Nineteen Teagan
Nineteen
Teagan
T he next morning, I’m happy to lounge around in bed. Sundays are my favorite day. It’s one of the few times I allow myself to sleep in. Usually during the week, I’m up and out of bed to work out, have breakfast and get the day started at the office or a house showing. However, today I allow myself to indulge in my luxurious California king bed and sumptuous one-thousand-thread-count silk sheets. It feels decadent. I deserve some downtime.
I try not to think about yesterday, how I was blindsided by Dominic’s appearance at the committee meeting and Charity’s suggestion for a doubles tournament and partnering me with Dominic.
Dominic Fletcher is my Achilles’ heel. As if on cue, my smartphone pings with an incoming message.
Dominic: Are you free this afternoon?
Me: Why do you ask?
Dominic: I’d like us to train to get you ready for the tournament.
Me: I don’t need your help.
Dominic: Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.
Me: Don’t lecture me. You’re not the boss of me.
Dominic: Then grow up. Meet me at 1:00 p.m.
There’s not another message. I seethe with fury because, damn him, I know he’s right. Once the tennis press gets word of my involvement in the tournament, all eyes will be on me. They’ll be waiting to see me fall flat on my face because it will reinforce their negative image of me as an angry diva.
I can’t let that happen, not again .
But training with Dominic is fraught with danger. As much as I wish the opposite, I’m not immune. He’s dynamic and captivating. The husky sound of his voice, the deep rumble of his laugh, the way he commands attention—it all appeals to a place deep within me. I’m afraid of what it means, what could happen to me if I give an inch and let him close.
But what choice do I have?
Do I tell Charity and the other members I won’t play? It will raise their suspicions and get me on their bad sides when I’m eager to earn new business. I have to do this to save Williams he’s already moving to the court exit. I see the stunned and jealous faces of several women as we walk past. “Charity, can you grab my bag?”
“Of course.” Charity rushes to grab it from the floor. I’m so embarrassed. I don’t want to see all the stares. What are they thinking? Probably that I can’t hack it, going up against the GOAT, but they’re wrong. I was making progress. Dominic was right; with a little bit of practice, it’ll come back to me.
Just now, though, I can’t think straight. I’m in Dominic’s arms again. He’s carrying me as if I weigh nothing. Despite how sweaty we both are, he still smells divine: earthy and manly. My mouth waters and my core throbs in my damp panties.
Dominic walks right out of the club and I see his car sitting at the front entrance. They gave him a reserved spot meant for the chairman of the club? The valet quickly rushes to get his keys. Dominic waits at the door of his Bentley Bentayga SUV. Once the valet opens it, he places me inside on the front seat. Charity is right behind him and hands me my tennis bag.
I have enough time to say “Thank you” before he closes the passenger door with me inside.
I mouth “I’ll call you” to Charity as he rounds the driver’s side and climbs into the vehicle. He turns on the engine and the car roars to life.
“Dominic—” I start, but he interrupts me.
“Not now, Teagan.” He hits the speed dial on the car’s phone display. I see the name Dr. Maverick come up on the screen. “Hey, Doc, it’s Dominic.”
“Hey, Dom, how are you?”
“I’m fine, but my girl was injured playing on the court and I’d like you to have a look at her. Can you come by my place?”
His girl? Since when? Dominic and I haven’t been together in nearly twelve years. He has no right to act like I’m his.
“Sure thing. I can be there in an hour,” Dr. Maverick responds.
“Great. We’ll be there.” Dominic ends the call, then hazards me a glance. “Put on your seat belt.”
For safety purposes, I buckle up, and then I turn to him. “I don’t appreciate your high-handedness, Dominic. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself and walking , I might add. There was no reason for you to act like the hero in front of everyone. Once again, I look like a complete fool.”
“Dammit, Teagan!” Dominic slams his hands on the steering wheel. “Do you have any idea the absolute fucking terror I experienced witnessing you go down?” The censure in his tone makes me stay silent. “I’ve been pushing you all day and I thought I caused you to get hurt. I did what I—”
“Should have done the day I was injured?” I finish the sentence for him.
The fear I see lurking in his ebony eyes is real. He is truly worried about me. I don’t know what to do with this, with these feelings he evokes in me. One minute he’s taunting me and pushing me on the court. The next he’s a hero, lifting me into his arms as if I’m important to him. It’s difficult to make sense of it all.
We both stay silent for the remainder of the ride to his house. I fumble in my purse for my phone. There are several texts from Charity asking if I’m okay. I let her know I’m fine and I’ll call her later. It seems surreal to be coming to Dominic’s home.
Dominic pulls up to a gate and punches in several numbers, and the wrought iron opens to reveal a mansion, much bigger than my slice of paradise. He proceeds to the garage, and backs the Bentley in before shutting off the engine. “We’re here.”
“I kind of figured that,” I reply, and unbuckle my seat belt. I’ve barely opened the passenger door before Dominic is right there.
“Are you okay to walk?” he asks.
“Yes,” I say through clenched teeth.
I don’t want to argue. I just want to get through this so I can get back to my car at the club. He’s stranded me at his home without any transportation. I exit the vehicle and follow him out of the garage. He disables the alarm and I walk inside. I stand by the door, unsure of what to do next.
He strides past to the adjacent kitchen then returns to hand me a smartwater. That’s when I realize I’m dying of thirst. “Thank you.” I screw off the top and drink liberally. When I’m done, I glance at him. “You realize we need to talk about what happened.”
He moves his neck back and forth from left to right. It’s an action Dominic takes when he’s agitated. “Do we have to?”
I laugh. “Ya think? You completely overreacted to the situation. I fell. People fall all the time on the court.”
“You’re not just anyone to me, Teagan. You never have been, and therein lies the problem,” Dominic says, facing me.
I suck in a deep breath. I want to respond, but the doorbell rings and I imagine it’s the doctor Dominic contacted unnecessarily.
“Excuse me.” He leaves me in the corridor and walks to the front door. When he opens it, an elderly man with stark white hair comes forward carrying a medical bag.
I fill in Dr. Maverick on everything that occurred. He looks me over and asks me to complete a series of tasks with my knees and my ankles. The entire assessment takes about fifteen minutes. When Dr. Maverick is done, he gives me a clean bill of health.
“From what I can see, Ms. Williams, you have no broken bones or sprains. Should you feel any soreness or tenderness in the morning, I would suggest taking some ibuprofen for inflammation and icing the area. If it persists, then I would see your primary physician.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry you were called here for no reason.”
“It’s better to be safe than sorry. Besides, from Dominic’s tone, I sensed he was worried about you.”
“Can you tell him I’m okay and I’m free to go home?”
Dr. Maverick smiles warmly. “Absolutely.” He leaves the room and several minutes later, I hear the chime of the front door. When Dominic returns, I’m already on my feet.
“As you can see, I’m perfectly healthy.” I motion up and down. “I didn’t need this level of care, but I appreciate you going the extra mile.” There, I said what I needed to say. Now we can squash this. I move toward the doorway, but Dominic isn’t budging.
“Teagan…”
I don’t like the way he says my name. It’s too intimate, too personal. “I need to go, please…” I try to push past him, but he grasps my arm, forcing me to stop moving. I glance up at him and the heat in his eyes is unmistakable. I lower my head, unable to stand the fire raging inside me at his touch. “Please…”
“Please what? Don’t care about you? Don’t want you? I can’t do any of those things and I’m tired of pretending otherwise or making up excuses to be near you. I want you. Right here and right now. Look at me and tell me you don’t want the same thing.”
I can’t lie. So I keep my gaze on the floor, but then Dominic lifts my chin, making me meet his piercing gaze.
“What’s it going to be, Teagan? Am I going to drive you to the club? Or are you going to stay here and spend the night with me? Because I know what I want. I want to bury myself deep inside you and make you remember how good it was between us.”
My body tightens at his bold words, but can I take the leap? Can I forget the way this man hurt me and accept the pleasure I can find in his arms again?
The answer is an unequivocal yes.
Before I stop myself, I stand on my tiptoes and throw my arms around his neck. “I want you too, Dominic.”