He rolled the ball around in his hand. “Yeah...well... I did think about marrying her. My situation was similar to yours.”
“She didn’t trust you?” Jeanette couldn’t believe that. She couldn’t imagine Dominic being insecure or playing games with anyone, much less the woman he dated.
“No, I trusted her. Too much.” Regret weighed heavily in his voice. “I’m usually dead-on when reading people, but she completely fooled me. I believed every word that came out of her mouth. Thought she was nothing like the people whose lies I uncover every day. Turned out I was wrong. Not only that, but she was stealing from me.”
Jeanette swung and faced him. She held up a hand. “Hold up? Stealing?”
His cheeks expanded as he let out a long, heavy breath. “Yeah, slowly. It took a while to notice. Watches, money I had lying around, passwords to my accounts.”
“Damn.”
“Tell me about it. I didn’t find out about the stealing until later. But I caught her sneaking into my client files. A story broke about one of the clients I was working for in Chicago and it nearly ruined their career. Once I trailed down how the information got out, everything led back to me. Which in turn led back to her. She got paid five thousand dollars from a tabloid for the information and didn’t show an ounce of remorse when I confronted her.”
Jeanette drew closer. “What did you do?”
“I ended things immediately, but getting completely detangled from her is taking longer than I imagined. She’d opened accounts in my name with her name attached.”
Jeanette waved her hand and shook her head. “You can’t be serious.”
“No lie. Mostly credit cards and one bank loan. No, two bank loans. I just got notice about another default account last week. It sucks trying to get that cleaned up.”
“I hope you pressed charges.” Someone that hellish needed to go to jail.
“What’s funny is at the end of the day I still didn’t want to see her go to jail. Not catching her sooner was my fault, but I did press charges. We worked out a deal that got most of our false entanglements cleared up. Her debt is hers but I still have to prove the fraud every time something new pops up. It’s taking time and resources I don’t have to work this out. I never want to see her again.”
“How did you not suspect?” She didn’t want to sound rude, but Dominic was so careful about who he let into his circle. She couldn’t imagine anyone getting close enough to fool him like that.
He ran a hand over his face. His eyes were distant, as if he, too, were trying to find the answer to that question. “I ask myself that over and over. I let my guard down. I met her at church. A client invited me to the service, and she taught the youth ministry. She seemed so...sincere. Nothing like my family. I let myself believe the image instead of looking deeper because I...”
“You what?” she prompted after he got quiet for a few seconds.
“I was ready to settle down. To have a family.” He stood and shook his head. “Therefore, I saw what I wanted to see instead of what was really there.”
Jeanette stayed quiet while he tossed his ball. He scored fifty instead of a hundred points. Guess he was distracted now. She understood. The people closest to you, the ones you wanted to believe in, were the ones who could hurt you the most. He’d opened himself to starting a future with someone and he’d been hurt for that.
“So, I dated someone who couldn’t trust me, and you dated someone who used your trust as a weapon.”
He grunted. “Basically.”
“Has it made things harder for you? Moving on afterward? Because it’s been hard for me. I’m so afraid the next guy is going to think the same way my ex did.”
“I can’t help but worry the next woman I date might screw me over.” He met her eyes, his gaze steady but wary. “That doesn’t mean I can’t trust anyone again. I let her fool me, but I won’t let that happen again. Next time, I won’t let what I want to see overshadow what’s really there.”
“So, you do want a next time?” Would he view anything with her through a clear lens?
He threw his last ball down the Skee-Ball ramp. It sped up and bounced up into the twenty-point hole. The lowest he’d gotten all night, but he didn’t seem to care. He took her hand and pulled her close. The solid strength of his arm wrapped around her waist.
“I want to enjoy tonight with you. What about you?”
She’d wanted him to say he did want a next time with her. That he wasn’t just playing at being affectionate and loving and that he was also thinking about more than a few nights together while they worked a case. But he hadn’t. Instead of letting the disappointment wash over her, she focused on the good. That they weren’t playing cat and mouse. They were both opening up and being honest. All she needed was to get through tonight and figure out next steps tomorrow.
“I couldn’t agree more.”
“Are you ready to go back to the hotel?”
She shook her head. “Do you mind if we sit on the beach for a little bit? I rarely make it to the beach.”
He grinned and kissed her temple. “Whatever you like.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
JEANETTE JERKED AWAKE disoriented and uncomfortable. Darkness shrouded her. The night air was cool on her front. Dominic was solid and warm on her back. They were still on the beach.
“You’re awake?” Dominic’s deep voice came from behind her.
“You let me fall asleep?” She glanced around but couldn’t see much.
They’d walked along the boardwalk some more, even rode the Ferris wheel and visited the Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Museum before finally coming down to the beach as the sun set. Dominic bought extra-large beach towels for them to sit on while they listened to the waves crash and talked about nothing and everything. The last thing she remembered was lying on her side, Dominic behind her with his arm over her waist, while she watched the waves and told him about how as a kid she’d wanted to be a mermaid and live in the ocean where she could explore. He hadn’t laughed, just listened and talked about his own childhood dreams of meeting a girl like Patti Mayonnaise from the cartoon Doug.
“I didn’t let you fall asleep,” he said chuckling. “You were talking, then you were sleeping.”
She remembered talking about her childhood memories, then feeling a sense of calm with Dominic’s arms around her. No wonder she’d fallen asleep. “Why didn’t you wake me?”
“I liked lying here, holding you and listening to the sounds of the ocean. I haven’t done that...ever. I dozed off a little while ago, too.”
“I never fall asleep in public like that.”
His arm tightened slightly around her as he hugged her close. “I’ve got your back. I wouldn’t have let anything happen to you.”
He would have her back. There was no doubt in her mind about that. That had to be the only reason why she’d fallen asleep. She’d felt comforted, protected with Dominic behind her. It was nice having someone looking out for her after years of having to watch out for herself.
She rolled onto her back and looked up at him. His features were hard to make out now that the sun had gone down. The beach was quiet. Many of the people who’d been out earlier were now gone. Only the dim lights from the boardwalk in the distance and the glow of the half-moon and stars illuminated them.
“How long was I out for?” They were alone on the beach. The only sounds were the waves crashing nearby.
His fingers traced her stomach through the material of her shirt. “Just an hour.”
His light touch tickled and stirred something decadent and warm inside her. “Are you ready to go back to the hotel now? We’ve got a long day tomorrow.”
Tomorrow they’d get back to the reason they were here. Closer to the end of their case. Closer to reality and decisions about what to do next.
Dominic’s hand flattened against her belly.
The heat of his palm penetrated through her shirt, making her wish there was nothing there blocking his touch.
“Not just yet,” he said softly.
His head lowered and his lips gently pressed against hers. Once again he kissed her as if he wanted to savor every second. Jeanette’s hand lifted to cup his cheek. The rough stubble of his five-o’clock shadow brushed her palm. His tongue deliberately met hers. Ever-increasing waves of desire swelled the longer they kissed.
Dominic’s fingertips played across her stomach. She squirmed beneath his touch, yearning for him to lift the material and spread his hand against her skin. She was about to jerk her shirt up herself and beg him to give her breasts attention when his hand slipped beneath the material. He cupped her breast. His thumb brushed in achingly slow circles around her hardened nipple through the satin cup of her bra. Jeanette arched her back for more. Her teeth nipped at his full lower lip. A deep groan vibrated through Dominic’s chest and he gently pinched her nipple between his forefinger and thumb.
Jeanette’s hand fell to his shoulder. She clutched the hard muscles, her nails digging into him. Dominic’s lips traced across her cheek. Anticipation expanded in her as he made his way to her neck. She loved neck kisses. When he pulled back the neckline of her shirt and lightly sucked on the sensitive skin where her neck and shoulder met, she gasped. The exquisite sensation shot through her and she clenched her thighs together, but the pressure between them only increased.
She tugged on the waistband of his pants. The need to feel more of him was the only driving factor. The blood rushing in her ears drowned out everything, including the sound of the waves. Dominic brushed her hand aside then pulled her shirt completely up to expose her to the cool night air. Warmth and wetness encircled her pebbled nipple through the thin material of her bra. He sucked hard, and she bit down on her bottom lip to suppress the cry of pleasure building in her throat.
“Dominic,” she whimpered. No, begged. Her body and mind were running on autopilot, only the need for release driving her.
His answer was to unzip her pants. His hand pushed past the waistband of her underwear. His fingers slipped across her slick folds. His low moan was met by her own excited gasp. Full lips pulled harder on her nipple. His bold fingers explored around her hard clit before dipping deep into her core. Jeanette’s legs spread open. Her hips pushed back and forth as he repeated the decadent torture. Over and over until she could only press her head back and stare at the stars through the blur of her lashes. She clenched her muscles around his thick fingers, not wanting to release him, extending her own pleasure as he slid out, teased her hardened nub then dived back inside. Dominic’s frantic breathing matched hers. His head lifted and he kissed her. His body was tense and hard. His breathing heavy and fast. The sweet ache of her arousal sharpened and focused. All senses blurred except for the exquisite glide of his long fingers and the driving need to get closer and closer to the sweet edge of perfection. She crashed over. Stars exploded behind her eyelids. Her body contracted. Her back bowed as she climaxed around his hand. His kiss barely muffled the satisfied whimpers escaping her.
Dominic raised his head and gently kissed her forehead, brow and cheeks. Jeanette fought to get her breathing back under control. Tremors still racked her body. He kissed her ear and whispered, “Now we can go back to the room.”
* * *
GETTING BACK TO the room was a blur. They were barely through the door of the hotel room before their clothes were off. She may have started unbuttoning his shirt on the elevator. Dominic didn’t care who started pulling off clothes first. His body buzzed with the sweet aftermath of what had happened on the beach. His dick was so hard he wasn’t sure how he’d even walked back.
As soon as he was naked Jeanette pushed him against the wall. He grinned and grabbed her wrist. “You’re going to push me around now?”
Her free hand wrapped around his dick, stroked slowly down and eased back up before she lightly squeezed. “My turn to get what I want.” She dropped into a squat before him before he could reply.
His eyes widened as her bold gaze met his. Then her full lips spread and took the tip of him into the warm heaven of her mouth. Cursing, Dominic dug his fingers into the softness of her hair. She played him like a fiddle. His legs trembled as if he’d just learned to stand. Only the thinnest string of self-control kept him from gripping her hair and guiding her head back and forth. She groaned as if she were loving this just as much as he was, and his balls tightened.
“Jeanette... Jeanette, baby...you’ve got to stop...” he gasped between his teeth, his mind and body warring with each other.
She took him deeper. When he looked down, her eyes were sexy and smug as they met his. She’d turned him into mush, and she knew it. He didn’t care. She could do whatever the fuck she wanted to him.
He nudged her shoulder enough until she released him with a sexy pop of her lips. He damn near exploded just from that.
“I wasn’t done yet,” she said with a sexy pout.
“Finish that later.” He pulled her to her feet then lifted her up into his arms.
Jeanette’s soft legs wrapped around his waist. Quick, determined strides had him across the room where they fell onto the bed. He kissed her again. Slow and deep. Her lips were so damn soft. So addictive. How in the hell was he going to let her go after just one or two nights?
Instead of letting that thought break the perfection of the moment, he reached for his overnight bag on the foot of the bed and rummaged around in the side pocket where he’d thrown a few condoms at the last minute. He’d felt foolish for doing so before leaving. Now he was thankful for spontaneous what-if moments.
“Always prepared,” Jeanette said with a teasing light in her brown eyes.
“Hopeful, but I’ll toss this back in and sleep on the couch if you don’t want this.” He held up the square foil.
He would. God knew he’d be uncomfortable for days, but he would never push her into this.
She took the condom from him and opened it. “I want this.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. Dominic rolled on the condom, eased Jeanette back onto the mattress and slid in deep. Clinging to that thin string of patience he’d clutched earlier, he managed to love her with slow, deep strokes instead of hard and fast ones the way his pounding heart urged him. He would enjoy every second. He would not rush the pleasure of finally having Jeanette in his arms.
Their eyes met. Affection squeezed his heart. A stirring of emotion rushed through him, so hard and overwhelming, he gasped for breath. He dropped his head to her shoulder so she wouldn’t see how much she affected him. Then he turned his head to lightly suck on her neck and was rewarded with more of her soft whimpers of pleasure. Jeanette wrapped one leg over his hip and pulled him farther into her. He was lost after that. The rush of his orgasm exploded through every cell of his being. Jeanette followed him over the wave. He lifted his head and watched her. She was so damn beautiful. Her head thrown back. Her eyes bright with desire. Her body soft and warm underneath him. He’d always been a little bit in awe of Jeanette; now he realized he was falling a little bit in love with her, too.
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE NEXT MORNING, sunlight introduced the dawn of a new day and brought the reminder of why they were in Myrtle Beach: to find and talk to Zoe Hammond. Not enjoy a romantic few days at the beach. Though Jeanette was ready to focus on the day ahead, she couldn’t resist when Dominic climbed into the shower with her. They made love again. Slowly and so thoroughly she thought her body would shatter from the pleasure.
Every kiss and touch felt like a promise. A promise for what, she didn’t know. She didn’t want to overthink things or get her hopes up too high.
They were quiet as they dressed. She was lost in her own thoughts and assumed Dominic was lost in his, as well. What were they going to do when they returned home? How could she even bring up the idea of a p
artnership now? The hurt of his past and the betrayal of the woman he thought he should have been able to love and trust wasn’t something to easily get over. He’d never answered her last night when she’d asked if he was ready to try a serious relationship again. Throw in a potential business alignment and he might think the night before was a ploy.
Her heart believed there was something serious between them. She trusted him and when he’d revealed the situation with his ex-girlfriend to her she’d cherished the fact that he’d confided in her. Their friendship may have been built on a professional relationship, but their chemistry was undeniable. Not only did he appreciate what she did, he didn’t think her job automatically made her paranoid or jealous. They could start over together.
Her heart raced and her palms sweat. She didn’t know how he’d react, but she knew if she pretended as if she would be satisfied with just a casual physical relationship she’d regret it later. Maybe not instantly, or even a few days or weeks after they returned, but one day she would. She’d look back on this when they were both once again trying to make a relationship with someone else work and realize she’d lost her chance at potential happiness with him.
“Hey!” The word shot out of her mouth.
Dominic froze in the middle of tying his shoe. They’d both dressed business casual to fit in with the conference crowd. Him in brown slacks and a gray golf shirt and her in a black pencil skirt and royal blue button-up.
He raised wary eyes to her. “Hey?”
She licked her lips. “I was thinking.”
He waited several seconds for her to continue before raising a brow. “About what?”
“I was thinking that maybe... I don’t know...once we get back home... That we keep this going.” He slowly straightened and Jeanette’s throat nearly closed up. He had that look. The closed-off, proceed-with-caution, I-don’t-know-how-this-is-going-to-play-out look. If only she could tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing. “I mean, we’ve known each other for a long time. Obviously, there is incredibly chemistry between us and we know we can rely on each other for complete honesty. And you know as well as I do we’ve been tap-dancing around our attraction for years. You may not be ready for another relationship and this might be coming out of nowhere. But if you are interested in keeping this going, in doing the relationship thing, then I want you to know that’s cool with me.”
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