Kitabı oku: «Irresistible Forces»

Chapter 1

A baby.

Taylor Steele’s heart began beating rapidly the way it always did whenever she thought about her most ardent desire. A mixture of relief and anticipation soared through her upon realizing that she was about to embark upon a phase in her life that she had been looking forward to for a long time.

Motherhood.

She leaned back in the chair behind her desk and stared out the window while tapping her fingertips against her bottom lip. For the first time she wasn’t appreciating the view of the Lincoln Memorial. Her thoughts were on something else entirely. She was inwardly counting her blessings.

During this past year she had achieved a number of her goals. First by venturing out and starting up her own wealth and asset management firm, which she named Assets of Steele, and then moving from New York to the nation’s capital and purchasing a beautiful condo with a view of the Potomac River from her bedroom window. That wasn’t at all bad for a twenty-five-year-old woman who’d made the decision after college not to return to her hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, and work for her family’s multimillion-dollar manufacturing company. Instead she had set her sights on New York after accepting a position with one of the major banks as a wealth and asset manager.

Now she could turn her attention to the final stage of her plan that she needed in place before making her most sought-after dream a reality. And that was the man she had chosen to father her child without the benefit of marriage. She was even open to joint custody of the child, if he wanted to go that route.

A permanent hookup with someone was not what she wanted, not even a teeny-tiny bit. Nor was she looking for a long-term lover, either. A short-term one could handle the task intended quite nicely. The last thing she wanted was a long-term romantic commitment of any kind.

But she was selective.

She had decided very early in her plans that not just any man would do. It had to be someone with all the qualities she wanted to pass on to her offspring. He had to be handsome, intelligent, caring, healthy and wealthy. Definitely wealthy; after all, wealth was her business. And with those “must-have” qualifications embedded deep in her mind, she could think of only one man who met her criteria.

Dominic Saxon.

She tried ignoring the warmth of sensations that seeped through her veins. Dominic was one of her clients and she had never met a man who radiated so much sensuality. Part African-American and part French, at thirty-four he was the epitome of every woman’s fantasy and a major player in numerous women’s nightly dreams. The sexiness was there in his looks, his body, when he walked, talked or just plain stared at you. He was definitely the most gorgeous man she’d ever encountered. Besides that, she knew from the many charities he was associated with that he was highly intelligent and caring. And although she wasn’t privy to his health records, she had no reason to think he wasn’t in the best of health and could not father a child. The man was as virile as any man could get.

From the very beginning she had been attracted to him and for the past two years it had taken everything she had to keep their relationship strictly business, although he’d never given her the impression he expected anything else. Whenever they met he was always professional and courteous. She knew that he merely saw her as one of his employees and nothing more. He was paying a hefty fee for the services she rendered and her job was to take all the wealth he’d accumulated in his thirty-four years and make him richer, which wasn’t hard since he was an ace at making the most of every financial opportunity.

It was common knowledge that he was the son of a wealthy Frenchman and his beautiful African-American wife, and from the time Dominic was born he’d had the best of everything—schools, social contacts and money, and he’d used all three to his benefit. He rotated residences between the United States and France, although she heard he also owned a beautiful apartment in London, as well as a private island off the French coast of Normandy.

Taylor picked up the brochure that had been sent to her compliments of her youngest sister, Cheyenne. It was meant to be a joke after a conversation the two of them had shared a week ago when she’d told Cheyenne that she wanted a baby, but not a husband.

Cheyenne had sent her the pamphlet that she’d come across in her travels as a professional model that advertised procreation vacations. A week on a Caribbean island, plenty of dirty talk with trained professionals, exotic food and aphrodisiac-laden drinks…and if needed, a week’s supply of Viagra. It was advertised as a dream come true and the Bahamas resort encouraged potential guests to use their facilities for a week of near-constant, mind-blowing sex just for the purpose of making a baby. The packet Cheyenne had sent included several pictures bordering the brochure that could be considered X-rated. But they did a good job of getting their point across.

Compared to the frosty March weather they were experiencing, the island seemed like a really nice place to be right now. She could spend her time resting, relaxing and, of course, making a baby. Now if she could only convince the man she’d chosen to father her child to go along with her plan…

“Ms. Steele, Mr. Saxon has arrived.”

Taylor’s secretary’s voice coming across the intercom interrupted her thoughts, and immediately she took a deep breath when more heady sensations coursed through her. It was time to put her plan into action. “Please escort him in, Mrs. Roberts.”

* * *

Dominic Saxon checked his watch. He had just about an hour to meet with Taylor Steele and then he had an unexpected meeting back at the hotel. He had received a call from his parents saying they were flying into D.C. from California and wanted to meet with him. His father’s voice had sounded urgent but he had refused to say what the meeting was about.

Whenever Dominic made a pit stop in the nation’s capital it was usually to check on the Saxon Hotel, just one of many his family owned in several major cities around the country. Usually Taylor would fly into New York for their meetings, so it came as a surprise when he’d gotten a call asking that he drop by her office on this trip.

She had been assigned as his financial advisor when she had worked for a bank in Manhattan. From the very beginning, the degree of her intelligence when it came to wealth management, as well as her comprehensive view of his personal portfolio, investment goals and financial objectives had amazed him. He was already a successful businessman but together they created a long-term strategy that was increasing his fortune exponentially.

Besides being very knowledgeable on financial affairs, he’d found Taylor to be an extremely beautiful woman. Even now he could recall the desire that had consumed him the first time he’d seen her and because of it, he had concluded the less he saw of his wealth and asset manager the better off he was. He had decided that first day that she was definitely a woman worth taking to his bed—he was one who didn’t believe in mixing business with pleasure, no matter how enticing the thought or deep the craving. Yet the thought had remained lodged in his mind. He would be the first to admit it had been hard as hell to control the urge to take things further. He was used to beautiful women but there was something about Taylor Steele that caused him to think of hot sex every time he was in the same room with her.

Regardless of the iron-clad control he was known for—physically and emotionally—he was definitely a hot-blooded man, which was something he seemed to remember each and every time he breathed Taylor’s scent.

“Ms. Steele is ready to see you, Mr. Saxon. I’ll escort you in.”

He stood and smiled at her secretary, a nice older lady, who seemed more suited to baking cookies for her grandkids than trying to tackle the huge computer sitting in front of her. “Thank you, and I don’t need an escort.”

“Yes, sir.”

He fought for control of both his body and mind as he headed toward the door that had Taylor Steele’s name plate on it.

* * *

Taylor inhaled a deep breath as she stared across the room at the man who walked into her office. He was wearing a black business suit with a white shirt that spelled out his wealth, and at thirty-four his mixed heritage made his looks striking. A sensuous shiver glided down her spine. He was simply gorgeous. His height, tall and imposing at six foot three, was hard to miss. She had seen photographs of him and his mother, a renowned fashion designer, earlier that year in People magazine. Megan Saxon was known for her beauty as well as for her skill and talent with fabrics.

From his mother, Dominic had inherited the shape of his lips, which could only be defined as full and sultry even on a male. He had his father’s startling green eyes, which were a breathtaking contrast to his maple-brown coloring. Then there was the thick, black, curly hair that flowed past his shoulders when he wasn’t wearing it back in a rakish-looking ponytail…as he was now. And last but not at all least were the chiseled jaw, cleft chin and high cheekbones.

As she stared at him, her courage began wavering. Anyone would say she had a lot of nerve to proposition Dominic Saxon to father her child and then expect him to back off. But then anyone who thought she had a lot of nerve would know that in essence she really did. She was known to be gutsy enough to try anything once—as long as it was legal. And there was nothing illegal about making an offer. The only thing he could say was yes or no, and inwardly she crossed her fingers that she would get a yes.

What did she have to lose? A very profitable client was the first response that popped into her mind. Would he still want her to handle his financial affairs after she made such an outlandish request?

“Taylor?”

She let out a relaxed breath with the sound of her name from his lips. She loved his accent, a blend of English and French. More than once during the course of their business meetings he would lapse into French without realizing he’d done so, and would quickly catch himself and revert back to English. She smiled. He hadn’t yet figured out the fact that she also spoke French, not as fluently as he did but enough to get by. In fact she spoke several different languages, thanks to all those classes she’d taken while attending Georgetown. She had prepared herself to tap into the international markets.

“Dominic, I’m glad you were able to meet with me today.” She liked the fact that they were on a first-name basis, a rule he had established the first time he had walked into her office as a new client. She also liked the fact that he had given her an appraisal from head to toe, which meant this new cobalt-blue business suit had made an impression. When she’d purchased it yesterday, she’d hoped that it would.

“No problem, but I do have an important meeting back at the hotel in a few hours, so my time with you will have to be brief,” he informed her, breaking into her thoughts.

“I understand. Please have a seat,” she said, coming from behind her desk.

He took the chair she offered and she sat in the one across from it, thinking it would be better not to sit behind her desk. Although she would be making what she considered a business proposition, she wanted less formality than usual.

“Thanks for seeing me on such short notice.”

“No problem.” What Dominic had said was true. It hadn’t been a problem although he’d been surprised by her request to meet with him. She had moved from New York a few months ago, striking out on her own and leaving the company that had given her a start. Although her former employer had tried making a fuss, it had been Dominic’s decision to follow Taylor, preferring to continue to do business strictly with her.

Today, as usual, she looked good. Because his mother was considered by many to be a fashion goddess, he appreciated anyone, man or woman, who displayed good taste in clothing. He considered himself, as well as his father, a fairly stylish dresser since Megan Saxon wouldn’t have it any other way. He thought Taylor had great taste when it came to selecting her clothes. She was definitely a fashion-minded person who knew not only how to dress for success but also when to dress to impress. And he’d always been impressed each and every time he’d seen her.

And on top of that, she was a very attractive woman. Young, but attractive. Her dark brown hair was cut in a short and sassy style that was perfect for the oval shape of her face and her creamy cocoa-colored complexion. She was tall, leggy, with a curvy figure that enhanced the business suits she liked wearing.

When he’d first met her he’d thought someone at the bank was trying to pull a fast one over on him. There was no way a woman her age could handle the vast extent of his wealth. She had proven him wrong.

“How was your flight into the city?” she asked, reclaiming his thoughts.

“As usual Martin was excellent at the controls,” he said of his private pilot. “It was good flying weather and he made the most of it.”

Taylor nodded, trying not to stare at the way he was sitting in the chair—perfect posture, immaculately groomed and sexy to a fault.

“What kind of business deal have you put together that was so important you wanted us to meet today, Taylor?”

His question pulled her back in, made her aware he was staring at her while waiting for her response. She swallowed. She couldn’t get cold feet now. She was a risk-taker and this would definitely be a risk worth taking.

“This is a business deal but then it’s also sort of personal.”

She watched the lifting of his dark brow before he asked, “Personal? In what way?”

She paused for a second before she said, “I want to make you an offer that really won’t cost you anything.” Just your sperm, she decided not to add.

He tilted his head slightly and gazed at her. “Then what would be the investment on my part?” he asked. “And what will be the return?”

She was not surprised by his questions since the majority of their meetings always addressed investments and returns. “The return is based on something I heard you say that every man should have a right to do.”

“Which is?”

“To father a child.”

He frowned. “I don’t recall ever saying anything like that to you.”

She wouldn’t expect him to remember. “It was last year, during the bank’s Christmas party at Rockefeller Center. You made my boss extremely happy by making an appearance. One of the secretaries had dropped by and brought in her newborn baby for everyone to see. I believe you were speaking to yourself out loud more than making conversation with me.”

His frown deepened as he continued to stare at her. “And just what did I say?”

“You were staring at the baby and said that every man should have a right to father a child and you regretted not having done so yet.”

He nodded and she felt a rush of gratitude that he didn’t deny having said such a thing. She shifted in her chair and met his gaze. “Is that true, Dominic? Is that something you regret not doing? Do you want a child?”

For the first time in their business relationship, she could feel his defense mechanism go up. He had often used it with others but never with her. And a part of her understood his need to use it now. He was a private person and she was asking him some rather personal questions.

“Why are we discussing this, Taylor?” he asked gruffly, narrowing his gaze at her.

Her emotions flinched at the look but she knew despite that, she had to go on. She paused a moment and then said, “We are discussing this because I feel the same way. I think every woman who wants a child should have the chance to mother one. And I want one.”

The glare in his eyes indicated he wasn’t quite following her, was still somewhat confused. “Then why don’t you have one?” he asked flatly.

“I plan to do so…and that’s why I’ve asked you here. It seems the two of us want the same thing and then again we don’t want the same thing. We both want a child, but I’ve read you quoted many times as saying you will never marry again.” She knew his wife had been killed in a car accident four years ago.

“Yes, and I was quoted correctly.”

She nodded. “And getting married is the furthest thing from my mind, as well.”

He leaned forward in his chair, holding her gaze under the penetrating stare of his green eyes. “Let’s cut to the chase, shall we, Taylor. I still don’t follow this business proposition of yours. You’ve established the fact that we both would like a child, but I don’t know where that is leading.”

She stood and picked up the brochure off her desk. “To this,” she said, handing it to him. “You and I. Together. And a week spent on a procreation island in the Caribbean for the sole purpose of making a baby.”

He looked at her as if she’d lost her mind as he accepted the brochure. He moved his gaze from her to the pamphlet. It took him a few moments to read it and then he lifted his head to meet her gaze again. “Aphrodisiac-laden drinks? Constant mind-blowing sex? Are you serious?”

She nodded nervously and grimaced when she heard the incredulity in his voice. Chances were he thought she had really lost it. “Yes,” she replied, knowing she had to somehow convince him that she was still sane. “And I’d like to make you an offer. I want a baby, Dominic. Yours. A baby we will get to share. And to start things off we get to spend a week on that island. Many obstetricians even recommend such trips to couples who might find it difficult to conceive…not that I think we would have any problems. But it would take the tension off some and there is a guarantee of privacy. I’ve considered other options, such as having the procedure done by artificial insemination, however, I chose this route because I want my child conceived the normal way, a way I consider natural, with the two of us making love.”

She inhaled deeply as he continued to stare at her. “Good heavens! Do you know what you’re asking me?” he queried, his voice low and husky.

“Yes, trust me I know,” she said, refusing to look away from the intensity of his stare. “But you are a man I have come to respect and admire and when I thought about a potential father for my child, I couldn’t think of anyone else I would rather have. You have all the qualities that I want.”

Dominic wasn’t quite sure what to say to that, so instead he slowly got to his feet. The nature of this meeting was definitely a surprise to say the least. “There’s no way I can decide on something such as this right this minute. We need to discuss your business proposition further and I suggest we do so tonight over dinner. Let’s say around seven o’clock at the hotel. Is that time okay?”

She swallowed. At least he hadn’t given her a flat-out no. “Yes, that’s fine.”

“Good. I’ll send my driver for you around six-thirty. My secretary will contact you later today for an address.”

“All right.”

He walked toward the door and before reaching it, he turned back around and said, “I’ll see you tonight, Taylor.”

He stared at her for a moment longer and then she watched as he turned and walked out of her office. It was only after he left she realized he had taken the brochure with him.

* * *

The driver opened the door and Dominic slid onto the plush leather seats of the limo. “Where to, Nick?”

“Back to the hotel, Ryder.”

When the car began moving Dominic glanced down at the brochure he still held in his hand as his mind recalled everything Taylor had said. The brochure was proof he hadn’t imagined it. She wanted a baby. His baby. And she wanted them to spend a week on some island in the Caribbean to make it happen. To say he was stunned would be an understatement, but he had heard the sincerity in Taylor’s voice. She was dead serious.

He began reading the piece of literature. If the words didn’t hit him below the gut, the pictures most definitely did. Procreation vacations. Just when he thought he’d heard it all. Evidently not. According to the brochure, it was a growing trend for couples that wanted to conceive. And Taylor Steele wanted to conceive.

If he were totally honest with himself, he would admit that so did he. The thought had crossed his mind several times in the past year, ever since his father’s bout with prostate cancer last year. Thanks to early detection, surgery hadn’t been needed and there were only short-term side effects.

His father’s condition had made Dominic realize two things. His parents weren’t the invincible couple he’d always assumed them to be. And although they both appeared to be in great physical shape, nonetheless, they were aging with each passing day.

Another thing he had come to realize, although they’d never mentioned it, was that his parents longed for a grandchild. He saw it in their eyes each and every time any of their friends talked about their grandchildren. There was no doubt in his mind if Camry had lived they would have had a child or two by now. But she hadn’t lived and for the past four years he had somehow managed to go on, with the beautiful memories they’d shared to sustain him.

His parents had understood that after Camry’s death the thought of ever marrying again was as foreign to him as life on another planet. Without realizing she had done so, Taylor may have provided him with the very solution to a problem that had been bothering him for some time.

He resumed reading the brochure. The success rate of the woman returning from one of these trips pregnant was very high but what intrigued him the most was the mere thought of checking into a resort with Taylor with the sole intent of having a full week of constant sex. He was getting aroused just thinking about it, about the possibility of making all those fantasies he’d tried pushing to the back of his mind about Taylor a reality.

But still, all things considered, he and Taylor would need to discuss the issue more in detail. There were a number of questions he needed answered, such as what joint custody of a child they shared would entail, and why did she think him making her pregnant would not cost him anything? Did she expect him to walk away from any financial obligations he had toward the child?

He settled back in the cushions of the seat thinking he was very much looking forward to his dinner date with Taylor later tonight.

* * *

“Your parents are waiting for you in your suite, Mr. Saxon.”

"Thanks, Harold,” Dominic said to the hotel manager moments before crossing the huge lobby to the bank of elevators that would carry him up to the penthouse. The Saxon Grand was a beautiful hotel and had been the first Saxon Hotel. It was built twenty-five years ago and Dominic was almost certain Harold was hired in some position at that time, which would make him one of Saxon Hotel’s oldest employees. And Harold was good at what he did, based on the customer satisfaction surveys that were periodically done. Customers visiting the area kept coming back knowing they would receive first-class service.

Moments later Dominic walked into his suite unannounced to find his parents in a loving embrace. He was not surprised nor the least embarrassed to see them standing in the middle of the floor sharing a passionate kiss. Despite having been married for thirty-six years, Marcello and Megan were still deeply in love. That was obvious to anyone around them for any length of time. As long as he could remember, his parents were openly affectionate. He’d always known how much they loved each other as well as how much they had unselfishly loved him.

He cleared his throat to let them know of his presence. “Mom and Dad, it’s good seeing you,” he said, and knew he didn’t have to add that it was also good seeing they were still very much in love.

His parents had met when Marcello Saxon had arrived in the United States from France to attend Yale. In his senior year he met the beautiful and vivacious Megan Spectrum and they fell in love immediately. It hadn’t mattered that he was French and she African-American. What had mattered was the love they had for each other. They had gone so far as to defy Marcello’s father, who’d threatened to disown his son—the heir to the Saxon wealth—if a marriage took place. Choosing love over wealth, Marcello had married Megan a year later and good to his word, Franco Saxon had practically disowned his son, had barely spoken to him since and only recently had acknowledged the marriage.

Dominic saw the worried look in his father’s gaze. “What’s wrong, Dad?” His father had recently had his annual checkup and Dominic inwardly prayed there wasn’t bad news in that regard.

Marcello read the concern in his son’s gaze and said, “No, I’m fine. The doctors gave me another clean bill of health after my last checkup. But we did get some news last night that your grandfather has taken ill.”

Dominic stared first at his father and then at his mother. Finally he shrugged nonchalantly as he crossed the room to give his father a bear hug. “Have you forgotten, Father, that I don’t have a grandfather?”

“Nick,” his father said in a frustrating tone, “how can you be so unforgiving?”

Dominic arched a brow. “And how can you be so forgiving? That man refused to accept my mother as your wife, publicly denounced your marriage and you, didn’t speak to you for years, never acknowledged my birth and then out of the clear blue sky last year when he’d heard you had taken ill, he showed up and expected everyone to kiss and make up. Well, I wasn’t in the kissing mood then and I’m not in it now,” he said in an angry tone.

He switched his gaze from his father to smile down at his mother. “Except for this beautiful woman here,” he said, before hugging her close and placing a soft kiss across her cheek. “How are you, Mama?”

Megan Saxon returned her son’s smile before giving him a scolding look. “I’m fine, Nick, and your father is right, you know. You can’t distance your grandfather forever.”

“Would you care to bet on that?”

She frowned. “You’re just like your father. Stubborn.”

A smile touched Dominic’s lips. “Yet you love us anyway.”

Dominic then glanced at the man who’d sired him. The man he loved, admired and respected above all else. The man who had not let his father’s rejection of the woman he loved destroy his determination to make her his wife and to make something out of his life—even without the Saxon wealth behind him. After college Marcello had started from the bottom and with keen intelligence, his father built his own Saxon empire, which consisted of hotels, cruise liners, restaurants, publishing companies and various auto dealerships across the country.

His mother hadn’t done badly, either, he thought with a proud smile. Megan Saxon’s name was known throughout the world and graced the garments of several international celebrities. She had a remarkable reputation for outstanding design and had established her own empire in the world of fashion.

The one thing his parents had taught him, Dominic concluded, was to increase his own wealth and not depend on what he might or might not inherit. And so he had. With their blessings he had carved out his personal legacy and thanks to a sharp wealth asset manager like Taylor, he was doing quite well for himself.

Taylor.

He glanced at his watch. They would be sharing dinner in less than four hours.

“Regardless of what you say or how you feel, Nick, he is still your grandfather.”

Dominic decided not to justify his father’s statement with a response.

“Will you at least think about going to see him, sweetheart?”

That question came from his mother. He glanced down at her. She was five feet, eight inches tall and in a room with her son and husband she looked small and delicate. But he knew the latter was far from the truth. She had to be one of the most headstrong women that he knew, definitely no pushover.