Irresistible Forces (15 page)

“Taylor?”

He had turned and was looking at her intensely. In other words, he was frowning. She slowly pulled up in bed, mindful of the fact that like him, she was stark naked.

“Your grandfather gave it to me.”

The look he gave her was one as if he’d been slapped and then he said harshly, “That’s impossible because I don’t have a grandfather.”

She rolled her eyes. “At least not one you want to claim. You should have told me about him, Dominic. I had a right to know.”

He stood and stared down at her. “The only rights you have regarding me are the ones I give you, Taylor, and an association with Franco Saxon isn’t one of them. The man means nothing to me.”

She glared at Dominic. “He might not mean anything to you, but he is my child’s great-grandfather.”

“No, he is not!”

“Yes, he is,” she said, struggling to keep her voice calm. “Don’t you think it’s time for you to forgive him and move on?”

Dominic looked livid. He reached out and gripped her wrist and brought her closer to him. “No. And I don’t want him to be a part of my child’s life.”

“And I intend for him to be a part of it, Dominic. I made him a promise.”

He let go of her hand. “How much did he offer, Taylor?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I know the man. For years he’s been trying to win me over with his money, with offers of business deals, the naming of me as his heir, ownership of his shipping company…so I’m sure he offered you something. What was it?” he demanded.

Taylor didn’t like the sound of Dominic’s raised voice, nor of his insinuations. “Are you saying that you believe I made a promise to your grandfather because of some money deal?”

“Didn’t you? Are you saying he didn’t agree to acknowledge our unborn child as his heir if you went along with him?”

His words made Taylor furious. “It wasn’t like that at all, Dominic. Franco is a man who loves you and who already loves his great-grandchild. He merely wants to be a part of our baby’s life and I can see no reason why he should not.”

“Well, I do and I won’t have it.”

She leaned forward and placed her hands on her naked hips. “I don’t care what you won’t have so get over it. I will not break my promise to him.”

“And what about your loyalty to me?”

Taylor figured that now was not the time to tell Dominic that not only did he have her loyalty but that he also had her love, but that this was one issue she could not, would not agree with him on. “I am loyal to you, Dominic, however, I will not deny my child the right to know its great-grandparent.”

The room got quiet, and the tension surrounding them was almost unbearable. Then Dominic spoke as he began picking up his clothes off the floor. “Then it seems we have nothing more to discuss, Taylor.”

He turned his back on her and went into the bathroom and closed the door. He reappeared in the room a short while later fully dressed. He came over to the bed, stood over her and glared down at her. His face was tight, his features still intense. “I’m leaving.”

“Fine, and once you realize just how unfair you’re being, please call me.”

He face darkened. “I will call occasionally for no other reason than to check on my child. Otherwise, Taylor, our association is over.”

Taylor fought back the tears in her eyes. “If that’s the way you want things, Dominic, then that’s the way they will be.”

He stared down at her for a few more minutes and then without saying anything else, he turned and walked out of her condo.

It was later that day before Taylor was able to get out of bed, and only then because she knew she needed to eat something. She had to take care of the life growing inside her—the life Dominic had placed there.

As she began moving around her apartment, she couldn’t put out of her mind the words Dominic had spoken. Did he hate his grandfather that much? Okay, she could imagine how he must have felt as a child growing up to discover the rift that existed between his parents and his grandfather, but if his parents could forgive the man, then why couldn’t he?

“Because he is so damn stubborn,” Taylor muttered as she sat down to eat a bowl of cereal and milk. “Okay, so I won’t be at his beck and call anymore,” she said to the walls, sneering. “It will be his loss. I should not have been at his beck and call anyway. The only thing between us was lust…at least on his end.” She knew for her it was more. It was love.

After breakfast she decided to go for a walk. She had to leave the apartment for a while. And later she would take in a movie. She needed to keep her mind occupied so Dominic wouldn’t consume so much of it. He’d made his feelings clear and there was nothing left for her to do but accept it and move on.

And she would. He’d given her no choice.

Chapter 13

T
wo weeks later, Dominic was standing at the window in his New York office, staring down at the people below. They were moving rather quickly along the sidewalk, and he thought about just how fast their lives seemed to be moving. But for him it appeared that his had come to a complete standstill.

And all because of Taylor.

He inhaled deeply. He hadn’t realized just how much he loved her until he’d had to do without her. He had called her twice and their conversations had been brief. He had asked how she was doing, she had said fine, and then she had ended the call. He had said some harsh words to her that day, words he now wished he could take back.

Taylor was who she was and he couldn’t expect her to have a beef with his grandfather just because he had one. She was not that type of woman. She had a mind of her own, she thought for herself. He would not have wanted her any other way.

And he did want her. Damn, he also loved her but he had been willing to turn his back on that love and let his intense stubbornness rule his mind and common sense. But it hadn’t been able to eradicate what was in his heart.

“Mr. Saxon, your mother is here to see you.”

He turned at the sound of his secretary’s voice on the intercom. As much as he loved his mother she was the last person he wanted to see right now. She had gotten upset with him when he had told her about the argument he’d had with Taylor. His mother had called him, among other things, pigheaded.

“Mr. Saxon?”

“Yes, Liza, please send her in.”

The door opened and his mother walked in, beautiful as ever, but she was frowning. She retained that frown as she crossed the room and came to a stop in front of him.

“Okay, Nicky, you have sulked long enough. By now I had hoped you would have come to your senses. I want to know just what you’re going to do to get the mother of my grandchild back?”

Her question, Dominic thought, was simple enough, but to be completely honest, he didn’t have a clue. For all he knew, Taylor might not want to be gotten back. The last two times they had talked she didn’t seem inclined to have anything more to do with him.

“It’s not going to be easy,” he said quietly.

Megan placed a hand on his arm and he couldn’t help noticing her eyes had softened somewhat and her frown was gone. “Do you want her back?”

“Yes, I want her back,” he didn’t hesitate to say. “Besides you, she is the most remarkable woman I know.”

A smile touched Megan Saxon’s lips. “You love her, don’t you?”

Dominic met his mother’s inquisitive but gentle stare and said, “Yes, I love her.”

“Then you’re going to have to do whatever it takes to win her heart and convince her that you were wrong and that you love her,” Megan said in a soft voice. “Let love guide you to do the right thing. And when you get things straightened out, let me and your father know. We still want to meet her. Regardless of your relationship, she is the mother of our grandchild.” She glanced at her watch. “I have to go, our private plane is waiting.”

He lifted a brow. “And where are you and Dad off to now?”

“Paris. It’s your grandfather’s seventieth birthday and we’re flying in for the birthday celebration planned for tomorrow night. I’ll talk to you when I get back.”

After his mother had left, Dominic sat at his desk while he planned his strategy to win back Taylor. Moments later after taking a deep breath he picked up the phone and punched in the phone number to her cell phone. He leaned back in the chair, waiting for her to answer.

Instead, another voice came on the line that said,
“I am sorry, but at the customer’s request, this number has been changed to a nonpublished number.”
Then there was a sharp click in his ear.

He slowly hung up the phone. Taylor had changed her number? Not to be denied the right to speak with her, he then pulled her business card from his desk to try reaching her at the office. Her secretary’s cheery voice came on the line. “Good afternoon, Assets of Steele. May I help you?”

“Yes, this is Dominic Saxon and I would like to speak with Ms. Steele, please.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Saxon, but Ms. Steele is out of town.”

“I see,” he said, somewhat disappointed. “Is she visiting her family in North Carolina?”

“No, sir, she is out of the country.”

Dominic frowned as he stood from his seat. “Out of the country? Where did she go?” he asked, as if he had a right to know.

There was a pause, and then as if the secretary decided that maybe he did, she said, “She’s in France.”

He lifted a brow. “France?”

“Yes, sir, Paris, France. If this is an emergency, she has asked that I refer those calls to…”

Whatever the woman was saying was lost on Dominic. Taylor had gone to France and he had an idea as to why and who she had gone to see. “Well, thanks for the information,” he said, interrupting whatever it was Taylor’s secretary was saying. He quickly hung up and then pressed a button.

“Yes, Mr. Saxon?”

“Liza, I’d like you to contact Martin and tell him to have the plane ready to fly me out in a few hours.”

“Yes sir, and the destination?”

“Paris, France.”

“Are you feeling better today, dear?”

Taylor smiled at Franco Saxon as she came down the steps to join him on the terrace for a midmorning meal. “Yes, a lot better.”

She had arrived at the Saxon Estates yesterday after having endured the lengthy plane flight across the Atlantic. Evidently something she had eaten had not agreed with her and in addition to jet lag, she had endured an upset stomach. After a good night’s sleep she was now feeling fine.

She glanced around as she took her seat across from Dominic’s grandfather. The Saxon family home was simply beautiful. According to Franco, it had been in the Saxon family since the late eighteen hundreds and was the place where all the Saxons, including Marcello, were born. The palace-style structure was composed of several reception rooms. Numerous bedroom suites with private baths and dressing rooms, game rooms, spa, gym, two swimming pools and a beautiful kitchen and dining room. It was a beautiful day and the sun was shining bright in the sky.

“I received a call this morning from Marcello and Megan. They are on their way and should be arriving later today,” Franco said, intruding into Taylor’s thoughts.

She nodded as butterflies went off in her stomach at the thought of meeting Dominic’s parents. She couldn’t help wondering what he’d told them about their now-defunct relationship.

She had been surprised when she had received a call from Franco inviting her to his birthday gala. Since she hadn’t been sure if Dominic was still in the D.C. area or had returned to New York, she hadn’t wanted to run the risk of a chance meeting with him—especially while her heart was still hurting—and had jumped at the opportunity to leave the city for a few days. The last thing she had to worry about was running into Dominic here.

The one thing she was certain about was that she truly liked Dominic’s grandfather. She believed that deep in Franco’s heart he knew that he had made a mistake in the way he had handled his son’s love for an American woman, a mistake that had cost him the love of his grandson. And from their argument the last time she and Dominic were together, she wasn’t sure if he would ever forgive his grandfather. Dominic took being stubborn to all-new heights.

After their meal, she and Franco went into one of the game rooms to play checkers, something the older man seemed to enjoy. She was glad that her cousin Sebastian had taught her how to play years ago.

They had just ended one game and had started on another when one of Franco’s servants approached to let him know that Marcello and Megan had arrived.

“Why, you’re simply beautiful, just as Dominic said,” his mother exclaimed, smiling at her.

Taylor wondered if Dominic had actually said that, or whether his mother was just being kind. Either way she decided to take the compliment. “Thank you.”

They were standing together in the receiving line, greeting the guests arriving at Franco’s party. Franco had asked her to be there and as far as she knew, no one seemed to question it. When introducing her, he merely said that she was a close friend of his grandson. Considering how things were between her and Dominic, Taylor thought that was really stretching it a bit.

“We certainly have a crowd here tonight.”

Megan’s words broke into Taylor’s thoughts. “Yes, there are a number of people here, but everything is beautiful. And speaking of beautiful…”

The first thing Taylor had thought when she’d seen Megan Saxon was that any picture she’d seen of her in a magazine hadn’t done her justice. She was a beautiful woman and it only took a few seconds in the Saxons’ company to know that Marcello simply adored his wife. Dominic had once commented on what a loving relationship his mother and father had. Now she saw firsthand just how true that statement had been.

“And your outfit is divine. That color looks good on you,” the older woman added.

Suddenly a deep appreciation for Megan Saxon blossomed to life inside her. That compliment meant a lot coming from a person who was considered an expert on fashion. But that wasn’t the only reason she liked Dominic’s mother so much. From the moment Franco had introduced them earlier that day, she had felt a connection. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Megan was the woman who had given birth to the man who had captured Taylor’s heart, or possibly the fact that Taylor was carrying inside her this woman’s grandchild. Whatever the reason, she felt an accord with Megan, a closeness to her that she couldn’t explain and wouldn’t bother dissecting. It was enough that knowing how Dominic felt about his grandfather, they didn’t have a problem with her being here or feel she was being disloyal to Dominic for doing so.

“Yes, I can see why Nicky loves you so much.”

A flicker of panic went off inside Taylor. She knew Megan’s statement was based on assumption rather than fact. Would it be the proper thing to do to correct her, let her know she was not the object of Dominic’s affections?

At that moment it seemed the entire room got quiet and as Taylor glanced around to see what had everyone’s attention, she heard Marcello Saxon, who was standing beside Megan, say, “Look who’s here, Megan. I never thought I would live to see the day.” Deep emotion was in the man’s voice.

Taylor turned her head to see what the Saxons were talking about and sharpened her gaze to look at the single guest who had just entered and the curious onlookers surrounding him.

She heard Franco’s sharp intake of breath at the same moment the crowd dispersed somewhat and Dominic stood there, a younger version of both Franco and Marcello, but definitely more of Franco. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind who he was and his relationship to the honoree.

Unease flickered inside her the moment her and Dominic’s gazes connected and he began walking in her direction. “My prayers have been answered,” she heard Franco say in a voice so low she barely heard him.

She continued to hold Dominic’s gaze as she studied his face. How did he feel about her being there, especially after their last conversation? Was he questioning what right she had to be standing with his family? But more important, was his presence an indication that he was willing to make peace with his grandfather at last?

She knew only Dominic held the answer to both of those questions and as she studied his features, she found nothing that would give her a clue as to what he was thinking.

Deciding she was making herself a nervous wreck, she just stood there as he came closer, as his gazed pinned her to the spot. She didn’t have to force herself to hold his gaze. He was a man who deserved attention and he was definitely getting it.

The room was still quiet. It seemed that someone had even ordered the band to stop playing. Then she recalled all the people she had been introduced to that night. They were all friends and acquaintances of Franco, people who probably knew of the longstanding dissent between him and his grandson. Like her, they were waiting to see why Dominic was there, and hoping and praying that since it was Franco’s birthday, Dominic’s presence was a positive and not a negative.

He finally reached them and respectfully, he gave his grandfather his full attention. Speaking in fluent French, he said, “Happy birthday, Grandfather. And I hope my presence here tonight is taken as an indication that I want to put the past behind me and move forward.”

He then glanced at Taylor and the look she saw in his eyes made her heart beat faster. He hadn’t touched her, had yet to acknowledge her presence, but the look in his eyes was the look he always had in them for her. Dominic then turned back to his grandfather, and, still speaking in fluent French, said, “And thanks for the safekeeping of the woman who has my heart.”

His words would have meant everything to her if she hadn’t known he was merely saying them for show, she thought miserably. He couldn’t very well have said,
“Thanks for the safekeeping of the woman who’s having my baby,”
could he? At least not in front of an audience of about three hundred individuals.

She heard Franco’s emotional response. “Thank you for coming, grandson of my heart. We must talk later.”

Dominic nodded. And then he came to stand in front of her and she forced her heart rate to slow down. Instead of saying anything, he took her hand and lifted it up to his lips and gazed deep into her eyes. “You look beautiful tonight,” he said in English and it was then she remembered that he didn’t know she spoke French and decided to answer him in his grandfather’s native tongue to make him aware that she had understood what he had said to Franco.

“And you’re looking rather handsome yourself,” she responded. She saw the surprised lifting of his brow and then the smile that touched the corners of his lips.

Instead of saying anything else, he moved on to his parents. She saw what amounted to tears in his parents’ eyes and she knew for Marcello and Megan, Dominic’s presence here tonight was the beginning to putting an end to the discord that had begun when they had been bold enough to fall in love.