He’d promised to help Maya out with her surfer crush, and she’d promised to sort his company. Even if she melted a little under his hands, didn’t mean she was ready to indulge in all the fringe benefits their deal could offer. And he wasn’t ready to go there, beach side romance or not. Was he?
Chapter Four
Maya kept touching the hem of her new dress and had to fight hard to resist the urge to tug it down. She would never have chosen anything this short. And she wouldn’t be wearing flats around a man as tall as Dominic Wolfe…ever. Turning to try and catch a glimpse of herself in the glass wall of the hotel reception desk, she saw the bellboy do a double take at her. Shit, was her ass hanging out? She twisted but no, she was still covered, mostly. Her nervous giggle must have caught his attention as the teenager blushed and busied himself with a pile of suitcases.
“When I asked if you’d tried flirting, I didn’t mean you needed to give it a go with someone underage.” Dominic’s growl filled her ears and her stomach clenched. Not helping. Damn him for putting her in these shoes, when she was taller she always felt more in control.
She took a deep breath. “You’re almost as bossy as my girlfriends.”
He shrugged. “You say bossy, I say compelling.”
Better. Gentle ribbing she could deal with. She watched him pull on a hat and walk out the foyer into the shimmering hot air. Compelling, yes. A little too compelling. The attention was kinda nice though. Dominic’s attention somehow wrapped around her like a cool breeze. She stood a little taller.
“Are you coming, or has the lure of my air conditioned lifestyle finally made you realize what you’ve been missing out on all this time?”
Maybe. Maya took a last breath of the cool artificial air and stepped out into the brutal Gold Coast sunshine. “Man. This dress better breathe.”
Dom laughed. “You know nothing do you? It’s silk crepe. I guarantee it breathes better than anything else in your wardrobe. Except maybe your bikini if it’s very small.”
Silk? Gah. No wonder she didn’t own anything like this. Who had time to have silk dry cleaned? And who had the money for it? She shrugged off the guilt. It was a sample. They’d probably have thrown it away otherwise. “Good. Well. Best get to work then. You need a face. They’re all at the beach. Let’s get to it and you can tell me what you want on the way.”
Dominic nodded, his concentration immediately switched on as they set off across the dunes towards the surf break. “They need to be relatable. Charming perhaps?”
Maya nodded. “Yep, what else? Chiseled?”
Dom screwed up his face. “Muscled sure, but we need a guy who doesn’t look like he’s been carved from stone.”
“So you want a guy rather than a woman? Not a couple?”
“No. A guy. Solo. He needs to be able to wear Gucci and not look like a fool but have enough street appeal to make it seem sexy instead of snobby. This rebrand is about Wolfe Clothing being more casual but with the same high-end finishes and detailing, it’s a hard ask I know.”
“No problem. Statuesque rather than steroid-y. Maybe even a bit boyish but still definitely all grown up? I’m guessing he’ll be in clothes for most of this, but if you have plans for an underwear line...”
“I knew there was a reason I’d hired you. Yes. That. I want that.”
Maya smiled, then realized who’d be perfect. Obviously. As they reached the beach she looked out over the heat-soaked sand and, there, Rick Hunter had just come out of the ocean and was surrounded by a mob of girls. She sighed. “Come on, unless you have binoculars fitted into those sunglasses, you’ll need a closer look. Although why we’re not doing this online I do not know.”
“I like to be hands on.”
Maya opened her mouth to retort but he was already striding up the beach. Hands on was right. His hands on her waist had sent all kinds of thoughts crashing round her body. Thoughts and feelings she wasn’t used to. She looked down at her dress for the hundredth time. Had she been hiding behind her business wardrobe? Really? She looked down at the soft, girly dress she was wearing. Maybe?
As they got closer, Maya nudged Dominic and nodded at Rick, hoping she was being subtle enough that none of the reporters around would pick up on her gesture. “What about him?”
Dominic glanced briefly at Rick then curled his lip. “Nah.”
“Really?”
“Maybe. But I don’t feel him straight away. Show me more.”
They walked up and down the beach at least ten times before Maya admitted defeat. “If I don’t get back into an air-conditioned world I am going to melt. Say what you like about my clothes, but they don’t stick to me like this.”
Dom laughed. “That didn’t take long. Come on, let’s get a drink.”
Maya led him to one of the bars less frequented by the surf circuit media circus and tried not to slump into a booth. Happily there was a water cooler and she poured two glasses before downing hers.
“Don’t you train for this sort of thing?”
“What sort of thing? Traipsing up and down the beach while the sun tries to burn the flesh from my bones?”
He shrugged. “Yeah. I guess.”
Maya huffed at him. “I usually only walk up and down the beach in heat like this when absolutely necessary.”
“So sorry to put a dent in your routine,” he said with a wry smile. “But I did request above and beyond attention.”
Crap. He’s a potential client remember. She sat up straighter. “Sorry. That little bout of self-pity was uncalled for. For you, I will traipse.”
“Excellent.”
Man, for some reason Dominic didn’t feel like a client. Too much sparkle in his eye? Maybe. She watched Dominic scan the bar. “What do you think of him?” he asked.
Following his nod she saw a young waiter standing by a table full of barely clad young surfettes. “I’m not sure what you’re asking? What do I think of him, think of him?”
“Sure, if you like. Although he doesn’t quite fit the House and Garden type you seem to have a thing for. What I really meant was, what do you think of him, professionally, as talent?”
Duh. Giving him a quick once over, Maya tried to guess at what Dom would see in the waiter from a marketing perspective. “Well he’s got the cool factor for sure. But I’m not sure he’d be that appealing with men. If you’re planning on your range being bought by women for their men, then that’s another story. I’m guessing even then he’s too young for your target market though. The surfettes over there aren’t going to be shelling out real cash on anything.”
His smile turned from wry to wide. “Nice. Although I’m not sure I agree with you completely. Surfette number one is wearing Gucci if I’m not mistaken. I figure a Wolfe store might be just the place her hard earned credit card could take a beating. The trick is getting her away from the beach and in there.”
Maya did a double take. Well aint you all that and a bag of Fritos mister. The interlocking GGs on the girl’s bag were unmistakable and as she looked harder, Maya noticed that another at the table had Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses. “Touché. But I still don’t pick him as what you’re looking for. Even if we dressed him up, he’s a little too young for anything Dolce and Gabbana, and if you’re aiming for where I think you’re aiming, he’s just not going to sell clothes for you. Too hungry, not powerful enough.”
Now it was Dominic’s turn to seem impressed. He raised his glass of water at her. “Nailed it Ms. Taylor. But there’s something about him. He’s got edge. Cool. I’m not looking to market to him, but I do want his older brother, and maybe even his boss, who looks at him flirting with those girls and wishes he still had a little something-something like that.”
“So how do you get his vibe? Is that what you’re asking me?”
Dominic nodded.
“We could do a quick sample study if you like.”
Waving a hand at her Dom frowned. “Takes too long. Let’s just ask him.” He put up his hand but Maya reached over
and grabbed it then pulled back as if burnt. That should not happen with a client. She exhaled through her nose. “You can’t just ask him. What are you going to say? Excuse me but how do maintain your cool?”
“Oh nothing quite as obvious,” Dom said with a smirk. “But I figure we can start the campaign to win you your Prince Surfalot with him, while at the same time, getting me some hip tips.” He chuckled at his own bad assonance.
“Hi, can I help?”
Maya bulged her eyes at Dominic but he sat back and spread his arms over the seat. “My PR lady here was just wondering where you do your clothes shopping. She likes your style.”
The young guy took a long lingering look at Maya which made her want to crawl under the table and expire. Her sweaty face, sticky hair and crushed dress couldn’t have been less appealing to the young hipster if she’d covered herself in tomato ketchup. Could they?
“PR hey? That must be fun. Maybe you could give me some pointers.” The waiter’s voice was over-smooth, syrupy if anything, and Maya felt sorry for him putting on a show of being nice to her to impress an obviously loaded Dominic.
There was an awkward pause.
Dominic looked pointedly at her and she stuttered to life. “Sure. Um, maybe. And your look?”
“Yeah. Right. I mostly like to shop vintage. You know, do the reduce, reuse, recycle bit where I can.” He shuffled his feet a fraction as she waited for him to elaborate. “You guys want anything to drink?”
“Two soda and limes thanks,” Dominic cut in, but we’ll probably need some food shortly so you’d better bring a menu.
He was ordering for her? Maya raised an eyebrow at Dominic before switching her focus back to the waiter who gave her a lopsided smile before speeding back to the kitchen.
“Awkward much? The poor kid. I told you that wouldn’t work,” she said.
“Pah. Were you really giving it your best shot there? How on earth do you get anything out of anyone like that?”
“What do you mean?”
“I wouldn’t want to tell you to use your feminine wiles to get inside information for me, but come on woman, the boy was practically begging you to flirt with him and all you did was duck for cover.”
Maya stared at him. “He did not want to flirt with me. The poor kid couldn’t get out of here fast enough.”
“Seriously? You don’t even recognize flirting when it’s waving its ass in your face? Do you really never flirt with your media hacks to get what you want?”
She shrugged. “Sometimes. I might share a harmless wink or two now and then, but I don’t see what it’s got to do with that waiter.”
Dominic put his hand to his face and dragged it over his features. “It’s worse than I thought. No wonder Prince Surfalot hasn’t a clue. You suck at flirting don’t you?”
Sprung. Rolling her eyes to cover her nerves Maya half laughed, half grunted. This was not the time, place or person to go into her lack of date action. You are a strong, capable woman on the path to spectacular things. Spectacular, solid, surfalot things. Maya looked Dominic dead in the eye. “I wasn’t even trying to flirt. That waiter and – she couldn’t bring herself to say Rick’s name out loud – Prince Surfalot, have about as much in common as me and those surfettes over there.”
“Exactly.”
“Exactly what?”
“You’re a million miles above those girls and he knows it. He’s not going to make a move unless you give him a signal. A big one.” He sighed dramatically. “If you’re going to get Prince Surfalot to want you, you’re going to have to get him to…want you. And that starts when you stop hiding behind your business armor, your hair, the table or any other piece of available furniture. He has to see you to want you. And he has to want you to come get you. So come on, flirt. Practice makes perfect.”
The blush-heat started somewhere around her knees and travelled up and over her shoulders before it completed its finale with heating her face like she’d popped back outside under the scorching sun. Great. Pink and blotchy to go with stupid and sweaty. She ducked her head, then remembered his comment about hiding behind her hair and eyeballed Dominic again. “So, I’m a crap flirt. So what?”
“Ah but I don’t believe it.”
That was not the reaction she’d expected. “You just told me I was. Now you’re taking it back?”
“No. Your display with Waiter-boy was cringe worthy. But I don’t believe you can’t flirt. You just don’t think you can. You work in PR, your job is basically flirting. You’re just freezing when it comes to using it for your own pleasure. Lucky for you, I’m here to help, as promised.”
“I thought you were just kidding about that. You’re really going to help me?”
“Sure.” As if it was nothing out of the ordinary, Dominic put a finger to her chin. “You’ve got to be confident, playful, fun, mysterious even. Involve your whole body. Talking the talk, without showing him you mean it, ain’t going to cut it, so if you pull out a line on our young friend and then look like you’d much rather be washing the vomit off the floor, he’s not going to believe you’re into him.”
“I didn’t look like I’d rather be washing vomit off the—”
“—It’s just a turn of phrase. You’ve got a good body, and even if you refuse to reveal enough of it, you can use body language; eye contact, smiling, touching, and if you rock some of them together, he’s going to get the signal and he’s definitely going to see you.”
Maya stiffened at the mini-lecture. “Seriously?”
“Getting defensive isn’t going to make this any easier. Toy with your glass, act a bit coy like you want him to ask you more about your job.” He reached across and pushed his sunglasses into her hair to hold it back from her face. “If you pull those curls out of your face like this, he might actually be able to see your beautiful green eyes too, so look at him, hold his gaze. Smile when you bat those long lashes of yours.”
If her blush could have got any deeper, Maya was sure she’d be fire engine red. Beautiful eyes? “I’m not very good at this,” she mumbled.
“What was that?” Dominic leant over the table and she caught a hint of his cologne. Strong, earthy, as if he’d walked through a rain forest in the morning, but with the tang of the ocean close by. It was nice. Real nice. “I’m not very good at this,” she said only a fraction louder.
He didn’t laugh. “No one’s good at much unless they practice,” Dominic said gently.
It made sense. If the bevvy of long legged women she’d seen Dominic with on google images was anything to go by, he’d had plenty of practice. And she had taken herself off the market for so long, it was no wonder she was useless at flirting.
“We’re starting small with waiter-boy. But he’s way out of your league and he knows it, so he’s easy game.”
“If you think he’s out of my league, why are you making me do this? It’s embarrassing.” Maya shrank.
“Not him being out of your league. You’re way out of his league. Come on lady, time to saddle up. Waiter-boy’s on his way back over.”
“What do I do again?” she said, suddenly flustered.
“Relax. Toy with your glass. Act like you want to take him home and get him to give you a massage. Get him to look at your mouth. Make him think about what they’d feel like while you’re biting his neck.”
“Enough already. I get it.”
“Okay.” Dominic held up his hands. “I’m only filling in the picture because you asked me to.”
“There’s filling in a picture and there’s information overload.”
Dominic blew out his cheeks. “If you think that was information overload life is about to get very interesting with me around. Look sharp.”
“Two lime and sodas and two menus.” The waiter looked directly at Maya as he put down their drinks and his fingers lingered perhaps a little too long on the table in front of her.
Come on girlfriend. He’s a kid. Dominic is right. If you can’t work it for him, you might as well go home
now. She put her hand on the table, close enough that she could touch the waiter’s fingers if she’d wanted to. “Thanks. So, are there any specials today? Anything you think I’d especially like?”
He looked at her fingers a moment.
You can do this. Maya trailed her hand along the edge of the menu, brushing past the waiter’s to point at an entrée of chickpea croquettes. “What about these? Are they good?”
The waiter nodded. “They’re great. But the oysters are even better.”
Seriously? She would have rolled her eyes if Dominic wasn’t watching her every eyebrow flicker. “I bet. Maybe I’ll give them a go. But later, with wine, when I don’t have to be so professional,” she said and gave a small nod towards Dominic.
The waiter smiled, his eyes lighting up with a gleam she would usually have put down to fear. Fear that she might be stalking him! She ducked her head, the apology already on her lips and obviously in her eyes, as Dominic gave her a kick under the table. Straightening, she changed tack. “So when you said you were into vintage what sort of stuff do you mean?” She put her hands on her waist and leaned forward a fraction.
The waiter’s grin widened exponentially. “Oh. Whatever, you know, catches my eye.” His put a hand on the back of the booth possessively and Maya leant towards it as if she’d like nothing more than for that hand to sit on her shoulder. Yet all the while it was Dominic’s eyes she was aware of. She felt them on her mouth as she spoke, on her hands as she toyed with the glass. Focus on the target. She laughed, throwing back her head a little more than she would usually to expose the length of her neck. “Charmer. Anyhoooo, you better leave us a little time to go over the menus.”
Making over Maya (Hot Tide Book 2) Page 5