by Anya Nowlan
She chalked it up to not having even been on a date this past year. It couldn’t possibly have anything to do with Dominic in particular. He was just the sort of cocky meathead she was hell-bent on avoiding. So not her type.
If my father ever taught me anything it was what not to look for in a man, she thought bitterly.
The thought didn’t unfortunately do much to distract her from the chemistry sparking between her and Dominic.
But I can sure as hell not act on it, she resolved.
“You are as incorrect as you are irritating,” she said, hoping the harsh words would discourage him.
“And you’re as stubborn as you are beautiful,” he replied lightly without even missing a beat.
Great. He’s charming, too.
With her insides twisted up with repressed desire, Chloe let out a sigh of relief as the trees started to clear, leading up to the end of the trail.
“Well, see you never,” she chirped, speeding up and hoping against hope he wouldn’t follow.
I have to get away from him before I do something I’m going to regret. Like give him my number. Or kiss him. Or offer to straddle him again.
She should have known his persistence didn’t stop with the trail. He kept up with her easily, his musky scent swirling around her and making her head spin. Chloe didn’t remember feeling like this with any other man she’d ever been involved with, but then again, none had even been as forward as Dominic.
Or as hot.
“Now you’ve upped the stakes. Out here in the woods, you’d be able to do minimal damage, but out there, in traffic… You might get yourself seriously injured,” Dominic said, his voice sending a jolt through her despite the innocent words. “And think of the cars that could crash because of you. No, this won’t do at all.”
His voice was all growly and deep, seeming to resonate in her core.
This guy could read out obituaries and still sound sexy.
“What, you’re stalking me now? If that’s not the way to a girl’s heart…”
“So, what do you do for a living?” he asked, his t-shirt damp with sweat and clinging to the hard planes of his body.
“What does it matter? Nothing you say is going to change my mind.”
“They say actions speak louder than words…” he trailed off, throwing her a look that she was sure had to have disintegrated her panties. “Do you want me to show you why you should give me your number, instead? I’m very inventive.”
Chloe could feel her face turn bright red as she considered his words, her whole body sighing as she imagined all the ways Dominic could convince her to reconsider. If he were to reach out and pull her against him, she knew she would melt in his arms, all sense and reason gone from her brain.
“No! I don’t want you to show me anything,” she insisted, her voice wavering slightly.
“You sure?” he teased, no doubt catching her blush. “Not a thing?”
Without even meaning to, her eyes shot to his crotch before she could compose herself. She blamed the suggestive tone of his voice, and the way he said ‘thing’. He had obviously been baiting her, and she fell for it.
“See anything you like?” he asked, looking impossibly smug.
“You are so gross,” Chloe huffed, as they left the trail behind and headed back towards the city.
“That doesn’t sound as convincing after you’ve checked out my junk,” he remarked.
With the pavement thudding under her feet, Chloe turned on to another familiar street, anxious to get back to her apartment. She didn’t even care if he saw where she lived, all she could think about was getting out of his presence and regaining any semblance of sanity she still had left.
He won’t get past the doorman, anyway.
“Look, having you creepily follow me home has been nice and all, but I think it’s time we call this a day. I’m not giving you my number, so forget about it.”
With her apartment building already in sight, she gathered up whatever energy she had left and sprinted the final half mile, acutely aware Dominic was still hot on her trail. When she stopped near the front of the building, winded and slightly breathless, she found him again by her side, looking none too worse for wear.
That shouldn’t surprise me. He is in amazing shape. And I, in turn, am not.
“Alright, so you’re home safely. No need to thank me. I’ll see you on the trail. I usually go in the mornings, just so you know.”
He crossed his arms over that maddeningly sexy chest of his and gave her a look that made her knees buckle a little.
It’s just the exhaustion, she tried to reason with herself.
It so was not.
“Great, I’ll know to avoid early runs from here on out,” she said, climbing the steps. “I’m sure you’ll find someone else to stalk!” she called out, opening the door and stepping inside without looking back.
I need a cold shower, she thought, trying to erase the picture of Dominic from her mind.
It wasn’t an easy thing to let go. And even as she fought against the feeling, she found herself hoping she would see him again.
Five
Dante
“Hey, dad,” Dante said, pressing the phone to his ear.
“How’s it going? Your brother said you were acting grumpier than usual,” his father chuckled.
Gritting his teeth, Dante moved around in his spacious home, taking his dishes to the sink and putting a carton of orange juice back in the fridge. Barely done with his breakfast, he wasn’t ready for the third degree just yet.
Just like Dom to sic dad on me because I actually care about my future. About our future.
As a single father, Douglas Kenner knew his boys better than anyone. There was no pulling the wool over his eyes, and that’s what Dante was afraid of. He had kept his injury under wraps, meaning that only Dom and his private doctor knew about the separated shoulder. He hadn’t even let the team masseuse near him in fear of giving himself away with a wince.
I would prefer to keep it that way.
“I’ve been busy considering my options for next season. It’s not my fault Dom has never had a serious thought in his life and thinks contemplation equals unhappiness.”
“That’s a little harsh,” Douglas sighed. “You could benefit from learning from each other, Dante. Dom could think before he acted once in a while, and you could enjoy yourself more. Live in the moment for a change, instead of trying to constantly predict the future.”
“I appreciate the concern, but I think I’m good on the fatherly advice, thanks,” Dante said, hearing irritation slip into his tone.
“You watch your lip, boy. You might be a hotshot athlete but I’m still your father,” Douglas grumbled, making Dante instinctively straighten his spine.
“Yes, sir.”
“That’s better,” his father said. “You and Dominic are both great players. Unless there’s something you’re not telling me, I don’t believe you two are in any danger of not getting picked up by any team you want.”
Leaning on the kitchen counter, Dante stilled. What he said next and how he said it would be very important, unless he wanted his father breathing down his neck. If Douglas even suspected something was off, Dante had no doubt the man would fly down to Minnesota for a round of personal interrogation.
“I want to make the right decision going forward, that’s all. You know I always like to consider every angle.”
“Uh-huh,” Douglas mumbled gruffly. “And how are… personal things?”
Even over the phone, Dante could cut the awkwardness with a knife. Not having a woman in the household, his father had done his best to make himself emotionally available, in addition to shaping his sons into the hardworking men they were today. Yet, even with all his years of practice, Douglas was still markedly uncomfortable when it came to more intimate subjects.
“Do you ask Dominic that question?” Dante asked, arching a brow even though his father couldn’t see it.
“I don’t n
eed to. His affairs are more often than not splashed all over the tabloids. He was dating that Victoria’s Secret model, last I heard.”
“Dating is a strong word,” Dante scoffed.
“I know you’re more private than he is…”
“I have other things to think about right now than women, dad.”
“You know the right lady will make you a better bear, both on and off the ice.”
“You raised two cubs on your own, and you did great.”
This was the first time Dante could remember that his father had ever hinted at either of his sons finding their mate. Neither he nor Dom had ever brought it up, seeing as Douglas’ mate and their mom died when the twins were barely a month old. Douglas was left to bring up his cubs on his own, and by all accounts, he had made it look easy.
That made Dante really doubt all the importance the shifter community put on mates. It was considered fact that every shifter had a soul mate out there in the world, the one person that would complete them.
He had heard others describe finding their mates. It was supposed to be some kind of profound pull, irresistible in every way. And connecting with your mate would strengthen a shifter’s animal side, as well as bring happiness to the human side.
What a load of overly saccharine bull. Dad is the toughest guy I know, and he didn’t need a mate to kick ass at life.
“You boys didn’t make it easy on me, either,” his father said, a smile in his voice.
Checking the watch on his wrist, Dante realized he was already running late to his doctor’s appointment. Plus, he had some dull party to go to in the evening, and he wanted to get a workout and a massage in before that. A massage by someone who couldn’t tattle to the press about his possible injury.
“Dad, I gotta go. Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.”
If he really wants to worry about someone, it should be Dom. It’s only a matter of time until he runs out of hot and available women to screw. He’ll probably have a crisis of faith or something when that happens. Or he’ll leave a trail of cubs behind him and not even be aware of it.
“Alright, if you say so,” Douglas sighed before hanging up.
Dante shoved his phone in his pocket and headed to the door, ready to hear what Doc Langley had to say about his recovery.
It better not be bad news.
Pulling on his suit jacket, Dante sighed as he entered the banquet hall rented out by Top Performance for a goodbye party. The agency had represented both him and his brother for a long time now, and they’d done a good job.
Which was why the twins were sticking with TP, despite the massive layoffs. And the ridiculous name.
Janice Lance herself had assured him that the company’s restructuring would in no way affect the quality of their representation, adding that Dante and Dominic were one of their top priorities.
We better be, considering how much we pay them.
Luckily for Lance, she had built up an impressive enough reputation over the years that Dante believed her.
With the Kenner twins’ popularity among fans and their success in pulling in promotion deals, any agency would be happy to have them. It didn’t surprise Dante that TP was holding on tight, promising to take extra good care of the Kenners.
If only I didn’t have to attend these bore-fests as a consequence.
Dominic had always been the one who enjoyed the attention more. Shaking hands and kissing babies had always been more his thing, but Janice had insisted Dante make an appearance. With him already in attendance, Dom didn’t really need to be here.
He’s probably already slept with all the female agents, anyway, Dante snorted to himself, striding towards the elevators. This would just be an uncomfortable reunion for him.
The notion wasn’t unfounded. They’d lost at least two agents over the years to scandals involving Dominic and overly eager press.
The party was on the top floor, leading to a balcony and a perfect view of Minneapolis. Dante didn’t think giving a bunch of recently fired, drunk people access to the balcony was an especially good idea, but then again, he was known as a worst case scenario kind of guy.
And Doc Langley did little to lift my spirits.
He didn’t have time to sink into his favorite blend of dark introspection. Entering from a different side of the building, a woman in a little black cocktail dress got into the elevator before him, and he found himself rushing to get in was well before the doors closed.
Something about her immediately caught his eye, drawing his attention away from his sour mood and gluing his gaze to the way the dress hugged her curves.
He had to cough to cover up the growl in his throat as he pushed the button to the top floor. Stopping to stand at the doors, he was considering turning around and starting a conversation with the woman behind him, when the elevator suddenly screeched to a halt.
Great, now what?
This day was not shaping up to be one that he was going to look back on kindly, so far.
Six
Chloe
I knew I should have taken the stairs! Chloe thought, panicking as the lights flickered in the elevator.
Usually, getting stuck in close quarters with a man as hot as the one standing in front of her wouldn’t be that bad. Except that she was mildly claustrophobic, and every second trapped in the metal box she was in dragged on, until it felt like the walls were closing in on her.
Instead of being a pleasant distraction, it now felt like this incredibly handsome, and incredibly large man sharing the elevator with her was hogging all the oxygen, of which there wasn’t enough to begin with!
“It looks like we’re going to be in here a while longer than we thought,” the man said, turning around to face her.
Tall and imposing, he filled the space around him, only adding to her anxiety. With a wide, angular face with carved cheekbones and a rugged, clean-shaven jaw, a mere look from him made Chloe’s heart beat faster. Forced together in limited space, the inherent intensity flowing off him was made only more potent.
And only added to her anxiety.
“Looks like,” she echoed nervously, forcing herself to take deep, calming breaths.
“I’m Dante,” he said, stretching out his hand.
“Chloe,” she replied, slipping her fingers into his huge palm.
Touching him sent all her senses into overdrive, and for a brief moment, she forgot all about the elevator and how the sense of impending doom grew inside her. Dante looked down at her, squeezing her hand and not letting go.
When he maneuvered his grip to bring her hand to his lips and gave it a quick kiss, she used every ounce of self-control she had left to not giggle like a schoolgirl. It was enough that she was already blushing like one.
“A beautiful name,” he commented before releasing her hand.
“Were you going to the party, too?” Chloe asked, deciding it was better to talk to the handsome stranger rather than gape at him.
“Yes. But I think I like it better right here,” he grinned, making her glance down at herself for a moment to make certain that he was actually referring to her.
She barely resisted the urge to glance over her shoulder.
“I love your dress, by the way,” he remarked, snaking his gaze over her body. “I bet you’d look even better without it.”
Chloe’s first instinct was to be annoyed at the brazen comment, but she couldn’t quite muster it. Having already been hit on by one handsome man today, she was feeling more flattered than angry. It was definitely a confidence boost. Not that she was even considering getting involved with either of them.
She had seen first-hand what an unhappy relationship looked like thanks to her parents’ example, and life had only corroborated her conclusion about romantic commitments. How many girlfriends had she had to console after the men in their lives broke their hearts?
Too many.
From the fancy suit and expensive watch on his wrist, Chloe already had Dante pegged as a wealthy pla
yboy, here to rub elbows with the successful athletes also attending the farewell party. Despite recent events, Top Performance was still a valuable connection to have. Many rich sports fans used their events to meet their favorite celebrity athletes.
“You’ll never get to find out if that’s true or not,” Chloe said, crossing her arms in front of her, distracted from her hyperventilation by the sheer gall of this man.
This very, very attractive man.
“I don’t know. I tend to get what I want,” Dante grinned, unaffected by her shut-down.
“Can we maybe focus on getting out of here, smooth talker? There are plenty more women upstairs who’d love to hear your lines.”
“I don’t care about other women. I’d like to get to know you, Chloe,” he said, and the way her name rolled off his tongue made her insides warm.
“Aren’t you at all worried? We’re stuck in a metal box, dangling ten stories high, and all you can think about is getting laid?”
“That’s not what I was thinking about, but now that you mention it…”
The carnal look he threw her made Chloe glad she was wearing a thick layer of foundation. Her cheeks had to be bright red by now. Avoiding Dante’s gaze, she opened up her tiny purse and pulled out her phone. She almost stomped her feet in frustration when she saw it had zero bars.
“Stuck in a metal box, remember?” Dante ever-so-helpfully reminded her. “You’re stuck here with me. Better make the best of it.”
She didn’t need to look up at him to feel the way he was looking at her. Unfortunately for him, the lack of cell reception had brought her firmly back into the present. Which happened to entail being stuck in a dangling deathtrap with no way out.
Counting backwards from ten, Chloe did her best to not let the panic take hold of her. Someone was bound to discover that the elevator wasn’t working. Help was probably already on its way.