Midnight Heat (Black Phoenix Book 2) (12 page)

“What?”

She rolled her eyes. “You haven’t gotten over him. You still dream about him. You still remember how he smells, his taste.”

“You make me sound like an idiot.”

“No. No sweetie, just a woman who was knocked on her ass by a man. You loved him. You still love him, or you wouldn’t have gone to him this morning. You wouldn’t worry about having hurt him.” Karmen studied her for a minute. “I say go for it. Let him take you on the ride of your life. Again.”

“And if he breaks my heart? Again?”

“Maybe he won’t.”

“He will.”

“Answer this. You sent him away. What if he stays away?”

“Good.” Then she could get on with her life. Stop dreaming about something that would never be.

“Is it?” Karmen asked.

“Of course it is,” she said quietly, desperately because it has to be.

Karmen stared at her in disbelief, pinning her in place with her eyes. “Dominic stays away and you never see him again. You just hear about him in the news or through the grape vine. How do you feel about that?” She scooted to the front edge of the couch, her voice dropping. “He gets married—”

“He won’t,” Rebecca denied. Her heart lodged in her throat at the thought of Dominic with another woman. An ache settled unhappily in her stomach. “He’s not the type.” But she’d thought he might be. The night in the hospital, she thought he’d married Isabeau. That he’d given his heart to another, when he wouldn’t give her the same. Tears burned the back of her eyes.

“Are you going to be okay with this? Will the pain be any less because you didn’t give him a second chance to hurt you? Or will you ache even more because you’ll always have to wonder ‘what if’?”

Had she made the right choice? Could pushing him away have been wrong? What if he had changed and he was ready to be with her and only her? Forever. She shook her head, spilling fat tears from the corners of both eyes. “You’re not making me feel any better, Karmen.”

Karmen flashed a sympathetic smile as she settled a hand atop Rebecca’s. “You didn’t come here for me to pat you on the back and tell you that you did the right thing.”

She hadn’t. That’s not what Karmen did.

“I’m just saying that if you close this door, it’s forever this time. If he has changed, he won’t let you hurt him again.”

Rebecca sighed, pressed her fingers against her eyelids.

“Do you want my advice?” Karmen asked.

“Yes.”

“Fuck him, Bec. Literally. Fuck his brains out.”

Her eyes snapped back open. “Karmen!”

“Stop worrying about tomorrow or the next day and live in the moment. Has pushing him away made you feel any better? No? Then pull him closer.”

“Could you?”

“Pull Dominic Price closer? In a heartbeat!”

Was she going to live her life in fear of tomorrow? Always pushing Dom away based on what might come to pass? Or could she trust this time would be different? Karmen could pull him closer, maybe she could, too? “Even if you knew he wouldn’t hang around for long?”

“Anything is better than going home every night to an empty bed,” she said softly. “Life’s too short, Rebecca. We see the proof of that every day at the hospital. If there’s something you want to say to him, say it. If you want something that so far only he’s been able to give you, go get it! Because you never know what tomorrow will bring. Or if you even have a tomorrow.”

Chapter Ten

Dominic glanced around the room one final time, checking to make certain he hadn’t left anything behind. The bathroom was clean, closet empty, and bed stripped. There was nothing left to do but grab his bags and go.

After last night, the choice had been clear. Hell, he’d had no choice. It was time to move on. Move forward. Grabbing his leather duffle in one hand, guitar case in the other, he turned for the door - and froze. Isabeau was playing the piano.

The whirlwind of sound drew him down the hall, until he stood in the entryway, entranced. Whatever the piece she was playing, hers or another composer, it was a soft melody, full of emotion. Her fingers floated gracefully over the keys as she poured her soul into the music.

Without warning she changed tempo and feel. In contrast to the first piece, this one was dark and crude; gut wrenching. It varied in rhythm and dynamics, and could be described as anything but gentle. Pain-filled immediately came to mind. And it was true. He felt it in his chest; cloying, heaving, smothering.

Dominic glanced at the closed door leading to the basement, wondering if Noah was still in the studio, if he knew his wife was playing. He would want to know.

Again she changed things up, this time with a totally different genre of music. A grin broke loose as he recognized the song as Black Phoenix’s. A song from one of their less popular albums, although she put a different spin on it, and made it her own.

Dominic was torn. Should he go find Noah, or walk in and act like it wasn’t a big deal to find her at the piano? He’d seen firsthand the effect playing had on Isabeau while they were in New York. Now that he knew about the abuse…

He sighed. If he hadn’t overheard her conversation last night, he wouldn’t hesitate. After setting his bags down, he stepped into the room.

At the piano, Isabeau straightened a bit. The music ended abruptly, the sudden silence jarring. She didn’t turn to face him, just sat there, her long ebony hair hiding her face as she curled her right hand around her left and settled them in her lap.

“Interesting interpretation,” he said, referring to the last song. “That was
Tempted
, wasn’t it?”

Isabeau didn’t answer.

Dom crossed the room to stand at the side of the piano. “Isabeau?”

She looked up at him, her eyes glassy.

Shit.

What was he supposed to do now? Should he reach out to her, offer comfort? Would she want him to? They’d shared secrets. She told him about her childhood, the loss of her mother. But she hadn’t shared this one. What the bloody hell was he supposed to say now that he knew this secret? One she most likely never wanted him to know?

His internal struggle showed, apparently, because she frowned. “The last thing I want is your pity, so wipe that look off your face.”

He scrubbed his hand over the back of his neck and did his best to appear unaffected. “Do you want me to get Noah?”

“No!” She gazed at him, seemed to realize her forceful reply hadn’t eased his concern and shrugged. “I have to learn to deal with this on my own. I can’t always go running to Noah to hold me up.”

“Why not? Isn’t that what partners do?”

“I’m tired of being the weak little woman.”

With everything she’d already lived through in life and survived; she was one of the strongest people he knew. “You’re far from weak.”

“Noah’s probably tired of it, too.”

“Are you kidding? Men love that. Makes us feel masculine and strong.”

She smiled at him, just a bit, then hovered her right hand over the keys. She played four notes. “So, now you know I have demons.”

“I always knew you had demons, luv, I just didn’t know what caused them. I can’t imagine what it was like for you—”

“Change the subject, Dominic,” she said with a vehement shake of her head.

He slid onto the piano bench next to her, ignoring her startled protest as he used his hip to push her over so they both fit. “You know, I’ve never been a big fan of classical music,” he said, repeating the four notes an octave higher. “Becca? She listens to the stuff all the time.”

“So, it’s growing on you?”

“Hell no!” His heartfelt response pulled a laugh from her. “The piano is nice though and you, you played one of our songs. That’s pretty good.”

She shot him a dry smile. “You think I’m pretty good?”

She was a bloody musical genius and they both knew it. But Isabeau wouldn’t want to hear that, and he sure as hell wasn’t about to tell her something people had been saying her whole life. “You’re not bad.”

She chuckled again and some of the stiffness left her spine. “You’re just saying that because you don’t want me to notice you’re leaving.”

Dominic sighed. “You should be happy I’m leaving so that you can have some privacy around here.” So she could keep some of her secrets. It wasn’t fair to her he’d overheard a conversation never meant for his ears. One she hadn’t trusted him with. “I never planned on hanging around this long. I just got…complacent. You and Noah have been married six months now, and you’ve never spent a day alone together in your own house. It’s time for me to get my own place. My own car.”

“Careful, you’re beginning to sound like you’re thinking of putting down roots.”

He nudged her with his shoulder. “I’ve got to grow up sometime. It worked out well for Noah.”

She smiled, her eyes warming.

“Isabeau? When you and Noah were dating—”

“Noah and I dated?” she said, turning to face him. “Seriously, we never really dated.”

“While we were working on the demo and you two were circling each other like sharks,” he corrected, which earned him a laugh. “Did you ever tell him?”

“Tell him what?”

“About your demons.” Or was he the only one who kept them secret? Buried in a place deep inside of him where they festered. “Did you share with him why you stopped playing?”

“You know I didn’t.”

“Why not?”

She pushed her hair away from her face, then propped her elbows on the edge of the piano’s keyboard and her chin in her hands. “Fear,” she replied as she glanced at him. “Self-preservation, a number of different reasons. If I confessed to him my deepest and darkest secrets and he left…that would be worse than if he left before learning them. It’s terrifying, the thought of opening yourself up to someone who has the power to wound you deeply when they leave.”

Dominic wanted to ask her what she would have done if he
had
left her. If she would have given him another chance. But Noah never would have walked away. It just wasn’t in him. He was the type that set his mind to something, then got it. No matter what it took.

Dom didn’t deny that made Noah the better man. “What made you think he was going to leave you?”

“I knew all along he would leave me,” she said, her expression serious. “Right up until the moment he proposed.”

“Are you for real?” Dominic started to laugh.

Isabeau frowned. “You told me the first time I met you Noah fancied blue-eyed blondes. I’m definitely not a blue-eyed blonde.”

He stopped laughing. Dom looked down at her pale eyes, golden skin and ebony hair, and felt a tinge of guilt crawl up his spine. “About that. I was a bit miffed at Noah that night.”

“So, it’s not true?”

“Oh, it was true enough, but it wasn’t something I would ever have told you had I not just gotten off an exhausting flight from London and been facing two months in a hotel only to discover it was all because Noah found a woman who made him hard.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Dominic!”

“It’s true. Jesus, I didn’t know what to think. Who the hell does that? Picks a studio on the opposite side of the country from where he lives because of a pretty girl?”

Her eyes were round with shock and full of denial. “That can’t be. You’re pulling my leg.”

“We could have been working in Sacramento,” he assured her. “I knew something was up when I got to the hotel in Long Island City and Nick told me where Noah was. Then all I had to do was see how he looked at you and I knew what he had done.”

Isabeau just stared at him.

“You can stop grinning like an idiot,” Dominic said, even though he was grinning, too. He shook his head. “It’s not fear keeping you quiet now, is it? Because, you know, he’ll be so chuffed he’ll be insufferable.”

Isabeau curled her left hand over her flat abdomen. She closed her eyes and sighed.

“Isa, why haven’t you told Noah you’re pregnant?”

“I’ve been waiting for the right time,” she replied softly.

“How about the moment you found out?”

“I was in New York. I wanted to tell him in person, so I flew back early. Only you were all here, working, and Noah…had other plans for me.”

Yeah he had. She’d barely made it through the front door and Noah had her over his shoulder as he carried her up the stairs to their room. “Why not after the ‘other plans’?”

“The hospital called.”

Shit
. He knew he figured into this somehow.

All the more reason for him to leave tonight. Put himself up in a hotel somewhere until he could find a place. Isabeau was fiercely protective of ‘her boys’ – all four of them. It was an affection they returned. But Dom didn’t need her mothering him to the point where her life was put on hold. “I don’t know why you haven’t kicked me out.”

“Why would I?” she asked sincerely. “You’re in the studio from noon to midnight, and when not there you’re usually in your room.”

“Or hanging with Noah.” When not recording they spent most of their time talking music, the album, the upcoming tour.

“Who am I to tell you that you can’t hang out with Noah? Besides, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m rather fond of you,” she said, setting her hand atop his.

Dom let out a slow, careful breath and gave her hand a squeeze. “The feeling is mutual. Which is why I’m giving you back your house, your husband,
and
your privacy.” He stood and was halfway to door when she stopped him.

“Dominic?” she said softly.

He turned, finding her still at the piano, her back to him. “Yeah?”

“How’d you know?”

“You’ve been mothering me for a week now. All that time together, when I would usually be in the studio, it’s hard to miss. You don’t drink coffee anymore. You turn green at the oddest moments, over things that never used to bother you. My head might throb like a bitch, but I know the sound of someone retching. It’s familiar to me since the accident.” A complete understatement. He’d spent the first few days sick as a dog. “Frankly, I think it’s obvious. Even with Noah in the studio all day long, I don’t know how he hasn’t figured it out. He’s not one to miss things like this.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be possible. After the accident…The doctors told me I’d never have kids.”