Unconditional (14 page)

“Rin, you’re hurting for nothing, baby. Don’t do this to yourself.”

She didn’t answer or move a muscle.

He removed his hands from their intimate grip. She slumped against the door and her knees buckled beneath her. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he picked her up. She didn’t utter a word in protest. Crossing the room, he gently laid her on the bed.

He perched on the edge of the mattress and looked down at her. She lowered her lashes, refusing to meet his gaze. After a few silent, tense seconds, he sighed in resignation. “I’m going to sleep with Matt. I’ll leave for Nassau tomorrow morning after I’ve said goodbye to the children.”

She didn’t look at him or respond. She made him feel like shit even though he’d done nothing wrong.

“Please give my apology to your parents. The jet will be delivered back for you. Rico and Sean will be here with you.”

He looked at her intently, noting the negative posture and pale pallor of her skin. He had done all that he could now, and said all he could, to convince her of his sincerity. He needed her to accept him unconditionally. He wanted her complete surrender and the undeniable love she had for him before the distrust had set in. Dominic clenched his fists in determination and his chest expanded. He had to find a way that they both got what they wanted so they could restore the unity of his family.

“Think about what I’ve said. My things are back at the house. I expect you to give our marriage a fair shot, without ending things like this.” He grimaced, not at all liking the almost pleading sound of his voice.

Drawing on as much patience and control as he could muster, he banked his need to ensure their safety and take them home, where he could do that best. “I think you owe it to us and to our children to at least give us a chance.”

She continued to ignore him and look anywhere but at him.

“Believe in us, Rin,” he implored.

Still she said nothing.

“I’ll see you back in Nassau.”

Rinah listened for the soft click of the door to signal his exit, and still she didn’t trust herself to move for at least fifteen minutes after she’d heard it. She couldn’t even cry from the despair she felt. She had shed enough tears and refused to give him the satisfaction of destroying her again. Devastated by what she’d allowed to happen, she was without words. Giving in to him after he again refused to deal with Flavia would be inexcusable, another example where she’d be disappointed in her own lack of resolve when it came to him.

Their marriage had spiraled out of control eight months ago because of its weak foundation.

Lust could no longer be enough. She knew it couldn’t possibly sustain a marriage through such rough patches.

Chapter Ten

Eight months earlier

D
ominic insisted he
and Rinah attend a dinner party being hosted by Victor. After the months of fighting with Dominic over Flavia’s sly suggestions about her relationship with him, Rinah dreaded the outing. He refused to take the insinuations seriously, and maintained that she was overreacting. However, intimations were also being made in the local gossip columns, along those same lines. That storyline had been running for weeks. Those in attendance at the gatherings Victor tended to host would have a field day if even a hint of marital discord was evident tonight.

Not only would she have to contend with Flavia’s provocative antics, but she also had to deal with her nemesis’ snotty friends. They were old money and had banded behind Flavia, who was one of them. They made it clear that Rinah wasn’t worthy of their exalted circle. She didn’t have to be told that being a woman of color had a lot to do with their prejudice as well. It never ceased to amaze her that in a black country, there was still so much racial bias.

At precisely eight o’clock, she descended the stairs of their house. Dominic stood at the foot of the stairs, waiting for her. She was held spellbound by his casual elegance and blatant virility. He was magnificent. The steely grey of his eyes was warm with appreciation as he took in her appearance. She couldn’t look away from their shared, intense scrutiny.

Although her soft blue silk dress was stylish and chic, she hoped that it shielded her predictable response to his dark presence. He had been away on business for the past five days, and she had missed him. She silently held her breath, her senses hit by the remembered nightly cravings for his warmth in their bed.

Rinah gripped the banister in a new resolve to be just as detached and controlled as Dom. He hadn’t made love to her in weeks, spending an inordinate amount of time with Neo and his former SEAL mates. Ever since one of them had been murdered, Dominic had become even more emotionally withdrawn. He seemed preoccupied and distracted, refusing to discuss the horrific incident. As soon as the story was reported in the local media, it had been immediately squashed and no other details were revealed. If she hadn’t known for a fact that it did happen, it would have been easy to forget about the tragedy. With the added guards around the house, he was being more concerned with her and Matt’s security than he’d ever been. Ever since he’d found out she was pregnant again, he’d been treating her like fragile glass. She gritted her teeth in agitation. His preoccupation with their safety and sudden lack of interest in intimacy only fueled her anger over his refusal to deal with Flavia’s antics.

I’ll be damned before I beg for his attention.

It was impossible to discern his emotion as he quickly herded her into the car and pensively drove to Victor’s house a few miles away. Whatever had happened to the insatiable lover of a few weeks ago? She had no idea what to make of his new, moody attitude. He was even more brooding than usual.

They were greeted by Victor, who couldn’t hide his initial reaction to seeing them together. Rinah was puzzled by Victor’s continued dislike: she and Dom rarely attended social events without each other.

The idiot needs to give it a rest! Dom and I are married. Get over
it!

“Rinah, it is lovely to see you, as usual.”

She smiled at her host and suffered his brief kisses to her cheeks. There was definitely no love lost between them. Her marriage to Dom had prevented the more advantageous marriage to his sister, disrupting the powerful dynasty that Victor and his sister had apparently envisaged.

“You grow more beautiful every time I see you.”

Even Victor couldn’t keep a straight face at the insincerity of his words, which were uttered through tightly clenched teeth. The look in his eyes contrasted significantly with his speech.

She looked at Dom to see if he picked up on his friend’s unusual slip. But Dominic had eyes only for their surroundings. She knew he must be scanning the house and its occupants for any perceived threat. He had little patience for the opinion of others, and didn’t understand why she would care who liked her or not. He didn’t see the destructive powers of the dislike of people like Victor and his sister. Having been on top of the pyramid for so long, and untouchable by so many, he didn’t care what anyone thought of him. So the fact that Victor didn’t like Dominic’s wife, or thought her beneath him, wouldn’t have even garnered his attention. It would have had to be more overt for Dominic to bother acknowledging it, much less doing something about it.

Victor’s laugh grated on her nerves as he patted Dominic on the back and put his arm around him, guiding him deeper into the crowded room. “I guess this means there will be another little Stone on the way shortly.” His voice boomed, ensuring his statement carried to those in attendance.

Dominic’s brow rose questioningly. “What the hell are you talking about?” His stance and voice were aggressive and cold, no doubt remembering that the other man often joked that Dominic was so in lust with his young wife, he was surprised she wasn’t always barefoot and pregnant. They had told no one they were expecting. His remark could only be meant as a dig.

She shook her head at Victor’s stupidity, willing him to make one more misstep. She would love to see him flattened by her husband’s fists.

“Come now, Dom, I was only kidding with you. We all love your wife. She just seems to glow with health. I meant no disrespect.” Victor was nauseating in his efforts to soothe Dominic’s ire. He stood between them, placing an arm on either shoulder, and walked them slowly into the gathering.

But Dominic refused to be separated from her. He very firmly gripped her hand and pulled her close to his side. She remained glued to his side for most of the night.

They worked the room, greeting acquaintances old and new. Later, they sat for a five-course meal, thankfully sitting next to interesting and friendly people, with neither Flavia nor Victor seated near them. Dominic kept her close to him throughout, guarding her like a hawk. His touch was always gentle, protective but firm.

At one point during the after-dinner mingling, they found themselves alone for the first time, in a secluded corner of the room. He palmed the slight roundness of her stomach and clutched her against him.

“You know that this isn’t going to happen, right?” She spoke softly, but resolutely.

“What isn’t going to happen?” he asked, sounding confused even as he pulled her closer into his embrace.

“This! Us! You know what I mean! We’re not going to pretend all is good with us, where you get to remain secretive and don’t answer questions. Then you seduce me, letting our bodies control our actions, which seemed to have been the basis of our entire marriage.”

“And what the hell is wrong with that?” His arms tightened around her. “I have no problem with our attraction. I have a problem with your lack of trust.”

“This is neither the time nor place for us to be having this discussion!” she hissed.

“I agree, so just let me hold you and my kid for a little while longer,” he demanded. “You and Matt are my world. And now God has blessed us with another baby.” He seemed awed by that, clutching her tighter to him. “I have to protect you and my kids. There’s so much danger out there. So many enemies who want to do you harm. Promise me you’ll be cautious and listen to your guards. It would kill me if something happened to you.”

Rinah couldn’t help but feel the intensity of his concern. She knew the murder of his teammate bothered him. Despite the authorities’ apparent attempt to conceal the details, on an island so small, the details were eventually leaked. It was especially gruesome because of the way they had been killed. The wife had been brutalized and raped before being beheaded. Their little boy had been sliced in half, from the middle of his head downward. She was sure the SEAL member had suffered the most, because it was confirmed he had died after his family. His body had been brutally mutilated. The chilling anger in Dominic’s silver eyes was understandable. The ominous stench of danger surrounded him.

She knew it was pointless trying to get him to talk about it or confide in her. He often told her that her knowing the danger out there changed nothing and he refused to have her live in fear. He would protect her, end of story.

She had mixed feelings about this sudden, enforced closeness, being in his arms again. She was tortured by her predictable reaction to his touch. Her focus had narrowed and shrunk to the feel of his hardness against the curve of her spine and ass, his intoxicating scent, and the absolute security she found with his strength surrounding her. Already, her body trembled with the need to feel those strong hands directly on her naked skin. At that moment, she would have given anything to ignore their audience, turn in his arms, and lock her lips with his.

But reason returned with the sound of Flavia’s loud laughter from somewhere in the room.

The other woman was so obviously seeking attention—talking loudly, drinking excessively, and fawning openly and seductively over various men at the party. She was indiscriminate and generous in her show of affection, to single and married men alike. Some of her friends seemed to view her activities with growing distaste and embarrassment, as it became abundantly clear that no one’s partner was safe from her pursuit.

But fortunately, she stayed far away from Dominic, not even coming over for a greeting. Rinah didn’t know what that meant, but she was just grateful that Flavia was keeping her distance.

They were soon joined by another couple and their stolen moment of intimacy came to a swift end. They were separated later, when Rinah made a quick trip to the powder room. She had left Dominic conversing with an older couple who had been seeking his advice on an investment. When she returned, he was nowhere to be found. She circled the large gathering once. It was obvious that he was no longer in the room.

Victor suddenly appeared at her side and grabbed her tightly by her arm. “Are you lost, sweetheart?”

Rinah tried unsuccessfully to dislodge his hold. “Let go of me, Victor!” She stopped struggling and glared at him. “Get your filthy hands off me!”

“Why are you being so stingy with your affections?” He laughed menacingly, close to her ear.

“Look, Victor, let me go before I ensure that the next line of Kouris permanently ends with you!”

“Dominic has finally escaped your clutches, giving the rest of us a chance. I wonder what erotic tricks your chocolate pussy holds to keep him so well in check. I’m sure he won’t mind sharing.” The harsh stench of alcohol emanated strongly with every exhale.

She furiously planted a sharp heel in the center of his foot and slapped him square on the jaw.

He yelped with pain and quickly released her. “You bitch! I was only trying to show you where your faithful husband was.” He regarded her coldly. He then took her arm again and very firmly pulled her along. It was impossible for her to break his bruising grip. He made two consecutive quick raps on a closed door then abruptly opened it without waiting for a response.

Rinah gasped in distress at the scene that greeted her.

Victor was forgotten, his grip no longer a barrier.

She quickly turned away and ran as fast as she could through the house, until she was on the outside. She had no idea where she was going, but her flight was made all the more frantic as she heard Dominic yelling for her to stop, and very vaguely registered Victor’s wicked laugh.

Sprinting mindlessly into the driveway, she spotted Dominic’s powerful car parked nearby. Not thinking about what she was doing, she quickly climbed in and turned the key that was still in the ignition. She drove away as if Satan himself was nipping at her heels.

The image that kept replaying in her mind was that of Dominic and Flavia, locked in a passionate embrace. Before, it had all been conjecture, just suspicion, and there had been a glimmer of hope that she could be wrong. But now it was all too real. She couldn’t lie to herself any longer. It was all there in front of her. The raw, unadulterated truth—Dominic was screwing the other woman.

She fought determinedly to control her emotions, long enough to make it home without causing an accident. The pain at that moment was so intense, so raw—it drilled bone deep! It was all too much! Her anguish was too great to suppress; she screamed out loud in the close confines of the car, like an injured animal. Bile churned in her stomach. Her distress was ugly: snot drained from her nose, tears ran unchecked down her cheeks, and she couldn’t stop the keening cries from her throat.

The powerful car quickly ate up the miles to her home. She barely knew what she was doing, but mercifully she arrived home safely and brought the car to a screeching halt in the driveway.

Not yet ready for the inevitable confrontation with Dominic, and needing a few minutes to collect her thoughts and lick her wounds, Rinah gained entrance to the house, and made her way to the back lawn. With bile rising up to her throat, she vomited on the grass. After empting her stomach, she collapsed on a lounge chair near the pool. With no concept of time or reality, she had no idea how long she was out there. The images just kept replaying in her mind, again and again. She cried bitterly until there were no tears left to cry, until she was simply too exhausted to shed another tear or make another sound.

It was there that Dominic found her. He tried to lift her in his arms, but she would have none of it.

“Don’t touch me!” she screamed.

“Dammit, Rin, you’re overreacting to Flavia’s crap! What the hell do you think I am? Do I look like some schoolboy who needs to meet some woman in a dark corner for a quick grope?”

“Don’t touch me and don’t talk to me! Get out!” She started screaming and hitting him uncontrollably. He restrained her easily but she didn’t stop trying to hit him.

“Baby, stop! It’s not what you think.”

“I hate you! I hate you!”

“Rin, don’t do this to yourself.” His soothing tone was wasted on her.