by Debra Kayn
Next to the bar, she spotted the couple. He had his arm around the woman and she hung on to him as if she’d had too many drinks. “I see them.”
“That’s Craig Fresnick. Our goalie.” Dominic scooted his chair closer to the railing.
“His girlfriend’s pretty.”
He chuckled. “It’s not his girlfriend.”
“Oh.”
Growing up in Cottage Grove with Grayson, and him being a former Wimbledon champion, she should’ve known that. He’d paraded models and movie stars around everywhere before Shauna came back to town. She glanced at Dominic. He watched the couple with an unreadable expression.
Why did it bother her to think in two weeks when she went back to real life, Dominic would be down there with his arm around any female he wanted? He had his pick of choices, any one of them more beautiful than the next.
Movement caught her eye and she turned. At least a dozen women followed the waitress into their private room. They surrounded Dominic before she could prepare for what was guaranteed to come.
“Hey, back off.” She stood, glad for the jacket making her look bigger.
They ignored her. Dominic closed his eyes briefly and held his hands in front of him. She pushed her way around the table and grabbed arms, yanking the women away. Stickier than rubber glue, they only wiggled their way back between her and Dominic.
They were outnumbered. She planted her hands on her hips, staring between the bodies at Dominic, who now stood pressed against the railing. This was crazy. She had to do something.
She stuck two fingers in her mouth and blew. Her whistle would deafen anyone in a five-foot radius. Every head turned her way. Using a woman’s shoulder for balance, she stepped up onto Dominic’s vacant chair.
“Back. Off. Now.” She glared at the crowd, while pointing at Dominic. “He’s mine.”
The women glanced between her and back to their eye candy. She whistled again, grabbing their attention. “Out, before I pull those pretty hair extensions and get you all thrown out of here. Trust me, girls. You do not want me to go there.”
Slowly, the women shuffled away from Dom and headed toward the door. Dominic lifted their drinks out of the server’s hands before she made her exit and set them on the table. Diana leaned over and gave him a high five.
The last woman, a tall one even without her heels, reached over, plucked Dominic’s hair, and seemed to study the few strands pinched between her fingers. Diana hopped down and scooped the hair out of her hand. “I don’t think so, bitch.”
“I’m from Nomora. I’d like a few — ”
“Absolutely not.” She stalked the women out of the room, shut the door, and locked her and Dominic inside. Brushing her hands off, she returned to her pretend date. He handed her glass to her.
“To the best girlfriend I’ve ever had.” He held up his beer.
She clinked her glass against his. The lust in Dominic’s gaze told her the date was going a little too well. She’d have to bring him back down to earth. “Lucky for you, she’s well worth the money.”
Chapter Eight
“I think you should get a restraining order against Nomora. Stealing your hair is a crime, or should be.” In the last hour, Diana had moved her chair closer to his. “The more I think about it, the company is getting desperate. Sending a woman in to do their dirty work, getting physical and expecting you to be okay with it because you’re a male, well that’s disgusting.”
“The police department will only laugh at me. I’ve contacted them before, more than once, to have them escort the women away from the arena and my condominium,” he said. “Although, I’ve never had one pull my hair to get a sample without asking first.”
To Dominic’s surprise, the night passed in continual play back and forth between him and Diana. The music shifted to slower songs, and the noise dimmed the later the hour grew. They’d achieved nothing they’d come to the club for, but he’d gained so much more.
The spirit inside Diana caught him unaware. Her positive outlook on life, including her love of her friends, family, and town had him missing Russia in a good way. He counted his blessings rather than dwell on the difficulties he faced in the United States.
“Do you want another drink?” He’d waited upstairs while she’d retrieved them both another order from the bar earlier, but she seemed in no hurry to grab more.
“Two is a good limit.”
He grinned. “I’m still driving home.”
She patted his hand. “Please?”
“Next time.” He caught her fingers and pulled her closer.
They both leaned toward each other. He stroked the back of her hand with this thumb. Dainty and smooth, she seemed fragile but he knew differently after seeing her in action defending him against the other women.
“Thanks for coming with me tonight.” He spread her fingers, linking his hand with hers.
“I’ve had fun,” she whispered. “More than I imagined I would.”
He lifted his gaze. “Me too.”
All during his career playing hockey, he’d experienced many highs. Goals made, penalty shots that’d won the game, but her confession went right to his soul. He never wanted the night to end. His voice grew husky. “Dance with me.”
“Down there?” She glanced over the railing. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea after what happened.”
He shook his head. “Here. Just you and me.”
“Okay.”
As if they had all the time in the world, they slowly stood, hands still linked together, and moved to the center of the room. So intent on watching her, he simply stood in front of her. Whether it was from the dim light behind her or the prospect of them going to hold each other, her blue eyes darkened.
She wet her lips with her tongue, staring into his eyes. The move snapped him into action, and he pulled her toward him, wrapping his arm around the back of her waist, while holding her other hand to his chest. Her smoldering gaze slid to his, and a fierce need to protect her came over him.
Unaccustomed to dancing, he took his cue from Diana and swayed to the music. She laid her head against his chest. His breath quickened in response, and her body relaxed against his. Together they fell into a rhythm.
The music changed, but neither one of them seemed to be ready to stop. He closed his eyes, confident that his feet could continue moving without him watching.
Stomach to chest, thigh to leg, pressed together tighter than a perfectly fit puzzle piece, he simply held her. Inhaling the sweet scent of jasmine from her curls, he let go of worrying about how he was doing on their date. He forgot about their agreement, and even that she was only pretending to be his girlfriend. Never had he had the chance to enjoy a woman on his terms, in his own time.
Best of all, he wasn’t alone. He was so damn tired of being alone.
With Diana, there was no rush, no pawing, and no desire to explain why they were dancing. He could enjoy their time together and experience all the emotions that came with something new. Already highly addicted to what he had with Diana, he knew no other woman in his life had every brought him this much contentment to enjoy the situation.
Being comfortable with her, and losing time they shared together beat the hell out of the fast pace of fighting women off and taking a one-night stand when he gave up on fighting.
He lowered his hand on her back, until his fingers moved over the slight curve of her butt. There he held her tight against him, luxuriating in the way they molded with one another.
“You fascinate me,” he whispered.
She tilted her head. “Then we’re even, because you’re confusing me.”
“I’m not a complicated man.” He inhaled deeply. “I enjoy playing hockey. On Sundays I read the paper in bed. I call my family a couple of times a month and I appreciate the friends I have in my life. I’m also learning that I have a deep desire to get to know more about a woman who enjoys driving my car, has a solid dream she’s determined to go after, and can go up against a
room full of women without breaking a sweat.”
“Dom … ” She dropped her forehead against his chest.
He lifted her chin, until he could look into her eyes. “Most of all, I want to kiss you in the worst way.”
“I-I can’t.”
She stepped back, but he pulled her closer. “Yes, you can.”
“Please.” She pushed against him.
He let her go, chilled from the loss of her heat and her regression. She wasn’t stopping because of something he’d done or didn’t do. They were having fun, getting to know each other, and she was right there with him when they danced. Whatever kept her from him came from something inside her.
“Can you tell me why?”
She slipped on his jacket, wrapping the front around her and hugging her middle. She appeared so uncertain and wary, he wanted to wrap her in his arms and never let go.
“It’s … not important. I just can’t.” She shook her head, regret burning in her eyes.
He slipped his hands deep into his front pockets and rocked back on the heels of his shoes. Failure sat heavy on his shoulders. “It’s late. We should probably go home.”
She nodded. He held out his hand. Her attempt at a smile as she slipped her fingers between his broke his heart.
“I’m not going to let you run away from me without explaining. I will find out why you won’t allow yourself to get closer to me before our time is up. That’s a promise.”
“Let it go,” she said.
“I can’t do that,” he muttered. “For a change, I’m the one who seems to be out of control when it comes to you.”
Together, they unlocked the door, walked down the stairs, and exited the empty downstairs. As the left through the back door, a flash exploded. He pulled Diana into his side, and curled her away from the paparazzi.
“Enough. You’ve got your picture, leave us alone.” He held his hand in front of the camera and ushered Diana across the parking lot. “I hadn’t realized how late we’d stayed. I think we closed the club.” He held the door open as she slid into the passenger seat. “At least we got our picture taken, so we accomplished our goal.”
She smiled sadly at him without answering.
He stroked her cheek. “It’ll be okay.”
“Will it?” she whispered.
“Yeah.” He kissed her forehead. “I promise. You just have to trust me.”
Rounding the back of the Porsche, he cussed under his breath. Frustrated with the inability to move things forward with Diana, he didn’t have a clue what he was supposed to do to fix the situation. Couldn’t she tell he liked her?
Hell, he was a walking hard-on since he’d met her. He paused outside his door, and laid his hands on the top of the car. They were both grown adults. What caused her to pull away from him?
What did she see in him that other women were blind to? It was as if life was playing a joke on him, and he couldn’t have the one person he wanted. He wasn’t learning a damn thing about how to fix his life, and he was taking penalty hit after hit with Diana. Life sucked.
Chapter Nine
After a silent ride home, Diana mumbled good night to Dominic and closed herself into her room. Exhausted and emotionally drained, she took off Dominic’s jacket, stripped out of her dress, and stood naked, eyeing his blazer.
Without letting herself think about what she was doing, she slipped his jacket back on, covering her nakedness, and lay down on the bed. She closed her eyes, wanting to forget the fact that Dominic was close enough for her to kiss.
He’d wanted her. The hungry glaze over his eyes showed her how much he wanted to kiss her. She wanted it too, but she couldn’t allow herself to go that far. She knew deep down if she kissed him, she wouldn’t want to stop.
Besides, he could have anyone he wanted. All he had to do is pick one woman from the club, and he’d be having sex in his bed right now. No one ever told him no. He was a player, and he’d played her right into his arms. The whole night while they danced, she’d let herself pretend they were on a real date. She’d let herself believe that something was happening between them, that his attempt at asking her out on a date all the time and not giving up, meant something.
Everything he’d done gave her a secure feeling that he only had eyes for her tonight. Even when the other women were dressed more scantily and more beautiful than she was, he’d focused on her. She sighed. He’d done everything right. There was not one thing she could cling to that proved Dominic as a player off the rink.
God, she was in trouble.
Once she’d stopped thinking about him as a big jock, she’d seen a side of him that she found impossible to ignore. He was down to earth, easygoing, and he had an almost innocent quality about him that mystified her. A man who had women fighting over him could not possibly come away without a long track record with the ladies. All jocks were the same, and she’d been made a fool of before. Even though she’d never loved her college boyfriend in the true-adult sense, his betrayal stung her self-esteem. She rather not put herself in that same position again.
She must be missing something.
At odds with her feelings, she leaned over and picked her purse off the floor. Finding her phone, she called Shauna. If anyone could talk some sense into her, it was someone who’d loved someone famous for her whole life.
“Diana?” Shauna mumbled on the other end of the phone. “What’s wrong?”
“Hey. I need your help.” She rolled over on her back and sighed. “Sorry to call at this hour. I don’t want you to panic, but I think I’m in trouble.”
Without stopping, she quickly filled Shauna in on what happened. She even explained why she took the job and swore her to secrecy. She had no doubt her plan to buy the Ferriday house would remain between them. She could ask for no better friends than Shauna and Kate.
“Then he asked me to kiss him.” She lifted the collar of Dom’s jacket and sniffed. “I can’t do that, although I want to. God, I want him in the worst way and it’s driving me insane. I’m freaking losing my mind. I swear, you wouldn’t even recognize me and the way I’m acting.”
“Why?” Shauna asked. “What’s stopping you from going for it with Dominic? He’s a good guy, babe.”
“I refuse to be another conquest in his life.” She lowered her voice. “I thought this whole thing of hiring me to play his girlfriend and discovering why I wasn’t attracted to him was his way of convincing me to sleep with him. I had no idea he was serious. I really thought I’d play him in his own game, but everything backfired on me. Do you know a woman tonight even pulled his hair, and we think she was hired by the cologne company that’s after him?”
“That’s sick.” Shauna paused. “Then why did you go with him tonight if you think he’s playing you?”
She snorted. “Honestly, I wanted the cash. I figured if he was stupid enough to offer, I’d be smart enough to take it.”
“Oh, Diana … that’s so wrong.”
“I know, and I feel awful.” She swallowed. “He’s a professional athlete. I’m … only beginning to figure out what I want in life. The truth is, he only asked me to stay with him, because I wouldn’t agree to go out with him all the other times he asked and we haven’t figured out why he attracts women the way he does. I have a feeling I’m going to get my heart broken whether I make it the two weeks without having sex with him or not.”
“Wait a sec. I want to ask Grayson something … ”
Diana rolled over on her side, and pulled her pillow to her chest, hugging the silk pillowcase. In the background, she could hear Grayson speaking to Diana.
“Did you get that?”
“Not all of it.” She sat up and crossed her bare legs.
“Long story short, Grayson said that Dominic never dates. Ever.”
“No way.” Diana propped her head in her hand. “He can’t go anywhere without women giving him their phone number or falling over him. No man can refuse women who are openly willing to conceive his first born child i
n every position possible while stroking his ego.”
“It’s true. Grayson wouldn’t lie about something like that. He goes out with women, but never has a relationship with them. Even Grayson thinks it’s weird how Dominic refuses to take advantage of the women … which I’m going to punch Grayson when I get off the phone for even admitting that to me.”
A man in complete control? She groaned. He was making her life crazy.
The sound of his voice, that deep timbre that left her trembling in his arms in the VIP room, rasping over her senses, had nearly been her undoing tonight. Was she wrong about Dominic?
“What am I supposed to do now?” she whispered into the phone.
Shauna laughed. “Go get laid. Isn’t that what you always told me?”
“Look how that worked. You still waited to give yourself to Grayson. You were the only virgin all the way through college and even after.”
“Listen. Dominic isn’t like Grayson. You’re not competing with anyone. There’s no hurry to make up your mind tonight. You still have a couple of weeks with him. Get to know him.” A slap came over the phone. “Grayson, stop.”
“You two make me sick, you know that right?” Diana smiled. “I’m sorry for waking you up, go back to sleep, or back to whatever you and Grayson were doing before I called and interrupted.”
“What are you going to do about Dominic?”
“Hell if I know.” Diana blew her hair out of her eyes. “I’ll talk to you later.”
She tossed the phone to the end of the bed and flopped back on the mattress. There was nothing she could do about Dominic tonight that couldn’t wait until the morning. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand and groaned. Make that this morning.
Chapter Ten
Despite going to bed two hours ago, Diana woke early. Biding her time, she took a bath, performed twenty minutes of yoga, and paced her room before finally opening the door and taking the chances of facing Dominic.
She peered into his open bedroom on the way down the hall, not expecting to see him lounging atop his bed in a pair of boxers reading the newspaper. Realizing she was staring, she turned to go to the kitchen when Dominic called her name.
