Sweet Seduction Sacrifice (42 page)

"So, a couple of things," Dominic said casually. I flicked a glance towards him and noted the line of his jaw was nothing near casual. "Firstly, Nick has advised that Elliott has disappeared."

"Disappeared?" I asked, sucking in a breath.

"Yes, left the country it would seem. Word from Nick's meeting with King last night is, they have sighted him in Sydney and are following up leads there."

"This is good," I said, relief and a sense of joy washing through me, even as I recognised that Dominic's jaw was still tight. "What else?" I asked, quelling my sudden elation at having the problem of Brett finally resolved, in order to be ready to face what Dominic said next.

"The medication you take?" That’s all he said, expecting me to fill in the blanks. And it had absolutely come from left field. Nothing at all to do with Brett. He'd said all he wanted to say about that, something that I felt we should have been celebrating, not just sweeping to the side to deal with
this
. And I did know what this was. Dominic's dislike of contraceptive drugs.

"Nothing for you to worry about," I shot back, searching for some way to change the topic, to deflect him from it, anything at all.

"Everything to do with you is something for me to worry about," he answered curtly.

I bit my lip and stared out the window.

"Are you going to answer me, Genevieve?" Not
that
voice.

"Really, I don't know what the fuss is," I said still staring out the window, but now my hands were wringing in my lap.

I felt like this was going to be big. The thing that made me realise I'd made a huge mistake. That Dominic would turn away from me, where he hadn't because of my loser ex, my choice of being on a contraceptive pill would be what did it in the end. I didn't want that to happen. I'd finally made the choice that I wanted him, that I'd give him all of me, that I'd see where this led us, despite my fucked up ex and his tendency to screw with me.

I'd finally decided all of that and even Brett was no longer an issue, clearly choosing the coward's way out, but now everything would be destroyed before it even got started.

"I like to know what drugs you are consuming, so I can make any allowances that need to be made," he said in a low voice, each word bitten out as though it pained him.

"Why would you need to make allowances?" I demanded, not understanding why he was so uptight about all of this.

"Certain drugs have certain side effects that should be monitored. And then there is the chance you stop taking them. If I know the drug, I'll be able to see the signs and circumvent any decline from under-medication."

"Under-medication?" I asked numbly.

"You've missed two days, so I would assume there would be some fallout for that. I'd like to know what I'm in for over the next week."

"What you're in for?" Oh God, I was repeating his words. My mind was shutting down and any minute now my mouth would engage.

"Yes, so are you going to tell me, or should I get the nurse I've arrange to do a blood test so I can find out that way?"

"You wouldn't?" I queried, shocked he'd go to this extreme all for The Pill.

"I'd prefer not to, but, Genevieve, I
need
to know." And the way he said it, sounded like he really did. As though he was desperate to know, as though if he didn't know, things would be really, really bad - for him.

"I don't understand," I said, because quite frankly this was over the top as far reactions went to contraception. At least in my world it was.

"What is there to understand!" he almost shouted, which in the small confines of the Jag was shocking, to say the least. I jumped, grabbed hold of the door handle for support, hurt my wrist in the movement, but made sure I didn't show any signs of pain when I stared at him. Showing weakness didn't seem like a good idea right now.

"Hundreds of thousands of women take it," I said, numbly. "Maybe millions, I don't know. But why would you have such a problem with it? I just don't understand," I semi-repeated.

"I doubt whether that many people take the exact same drug as you," he said quietly.

"Well, similar ones, maybe manufactured under different names, but all doing the same thing I'm sure," I pointed out. "It is the twenty-first century after all. Women are allowed to look after themselves."

"I have no qualms about you looking after yourself. On the contrary, I want to help. That's why I need to know what medications you take so I can monitor that they are working or not. I've lived through this before, Genevieve. Have you forgotten Caroline?"

Oh, hell. Did Caroline accidentally - or purposely - forget to take her contraception? Did she try to trap him with a pregnancy? She'd done some pretty drastic things, it would make sense that she'd try the old basic get the man with a baby trick.

"I'm not Caroline," I said stunned, he'd compare us. "I'd never try to trap you."

He blinked. "Trap me? Caro didn't trap me, she just tried to hold on too tight and in a dangerous fashion. Because her medication failed. Her behaviour was entirely due to under-medication, or false medication, something I do not want happening to you."

Caro? Oh, I really didn't need to hear his nick-names for her. And what the hell?

"Under-medication would lead to only one result," I pointed out, crossing my arms over my chest. "And I might point out that you're just as responsible as me on that one. Did it even occur to you to check before we did anything? If I hadn't been on medication - as you call it - you would have been equally as to blame if we produced that one result!"

"How is it my responsibility what drug you take? I can hardly help you, or remind you to take it, if I don't know you're on it to begin with," He sounded angry now. His hands were clasped tightly around the steering wheel, his knuckles were actually turning white with the death grip he had going on. "Which is why,
sweetheart
, I ask you now, what medication are you on?"

The sweetheart was emphasised, making me cringe at his tone. He could be scary when he got going. I was sure he'd frightened a few of his client's ex's into giving up more of their share of a relationship's assets, with that look he wore right now.

"You're a jackass, you know that?" my mouth advised. "Where the hell do you get off having a go at me for looking after myself? For being a responsible adult? I don't want any mistakes following me around for the rest of my life. And you know that's what it would mean, because if it happened, I wouldn't walk away from it. I'd face my responsibilities head on, but it wouldn't be easy. I run my own business, I have a massive mortgage and huge overheads being located in the CBD and especially High Street. So bringing someone else in to that would be really hard, but I would, you know. Because it's not their fault that I forgot to take my pill or that the guy I had sex with didn't wear a condom. But even saying that, I have
never
forgotten to take it. Not once since I was eighteen and I started on contraception because I had a steady boyfriend and I knew things were getting serious and I was just always one of those girls. You know, the type that takes precautions. I even made him wear a condom just to be safe. Who wants a kid at eighteen? I didn't and even now I'm twenty-eight, I'm not sure I'd be ready. I guess I could do it, but I'd only consider it if I found the right man, if I knew things were going to be forever. It never crossed my mind to have a child with Brett strangely enough. I guess subconsciously I knew things weren't going to last. So, I've missed a couple of days of taking The Pill, sue me, it's not as though I was conscious enough to keep a tab on my blister-packet. I think your reaction is completely unjustified. Besides, after this little discussion, you can kiss sex right out the window, mister. It'll take a month for the pill to be effective again, so I'm abstaining for that entire length of time. Screw you! Or not, as the case may be."

I hadn't realised until I'd spat all of that ridiculous diatribe out, that we'd pulled over to the side of Tamaki Drive, the sea rolling in on my left, Dominic sitting sideways in the driver's side watching me with this strange expression on his face. Tender with a dollop of amusement and a little relief thrown into the mix.

"What?" I demanded, arms still crossed over my chest. I'd turned to face him as well, so the only thing separating us was the gear shift.

"I'll tell you what, my lovely," he said softly, reaching over and wrapping a hand around the back of my neck to pull me a little closer towards him, "I thank God that you have an adorable run-away mouth, that clears things up in half an hour instead the several that, from my experience, is more the norm." He pulled a little more firmly and my arms uncrossed to allow my hands to rest on his chest for support as his grip was making me top heavy towards him. "I thank my lucky stars that you walked into ADK when I was running late that morning, or I would have never fallen for you the moment my eyes met yours."

"That's impossible," I said, forgetting to be angry.

He cocked an eyebrow and pulled me closer still, my chest now flush against his, my hips almost in his lap, the gear shift the only thing holding me back awkwardly. He reached forward with his other hand and scooped me up and over the obstacle, settling me in his lap, at the same time moving the seat back from the steering wheel to create enough space for us both. It was snug, but he managed it, then his arms went around me. One hand up into my hair to tilt my head at exactly the right angle for his kiss, the other pulling me tightly against his chest, resting on the small of my back.

Then he brushed his lips across mine, returned for a lick along the bottom one. My lips parted, the argument forgotten. What pills? And I closed my eyes in anticipation of his tongue and mouth and what that always made me feel.

"One more thing," he husked against my open mouth. "I have no problems with condoms, in fact we'll stop off for some on the way home."

My eyes flicked open and caught the wicked gleam in his.

He smiled against my lips.

"Genevieve."
That
voice. A small shake of his head. "As if I could keep my hands off you for an entire month. What were you thinking, sweetheart?"

And then he finally kissed me and I was thinking of not a hell of a lot outside of his lips and tongue and teeth and hard, hard body beneath mine in the front seat of his Jag.

"You are right, of course," Dominic said softly as his fingers trailed down over my naked back.

We were lying in bed a couple of hours after making it home from the hospital - with a brief stop at the pharmacist. Both of us in the nude. Although we hadn't tested out the condoms, I was too tired and sore for that, Dominic had made it his mission to show me how much he
couldn't
keep his hands off me for any length of time at all. I was relaxed and happy and drifting off to sleep when he spoke.

"I didn't consider contraception when we first had sex. I feel strangely calm about the whole pregnancy thing, where you're concerned," he admitted.

I rolled over to my side to look at him. His eyes flicked up from watching my body shift positions, a hunger obvious in the darker depths.

I shook my head at him. "That's irresponsible," I pointed out. He was old enough to know better.

"It wasn't a conscious thought, I agree. I wanted you... forever. So, the thought of children with you is appealing. We will have children together one day, but if you are not ready I can wait," he declared easily.

"You barely know me," I whispered. How could he contemplate parenting children with me yet?

"I know how I feel, what I want. You. All of you. Forever. I want you in my house, in my bed every night. I want to know what's happening in your life, share it all with you. I want to dine with you every evening. To wake with you every morning. I want us married. I want children. I want it all."

I held my breath while I digested all of that. He was obviously crazy. No man acted like this after only one week. But the strange thing was, the only concern that stopped me from admitting I felt the exact same things as him, was the time-frame. The one week. If I was honest with myself, I already felt everything he did. I wanted him too. Forever. I'd made that decision, I'd opened my mind and heart up to that possibility. And with that came thoughts of the future. I may not be ready for children yet, but I
could
picture having Dominic's. And sharing my life with him, I couldn't think of anything better. Going to bed together, waking up side by side. Eating dinner across a table from him every night.

Yes, if I was honest I could see it all, believe it all, feel it all. Just like him. The only difference was I was hung up on the fact we'd known each other just over a week. Two days of which I was unconscious. It was too fast. Too much too soon. But it didn't mean I wasn't already feeling the same things he was, I was just hiding them behind the
one week
.

"I'm scared," I admitted and I realised it wasn't the first time I had said that to him.

"I know," he said running his fingers along the edge of my hip, down the curve of my waist. "But you feel it too, don't you?"

I swallowed, unable to say the words he wanted to hear. I could think them, but to announce them aloud, was too much.