her brother-in-law left, thankful Nicole was taking her afternoon nap.
The letter in her hand said it all.
Oh, God, how could Liam have done this to her? Liam, the man who’d totally swept her off her feet three years ago. A dashing young man who’d declared he’d fallen in love with her from the moment he’d seen her working behind the cosmetics counter at the Roth’s flagship store in the city. He hadn’t taken no for an answer. She wished he had.
Cassandra, forgive me for doing this, but I have no choice. I want Nicole to be raised a Roth.
Their marriage had been a sham almost from the start. She’d loved him, but Liam had wanted only a trophy wife and hadn’t really loved her beyond her looks. He’d showered her with presents, but it had all been about putting her on display.
And then he’d accused her of having an affair with his friend Keith. He’d arrived at their house one day when she’d been home alone. She disliked Keith intensely, but she’d let him come in when he’d said he needed to talk to her. Once inside he’d followed her into the kitchen, where she’d gone to make coffee, and kissed her. Then Liam had come home unexpectedly and no amount of explaining that the kiss had been against her will had changed her husband’s mind. Certainly Keith had played the innocent, even going so far as to say that she’d seduced him months ago and that he’d been trying to end their affair, no doubt covering himself in case his wife was ever to find out.
The day after all this, Liam’s test results had come back with the worst kind of news and she hadn’t the heart to leave him then. In sickness and in health… It had been their first anniversary.
It’s not just for Nicole’s sake. I want my parents to be involved in their granddaughter’s life.
She hadn’t been prepared for his next shock a few months later. Out of the blue he’d wanted to father a child so that a part of him would live on after he’d gone. Weakened from his condition’s aggressive treatment, and no longer feeling attractive as a man, he’d then begged her to have his child by artificial insemination.
Nicole will be of great comfort to them in their grief. And that comforts me.
She’d said an adamant no at first, not wanting to bring a child into the world for the wrong reasons. But he’d known she’d badly wanted a baby when they’d first married, and he’d assured her their child would be well looked after by his family if anything ever happened to her.
Still she’d hesitated.
And in the midst of this her beloved adoptive father had needed full-time care after a stroke, and there was no way her adoptive sister could help financially. Liam—always one to grasp an opportunity—had dangled another carrot in front of her by promising to place Joe in an expensive nursing home and pay all costs if she had his baby.
She’d finally agreed.
I want you to marry Dominic. It’s the only way I can be sure Nicole stays a Roth. He will take care of her.
At Liam’s suggestion, the half-million-dollar-bond for the nursing home had been placed in her account, and Liam’s accountant had been putting a certain amount into her bank account each month, along with her monthly allowance. She’d been happy with that. It suited her to keep an eye on things herself.
Today she’d discovered that all money had been stopped. Now she knew why, God rest Liam’s soul. Had he planned this all along? Or was this something that had occurred to him near the end? She’d probably never know the answer.
If you refuse, then I’ve left a letter with my lawyer to give to Dominic. It contains the truth.
She’d never wanted to get involved with another Roth again, but it seemed her hands were tied. She now had to marry Dominic. Her brother-in-law.
Her soon-to-be husband.
On the surface Dominic Roth was cool and arrogant toward her, but deep down there was a sexual fuse between them waiting to be lit. It had always been there, only she hadn’t let herself think about it previously. She’d been a married woman, and it wasn’t something she’d wanted to acknowledge. Despite Liam’s accusations, she would never be unfaithful to her husband. Not with his brother and not with Keith.
She still didn’t want to acknowledge any sexual desire for a man she disliked. Call her naive, but she wanted