Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
They wandered into the kitchen. Tanner raised an eyebrow at Dominic, but Sylvie’s friend didn’t remark on the fact that they’d been missing.
Dominic smiled back at Tanner, meeting the man’s curious gaze. He wondered what the bodyguard was really thinking.
“I was just telling our guest what I’m making for dinner tonight.” Maureen was pulling ingredients out of the fridge and freezer. “Crawfish étouffée, just like I promised Sylvie the last time she visited, though I certainly hope tonight’s dinner is more successful.”
Sylvie sat down at the counter next to Tanner. “I was sorry I missed your crawfish before. I was afraid you might’ve used up your supply.”
“Oh, no chance of that, dear. Dominic and I didn’t get around to much fine dining that evening.”
They were all laughing and joking about the fact that they’d nearly been murdered the last time Sylvie was here. Maybe that was better than dwelling, yet again, on how terrible that day had been. Or how Dominic deserved the blame.
Yet if Sylvie knew what was good for her, she would be scared. She would’ve run away from this place and never come back.
But then, she’d started up those text conversations, and he’d kept them going, as if he had any business dragging her deeper into his life. And now, here she was.
Dominic hadn’t even meant to invite her inside. When she’d arrived on his doorstep a few minutes ago, he hadn’t intended to meet with her at all. But then, he couldn’t resist seeing her, talking to her. And the moment she’d said she had missed him, there was no way he could turn his back on her.
But what the hell am I doing? he asked himself. His uncle’s spies would’ve seen Sylvie come into the house. They’d know she was here and assume he was working on Sandford’s instructions. But he’d already decided he wasn’t going to install that stupid program on her computer.
He still had that little flash drive stashed in a cabinet upstairs. Why hadn’t he just thrown that fucking thing away when he had a chance?
He was starting to sweat. “I’ll be right back,” he said to the others and spun on his heel.
Dominic went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. He looked at himself in the mirror. It was the same face he’d seen there for years, the lines around his eyes gradually getting deeper, and the set of his mouth growing harder.
Could he seriously be considering this? Inviting Sylvie into his home, into his bed, just so he could give Uncle Charles what he wanted?
Fuck. He didn’t want to do it.
But if his uncle would leave Dominic alone… Leave Raymond alone…
Why else would he have invited Sylvie to stay the night if not to have this chance?
No. I can’t.
But was he capable of it? Of course he was.
Just like he knew he was capable of killing a man with his bare hands if he had to, even though he’d never done it before.
Dominic’s uncle might think he was nothing but a hedonist, interested only in pleasure.
But he was a survivor. That was how he’d lived through his membership in the Crane family and the Syndicate.
He’d tried to hold onto his humanity at the same time so he could face his own reflection in the mirror, like he was barely able to do right now.
He was capable of betraying Sylvie. But would he?
He couldn’t say for sure.
Dominic washed his hands and left the bathroom. He passed through the entryway, where Sylvie had left her bag. He knew her laptop would be inside. It had to be if she’d been offering to work on the security system.
He was staring at it when Tanner walked into the entryway. Dominic’s eyes darted up to the other man’s.
Tanner cocked one hip. “Sylvie said we’re going to be staying the night. Did you know that invite included me?”
“I figured. I’d rather have you here looking out for her in case there’s any trouble.”
“You expecting trouble?”
Dominic shrugged. “No, but it usually finds me. Sylvie is willing to take the risk. It’s her choice.”
Tanner nodded. “Just so you know, I don’t have a problem with you. Or with whatever you’ve got going with Sylvie.”
Dominic wasn’t sure what to say to that. He was glad Sylvie had a friend like Tanner around her, someone who had the training and the size not to be intimidated by anything. But then again, if Tanner were an even better friend, he never would’ve let Sylvie come over here in the first place.
“But if you hurt her, in any possible way, then there will be a problem. Just so we’re clear,” Tanner added, matter-of-factly. Then he ambled over to the bathroom.
Dominic went back to the kitchen, forcing himself not to look at Sylvie’s laptop bag along the way.
Sylvie and Maureen stood beside the stove, chopping fragrant vegetables. “The foundations are the holy trinity—that’s onion, bell pepper, celery—and the roux. You’ve got to get it nice and dark, but not burned.”
Sylvie turned and smiled at him. Immediately, he felt like a monster for the thoughts he’d been having, the temptation to take advantage of her visit.
She’d come here to see him. Against all odds, she actually seemed to like him.
When was the last time he’d met someone like her? Someone intelligent and thoughtful and down-to-earth, who gave him a hard time when he deserved it and yet was so sincere? Who was beautiful outside and within?
His last girlfriend had been the exact opposite.
Vapid, shallow, interested in how Dominic looked and what he could provide for her in terms of status and sex and money.
Lots of people had wanted him for those reasons.
But being attractive was essentially meaningless, a chance of fate.
Same with having the “Crane” last name. It was all just genetics, not really him.
Dominic was pretty sure Sylvie liked him for the small pieces of his true self he’d been able to show her.
Well, okay. She was here for his body and the promise of sex, too. He was well aware of that. She thought he could help her with her orgasm problem. And he was perfectly willing to try. But in exchange, she was sharing a part of herself with him.
He would forget about that flash drive. It wasn’t going to happen. He exhaled, glad the issue was settled in his mind.
“Need any help?” Dominic asked, joining the ladies in the kitchen.
Maureen waved a spoon at him. “Oh no, keep him away. That man is a menace around a stove top.”
“That’s not true. I’m helpful.”
“Au contraire. What about the time you added a tablespoon of cayenne to my jambalaya instead of paprika?”
“They’re both red.”
“Nearly singed my nose hairs clean off.”
Sylvie giggled. Dominic slid his arm around her waist and kissed her head. Maureen lifted a brow at them. “None of that in my kitchen, either. You’re liable to knock over the flour canister like that other time. I thought it had snowed indoors in July.”
Sylvie looked up at him. “What other time?”
Dominic steered her toward the balcony instead. “Nothing you’d want to hear about.” He didn’t want to talk about ex-girlfriends with her.
Not that Sylvie had interest in being his girlfriend. He was in no position to be seeing anyone seriously, and she’d be a fool to want anything serious with him. Sylvie was no fool.
They were having fun. Enjoying one another. Maybe they were even friends. But it couldn’t be more.
He slid open the glass patio door. The sky was full of color, oranges and reds and pinks. The ocean reflected the sun in fragments, spreading the sunset across the surface of the water.
“This is a nice place,” Sylvie said. “I’m guessing most people under house arrest don’t have such a sweet view.”
“Probably not. But I doubt I’ll have it for long.”
She looked at him sharply. “Why? What’s going on?”
Damn. He hadn’t meant to bring this up. “Just family stuff. I don’t actually own this house. The Crane family trust does. And according to rumors, they’re thinking about cutting me off.”
He wondered if there was harm in mentioning his uncle.
He knew the Syndicate couldn’t be listening.
Dominic had an electronic detector to find listening bugs, and he did regular sweeps of the house.
His uncle had to resort to using the cameras in the security system to spy on him, but there were none out here.
“My Uncle Charles took charge of the family business. The Syndicate,” he forced himself to say. He wanted to be honest with her.
“And he’s cutting you off? Do you think he’s the one who sent those people after you?”
Dominic nodded. “He wants me to endorse him as the new leader to prove I’m out of the way.”
Sylvie gripped the railing, looking down at the water. “And is that what you want? Or do you want your old position back?”
“It’s not a question of whether I want it. It’s whether I should.”
“I don’t understand.”
And how could she? How could he ever expect her to? “It’s not important. Not important right now, I mean.” He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “You’re here to enjoy yourself, and I’m being depressing.”
Sylvie spun around in his arms so she was looking up at him. “Max said you have a younger brother.”
“I do. Raymond. He’s not in the Syndicate. I never wanted him to be.”
“But you’re worried about him?”
Dominic had decided to drop the request for a bodyguard for Raymond. It would just piss off his uncle more. “Yeah. I don’t want him to end up like me.” Dominic blinked as he looked into the sunset.
“Well, I haven’t spoken to anyone in my family except my cousin for over a decade. My parents disowned me.”
She’d hinted at this in their text conversations but hadn’t said it specifically. “Why would they disown you? You’re perfect.”
“Not perfect enough. See? You’re not the only one with problems.” She ran her hands down his arms. “If you could be anything, what would you be?”
“You mean a job?”
“It could be a job. Or an identity, or an animal, a mineral or…anything.”
He laughed. “I don’t know. What would you pick?”
Sylvie glanced away. “I’d be exactly my true self and never have to be anyone else.”
“I like that. I’ll pick that, too.” Maybe then he’d know who the heck he really was.
“You can’t copy me! You have to choose your own.”
He scoffed. “Pretty sure I can do what I like. But… I guess I’ll be a racehorse out to stud. All I’d have to do is eat oats and fuck all day. I could go for that.”
Sylvie’s eyes turned molten at the mention of fucking.
He leaned forward to kiss the corner of her mouth. “What’s the status on those ground rules of yours? No getting naked…”
“I’m considering revising them.” Her fingers started sliding up the inner seam of his jeans toward his crotch. “Because I don’t think I can resist you.”
Then Maureen called them in for dinner. Dominic gritted his teeth, telling his cock to calm down. He grabbed Sylvie’s hand, and they walked back inside together.
Dinner was good, as usual. He always enjoyed Maureen’s cooking. Afterward, he and Tanner shared dish duty. It was strange, having double the number of people in his house suddenly. Maureen clearly loved the extra attention and Sylvie’s ample compliments on the food.
But Dominic’s mind was straying again to the flash drive.
He didn’t know what Charles would do when—if?—Dominic failed to deliver Bennett Security. His uncle might still go after Raymond to punish Dominic. Or what about Maureen?
Or even Sylvie herself, as Sandford had threatened?
A blow to Max Bennett’s company was only financial. It wasn’t the same as someone losing his or her life. Raymond, Maureen, Sylvie… Dominic’s dinner rose in his throat just contemplating the risk.
But he couldn’t go upstairs and sleep with her if he was going to sneak away and install that program afterward. Even Dominic Crane wasn’t that much of a sleaze.
God, he hated this so damn much. This fucking choice was no choice at all.
Either way, he would lose.