‘Word,’ she croaked.

He glanced at her, a faint smile playing over his lips. ‘If I’m going to grovel, you have to open your eyes.’

She lifted her chin fractionally, opened her eyes.

The same potent green he’d noticed the first time he’d met her. Potent, irresistible, detrimental to the orderly life he’d constructed after Julia’s death. But irresistible. ‘Do we need a doctor?’ he softly asked.

‘No.’ She was shocked, but not hurt. Not that she was about to let him off the hook. She’d never seen a completely penitent Dominic. ‘That apology on your knees will suffice,’ she said, smiling.

He grimaced.

A pointed look, an infinitesimal lift of her brow. ‘Didn’t you mean it?’ She had to admit it was a nice little power trip pointing out to Dominic that he had a conscience.

A small sigh. ‘Of course I meant it.’ Lifting her off his lap, he shifted her to one side on the chair, pulled up his sweats, knotted the tie and bluntly said, ‘You realize I’ve never done this before.’

‘Oh goody.’ Bright-eyed and teasing.

His expression in contrast was disgruntled, a rudiment of a frown canted his brows as he rose to his feet. ‘Just so you know, this is a one-time deal.’

‘I should hope so.’ A wider smile, blatant mischief in her eyes.

‘Stop,’ he grumbled, ‘or you’ll get a spanking instead of an apology.’

‘Are you kidding me? Thanks to you I almost OD’d on orgasms.’

He winced. ‘You’re right. That was reprehensible of me.’ Dropping to one knee, he met her gaze, the blue of his eyes stark with remorse. ‘I’m sorry I hurt you. It was shameful and despicable. You deserve not only my apology but compensation for my stupidity. I mean it.’ A sudden boyish smile, open and warm. ‘How’s that? Did I do well?’

‘Very well, thank you.’ Kate smiled back. ‘And I’m not hurt so don’t worry. You didn’t have to toss that dildo. It’s perfectly fine.’

‘No it’s not fine,’ he said, coming to his feet. ‘It’s gone and it’s going to stay gone. It wasn’t a good idea.’

‘I liked it’ – she gently arched her back in a languorous stretch – ‘in moderation. So if I were to ask real nicely, might I have it back later?’

He bit on his lower lip. A small pause. ‘No,’ he finally said. ‘I can’t trust myself. We’ll find something else to entertain you.’

‘Meaning?’

‘Meaning, you’re taking a rest right now. You were hardly breathing a few minutes ago. Now don’t move, I’ll be right back.’

When he returned, he brought her a robe, put it on her, then arranged her on his lap, wrapped his arms around her, and said, ‘How about a movie for a change? I think I have that Marie Antoinette one you like.’

‘You don’t have to watch it just for me. It’s not really a guy movie.’

‘I don’t mind.’

‘You’re just being nice cos you feel guilty. I wasn’t hurt, just overwhelmed.’ She looked up and smiled. ‘You do that to me.’

‘Then I’d better stop doing it. We’ll try vanilla sex for a while.’

‘Maybe I don’t want vanilla sex,’ she protested. ‘Why would I want vanilla sex when you make me feel so outrageously good, so incredibly wonderful, so well … insatiable with the other kind of stuff.’

He smiled. ‘Stuff?’

‘You know.’

‘I do. You mean sex toys and domination? You can say it.’

‘I can say it. I just don’t want to.’

He laughed out loud, then dropped a kiss on her nose. ‘You are adorable, no question.’

‘Just because I’m adorable doesn’t mean I’m going to settle for vanilla sex,’ she said with a small scowl.

‘We’ll see.’ His expression was grave. ‘I don’t want to accidentally hurt you. I might go off on some rampage again. You’re not used to that.’

‘We’ll compromise.’

His lashes drifted downwards. ‘We’ll talk about it.’

‘That doesn’t sound like we’ll talk, that sounds like a no.’

‘So, how about that movie?’

‘God, you won’t even argue with me you feel so guilty.’

‘So, how about that movie?’ he repeated, coming to his feet with Kate in his arms.

‘Do I have a choice?’

‘Sure you do.’ He grinned. ‘We can watch any movie you want.’

‘Oh, hell,’ she muttered, aware she wasn’t going to win this particular argument. ‘Do you have popcorn?’

‘We’ll find out.’

A wide-eyed look of wonder. ‘You mean you don’t eat popcorn when you watch a movie?’

How not to explain that the majority of his movie-watching was of the adult entertainment variety with his various female playmates. And no one ever saw the end of a movie. ‘Sometimes I do,’ he lied. ‘Butter or no butter for you?’

‘Need you ask?’

He laughed. ‘Lots of butter, right?’

‘I wouldn’t mind some grated cheddar on top too.’

‘Then that’s what you’ll have,’ he said, pleased that they’d moved past issues of sex or no sex to popcorn.