by Romy Sommer
“Thank you for your time,” Nina said, kissing Evan on the cheek. Her face was flushed and her eyes bright. If that was how she looked after taking a few corners at moderate speed, he couldn’t imagine how she’d handle the adrenalin rush of being shot off an air ram.
It was after dark when Dom finally rode her home on his bike. They parked in the garage beside his shiny, new, fire-engine-red Jeep Wrangler and Dom unlocked the door and let them into the yard. Light spilled from the house and the glass sliding door on the patio stood wide. Visitors? Nina sighed. She didn’t feel up to facing any of Dominic’s sisters.
But it wasn’t one of Dom’s sisters this time. A teenaged boy sprawled on the sofa, his attention focused on the large flat-screen TV, the Wii controller in his hands.
He bore a striking resemblance to Dom, with the same light-brown hair cut short, the same green eyes. The kid was leaner and wirier than Dom, but the resemblance was so strong that she froze at sight of him. It hadn’t even occurred to her Dom might have a child. Or children.
It was one thing for him to play the devil-may-care bachelor, travelling the world, partying until all hours, a different woman every week, but if he had kids…
She shook her head. Dom didn’t seem like the kind of man who shirked his responsibilities.
“Hiya, kid,” Dom greeted him, swinging his gym bag onto an armchair. “You and your mom fighting again?”
The kid grunted a reply, his attention still riveted on the game.
“I need a shower,” Nina said. She had to cross the teen’s path. Only when she obscured the screen did he notice she was even there. He looked up and his eyes widened. “Hey, aren’t you…?”
“Yes, she is. Now get your shoes off my sofa and greet my guest.” Dom bumped the kid’s feet to the floor. “This is my nephew, Eric. Eric, this is Nina.”
Eric’s eyes were still wide. “Good going, Dom! I thought you only dated waitresses.”
“Nina and I are not dating, and whatever gave you the idea I only date waitresses?”
“Mom. She told Aunt Juliet the other day you’re never going to settle down if you keep dating waitresses and barmaids.”
“And your mother thinks you never listen to her.”
“I don’t listen when she’s talking about boring stuff. Why does she think you only date waitresses?”
Dom looked over at Nina. “Weren’t you going to have a shower?”
“It can wait. I want to hear the answer to that question, too.”
He rolled his eyes. “I don’t only date waitresses. I only date women who aren’t looking to settle down. I like women who don’t expect anything more of me than I’m willing to give. The fact that most of the women I meet who fit that description work those kinds of jobs is purely coincidental.”
Grown-up translation: he only did casual sex.
“Feel free to tell your mother that too,” he said to Eric.
“Shouldn’t you be getting married at your age?” Eric asked.
Dom sent him a quelling glare. “Now I know that’s your mother speaking.”
“It’s a good question. What’s wrong with getting married at your age?” Nina teased.
“Aren’t you the one who told a room full of people that you aren’t the marrying kind?”
“Yeah, but I’m nearly ten years younger than you.” She grinned, stepping out of his reach.
Dom rolled his eyes and headed for the kitchen. “If you’re staying for dinner, kid, you should let your mom know where you are.”
Nina headed for the shower. She’d turned it into a joke, but it wasn’t just an age thing. She had no plans for marriage and babies. If she married, some day in the distant future, it would be part of her career strategy, not because she was ‘settling’ for anything. And whoever she married would need to bring a great deal more to the table than even Paul had.
Her sister Jess was the settling kind, the one who’d married her college sweetheart and lived in domestic bliss, desperate for a baby to go with the picket fence.
Nina was too focused on her career to even have time for a relationship. Paul had been the first guy she’d dated in years who hadn’t complained when he came second to her career. Because she’d come second to his, too. It had been a happy arrangement until he’d spoiled it with that stupid proposal.
And until yesterday she hadn’t even contemplated living with a guy.
She showered and changed into a shift dress and sandals, dusted her face with make-up, pulled on a light cardigan against the evening air, and returned to the living room. The only concession she didn’t make to vanity was that she opted for her glasses instead of contacts.
“It’s a lovely evening,” she said, heading for the kitchen cabinets where Dom kept the crockery.
The swift look of appreciation in Dom’s gaze went a little way to soothing the knot inside her that had grown every time he’d touched her then just as quickly pulled away, as if she’d somehow stung him.
She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Shall we eat outside?”
He nodded and she moved to set the table on the deck for dinner. They ate out on the patio, in the soft yellow light of the oil lamps hanging from the grapevine trellis. Their citronella smell filled the air. The sound of distant breakers on the beach and the mellow music of the wind chime filled their silences.
“So what did you fight with your mom about this time?” Dom asked his nephew when they were done.
The boy shrugged. “She thinks she knows everything.”
“Your mom’s a pain in the ass, but she usually knows what she’s talking about.”
Eric shrugged again. “But she’s not a guy. She doesn’t understand guy stuff.”
“Want to try me?” Dom asked.
Eric was quiet for a long moment. He glanced Nina’s way and she looked away, pretending to listen to the night sounds, pretending not to hear. Just like she did in public when strangers called her name.
“There’s this girl…” Eric told his story in halting sentences. Nina stole a glance at Dom and their eyes met. He grinned, eyes crinkling, and winked.
While Eric poured out his heart to his uncle, Nina cleared away their dishes and fetched a beer for Dom and a soda for Eric. When she returned to her seat, she risked another glance down the table. Dom had schooled his expression, listening seriously to his nephew.
“Your mom might be right,” he said. “But I’m going to give you a little man-to-man advice. Girls don’t want you to talk about feelings and shit. They want you to listen to them talk. So next time a girl asks what you’re feeling, ask her how she’s feeling.”
Nina rolled her eyes.
“You don’t agree?” Dom asked.
She turned to Eric. “I don’t think you should be asking your uncle for dating advice. He might be great at getting a woman into bed, but he’s not so great at keeping her there. If you’re serious about this girl, you need to talk to her. You need to tell her you what you feel for her.”
“Give the kid a break. He’s only sixteen. He’s hardly looking for a life partner right now.”
Eric nodded fervently. “Exactly.”
“And neither’s she.” Nina shrugged. “But what do I know? I just remember what it was like being a 16-year-old girl.”
“Did you have a serious boyfriend at 16?”
“Not exactly.” That had been her annus horribilis, the year she preferred to forget. She’d had bigger worries on her mind than who she’d be going to the movies with on a Friday night. “The only thing a girl of any age wants is a boy she can be herself with. No pressure. No expectations. So start by being her friend first.”
Eric nodded slowly. “I can do that, I guess.”
“Why don’t you bring her round here sometime? We can go to the skate park and you can hang with your cool uncle.” Dom suggested.
Eric didn’t look convinced and Nina laughed. “Yeah, because what every kid wants is to hang out with old people like us.”
Eric’s e
xpression brightened. “Would you be there?”
She shook her head. His girlfriend didn’t need to see Eric starstruck over a famous movie actress. Nina knew exactly how that would feel. Not unlike how she’d felt walking down the red carpet at the Vanity Fair party a few yards behind Scarlett Johansson. “I’m lying low. I probably shouldn’t be seen in such a public place just yet.” She caught Dom’s eye. “Though I’ve always wanted to learn to skateboard.”
“Didn’t you once skateboard in an episode of your TV show?” Eric asked.
“That was my stunt double.”
“The unsung heroes of the movies,” Dom said.
“Yeah, your lot make my lot look so good.” She grinned back. “But I did my own roller blading, if that’ll make you think better of me.”
After Eric left, Nina moved to pack the dishwasher while Dom took out the trash. Then he came to stand beside her, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the counter.
“Eric’s mother, Moira, is my eldest sister. She’s very bossy, but she hasn’t had it easy. She married her college sweetheart, then a few years ago he left her for his dental hygienist. He’s moved back east and started a new family, and Eric misses having a man to talk to.”
Nina closed the dishwasher door. “You seem to be doing a pretty good job.”
He uncrossed his arms and stepped closer, crowding her in against the dishwasher. His mouth curved in that crooked grin. “That’s not what you thought earlier. And I’m good at getting women into bed, am I?”
“So rumor has it.” She batted her long eyelashes, which was hard to do with glasses on. That was the one distinct disadvantage of having eyelashes other women would kill for. “Are you flirting with me, Mr. Kelly? Because if you are, I should probably warn you that I’ll expect you to follow through.”
He held her gaze. Now that it was clear that he wanted no-strings, and she wanted no-strings, commitment-free, completely-not-settling-down fun, would Dom make a move?
Her body thrummed with anticipation.
No such luck.
He stepped back.
“Following through would be a very bad idea. Sleep well. We leave for our run at six- thirty sharp tomorrow morning.”
He turned and headed upstairs to his room, and she was left in need of yet another shower. A cold one this time.
Chapter Six
Dom hadn’t been kidding when he said there’d be no time for play.
Every morning started with a run on the beach, and every morning she woke swearing, desperate for another ten minutes of sleep. On the plus side, he hauled her out of bed so early they practically had the beach to themselves. The few surfers who were there before them seemed to know Dom and, beyond a waved greeting, left them alone.
For Nina, it was bliss to hang out in a public place without having to pose for pictures or sign autographs. Not that she got to hang out much. Every day Dom pushed her further, and though she was sure her legs wouldn’t make the distance, every day she felt stronger and fitter. By the end of her first week she was able to run the full distance from pier to pier without feeling as if she wanted to die.
Back again was a different matter.
By the time they returned home each day, she was wide awake, fully focused – and ravenous. Wendy was usually there before them, and as they ate breakfast she ran through all Nina’s business: the invitations, phone calls, scripts, and errands.
After breakfast, Dom and Nina spent several hours at the dojo, where they worked on her tumbling and martial arts skills, and on strengthening her core muscles. This was her favorite part of the day, just the two of them together, laughing, joking, teasing.
The afternoons weren’t so easy. Some days, they practiced shooting clay pigeons at an outdoor range in the hills. Some days she had driving lessons with Evan. Not just driving – by the end of her first week he had her doing hand-brake turns and controlled skids. And one afternoon Dom took her trampolining. She could barely walk after that one.
She needn’t have worried about being alone with Dom. They were hardly ever alone. He had so many visitors drop by in the evenings, she began to wonder if he’d planned it. His nephew and niece, his sisters, his friends, even his neighbors stopped by one evening to share a bottle of wine. Nina refused to feel guilty for hiding out in her room and pretending to sleep. Exhaustion wasn’t merely a convenient excuse to avoid being sociable. Every night she was so tired that she dragged her aching body to bed at least two hours earlier than her usual bedtime.
But just because she didn’t have time or energy didn’t mean she didn’t think about sex. A lot.
Every time Dom touched her, she thought about sex. And he touched her a lot. Massaging her calves when she got a cramp, a hand on her arm or her shoulder or her waist as he corrected her stance or showed her how to do a move, his hand against her lower back as he guided her through a door…
It was so long since someone had touched her in any way that wasn’t intended as foreplay. It drove her so crazy, it might as well have been foreplay.
But while her temperature seemed to spike so often she was sure she had to be running in a state of constant fever, Dom appeared completely unaffected. It was impossible to miss that he was a tactile person. So how was it possible that he, the legendary seducer of anything in a skirt, didn’t feel as desperately tempted as she did to take this further?
As much as she thought about it, she made no move to take it further either, though. Her fragile self-esteem couldn’t take any more rejection from him.
“I haven’t heard from you since forever,” Jess complained. “Why don’t you call me anymore?”
Nina shifted the phone to her other ear. “I’m sorry, Sis. Dom’s been working me so hard I barely get a moment to sit.”
“How is the hottie?”
“Still hot. Have the reporters stopped calling?”
“Yes, thank heavens! They all want to know where in the Caribbean you are. You won’t believe some of the things I’ve been offered in return for a tip-off. They tell me you’re with your new lover. Is there anything I should know?”
“Nothing at all.”
“You and Dominic haven’t…?”
“Definitely not! How’s Gran?”
“She’s good. She asked me to tell you that you did the right thing. She saw one of Paul’s movies the other day, the one where he plays that crooked cop, and she decided he’s far too intense for someone delicate like you.”
Nina laughed. She’d never felt more delicate than she did right now. Even her bruises had bruises.
“So how’s the training going?” Jess asked. “Or more to the point, how are you coping living in someone else’s space?”
“I’ve lost at least five pounds.” Not the answer her sister was looking for, she knew.
“Any idea yet if this ploy of yours is working?”
“Nothing.” But then she’d been too preoccupied this week to beat Dane’s door down for updates. “What’s new on your side?”
“We’ve decided to try for one more IVF.” Her sister dropped the bombshell as if she were discussing going out to buy milk and bread. Maybe, after nearly five years of trying, that’s what it had become.
“Can you afford it?” Nina’s heart contracted as she spoke. It was a stupid question. Of course Jess couldn’t afford it, but she’d do it anyway. Her sister wanted this baby so much she’d bankrupt herself for the chance. “Just tell me how much and I’ll cover the costs.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Don’t be silly. Of course I want to help.”
And money was by far the easiest way to help. She still wasn’t entirely sure if her sister’s comments over Christmas dinner had been serious or not. “You could have one for me,” she’d said. “It’s not like your lifestyle would have to change. We’d raise the baby.”
Nina prayed it was Jess’s sick idea of a joke. She loved her sister and wanted her to be happy, but there was no way she was putting her body through
pregnancy for anyone. Bloating, stretch marks, scars… she had enough trouble keeping herself in peak shape without that. Not to mention half a year off work… There was no way she’d be able to play a role as physical as Sonia with a baby growing inside her.
“Thank you.” Jessica gulped down an uncharacteristic sob on the other end of the line. “So what do you have planned for the weekend?”
For the first time in forever, Nina didn’t have any plans. No parties, no red-carpet events, no ‘show your face to the producers’ visits to fancy restaurants.
“I’m hoping I get to catch up on some sleep this weekend.”
Dom, entering the kitchen where she sat perched on a stool at the counter, shook his head. “We work,” he mouthed.
Her heart gave a tiny skip.
“Dom’s telling me he’s going to make me work all weekend.” She sighed dramatically. “He’s such a slave driver.”
“Then why do you sound so happy?” her sister asked.
“I’m hanging up now,” Nina warned. “Give my love to Lucas and to Gran.”
“Who’s Lucas?” Dom asked, stretching out on the sofa in the living room.
Nina moved to sit beside him. “My brother-in-law.” She eyed the big bowl of buttery popcorn between them on the sofa. She couldn’t remember when last she’d eaten popcorn. Quite possibly not since she was 16 and she’d decided to make herself over as the new, slimline, popular Nina. “What’s on TV tonight?”
“You’re not going to bed yet?” There was a glint in his eye.
“It’s Friday night. I’m going big.” And for once there were no visitors. No one she needed to keep up appearances for, and no reason to hide in the guest bedroom.
Dom offered her the bowl. She shook her head. But it wasn’t the most convincing shake. Surely she could risk one tiny handful? But that was the thing with popcorn – once started it was impossible to stop.
