Twenty-Three Teagan
Twenty-Three
Teagan
I ’ve been grappling with what took place between me and Dominic. It’s been nearly a week and I have no answers.
It’s crazy the effect he has on me. I’ve tried to keep this all inside, but then I receive an SOS call from Wynter requesting a FaceTime with the Gems ASAP. I drop what I’m doing at the office and close my door to find out what’s going on.
Soon, all five women’s faces pop onto my phone. Lyric is in the studio. Egypt’s in her chef’s coat in the kitchen. Shay is in a complex pose at her studio while Asia’s background indicates she’s at the jewelry store. It’s so great to see all the women at work, except Wynter. There are tears in her eyes.
“Wynter, what’s wrong?” I don’t like seeing any of the Gems upset.
“I’M PREGNANT!” she announces with a smile, and then holds up the pregnancy stick showing two blue lines.
A chorus of congratulations echoes on the phone. “That’s wonderful, Wynter,” I say. “I’m so happy for you. I know how much you and Riley wanted this.”
“We did,” she replies, grinning from ear to ear. “And we’ve thoroughly enjoyed trying for this baby.”
“I bet.” Egypt winks into the camera. “Y’all was getting yer freak on. How long has it been?”
“A few months,” Asia responds on Wynter’s behalf, “but it only takes one good swimmer to hit the mark. If you recall, that’s how Blake and I ended up with Ryan.”
“Oh, we remember.” I laugh. Asia didn’t have a clue she was preggers until Wynter’s bachelorette trip to Vegas. I knew something was suspicious when she wasn’t drinking. “Do you know how far along you are?”
“Six weeks,” Wynter replies. “I know I should have kept it to myself until I’m out of the first trimester, but I couldn’t. You’re my family.”
Wynter’s comment makes me feel loved, and then terrible. I haven’t told any of the Gems I slept with Dominic days ago. Maybe if I tell my truth now, they can help me make sense of what’s happening.
“I slept with Dominic!” I blurt out unceremoniously.
“Excuse me?” Asia asks.
Egypt narrows her eyes. “When?”
“On Sunday.”
“Sunday?” Lyric exclaims. She starts counting on her fingers. “That was five days ago.”
“I’m sorry.” I lower my head. “And I’m sorry, Wynter, for stealing your thunder.”
Wynter chuckles softly. “Oh, girl, I couldn’t care less. You best spill the tea before the rest of the Gems cut you.”
Her comment makes me laugh. Only these women can make me feel better without even trying.
“Well, what had happened was…the tournament decided to do doubles, and Dominic and I were paired. The game got heated. He was kicking my ass and I tried to make a comeback and found myself sprawled on the hard court. He jumped over that net so fast and before I knew it, I was in his arms and he was taking me to a doctor at his place. After the doctor left, well, sparks flew and…”
“The panties went flying?” Egypt offers.
“Something like,” I respond. “The next morning, I snuck out of his bed, and I haven’t seen him since. Tomorrow, we’re supposed to practice.”
“You left good dick?” Asia inquires. “Why on earth would you do a thing like that?”
“Because I’m confused. I don’t know how I ended up here.”
“Yes, you do,” Shay jumps in. “I’m going to say what everyone else won’t. You ended up in Dominic’s bed because you’ve never dealt with your breakup. So much was left unsaid between you. You have unfinished business. But until you talk it out, fuck it out or whatever, you’ll still feel unsettled.”
I stare at Shay in disbelief. I expect Egypt or Asia to give me such a forthcoming speech, but not Shay. She’s usually more laid-back.
“Well, I declare,” Wynter states, fanning herself. “Who knew your one-night stand would cause such heated debate. But I’m with Shay, Teagan. You owe it to yourself to find out how you really feel about Dominic.”
“I know how I feel,” I snap back. “I hate him.”
Egypt snorts. “Hate and love are the opposite sides of the same coin. You need to talk to the man. Clear the air.”
“What will that solve? It won’t change things. He still left me,” I respond.
“You pushed him away too,” Lyric says quietly.
I glare at Lyric through the phone, but she doesn’t look away. She stares right back at me. Ever since she’s been with Devon, she’s found her voice, and I respect that. “I hear you,” I respond.
“So you’ll talk to him?” Asia inquires. “Who knows, you might find you can meet somewhere in the middle. And guess what? You’ll have good dick in the process.”
I roll my eyes. “I can’t with you, Asia.” But all she does is smile knowingly with a got-you look. “I appreciate all your advice and I’ll take it to heart. And Wynter, I couldn’t be happier for you and Riley. I love you.”
I end the call and lean back in my chair. The Gems think I should hash it out with Dominic, but will he talk to me after the unceremonious way I left? I haven’t spoken to him all week. He at least had the decency to check in on me to make sure I was all right, but what did I do? Nothing.
He probably hates me.
Or does he?
I can’t forget the way he looked when he leaped over that net and rushed to my side. There was genuine concern on his face. Perhaps there’s more with Dominic that I need to explore, but I won’t know until I talk to him. He probably thinks I’ll chicken out and won’t show up tomorrow, but I’ve never been a coward.
Or I’m usually not, except for last week. That was an isolated incident.
I’ll face Dominic and accept whatever scorn is coming my way.
I’ve always been much stronger than people give me credit for. I endured all the hate the press dished out and turned it around. I made myself into a business owner, afraid of no one.
I’ll do the same this time. Bring it on, Fletcher.
* * *
Dominic is already on the court when I arrive the next morning. He’s playing with the same partner I’d seen him with last time. From the sweat stains on his shirt, he’s been playing awhile. He’s focused on the game and doesn’t notice me. It gives me time to watch his footwork. He’s light on his feet, but not like he used to be. Yet what he lacks in speed, he more than makes up for in his serve and the power behind it. The ball has to be going one hundred thirty miles per hour. It’s impressive and I can’t help but admire he’s only gotten better with age, on and off the court.
Back in the day, he was dynamic and intense. After being sheltered by my father for so long, I wasn’t prepared for the impact of him. He changed me, and I don’t know if I’ve ever been the same. As if he senses me, he pauses and turns around to face me. The censure I see lurking in his eyes might make other people cower with fear, but I know Dominic. I know how to get to him.
I walk toward him. “Good morning,” I say breezily, and slip past him to the other side.
His mouth quirks as if saying, Really, that’s all you have to say after a week of silence?
He doesn’t return my greeting and instead turns to his partner. “Thanks for coming in so early. I needed to work out a few things.”
“I always love playing with you,” the young man replies before sauntering off.
I pull out my racket and a tube of balls from my bag and wait for Dominic to rail at me. When he doesn’t, I’m surprised.
“You ready to play?” Dominic asks.
I nod. “Yes.”
“Let’s do it!”
The rest of the morning, our games go well. I’m slowly starting to match his pace, but definitely not his stamina. We take a break after each game so I can catch my breath and grab a swig of smartwater. Instead of taunting me like he did last week, Dominic is decidedly measured. I miss the way he was before, all fire and spirit. It’s how we’ve always been together. I don’t like this version of him. He’s clearly watching me from across the court, but not speaking.
I didn’t come to the court dressed for attention like I did last week. Today I’m in a simple lightweight, high-rise tennis skirt and tank top. To get a reaction out of Dominic, I pull the tank over my head to reveal a collared longline bra with open back and a deep V underneath. When I do, Dominic’s eyes damn near jump out of his sockets. Something passes through his eyes that I don’t recognize and before I realize what he’s done, he’s ripped his shirt off and tossed it to the ground to reveal his bare chest.
My mouth waters. His pectorals and abdomen are chiseled, showing off his eight-pack. I’m certain someone from the club will say something about him being shirtless, but will they? It’s Dominic Fletcher.
“I believe it’s my serve,” Dominic states, and this time he volleys.
He’s got me on the run and he knows it. I chase it down and lob the ball over his head to the back court. He retrieves it and continues our rally, firing balls at me from all angles. I have no choice but to adapt. He’s definitely getting me back for last week. I’m running all over the court.
When it’s my turn to serve, I hit an ace, serving the ball down the court. He hits the ball short on the return. I want to cheer that I finally got something past him, but my joy is short-lived because he gives it to me tenfold until I eventually tire.
“Are we done here?” Dominic asks after we’ve played the requisite number of games.
“No,” I respond, lifting my breasts. When I do, I notice his eyes catch the movement. “Are you ready to give up?”
“I’m not the one who ran last week,” he states, turning his back on me.
Finally. He’s not the automaton he’s been all morning. He’s upset about how I left; we’re getting somewhere. He picks up his T-shirt and puts it over his head. I hear several women sigh and glance behind me to see once again we have an audience watching our every move.
“I’m not the only one who leaves,” I respond hotly. “If I recall, your career was important and you said you weren’t going to let anything stop you from getting to the top.” I recite a line I’ll never forget reading in one of his interviews after my epic meltdown was caught on-air.
He spins around, his eyes shuttered as if I’ve mortally wounded him.
I want to take back the words. “Dominic…”
“Not here…” he growls, and shuts me out by turning his back and walking away.
I grab my bag, about to follow him, when Charity comes onto the court. “Teagan, it’s so good to see you back on your feet. I was afraid you might have gotten injured after last week’s tumble, especially with the way Dominic reacted. But now—” she glances at his retreating figure “—you’re back. Is everything copacetic between you two for the doubles tournament?”
“Yes, it is. Thanks, Charity, for checking in on me.” I give her arm a squeeze and push my way through the crowd of onlookers and toward the locker rooms. Once I’ve showered and dressed, I head to the valet. “Has Mr. Fletcher left?”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, he has. But he often comes to practice on Sunday mornings. You might catch him then.”
“Thank you.”
As I climb into my Mercedes, I feel defeated. I was going to take the Gems’ advice and talk to Dominic, but I couldn’t resist getting in one last jab. Why does he bring out the worst in me?
Should I go to his house? And say what?
I thought once I saw him today, I would know what to say, but I don’t. I only know how to spar, argue and get under his skin.
There’s a part of me that wants to return to the moment when he held me in his arms as if I was something special, something to be treasured. No one has ever made me feel that way except him. When the world turned against me after my public downfall, I felt adrift. I learned the hard way, amid sneers and jeers, that I had to love myself because no one else would. I picked myself up, dusted myself off and reinvented myself.
A part of me says I don’t need Dominic. Yet there’s another side who still wants him. I don’t know how to make both halves fit.
I’m so deep in my thoughts that I don’t notice Dominic’s Bentley sitting outside my house until I pull up next to him.
How did he get my private and unlisted address?
He’s Dominic Fletcher. He probably has people who can find out confidential information.
Slowly, I exit the vehicle. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s time we talk, don’t you think?” he inquires. “Or would you rather have our private lives be fodder for the public again?”
I roll my eyes and don’t answer. Instead, I stride to the front door and punch in a code. I open the door and he steps into my abode. After turning off the alarm, I walk to the kitchen. All of a sudden, I’m very thirsty—or maybe it’s the fact that Dominic looks all kinds of delicious dressed casually in jeans and a black button-down with the sleeves rolled up. I make for the fridge. Pulling out a Fiji, I drink the entire bottle and then turn to face him.
“I didn’t leave you,” Dominic states.
I sigh. “Do we have to relive the past?”
“If you’re going to throw it in my face every time you get a chance, then yeah,” Dominic says.
“We’re going to have to agree to disagree.”
“You pushed me away!” Dominic asserts. “You were in your hospital room and you told me to go, that you didn’t need me.”
“And you listened to me?” I ask incredulously. “I was hurting. I’d just lost everything.”
“Of course I didn’t. I understood that, but…”
“But what?” I press, wanting to know what he was going to say.
“Does it matter?” Dominic states, skirting the topic. “You’re determined to think the worst of me. After everything we meant to each other, how can you think that? I loved you.”
His words are like daggers to my heart. Loved , past tense.
Is it possible I love him still?
Is that why I’m struggling with all these feelings?
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I was messed up. My father made me feel as if tennis was my entire life, that I had nothing to offer anyone without it. My entire psyche was wrapped up in that identity and I didn’t know how to cope without tennis, without you.” My admission is pulled from my inner depths and I lower my head. Tears roll down my cheeks. “And then I see you going on to do great things like win multiple Grand Slams. It broke me. You broke me.”
When I glance up, Dominic is in front of me. He tips my chin up so I meet his gaze. “I didn’t want that then and I don’t want that now, Teagan. Do you think any of this is easy for me? Seeing you again has stirred up a hornet’s nest I’m not sure what to do with.”
“So what do you suggest?”
“I don’t know, maybe see where this goes?”
I sigh. “I was crucified in the press and everyone at the club is already interested in our sessions. It’s only going to get worse as the tournament draws near.”
“So we stay away from each other?” Dominic inquires. “That hasn’t worked out too well for us, has it?”
I shake my head. “I don’t suppose it has, but if we do this, it would have to be low-key. Perhaps we need to get whatever this is out of our systems until it fizzles out, like it probably would have years ago.” I don’t know if I believe that, but I have to preserve some dignity.
A smile spreads across Dominic’s dark features. “If that’s what you want, then I’m down.” His arm encircles my waist and pulls me closer.
“Me too.”
Seconds later our mouths are hot and fused together. My fingers attack the buttons on his shirt. I all but rip the garment from his body, tugging it down his muscled arms. Eager and needy, my fingers make contact with the familiar hair covering his chest, and his own impatient fingers tug at the hem of my cotton T-shirt. We break our kiss long enough for him to strip the fabric from my body. Then he’s unclasping the front of my bra, freeing my breasts, full and firm. His gaze is bold, brazen, then he takes possession of my breasts with his open mouth.
He lifts me off my feet and places me on the large island. I reach for the snap on his jeans. Once it gives way, I begin an urgent attempt to lower the zipper. He beats me to the punch, pushing his jeans down his thighs and shucking them and his boxers off, but not before producing a condom.
“You just happened to come with one of those?” I ask as he dons the protection.
“Not one, but several,” he replies. “It pays to be prepared.”
He pulls me to the edge of the counter and enters me in a swift, firm thrust. I gasp as he pushes his way inside, filling me inch by delicious inch. I wrap my legs around him and his palms grip my waist, allowing him to control the movement. My nails scrape down the hard muscles of his back and he melts me from inside with each hard stroke. He reaches between us to find the swollen flesh of my clitoris, then places his thumb on my nub and makes slow, lazy circles until my eyes glaze over and I scream out his name.
But he’s not done yet. He grabs ahold of me, walks us a few steps to the nearest wall and rests my back against it. His eyes are heavy-lidded with desire. He seals his mouth to mine again and slides me down to go fully inside me again. His movements are slow, but I want more and rock my hips. He increases the pace. It doesn’t seem possible that I can be chasing another orgasm, but I am. I grab his shoulders and fling my head back. Dominic nestles his face between my breasts and nibbles.
“Yes…yes…” I’m so close to another mind-bending orgasm, but I want him here with me.
I tighten my legs around his waist and buck in his arms. He captures my lips then slides his tongue in and out, mimicking our bodies. I can feel his release building too. Just as my entire body stiffens, his climax strikes and he thrusts into me one final time. We clutch each other for several long moments until I’m limp. Somehow Dominic keeps me upright until he can swing me into his arms.
“Where’s the bedroom?”
“First door to the left,” I murmur as I surrender to the inevitable.
Dominic and I are lovers again.