“You mean Olivia Hastings that was just here? Yes, I know her from the courthouse. She works in the prosecutor’s office,” Kathy offered. “I’m sitting with her at the dinner tonight if you like I can introduce you.” Kathy got a gleam in her eye. He could just hear the fiddler playing matchmaker.
“No that’s okay. I don’t want to . . .” Dominic started but then Grace Parker interrupted.
“What does she do for the prosecutor’s office?” Grace sounded excited. Her red hair bounced with her enthusiasm.
“Oh, she’s an attorney,” Kathy said smiling even bigger. “A Yale grad.”
“Then yes he absolutely wants you to introduce them.” Grace Parker sat back. The self-satisfied look on her face was one only a big sister could possess.
Dominic sighed but he knew it was no use. He would not cross Smelly Melly. When their parents died she had done everything for him. Even becoming his guardian to keep him out of foster care. She had only been twenty-one at the time and had worked her ass off in that stupid fucking plant to support him while taking night classes. Things were better when he went to college. She finally had an office job in an accounting firm and he got a full scholarship to Brown. The cancer was like a cruel sick joke. He remembered the day she was diagnosed like it was yesterday. He blamed himself. If she hadn’t had to work in that stupid factory maybe she wouldn’t have been exposed to so many chemicals.
He vowed then and there to help her and support her like she had done for him. When she had to quit her job for chemo he took up odd jobs in addition to school to keep the bills paid. During her chemo sessions he read to her from all her favorite romance authors. He kept telling her she should write her own. She had been an amazing story teller when they were younger.
Four years ago an author convention came to their town but Mel was in the hospital and was too sick to go. So he went and bought a book from each author and had them sign it. Mel was so excited she turned a corner with her treatment. He never had the heart to tell her he pawned the baseball card collection their dad had left him to pay for the books.
That event changed their lives. He met a photographer named Eric David Battershell. Eric offered Dominic a job modeling for book covers. At first, he had laughed. Modeling was not something he had ever considered but if it would help his sister pay for treatment he was all for it. His sister was so inspired by his “new career,” she began writing. He had never been more proud than when her series Loving Me hit the New York Times bestseller list. Unless you count the day they told her she was in remission from the cancer.
“Whatever you say, Smelly,” he said smiling over at her.
“Dominic, please when we are at an event call me Grace Parker,” she said punching him playfully in the arm. “You know I hate that nickname.
“Yes, Miss Parker,” he said in his best southern drawl. Dominic Kain could barely contain himself. Tonight he was going to meet Olivia Hastings.
“YOU JUST NEED to forget work for one night and have fun,” Piper ordered sitting on the end of Olivia’s bed while she changed and refreshed her makeup. “Remember how much fun we used to have. It’s like you have forgotten how to live.”
Olivia paused and stuck her head out of the bathroom toothbrush hanging out of her mouth. Piper was right. She didn’t know how to relax anymore. Hell this was supposed to be their wild girls weekend and she had spent half the day on the damn phone with work. Not that it mattered anyway. Vincent, that snake in the grass, pulled a fast one with the judge and had her motion thrown out. Damn him and those technicalities. She swore half the time he made them up. She had to admit he was a force to be reckoned with. That man could get Satan off for good behavior.
Despite all of her arguing, pleading and downright begging she had not made any headway with the judge. Olivia was no closer to putting Lafferty behind bars than she was when the case first crossed her desk. Maybe Piper was right.
“Okay, Piper, you are on. No more work. No more stupid work phone. She turned her cell off for the first time in four years and put it in a drawer. Tonight I am all yours. Let’s go party like it’s 2006,” she said defiantly and they both cracked up laughing.
Piper had changed into a long Hawaiian maxi dress and Isaac Mizrahi sandals. Her blond pixie cut was pinned back on the side with a little Swarovski butterfly clip. Olivia blinked back a tear. She remembered when Grace had given that to Piper. “That goes beautifully with your dress,” she said smiling and gave Piper a little hug.
Oliva adjusted the strap on her blue kerchief halter dress. They were just about ready to go to the dinner cruise. Olivia had to hand it to Lisa and Amy who put this shindig together. Everything about it was fabulous. Even if she wasn’t a romance reader like her friend, she would gladly go with her again next year. She took one last glance in the mirror and they bounced out the door. Two carefree ladies ready to take on the town. Or at least the dinner cruise anyway.
“Let’s get a pre-cruise drink at the bar,” Olivia suggested taking Piper’s arm as they left the elevator.
“All right!” Piper eagerly agreed. They weren’t the only ones with that idea. A group of ladies from the signing were already at the bar.
Olivia saw Kathy and went over to say hi while Piper ordered their drinks. Kathy looked amazing in a navy dress with a yellow sweater.
“Olivia, you look great! This is Julie she is the unofficial event photographer,” Kathy joked indicating her brunette friend with the kindest brown eyes Olivia had ever seen. Julie had a camera hanging around her neck ready to capture every moment in real time. “And this is Sherry, she is the life of the party.”
Sherry’s blond hair was cut in a bob. Her smile was contagious. Olivia was starting to see what Piper loved about this group of people.
“Very nice to meet you both. This is my first time at one of these events so I’m not sure what to expect.” Olivia extended her hand. She was aware of her own formality but didn’t know how to shut it off.
“Double Grey with a splash of cran,” Piper reported handing her a glass. She had returned from the bar with a couple other women they had met that day. “If this doesn’t get you going all hope is lost. Olivia, you remember Christine and Whynter.”
“Thanks, Piper. What did Grace used to call this?” Olivia asked determined not to let fractured memories ruin their night.
“All in,” Piper chirped up. “Because a couple glasses and you are all in for anything”
“Yeah, that’s it. Bottoms up!” Olivia took a big swig of the liquid. “That’s the dangerous thing about Grey Goose. It’s so smooth it sneaks up on you.”
The group of women laughed, joked, and told stories as they walked down the pier to the waiting ship. Olivia realized that even though she lived here she had never been on one of these dinner cruises. There were a lot of things she never took time to do. Like having friends for example.
Julie was taking about fifty pictures a minute when they approached the ship. The women posed in front of the main entrance and onboard they went. The Spirit of Norfolk was beautiful. It must have been 150 feet long. They were guided to the Harborview Deck. There was a central dance floor, a DJ, and several buffet stations. They settled on a round table with a great view.
Olivia sat back and a waiter brought her a fresh drink. She listened to Piper and the other women talk about book boyfriends as if they were real people. She didn’t dare contribute to the conversation as Olivia did not believe in love. Her years in the district attorney’s office had left her jaded. Yes, she was alone. But she knew she would be. No chance of getting her heart ripped out and ending up alone anyway.
“Hello, ladies.” The strong male voice right behind her startled her and made her choke on her drink. Olivia coughed and sputtered. Red faced she turned around to see Dominic Kain staring back at her.
“Hello!” Piper and the other women spoke up. Kathy and Christine exchanged knowing smiles. Olivia caught her breath and the redness in her cheeks deepened as she blushed.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes widened in concern. He was standing right behind her wearing a black suit and a white dress shirt. Damn. Any man can put on a suit, but very few men can really wear it.
“I’m fine . . . I . . . um. Excuse me a moment.” Olivia got up and made her way to the restroom. What the hell? Why am I running away from this person? She shut the bathroom door and took a few slow deep breaths. Seriously, I am hiding in the bathroom from a man I don’t even know.
“Get ahold of yourself, Olivia,” she whispered into the mirror. She let out a sigh and touched up her makeup. He is just a guy. A male model at that, empty headed, big muscles, nice hair, gorgeous eyes . . . Stop it! Olivia was around intelligent sexy men all the time and they were all asshats. Vincent for example was a fucking dream boat, but would throw his grandma under the bus if he thought it would help him or his career. This guy is no different. He is nothing special. Hell, he came here with that author Grace Parker anyway. Olivia straightened her dress, took one last deep breath and left the restroom.
On her way back to the table she stopped and talked to Lisa and Amy and thanked them for a wonderful time. Olivia stole a glance at her table. Thank God, he had gone. She scanned the room but didn’t see him.
“Are you okay? What happened?” Piper questioned when she returned to her seat.
“I’m sorry. I choked and I couldn’t quite catch my breath. I didn’t want to cough and sputter all over the table,” Olivia answered in half-truth.
“I’m just glad you’re okay. You missed talking with Dominic Kain!” Piper let out a dreamy sigh. “That man is the whole package. He can be my book boyfriend any day.”
Throughout dinner the group of women talked about their families and jobs. Olivia realized how little she had to add to the conversation. Not too many people want to hear about violent crime prosecution and she had no personal life. None. Except this. She thought of Grace and wondered if she would have gotten married. Would she have had children? When everyone was finished eating they got up to go to the upper deck and watch the sun set over the harbor. They were all gathered by the rail taking photos when a cigarette speed boat pulled alongside them.
Olivia looked down at the people partying on the boat. Suddenly the boat driver waved in her direction.
“Olivia!” he yelled and waved his arms overhead.
Vincent fucking Trudeau. Olivia narrowed her brows and scowled back. She gave a small polite wave.
“Nice work in court this week, sweetie,” he yelled. “Better luck next time.” And they sped off.
“Who was that, Liv?’ Piper asked and all the ladies stood waiting for an explanation.
Olivia growled. “That was Vincent Trudeau, world class jackass and defense attorney to Satan himself.” Olivia suddenly wanted another drink. Her fury and self-loathing renewed. Damn it she wanted a win this week. That guy was fucking guilty and they all knew it.
“You have to admit he’s not bad to look at,” Piper observed raising her eyebrows.
“Be my guest,” Olivia shot back. “If you like your men with a side of sadistic pig.” She shook her head and made a beeline for the bar. “I need to get a drink.”
“You’d be surprised,” Piper said laughing and went back to talking with the girls.
Olivia was still muttering under her breath when she reached the upper deck bar. Fuck it. Why did she care so much? Everyone lost sometimes, right? What she needed was just a night to forget fucking everything.
“What’ll you have?” the bartender asked
“Can I get a double Grey with a splash of cran?” Olivia asked in a huff, then wished she had ordered something a little stronger.
“Bad night?” Dominic asked in a baritone so smooth it would melt the panties off a nun.
Olivia turned stunned. He was right beside her; an electric shiver left his lips and traveled over every inch of her. “This event has been great I’m just dealing with something.”
“Boyfriend problems?” he asked leaning back against the bar. Those pale green eyes promising to make it all go away.
“No.” Olivia laughed. “It’s work. A guy I work with is getting the better of me and it’s pissing me off.” She took a long swig of the drink the bartender brought. “I guess you could say I really hate losing.” She didn’t know why she was sharing anything with this guy. Not that it mattered she guessed. She was never going to see him again anyway.
“No one likes losing. If it matters deeply you have to dig in and fight for it,” he offered seeming to understand rather than judge.
She didn’t know what a playboy model knew about loss. He probably has always gotten by on that beautiful face. “Thanks for the observation,” she replied dryly. Hell he was probably just looking to get laid.
“How much does it mean to you?” he questioned standing too close.
“Really?” she asked and rolled her eyes. “As if you actually want to know.” Who did he think he was, acting like he was all interested in her personal life. Olivia knew better. This guy was just another guy looking to get some. She finished her drink and started to step away from the bar.
“Are you always this defensive? You act like you’re fighting a war with yourself,” he asked his voice cool and challenging.
“What did you just say?” Olivia turned back and snapped.
“I’m just saying if you always act like this to guys, I know why you are having man problems.” He was grinning now. A little half grin that was playful but engaged like someone sizing up an opponent.
“You don’t know anything about my personal life. I don’t have any man problems,” she countered. “What about you sitting here at the bar all alone sulking when there is a ship full of beautiful women. Are you having man problems?”
“Touché, madam. No I’m not having any man or woman problems, except the woman I was really hoping to meet tonight turned out to be a real witch.” He took a sip of what she assumed to be whiskey.
Olivia stopped in her tracks. “You what? Aren’t you here with someone? What about Grace Parker? Remember her. Or is your fidelity as shallow as you are?”
He started laughing. “Grace Parker is actually Melanie Kain.”
Olivia gasped. “You’re wife?” This guy was a real piece of shit. She hated herself for being attracted to him. Why? After all this time. Why this guy? This lying cheating bastard was worse than Vincent.
He stood there with an amused grin and bit his lip. He seemed to be enjoying watching her fume. “Mel is my sister,” he said and laughed again. “Not my wife. I just model for her books to help her out and as a bonus I get to meet lovely people like yourself.” He cleared his throat and smirked at her.
“Oh, shit. I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “Tell you what, why don’t I buy you a drink to make up for being such a witch and we call it even.”
“I can buy my own drink, and we are far from even.” His eyes darkened as he spoke. “I want to know everything about you.”
Olivia took a step back. There it was again. The warm sensation and complete loss of air, like she was being squeezed by an anaconda of excitement and anticipation. She definitely needed another drink.
“You don’t want to know about me?” she asked as she looked for an escape. “There’s nothing to tell.”
“Let’s start with something easy. What’s your name? Your friend called you Liv earlier.” He leaned in a little closer.
“It’s Olivia Hastings,” she answered. “And I already know you are Dominic Kain. All the ladies seem quite taken with you.”
“You’re not?” he asked, his eyes twinkled as if he already knew the answer.
“Not really. No offense you’re just not my type,” she lied. Could he tell? Olivia motioned to the bartender for another round for both of them.
Dominic gently bit his tongue in a devilish smile and his eyes flashed playfully. “Then what may I ask is your type? Arrogant assholes like the guy on the boat?”
“I don’t waste my time with
men,” she quipped.
“Oh, God, I’m sorry I didn’t realize . . . That’s cool.” Dominic backtracked and picked up his drink.
“Oh, jeez, just because I don’t want some guy in my pants doesn’t make me a lesbian. I simply don’t have time to wait hand and foot on some giant man baby. I have a career and life goals that don’t involve walking down an aisle. I don’t need a hero to save me,” she reported and raised her eyebrows challenging him to counter. Olivia sat quite proud of her accomplishments. As much as she was affected by him she didn’t need him or any other man to feel good about herself.
“I understand. I have commitments in my life that don’t make room for someone high maintenance and full of drama,” he replied genuinely.
“Hmm . . . you mean your modeling and all your adoring fans?” she questioned.
“Something like that,” he answered pensively like there was so much more to the story than he was willing to share.
Olivia sipped her drink. She hated and loved how he looked at her like he had known her for a lifetime. The sun began to set. Olivia looked out over the colors that played over the water. Purples and pinks gave way to reds and oranges that faded to gold at the horizon. “Those colors are lovely. I have lived here for four years and this is the first time I have stopped to watch the sunset on the water.” She let out a long sigh.
“Exquisite,” he responded not looking at the water. Olivia turned and he was staring at her. She felt that warm rush envelop her.
“Why don’t you take time to live your life?” he asked staring into her with those pale eyes that said he already knew the answer.
Olivia quickly looked away. “I’m not a nice girl, Dominic. I don’t date. I’m not waiting around for someone to save me. I don’t believe in love or fate or any of that garbage.”
“I’m not here to save you.” His voice lowered. He leaned in and for the first time she inhaled his incredible scent. It was deep and full, with a hint of orange that had ripened in the sun. It was intoxicating yet familiar and she just wanted to nestle her nose and lips into his skin.
Roulette Page 4
