Playing for Hearts (37 page)

She peered out the side window, unresponsive. He drove another mile and whipped in to the parking lot of a restaurant across from the Tank. He shut off the engine.

“What are you doing?” She glanced at him.

“I want you to talk with me.” He let his hands fall to his lap.

“There's nothing to say, Dominic. What happened is probably a good thing. You and I are … just wrong for each other. I'm not a prude, and I've had my share of relationships, but I won't compete with women who play unfair or with a man who can have a different woman every night if he wishes. If a man was worth fighting for, you could bet I'd die rather than let a woman put her hands on him, but you're a hockey player. The women come with the territory.”

“Bullshit.”

Her brows rose. “You need to respect my decision to keep this relationship as employee-employer. You knew before I agreed to the job that I had no intentions of going out with you. Living at your condominium … I let myself think something more was going on between us, when there really isn't.”

“There is,” he whispered, but it came out harsh and raspy to his own ears.

She shook her head sadly. “No, Dom. There's a desire to have sex together, but I won't settle for being another number to you or watching another woman take my place in your bed. It's not fair of you to ask that of me.”

“What do you want from me?” He lifted his hands and let them fall on the steering wheel. “I've told you how much I care about you. I haven't been with any women for months, way before I met you. I have no control over what other people say or do. The only thing I can hope is you'll believe me.”

“There are so many women — ”

“In the past. None of them meant anything to me, and I know that sounds cold, but I'm not lying.” He smacked the steering wheel. “How can I prove it to you when you assume the worse?”

“You don't get it. There's nothing you can do.” She sagged against the seat. “You're going to be late for practice.”

“Screw practice.” He opened the door and walked out into the breeze.

Frustrated, he wanted to kiss her into accepting them together. Her reasons made no sense. Why deny what they felt when they were together if they were both having a good time?

He stepped over onto the sidewalk and leaned against a palm tree, facing the Pavilion. Coach would kick his ass when he showed up late for practice.

His tardiness would probably put another check mark by his name on reasons why he should be traded. It didn't matter where he went, whether it was the Detroit Red Wings, his old team, or a new team, the women were everywhere, and Diana was lost to him.

Maybe fighting for what he wanted wasn't even worth it anymore. He could play hockey in Russia, and he missed fitting in with everyone else. Yet, he loved the United States. Both places left him floundering to find contentment. His love of hockey was the only bright spot to getting up in the morning. There had to be more to life in the off hours.

“Dominic?” Diana called his name.

There was no judgment in her voice, and no hostility, or anger. Maybe a little curiosity and regret, but that could be his mind playing tricks on him. Lately, he seemed to be imagining a hell of a lot.

She stood outside the Porsche with her hand shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun. His breath caught in his chest. Was he supposed to let her go now? Give up before he even had all of her?

The thought of never seeing her again wasn't acceptable. He wasn't ready to give up on them. If he could figure out why he fought so hard to bring her into his life, maybe he could figure out why he wanted her to stay.

Trying to figure out why Diana had the power to stay away from him when other women failed still eluded him. If he couldn't have her, then his object to straighten out his own life was one big fucking failure.

He shoved his hands deep into his front pockets and strolled back to the car. She watched him with a curious gaze as he walked to the driver's side. He paused at the door, looking over the roof of the car at her.

“I don't know what to say to you. I only know I don't want you to leave me yet. Will that be enough?”

She studied him, seeming to come to her own conclusions. Finally, she glanced away and nodded. “I'll stay and finish my job.”

He swallowed.
Good.

Five minutes later, he walked into the arena after handing the keys to the Porsche to Diana. Coach Gunderson stood at the skate walk through. Dominic slowed his pace and approached him. Shit. He was in trouble.

“Dammit, Chekovsky.” Coach's voice boomed. “Get suited and out on the ice. That's your last warning. If you're late again, your ass will be on the bench and I'll fine you.”

“Yes, Coach.” He hustled into the locker room.

He had to get his shit together. It'd take nothing for the Sharks to trade him, even though he was the captain of the team. Bad publicity and troubles were frowned upon and he had a ton of them riding his back. Instead of going down in a storm of chaos, he'd quit first. It was that simple. He had to find out why he attracted women to him before he ruined his career. The last thing he wanted to happen was the disarray of his life to force him to give up on playing hockey in the States. The one thing he was capable of loving.

Two hours later, Diana drove into the arena's parking lot after going window shopping nearby. The stores remained a blur, because she'd thought about Dominic the whole time she wandered the shops. It wasn't her imagination. Something else besides their flubbed up attempt at sex bothered Dominic.

His troubles went beyond the stress of the women fans and his inability to find peace in the United States. For a moment while they were discussing their situation in the car, he'd allowed her to see the pain he was going through. Part of her wanted to believe she was causing the vulnerability he was showing, but the odds were not in her favor.

Who was she? Before coming here, she'd known nothing about hockey. She spent her time working, saving money, and on Fridays, she'd participate in Girls' Night Out with Shauna and Kate. That's it. She had goals to run a B & B, not tie herself down to a man who traveled the States playing hockey with hundreds of women at his disposal.

Yet, she couldn't deny her attraction. The way she looked forward to spending time with him, even when she was trying so hard to make him leave her alone. She opened the door of the Porsche and stepped outside. Okay, a big part of her liked how he never gave up. It was like having a big sexy stalker.

What woman minded having that kind of problem?

A car pulled in beside her. She leaned against the Porsche. Irritation surfaced.

Four women piled out of the vehicle, giggling and messing with their hair. She rolled her eyes. No doubt, they were here for Dominic. The extreme positivity that they'd succeed in landing the hockey star threatened to choke her with jealousy.

Oh, damn.
She turned around and leaned her head against the car. She was jealous.

That emotion should never come out unless she envied what someone else had. Yet, the boiling hatred for them was alive and well inside of her. Those women had no tie to Dominic, except for their undying love they hoped he'd return to them. She knew without a doubt Dominic didn't love the attention. He'd told her many times. She'd seen it with her own eyes.

She straightened, cast a glance over her shoulder, and then headed toward the arena. Those bitches were not going to get her man.

The faster she walked, the more determined she became to make sure they stayed far away from Dominic. She had a week and a half left with him, and she wasn't going to blow an opportunity to experience being with him on her ability not to loosen up. Someday, when she was old, gray, and rocking on the porch of her Bed and Breakfast, she'd regret not having sex with him.

The front door of the arena swung open. Hearing the women behind her gaining ground, she jogged up the steps. Dominic spotted her right away. In the time it took her to scale the top step, she'd come to a firm decision. She was going to sleep with Dominic.

He only had eyes for her. The other women were not even spared a glance from his icy gaze. She wanted more than anything to keep his attention. She jogged across the landing.

He dropped his bag, and she sailed into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I'm sorry,” she whispered. “I'm a mess. I didn't mean to make this more complicated.”

“You're the sanest woman I know.” He leaned in and placed his forehead against hers. “God, I thought I lost you and you were going to leave without giving us a chance.”

Their breath mingled. A smile spread across his face, and she laughed. She'd seen that look before. A rush of complete rightness unlike anything she'd ever experienced left her shaking.

“Pucker, sweetheart, because I need to k — ”

She captured his lips. Hard, insistent, and passionate. When she'd nibbled, sucked, and stroked her tongue against his, she leaned back, fully satisfied with herself.

He cupped her face between his hands. His thumbs swept her cheeks. Then he leaned in, slid his nose along hers, and lifted her face up as he brought his face down and kissed each cheek.

“I'll need more than that.” He brushed her lips. “You can't kiss me and leave it unfinished.”

“Unfinished?” she murmured.

He nipped her bottom lip. “Uh huh.”

Not stopping, he kissed the tip of her nose. She closed her eyes, and she felt his warm lips on her eyelid, and then the other lid. She clutched on to the front of his shirt, not trusting her legs to keep her standing.

“I want … ” He placed his mouth on hers, softening the kiss. “More.”

“But what happens — ”

“We'll go slowly.” He hugged her to him. “Let's go out on a date. A real date. Tonight. Okay?”

She held onto his hand and went with him down the steps. The women approached and Dominic totally ignored them. She squeezed his fingers. How could she deny that he never paid the other women any attention? Even last night, when the women hung on him, he'd stood stiff and uncomfortable.

Once they settled in the Porsche and took off from the arena, Diana asked him to let her out in front of a small boutique. She ran inside while he sat in the car. He'd already seen her in her little black dress, and she wanted something special. Not one to splurge, being away from home forced her to use the emergency money she kept in her purse. Tonight called for something so freaking fantastic, Dominic would remember her for a long, long time.

Before she talked herself out of the outfit she'd spotted earlier, she tried it on, smiled into the mirror in satisfaction, and quickly told the sales woman she'd take the dress.

A half hour later, back at home, she shut herself in her bedroom and got ready for the evening. Nervous and excited, she went all out in the primping department.

She took a bath, painted her nails and toes, toweled her curls and let them dry naturally. She went darker on her makeup, spritzed her body, and then slipped into her new outfit. At the bedroom door, ready to go out and join Dominic, her phone rang, stopping her on the spot.

Being away from Cottage Grove, she knew she had to answer. She read the screen.
Kate.

“Kate, what are you doing?” She walked over to the edge of the bed and sat.

“Better question. What the hell are you doing with Dominic Chekovsky? Shauna's here and she just told me you're staying with him for two weeks, and you didn't call me.”

“It happened fast. We had to get out of town before Dominic caused a scene like last time he came to Cottage Grove. Plus he's playing in season,” she said. “He's got practice all the time, and then there's the games. He's a busy guy.”

“Look at you, talking hock-lish.” Kate laughed. “Listen. Are you going to make it back next Friday?”

She hadn't even thought about when she was going to return. That was only five days away. That's all the time she had left with Dominic? The thought depressed her. “Yeah. I don't know when Dominic is going to fly me home, but I'll be there sometime that day. Why?”

“Bruce, Crista, and Juan are coming into town. Shauna and Grayson want us all to get together at the Quay. Also, Crista is staying at the hotel and wanted me to tell you she expects you to come. She said you can bring the big guy with you too.” Kate dropped the phone. “Sorry.”

Grayson's friends came to help in the fundraiser, and had become friends with all of them. Bruce was a world-class professional bass fisherman. Crista had won first place in the Ironman marathon, and was training to participate in the next one set in Hawaii. Juan, the sexy flirt, was a professional skier in the Winter Olympics.

“If I make it back in time, but I'll be alone. Dominic won't be coming back with me, since he's got a game,” she said.

Kate groaned. “Oh, before I forget. Your dad wants you to call. He approached Shauna and ended up lecturing her about you going on vacation and blowing your hard earned money.”

She dropped her chin to her chest. “Okay. I'll give Dad a call tomorrow and talk with him. Tell Crista I'll be home and I can't wait to see her again.”

“Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah. The job with Dominic is harder than I thought … ”

“What's going on?” Kate asked.

“Oh nothing. Just putting myself out there to be hurt in the end.” She snorted. “Shauna can fill you in. Tell her I gave my permission. But to sum it all up, I want Dominic.”

“But you hate him.”

“I used to, but — ” A knock came from the door. “Shit. I have to go.” She stood and inhaled a deep breath. “I'll call you tomorrow.”

“I hate when people don't tell me what's going on,” Kate said.

She smiled, because she knew her friend was a social butterfly and demanded to know all the gossip first hand. Being engaged to the son of the town's richest family took Kate to high places and she lived for the excitement. “I need to go. I'll talk to you later.”