settled with their coffee, it was Dominic who spoke first. “So, Dad, what are your plans for the rest of the day?”
His father gave a half smile. “Are you trying to get rid of us, son?”
Dominic gave an equally short smile. “Not at all. I was merely going to ask if you wanted to stay for lunch.”
Michael shook his head. “Thank you, but your mother and I need to head back to Melbourne shortly.”
Just then, Nicole babbled something and everyone’s head swiveled toward the playpen, where her daughter played happily with her toys. She looked so cute that Cassandra’s heart surged with love.
“Oh, look at that little poppet,” Laura said, putting her cup down on the coffee table. “I have to give her a cuddle. I—” The older woman went to get to her feet, turned pale, then sat back down.
“Mum?” Dominic got to his feet.
Michael leaned closer to his wife. “Honey, you’ve lost all color.”
Laura put out a hand, taking a moment to speak. “I’m fine. I just felt faint all of a sudden.”
“Are you sure?” Michael asked, frowning.
She swallowed. “Don’t fuss, darling. I’m okay.”
“You’ve got some color back now,” Dominic said, studying her with concern. “Things have been too much for you, Mum. I insist that you both stay here overnight before heading back to Melbourne.”
“Oh, but—”
“No buts. You’ve just driven over two hours to get here. You don’t need to turn right around and go straight back.”
“Dominic’s right,” Michael said. “I think it may be too much for you. And for me, too, seeing we didn’t bring our chauffeur,” he added for good measure. “Besides, we did bring an overnight bag in case we decided to stay somewhere.”
Laura bit her lip. “But we don’t want to intrude.”
“You won’t be intruding,” Cassandra heard herself say, knowing she honestly couldn’t send her mother-in-law away when the woman wasn’t feeling well. “There’s more than enough bedrooms.”
Tears welled in Laura’s eyes. “Thank you,” she murmured.
Michael looked relieved, his eyes softening a little as he looked at Cassandra. “Yes, thank you.”
Cassandra’s heart wobbled as she inclined her head. Then she pushed aside sentimentality as she realized her in-laws hadn’t expected her and Dominic to have shared a bed last night. She’d be embarrassed if they found out otherwise right now.
“I’ll just go upstairs and find a suitable room for you both,” she said, not looking at Dominic as she left them to it and hurried up the stairs.
First, she needed to make sure she hadn’t left any of her clothes lying around his room. Of course, Laura and Michael must accept eventually that she and Dominic would share a bed. Just not now. Heck, maybe Dominic wouldn’t want her to share his bed again, anyway. She’d been assuming he would. Both thoughts caught at her breath.
The larger bedroom farthest away would be perfect for the older couple. And the only thing in Dominic’s room to show she’d been there was the imprint of two heads on the pillows. She hurriedly tidied the bedclothes, trying not to think about being in Dominic’s arms.
She was quietly closing his door, when she turned around and he was there behind her in the hallway. She jumped.
“Looking for something?” he said silkily.
Her heart started to race. “Er…no. I was just making sure—”
“That there was no incriminating evidence?”
She could feel a blush rising up her neck. “If you like.”
The tension in the air shot up like a thermometer. “Oh, yeah, I like,” he murmured, moving an inch closer. “Dominic, I—”
A noise downstairs broke the moment, and that was just as well. Dominic was such a powerful lover that she wanted to be in his arms again. She was melting so fast where he was concerned. She needed to step back and put some sort of distance between them. He was getting too close and she was in real danger of letting him become more than she should want.
Thankfully he had a remote look about him now. “I just came to say thank you for encouraging my parents to stay.”
“It was the right thing to do.”
“You could have sent them to a motel.”
“No.” It hadn’t occurred to her, and she wouldn’t have done that even if it had.
“You were nicer to them than they deserved.”
The comment surprised her. “They’re Nicole’s grandparents. I have to be.”
“No. You don’t.”
Her brows drew together. “Whose side are you on, Dominic?”
There was a longish pause.
“No one’s,” he said curtly, then turned and walked away.
The housekeeper came later that morning to give the place a