did if I had been more aware of what was going on in my own life, Keely. One phone call from me could have put an end to their shenanigans.”
Keely’s shoulders slumped. “Why didn’t you call, Dominic?”
Dominic walked over to stand behind Keely. Taking a chance, he pressed into the man, resting his hands on Keely’s shoulders. “I got a little confused about what was important, Keely. I thought creating a life for us was more important than living that life with you by my side. I thought I was doing the right thing, being a good provider. I never considered that my need to make sure we were taken care of would take you away from me.”
Keely shuddered, his body leaning back against Dominic. “I never wanted to be rich, Dom. I was perfectly happy in that dank little apartment of ours,” Keely murmured in a voice so low that Dominic had to lean down to hear him. “I just wanted you.”
Anguish brought tears to Dominic’s eyes. He closed them as he leaned his face into Keely’s hair, smelling strawberries. He never knew if it was Keely’s natural scent or his shampoo, but the man’s hair always reminded him of strawberries.
He rubbed his cheek over the top of Keely’s head. “I am so sorry, baby, so, so sorry.”
“Were you going to marry her?”
Dominic’s eyes popped open. “Marry who?”
“Sophia.”
“Soph—didn’t you listen to the tape?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t explain all those society pictures of the two of you together. Hell, half the world thinks you’re going to have a June wedding.”
“Only if you want to get married in June.”
Keely gasped as he pushed out of Dominic’s arms and spun away. “How can you joke about something like that?”
“Who’s joking?” Dominic was perfectly serious. “If I thought I could get you to a preacher, a justice of the peace, or take you before a judge, I would do it in a heartbeat.”
Keely’s eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms. “I don’t believe you.”
Dominic walked over to the nightstand and grabbed his cell phone, carrying it back over to hold it out to Keely. “You’re an attorney. I’m sure you know of a judge you can call.”
Keely took the phone, but he didn’t dial it. He just stared up at Dominic with an expression on his face that said he thought Dominic had lost his mind.
“I’d marry you in a split second, Keely.”
“I have kids.”
“I kind of figured that part out.” Dominic pointed to a dark spot on the shoulder of Keely’s shirt. “I believe that is strained peas on your shirt.” He barely refrained from laughing when Keely’s face flushed. “I understand that you come as a package deal.”
Keely’s hard swallow could be heard across the room. “I won’t let you be a part of our lives if you’re going to get called away all of the time for meetings and mergers and whatever else it is that keeps you from calling home or being here when I need you.”
Dominic held out his hand until Keely placed his cell phone in it. He quickly dialed a number he already had programmed into it and then hit the speaker function. He wanted Keely to know everything he had been working on in the two months since he realized how badly he fucked up.
“Bruce, this is Dominic Loudan,” he said when the phone was answered. “Did you have a chance to look over those papers Mr. Murphy faxed over?”
“By god, Loudan, do you have any damn idea what time it is?”
“Bill me for it,” Dominic said, knowing the man would do it anyway. “Did you look at those papers?”
“Yes.”
“And?” Dominic asked, crossing his fingers and hoping.
“Everything is in order just as you requested. If you agree, Aldon Murphy will pay you 10.2 million dollars for the entire company, payable in quarterly installments over the next four years. You will retain stock options but never more than thirty percent of the entire company. Controlling interest will remain with Murphy and Associates. Once a year you will be
Keely’s shoulders slumped. “Why didn’t you call, Dominic?”
Dominic walked over to stand behind Keely. Taking a chance, he pressed into the man, resting his hands on Keely’s shoulders. “I got a little confused about what was important, Keely. I thought creating a life for us was more important than living that life with you by my side. I thought I was doing the right thing, being a good provider. I never considered that my need to make sure we were taken care of would take you away from me.”
Keely shuddered, his body leaning back against Dominic. “I never wanted to be rich, Dom. I was perfectly happy in that dank little apartment of ours,” Keely murmured in a voice so low that Dominic had to lean down to hear him. “I just wanted you.”
Anguish brought tears to Dominic’s eyes. He closed them as he leaned his face into Keely’s hair, smelling strawberries. He never knew if it was Keely’s natural scent or his shampoo, but the man’s hair always reminded him of strawberries.
He rubbed his cheek over the top of Keely’s head. “I am so sorry, baby, so, so sorry.”
“Were you going to marry her?”
Dominic’s eyes popped open. “Marry who?”
“Sophia.”
“Soph—didn’t you listen to the tape?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t explain all those society pictures of the two of you together. Hell, half the world thinks you’re going to have a June wedding.”
“Only if you want to get married in June.”
Keely gasped as he pushed out of Dominic’s arms and spun away. “How can you joke about something like that?”
“Who’s joking?” Dominic was perfectly serious. “If I thought I could get you to a preacher, a justice of the peace, or take you before a judge, I would do it in a heartbeat.”
Keely’s eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms. “I don’t believe you.”
Dominic walked over to the nightstand and grabbed his cell phone, carrying it back over to hold it out to Keely. “You’re an attorney. I’m sure you know of a judge you can call.”
Keely took the phone, but he didn’t dial it. He just stared up at Dominic with an expression on his face that said he thought Dominic had lost his mind.
“I’d marry you in a split second, Keely.”
“I have kids.”
“I kind of figured that part out.” Dominic pointed to a dark spot on the shoulder of Keely’s shirt. “I believe that is strained peas on your shirt.” He barely refrained from laughing when Keely’s face flushed. “I understand that you come as a package deal.”
Keely’s hard swallow could be heard across the room. “I won’t let you be a part of our lives if you’re going to get called away all of the time for meetings and mergers and whatever else it is that keeps you from calling home or being here when I need you.”
Dominic held out his hand until Keely placed his cell phone in it. He quickly dialed a number he already had programmed into it and then hit the speaker function. He wanted Keely to know everything he had been working on in the two months since he realized how badly he fucked up.
“Bruce, this is Dominic Loudan,” he said when the phone was answered. “Did you have a chance to look over those papers Mr. Murphy faxed over?”
“By god, Loudan, do you have any damn idea what time it is?”
“Bill me for it,” Dominic said, knowing the man would do it anyway. “Did you look at those papers?”
“Yes.”
“And?” Dominic asked, crossing his fingers and hoping.
“Everything is in order just as you requested. If you agree, Aldon Murphy will pay you 10.2 million dollars for the entire company, payable in quarterly installments over the next four years. You will retain stock options but never more than thirty percent of the entire company. Controlling interest will remain with Murphy and Associates. Once a year you will be
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