Dominic gently kissed the top of her head, listened to her breathing, felt her soft warmth against his skin, lay still in the dark, asking himself questions he’d never asked before.

About the high rush of happiness, swift and frail. About flirting with hope. About chances. About the wild surging in his blood he’d never felt before.

All because of a slip of a woman with red curls and bright green eyes.

CHAPTER 18

Dominic woke early, slowly eased away from Kate and, taking care not to wake her, slid off the bed. Walking into his dressing room, he put on a pair of grey sweats and exited the room by the hall door.

Entering his study a few minutes later, he sat at his desk, hit the space bar and watched his computer come to life. Another few clicks of the keyboard and there it was: all the MIT grants. He scrolled through Bill Vandevore’s email looking for a name … looking … looking … looking – bingo. He picked up the phone, unconcerned with the time stateside. His employees were paid well enough to answer his calls day or night.

It was a brief call, Bill Vandevore understood what was required of him without a lengthy explanation. ‘I don’t need him eliminated from the project,’ Dominic said. ‘Just see that he’s sent to Greenland on the core-drilling team. Increase his fellowship by forty thousand. That should sweeten the assignment.’

‘Yes, sir, Mr Knight.’

‘Discreetly.’

‘That goes without saying, sir.’

‘I appreciate your understanding.’

‘My pleasure, sir.’ Bill Vandevore was in charge of a very large budget with little oversight. It was a dream job. He might have even agreed to send his mother to Greenland if Dominic had asked because Knight Enterprises paid him enough to keep her there in five-star comfort. ‘Is there anything else I can do for you?’ he asked, underlining the name he’d written down.

‘Not at the moment.’ There was still Michael, but he hadn’t been calling so he was currently safe from Dominic’s displeasure. ‘You’ll deal with this promptly?’

‘Today, sir.’

‘Excellent.’

Dominic leaned back in his chair after he hung up the phone and felt his pulse slow. He softly exhaled, satisfied the issue had been resolved. Then he sat up, deleted Bill Vandevore’s email from the cache, double-checked his password was in place, and shut down his computer. Picking up the house phone, he spoke to Deshi and Smith, delivered several brisk directives, thanked them, replaced the receiver in the cradle and smiled.

It should be a very nice day.

When he returned to the bedroom, Kate was walking out of the bathroom naked and brushing her hair with Dominic’s hairbrush. ‘This isn’t really working,’ she said, holding up the short-bristled brush.

Now that’s the way he liked to start his day: with Miss Hart smiling at him, her voluptuous body on full display. ‘Yours must be here somewhere. Leo sent over everything.’

She shrugged. ‘It’s a short-term fix. Are we going to eat soon?’ Climbing back into bed, she grabbed the remote and flicked on the TV.

Miss Hart’s casual domesticity shouldn’t have surprised him; she didn’t stand on ceremony. She never would have considered finding some lacy nightgown, or putting on make-up for him like so many women. Her hair was unruly; she didn’t feel the need to flirt or seduce. She only wanted to know when they were going to eat breakfast. This morning scene made him want to smile – it was so ordinary. ‘We forgot to order last night so I hope I got you something you like. They’re bringing up our breakfast now.’ He walked to the dresser. ‘What do you want to play today?’

She glanced away from the TV screen, gave him a blank look. Then his question registered belatedly and she grinned. ‘Why ask me, Svengali?’

He grinned back. ‘Definitely a user-friendly answer.’

‘Depends on who’s using whom. I figure I’m using your really big dick for my own personal pleasure, so we’re about even. Is that too blunt?’ she said with fake, wide-eyed innocence.

‘I’ll let you know if I’m ever in the mood for niceties,’ he drawled and went back to opening drawers.

‘What do you think of this?’ he asked a moment later, holding up a sheer black bra. ‘I seem to be on some bizarre baby psychic wave. I don’t know whether to blame my mother for bringing up the subject or you for your big tits. Although I must not be the only one who plays this game if Mrs Hawthorne is selling these little numbers.’

Kate turned from the TV news. ‘Is that a nursing bra? She sells nursing bras?’

‘Along with several other play themes. I’ll show you the schoolgirl white cotton bra and panties later, and the harem outfit.’

‘I didn’t see those.’

‘You only tried on a few, Mrs Hawthorne said. You were being difficult. Shocking, I know,’ he said with a grin. ‘So yes or no?’ He lifted the bra a fraction higher.

She smiled. ‘What do they usually say?’

A trifling shrug. ‘I don’t usually ask.’

‘So I’m special.’

‘In every conceivable way, Katherine. So, what’ll it be?’

She slowly, ostentatiously, stretched, gave him a flirty look. ‘Will I like it?’

‘You will,’ he said, controlling the impulse to fuck her on the spot after that cock-teasing stretch.

‘Will it be as good as yesterday?’ she purred.