his money, her friend said, and that avowal would’ve been incredibly difficult for Dominic to believe if he hadn’t checked for himself.
There’d been no expenses on the credit cards he’d given her nor did she withdraw or spend any of the money he’d put in her bank account. Everything had been there, untouched and Dominic remained unsure of what bothered him more: the fact that she hadn’t spent any of it or the increasing notion of having misjudged her. The basis of their relationship, their marriage, was built solely on the insurmountable wealth she’d wanted from him. To realize that may had somehow changed in the duration of her absence continued to gnaw at him. The idea of being proven wrong was not something he was ready to admit.
Eden had never worked a day in the five years of their marriage; why work when Dominic had given her nearly everything her greedy little heart could possibly desire? But then she’d left him. And in that year spent away from him, he’d learned that she had worked herself to the bone until she’d given birth to Liam. When he’d coerced her back to the mansion and had his attorney draw up the contract that would keep her there for the next six months, it had been on the belief that she would revert back to the self-centered, money hungry, little minx he knew her to be, that Eden Dominic knew how to control. He knew what to offer to have her carryout his every wish. However, this Eden, who behaved so unexpectedly and was capable of landing a real estate job but chose to work some menial job for scraps, was the Eden that frustrated Dominic to no end. He didn’t understand her motive. Dominic could not comprehend the reason why she wanted to work when she could easily buy anything she wanted with the money he’d set up for her. He entered Carver’s Grill with these frustrations.
* * *
It was insanely busy, but luckily, Lena had hired a few more girls so they were able to handle the increase of customers, but just barely, which was why Eden had been relegated back to her waitressing duties. The patrons were rowdy, their jokes were offensive and obscene, and once or twice she’d been peeved enough to smack at a few hands bold enough to touch her ass. With the harrowing pace of carrying out food and drink orders while dodging men with octopus hands and bad cases of BO, Eden had to put this night up there with not only one of the most stressful, but the most exhausting as well. The upside was that she hadn’t dropped anything, which she was sure Carver was very happy about. While waiting on her orders, Eden noted the gaggle of women at the bar and grinned drily.
Having sampled some of the food, she could affirm that that wasn’t the reason for the surplus of estrogen at the bar. And even though Mickey made cocktails like he was born to it, the women weren’t interested in his fruity concoctions. They were there for only one reason, the six foot one inch, tattooed man with the rock hard body and swoon worthy dimpled grin, drawing them in like moths to a flame. They hung on his every word, giggling like school girls, batting their garishly long lashes, and displaying enough cleavage that could’ve qualified them to work at his establishment. He had a wry sense of humor that some mistook for cockiness, but undoubtedly found sexy as they continuously returned for more. He probably had more contacts than most people had in their phones, certainly more than Eden that was for sure. Regardless of his demeanor, he always took someone home at the end of the night. He had a type: tall, slim, always blond, and always leggy, exactly like the woman currently monopolizing his time.
It would be lie to say that Eden didn’t find him attractive; there was an underlying roughness about him that called to the fairer sex with the promise of pure masculine power. He made Eden nervous in a way that was all racing heart and sweaty palms. The only other time she’d ever felt that way was when she was in Dominic’s company. And just like that, as though a mere thought had conjured him, he was there. Speak of the devil and he shall appear. He commanded a room when he entered it, and people naturally turned to stare, craned their necks to gape at the authority that swathed every inch of his powerful physique.
A sovereign among commoners, he appeared far removed from the common patrons of Carver’s, everything from the impeccable cut of his suit to the manner in which he carried himself, Dominic exuded refinement, a cool sophistication that set him apart. Standing by the bar and steps away from the swinging door of the kitchen, Eden stood rooted as she watched him looking over the crowd, clearly searching for her. While she wavered on whether to flee or remain where she was, her heart battered anxiously against her breastbone. She couldn’t believe he was here, at her place of work, but then Eden had known it would only be a matter of time before he’d made the discovery. What surprised her more was the length of time it had taken him. She’d expected him to break his promise about snooping into her life some time ago. When his green eyes finally landed on her, he cut an immediate path towards her, an easy feat as the throng parted for him like the Red Sea.
His eyes raked over her body with such thoroughness that color bloomed in Eden’s cheeks, exacerbated by the memory of what she’d allowed him to do to her not long ago. In her own immature way of dealing with the harrowing encounter of that evening, Eden had been avoiding him as much as she could, remaining in his presence only when absolutely necessary. Work had been her escape, but now he was here intruding on her space, her territory. Just a mere glimpse at his full mouth reminded her of how miserably she’d failed at rebuking his advances. Heat suffused her entire body at the memory of just how shameless she’d been.
“We’re leaving,” he directed brows furrowed in impatience.
He reached for her but she evaded his grasp, taking a furtive step back. “I’m working,” she replied firmly, hoping he was kind enough not to draw attention to them and simply leave. But Eden knew it was all wishful thinking on her part.
“Do not try my patience, Eden.”
“Go away, Dominic.” She had orders to take, drinks and food to serve, and by the incensed look Lena was sending her, Eden knew she needed to haul ass. Now. Her attempt to sidestep him only caused him to capture her arm; the grip wasn’t enough to hurt, but it did restrain her. “You can leave here of your own accord, or I can carry you out kicking and screaming, either way you will not remain in this place a second longer.”
“Is there a problem here?” Carver’s smooth baritone voice had Eden glancing to her left to find him standing there, big and bold, while carefully assessing Dominic, who, for his part, retained his hold on her arm, not at all ready to release her.
“It’s none of your concern,” he said dismissively, his cold tone would’ve put off a lesser man, but Carver stood his ground, more concerned for Eden’s safety than cowering beneath that derisive glance.
“I concern myself with all of my employees,” he replied evenly. “Eden, is everything alright?” Steel blue eyes searched her face for any sign of distress, his stance instantly on alert, ready to jump to her rescue if need be, regardless of the man accosting her. Doubling as owner and bodyguard of sorts, it was natural for him to want to protect the girls working for him. Customers at his bar were oftentimes unpredictable, add in alcohol and the situation turned volatile. Brawny as he was, Eden had seen him engage in a few scuffles since she’d come to work here, and he’d come out the victor in many of those cases. Of course that wasn’t to say Dominic couldn’t very well hold his own if the situation called for it. With the amount of testosterone jumping in the dead air between them, it could very well end up being something very ugly, very fast, and that certainly wasn’t something Eden wanted. “Eden?”
“Everything is good, Carver. Can I—”
“Consider her one less person you have to concern yourself with. She quits,” he announced prosaically, and without as much as a backward glance, he dragged Eden behind him with all the courtesy of an ape.