Photographers shoved cameras in her face. Flashes blinded her. People stood by her side, wanting photograph after photograph. All the shame she’d gone through by losing the Miss South Georgia title washed away. She tried to focus on the main goal—the road to Miss Georgia—but the only thing on her mind was the secure hold Dominic kept around her waist as he stood next to her.
Zoe Baldwin and Will Ravens appeared together. “Pleased to meet you, Waverly. Congratulations on your win.”
“Thank you,” Waverly said slowly. Waverly stepped forward and shook Zoe’s hand. “You’re awesome, Miss Zoe. It was a real pleasure to meet you this afternoon. I am a huge fan.”
“But better working with me.” Titus brought up the rear of the group. His smugness was enough to knock Zoe off the stage with a quick hip bump. Waverly frowned at the action.
But any time she had to be alone, she wanted to spend with Dominic. She wanted to properly thank him for the dress he had flown in from Italy.
“I thought we could go out and celebrate tonight,” Dominic said with a hug.
“Sounds good to me.” Waverly inhaled his scent, committing it to memory. He smelled spicy.
“I know we haven’t spent any time together this week due to practicing for the pageant, and I am looking forward to spending more time alone with you,” Dominic began. “Will’s leaving in the morning and I wanted to include him tonight for dinner.”
The pit of her stomach dropped. Waverly prayed she covered her disappointment with a wide, toothy smile. “Sure.”
Another reporter came over, this one from Pageant Pride Gazette, wanting a few words. Running in the same circles as her, Waverly had come across Marion Strickland several times before, and she knew this interview was important, especially if she was ever going to shake the dethroning incident.
Waverly reluctantly left Dominic’s side to take care of pageant business besides winning a ton of products from Ravens Cosmetics and a chance to apply for the Miss Georgia. Waverly’s heart swelled with pride. She hadn’t even told her mother about trying out for another pageant. This one she’d accomplished without her mother’s help. And it felt good.
For a better background, the reporter and her cameraman suggested filming the interview outside on the docks of Magnolia Palace. Dominic and his friend moseyed outside, as well. From across the lush, green yard, Dominic nodded in her direction. They both caught each other at the right time. He stood listening to his friend and winked. Dominic’s smile made her toes curl. What a shame they were going to share dinner tonight with his friends, Waverly thought. Maybe for dessert she’d find another way to thank Dominic for his help. A burning desire to run her hands underneath his jacket consumed her. From being around him, she’d memorized every inch of his body. It was time to commit the feel of his body, as well.
“Here we are again, Miss Waverly,” said Marion. “Or shall I now call you Miss Southwood?” They both sat on wooden benches on the docks of the Magnolia Palace, overlooking the private lake. The high afternoon sun sent sparkles from her diamond tiara, which were reflected across Marion’s face.
“Come on now, Marion,” Waverly gushed. “We go back a while now. You can just call me Waverly.”
Marion, a gorgeous young woman close to thirty, smiled. “So you know I’m curious about the whole incident leading up to being dethroned.”
Of course she was, Waverly thought. “Must we?” she asked with a droll sigh. “The incident is a thing of the past.” Thanks to her fast track into the Miss Southwood Pageant, Waverly had never had a chance to tell Dominic the full story surrounding her being dethroned.
“I understand,” said Marion. “I guess we can tell everyone you’re back on track. It is nice to see you bounce back so quickly.”
“Thank you,” Waverly said, reaching out and squeezing Marion’s hand.
“Well, I won’t hold you up. I just wanted to get a few pictures of you outside with your gorgeous tiara.”
Perfect timing, Waverly thought as Dominic made his way toward her. His hands stretched out for Waverly to take. “Almost done here?”
“Almost, stud,” Marion answered.
“It turns out Will and Zoe can’t make it tonight. Are you okay if it’s just us?”
“Just us?” Marion asked, stepping between the two of them. “And exactly who are you to Waverly?” Before letting either one of them give an answer, Marion walked around Dominic’s large frame. “Let’s see, I feel like I’m sensing more than a sponsorship. You’re dressed in a five-thousand-dollar suit. You smell of money and success. So you’re not Waverly’s typical bad boy.”
Waverly bit her bottom lip and glanced toward the water to avoid Dominic’s questioning yet curious gaze.
* * *
Dominic let the reporter’s comment go and headed off to let them finish their conversation. Waverly’s past was just that—the past. They were here in the present together. Just as each time he restored a job to its fullest potential, pride washed over him. A tiara belonged on Waverly’s head. She had the wave down pat, too. But a part of Dominic understood her project wasn’t complete. The next big step for her was the Miss Georgia competition. He looked forward to helping her out until then. Once she moved on to the next level, his job was done. Dominic understood how this worked. While restoring cars, he often thought of them as his until the time came to turn over the keys to the rightful owner. He’d be able to do the same with Waverly, right? Just walk away.
Hell, the erotic tension between them had held him over for the week. Tuesday morning Lexi allowed him to stay at his sister’s place while Waverly sorted through Lexi’s choices of gowns. Not only did they let him stay, they asked for his opinion. Dominic wasn’t sure if it was the actual dress he loved on Waverly or the near orgasmic feeling he’d got when he helped her zip the dress up and down. A long whistle snapped him out of his daydream. He found himself face-to-face with his frat brother.
A slick smile spread across Will’s face. “I can’t wait for you to find the woman who makes you drop everything for her.”
Dominic glanced over at Waverly. She waved again. Her smile melted his insides. With a straight face, he shrugged and turned his attention back to his frat brother. They’d been through the trenches together. Will was more than a frat brother; they were real brothers.
Like a sibling would, Will punched Dominic in the biceps. “Ouch.” Will winced.
“Sitting behind your cushy desk has made you soft,” said Dominic.
“You moving to the country has made you soft.” Will pointed toward Waverly. “Be careful with that one.”
Dominic held his hand up. “Wait a minute, now.”
“Hold on, big fellow.” Will held up his hands in the air in surrender. “Don’t get me wrong, I like the idea of you getting involved with someone—hell, it’s about time.”
“You’re one to talk.” Dominic chuckled uncomfortably. He didn’t need to be reminded about his bachelorhood. Oh, there’d been plenty of women. Tons of casual flings. But so far he avoided relationships with women by focusing on his business. He prided himself on not stringing them along. He never wanted to be like his father.
“Right, but I’m selective with who I pick. I don’t know when the last time you dated anyone was, and trying to date a beauty queen, well...”
“Because you’ve dated so many?” Dominic asked his frat brother.
“No.” Will shook his head. “But I was a judge on a panel with a few beauty queens. Their schedules are demanding and sometimes they have to break promises.”
“So?”
“So?” Will mocked him. “I know how you feel about broken promises and living drama-free. And I don’t want you to go into any relationship with the new Miss Southwood blind. She’s going to be busy.”
“Fine by me.” Dominic inhaled the evening air. “I moved t
o Southwood for my business, not for love.”
“All right.” Will sighed. “I trust you know what you’re doing.”
The fact he was standing off to the side, waiting for Waverly to finish, when he needed to work in the garage already told Dominic he didn’t know what he was doing. Whatever it was, it felt good. Dominic’s heart swelled with excitement when Waverly made her way toward the two of them. Deep down he’d known Waverly would win. She dazzled the crowd just as she dazzled him. They hadn’t spent a lot of time together this week, but the kiss they’d shared offered so much promise. Dominic’s body rippled with desire. He needed her. The fact his body reacted so strongly toward her worried Dominic. Neither of them were in the position to commit to anything serious and while it seemed like the perfect situation for a relationship-leery man, it left Dominic feeling unsettled.
“Mr. Ravens,” Waverly said with a genuine smile. “I have one more meeting, with the mayor, a brief one, and then we can head off to dinner.”
Will leaned forward and gave Waverly a kiss on her cheek. “If Zoe and I will be in Miami tonight but the next time we’re in the same city we’ll have to get together. I just wanted to stop by and offer my congratulations again and say bye to this lug right here.”
Dominic ducked out of the way when Will tried to wrap his arm around his neck. “Man.”
“He was never a cooperative line brother,” Will explained to Waverly.
Waverly’s lips pressed together. Dimples formed in her cheeks as she tried not to grin too hard. “I can imagine.”
“Will?”
The three of them standing there on the docks turned toward the voice. Vera, one of the other judges who sat on the panel, came barreling toward them. Anson Wilson, the town’s mayor, followed close behind. Dominic had met the politician when he first moved to Southwood. The man wore a designer scarf at all times. Alisha once explained to Dominic it was an ascot. Dominic privately called him Mayor Ascot. The man was somewhere in his thirties, clearly a former football star at Southwood High School. Every time Dominic saw the man away from the office he had some form of high school football paraphernalia on, alluding to the old days.
“Oh, Will, there you are. I came to give you your score sheets,” Vera said.
Dominic glanced at the tallies. He couldn’t help noticing all the check marks in Waverly’s favor. Dominic wrapped his arm around Will’s neck and put him in a playful headlock. “That’s my boy.”
“Uh, thanks, Vera,” Will said as he pulled away from Dominic’s grip. He took the paper, folded it up and tucked it into the inside pocket of his jacket, hiding it, almost. “Well, I better get going.”
“Something I said?” asked Vera.
“You have a funny knack for clearing a room,” said Waverly.
Dominic’s brows rose. He hated drama, especially between women. Tension filled the gorgeous evening. The mayor felt it and cleared his throat.
“No need for things to get testy, ladies,” said Anson.
Since the day Dominic opened shop, he had liked the man.
“Hold up a minute,” Dominic said, trying to control his bubbling irritation. He didn’t like the idea of anyone trying to scold Waverly, especially when this Vera lady came over here with her antagonizing tone. Will stepped forward, placing himself between the local politician and Dominic’s wrath.
“Mayor.” Will intervened. “Thank you for allowing Ravens Cosmetics to come to your lovely city.”
Distracted, Anson beamed. “The pleasure is all mine.”
“I was just coming to find you,” Waverly said to him, which irked Dominic, especially with the goofy smile on Mayor Ascot’s face. The idea of her going to any other man didn’t sit right with him.
“We actually came to find the both of you,” said Anson, looking at Dominic and Waverly.
“You were?” Waverly and Dominic chorused.
“Yes.” Anson nodded. “Vera pointed out the morality clause in our Miss Southwood contract.”
“What the hell are you...?”
Waverly placed her hand on Dominic’s forearm. He calmed down immediately. Will leaned forward and raised his brows at the position of Waverly’s hand. She held a power over Dominic, one Will now knew Dominic could not control. “It’s standard in every pageant.”
“We just want to make sure things are fair,” Vera said sweetly.
“We?” Waverly scoffed.
Vera stepped close to Anson, linking her arm through his. The way Anson looked at Waverly versus the way he cringed at Vera’s intimate touch clued Dominic in on everything he needed to know about the mayor.
“The mayor doesn’t want or need a scandal brought down on his city,” Vera went on. “And we all know how scandal follows you around, don’t we, Waverly?”
Waverly dug her nails into Dominic’s skin. He wondered what they’d feel like against his back while he made love to her. The woman had physical power.
“I am well aware of the morality clause, Vera,” Waverly bit out. “I plan on holding this title with the utmost respect.”
“Good. So just to make sure, the relationship between the two of you—” Vera wagged her finger between Dominic and Waverly “—is professional?”
Waverly’s shoulders squared.
“What business of yours is it if we’re professional or not?” Dominic asked.
Vera’s high-pitched laughter pierced Dominic’s ears. “Don’t you think the pageant board will find it convenient that Waverly’s sponsor had his best friend participating as a judge? Talk about calling in favors. Sounds like an ethics violation to me.”
“Now, hold on one damn minute,” said Will. “I didn’t know Dominic sponsored anyone.”
“Of course you didn’t,” Vera said condescendingly. For extra oomph she nodded with her eyes widened. Vera dramatically pressed her hand over her heart. “I believe you.”
“Look,” Anson said, then cleared his throat. “I know we just met a few weeks ago, Waverly, but I will believe anything you say. Tell us there’s nothing going on between you and him to give us a reason why Will’s vote might have been influenced. A lot of time and money went into this pageant. People will be unhappy if they found out this was rigged.”
Waverly took a step away from Dominic’s side. His heart ached but he didn’t know why. In truth, other than a kiss, nothing had happened between them. If only he hadn’t made that wager over whether or not he had a picture of himself tattooed at graduation.
“We’re just friends,” Waverly said with a shake of her head.
The words couldn’t have hurt any worse if she had stabbed him in the heart.
“Good,” Anson said with a bounce. He turned to Waverly. “I look forward to seeing you on the Christmas Advisory Council this week.”
“The what?” Waverly shook her head.
“The Christmas Advisory Council,” repeated Anson. “The big bonus of being Miss Southwood is the countdown to Christmas. Believe it or not, we start in the summer to get things ready for the big Christmas parade. As the mayor of Southwood, I will be spending a lot of time with you. We will end Christmas passing out presents together, kind of like Mr. and Mrs. Claus. I look forward to serving with you.”
Dominic wasn’t completely sure Anson had said the word with. It sounded more like serving you. The three-foot gap between the mayor and Waverly was far too small for Dominic’s preference. And Dominic would be damned if he let Anson nuzzle close to Waverly during this stupid time period.
“We,” Dominic said, draping his arm around Waverly’s shoulder, “look forward to it.”
“We?” Anson, Vera and Will said in unison.
“Sure. I’m a business owner in town.” Dominic winked. “And I am sponsoring the reigning Miss Southwood. We look forward to serving together, don’t we, Waverly?”
&n
bsp; Waverly gulped. “Yes, sure. Of course.”
Bristling, the mayor breathed deeply through his thinly pinched nose. Vera tightened her grip on the straps of her purse. It was so easy getting underneath the mayor’s skin. The hardest part was still ahead of Dominic. How was he supposed to continue a platonic relationship after being teased with a kiss from her sweet lips one week ago?
Once Anson and Vera left, Will said goodbye. Waverly and Dominic were left alone. The setting sun haloed her curvy frame. Dominic exhaled.
“How serious are these morality mobs?” he asked, stepping forward.
“Considering I lost my previous title for—” Waverly started to explain and bit her bottom lip as if searching for the right words “—creatively expressing my suggestions to a journalist, I’d say pretty serious.”
Frustration—sexual frustration, to be exact—consumed Dominic enough to clench his fists. Waverly’s eyes darted downward to his side. Then she took a step backward. For a moment he caught a glimpse of her shoulders shaking. Immediately he regretted not staying in control. He rubbed his hand against the back of his head.
“Sorry.” Waverly cringed. “I’ve got really bad timing.”
“This is my fault.” Dominic closed the gap between them and reached for her hand. The rough pads of his fingertips traced circles over the small bones of her wrists. “I talked you into running.”
“I didn’t exactly fight you over the offer,” Waverly said jokingly. Her half smile and shrug made him chuckle.
“No, you didn’t.”
Waverly gasped playfully and attempted to snatch her hand away, but Dominic closed his hand tighter and drew her against his frame. With their bodies so close, their laughter subsided. Waverly stopped laughing but her pink lips parted. Dominic cleared his throat. It took every ounce of his control to pull away. “We don’t want to have the morality mob after us.”
“I really am sorry,” Waverly repeated and bit her bottom lip. “Do you still want to go to dinner?”
“Hell yeah. If I can’t have you anytime soon, the least I can do is spend as much time with you as possible.”
A Tiara Under the Tree Page 5