Playing for Hearts (32 page)

“Dom.” Her tone warned him to step back.

He crooked his finger and motioned for her to follow. “I can solve the problem.”

In the living room, he held his black blazer open in front of him. She walked to him, sliding her arms into the sleeves. The jacket fell to mid-thigh, past her dress and big enough to wrap around her twice.

He rolled the sleeves above her elbows. She posed, feeling more like a football player with the added padding on her shoulders.

“Mm … ” Dominic stepped back and appraised her new outfit.

“Too much? Too manly? Too stupid to be seen at the club when every other woman will be knock out gorgeous?”

“Hell no,” he whispered. “Even better. No one can argue with us about our relationship. You're my woman.”

What was it with him enjoying seeing his clothes on her? She pulled her hair out from under the collar, choosing to ignore his kink for tonight, because she sorta dug the
I'm taken
style that came with wearing his jacket.

He hesitated before opening the door. She ran into his back, clutched his shirt, and steadied herself. The four-inch heels were higher than she normally wore.

“Are you sure we shouldn't call the security team?” he asked. “It'd be safer.”

“We need to look authentic. Nobody will believe we're lovers out for a night of alone time if we're dragging your thugs around.”

“Stay close to me.” He sighed. “I don't want you getting hurt.”

To her delight, he handed the keys to the Porsche over to her. She grinned as she slid into the driver's seat. The leather seats caressed the back of her legs.

A few times during the drive, she sped over the speed limit. She glanced at Dominic. He smiled as if he understood her desire to ignore the rules for the night. She tried to pretend the excitement racing through her veins came from operating the Porsche.

Driving was only the whip cream on her piece of Dominic pie. Alone, he gave her all of his attention. The spark of attraction hovered below the surface, becoming harder to ignore. It was in the way he helped her into his jacket, the way his gaze heated her core, and the way it felt to sit beside a man almost twice her size and come away feeling feminine and cared for.

For once, she enjoyed forgetting about her personal deadline she'd set to own a bed and breakfast, or her job at the hotel, or how her parents would freak when she splurged out on her own and gambled with her life savings by buying the Ferriday House. Tonight was all about her and Dom, even if they were only pretending.

Somehow when they arrived at their destination, Dominic arranged a way through the backdoor of the Pulse nightclub. Rushed through the stairway and sequestered into the VIP room on the second floor overlooking the dance floor and bar, she collapsed in a chair, laughing.

“The point of being seen in public was to actually mingle with the crowd.” She wiggled out of his jacket, hitched her dress higher, and peered out to the packed club below them. “This is wild. I'm definitely no longer at the Quayside, but I'm afraid no one will see us up here all alone.”

“I'm not so sure we should do this.” He sank down onto the chair. “I don't want you getting mixed up in the crowd.

“Oh, come on, Dom.” She leaned forward. “Live a little.”

The waitress came in their room. Diana glanced down, making sure her dress stayed put. When she peered back at the woman, it wouldn't have mattered if she was naked and doing the hula hoop. Dominic had the woman's whole attention.

This time, she wasn't giving an inch. She reached over and slipped her fingers into his hand. He gave her a squeeze back.

“What would you like to drink?” he asked.

“Depends. Are you driving or am I?”

He chuckled. “I will.”

“Blue Lagoon then.”

Dominic shifted to the waitress. “My girlfriend will have a Blue Lagoon. I'll have whatever beer you have on tap.”

The waitress sighed. “I get off in an hour. Will you still be here?”

Dominic's mouth opened, and before he could say anything, Diana stood and separated the woman from her pretend boyfriend. “Let's get something straight. That's my man. Hands off, or things will get ugly real fast, chica. Got it? Oh, and before you leave, you might want to spread the news to everyone. I'm in a bad mood tonight, and it isn't going to take much for me to go crazy on someone interrupting my night.”

The woman frowned. “I'll be back.”

“I'll be ready.” She hitched up her dress, and remained standing while the woman left.

When it was safe to let down her guard, she returned to the table. Dominic stared. She shrugged self-consciously.

“Don't get any wild ideas that my rushing to your defense meant anything.” She glanced at him below her lashes. “This is all an act. I kind of got caught up in playing the badass.”

“That was the hottest thing I've ever seen,” he whispered.

She laughed, relaxing. Hot or not, it was fun to pretend she was tougher than she normally was.

To be on the safe side, she slipped his jacket back on. Then she double checked her dress and exhaled in relief when she stayed covered. If she had to use her muscles to get rid of the waitress when she returned, she'd be ready.

The song changed below them. She turned and leaned over the railing. The atmosphere infectious, she danced in her seat enjoying the music.

“Do you want to dance?”

She shook her head. “Not yet, unless you want to go down there with everyone.”

“I'm good.” He pointed. “See the guy in the black shirt next to the blonde with the dark blue dress?”

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.”

“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.”