Las Vegas Sidewinders: Dominic (7 page)

“Molly looks thoughtful.”
Toli spoke from behind her and she jumped.

“Oh! You scared me.”

“Sorry.” He flashed a grin.
“I am Anatoli. I did not know Dom had a new girlfriend.”

“I’m not his girlfriend.
We’re just friends and roommates. I’m getting ready to go through an ugly
divorce, and he’s helping me.”

“And you are helping him?”

“I’m trying. He’s been very
kind, so if I can help him accomplish what he needs to, I will.”

“Why do you divorce?” he
asked bluntly.

“Because my husband hits
me.” She raised her chin a notch.

Looking deep into her eyes,
he studied her face. “Your husband did this?” He touched the spot just below
her right eye with his thumb. Though it was almost healed, there were still
yellow-green bruises that the makeup couldn’t completely hide.

“Yes, and much more.” She
shuddered suddenly, realizing how terrified she was of going back to him after
just a little bit of freedom.

“Toli will also be your friend,”
he announced. “I am single; you are single. We can be friends?”

She laughed. “Yes, I’d like
that very much.”

“Will Molly go to dinner
with Toli?”

“Um…” She hesitated,
blinking in confusion. She hadn’t expected this.

“Not a date,” he clarified
as he noted her hesitation. “Just friends. Like you and Dom.”

“Then yes. I’d like that. We
just have to go places where I won’t run into my husband. He’s a policeman here
and has a lot of friends.”

Toli muttered in Russian
again. “Do not worry—we will go to Los Angeles or Reno. Someplace this asshole
cannot find Molly!”

She smiled. “Thank you. That
sounds lovely.”

“Is a date.” He turned and
walked back into the house, leaving her staring after him in confusion that was
coupled with happiness. She had friends, a wonderful place to live and now an
almost-date. Things were happening quickly, and she was hanging on for the
ride.

The next morning, Suze
helped Molly pack all her new belongings in a suitcase and listened in
amazement as she told her that Toli was going to take her to L.A. for dinner
one night next week.

“You’re going out with
Toli
?”
Suze was gaping at her. “Dom is
not
going to be happy.”

“What are you talking about?
We’re just friends. He’s way too young for me, and anyway, it’s not like
Dom
would date me!”

“Well, if you’re going to
look at it that way, why would Toli? He’s rich and successful and also younger
than you!”

“Dom is eleven years younger
than I am, Toli is only five. That’s not quite as embarrassing.”

“I don’t know why you’re
embarrassed. Dom likes you!”

“I can’t afford to get
involved with anyone right now. I’m still married, and in a precarious
situation. Anyway, Toli is safe because I think he’s still in love with his
girl back in Russia.”

“Girlfriend, you need to
grab life by the balls and stop worrying about what’s safe.”

“I know.”

Suze zipped up the suitcase.
“Now get on home and think about what I said.”

“I will.” Molly took the bag
and headed downstairs to where Dom was waiting.

“Ready to go?” His smile
made her heart beat a little faster. Could he possibly be any better-looking
than he was? He was really tall, probably close to a foot taller than her own
5’7”, with shoulders as wide as a house. But it was really his eyes that held
her captive: so dark and mysterious, surrounded by high cheekbones and a great
mouth. There was a scar across his cheek, but it just made him seem rugged and
even sexier.

“I’m ready.” She forced
herself to stop staring at him and hurried out to the car. As she fastened her
seat belt, she hoped he hadn’t noticed how flustered she was. She didn’t know
how she was going to continue to live with someone who made her feel like a
foolish teenager. Maybe going out with Toli was a good thing. Suze might be
right that Dom wasn’t going to like it. Though he’d never made any kind of
sexual overtures, she recalled his offer to make love to her if the opportunity
arose. He might not be interested in a relationship with her, but he was
definitely the kind of guy who might be a little possessive given their shared
experiences. It made her nervous because of the way Tim had treated her, but it
was also thrilling because the reality was that Dom wasn’t Tim. She clung to
that hope because the alternative was unacceptable.

“I’m going to go to dinner
with Toli next week,” she said slowly. “Is that okay?”

“What?” He turned to stare
at her. For a moment neither of them spoke and then he shook his head in
apology. “I’m sorry,” he said. “You caught me off guard. You don’t have to ask
my permission to go out.”

“I know, but I wanted to
make sure you didn’t mind. He just got here and he seems really broken up about
Tatiana. So when he mentioned dinner, as friends, I said okay.”

“You should absolutely go
out with him,” Dom said, though he had to force the enthusiasm. “He’s a great
guy. He was a mentor to us while we were in college. I was really bummed when
he and Sergei went back to Russia.”

“Do you think he’ll play
here?”

“I don’t know. Whenever
there’s an expansion, there has to be a draft. Each of the existing teams can
protect a certain number of players, and then the new teams pick from those who
aren’t protected. In Cody’s case, he asked not to be protected, to give them a
chance to keep some of their young talent, and also so he could come here. I
don’t know how a free agent from the KHL fits into management’s plan, but he’s
a damn good player and a leader on any team. His numbers weren’t as high in the
KHL as they were in the NHL, but Sergei says that’s because of Tatiana.”

“Would you like him to stay
here?”

“Hell, yeah! He’s amazing on
and off the ice.”

“That’s good to know.”

“So where are you guys going
to go for dinner? Are you sure it’s safe?”

“We’re going to drive to
L.A. for the day. He said we could leave in the morning, do some sightseeing,
have dinner and then drive home after the L.A. traffic dies down.”

“That’s a lot of driving.”

“But there’s almost zero
chance of running into anyone who knows me.”

“That’s true,” said Dom.
“It’ll be great. I’m glad you’re making friends.”

“Me, too. Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me.
I told you I was going to help you, and I have every intention of doing that.”

She reached across the seat
and laid her hand on his. “I may never stop thanking you.”

He glanced over at her.
Their eyes met briefly and something sparked between them once again. Molly
forced herself to turn away. She had to stop letting him get her so worked up.
She was in no position to get involved with anyone, much less someone so young
and hot. But he sure made her want to.

The next week was busy, with
Dom and Cody helping Toli find an apartment and all of them spending a lot of
time at the gym. Dom was also meeting with a psychologist once a week, in
addition to his anger management classes, and Molly could see it was wearing on
him. When Dom came home after a day that started at the gym and was followed by
anger management and a visit with the psychologist, plus taking Toli to see a
few apartments, he was grumpy.

“You look tired,” she said
as he came in and sank onto the couch.

“I’m just over all of this.
I know I screwed up and that this is what I have to do to get my career back on
track, but it’s a pain in the ass running from one place to another where all
they want to do is talk.”

“You just have to remind
yourself how much it means to you to play in the NHL,” she said, placing her
hands on his shoulders as she stood behind him. He reached up to cover her hand
with one of his.

“Thanks,” he said. “They
just don’t understand. I don’t have anger problems—I have grief and guilt problems.”

“So why don’t you tell that
to your therapist?”

“I’m afraid she’ll tell the
NHL that I’m in denial or something.”

“She’s supposed to be
helping you. You have to trust that she can. Don’t say you
don’t
have
anger issues; instead, mention that you’re
also
struggling with guilt
and grief. See where it leads.”

He looked up at her
gratefully. “That’s pretty smart.”

“I try,” she said. “So,
would you like a beer? I’ve got dinner in the oven. It should be done soon.”

“You didn’t have to cook.
You don’t owe me that.”

“I’m not cooking because I
owe
you anything. I’m cooking because I love to cook, and I think maybe I’ve found
someone who will actually appreciate it.”

“I love to eat,” he
admitted. “Whatcha cookin’?”

“Homemade stuffed shells,
garlic bread and a Caesar salad.”

“I might have to marry you
if you go on spoiling me like this.”

Molly felt her cheeks grow
warm. “Don’t be silly.” She turned and headed back to the kitchen. “Five more
minutes!” she called over her shoulder. “Why don’t you go take a quick shower
and then we can eat?”

“Will do!” he called back,
disappearing into his room.

Out of his sight, Molly
leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. She would do anything to hold on
to this moment. Tim had never been so relaxed and easygoing, not even in the
beginning. She’d never been with anyone who made her feel happy and needed.
She’d really never wanted anything but a family to take care of. She’d wanted
to be a nurse for a while, but Tim had quashed those dreams long ago. Now Dom
was giving her the ability to dream again. If she could just keep her emotions
in check, everything might be okay. Maybe once they were alone together, she
would be attracted to Toli the way she was to Dom, and then she would stop
having this kind of reaction to a man she could never have.

The drive to Los Angeles was
fun, with the top down on Toli’s rental car, music blasting on the radio and
them singing at the top of their lungs. Molly couldn’t remember the last time
she’d felt so carefree. Toli was probably the funniest person she’d ever met,
and he’d had her laughing from the moment he picked her up. Her only regret was
the odd look on Dom’s face when she’d left.

“Be careful,” he’d whispered
as she’d been about to step out the door. “Make sure Toli understands how dangerous
Tim is.”

“I will,” she’d whispered
back, as if they had some special secret. He was so sweet and thoughtful, as
well as sexy and mildly possessive, she almost didn’t leave. But he’d already
gone back to the baseball game he had on the TV, so she slipped out. She was
excited about going to L.A. and spending the day with Toli, but part of her
wished it were Dom taking her.

“How is possible Molly never
goes to LA.? Is only three or four hours—if you drive very slow.” Toli looked
at her questioningly once they were on the road.

“We never had any money when
I was growing up, and Tim never took me anywhere.”

“Stupid man.” He shook his
head. “You are beautiful woman—why does he treat Molly badly?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “I
used to think there was something wrong with me, but now I know it’s him. His
eyes, they almost turn black when he looks at me, as if I’m evil, and I’ve
never done anything except try to make him happy.”

“Asshole.” Toli touched her
arm. “He loses. Toli wins.”

She couldn’t help but giggle.
“And what about Tatiana? Why have you been together so long without getting
married?”

“Tatiana is a doctor,” he
said with obvious pride. “But never happy. Always more school, more training,
more specialty. Toli asks for this to stop. Tatiana says no. Big fights. Toli
wants wedding, maybe a baby. Tatiana wants success. Not money,” he added
hurriedly. “Just pride and accomplishment. Her parents always say that Tatiana
is stupid, not good enough. They are also doctors, and always trying to prove
Tatiana is not so good. So Tatiana shows everyone she is not just good, but the
best. At everything.”

“Except making Toli happy,”
Molly said gently.

“Yes, very bad at this.” He
sighed. “No more talk about Tim and Tatiana?”

“No more.” She rested her
head against the seat. “This is the best day I’ve ever had.”

“We have done nothing yet.”

“No one is asking me about
dinner, no one is hitting me, no one is yelling or throwing things. I have
sunshine, a friend, good music—for me, this is heaven.”

He smiled. “Yes, Toli thinks
so too.”

Toli obviously knew his way
around L.A. Taking the 405 freeway south towards Santa Monica, he parked and
escorted Molly to the pier, making her laugh with stories from the NHL and the
KHL; about his brother Sergei; and even about Dom, Cody and Brian. Molly
laughed until her sides hurt. They walked on the pier and rode the Ferris
wheel. He bought her a wonderful dinner at a restaurant on the water in Venice,
and then they walked back towards Santa Monica along the shore, holding their
shoes in their hands. He reached for her hand at one point, and she let him
pull her as they ran through the puddles as the tide came in.

“We’re getting wet!” she
squealed.

“Is summer,” he said with a
laugh. “You will melt?”

“No. I just don’t want to
sit in wet clothes all the way home!”

“Toli will buy dry clothes.”
He pulled her close and looked down into her sparkling green eyes. “Molly is
happy?”

“Yes.”

“Toli likes this.” He leaned
forward slowly, and Molly felt herself all but stop breathing. Was he going to
kiss
her? She had no idea what to do as his lips lightly touched hers. He hovered,
waiting for a response, and she gently returned pressure but kept her mouth
closed. He paused, leaning his forehead against hers. “Toli’s kiss is not
interesting.” He made a simple statement, without any kind of censure.

“It is,” she protested.
“It’s just…”

“Molly thinks of Dom and
Toli thinks of Tatiana.” He sighed. “No spark?”

“I’m sorry.”

“No.” He shook his head.
“Toli thought maybe this would be good for both, but is obvious is nothing
there. Friends?”

“Of course.”

“Do not be sad,” he said,
throwing his arm around her shoulders as they began to walk again. He nudged
her with his hip. “This is okay. Friends are important. Friends maybe more
important than lovers—friends are always there. Lovers… they go.”

“I won’t go anywhere,” she
assured him. “I hope you’re not angry with me.”

“That is not how Toli
works,” he said. “Toli is also to blame.”

“I would really hate to ruin
the best day ever over a kiss.”

“Kiss was not bad. Toli and
Molly have other thoughts.”

“I’m trying so hard not to
like him!” she sighed, “but I can’t help it.”

“Why should you not like
him? Dom is great guy. Does Molly still love Tim?”

“What? No! I can’t stop
thinking about Dom, but—” She bit her lip.

“What?”

“Look at me! I’ll be forty
in July! Dom is twenty-eight. He’s gorgeous and rich.”

“Toli is not gorgeous and
rich?” he teased, taking her hand and swinging it between them.

“Yes, but Toli is only five
years younger than me—not almost twelve,” she said. “And Toli is probably going
back to Russia, so I don’t think you’re serious about me.”

“Toli is still confused
about Tatiana, but Toli doesn’t play games with women. If there was no
interest, there would be no date. Casual sex is nice, but not between
friends
.
This is not appropriate. Today is all for Molly, to be happy and see L.A. and
leave the place that brings pain for one day. Maybe not
love
, but
interest is real.”

She smiled, comfortably
holding his hand as they walked back towards the car, the sun setting on the
horizon and the breeze blowing through her hair. The sun was low enough in the
sky that she could look out over the water and ruminate over everything that
had happened in the last couple of weeks. “I’m sorry there was no spark between
us. I really like you, but…”

“But heart beats for Dom.”
He smiled too. “This is okay. Dom is lucky.”

“Dom doesn’t look at me like
that.”

“No?” He raised his
eyebrows. “Maybe Molly doesn’t see.”

“What’s to see? I’m too old
and fat and boring for him.”

“Not true.” He paused,
taking her by the arm. He brought her fingers to his lips and gently placed a
kiss there. “Do you think Toli cannot find a date?”

“I’m sure you can, but—”

“But what? Why would Toli
ask Molly for date and then a kiss? Because Molly is fat and old? No. Molly is
beautiful—if Dom does not see this, other men
will
. I know many men who
will like Molly very much. And if Tatiana does not change, Toli will ask Molly
out again.”

For the first time in her
life, Molly felt nothing but joy. With a grin, she tugged at his hand and they
continued walking. She couldn’t remember the last time Tim had held her hand
and she didn’t care if this was friendship, a budding romance or simply a
wonderful day; she’d never felt more alive.

Watching them pull up in
front of the building, Dom let out the breath he felt like he’d been holding
all day. Although he’d bought Molly a cell phone, he didn’t feel he could call
her while she was out with Toli. He wasn’t a lover with a right to be jealous,
and he knew he would lose her friendship if he tried to keep her on a leash.
Tim had done enough to her, and he refused to cause her any more distress. He
just wanted her to be happy, but he’d hoped she would be interested in him, not
in one of his best friends. He watched unhappily as she and Toli got out of the
car. Molly approached him and she and Toli laughed about something as he
wrapped his arms around her.

Stepping away from the
window, Dom sighed. Damn. Maybe he’d been wrong about her. Maybe she
was
just looking for a rich husband to save her from her awful life. Well, of
course she was, he told himself. Who wouldn’t want to get away from a guy like
Tim? He honestly couldn’t blame her. She hadn’t asked for anything and had been
honest about the fact that she had nothing to offer him other than friendship.
In fact, he couldn’t blame her for looking at a man who had immediately made it
clear that he liked her. Why shouldn’t she take a chance on a great guy like
Toli?

Toli was older, Dom reasoned
as he stretched out on the couch. He and Molly probably had a lot in common,
despite the language barrier. Toli would be good to her, and she would
definitely be safe. Toli acted like a goofball, but he was fiercely protective
of those he cared about. No, Molly would have a good life if she and Toli were
together. He just found himself wishing she were interested in him. He didn’t
know why; she was quite a bit older than he and probably not as attractive as
many of the women he’d been with over the years, but there was something about
her that made his heart pound.

First and foremost, her eyes
mesmerized him. He loved looking at them, and at her. Her long legs made his
mouth water and he’d dreamt about having them wrapped around his waist. Her
mouth just begged to be kissed, and the fact that she’d never had an orgasm
drove him wild. He’d initially thought that his attraction to her was simply
because it had been a few months since he’d had sex, but the more he got to
know her, the more he liked everything about her.

The fact that she could cook
just added bonus points, and although he wasn’t 100% sure, he knew she had to
feel the sparks when their eyes met. Maybe she thought him too young for her,
but their bond was evident every moment they spent together. Their friendship
was already solid, and he wouldn’t disrespect that, but he didn’t know what he
would do if she got into a relationship with Toli without even giving him a
chance. Somehow, he had to make her notice him as more than a friend. He didn’t
know what he felt for her, but he knew he had to try to figure it out. He’d
gone a long time convincing himself that he might be a danger to any woman he
got in a relationship with, but he knew in his soul that he would never hurt
Molly. Knowing that gave him strength, and he made the decision that he would
work on trying to get her to see him as a potential lover, not just as a
friend.