He lifted a brow. "France?"
"Yes, sir, Paris, France. If this is an emergency, she has asked that I refer those calls to..."
Whatever the woman was saying was lost on Dominic. Taylor had gone to France and he had an idea as to why and who she had gone to see. "Well, thanks for the information," he said, interrupting whatever it was Taylor"s secretary was saying. He quickly hung up and then pressed a b.u.t.ton.
"Yes, Mr. Saxon?"
"Liza, I"d like you to contact Martin and tell him to have the plane ready to fly me out in a few hours."
"Yes sir, and the destination?"
"Paris, France."
"Are you feeling better today, dear?"
Taylor smiled at Franco Saxon as she came down the steps to join him on the terrace for a midmorning meal. "Yes, a lot better."
She had arrived at the Saxon Estates yesterday after having endured the lengthy plane flight across the Atlantic. Evidently something she had eaten had not agreed with her and in addition to jet lag, she had endured an upset stomach. After a good night"s sleep she was now feeling fine.
She glanced around as she took her seat across from Dominic"s grandfather. The Saxon family home was simply beautiful. According to Franco, it had been in the Saxon family since the late eighteen hundreds and was the place where all the Saxons, including Marcello, were born. The palace-style structure was composed of several reception rooms. Numerous bedroom suites with private baths and dressing rooms, game rooms, spa, gym, two swimming pools and a beautiful kitchen and dining room. It was a beautiful day and the sun was shining bright in the sky.
"I received a call this morning from Marcello and Megan. They are on their way and should be arriving later today," Franco said, intruding into Taylor"s thoughts.
She nodded as b.u.t.terflies went off in her stomach at the thought of meeting Dominic"s parents. She couldn"t help wondering what he"d told them about their now-defunct relationship.
She had been surprised when she had received a call from Franco inviting her to his birthday gala. Since she hadn"t been sure if Dominic was still in the D.C. area or had returned to New York, she hadn"t wanted to run the risk of a chance meeting with him-especially while her heart was still hurting-and had jumped at the opportunity to leave the city for a few days. The last thing she had to worry about was running into Dominic here.
The one thing she was certain about was that she truly liked Dominic"s grandfather. She believed that deep in Franco"s heart he knew that he had made a mistake in the way he had handled his son"s love for an American woman, a mistake that had cost him the love of his grandson. And from their argument the last time she and Dominic were together, she wasn"t sure if he would ever forgive his grandfather. Dominic took being stubborn to all-new heights.
After their meal, she and Franco went into one of the game rooms to play checkers, something the older man seemed to enjoy. She was glad that her cousin Sebastian had taught her how to play years ago.
They had just ended one game and had started on another when one of Franco"s servants approached to let him know that Marcello and Megan had arrived.
"Why, you"re simply beautiful, just as Dominic said," his mother exclaimed, smiling at her.
Taylor wondered if Dominic had actually said that, or whether his mother was just being kind. Either way she decided to take the compliment. "Thank you."
They were standing together in the receiving line, greeting the guests arriving at Franco"s party. Franco had asked her to be there and as far as she knew, no one seemed to question it. When introducing her, he merely said that she was a close friend of his grandson. Considering how things were between her and Dominic, Taylor thought that was really stretching it a bit.
"We certainly have a crowd here tonight."
Megan"s words broke into Taylor"s thoughts. "Yes, there are a number of people here, but everything is beautiful. And speaking of beautiful..."
The first thing Taylor had thought when she"d seen Megan Saxon was that any picture she"d seen of her in a magazine hadn"t done her justice. She was a beautiful woman and it only took a few seconds in the Saxons" company to know that Marcello simply adored his wife. Dominic had once commented on what a loving relationship his mother and father had. Now she saw firsthand just how true that statement had been.
"And your outfit is divine. That color looks good on you," the older woman added.
Suddenly a deep appreciation for Megan Saxon blossomed to life inside her. That compliment meant a lot coming from a person who was considered an expert on fashion. But that wasn"t the only reason she liked Dominic"s mother so much. From the moment Franco had introduced them earlier that day, she had felt a connection. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Megan was the woman who had given birth to the man who had captured Taylor"s heart, or possibly the fact that Taylor was carrying inside her this woman"s grandchild. Whatever the reason, she felt an accord with Megan, a closeness to her that she couldn"t explain and wouldn"t bother dissecting. It was enough that knowing how Dominic felt about his grandfather, they didn"t have a problem with her being here or feel she was being disloyal to Dominic for doing so.
"Yes, I can see why Nicky loves you so much."
A flicker of panic went off inside Taylor. She knew Megan"s statement was based on a.s.sumption rather than fact. Would it be the proper thing to do to correct her, let her know she was not the object of Dominic"s affections?
At that moment it seemed the entire room got quiet and as Taylor glanced around to see what had everyone"s attention, she heard Marcello Saxon, who was standing beside Megan, say, "Look who"s here, Megan. I never thought I would live to see the day." Deep emotion was in the man"s voice.
Taylor turned her head to see what the Saxons were talking about and sharpened her gaze to look at the single guest who had just entered and the curious onlookers surrounding him.
She heard Franco"s sharp intake of breath at the same moment the crowd dispersed somewhat and Dominic stood there, a younger version of both Franco and Marcello, but definitely more of Franco. There was no doubt in anyone"s mind who he was and his relationship to the honoree.
Unease flickered inside her the moment her and Dominic"s gazes connected and he began walking in her direction. "My prayers have been answered," she heard Franco say in a voice so low she barely heard him.
She continued to hold Dominic"s gaze as she studied his face. How did he feel about her being there, especially after their last conversation? Was he questioning what right she had to be standing with his family? But more important, was his presence an indication that he was willing to make peace with his grandfather at last?
She knew only Dominic held the answer to both of those questions and as she studied his features, she found nothing that would give her a clue as to what he was thinking.
Deciding she was making herself a nervous wreck, she just stood there as he came closer, as his gazed pinned her to the spot. She didn"t have to force herself to hold his gaze. He was a man who deserved attention and he was definitely getting it.
The room was still quiet. It seemed that someone had even ordered the band to stop playing. Then she recalled all the people she had been introduced to that night. They were all friends and acquaintances of Franco, people who probably knew of the longstanding dissent between him and his grandson. Like her, they were waiting to see why Dominic was there, and hoping and praying that since it was Franco"s birthday, Dominic"s presence was a positive and not a negative.
He finally reached them and respectfully, he gave his grandfather his full attention. Speaking in fluent French, he said, "Happy birthday, Grandfather. And I hope my presence here tonight is taken as an indication that I want to put the past behind me and move forward."
He then glanced at Taylor and the look she saw in his eyes made her heart beat faster. He hadn"t touched her, had yet to acknowledge her presence, but the look in his eyes was the look he always had in them for her. Dominic then turned back to his grandfather, and, still speaking in fluent French, said, "And thanks for the safekeeping of the woman who has my heart."
His words would have meant everything to her if she hadn"t known he was merely saying them for show, she thought miserably. He couldn"t very well have said, "Thanks for the safekeeping of the woman who"s having my baby," "Thanks for the safekeeping of the woman who"s having my baby," could he? At least not in front of an audience of about three hundred individuals. could he? At least not in front of an audience of about three hundred individuals.
She heard Franco"s emotional response. "Thank you for coming, grandson of my heart. We must talk later."
Dominic nodded. And then he came to stand in front of her and she forced her heart rate to slow down. Instead of saying anything, he took her hand and lifted it up to his lips and gazed deep into her eyes. "You look beautiful tonight," he said in English and it was then she remembered that he didn"t know she spoke French and decided to answer him in his grandfather"s native tongue to make him aware that she had understood what he had said to Franco.
"And you"re looking rather handsome yourself," she responded. She saw the surprised lifting of his brow and then the smile that touched the corners of his lips.
Instead of saying anything else, he moved on to his parents. She saw what amounted to tears in his parents" eyes and she knew for Marcello and Megan, Dominic"s presence here tonight was the beginning to putting an end to the discord that had begun when they had been bold enough to fall in love.
Then Dominic was back in front of her, reaching for her hand. "Will you dance with me Taylor?"
She was about to tell him that there was no music, when suddenly as if on cue, the orchestra started up again. "Yes, I"ll dance with you," she responded, and she then found herself led out onto the dance floor.
He"s only being kind to me because of the baby, she reminded herself when he took her into his arms. But still, she couldn"t stop the grat.i.tude she felt in knowing that he had taken the first steps in putting animosity behind him and making up with his grandfather. she reminded herself when he took her into his arms. But still, she couldn"t stop the grat.i.tude she felt in knowing that he had taken the first steps in putting animosity behind him and making up with his grandfather.
The moment Dominic pulled her into his arms, her body seemed to recognize him and melted against him. And she couldn"t help but take note that although he was holding her decently, he was doing so with such familiarity that made anyone who was watching aware that they were either past or present lovers.
"I miss you," he whispered in her ear.
Those three words lifted her spirit, revived her hope. She was about to respond by telling him that she had missed him, as well, but stopped herself from doing so. She and Dominic needed to reach an understanding. It would be better if they stuck with their original plan. Once she got pregnant, they were to go back to executing business as usual.
So she didn"t say anything, didn"t bother acknowledging his words. Instead she kept her head resting on his chest with her eyes closed as she remembered better times between them: the seven days they had been on the island and how she had felt a connection to him in a way that even now heated her blood just thinking about it.
"Come on, let"s go for a walk outside," he leaned down and whispered against her ear. It was then she noted the music had stopped playing. She pulled back and nodded. And then she allowed him to lead her out of the doors that led to the terrace.
For a few moments they didn"t say anything as they walked side by side along the stone walkway. It was a beautiful night in May. Stars were dotting the sky and a half moon sat in their wake.
"Why did you change your phone number, Taylor?"
His question intruded into her thoughts. "I thought, considering everything, it was best. You had my business number if you needed to contact me."
He nodded. "And how have you been doing?" he asked in a tone that let her know he truly wanted to know.
"Fine."
"And the baby?"
"Fine, as well. I went to the doctor last week and she said everything appears as it should be."
"Good." Then he stopped walking and turned to her. "I want to apologize for all those things I said that night to you. I had no right."
No, he hadn"t. She shrugged. "It doesn"t matter."
"Yes, it does. In order for us to move forward I think it does matter. I"ve been doing a lot of thinking over the past two weeks, and you were right. I can"t hold a grudge against my grandfather forever. He"s done more than enough over the years to let me know that he regretted the position he"d taken with my parents. I guess it was so easy just to dislike him rather than admit how much I actually wanted him in my life."
He didn"t say anything for a moment and then, "I can vividly recall a kidnapping attempt when I was fourteen."
Ignoring her flinch of surprise, he continued. "Luckily it wasn"t successful but soon after that Ryder appeared on the scene as my bodyguard and he"s been with me ever since, nearly twenty years now. It wasn"t until I was in college that I learned that Ryder had been sent by my grandfather to protect me, keep me out of harm"s way. Even then, I was too stubborn to admit that my grandfather had to have cared about me to do such a thing. I"ve suddenly come to realize that life is too short and that we should cherish each day that comes, along with the people who are there. My grandfather is seventy today, so many years have been wasted already and I don"t want to waste others. You were right. I shouldn"t deny him the chance to know his great-grandchild...or the woman whom his grandson has fallen in love with."
Taylor went completely still with his words. "What did you say?" she whispered softly, absolutely sure she hadn"t heard him correctly.
"I said," he muttered, leaning down closer to her lips, "that I don"t want to deny my grandfather the chance of getting to know his great-grandchild, or you, the woman I"ve fallen in love with. And I do love you, cherie. cherie. I"ve known it for some time now. I just realized how much over the past two weeks." I"ve known it for some time now. I just realized how much over the past two weeks."
Taylor inhaled sharply, held the air in her lungs and then released it to ask, "Are you sure?"
He smiled. "That"s the one thing I am sure about. What I"m not sure about is how you feel about me."
She took a step closer to him. Reached up and cupped his face in her hands while tears glittered in her eyes. "I love you, too, Dominic. I thought I only wanted your baby, but then I discovered I wanted your love, as well."
"Now you have both. But there is one more thing I want you to have. My name."
Reaching into the back pocket of his pants, he pulled out a white velvet box. Her eyes widened and she stared in amazement at the huge diamond ring.
"Pretty soon your stomach will grow, declaring to all the degree of my pa.s.sion for you. I want them to know the depth of my love for you, as well."
He took the ring out the box and slid it onto her finger. "Will you marry me, Taylor?" he asked softly.
More tears came into her eyes and complete happiness filled her entire being. "Oh, yes, I will marry you," she said, smiling through her tears.
"Tomorrow."
She blinked. "Tomorrow?"
"Yes, I want us to marry tomorrow. We can arrange a reception later in the States with our families, but I don"t want to leave Paris without binding you to me. I love you so much I can"t imagine my life not joined with yours. Will you let me marry you tomorrow?"
"Yes."
He smiled before lowering his mouth to hers. The moment their lips touched she knew in her heart that this would be the start of the rest of their lives.
Epilogue.
June.
Tears formed in Taylor"s eyes as she stood as a bridesmaid and watched her sister join in marriage with the man she loved. She could recall when Cameron had begun showing an interest in Vanessa and how Vanessa had refused to even consider him as a man she wanted to love.
But today she was pledging her life to him and Vanessa"s eyes were filled with so much love that Taylor could actually feel it. Her gaze left Vanessa and Cameron momentarily to search out a man sitting in the audience.
Her husband.
She and Dominic"s eyes connected and she knew like her, he was remembering that day in Paris when they had done what Vanessa and Cameron were doing now. Franco had been more than happy to make the arrangements and Dominic"s parents had stood in as witnesses, and Dominic"s best friend, Matt, had flown in to be his best man.
That night he had whisked her away to his island off the Normandy coast where they had spent the next three nights more in bed than out. They had returned to Paris and spent a few more days with Dominic"s parents and grandfather. Dominic and Franco talked, spent a lot of time together as they tried to accept what happened years ago as history and move on. A wedding reception was planned for them here in Charlotte in August and she was very happy about it. They had also made plans to return to Latois again in a couple of years. They wanted at least two more children and thought the island had proven to be the perfect place for future Saxons to be conceived.
Taylor then glanced sideways at Cheyenne, who at the last minute had to have her bridesmaid dress altered due to her already protruding stomach. According to Cheyenne the doctor suspected she was having twins, possibly triplets, which was the reason at three months she looked like she was actually six. A sonogram was scheduled for next week. As far as they knew, there was no record of twins ever being born in the Steele family, so everyone was wondering about the man who had fathered Cheyenne"s child. Was there a history of multiple births in his? Cheyenne still refused to even give the man"s name.
"I now p.r.o.nounce you man and wife."
Her gaze returned to Cameron and Vanessa just as Cameron kissed his bride, finally claiming her as his. Vanessa Steele was now Vanessa Steele Cody.
"It was a beautiful wedding, wasn"t it?" she asked Dominic later as she lay curled up in his arms in bed. One of the wedding gifts Dominic had bought for her was this beautiful home not far from where Morgan and Lena lived. It would be available for them to use whenever she wanted to visit home.
"Yes, but nothing is more beautiful than a Paris wedding," he said, leaning down and kissing her lips. "You looked simply stunning that day."
Taylor had to agree. Thanks to the Megan Saxon original she"d been wearing. His mother was simply incredible. Megan had made a few phone calls and the dress had been delivered to the Saxon Estate just hours before the wedding. Franco had hired a photographer and numerous photos were taken. Every time she glanced through the wedding alb.u.m she was reminded of the day that she married the man who now meant the world to her.
"And you looked handsome yourself," she added. And he had. "I love you," she whispered, doubting she would ever tire of telling him that.
"And I love you and I plan on spending the rest of my life showing you how much."