Maid for the Billionaire

Chapter Sixteen

Sitting beneath the same blanket she'd cuddled under during the flight, Abby watched people come and go through a small plane window. There were guards stationed both inside and outside of the hangar. They were dressed in the familiar black and white uniform.

Apparently, Dominic had not given his private security guards instructions to humor her.

They were stubbornly silent, regardless of how she tried to pull them into discourse. Upon arriving at the plane, Abby had paused before reentering the open hatch. One large hand nudged her forward, prompting her to turn and snap, "Stop acting like you're forcing me. I wanted to come."

Her announcement was met with silence.

Not too long after that, one guard had followed her down the short hallway to the bathroom.

She'd wagged a warning finger in his face, "Don't even think you're coming in with me. What are you afraid of? That I‘ll escape from the bathroom? It doesn‘t even have a window."

The guard had simply turned his back to her, filling the space just outside the door with his massive frame. She held back an urge to bean something off the back of his head. The longer she waited for Dominic to return, the more her agitation grew, but she wasn‘t stupid enough to act on it.

Almost two hours had passed without a word from Dominic. She‘d watched most of the press conference on the plane‘s television. On the outside, Dominic had looked calm. He fielded questions about how long he had been planning this act of philanthropy. He accepted thanks from the leaders of countless organizations. Every news station was calling Dominic a role model for businessmen around the world. People speculated that his actions would forge a new and strong relationship between the US and China. Dominic accepted their praise with a calm they assumed was humility, but Abby understood was cold control.

During one part of the press release, a reporter made a statement rather than asking a question. He said, "No one saw this one coming, Mr. Corisi. You've taken the world by surprise."

Domini had looked directly into the camera, directly into her soul and said with an icy tone that rang oddly against the warmth in the reporter's praise, "It's often difficult to predict what anyone is capable of."

Abby had clicked the television off.

He was still angry. She had hoped that his temper would have cooled with time or that after speaking with Scott he would have realized that she had met Zhang for the first time during this trip. No plotting. No subterfuge. Just misguided good intentions.

Abby pulled the blanket tighter around herself and rolled her eyes at the guard who seemed pleased that she was settling down. She said, "Before you pat yourself on the back, let me just say that the real challenge would have been keeping me off the plane."

Not so much as a twitch in response. Damn, these guys were good.

Abby closed her eyes and let herself drift off into a restless sleep.

Abby woke to Dominic lifting her off the couch like a small child. The plane was moving on the runway and Dominic was carrying her toward the bedroom.

He threw her on the bed.

She opened her mouth to say something, but he stood over her like some conquering pirate looking down at his share of the spoils and coherent thought flew right out of her head. His eyes were still dark with fury. His muscles were bulging with barely contained anger and Abby thought he'd never looked sexier.

Surprise filled her as she realized that being kidnapped by the man she loved was more than a little sexually exciting. However inappropriate, she wanted to give in to this fantasy and be taken with all the emotion throbbing through him. The cold mask was gone. In its place was a deep hunger that mirrored her own. He just didn‘t look as happy about it.

"Sleep in here," he growled. "I've got some calls to make."

Abby rubbed the back of her hand over one of her eyes and rolled over onto her side as she asked huskily, "Where are we going?"

"Not back to the United States, if that is what you're hoping," he ground out.

Remorse trumped fantasy. Abby sat up. "Dominic, if you'd just listen to me, I could explain about today."

His breath came out as harshly as an expletive. "I don't have the energy for your lies, right now, Abby -- if that's even your real name."

"I never lied to you, Dominic,‖ she defended.

His eyes narrowed. ―You‘re good, but you can stop the pretense. You won‘t be getting whatever incentive they offered you. I‘ll make sure of that.‖

Abby smacked the bed on both sides of her in frustration. Why was he so determined to continue to believe the worst of her? "How can you think I was part of some scheme against you? If I remember correctly, when we first met I told you I didn't want to see you again.

You're the one who insisted I get in your limo back in Massachusetts. I didn't ask to come to China with you. How could I have planned any of this?"

Dominic turned away from her. "No wonder Zhang chose you. The lies fall from your lips with ease. I should have left you in China."

If that was what he really thought, then this was not the sexual fantasy she‘d been building it into nor was it their chance to repair the damage their relationship had sustained that day.

Abby sat up on her knees and fired back at him. "Then why didn't you?"

He looked back at her over his shoulder, his expression twisted with torment. "God help me, I couldn't. You're like a sickness under my skin."

He closed the bedroom door behind him with a hand she thought she saw tremble.

A sickness? Abby rolled over and groaned into one of the pillows in frustration.

For the first time, doubt began to settle in. What the hell was she doing? He didn‘t love her.

If his expression was anything to go by, he didn‘t even like her. Lust was a poor substitute for love.

Her earlier belief that a simple explanation could return what they‘d shared the night before now seemed na?ve. What she‘d thought of as emotional intimacy had clearly been his idea of extended foreplay.

No, she thought. That kind of openness could not be faked. They had connected. She wasn‘t wrong about that. She couldn‘t have misread that situation so dramatically. Beneath his harsh words, he was still hurting.

And it was her fault.

She could have spared him the public humiliation if she had told him everything last night.

That was the only part of being with him that she regretted. Maybe that was what she had to say, what he needed to hear, before they could move forward.

She was off the bed and down the halfway to the main room in an instant, determined to not give herself time to second guess her decision. Upon her entrance, he looked up from the papers he‘d been scanning. His expression was cold again, giving her fair warning that he did not welcome her intrusion.

She stopped in the middle of the room and forced her arms to stay at her sides rather than wrap protectively around her waist like they wanted to. This was about reaching out to him, righting a wrong. There was no place for defensiveness in a sincere apology. ―I‘m sorry,‖ she blurted out and waited.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. ―I‘m sure you are. At least, sorry that you were caught,‖ he said tiredly.

She took an awkward step toward him. ―I‘m sorry that I didn‘t tell you right away when I learned that Scott was reporting back to Jake. I overheard a discussion between the men yesterday at the hotel. I should have told you last night.‖

Dominic‘s gray eyes were almost black with emotion when they reopened, dark and unreadable. Abby forced herself to continue. ―I‘m also sorry that I didn‘t tell you that Zhang had arranged to meet with me today. She warned me that your deal was in jeopardy and told me that I could help you.‖

His voice held a harshness Abby was unaccustomed to. ―Even if that is true, I warned you that someone might try to use you to influence the negotiations. You played right into her hands.‖

Abby gulped down her guilt. ―I know.‖

―You had plenty of time to tell me.‖

Abby studied her bare feet and admitted her weakness. ―I was going to, but last night was so beautiful. I was selfish. I knew things would change once you knew. I told myself that there would be time in the morning to admit everything.‖

If she‘d thought that her explanation would sway him, she was quickly disappointed when she raised her eyes hopefully. There wasn‘t a trace of forgiveness surfacing. ―So, manipulating the final deal in a way that forced me to agree to your terms or lose the contract was your solution?‖

Put that way, it did sound damning.

She had to make him understand. ―Zhang said it was the only way. She said the deal was falling through and if you stepped out for even a moment you‘d lose the contract to a competitor.

That‘s what Stephan was there for, wasn‘t it? He was trying to undercut your deal. Zhang was right.‖

―What makes you think you were anything more than a pawn to Zhang? Do you really think that someone like you, a teacher for God‘s sake, can understand the politics of international commerce?‖ His cutting words hung heavily between them.

Shame descended on Abby like a cold cloak, but her pride kicked in. She met his eyes and parried, ―Why don‘t you tell me how you really feel, Dominic?‖

He stood, scattering some papers on the floor around him as he did. His face was pinched with anger. ―You were supposed to be a distraction. I brought you with me to keep my mind off how shitty this past week has been. But you couldn‘t stay out of my business. No, you had to get involved.‖

He‘d used her and the confirmation hurt Abby deeply. She had known from the beginning that a woman like her had no place in his life, but she had let herself begin to believe that she was more than a convenient sex partner for him. How could she have been so stupid? Abby put a cold hand to her mouth. ―I thought I was helping. I thought you needed me.‖

His sarcastic tone was a dagger to her heart. ―And that was your real mistake.‖

Abby lashed out, ―I understand now why your mother left your father. If he was anything like you, she was right to leave. He probably looked down at her and kept her separate from his business. Not to protect her, but because he thought he was better than her.‖ Abby straightened her shoulders and fought back the tears that were welling in her eyes. ―You both treated Nicole the same way, so why should I be surprised that I‘m no different? Oh, my God, I thought all your tough talk was sexy, but I see it for what it is now. You‘re afraid of letting anyone close so you treat everyone equally badly.‖

She turned away in disgust, but one more thought sprung and had to be expressed. She half turned back and said, ―I thought I loved you, but I didn‘t know you. You might have all the money and power in the world, but you‘re not good enough for me. The man I give my heart to will see me as his partner; he will let me in. He won‘t try to keep me in some home he visits between business trips. He‘ll share his life with me and our children will grow up into healthy adults, not twisted and emotionally barren monsters like you.‖

In a voice which had become monotone, Dominic said, ―Get some sleep. We‘ll be landing on my private island off the coast of Italy in a few hours.‖

Abby let the slam of the bedroom door be her answer. She went to the plane‘s phone and dialed the number on the crushed card in her pocket. ―Zhang? If you meant what you said about helping me, we‘re on our way to Dominic‘s private island near Italy. I want off that island as soon as you can send a plane.‖

Abby held her breath. If Dominic was correct, Zhang would have no reason to help her now. If she was indeed no more than a pawn to her, she would soon know.

―Don‘t bother to unpack,‖ Zhang answered. ―You‘ll be on a flight home minutes after you land.‖

Relief flooded Abby. She might have been wrong about Dominic, but at least Zhang‘s support had been sincere. The tears that Abby had held in poured forth. Her throat tightened with spasms, making the words almost impossible to get out. ―He doesn‘t love me, Zhang. He doesn‘t even respect me.‖

―Do I have to kill him?‖ Zhang asked in all seriousness. Oddly, Abby found comfort in Zhang‘s extreme question. It had been a long time since anyone had leapt to defend her. She had carried the burdens of others for so long that she had forgotten what it felt like to turn to others for help.

―No,‖ Abby said grudgingly. ―But I do want to leave.‖

Sounding relieved, Zhang said, ―Consider it done,‖ and hung up.

Abby banged the receiver a few times as she tried to hang it up on the wall. Her hands were shaking with emotion as she collapsed onto the bed and gave into the tears that she no longer had a reason to hold in. Loud sobs wracked her body and she hoped Dominic heard them and felt even the smallest bit sorry for being the complete jackass he was.

Dominic swept the remaining papers off his desk, watching them float aimlessly toward the carpeted floor of the plane. He flipped on the radio to block out the sound of Abby‘s crying and paced the room.

How had he become his father? After a lifetime of despising the man for his maltreatment of his mother, Dominic had just treated Abby the same way. Even the dismissive, superior tone of his voice reminded him of the bastard he‘d sworn to be nothing like. My God, Abby was right, there was very little mystery as to why his mother had left and hadn‘t wavered once in her decision to cut them from her life.

Blinded by his earlier anger, he had refused to listen to further excuses from Jake or even entertain Zhang‘s attempt to convince him that time would reveal Abby‘s innocence. However, none of his varied contacts had been able to link Zhang to Abby or Abby with Jake. His personal security team had not dug up anything more damning on Jake than a text requesting that Scott follow him from bar to bar and arrange transportation if Scott had deemed Dominic too impaired to drive. Another text instructed Scott to keep the press as far away from Dominic as he could and to inform him if Dominic made any moves that could be publicly damaging to his image or himself.

Dominic had postponed returning to the plane to give his team more time to research recent events. However, with each discovery the inconceivable became less deniable.

Abby might be telling the truth.

He thought back to their first encounter and the simple way she‘d been dressed. Jeans and a t-shirt were not the clothes of a hired siren. What if she really had been there simply to help her sister? She said she‘d stayed out of concern for him. He had repaid that kindness by practically chasing her around his brownstone and then insulting her.

As he looked back over their time together, he felt ashamed by his actions in a way he never had before. Each step of the way, Abby had freely offered her companionship and her support.

Because of her, he‘d been able to spend a few days as simply Dominic; not a defiant son, not a corporate magnate, just a man mourning a loss.

He groaned as his recent outburst replayed in his head. He‘d mocked her for being a teacher, when in reality it was one of the many things he admired about her. Unlike him, she had a passion for what she did that was not driven by greed or personal gain. And it was that desire to help that had brought her to China with him.

It was conceivable that Zhang could have used Abby‘s concern for him to manipulate her into delivering the additional contract pages; which had forced Dominic to make his first act of philanthropy. However unwillingly it had come about, his company would now have a positive cultural impact on billions of women and lead the way for other large corporations to support international social causes and, surprisingly, that knowledge filled Dominic with an unsettling feeling of satisfaction.

The media called him a hero, but the real hero was Abby.

Without her, he might have gone on believing that the world had somehow cheated him and deserved to be treated accordingly. How had he gotten so politically powerful without ever wondering if he could use his influence to better the lives of those less fortunate? Had it been arrogance or obsession which had allowed him to deal with third world countries without ever considering that he could affect more than their exchange rate?

In less than a week, Abby had changed him forever. And what had he given her?

He had barged into her life, blackmailed her, used her, and dragged her off to China for purely selfish reasons.

No, there wasn‘t much about the last week that he was proud of.

What had this trip been like for her? He could only imagine and, once again, admire the strength of her character. He remembered her saying that she hadn‘t traveled outside of the states before. But she had done it for him without complaint. She‘d accepted being deposited at a hotel in a foreign country with body guards who were little more than strangers to her.

She must have been terrified when she‘d overheard the guards discussing their surveillance of him; unable to trust the very people he‘d told her to rely on. Why hadn‘t she come to him when she‘d heard? What had she said? She‘d wanted one more night of intimacy with him before breaking the bad news.

He couldn‘t fault her there, either. Hadn‘t he been the one who had repeatedly reminded her that what they had was temporary? He‘d thought that by saying the words he could gain some control of his emotional response to her. Instead, it had held her silent when she most needed someone to talk to.

From what he‘d been able to gather from Scott‘s team before he‘d sent them packing, Abby had met with Zhang for the first time yesterday. Scott had admitted telling Abby that he‘d seen no harm in the meeting. He also detailed their next day‘s outing into a rural community for the sole purpose of showing Abby China‘s educational needs. At the time, Dominic had dismissed his words as part of their web of lies, but now he considered them. Someone like Abby would have been easy to manipulate. Once she‘d seen the need and been told that Dominic‘s livelihood relied on her taking action, Abby would have done what she thought was right. Especially, if as she said earlier, she‘d fallen in love with him.

He groaned.

Each of her decisions made sense when he asked himself what a good, moral, loving person would do. Nothing she had done was in contradiction of the way she had lived her life. She protected those she cared about. She sacrificed for those who needed her. She risked for the causes she thought were important.

He had done nothing to prepare her for the situation he‘d thrown her into; one that she‘d navigated with remarkable confidence considering the challenges which had arisen. There would probably never be a way to know for sure if he could have closed the deal without the contract addendum, but Stephan‘s presence was testament to the forces working against him. No one could deny that the scholarship provision had closed the deal.

Five percent profit from a company as large as Corisi Enterprises would hardly be missed and the global boost to his company‘s international standing due to that charitable donation was priceless.

The more he thought about how Abby had met each challenge, the more he admired her.

She‘d gloriously marched up to China‘s Minister of Commerce and handed him the paperwork as if it were something she‘d done a hundred times before. She couldn‘t have known for sure if that act would see her heralded as a hero or a criminal, but she had risked herself for the sole purpose of saving his company. And how had he repaid her? Vicious accusations, kidnapping, and more insults.

She was right; he wasn‘t good enough for her. She deserved someone who knew how to treat her like the precious gift she was. His gut twisted painfully at the thought of her being with another man.

There had to be a way to fix this.

His cell phone rang with Jake‘s familiar tone. He flipped the phone open and held it to his ear. He deserved whatever his friend was about to unleash on him.

―Are you insane, Dom? Have you finally lost your mind?‖ Dominic held the phone away from his ear. Jake had put aside his normal cool and was unabashedly yelling into the receiver.

―Turn the plane around and drop Abby off in Boston before this becomes an international scandal that not only nullifies our contract with China but also lands you in jail.‖

―I love her, Jake.‖ Dominic said and slumped in his chair as he made the admission. ―But I screwed up.‖

Jake sputtered before saying, ―You think?‖ and continued to let off steam at an unusually high volume. ―Abby called Zhang in tears. Now you‘ve got one very pissed off Asian woman who is galvanizing what looks like military support for Abby on at least two continents. The press is all over this. Even Murdock couldn‘t squash the story. They know the truth behind the amendment to the contract and they know you forced Abby to go with you. You can thank Stephan for that. Abby has become an instant folk hero globally: the teacher who made higher education possible for women all over China. The jury on you is still out. The press is calling you either a romantic or a madman. You‘ve got to bring her back. ‖

Dominic ran a hand through his already wild hair. ―Jake, are people destined to repeat the sins of their parents? I think I‘ve become my father.‖

Jake took several audible calming breaths. ―You‘re not your father, Dom, and we all have control over what kind of person we are. Each word that comes out, each action that we take, defines us. If you want to stop being an a*shole, tell the pilot to head for Boston.‖

It all sounded so rational, but the truth of the matter was that Dominic didn‘t want to return Abby to Boston. He‘d just discovered that he loved her. He couldn‘t let her go now.

That didn‘t mean he couldn‘t be a better man. Abby deserved a real partner. He wasn‘t sure what that would look like, but he was willing to let her show him. ―I‘m not bringing her to Boston. What‘s my other option?‖

Jake mumbled several cutting remarks beneath his breath, then said, ―How about apologizing and telling her that you love her? I don‘t know, something crazy like that.‖

Genius. ―I can do that. You‘re right. The solution is so simple.‖

A noise reverberated through the line that sounded suspiciously like Jake was smacking the phone on his own head. His aggravation rang clear in his voice. ―Nothing is simple when it comes to women, but if you do love Abby now is definitely the time to tell her.‖

―Relationship advice from a confirmed bachelor?‖ Dominic scoffed.

Jake calmed enough to joke. ―How do you think I stay single? I understand the female mind.‖

Dominic stood with sudden purpose. A week ago he had shared Jake‘s aversion to commitment. Now he found himself wildly hoping their earlier unprotected sex had created another bond between him and the woman he could no longer imagine his life without. ―I‘m going to do it. I‘m going to tell her that I love her. Thanks, Jake.‖

Jake groaned and added reluctantly, ―Good luck, Dom.‖

Dominic hung up with confidence. Abby had already admitted that she loved him. He had just realized that he loved her. All he had to do now was walk in there and tell her how he felt.

Hell, I might even propose.

What could possibly go wrong?

Abby raised her tear stained face from the pillows when she heard the bedroom door open.

Her head was throbbing painfully and her face felt swollen. She sat up and reached for the box of tissues on the small shelf near the bed. After blowing her nose loudly in a tissue, she hugged the box to her stomach. ―What do you want?‖ she asked, her gravelly voice sounding foreign even to her.

―I love you,‖ he announced as if those words would immediately erase their last conversation.

―No, you don‘t.‖ Abby felt none of the joy she thought she would at his declaration.

His eyebrows met with irritation and he moved to stand near one side of the bed. ―Yes, I do.‖

Abby blew her nose again, pulled a small plastic trash can off of the floor and began filling it with her discarded tissues. ―What happened? Jake called and told you that Zhang is going to help me leave you as soon as we land?‖

He shifted uncomfortably. ―Jake did call, but we can talk about that later. I realized that I love you.‖

Abby hugged the tissue box tighter and forced herself to be realistic this time. No more reading what she wanted into their interactions. ―No, you didn‘t. You think you do because I‘ve just become something you can‘t have. You don‘t like to lose. That‘s not love.‖

Dominic‘s jaw tightened with frustration. ―You are the most stubborn woman. You already told me that you love me. You should be happy.‖

Abby threw the small trash can at his head, but missed when he ducked just in time. ―I‘ll be happy when I‘m back in Boston trying to forget I ever met you.‖

―You‘re not going back to Boston.‖ Dominic‘s eyes glittered with determination.

―I‘m not staying with you on your stupid island,‖ Abby answered.

―We‘ll see about that,‖ Dominic said, defaulting to the domineering jerk she‘d thought he was the first night she‘d met him.

But she wasn‘t intimidated by him and it was about time he saw that. ―Yes, we will.‖

―Fine,‖ he said, walking back to the bedroom door.

―Fine,‖ she said, and tossed the tissue box in his direction for good measure.

He slammed the door behind him as he left.

Abby blew her nose again. Arrogant jerk. Even if he did love her, it wasn‘t a healthy love.

Sure, giving in now would win her another night of passion, but what about after that? She couldn‘t handle a lifetime of accepting the emotional scraps he was likely to toss her way between his business deals. Better to end it now, before she fell even deeper in love with him.

She rolled miserably onto her stomach and hid her face in the cool material of the pillow.

Life in the aftermath of Dominic was not going to be easy. Maybe she could take a teaching job abroad for a year. She couldn‘t go back to her quiet life in the suburbs.

No, she didn‘t want to do that either. She was done running. Yes, life was unfair. Yes, loving hurt, but she was not going to let the ugly way she and Dominic ended negate the good that had come out of the week.

She wouldn‘t leave Lill now, not when she had just discovered how to repair their relationship. Lill deserved the kind of sister Zhang would be, the supportive, non-judgmental kind who offered to kill first and asked questions later. Well, maybe not kill, Abby qualified with a tearful laugh, but her lecturing days were over. Zhang had shown her the power of unconditional support and it had changed the way she would love in the future.

When the pain of losing Dominic eventually subsided, Abby knew that she‘d be better for having known him. She couldn‘t hate him for not really loving her. He‘d warned her time and time again not to read into their time together. He couldn‘t have been clearer. Not once had he tried to wrap up their affair as anything but two mutually consenting adults giving into their strong sexual attraction to each other.

No woman in her right mind would allow herself to fall in love with a man like Dominic, especially since they had known each other for less than a week. My God, Abby thought, had it really been that short of a time? Einstein was right, time was relative. She‘d packed a lifetime of transformation in those few short days.

His spontaneous declaration of love had been painful to hear, but might one day give her some comfort when she looked back at this time together. Even though she couldn‘t be the undemanding, willing to be kept separate from his life, woman he wanted – he probably did love her in his own way. It was simply that their definitions of love were irreconcilable.

Wrapped up in her own thoughts, she didn‘t hear the door reopen. She was unaware of his presence until she felt the mattress shift beneath his weight as he sat down beside her.

―Did anyone ever tell you that you‘re infuriatingly stubborn?‖ he asked in a voice she was sure had cowered many before her.

As usual, it did little to impress her. Just more hot air coming out of his big, fat head.

The material of the pillow muffled her rebuttal. ―Anyone ever tell you that you are a jackass?‖

―Turn around, Abby and listen to me,‖ he ordered and put a hand on one of her shoulders.

―No,‖ she said and shook his hand off. Looking would be bad. Looking would lead to wanting. Wanting would lead to forgetting why it was important to end it now. No looking.

―I am not going to talk to the back of your head,‖ he said with some irritation.

―No one is asking you to.‖ She refused to budge. Leave, she begged silently. Just leave while I‘m still strong enough to let you go.

―Dammit, woman, I‘m trying to apologize to you,‖ he practically growled in a frustrated tone.

An apology? Abby sniffed. Now, that she had to hear. She turned onto her side and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. ―Really? Well, go ahead,‖ she dared.

His expression was tight with emotion. Eyes dark as coal seared through her bravado and, had she been standing, would have weakened her knees with their intensity. She shouldn‘t have looked. His need for her wrung a much unwelcomed answering need from her. She was still angry with him. This was not the time to be imagining how quickly her nipples would pucker beneath his hot tongue.

Fighting his own internal battle, he said, almost defiantly, ―I‘m sorry.‖

She was still angry, but now more at herself than him. She was never going to convince either one of them to turn the plane around if she didn‘t fight her reaction to him. And, no matter how good another session of lovemaking would be, it wouldn‘t change how miserable they would eventually make each other. She had to remember that. She‘d have to be strong for both of them. Anger was a good shield. ―You don‘t sound sorry.‖

His shoulders slumped ever so slightly. When he spoke again, his voice was husky with emotion. ―I am not good at this, but I am sorry.‖

―For what?‖ Abby asked and fought to contain the tsunami of questions surging within her.

She needed to know exactly what he regretted. Bringing her with him in the first place? His earlier harsh words? Or, the worst possibility of all, was he apologizing for falsely claiming to love her?

―For everything you accused me of doing, of being. You were right about it all.‖ Her heart broke at his declaration until he clarified. ―Except, that last part about not really loving you. I may not be good husband material. Hell, I‘m not even that nice of person, but I do love you.‖

Joy surged and ebbed just as quickly. The apology, however touching, hadn‘t changed anything. It was as she‘d suspected. In his own way, on his own terms, he did love her. But what would that love look like once the heat of the moment had passed? Even he knew he wasn‘t cut out for marriage. ―What are you saying, Dominic?‖ she asked wearily.

He turned and placed a hand on either side of her, leaning closer until she could see the black flecks in his tormented gray eyes. ―I didn‘t mean all those things I said earlier. I was angry. That doesn‘t justify what I said, but I do want you to know that I believe you. I know you were only trying to help me. I didn‘t want to admit you most likely single handedly saved my company. I should have been thanking you instead of lashing out. You deserve a man who can treat you as his equal partner.‖

Abby‘s stomach churned with emotion. A memory of his apology would one day bring her comfort, but it was not enough to lessen her resolve. ―Yes, I do.‖

He ran a hand gently through her curls, ending by cupping the back of her head. ―I know I haven‘t done much to prove it to you, but I can be that man, Abby.‖

Abby raised a hand to caress his cheek. ―Thank you for apologizing, Dominic. It would have eaten at me if we had left things on bad terms, but you know as well as I do that this can‘t work. We‘re too different.‖

His features tightened painfully and urgency filled his voice. ―I‘m not taking you back to Boston.‖

Abby placed a sad finger across his lips. ―I can‘t do this, Dominic. I thought just being with you would be enough, but it isn‘t. Let‘s not make this harder than it needs to be. Losing you is already going to hurt enough.‖

Dominic took her hand in his. ―It doesn‘t have to. I want to marry you.‖

With a sad final squeeze, Abby pulled her hand away from his. ―And then what, Dominic?

Will you keep me in a big house in the Hamptons and visit me between business deals? I need more than that. I want the whole package: the house, the kids, a few dogs and a husband who shares that dream. I want the kind of partnership my parents had. Don‘t ask me to settle for less than that, Dominic. It would crush me.‖

Dominic bent to look eye to eye with her. ―I want the same things, Abby. Give me a chance and I‘ll spend the rest of my life proving that to you.‖

―Don‘t,‖ Abby said with a sob. Understanding that in the heat of the moment he might say anything, but that in the end it would prove nothing. ―Don‘t talk like that. It‘s hard enough for me to leave you as it is. Don‘t give me more to regret.‖

Dominic pulled her closer and said, ―How can I convince you? What can I do to make you believe me?‖

Abby turned away, partially burying her face back in the pillow. She said miserably, ―Turn the plane around, bring me back to Boston and walk away. Show me that what I want is more important to you than winning.‖

He was silent for a moment before asking, ―That‘s what you really want? Boston?‖

―Yes,‖ she mumbled.

―And I walk away? Just like that?‖ She heard the pain in his voice, but refused to let it move her. What would happen if she weakened? Would she be just another trophy to be on display in one of his many homes? That wasn‘t the life she wanted.

―Yes,‖ she whispered. ―you walk away.‖

He sat motionless beside her for what seemed like an eternity. ―Ok,‖ he said simply and stood.

Abby‘s head spun in surprise. ―Ok?‖

The hand he held the doorknob with was white knuckled, but his response was oddly devoid of emotion. ―Ok, I‘ll bring you back to Boston. I‘ll make arrangements for a limousine to pick you up from the airport.‖

When Dominic opened the door to leave, Abby bit her lip to stop from crying out for him not to go. His turbulent gray eyes settled on her as he said, ―But I do love you and I have changed because of you. You‘d see that if you gave me a chance. Say the word, and I‘ll leave my company behind and we can start fresh. We‘ll build a new life. Together. Partners in whatever we decide to take on. I don‘t care about the money. You are what matters to me now. ‖

His words knocked the air clean out of Abby‘s chest. He closed the door softly before she had recovered.

He hadn‘t meant it. He couldn’t have meant it.

Within moments Abby felt the plane bank to the right to adjust its flight route. She‘d be back in her own home in less than a day. This was for the best. A confusing mixture of relief and misery settled over Abby.

Abby moved to sit by a window. She watched the clouds rush by beneath and began to worry that she might have misjudged Dominic. If he really was a self-absorbed, domineering ass, why was the plane headed back to Boston? A man like his father would not have offered to change so much as his shirt to please his wife, but Dominic had offered to change his entire lifestyle for her.

What if he did mean it?

Hadn‘t she decided back in Beijing that she was willing to fight to get him back? And yet, there he was, offering to throw everything he‘d worked for aside if she stayed with him, and she was cowering in the bedroom instead of throwing herself triumphantly into his arms.

How long was she willing to let fear rule her life? He‘d said that he loved her and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life proving it to her. What more did she want? No relationship came with a guarantee.

He loved her enough to let her go. Now the pressure was on her. Did she love him enough to stay?

Yes rang through her heart, through her mind, and straight out her mouth.

She hopped off the bench and flew across the room. With all of the enthusiasm of a woman who‘d just realized that her man not only loved her back but was dumb enough to listen to her when she told him to leave her, she swung the door open.

And practically crashed into Dominic who was standing just outside her room.

He quickly pocketed his cell phone.

She said hurriedly, ―I don‘t want to go to Boston and I don‘t want you to walk away from your life. I just want you to share it with me. I love you, Dominic.‖

He swept her up into his arms and kissed her hungrily. Their hands explored each other with the fervor of lovers reunited. He broke the kiss off and buried his face in her neck. She felt him smile against her skin. ―So, should I call Scott back and tell him that he‘s going to have to find another way to win back my business? He was amazingly willing to help me spirit you away to some safe house if I wasn‘t able to convince you to stay before we landed.‖

Abby pulled back and put an indignant hand on one hip. ―You were going to kidnap me again?‖

He gathered her up, settling her flush against him and joked, ―Is it again if I never actually let you go?‖

It was difficult to stay angry with Dominic when he held her so close. Abby felt that familiar responding quiver of anticipation deep in her stomach. Still, he had to know that things were not always going to go his way. ―This is not funny. What happened to proving that you love me by letting me go?‖

A sheepish smile flit across his face, disappearing almost as quickly as it had formed. ―I never agreed to that. All I said was that I would fly you to Boston. Letting you go was never an option.‖

Abby smacked him in the chest with the back of her hand. ―I came out here because I thought you loved me enough to never see me again.‖

He took her hands in his and said, ―I don‘t love you that much.‖ She gasped in shock, but his explanation quickly warmed her heart. ―I love you more than that. Ask me to give up my company, move to Boston and become a nine to five man and I‘ll do that for you. I love you that much. But don‘t ask me to just walk away. I can‘t walk away. I need you.‖

With a cry of happiness, Abby launched herself into his arms. Tears of happiness were flowing down her cheeks. ―I don‘t know what I would have done if you had listened to me and ended it.‖

He held her at arm‘s length for a moment and said, ―And you‘ll never find out, because I‘m not going anywhere and neither are you. Marry me, Abby.‖

Most women would have shouted yes, but Dominic hadn‘t chosen any of them. He‘d chosen Abby; a woman who considered raising his blood pressure an enticing form of foreplay. ―Will you?‖ she asked ambiguously.

Her answer threw him for a moment. His head cocked to one side. ―Will I what?‖

With a voice as prim as a librarian‘s, Abby said, ―A proposal is generally worded as a question and not a command.‖ In response to his blank stare, she supplied the entire phrase.

―Will you marry me?‖

―Yes, I will. Thank you for asking. I can‘t wait to tell our future children that you are the one who proposed.‖ Dominic laughed and didn‘t even attempt to hide his glee at having outmaneuvered her.

―I did not just propose!‖ Abby said trying to keep the laughter out of her own voice. She swatted at his shoulder, but he only laughed more. ―Take it back.‖

He sidled closer to her, pulling her back into his arms. ―Take back my yes?‖

No matter that it sounded irrational, Abby said, ―Yes. You are not telling our children that I proposed to you on the flight back to Boston after you kidnapped me.‖

Dominic encircled her face with his hands and kissed her lightly, chuckling against her lips.

―Does it really matter who asked as long as the result is the same?‖

Absolutely. Her rebuttal was a simple narrowing of her eyes. She hoped her man was intelligent enough to correctly interpret it.

He stopped laughing and cupped her shoulders gently. ―Abigail Dartley will you marry me?‖

This time she decided to forego any teasing and threw herself back into his arms, ―Yes! Yes!

Yes!‖

Between kisses, he asked, ―Do you still want to see my island?‖

―Now?‖ Abby asked breathlessly. ―Can we do that?‖

Lips slightly pursed with the irony of it, Dominic said, ―Yes, all it would take is for me to inform the captain that I‘d like to change course – again.‖

―Poor Dominic,‖ Abby laughed up at him, imagining the scene in her head. ―He‘ll think you‘ve lost your mind.‖

Dominic said in his deep, velvet soft growl, ―I can think of a few ways for you to make it up to me. It‘s a good thing this will be such a long flight.‖ He went to the phone in the bedroom and called the cockpit. After issuing the new flight plan, Dominic turned back to Abby and said,

―Now, where were we? Oh, yes, you were going to do something to make me feel better about the whole world knowing I‘m stupid in love with you.‖

Abby crossed the room slowly, dropping clothing as she went. ―Not stupid…impulsive perhaps.‖

―Is that what you call having my security men escort you forcibly to the plane? I couldn‘t let you go. I panicked. I hope it didn‘t scare you.‖ His voice went up an octave in surprise when a naked Abby yanked his shirt out of his pants. His eyes widened with pleasure at the boldness of her actions.

―Do I look scared?‖ she said as she pulled him closer by his belt and began to undo it.

―No,‖ he said huskily, a telltale sexual smile spreading across his face.

Thoroughly enjoying his bemusement, she slid his pants and boxers down his legs with a deliberately slow pace, enjoying his shiver of pleasure when he felt her breath against his thighs.

―I have a confession. I thought the whole kidnapping thing was sexy. That conquering warrior tone is a real turn on and being whisked away to your private island had me imagining all kinds of wicked fantasies.‖

―Really?‖ he said. His heightened interest was obvious in his eyes and the way he instantly hardened within her eager hands. He quickly shed his shirt and bent to effortlessly lift her before him. His tongue made a tantalizing path from her abdomen to circle one of her nipples lightly.

It tightened and puckered beneath his attention. ―So when I was angry, you were picturing me doing this?‖

He slid her down the front of him, enjoying the feel of her hardened nipples against his chest. Abby arched backwards and sighed with pleasure when he reached down and slid a finger inside her already excited folds. She shuddered and whispered, somewhat shyly, ―When you came back to the plane and threw me on the bed, I wanted to pull you down on top of me.‖

He plundered her mouth while maintaining a firm rhythm with his hand, a rhythm that had her bucking against his gifted thumb and tightening her inner muscles around his finger. His voice was thick with passion. ―You should have.‖

―What would you have done?‖ she asked breathlessly, hanging on to her last shreds of coherent thought as waves of warm pleasure spread through her.

Dominic carried her to the bed and poised himself above her. His tip teased, entering then withdrawing, until she was grasping at his shoulders with need. ―What all conquering warriors want to do,‖ he said with satisfaction and buried himself deep within her, taking them both to a place where further conversation was impossible.