Hook, Wine and Tinker

by Mardi Ballou

  Chapter Eight

  Dominic glared at Gwyn, raised his arms as if to shake her, then put them down again. “What the hell happened? Why did you send Ned back to the yacht alone?”

  Gwyn took a deep breath. This was going to be the really hard part, telling Dominic she wasn’t leaving with him after all. Especially with Pete glowering across the room. Seeing Dominic in her living room, a tidal wave of feeling for him crashed and broke over Gwyn. She knew it would take a long time to get over him. Maybe she never would. “I’m sorry,” she said, softly. “I changed my mind and…”

  “Changed your mind?” he thundered, pacing. “We discussed everything, arranged everything…”

  “You heard the lady,” Pete shouted, leaping into Dominic’s face. “She changed her mind. She’s going to marry me. Now get the hell out of here.”

  Gwyn shook her head. “I have not accepted your proposal.”

  “Yet.” Pete hissed. “You haven’t accepted my proposal yet. You haven’t rejected it either.” He looked almost as murderous as Dominic. “You will,” he said. “You just said you needed time and space. Unlike Laredo, I’m giving you time and space. Get the fuck out, Laredo.”

  “I’m not going anywhere ‘til I’ve had a chance to talk to Gwyn,” Dominic snarled.

  “She doesn’t want to talk to you,” Pete snarled back.

  Dominic turned to Gwyn. “The lady can speak for herself,” he said, lowering his voice.

  “This is going to speak for her,” Pete said. He drew his fist back and punched Dominic in the gut.

  Gwyn screamed. Dominic doubled over with a quick grunt then stood up and held his hands in defensive position in front of his face. “Don’t act like a child, Payne,” he panted. “We can talk this out like adults.”

  Pete threw another fist out, which Dominic blocked. Then Dominic punched him in the stomach and Pete caved. His fists still clenched, Dominic towered over him. Pete started to get up, looking determined to resume the battle.

  “Stop!” Gwyn jumped between them and held her hands out to keep them apart. She couldn’t believe the two of them were fighting over her. Though she had to admit part of her was thrilled—after all, how many women ever have two good-looking men get into a fistfight over them?—her adult rational self was horrified. These two clowns could get hurt if they didn’t stop. And the last thing she wanted was for either of them to suffer any more damage than she’d already inflicted on them. “Dominic, you go sit in that corner.” She pointed to make sure he knew where to direct himself. “Pete, you go sit in the other.”

  The two men glared at each other, but each headed to the spot she’d designated. Gwyn took referee position between them. “Does anybody need ice?”

  Dominic nodded. “I could use some,” he said. “Payne, you pack a mean punch.”

  Pete slitted his eyes, as if expecting Dominic to insult him. When Dominic didn’t say anything else, he nodded to Gwyn. “Me too.”

  “You’d better both sit where you are while I go to the kitchen,” she ordered. “I’ll throw out anyone who moves so much as a muscle.” She gave them both her best school principal glare, then, muttering to herself, went to the kitchen. She returned quickly with a bag of frozen green beans wrapped in a dishtowel for Dominic; Pete got the frozen peas. She watched as each man molded the bag to his midsection and sat back. Then she dragged out the small footstool and sat half way between them.

  Dominic looked from Gwyn to Pete. “Gwyn, tell me what’s going on,” he said softly, his eyes burning.

  Before she could answer, Pete chimed in. “We’re going to get engaged, Laredo. You know, engaged to get married. You didn’t have the class to leave my date alone last night, but maybe you’ll at least respect our being engaged. So leave my almost fiancée alone. In fact, why don’t you just leave, period. Your presence is not wanted here. Oh, by the way. You want my resignation, it’s yours. As of Monday morning.” Pete jutted out his jaw and might have looked tough if he weren’t pressing the frozen peas against his bare gut. More than ever, he now looked like the Jolly Green Giant.

  Dominic held up a hand in a “Stop” position and shook his head. “Payne, I expect to keep whatever happens between us here as strictly personal. No professional repercussions.” He turned to Gwyn. “A few hours ago, you were set to sail off into the sunset, or in our case the sunrise, with me. Now you turn out to be Payne’s fiancée. What’s happened?”

  Pete started to rise, but sank back in his chair when Gwyn glared at him. His face took on an arrogant sneer. “She’s choosing the better man. Deal with it, Laredo. Don’t let the door hit your ass on your way out.”

  “I haven’t said yes, Pete,” Gwyn pointed out again. She couldn’t believe the way Pete was talking to Dominic. His rudeness was even more unbelievable because Dominic was his boss. She could see Dominic was struggling to act like a gentleman. Her heart did a flip. It wasn’t just Dominic’s looks that got her knees wobbly and her hormones hopping. But she couldn’t let herself get carried away by his suaveness or suavity or whatever the hell it was. Seeing that Pete was starting to get out of his chair in a threatening manner, she added, “Pete, behave.” He sat back and moved the frozen peas around.

  “Dominic, I’m really sorry,” she said, only too aware of how inadequate her words were. “I guess it doesn’t make a difference if I say a lot or just a little. Pete did propose to me this morning. I haven’t accepted him. But now I realize I need more time before I make any huge decision.”

  She could see the muscles working in Dominic’s clenched jaw. “You’re asking more from me than you can know,” he said softly. “I thought we understood each other. Now you’re telling me I was wrong. I hate being wrong.”

  “I’m sure it doesn’t happen often.” She felt herself melting—sensing the pain behind his pretense of arrogance, remembering the times during the night when he’d let himself be vulnerable to her. These moments with him would be engraved forever on her soul. But he was like a star that shone too brightly for her to stay around too long. Pete was more ordinary, less brilliant. Just like her. And that’s what she had to go with. She sighed. She now had to be stronger than at any other time in her life. “I’m sorry, Dominic, for any way I’ve inconvenienced you.”

  He stood up and handed Gwyn the bag of beans. “It hasn’t been an inconvenience, Gwyn.” He walked to the door and put his hand on the knob. Her memory flashed back to his cabin, his hand on the knobs of his special cabinets, his hands on her. “I need to be going. Gwyn, I hope you find…whatever it is you hope to find.” He looked her full in the eyes, then kissed her hand. “The Bound for Pleasure sails tomorrow at dawn.” He turned on his heel and left.

  Her eyes teared up as he walked out. She wished he’d turn around one last time, wave to her. He didn’t.

  “I’m glad he’s gone,” Pete muttered.

  Gwyn couldn’t say the same. But eventually, she was sure, the pain would fade. Maybe a decade or two…

  “Come here,” he said, putting the peas aside. “Give me a kiss.”

  She shook her head, then sat down cross-legged at his feet. “How are you feeling, Pete? Anything I can do?”

  “He got me with a sucker punch,” Pete looked down at his now frozen belly. “I’ll be okay.” Pete started to get up.

  “Where you going?” she asked. After all, it was still fairly early Sunday, a day off for both of them.

  “Gotta go home, change out of this costume. Big football game today with my buddies, and I can’t show up in tights.”

  She couldn’t believe he was just going to leave her like this. Not when she felt so hollow and bereft. She stood up. “Don’t go, Pete. Miss the football game so you can be with me and we can talk. After all, you just asked me to marry you.” She was practically pleading with him. “We just started opening up to each other about some of our deepest feelings.”

  He looked at her as if she’d sprouted a second head, then a third. “Come on, babe. You know that that talking stu
ff is not where I’m at. At some point, I am willing to give it a try, if that’s what floats your boat. But not now, not when my head’s someplace else.”

  She scowled wondering what it would take to really get through to him. “I’m not just talking about talk. I’m talking about being together. Pete, we both have really hurt each other. Now we’re talking about moving this relationship forward. But that’s not going to just happen without a lot of effort—on both our parts.”

  “Tell you what,” he said. “We can be together, but later. We’ve got all the time in the world. For now, it’s really important for me to go to the football game.” He paused for a moment, then his eyes widened as if with new inspiration. “Why don’t you call up one of your girlfriends and talk with her. Get warmed up for when you talk to me. Have lunch, my treat. Look, you can even shop for an engagement ring. If you find something you like, put it on your credit card. I’ll pay you back.”

  Gwyn was clutching her throat, realizing at last how clueless he really was. She visualized a possible future with Pete, days shopping with the girls because Pete was with his buddies at a football game or a baseball game or championship bowling or… Or was she the one who was being clueless?

  She looked at him, wondering who this man really was. “Don’t you want to be with me?” she asked.

  He appeared to soften. “Hey, wasn’t I waiting for you on your lawn all night? I even brought my buddies. And didn’t I spend the whole morning with you? You want, I’ll see you tonight. Get some pizza, a video… Chick flick or other garbage of your choice. Whatever you want.” He looked pointedly at his watch. “But I’ve gotta get going now.” He started walking to the door.

  An incipient headache began to pound behind her eyebrows. “Wait, Pete.” He stopped and turned to her. “I have one question. Why on earth did you propose to me this morning? Why when you hadn’t even mentioned engagement or any sort of commitment before?” She really didn’t know what to expect in his response.

  He shrugged. “Hey, baby, once I saw Dominic Laredo sniffing around, I realized you must be something special. He only goes with prime women. I figured if you’re good enough for him, you’re good enough for me. And now, as I said before, the better man has won.” He blew her a kiss, then opened the door and stepped out. “I’ll call you later.”

  “Pete,” she called out.

  He turned looking annoyed. “What now?”

  “Don’t bother.”

  “Don’t bother?”

  “Don’t call me. We’re finished.”

  He shook his head. “I know you don’t mean that. I’ll call you tonight.”

  The door closed with a bang, just like she’d closed the door on being with Dominic. “I really do mean it, Pete,” Gwyn called out softly to the closed door.

  She sat down and put her face in her hands. With every cell in her body, every nerve ending, every atom and molecule, she knew that she’d made the right decision with Pete—and that she’d made a huge mistake in letting Dominic go. A huge, life-destroying mistake. She let her tears flow.

  * * * * *

  Dominic drove back to the Bound for Pleasure in a purple haze. He’d left the yacht and his business meeting as soon as Ned called to tell him something was awry with their plans. He’d excused himself from Laura, the rep, inviting her to stay on the yacht, promising he’d reschedule and finish their business shortly. He’d passed Ned in the Jaguar on the road to Gwyn’s.

  When Dominic got back to the yacht, he punched a wall…hard. Harder than he’d punched that fool Payne. He knew he should have followed his instincts and gone with Gwyn this morning. Then everything would have been all arranged by now, complete, and she’d be with him.

  Could he have been so wrong about her? How could she have chosen Peter Payne over him? She’d seemed so positive that morning.

  Dominic went back to the cabin, reliving his time with her the night before. Her scent and the fragrances of hot, heavy sex rose from his bed, nearly making him dizzy with regret. Well, he was leaving in the morning. He’d just have to get over being wrong, and start looking for the woman of his dreams elsewhere.

  But he’d been so sure…

  * * * * *

  The hours of the day stretched empty before Gwyn. She didn’t have any friends available to see that day, any shopping to do, any book she could get interested in reading. Heck, she hadn’t even picked up a Sunday paper, and now she didn’t have the energy. If she’d gone ahead with her plans with Dominic, she’d have been real busy, choosing the things she wanted to take, contacting everyone as to where she’d be and how to stay in touch with her.

  Boy, had she blown it. Might as well rename herself Hurricane Gwyn. Or Typhoon Gwyn. Heck, she was probably a tornado. As she sat alone, contemplating the debris of her life, she wondered how she’d managed to mess up this badly in so short a time. She’d had a man who was bigger and better than her dreams, wanting her to go off with him. And now Dominic thought she’d settled for Pete. For about three seconds, she’d reveled in the glorious freedom of being on her own. Being on her own was a lot better than being in a bad relationship, but when she compared it to sailing away with Dominic…

  Gwyn patrolled her living room like a leopard stuck in a parakeet’s cage. Dominic had a hold on her. He fascinated her and dominated her thoughts and feelings like no man she’d ever known before or would know in the future.

  Gwyn thought back to all Dominic had shown her and shared with her the night before. He’d used the word “trust” with her. They’d both trusted each other, virtual strangers, with the various cuffs and ties. He’d wanted her to extend that trust in him to going away with him. She’d said yes, then abruptly reneged.

  Could Dominic ever trust her again? He must hate her now. She couldn’t blame him.

  But could she make it up to him? It was Dominic she wanted, Dominic she should be with.

  So what was holding her back? Pride? Yeah. Also fear. He might already have decided he never wanted to see her again.

  After pacing for an hour, Gwyn realized there was no alternative. She would take the biggest risk of her life and go to him.

  Maybe he’d reject her, the way she’d rejected him. She had to take that chance, put herself on the line. Playing it safe would cost her too high a price.

  Once she’d made up her mind, Gwyn felt like she’d really sprouted Tinkerbell wings. She flew to her room, showered, and quickly threw on a winter white pants suit that always made her feel like Erin Brockovich. Not as sexy, just ballsy. Well, maybe sexy too.

  Then she got in her old maroon Volvo and headed for the marina. While she drove, she mentally reviewed what she’d say to Dominic. She rehearsed her words, her attitude, then rejected each approach she came up with. She’d coolly announce she was going with him. She’d ask his forgiveness. She’d throw herself on his mercy.

  By the time she arrived at the marina, Gwyn was talking to herself very loudly. She parked her car and finally told herself to shut up.

  Even without the benefit of the glamorous lights and the starlit night, the Bound for Pleasure was a gorgeous craft. Gwyn stood before it for a moment, nearly awe-struck. What the hell was she doing here? She had to be nuts to come here looking for Dominic. She could still turn around and go back home.

  Not. Legs trembling, she began to climb the gangplank. There was no one on the deck when she stepped off. Maybe Dominic wasn’t even there. She walked around, wondering where all the people were.

  A tall redhead wearing the sexiest power suit Gwyn had ever seen came out to the deck sipping a margarita. She looked Gwyn up and down, then toasted her. “You here for a business appointment with the man too?” she asked.

  “Business?” Gwyn asked.

  The woman giggled. Probably not her first margarita. “That’s what they call it.” She leaned closer to Gwyn, as if to confide in her. “He may be a hot businessman, but it’s nothing to what a hottie he is as a man.”

  Gwyn looked at her. Dominic a hottie?
Big time. Had he found a woman to replace her with already? Gwyn had at least known Pete before she met Dominic. Maybe Dominic had known this woman before too. Maybe Gwyn should just turn around and go home the way she’d come.

  The woman continued. “Had an appointment with him this morning. He got a phone call and rushed off in the middle like a volcano had exploded under him. Since he’s been back, he’s been too distracted to see me. Invited me to enjoy the bar. So I am. Wish he’d invite me to enjoy his bedroom. I’ve struck out big time on that. So far.”

  Could the redhead be talking about when Dominic had come to her house? Gwyn took a deep breath. Just then, Dominic appeared. He saw her and scowled, then turned to the other woman. “Laura,” he said, “I apologize for keeping you waiting. This is not the way I usually conduct business. Please wait in my office—I’ll be with you shortly.” Laura swayed off.

  “So I see you’ve found your way back to my yacht,” Dominic said, not touching her. “Without Payne. What can I do for you? Maybe you want to borrow antique handcuffs or…”

  Gwyn wished he would take her in his arms. “I’m so sorry,” she said softly, looking him straight in the eye. “Dominic, I rejected Pete’s proposal. And I’ve told him to leave me alone.”

  Dominic nodded. “Sounds like a good decision. Why did you need to come out to the yacht to tell me?”

  He wasn’t going to make this easy for her. She couldn’t blame him. “It’s not just Pete.” She took a deep breath, preparing herself to say the most important words of her life. “Dominic, I know I made a mistake when I went back on my decision about coming with you. A huge one. Please, take me with you. But first, please take me in your arms.”

  He kept his face neutral and crossed his arms in front of him. “As you can see, I’m busy. Laura’s been waiting all day to transact some simple business.”

  Well, he hadn’t laughed in her face or thrown her off the yacht. Maybe there was still a glimmer of hope… “I’ll wait for you so we can talk some more,” she said, suddenly feeling the enormity of what she’d done.