Page 71 of Dangerous Lover

It was only Caroline’s hand on his arm that had pulled him back from the brink.

And just now, coming in. If he’d been paying attention, he’dhave seen the tampering around the lock from the driveway. Instead, he almost missed it. Thatneverhappened. He was always security-conscious and had a sixth and even seventh sense for breaches of security.

So he lay on his back under the sink in Caroline’s chilly little downstairs bathroom, feeling good about stopping the leaky sink, tightening the bolts fastening the toilet bowl to the floor and repairing the shower head, all the while wishing he could fix himself, get himself back to the way he’d been BC—before Caroline—cold, businesslike, detached.

Caroline stuck her beautiful head into the doorway and smiled at him.

It was like being struck by lightning.

“Dinner’s ready, Jack,” she said, and walked back to the kitchen. His eyes tracked her every step of the way, watching the way her shiny hair bounced on her shoulders, how her hips swayed slightly, listening to the light sound of her heels on the marble floor echoing the beat of his heart.

A faint scent of roses hung in the air.

Jack rubbed his chest again, where it hurt. Fuck, maybe he should see a cardiologist.

After the FBI agent left,Sanders sat very still at his desk, staring at his hands.

The office was quiet. He employed an administrative secretary, two legal secretaries and two interns. Everyone had long since gone, knocking off early due to the bad weather. He was alone in his office and with his thoughts.

Sanders was very aware that he’d just been handed asecond chance with Caroline, but the next few steps had to be handled very carefully.

The FBI Special Agent had his own agenda and his own priorities and they had nothing whatsoever to do with getting Caroline Lake back together with Sanders McCullin.

Special Agent Butler had been very clear on what he wanted. He’d also been clear that he didn’t want interference from Sanders. Butler had wanted some information and had warned Sanders to keep away, something Sanders had no intention of doing, not when it was a question of getting Caroline back.

When the fuck did she start going out with this guy—this Jack Prescott or whatever his name was? It must have been a very recent affair because just last week Sanders had seen Jenna and she hadn’t said anything about Caroline going out with someone.

It just went to show that Caroline didn’t know how to manage her life. She didn’t listen to him when he’d told her to put Toby in a home, she didn’t listen to him when he told her to sell Greenbriar and now she’d hooked up with a criminal.

Instinctively, Sanders knew that this would be wonderful ammunition when they got married. Whenever she questioned his judgment, he had big howitzers full of ammo to pull out.Yeah? And who fucked a mass murderer?

She’d shut up and do what he said, guaranteed.

The past twenty-four hours had given him some startling revelations about himself. He’d been dancing around Caroline for years. He’d fucked other women, sure, hell—he was a man, wasn’t he? But she’d always been in the back of hismind, and he knew he’d been waiting for just the right moment to come. That moment was now, without any interference from her family.

He’d also discovered that he very much liked having the upper hand with her. It was an aspect of himself that had never come to the fore with other women. His women were smart, savvy and good fucks. He’d never wanted much more from them than a good time in bed and maybe some networking for his job. By the time he might start caring about them obeying him, he’d moved on.

But it turned out he liked dominance, a lot.

Dominance.

Caroline needed dominance. She needed a strong hand. And to his amazement and enjoyment, when she resisted it turned him on, powerfully. So when they were married, he could look forward to an obedient wife, dependent on him for money and reluctant to cross him because she’d fucked the wrong guy. Sanders would never let her forget it.

Sanders looked at the visiting card Special Agent Butler had left and at the number on the bottom.

Sanders was a careful lawyer, used to checking all his facts. He rarely lost arguments and he rarely lost cases because of that aspect of his character.

He picked up the phone and punched in the number. The phone was picked up on the second ring. “New York FBI Field Office, how may I help you?” a female voice with a heavy Hispanic accent said.

“Yes, I’d like to speak with Special Agent Darrell Butler please.”

“I’m sorry sir, but Special Agent Butler is out of the office. Can I take a message?”

“No, thank you.”

Sanders put the receiver down gently in its cradle, smiling.

Yes, things had taken a wonderful turn.

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