Irresistible Forces - Brenda Jackson [40]
Taylor grinned. “And I appreciate that.” She placed the plate filled with food in her lap. Dominic had done the serving and had given her a little bit of everything.
She glanced over at him. “So, what kind of kid were you while growing up, so I can know what to expect?”
He threw his head back and laughed. “It might be too late to determine that, isn’t it? It wouldn’t surprise me any if you’re pregnant already.”
She had thought the same thing but to hear him say it out loud made goose bumps appear on her arms. “Too bad there’s no way we can find out.”
“I don’t want to know,” he said, taking a sip of his wine.
She lifted a brow. “Why?”
He met her gaze over the glass. “If you knew you were pregnant already then you wouldn’t need for us to stay the remainder of the week. Just think of all the fun we’d miss out on.”
She was thinking. But then she knew that eventually all good things came to an end. “So tell me,” she encouraged. “What kind of child were you? Spoiled I bet.”
A small smile touched his lips. “I guess there was a little of that since I was the only child, but I knew just how far to go in riling my parents. I didn’t have any siblings or a bunch of cousins like you have, but I had Matt.”
“Matt?”
“Yes, Matt Caulder. He’s my attorney and best friend. Our mothers were childhood friends, and in a way Matt and I were raised together. Then his mother died of breast cancer. It was our final year of high school. That was a difficult time for him.”
“I can imagine,” she said, thinking of the time she had lost her father while in high school, as well. “I know how he felt. I lost Dad while in high school, too. He died of lung cancer.”
“Was he a smoker?”
“Yes, of the worst kind. We tried to get him to quit and never could.” She was silent for a few minutes. “So tell me about Matt. Is he married?” she asked curiously.
Dominic shook his head. “Divorced. Unfortunately things didn’t work out. But he’ll be quick to tell you the best thing to come from his marriage was Dee—short for Deena. She’s his two-year-old daughter and was named after his mother. I’m her godfather. I’ve got pictures. You want to see?”
“Sure.”
Taylor watched as Dominic put aside his plate to pull out his wallet. He would make a wonderful father, she thought, and a sense of pride touched her in knowing his child would be hers.
She took the photograph he handed to her. Dee was definitely a pretty little girl. “She’s blessed to have both you and her father in her life,” Taylor said as she continued looking at the picture. “It’s important for little girls, as well as little boys, to have strong male role models.”
“Yes, it is,” he agreed.
Taylor handed him back the photograph and their hands touched. The sensation that hit the both of them, simultaneously, made their breaths catch. Her eyes flew to his face. “Sorry about that,” she said apologetically.
“It’s not your fault,” he said, intentionally not looking at her while placing Dee’s picture back in his wallet.
No, and neither was it his, she thought. It seemed they were two irresistible forces that attracted, even when they weren’t trying to. They couldn’t help it. Weren’t strong enough to stop it. Even now there was a sexually charged awareness between the two of them. The very air they were breathing seemed electrified, sensually combustible.
For the next few moments they ate in silence. That gave her a chance to look around and check out the sailboat. It was a beauty with nice accommodations. While he had been busy getting ready to sail, she had gone below to check out things. There were a number of screened ports as well as multiple overhead hatches intended to circulate fresh air. What had caught her eye was the queen-size berth in the aft stateroom, as well as the built-in lounge seat and hanging lockers. The bathroom was small but contained a shower with hot and cold water, a sink and vanity. Also below was a highly styled gourmet galley with a beautifully detailed teak interior.
When they had boarded, Dominic had said something about it being large