Playing for Hearts

by Debra Kayn

  “San Jose,” he said. Proud of himself for finally remembering the city he called home nine months of the year.

  “Huh?”

  “That’s where I live.”

  “Oh.” She glanced over at him. “I’ve been there a few times when a group of us drove over on spring break when I went to Berkeley.”

  “I’ll show you around.” He glanced at her and winked. “We’ll go on a date.”

  “Nice try, but no.” She turned to gaze out the side window.

  A genuine smile came over him. Because right before she’d turned away, he’d seen the corners of her mouth twitch. Oh, she’d fight her attraction to him. She’d give him one hell of a challenge. But she wanted him.

  Chapter Three

  No sooner had Dominic shown her around the gated community where his upscale condominium was located and got her settled in the spare bedroom with the navy colored curtains with matching bedspread and bare walls lacking any homey feel, than he announced it was time for him to go to practice. Diana grabbed her purse off the bed, surprised to find she looked forward to watching a bunch of men beat each other up on the ice.

  Men that were not Dominic. What wasn’t there to like?

  Dominic blocked the doorway of her bedroom. “You can’t go wearing that.”

  She looked down at her clothes. The black slacks, heels, and white blouse the hotel required suited any occasion. “Not much I can do about my clothes until Shauna sends my bags to me. Trust me, I can’t embarrass you wearing business attire, and I won’t dress like a skank just so you can have bragging rights with the guys on the team.”

  “Come on.” He turned, marched down the hallway, and entered his room.

  She stood a step inside the bedroom. The musky aroma she associated with Dominic hung in the air. She swallowed. Goosebumps broke out over her bare arms.

  It was true — his scent should be bottled. Every freaking woman in the world would buy the cologne by the truckload. Not that she’d tell him that.

  A huge king size bed sat in the middle of the room. Four wooden posts from each corner held white mesh netting and offset the black plush comforter. She studied the area with interest, since it was the first sign that he cared about where he lived and put his own touch to the style of his room. Two framed pictures of winter scenes hung on the wall at the head of his bed. A long, lonely road covered in blown snow and a frozen pond. A black and red rug covered most of the wood floor.

  Impressed with his decorating skills, she wondered if one of the women who hung around him all the time helped him pick out the colors. She stepped toward the door Dominic disappeared through.

  He walked out of what she guessed to be his closet, holding a sweatshirt, hat, and scarf. He handed the pile to her.

  “What’s this for?” she asked.

  “You’ll need it at the rink.” He picked up a large duffle bag, almost the length of the bed, with the Sharks logo on the side. “Damn.”

  “What now?”

  He frowned, and the lines between his brows wrinkled. “I forgot to feed you.”

  “It’s okay.” She relaxed, deciding that it was rather nice that he was thinking about her comfort.

  “No, it’s not.” He shifted the bag to one hand, reached into his back pocket, and handed her his wallet. “There’s money in there. You can buy a coffee to help you stay warm while you watch practice. You can also get some junk food out of the vending machines. Afterward, I’ll take you out to dinner and you can have some real food.”

  Growing up with banker parents who thought it was splurging to grab a dollar burger at McDonald’s had taught her the value of money. She warmed, knowing Dominic trusted her with his wallet. His action softened her resolve not to like him.

  “I can’t use any more of your money.” She stuck her hand out, trying to give his wallet back.

  “Keep it.”

  “It won’t kill me to wait a few hours. I had a big breakfast.” If coffee and a piece of dry toast counted as a hearty meal. She shrugged when he refused to take his wallet back and slipped it on top of her pile of clothes. “Let’s hit the court.”

  “The rink.”

  “Whatever. I don’t even like hockey. I’m more a football fan.”

  He narrowed his eyes and grumbled about hockey being the only sport worth watching. She pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. Right then, she decided she rather liked the human side of him, the side that showed emotion and got irritated over her teasing.

  Dominic was always so serious. He had to laugh more. And, since she’d be spending all her time with him for the next two weeks, it was a problem she could solve while she fought the women away. By the end of the job, she’d break Dominic’s tight hold on his self-control and let him experience spontaneity and fun. She’d have him cracking jokes and giving in to late night desires in no time.

  She gulped. Maybe not desires. She’d better stick to the jokes.

  A fifteen minute drive later, the security team pulled up to the practice arena called the Shark Tank. Tanner, the biggest out of the two men Dominic hired, nodded to his boss before exiting the car. Evan, the other guy who was shorter and more serious, slipped out the door without a word, obviously knowing the routine.

  Dominic turned to Diana in the back seat. She hadn’t said a word the whole trip, because Tanner eyed her in the rearview mirror the whole way as if speaking would get her handcuffed and thrown out of the car without stopping.

  Dominic took the sweatshirt off her lap. “Arms up.”

  She clasped her hands together. A muscle along his cheek twitched and she tilted her head at the same moment he pulled the sweatshirt over her head. She automatically stuck her arms in the sleeves, peeved that her stubbornness was no match for a guy with fast hands.

  As Dominic rolled up the sleeves of the too long sweatshirt, she studied his face. “Do you have a dimple?”

  He glanced at her and after a few beats smiled. She gasped. The difference in him stunned her. Oh, he kept the hard edge, but an adorable transformation came over his face making him downright gorgeous and — she gulped again — irresistible.

  “Uh, you might not want to smile in public.” She inhaled deeply, blew out her cheeks, and let go of the side effects of his smile in one big whoosh.

  “I know. It’s a lesson I have learned the hard way.” He picked the stocking cap up and put it on her head, chuckling.

  She rearranged the hat, so it wasn’t covering half her face. “What’s so funny?”

  “Your curls are cute.” He flipped the scarf over her head and wrapped it around her neck.

  Cute? She kept her hair loose and wild for a reason. Kate had told her men would find the curls sexy. “Thanks a lot,” she muttered.

  He paused, forcing her to meet his eyes. “I like you wearing my clothes. It’s sexy.”

  His confession caressed her skin and a flutter went through her landing in her lower stomach. Her body warmed, and heat rolled up her spine and settled on her cheeks. His gaze lowered to her mouth, and she moistened her lips.

  For seconds, his intense eyes locked onto her, until he finally leaned forward. His mouth hovered inches from her lips. The warmth of his breath brushed her face. She blinked rapidly to keep her eyes open to see what he was going to do next.

  The temperature in the car rose. She sucked in air and leaned forward spanning the inches separating them. He was close. Close enough to —

  The door opened. She jerked back. Dominic closed his eyes and groaned. She stared in shock. Oh. My. God.

  Tanner stood outside, but avoided their eyes. “All clear, Dominic.”

  What was she doing? One more second and she would’ve kissed him. She tugged at the scarf, struggling to unwind it from her neck. The last thing she needed to do is get physically involved with him.

  Dominic laid his hands on top of hers, settling her down. She sagged against the seat. Her insides a quivery mess of sexual lust.

  “I know you’re hot, but take
the scarf. You’ll need it when we’re inside. It gets cold when you’re watching practice,” he whispered.

  Hot wasn’t even close to what she felt. Her blood boiled and every nerve in her body trembled at attention. What was she doing? What was he doing to her? Her weak reaction to him must be his fault. She certainly didn’t ask him to kiss her.

  She couldn’t let herself fall for his charm. Even if he had a dimple that no grown man should be allowed to own and a smile that showed a slight gap between his front teeth, she would not kiss him. She had a job to do, and she wasn’t going to allow herself to become one of those women who lost total control of their thinking around Dominic.

  Outside the vehicle, Dominic walked beside her. There were only a dozen cars parked in the lot. She glanced at the blue sky, thankful for the sweatshirt hanging to her knees. The outfit would come in dead last in a fashion show, but she could use the weather as an excuse for her overheated body.

  Twenty feet from the door of the arena, car tires squealed behind them. Tanner wrapped his arms around her, stealing her breath. Dominic sandwiched her from the other side. A group of women screamed their joy inside the car at catching Dominic before practice.

  “Idiots,” Dominic muttered.

  “We’ll get rid of them.” Tanner let go of Diana.

  She found herself thrust into Dominic’s embrace. Her sleeves had unrolled during the excitement, and all she could do is stand there with her arms hanging down, pinned to her sides. The clothes situation was going to have to change. If she had to defend herself against other women, she’d do more damage if her arms were usable.

  “Let’s get you inside.” Dominic ushered her up the steps and into the building. “Tanner and Evan will guard the doors for the next two hours. We’re safe.”

  “Your life seriously sucks, dude.” She yanked up her sleeves, fixed her scarf, and followed him farther into the building, thankful for the chill in the air.

  He stopped at a set of double doors and pointed to their left. “Vending machines are down that way. I need to go change in the locker room. When you’re done, go through these doors. You can watch until practice is over.”

  “Okay.” She hiked the sleeve of the sweatshirt and took his wallet out of her purse. “Maybe I’ll buy a snack, but I’ll pay you back. You can deduct it out of our agreement.”

  “Diana.” He blew out his breath. “We’ll discuss this later. I’m going to get suited up. I’ll meet you right here after practice.”

  He lumbered away. She gazed after him, watching his jeans tug against his solid legs. Her stomach growled. Food. That would get her mind off almost kissing him in the car.

  Five minutes later, with a coffee in one hand and a Hostess Ding Dong and Dominic’s wallet in the other hand, Diana worked her way to the front seats by the rink, right behind the Plexiglas. After fumbling with the flip up seat, she managed to sit down without spilling her drink. The voices from the players echoed in the empty arena. The slice of their skates cut through the air. She shivered, set everything but her coffee in her lap, and cuddled the warm cup between her hands.

  Half the players wore red shirts and the other half wore white. Both teams sported the San Jose Sharks logo on their jersey. She studied the men, trying to find Dominic. They all appeared similar in size.

  Her gaze landed on number thirty-one. He looked her way, and she waved. She’d recognize his broad shoulders anywhere. He skated toward her, spraying ice when he slid to a stop in front of the see-through protective wall.

  He tapped the glass with his hockey stick. “Warm enough?”

  She nodded, and twirled her finger in the air. “Turn around.”

  “Huh?”

  “Rotate. I want to see what you wear,” she said.

  He cocked his head, and pivoted around in a circle. She giggled quietly, liking the way his ass looked in the tight white pants. No wonder women went crazy for him.

  Laughter broke out on the rink. She followed Dominic’s gaze to the other members of his team and found them pointing at her and slapping each other in amusement. She frowned.

  “What’s their problem?”

  “Probably jealous. Just ignore them.” He motioned with his stick. “I need to get back. Two hours and I’ll be done.”

  She stuck her thumb up. “Good luck.”

  “It’s just practice.”

  “So?” She grinned. “Go kick their ass for laughing at you.”

  He skated away and by the expression on his face, she knew he was laughing at her. His dimple showed and the skin at the edge of his eyes crinkled. She settled down and opened her Ding Dongs.

  Over the course of the next hour, she watched Dominic skate around and pass the puck back and forth. No one seemed to hit the black flat disc toward the goals at the end of the rink, and instead concentrated on playing catch. She shifted and crossed her legs. The wallet on her lap slid, and she caught it before it fell to the sticky floor under her feet. She fingered the black leather.

  The five dollars she expected to find earlier when she bought her snacks turned out to be a stack of fifty-dollar bills. Not wanting to snoop, she’d dug through the money and found a twenty folded behind the row of bills to use in the change machine and quickly closed the wallet back up. She slipped her finger in between the folds. Now that she was going to live with Dominic for two weeks, she was curious about what a famous hockey player would carry around with him.

  The contents of a wallet said a lot about the owner. She wiggled her finger inside the divider without opening the billfold. Nothing stood out as odd. Maybe if she closed her eyes and used her sense of touch …

  She tried again. Her fingernail caught on a paper, or … She opened her eyes. Was that the foil wrapping of a condom?

  She jerked her finger out of the wallet, dropping it back on her lap. Her heart raced as if she’d done something illegal. He’d given her the wallet in good faith. She would not snoop. It wasn’t any of her business whether he was always prepared for sex.

  The team skated off the end of the rink and walked single file to the locker room. She pursed her lips as one by one, she was the only one left in the arena. She wondered if he would use the condom with someone else while she stayed with him.

  Her body quivered remembering how close they were to kissing in the car. She swept up her empty cup and wrapper and stood. He’d better not even think about bringing a woman back to the condominium while she was staying with him and having sex.

  Chapter Four

  Nestled in the back corner of a quiet restaurant in one of the less popular neighborhoods of San Jose, Dominic shrugged off the hood of his sweatshirt. He watched Diana glance around self-consciously in the dim light. She’d insisted they hit the drive-thru window of a fast food restaurant, but he’d wanted to show her a good time. It mattered little to him that she was wearing his clothes.

  Getting to know her better was his main objective, and she looked adorable decked out as a Sharks fan. Since almost kissing her in the car, he’d tried to get closer to her after practice and failed. She seemed extra jumpy, and he wanted to make sure she wasn’t going to back out of their deal.

  “So, how often do you practice?” She fiddled with the edge of her napkin.

  He set down his glass of wine. “Twice a week right now, because we have two games per week. The first month it’ll all be home games because we’re in exhibition season, but next month we’re on the road. I have weekends and Thursdays off.”

  “Your whole life revolves around hockey. I’m surprised you came to help Shauna with the fundraiser.” She leaned forward. “Which was cool of you to do, by the way. The changes that are being made around Cottage Grove with the money all the athletes brought in helped a lot.”

  “Grayson wanted a favor, and I was growing bored.” He shrugged. “I enjoy helping. It’s hard sometimes … ”

  “The women?”

  “Yes.”

  “Tell me about this company that’s harassing you,” she asked.


  He ran his hand over his jaw. “Nomora … they produce men’s cologne. Their representative is hounding me to provide samples of my sweat, spit, and something about collecting the acidity in my body. They want to provide other men with a way to gain a woman’s attention by providing a cologne with the same compounds as the … smell I produce. I’ve told them, it’s not something men will like. They don’t believe me.”

  “No. I don’t imagine they would.” She snorted quietly and shook her head. “You do know that most men think you’re lucky to have the problem you do. Think of all the nice boys who want to be badasses like you. They’d kill to switch spots with you.”

  “Yeah. I’d gladly trade places with any one of them.”

  “What happens when you’re in Russia?” She lifted her drink. “You said you go there to get away from the chaos.”

  “That’s the thing, nothing happens to me when I go back home.” He shook his head. “In the village, everyone knows me. It’s a small area. Maybe three thousand people.”

  “Do you date?” She glanced away. “I mean, when you’re home.”

  “No.”

  “Huh.” She sipped her wine.

  He braced his forearms on the table. “Why did you do that?”

  “Just hard to believe. I would think you had a girlfriend back home, since you don’t seem to have one here in the States. At least when I Google you, the articles pin you as a playboy, not a relationship sorta guy,” she said.

  The waitress brought their food. He leaned back, catching the wink the woman gave him. He ignored her.

  “My name’s Kimmy. If you’d like anything else … I mean anything, just ask for me.” She slipped a piece of paper under the lip of his plate.

  Disgust soured his mood. He slid the folded message back to the edge of the table. “I’m not — ”

  “He’s mine.” Diana laid her hand atop his, and smiled at him without looking at the waitress. “Aren’t you, baby?”