Volatile Chemistry (Billionaires' Secrets Book 1) (16 page)

She reached for the piece of paper but Dominic beat her to it, snatching it out of the dispenser and holding it out of reach above her head.

He had a wicked smile on his face. “I’m framing this one.” Bella’s body still stung with arousal, but she tried to think sensibly. “Give it to me, I’ll shred it.”

“No way.” His eyes glittered. “I’ll lock the door.”

“We can’t, my staff is outside! They’ll hear...”

“I don’t think I can go through the rest of the afternoon like this.” He winced.

“No, you need to tuck your shirt in. You look a mess.”

“I’m not sure I can. I’m kind of sensitive down there right now. What are you doing to me, Bella?”

She’d managed to wriggle her panties back up. Thank goodness she hadn’t worn pantyhose because of the summer heat. They’d be in shreds.

“I’m trying to bring you back to your senses. Give me that!” She lunged at the paper, but he yanked it out of reach. Easy, since he was so much taller. He held it up to the light and examined it.

A crisp, clean, grayscale image of her generous buttocks— grasped firmly in Dominic’s strong hands—pressed against the shiny glass of the machine.

“Now that’s what I call art.” His voice sounded gruff.

“Some people would call it a sexual harassment lawsuit waiting to happen. I think it would be in everyone’s best interests to shred it immediately.”

“I agree. Tarrant might not take it kindly that you’ve cruelly seduced his firstborn and left him in such a painful predicament.”

“Me? I’m not the one who suggested we come in here. I have work to do. I don’t have time to xerox my ass for fun.”

“It is fun though, isn’t it? Can you think of any other parts we should capture?” One dark eyebrow lifted. He still held the offending image about a foot out of her reach.

“I can
think
of some parts that deserve a good swift kick.”

“Promises, promises. Hey, I saw the silver envelope. Are you going to the party?”

“Of course. It says ‘You will attend.’ Doesn’t leave me much choice.”

A smile crept across Dominic’s mouth. “Good.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, squashing her suddenly alert nipples. “Why was I invited?”

“Only Tarrant and his secret inner circle know the answer to that question.”

“I’d have thought you were firmly inside the inner circle by now.”

“Tarrant just wants me to take over the company. I haven’t been entrusted with anything as important as one of his parties.”

She tried hard not to catch his infectious grin. His slightly crooked lower teeth were the only imperfection in his otherwise magazine-cover-perfect image. They added a naturalness to his smile that made it all the more irresistible.

Apparently she had no powers of resistance at all where Dominic was concerned.

A knock on the door made them freeze. With a jolt of terror, she glanced at the picture of her bare backside held between his long fingers

“Just a minute!” She leaned toward him and hissed. “Give me that!”

“Nope.” He winked.

“The door has no lock!” she whispered. “At least put it away.”

Who would knock? Someone who suspected she was doing more than copying paper in here. Did her employees know she was carrying on a torrid affair with the boss’s son? She’d be the hot topic around every watercooler in the company.

Knock, knock, knock.

Bella straightened her lab coat and headed for the door— and escape. “I have a meeting to lead. I’ll leave you to answer for yourself.”

She opened the door with a practiced smile. “Hi, Sue. I was just copying some notes.” She realized too late her hands were empty. “I left them in the file. I’ll grab them later.”

Sue glanced past her, and Bella couldn’t resist looking back at Dominic. Somehow the paper had disappeared. His suit jacket was buttoned over any offending protrusions.

“Sue, this is Dominic...Di Bari.” He’d said he wasn’t changing his name. “He’s learning all about the company. Do help
him
out if he needs anything, as I’m late for a meeting.” And with another officious smile she swept out of the room and took off across the lab at a brisk pace.

Though she didn’t manage to miss Dominic’s last words. “See you at the party.”

Chapter Sixteen

T
he party.

Bella glanced around anxiously as she walked up to the velvet rope at the Studio 54 party in the glare of paparazzi cameras.

She’d waited for Dominic to find her and finish what he’d started in the copy room.

But he didn’t.

She’d jumped each time the door opened and every time the phone rang. She checked her e-mail with bated breath. Even scanned the train platform on her evening trips back to the house, where she’d taken to staying nightly.

No Dominic.

Probably just busy, she tried to reassure herself. She certainly was. Despite her strong reservations, she’d arranged to have the nurses he’d hired bring her mom home. It would have been petty and selfish not to.

And her mom had already shown signs of making a dramatic recovery, spending hours in her beloved garden and willingly eating the food from it. The nurses, and a doctor who’d been hired to make twice-weekly visits, said it was likely she’d recuperate fully from a severe but temporary “nervous breakdown.”

The startling turnaround, and the strange way in which it happened, had Bella’s emotions stretched to the max, and she wasn’t sure if at any moment she’d burst out laughing or collapse into tears of happy relief.

The very last thing she wanted right now was to see Dominic. He’d not only kept her betrayal secret, but now he’d brought her mom back from the brink of slow death. His actions touched her deeply, and scared her.

He held her life in the palm of his hand, when she’d always taken such pride in managing it herself. Worse yet, the uncontrollable desire she felt for him was totally inappropriate under the circumstances—or under any circumstances. And if she saw him she couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t jump all over
him
in a rush of pent-up emotion and white-hot lust.

She drew in a shaky breath as she handed her invitation to the huge bouncer at the door. The pounding beat of the music jangled her nerves as he ushered her inside. She’d barely entered the lobby when she was accosted by Tarrant’s young wife.

“Oh my goodness, Bella, don’t you look marvelous! Halston as well.”

Bella resisted the urge to glance down at the swingy, gold vintage dress her fashion maven friend Risa had borrowed for her.

Samantha’s figure-skimming white halter top did have a similar cut. “He was a genius, wasn’t he? Aren’t you mad that we missed the seventies the first time around?”

Bella forced a friendly laugh. The vivacious blonde appeared genuinely happy to see her, which was odd since they barely knew each other.

“Come in, let me introduce you to some people.” Samantha threaded her bony, tanned arm through Bella’s and pulled her into the club. Music pulsed over the sound system, and she heard Grace Jones’s smoky voice singing, “I need a man.”

Great.

Everywhere she turned her heart leapt with excitement at the thought that she might see Dominic—and her stomach clenched in terror at that same prospect.

Could she be any more pathetic?

“Fiona! Have you met Bella from Cosmetics?”

Samantha gestured to a petite redhead in a slinky teal dress that hung from one shoulder. Thin gold hoops swung in her ears.

“Hi, Bella.” Fiona’s hand was cool. “I hear you have some big-deal product coming out next week.” Her voice sounded almost accusatory.

“Yes, ReNew. It restores the appearance of smooth skin.”

“How marvelous. What would we do without smooth skin?” Fiona’s mocking voice could have passed for humor with the trace of a smile, but her perfect porcelain skin remained unmarred by an expression. Her blue-eyed gaze was downright chilly.

Bella hesitated. Could Dominic have told Fiona about her? She was his sister—or at least his half sister. A finger of ice-cold fear crept up her spine, which was bared for all to see by the plunging back of her halter dress.

“Fiona put the whole party together.” Samantha dove between them, shattering the tense silence. “She’s a genius at research. She even hired one of the original DJs. The records he’s playing are the exact same vinyl discs that played here thirty-odd years ago.”

“Samantha loves historical relics. Like my father.” Fiona winked.

Samantha managed a natural-sounding laugh. “Your father has the heart of a teenager.”

“Yes. That’s always been his problem. How many of his progeny did you manage to round up for tonight, Sam?”

“Just Dominic. I haven’t seen him yet, but he promised to come.” She turned to Bella. “I’ve been working hard trying to get in touch with Tarrant’s other children, but I imagine it’s awkward for them to hear from a long-lost parent out of the blue.”

“Jeez. I can’t imagine why.” Fiona scanned the crowd, her face expressionless as a statue.

Bella wanted to dislike the frosty redhead, who was obviously doing her best to make everyone uncomfortable, but she couldn’t. This poor girl had been Tarrant’s only child until he suddenly decided to unearth the others he’d fathered accidentally.

Why was he doing it? Was Fiona not enough for him? Bella knew that if she asked that question, it must ring as loud as the pounding sound system in Fiona’s head.

Fiona was pretty, but not in the cover girl mold of the women Tarrant surrounded himself with. It couldn’t be easy for a girl like her growing up in his hard-edged, glittering world, and watching him divorce her mother and then marry a woman almost her own age.

She tried to make polite conversation. “The club looks wonderful. Probably better than when it was first open.”

“Oh yes, we’ve got everything down to the last detail. Even the man in the moon with a cocaine spoon logo on the dance floor.” Fiona tilted a slim brow.

“No real cocaine though!” Sam patted Bella’s arm. “That’s one authentic detail we left out.”

“Sam’s on the board of the Just Say No Foundation,” murmured Fiona. “Ruins the authenticity, but what can you do.” For the first time a genuine smile snuck across her face, and she and Samantha laughed. Bella joined in. Thus the three ladies looked like they were actually enjoying each other’s company when Dominic walked up.

Bella tried to act natural while her pulse accelerated beyond all healthy limits.

“Hey, little sis.” He kissed Fiona on the cheek.

“Hi, Sam.” He kissed her too. Only one kiss for each of them, Bella was gratified to note.

“We Are Family” by Sister Sledge was spinning on the turntable. Bella felt appropriately left out for a split second, then Dominic turned to her.

She offered her cheek for a casual peck, like the ones he’d given to Fiona and Samantha.

Dominic glanced at her cheek, and a wicked smile crept over his arrogant mouth. “Uh-uh. No way you’re getting off that easy.” He leaned in and gave her a big smooch, full on the mouth. She even got a cool taste of tongue before he pulled back, leaving her wide-eyed and gasping for breath.

What on earth was he doing?

Samantha and Fiona both looked a little surprised, but Samantha recovered quickly. “Dominic, I’m so disappointed you’re not wearing a fitted suit and a gold medallion.”

He shrugged. “My white three-piece is at the cleaners.”

His usual shirt and tie were replaced by a black T-shirt that skimmed his muscled chest and well-developed arms. Black pants encased his long, powerful legs.

She could see why he always wore a suit. With his dark good looks and threateningly hard body, he looked quite different out of one. Much less respectable and businesslike.

Far more dangerous.

Her body’s instant reaction made her wish she had a sturdy lab coat over her skimpy gold dress.

Why did he kiss her like that in front of Samantha and Fiona? Curiosity and anxiety prickled over her, joined by a disturbing hot swell of lust as Dominic lifted her hand and kissed her fingers.

Her skin burned where his lips had touched it.

“May I have this dance?”

Bella felt Fiona’s and Samantha’s eyes on her as well as Dominic’s. “Um, sure.”

So cool. So sophisticated.
Apparently a vintage designer dress could only take you but so far. She wished she hadn’t let herself be talked into wearing it. Not her style at all. But the gold knit fabric swished against her bare legs as she walked, and maybe it was the energy of the music, but—under Dominic’s dark, watchful eyes—she couldn’t help a certain swing in her hips.

Dominic danced close to Bella. Close enough to almost see down the front of that slinky gold number draped over her curves like an early morning fog. He could taste the sweetness of her skin in the air and he allowed himself to feel its warm silk under his fingers.

She looked nervous. Glancing around, as if wondering who might see them.