Asshole.
Mr. Ross caught my eye, and I recognized him as the chauvinistic club member I’d seen in the pro shop complaining a while back. “Mr. Prescott, do you have anything to say in regard to your behavior?”
I nodded. “As you know, I’ll be leaving in six weeks to play the qualifier in Florida. So if you’d like me to leave the club, I understand. I can have my locker cleared out immediately following the conclusion of this meeting.”
Beverly’s dad looked at me. “It’s not that simple, son. This will need to be brought in front of the tournament board.”
“What?” My heart thundered and my chest heaved as I tried to remain calm. “You mean to tell me that because I hit a man to defend a female member, I may not be eligible? Is that what you’re telling me?”
“Was the female present?” Mr. Ross asked. “Because she could file a complaint against Mr. Freeman and Underhill. Members can’t discriminate or make derogatory comments about a member. It’s in our ethics bylaws. But it won’t change the fact that this goes against professional guidelines. As an assistant pro, you should know that it’s unethical.”
Ethics? Yeah . . . okay. Says the man who didn’t want women teeing off before men. Dickhead.
“No, she wasn’t there.”
When I glanced up, Dr. Whitfield looked at me. “Care to tell us her name?”
“No, I don’t.” The more I thought about what had been said and who it had been said about, the angrier I became.
His brows lowered and he nodded. “Very well. Please step outside while we deliberate.”
As I left the room, I wondered what exactly they were going to discuss since it seemed pretty cut-and-dried to me. My time at the club was over, which I didn’t care about, but if this fucked with me being on the tour, that was another thing altogether.
I thought of Beverly, knowing that what had happened would hurt her if she knew. The fact was, I didn’t know her well, but I knew enough to have no doubt she’d want to take a swing at them herself. After she got over their harsh words, anyway. Sure, she appeared strong and confident, but there was a vulnerability about her. I had a feeling this would bring up hurtful memories for her, and there was no way I would allow that to happen.
After about ten minutes, I was called back in and informed my services were no longer needed at Royale Country Club.
The men looked at each other. Mr. Keller, one of the board members who worked alongside the tour officials and had actually hired me, looked me square in the eye.
“You have promise, Prescott, and according to your file, this is out of character for you. Because of that, we will keep this matter in-house, and you will be allowed to play in the qualifier.”
Oh, thank God!
“Thank you, sir. I appreciate that very much.”
With a few tense nods to those present, I headed for the door, but Beverly’s dad stopped me.
“Dane, please wait one minute.” When the room had cleared and the door closed, leaving us alone, he looked at me. “Was the fight about my daughter?”
My heart raced, and I didn’t know what to do. Should I lie? Nope, not a good idea. Best to deflect.
“What makes you think that, sir?”
“Just a hunch. Am I right?” he asked, and what looked like sadness flashed in his eyes.
I knew it wasn’t the first time Beverly had been ridiculed, and he had to know that too. So I paused to gather my thoughts, weighing the pros and cons of confirming his suspicion. In the end, I opted for the truth.
“Yes. But please don’t ask what was said, and please don’t tell her about this.”
He stepped closer and glanced down at my hand. “Did you have that looked at?”
“No, sir. It’s fine. Will that be all?”
“Yes. Thank you for standing up for my Beverly.” Looking me in the eye, he sighed with obvious regret. “I’m sorry it resulted in your dismissal, but rules are rules.”
“You’re welcome. You’re not going to say anything to her, right?”
“No. I’ll leave that to you. For now, we’ll just say that you’re moving on.”
Dr. Whitfield shook my hand, and I absorbed the small hint of pain before I turned to leave.
As I reached the door, he stopped me in my tracks when he said, “For the record, I would have done the same thing. There are things more important than the game of golf, and defending a loved one is one of them.” He paused and gave me a stern look. “My daughter is my greatest treasure. She’s my world, and when she finds that special person in her life, he needs to be worthy of her because she deserves nothing less.”
If his underlying message was supposed to be subtle, I heard it loud and clear.
Nodding, I said, “She’s special, and unlike anyone I’ve ever met. I’m glad she wasn’t there.” When I let out a chuckle, her father gave me a quizzical look. “If she had been, Vance would have more than a bruised jaw and a limp. He’d probably have the voice of a soprano. You raised a strong woman.”
Dr. Whitfield gave me a wry smile. “I have no doubt you’re right.”
With that, I walked out the door and headed to the locker room. My locker barely had anything in it. Once I cleared out a couple of sleeves of balls and three golf gloves, I was out of there. At first, I thought of calling Beverly to see what she was doing today, but I knew she was tying up loose ends before she moved, so I left her to it.
With time on my hands and not sure what to do with myself, I drove around Long Island and found myself in front of the shelter in Garden City. There were a few cars there, so I decided to see if anyone needed a hand. According to Beverly, their grand reopening was scheduled for next week, and as of this past Saturday, a lot still needed to be done.
A burly man with a ladder hoisted on his shoulder paused as walked past me. “If you’re here to work, you’re wearing the wrong clothes.”
He was right, I realized as I glanced down at the nice slacks and dress shirt I’d worn for the meeting. I hadn’t changed clothes.
“But you look more like a banker than a volunteer,” he said as he set down the ladder. “Unless you’re lost.”
“No, I’m not lost. I’m Dane. I was here painting on Saturday with Beverly Whitfield, and I happened to be in the area. You’re right, I’m not dressed to help, but I can come back if you need it.”
He reached out to shake hands. “I’m Barry.” After eyeing me critically, he said, “I have a pair of coveralls in the back room. Why don’t you go change and then help me hang cabinets in the kitchen?”
The navy coveralls made me look like a skinny mechanic because Barry had a good fifty pounds on me. Thank goodness we were the same height, or else I would have looked even more ridiculous than I already did.
Barry and I hung about twenty cabinets in the kitchen before we moved to the storage area. Pounding nails turned out to be a great release of aggression. I pictured Vance’s face on each nail head. With each swing of the hammer, my knuckles reminded me why it felt good to pound it.
“Good job, Dane.” Barry took a step back and surveyed our handiwork. “We’ve been at it for hours, and I need a break. Come on. I have water in the cooler out front.”
I followed him to the front room, and as if she knew I was there, Beverly turned around and locked eyes with me. When she got a good look at my outfit, she blinked hard and then bit down on her lip. The strain in her cheeks as she tried to suppress a laugh made me chuckle.
“Hey there, gorgeous.”
“Hey yourself. Nice outfit,” she said, and finally burst into laughter.
“Thank you. I think I look quite sexy in it, don’t you agree?” I waved a hand, indicating my awesomeness. “Having snaps from the top to the bottom makes for easy access, which is great since I’m naked under here.”
I winked at her and followed Barry. If I didn’t need a cold drink before, I sure needed one now.
CHAPTER 12
~ Beverly ~
All I could do was stare at Da
ne walk away as unbidden visions filled my head.
I saw myself gripping the lapels of the navy coveralls and pulling them apart until the snaps came undone, exposing his tanned, muscular chest. But I didn’t stop there. In my daydream, I shoved the coveralls over his shoulders, making them slide down his body until they pooled on the floor. My gaze flew to his face and ever so slowly grazed down his muscular torso.
Without thinking, I licked my lips, knowing what I would see next, and my anticipation grew.
“Beverly?”
“Huh?”
The sound of Dane’s voice came at the most inopportune time. Damn it! Just when I was getting to the good stuff. I shook my head to chase away my daydream. When his gaze met mine, I lost myself completely.
His brown eyes narrowed. “Are you okay?”
“What? I mean . . . yes¸ I’m fine.”
With a knot in my throat, I attempted to swallow while my lady parts screamed in fury at me for the interruption. It was like when you’re sleeping, in the middle of the best dream ever, and your alarm clock goes off. No matter what you do, you can never get back to the visions you were having.
Dane chuckled. “Where were you just then? You had this dreamy look on your face.”
“Oh, um . . . nowhere. I was thinking, that’s all.”
With a crooked grin, he nodded and stepped closer until his lips brushed against my ear. “You were picturing me naked, weren’t you?”
“What? No!”
I let out an exasperated breath. Dang, we really needed to put a fan in here. I fought the urge to fan myself as beads of sweat formed on the back of my neck.
“It would only be fair if you were,” he whispered. “I picture you naked every time I see you.”
He leaned back and when I looked up at him, his hooded eyes smoldered. They had darkened from a rich, warm brown to almost black, and if I’d thought my girly parts were yelling before, they were screaming now.
“I’m going to go change,” he said, “so if you want to continue with those thoughts I know you were having, be my guest.”
A rush dampened my panties as I walked out of the room. Just sweat, right? All I needed was to get some fresh air and grab a bottle of water out of the cooler, and then I’d be okay. That was what I told myself, but the truth was I wasn’t sure that was going to be enough to put out the flames Dane had ignited.
When Dane walked back after changing, I was one bottle of water down and still had no relief. He looked fresh, and the scent of his cologne, which smelled like fresh linen wrapped around a man, wafted past me in the slight summer breeze.
“Are you headed home?” He bent to grab a bottle of water for himself.
“I just got here. I was going to do some more painting and help with the cabinets. They’re scheduled to be installed today.”
“The cabinets are done. If you’d like to paint, I can stay and help you.”
My head cocked to the side as I concentrated on his words. “It’s Monday. Don’t you need to work?”
“Nope. The club is closed today.”
The plastic crinkled as he sucked the rest of the water from the bottle. Something felt off, but Dane was right. I’d forgotten the club was closed on Mondays. Yet he was dressed as if he had an office job.
Deciding not to pry, I said, “Let me go check to see what’s needed, and if we need to stay, we can. If not, I’m going to go lounge at my parents’ pool. It’s hotter than I thought it was going to be today.”
He nodded. “Okay. I guess I’ll head home if they don’t need us.”
“Would you like to come over and take a swim?”
Wait—what the hell was I doing? My mom was probably home, and she’d have a field day with this.
Dane shrugged. “If they don’t need us here, then sure. I’d love to. But I need to go get my suit, unless you’re still on that naked kick and want to go skinny-dipping.” He waggled his eyebrows and chuckled.
“I’m not on a naked kick.” With a huff, I pivoted and hurried back inside.
• • •
Since Dane and Barry had completed the cabinet work and most of the painting, I headed home to relax. But with Dane coming over, I didn’t know how relaxed I would be. All I could do was pray my mom was out. Dad had to work, but for all I knew, she’d be home and outside as well.
Today was not the day for a bikini; there was no way would I wear one in front of Dane. I was sure his women weren’t just nameless, but flawless like bombshell Barbie from the Cave. Nope. Today I’d opt for my strapless black one-piece with a keyhole back. It didn’t look old-fashioned, but it covered enough of me so I didn’t feel self-conscious of the few stretch marks I had across my stomach.
I slipped on the suit and inspected all sides of me in the mirror, cranking my head back to see if my backside was completely covered. After I exhaled a shaky breath, pulled my hair into a ponytail, and slid on a cover-up that I tied in the front, I made my way across the stone path leading to my parents’ home.
Mom was in the kitchen when I walked in through the sliding glass door in the back of the house. She looked up at the sound of slider opening and smiled at me.
“Sweetheart, I’m meeting a few ladies in the city for lunch and shopping, and we may also grab dinner.” Glancing at my attire, she said, “I see you’re ready to enjoy the sun, but if you’d like to join us, you can come too.”
She smiled warmly, and I knew that she would love for me to go since I was moving away soon, but I wanted to relax today. And shopping with Mom and her friends was anything but relaxing.
“Thank you, Mom, but I think I’ll hang here, if that’s okay.”
“Yes, of course it is. You should invite friends over to join you.” As she leaned over to kiss me on the cheek, thoughts of the friend that was coming over made my heartbeat race. “I’ll speak to you later. Have fun.”
After my mom left, I headed out to the pool. I spread out a towel for myself on a cushioned chaise lounge that could accommodate two people, and placed a folded towel on the one next to it for Dane. On the small table between the two loungers, I set down my cell phone and a tube of sunscreen. I’d lathered up at my place before I put on my swimsuit, but I needed to reapply.
As I took off my cover-up., my phone buzzed with a text from Dane.
DANE: Should I come around back?
BEVERLY: Yes.
I adjusted my swimsuit while I waited, adjusting the top as I tamped down my anxiety. There was something about Dane that made him super sexy, and it wasn’t just his looks. Maybe it was his confidence and how open he was in regard to speaking his mind. No man had ever told me they pictured me naked.
If he was as good in bed as he was at kissing, I didn’t know if I could ever be with another man and not compare him to Dane. That thought made my girly parts tingle. Now would be a great time to put on my sunglasses. At least that way, I could appreciate his male form without looking desperate.
When I saw him approach the pool area, any of my imaginings of what he might look like in swim trunks flew out the window.
Dane smiled wide as he caught my eye. “Hey there. You look comfortable.”
“Hi. I’m glad you could come over.”
“Are you kidding me? What better way to spend the day?”
He shrugged off his T-shirt, exposing his torso, which was just as taut and muscular as I’d imagined. I did my best not to count his abs, but there were eight of them—I couldn’t help myself. His black swim trunks hung low on his waist, exposing enough of the magical vee that could make women swoon and forget their own name.
He leaned over and kissed my cheek before settling on the lounger next to me. “This reminds me of my parents’ place in Virginia.”
It still amazed me that I’d be moving to the state where Dane was from. Just my luck that he’d be on tour and not there.
“It’s a shame you won’t be in Virginia when I move. It would be nice to have a friend there.”
He glanced over at me.
“I was thinking about that. Would you mind if I called my brother’s girlfriend, Lucy? You remind me of her, and I think you two would hit it off. Maybe you can get together.”
“Sure. Didn’t you say she’s a teacher?”
“She was, but after all that personal shit went down, she now works for my brother Jack. What school will you be working at? Maybe she knows people there.”
“Northern Ridge High School. Apparently, the math teacher who held the position before me moved to California.”
Dane chuckled. “Are you serious? You took Mason’s job.”
“I don’t know who I replaced. Wait, how do you know his name?”
“That’s where Lucy worked. Mason is her best friend.” He leaned back and closed his eyes. “Small world. Now you’ll have to meet Lucy. I’ll set it up.”
Small? My world felt super tiny all of a sudden.
Dane’s eyes were closed as he relaxed in the warmth of the sun, so I took this opportunity to study him a bit more. I was drinking my fill when his eyelids rose midway and he caught me ogling him.
Before I could react, he stood up and held out his hand. “Come on. Let’s go for a dip.”
When I placed my hand in his, he pulled me up and tugged me against his chest. Flustered, I lowered my gaze and it landed on his pecs. He reached up and raised my chin so my head tipped back. He easily had six inches on me, and I wasn’t petite.
“Do you realize how beautiful you are? How hard it is to lie next to you and not touch you?” His dark eyes smoldered at me as I slowly shook my head from side to side. “It’s killing me, and if I don’t get in the pool soon, I’m going to make you mine faster than I intended to.”
His? “You want to make me yours?”
“More than you know. Did you think I was lying when I said I picture you naked when I see you? The only thing I omitted was I imagine myself buried deep in you, making you writhe underneath me as I give you more pleasure than you’ve ever known.”
My entire body trembled at his words. Awareness shot to my nipples, making them tingle, and I could feel my suit dampen between my legs. Yes, we needed to get in the pool before I embarrassed myself.
Gripped (Prescott #2) Page 9
