Watch Over Me

by Sydney Landon

  Gwen felt a wave of relief. She was so confused and distraught over her feelings for him right now that knowing there was no danger of seeing him before she left for her sister’s this weekend was a much-needed reprieve. Plus, having him gone would save her from doing something crazy, like wrapping herself around his feet and holding on tight. Who knew that all it took was a hot guy to make her kick her pride to the curb? “I understand,” Gwen assured him. Waving a hand brightly, she added, “You go do your thing.” Oh dear God, did I actually just say that? Gwen groaned inwardly. She sounded like some sixteen-year-old.

  To his credit, Dominic’s lips twitched only slightly at her cheesy words of encouragement. “I’ll do that,” he said. “I kind of feel like you’d rather me high-five you instead of kissing you good-bye, but you’re not getting off that easy, babe.” Gwen heard Mia’s murmur of approval as Dominic leaned over and locked his lips on hers. The kiss was short but firm. If it had lasted a few seconds longer, Gwen would have been ready to pull him onto her desk and damn the consequences. Of course, knowing Mia, she would probably be selling tickets to the rest of the office and munching popcorn during the main event. Dominic pulled away and gave one light tug on her hair before starting for the door. He paused there to say, “I’ll call you,” before walking away.

  Before Gwen could say anything, Mia looked down at her watch and groaned. “Crap, I have my morning meeting in ten minutes. That sucks because I have so many questions. We are going to lunch today, and you’re not getting out of it! I’ll shoot Crystal an e-mail and invite her as well. That poor girl needs something to take her mind off her nut-job mother.”

  Gwen laughed because there was just no way not to when Mia was in one of her hyper moods, spewing sentences one after another. Plus, if she could manage to put off answering questions about Dominic for a few hours, then she’d happily agree to lunch. “All right, sounds good. Meet you in the lobby at noon?”

  “Yep, sounds good. And don’t even think about sending me some brush-off text either because I’ll come find you,” Mia warned before grimacing at her watch and hurrying out much as Dominic had done.

  Gwen turned to her computer to begin her morning and try to block out the pangs of loneliness that were already hitting her at the thought of Dominic being gone for a few days. How in the world was she supposed to deal with not having him in her life at all? Surely that was just around the corner.

  He had acted so strangely last night at her apartment. She’d thought it was cute that he had been so involved in the movie they were watching. Most men would avoid a romantic comedy, and even though he hadn’t seemed thrilled with her choice at first, he’d completely gotten into it after a while. She had thought him completely adorable when he’d been so angry at the mother-in-law for all of the tricks she’d been pulling on her future daughter-in-law.

  After the movie, though, it was as if his mood had taken a nosedive. Unlike other nights, he had been more than ready to leave and had made no moves toward spending the night. Heck, it wasn’t as if she’d never dated a guy in a hurry to leave so she certainly knew the signs when their eyes suddenly looked a million miles away and they started shifting on their feet as if there were ants in their shoes. It was a first, though, for Dominic to act that way. He always seemed to have nowhere else he’d rather be than with her. She got the feeling at the end of the evening that he’d rather be anywhere else—or maybe just with anyone else. The worst part was that he’d made a point of asking her when she’d know if she was pregnant and had even suggested taking an early pregnancy test. The warning bells of his imminent departure from her life had begun going off like sirens.

  Gwen planned to buy a test after work today. She knew her body, though, and she was almost certain that she wasn’t pregnant. She’d also had that one instance of spotting. She could have already taken a test, but a part of her just wanted to pretend that she was happily involved in a new relationship with a wonderful man because they liked each other—and for no other reason. Was a condom mishap the only way that she could have a man like Dominic in her life for more than one night? What a depressing thought.

  She was still brooding when her boss called a few moments later to ask her to work on a new project. Gwen tried to interject some small amount of professionalism into her tone as she asked him questions and made notes. If her mood was any indication, she should be grateful for her job today. Otherwise, she was certain she would be staring at the walls of her apartment and bemoaning yet another relationship. How pathetic; she’d barely dated the man for more than a few weeks, but she knew it would take so very much longer to get over him. God, she hated men—she really did.

  * * *

  “I’m telling you, Crys, you should have been in Gwen’s office this morning. Dominic came in to deliver her morning coffee, which by the way is so freaking sweet, and then he was all, ‘I know you want to high-five me, but I’m kissing you.’ And, boy did he ever. My lips were practically tingling as he locked his mouth on hers. After that, if I hadn’t had meetings stacked up, Seth Jackson would have had a surprise visitor this morning. The whole thing made me seriously horny.”

  Gwen rolled her eyes and knew she should be mortified, but she giggled anyway. Crystal’s face was the color of a tomato as she fanned herself. “Like that’s anything new—you get that way from walking by the produce stand down the street.”

  Wiggling her brow, Mia grinned. “Hell, yeah, I do. All those cucumbers just waiting for a new home.”

  At Crystal’s puzzled look, Gwen started to choke on a bite of food and almost asphyxiated before getting herself under control. “Mia, geez, get a grip on your body. You don’t really use those . . . No, don’t answer that!” Gwen added quickly.

  “You can use them for—that?” Crystal asked with rounded eyes.

  “Crys, don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to,” Gwen warned while shaking her head. The last thing she wanted to hear was an in-depth explanation of Mia’s experience with produce.

  “Whatever, you prude,” Mia smirked. “Since you don’t want to talk about me, let’s get back to you. What is going on with that military stud of yours? You seemed upset this morning, but he certainly walked into your office and laid claim to you as if nothing was amiss.”

  Gwen felt the smile that had been on her face begin to drift at Mia’s question. A part of her just wanted to brush the whole topic off and act like everything was fine, but the other part needed the support of her friends so she found herself on the verge of tears in the blink of an eye as she admitted, “I think he wants out.”

  Mia blinked in surprise before asking, “Out? As in breaking up?”

  “That’s the one,” Gwen said shakily.

  Looking confused, Crystal asked, “But I thought you said he was—you know, affectionate this morning in her office?”

  Before Mia could answer, Gwen said instead, “He was just coming by to tell me he was going out of town. A few things happened yesterday that lead me to believe that he plans to move on—soon.” Mia motioned for her to continue. “Well, yesterday morning I decided to take Dominic coffee since he always brings me one. I was almost to his office when I saw him speaking with Gage outside the doors. I didn’t want to be rude so I took a few steps back and waited around the corner for them to finish talking.”

  Always the sweet one, Crystal patted Gwen’s arm and said, “That was very nice of you; I’m sure he appreciated that.”

  “He never knew it,” Gwen continued morosely, “because I heard Gage ask him when he was going to find out if I was pregnant or not so he could go back to his ex-girlfriend, Kandi.”

  “Kandi?” Mia shrieked loudly before popping her hand over her mouth. “Shit, sorry, but that sounds like a stripper name or something.”

  “It is,” Gwen moaned into her hands. “He dated a stripper before me and from what he told Gage, she is the love of his life and he plans to go back to her as soon as I give him the all clear. Maybe she hates kids or something
and won’t take him back until he knows for sure that he’s not going to be a father.”

  “No fucking way,” Mia deadpans. “That’s something you’d read about in a book, but never happens in real life. Are you sure you aren’t mistaken? Maybe he just said something that sounded like that?”

  Throwing her hands in front of her in exasperation, Gwen asked, “How many words rhyme with Kandi? I don’t think I could have heard that wrong.”

  Taking her question literally, Crystal began saying, “Well, there’s Mandy, Randy, dandy, Sandy . . .”

  “You are so not helping, Crys,” Mia said, stopping her. Turning back to Gwen, she asked, “You said there were a couple of things that happened yesterday. What was the other?”

  Gwen told them all about their movie evening and his strange behavior afterward. “And then he asked as he was leaving when I’d know if I was pregnant or not. He went so far as to suggest an early pregnancy test. That was too much of a coincidence after what I heard that morning—don’t you think?”

  When instead of having a good explanation for his behavior, Mia simply said, “Damn,” Gwen knew she hadn’t jumped to conclusions at all. “But, he seemed so into you this morning,” Mia added weakly, looking mystified by the whole thing. “I just don’t think it’s that black and white. You should talk to him. He doesn’t seem the type to have a woman on the side while seeing another. You hear plenty of rumors at the office about the players and his name has never come up. Now, Gage—he’s a different story.”

  When both Gwen and Mia looked at Crystal, she blushed and shook her head furiously. “I’m not involved with him. Plus, I saw him Monday afternoon in the parking garage kissing some girl. He’s cute and going out with him would drive my mother crazy, but he’s just too much for me.”

  “And Mark DeSanto isn’t?” Mia said incredulously.

  Crystal’s pink cheeks had now become a bright shade of red, Gwen noted curiously. “Who’s Mark DeSanto?” she asked, glad for a reprieve from her pathetic love life.

  “Oh, honey,” Mia let out a very unladylike wolf whistle. “Come on, surely you’ve heard of the DeSanto group that is partnering with Danvers? Mark DeSanto is the owner.”

  Snapping her fingers, Gwen nodded. “Of course, yes. I’ve never actually met him, though. Is he cute?”

  “Hot as the fires of Hades,” Mia gushed. “He’s young, probably in his early to midthirties, with dark hair and a kicking body. Apparently, he’s taken some office space in the Danvers building now that they’re doing so much business together.” Pointing to Crystal, she added, “I caught our girl here drooling over him in the coffee shop this morning. She poured half a container of sugar in her cup, watching him add cream to his a few feet away. Show her the picture, Crys.”

  Gwen gaped at her innocent-seeming friend. “You took a picture of him?”

  “Thank God for cell phones!” Mia enthused as she motioned for Crystal to find the picture.

  Instead of looking embarrassed now, Crystal looked almost proud of herself as she hit some buttons on her phone, before handing it to Gwen. “He’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen,” she sighed dreamily.

  Gwen found it hard to argue with Crystal’s assessment as she stared at the phone. Whereas Dominic was all rugged masculinity, Mark DeSanto was polished perfection in a fitted suit that looked expensive even on camera. His black hair was the only part of his appearance that wasn’t immaculate. It was tousled as if he’d run his hand through it several times that morning. Somehow, that only added to his appeal. “Wow,” Gwen murmured, as she looked her fill before returning the phone. She might be totally infatuated with Dominic, but there was no way any woman wouldn’t look twice at a man like that.

  Mia grinned. “I know, right? That man is a walking sexual fantasy.”

  “But doesn’t Seth dress the same way?” Crystal asked as she cradled her phone to her chest as if it were the actual man himself.

  Mia smacked her lips in obvious appreciation. “You bet your ass he does, and I love it. There is nothing quite like a little game of bad CEO to get me going.”

  As Crystal opened her mouth to speak, Gwen cut her off by saying, “Crystal, honey, didn’t we cover the part about not asking questions like that? I get that you’re ready to spread your wings and fly, but you might want to think twice about being educated completely in just one day.”

  Mia snorted, sticking her tongue out. “You’re no fun at all, Gwen. I’m just trying to help her land that bad boy. Because I’ve heard the rumors, and that’s exactly what he is.”

  “He’s innocent until proven guilty,” Crystal defended her new crush.

  “Or until he ties you up,” Mia quipped.

  Crystal looked over her shoulder uneasily, clearly hoping that no one was listening to the conversation at their table. “Can we just talk about Gwen’s problems? I want to be able to stare at Mark without knowing stuff like that—at least for now.”

  “We don’t have to do anything about my issues right now. Dominic is going out of town, and I’m heading to my sister’s for the weekend so I won’t see him for days. By the time that I do, I’ll have taken a pregnancy test and—then he’ll probably be gone.” Giving Crystal a weak smile, Gwen asked, “Hey, do you think I could stalk Mark with you? I might have a lot of free time again soon.”

  Mia placed her hand on top of Gwen’s in a show of support. “If Dominic is really that kind of person, then good riddance. It’s better to find out now. I have to say, though—I didn’t really get that vibe from him. The few times I’ve seen you two together, he seems so into you. I bet he blows your phone up the whole time he’s away. Trust me, men don’t bother to call if they’re trying to get rid of you.”

  Crystal, who was once again staring at her phone, added without looking up, “Yep, Mia’s right. He’ll call you every day, and you’ll see how much he misses you, and then you’ll feel silly for doubting him.”

  * * *

  “You need to give the girl some space, bro. You live just doors away from each other so you’re always around. How’s she ever gonna miss you if she keeps tripping over your lovesick self?”

  Dominic scratched his head as he pondered Gage’s words. It seemed that talking to him about Gwen on their road trips was becoming a strange routine for him now. He was so confused by her hot and cold behavior the last few days that he’d needed some advice. Mac would have been his first choice seeing as he was actually the married one, but Gage was here and Mac was back at the office. “I didn’t stay at her place last night so it’s not like I’m always there.”

  “Yeah, but you left in a girlie huff over watching some sappy movie with her. Dude, did you really lose it over the evil sister and start yelling?” Gage asked incredulously.

  “It was the guy’s mother, not his sister,” Dominic added weakly. “And I didn’t exactly lose it, more like mildly pointed out how crazy Jane Fonda was.”

  “The fact that you’d even know Jane Fonda as anything other than Ted Turner’s ex says more than enough.”

  Doing a full body shudder, Dominic added, “And you’re completely right about the kind of commercials they play during shows aimed at women. I think that’s one thing that about pushed me off the deep end. And come on, that advertisement for the herpes medicine where they make it sound all glamorous? That’s just gotta be misrepresentation.”

  “You got that shit right,” Gage agreed. “Any kind of itching downstairs is never going to be a fun event. I saw that commercial, too. Held my dick the whole time it was on.”

  “So, you really think I’m just too available where Gwen is concerned? Fuck, did I really just ask you that? This is starting to sound like a Maury What’s-his-name show.” Dominic grimaced.

  Gage chuckled as he shook his head. “You got it all mixed up. Maury’s show is cool. They are always throwing punches and beating each other up. I believe you’re thinking of Steve Harvey. He has all of those dating shows on the dos and don’ts.”

  Dominic
rubbed his face before looking at his friend. “Man, how much television do you watch? Apparently your usual ‘hit it and get it,’ dates allow you far too much free time.”

  “They did,” Gage agreed, sounding surprisingly serious about Dominic’s joke.

  “Did?” Dominic asked, raising a brow in inquiry.

  Was it his imagination or did Gage look flustered when he quickly amended his earlier statement. “Do . . . I meant do. No need to linger, right?” he added with an easy grin. “So, back to Gwen. Just give the girl a little space. If you’re planning to call her ten times a day while you’re gone—don’t. Show her that your whole world doesn’t revolve around or depend on her—in other words, try to pretend that you have a life.”

  Looking doubtful, Dominic asked, “Have you actually been in a relationship before that I don’t know about?”

  “Nope,” Gage replied.

  “Then why should I be taking advice from you? Hell, you don’t know any more than I do,” Dominic sighed.

  “Probably not, but I think we’ve already established that I watch more television. It’s amazing what you can pick up from those shows. You could always ask your sister if you want another opinion.”

  “No way,” Dominic spat out. “You better not tell her, either. You caused a long laugh at my expense in front of Gwen over Kandi. Why in God’s name would you be telling Meredith about me dating a stripper?”

  “Oh, stop whining,” Gage laughed. “I love your sister. She’s one of the few people who gets my sense of humor. I’m telling you, if she wasn’t already married, I’d be your brother-in-law by now.”

  Dominic dropped his head back against the passenger seat. “And to think, I didn’t believe it possible for me to be more depressed today. Thanks for proving me wrong. Next time, we’re driving in separate cars.”