At that thought, her eyelids flew open and she sat up. She did have something else of value, and it hadn’t been taken away for appraisal as it wasn’t part of Liam’s estate! An antique diamond brooch. It had been passed down from her real great-grandmother through the generations to her mother, and on to her on her mother’s death.
Then her shoulders slumped as quickly as the thought came. She’d sworn never to part with it, not just for own sake, but for Nicole’s sake now. The Roths would give her daughter so much, but this was the only thing Nicole would have from her side of the family.
No, she would never sell it. Not for a measly two thousand dollars. Not for anything. It was worth ten thousand, or it had been a few years ago when she’d had it appraised. It would still never be enough.
And she still needed the money for Penny.
And for Joe.
Then a thought came to her and hope rose inside her. Couldn’t she use the brooch as collateral for a loan with one of those pawnbroker people? She could borrow enough for Penny, plus pay the nursing home back some of the money she owed. Then as soon as Liam’s money came through, she’d pay back the loan and get her brooch returned. She wasn’t exactly sure how that all worked, but she was certain they had to hold on to the item for a certain period of time.
Yet was she desperate enough to do this? More to the point, was she desperate enough not to do it? Her sister would lose her house if she didn’t. And surely part-payment would keep Jane Clyde satisfied for now.
First thing tomorrow she would look for a pawnbroker.
At that precise moment the bathroom door opened and Dominic entered the room, startling her, making her jump almost guiltily. She hadn’t expected him to return for hours, had even wondered if he would return tonight at all.
He stood there, his eyes hostile. “You didn’t love him when you married him, did you?”
She gave a soft gasp, glad the bubbles were covering most of her, not sure where this was coming from. “What do you mean?”
“If you’d loved my brother, you would have insisted on putting your stamp on that town house. That’s what women do.” His mouth flattened even more. “You didn’t.”
Her mind cleared. He was referring back to their conversation when he’d admitted the town house was more like Liam than her. And she’d agreed the furnishings had been all chosen by Liam—just like their marriage had all been Liam. Dominic hadn’t wanted to hear that then, and she doubted he wanted to hear the truth now.
She tilted her head. “So you still want me to say I didn’t love Liam when I married him?”
“Yes,” he growled.
“Why, Dominic? Why is it so important I tell you that? You already think I’m about the money. Why do you have to keep challenging me about it?”
“We’re going to be married a long time, Cassandra. I don’t want to forget what type of person you are.”
“Thanks very much,” she muttered, flinching inwardly. The situation was hopeless. He would never believe good of her now. She just had to keep remembering that.
Yet there was someone else they had to remember, as well. “What about Nicole?” she reminded him. “You agreed to keep your hostility to yourself.”
“And so I will.” He paused. “You’re not the only one who can playact.”
Her breath caught at the pain. It wasn’t fair that he thought so badly of her, but better to think the worst of her than ask questions she didn’t want answered.
All at once his eyes zeroed in on the tubful of bubbles, then slowly rose up her bare shoulders above the waterline, up her neck, to her face, to her blond hair pinned atop her head.
A hard, sensual look entered in his eyes. “You look good in that.”
Despite the antagonistic vibes in the air, her pulse started to race. “It helps me unwind.” And heaven knows, she needed that.
He began to undo his shirt.
“Wh-what are you doing?”
“Joining you.” His lips twisted. “I need to unwind, too.”
She trembled with expectancy as she watched him strip. Everything came off—and the fully aroused man emerged. She was amazed she had turned him on so quickly, but her own pulse was just as guilty.
He came close and stood erect in front of her. “Move forward,” he said, not moving, all taut and masculine. She could have refused, but, Lord, she didn’t want to.
She slithered forward on her bottom and he slid down in the water behind her, pulling her back against him, his erection fitting flush against the middle of her lower back.
Their eyes met in the mirrored wall.
“Dominic, I…” She didn’t know what she was going to say…just something…anything…to break the moment.
“I don’t want to talk,” he muttered, his gaze holding hers, his hands gliding up from her h*ps to cup under her br**sts. “If this is all we have between us, I intend to make the best of it.”
She wished she had the strength to get up out of the water, but he had begun lightly squeezing her n**ples and she could do nothing to protect herself from herself. All she wanted was him. He was the man she loved.
She groaned with pleasure. “Dominic, I—”
“Shh, be quiet.”
He held her gaze in the mirror like he held her br**sts, unrelenting in his possessiveness. He didn’t let up as he played with her n**ples, making her ache low and deep. Helplessly, she leaned her head back against his shoulder, his gaze holding hers immobile in their reflection. Then his eyes slid downward and so did hers, and they both watched as he teased the rosy peaks through the scented bubbles.
His mouth took on a definite look of male satisfaction as she moaned, and a womanly thrill quaked through her. Then one of his hands traveled lower, searing a path down her belly as if it was on a mission—a search-and-destroy mission to knock down all her defenses. He obviously wanted it all. And was determined to take it.
His fingers found their target and her breath fluttered. She tried not to capitulate too soon, but watching his eyes darken in the mirror as he slicked her up and down under the warm water was tantalizingly erotic. She succumbed.
Only, it wasn’t over yet. Once she caught her breath, he started all over again in a domination of her senses that made her glad he didn’t know she loved him. He was making her pay for asking about the money. Making her pay in the only way he knew he could get to her. Through her body.
After she came the second time, he helped her out of the bath and dried them both without saying a word. Her legs felt weak, so she was glad she had him to hold on to and steady herself.
Then he swept her up and took her into their bedroom…took her to their bed and sheathed himself with a condom…and took her to even higher heights.
Afterward he gave her a hard kiss before pushing off her. “Now, tell me that’s about the money,” he rasped before he strode back into the bathroom and shut the door behind him.
Nine
Cassandra couldn’t believe her luck—if that was what she could call it—when she woke to find a note from Dominic saying he had gone into the office. It was Saturday, so she hadn’t expected he would, but it wasn’t really surprising. He hadn’t come back to bed last night, and she wondered if this was the way it would be from now on. Was their fragile togetherness now a thing of the past?
All because of the money.
Thankfully, Nesta was home and she agreed to babysit. Cassandra made an excuse about wanting to do some personal Christmas shopping, hinting that she wanted to buy something private for Dominic’s benefit, but she was more than grateful she didn’t have to take Nicole with her.
Unfortunately, Dominic was driving his Porsche, so the only alternative was to catch a cab. She could not risk using Dominic’s driver, and she prayed Nesta didn’t mention it later. In any case, she’d tell Dominic she hadn’t wanted to bother his driver just to go to the local shopping center. As for any personal risk, she’d just have to be extra cautious and keep her wits about her.
An hour later, the pawnbroker assessed the brooch and the appraisal she’d brought with her, glancing at her strangely, making her wonder if he recognized the name. “How much did you want to borrow?” he finally asked.
She held her head high, despite feeling humiliated being in a place like this. “It’s worth at least ten thousand dollars, so that’s what I’d like to borrow. Ten thousand.”
He shook his head. “No can do, I’m afraid. I don’t keep that much cash on me.” He smiled, showing a gold tooth. “There’s some unsavory types about, you know.”
Her heart sank. “But that’s how much I need. I…want to buy my husband something special for Christmas,” she said, then bit her lip, knowing she didn’t need to explain anything to this man.
He considered her. “I can loan you five thousand now or you can come back later today.” He shrugged. “Or you could try somewhere else.”
Doing this again later today was out of the question, and so was racing around town looked for someone with enough cash. Besides, she wanted to keep a low profile and going from pawnbroker to pawnbroker could easily create a stir among them.
She swallowed, feeling more humiliated by the moment. “I’ll take the five thousand now.” She could still give Penny the two thousand, and pay the nursing home the remaining three.
“Okay, we have a deal. Now, do you have any ID? We’ll need to fill out some forms.”
She nodded, though handing over her driver’s license made her nervous. It was a few years old and it still had her old address on it. “Um…you promise to hold the brooch until I repay the money, don’t you?”
“As long as it’s within the prescribed time.”
“It will be.”
She’d make sure it was.
Dominic stood at his office window and looked down at the city view of tree-lined Collins Street below. He’d been working solidly since coming to the office early this morning, trying not to think. He’d often come into work on Saturdays before, but this morning it didn’t feel right. Nothing felt right. Of course, he’d never been married before, either. And what was right about his marriage, anyway? What the hell was right about having a wife he couldn’t trust or a daughter he couldn’t acknowledge?
The phone rang, the caller ID showing the front reception desk. He answered it and heard their doorman’s voice telling him that he had someone on the line calling about Mrs. Roth. He wasn’t sure whether to put it through to him or not.
Dominic stiffened. “That’s okay. I’ll take it, Murray.”
“Very good, Mr. Roth. Putting it through now.”
There was a short silence, then, “Am I speaking to Mr. Dominic Roth?”
“Speaking.”
The guy introduced himself as a pawnbroker, then said, “I just wanted to let you know Mrs. Roth left her driver’s license behind this morning. I wasn’t sure how else to contact her. It has an address on it, but I don’t have time to take it there personally.”
Dominic scowled. “I don’t follow. Why would my wife be at a pawnbroker’s?”