Watch Over Me (Danvers #7)(23)
Gwen shrugged her shoulder before patting him on the back. “I . . . must have forgotten that.”
He circled behind her on his way to the shallow end of the pool, reaching out to covertly pinch her butt as he passed. She yelped, splashing around less than gracefully. “You know what they say about paybacks, right?” he asked lightly as he moved away from her.
Dominic might not be Dancing with the Stars material, but the rest of the class was much easier in three feet of water. He still couldn’t believe that Gwen hadn’t told him. She must have been laughing her ass off as he splashed next to her, looking like Jaws on steroids.
He had to admit afterward that he’d actually enjoyed himself, for the most part. Dolly even told him that she hoped he’d come back. He thought most of the women had enjoyed the comic relief that he’d unwittingly provided. He shook hands with everyone as they exited the pool, waiting for Gwen, who seemed to be taking a long time to make it to the front. When she finally drew even with him, she had the good grace to look just a bit guilty. “Did you, um . . . enjoy the class?” she asked, as she studied the bottom of the pool.
He decided to have a little fun with her instead of drilling her about what she’d done. “I had a great time, baby. I can’t wait to do it again.”
Her head flew up as she sputtered, “Yo-you did?”
Throwing his arm around her, he hugged her against his side before helping her up the stairs and out of the pool. “Oh yeah, it was awesome. You’re right. It’s a great way to exercise and have fun. Maybe we’ll start coming together every morning.”
He took her arm, pulling her along when she stopped to stare at him. “We better get ready for work. I’ll wait for you out front if I finish first.” He dropped a kiss on her cheek and strolled into the locker room. A quick look back showed her still standing outside the door, looking stupefied.
Dominic took a quick shower and dressed in his standard work clothes. He saw no sign of Gwen as he made his way to the front lobby to wait. He was just checking his e-mail on his iPhone when a hand landed on his shoulder. He looked up with a smile expecting to see Gwen standing there. Instead, he was faced with two blond-haired women who looked as if they ate too little and exercised too much. He was also fairly certain that the overabundance of breasts barely contained by their skimpy tops were fake. Men knew that shit just by looking. Only his good manners kept him from jerking away when one of them rubbed her fingers along his biceps, purring, “Well, hi there, handsome. You must be new here because I would have remembered seeing you before.”
Dominic took a step back, trying to dislodge her hold on him. He had no problem with women taking charge from time to time in the bedroom, but an overly aggressive attempt at getting his attention did nothing for him. “I’ve been a member here for a while now,” he said politely.
The woman who continued to stroke his arm stepped closer to him while saying, “My name is Brandy, and this is my friend Misty.” He nodded his head at both women. When they looked at him expectantly, he grudgingly answered the unspoken question. “I’m Dominic. Nice to meet you.” He didn’t mean a word of it, but again, his mother had raised him to always be respectful of women if possible. Misty seemed content to let her friend Brandy do the talking while she stood twirling her hair and looking at him like he was her last meal.
“So, what time are you usually here, Dominic?” Brandy asked, seeming far too interested in his answer.
“I don’t have a usual time. I’m not here that often,” he replied, beginning to tire of the unwanted attention. Where in the hell was Gwen? He was past ready to get out of here.
Brandy giggled in a way that made his hair practically stand on end. She reached up to squeeze his arm. “Oh, come on, there’s no way you are in such great shape without hitting the gym every day. Maybe we could work out together. Misty and I also take some of the spinning and Zumba classes if you’re interested in those.”
Just as he was debating leaving and texting Gwen, he saw her walking slowly toward them. She took in Brandy’s hold on his arm, and he saw her mouth tighten and her eyes narrow. She looked like she was ready to kick someone’s ass, and he had a bad feeling it was his. Surely, she couldn’t believe that he would have the slightest desire for the stick figures standing far too close to him. She was the perfect woman to him. Her face was carefully blank as she stopped a few feet away. He had the feeling that she had been considering walking past without stopping. He gave her a soft smile over Brandy’s head. “Hey, baby. I was wondering where you were.”
Both Brandy and Misty swung around, staring at Gwen in shock. Dominic took the opportunity to step away from Brandy’s suddenly limp fingers and walk around to Gwen’s side. He dropped his arm around her waist, pulling her to his side. “Who—how do you know each other?” Brandy wheezed out, looking faint.
When Gwen remained silent, Dominic gave Brandy an easy smile, saying, “This is my girlfriend, Gwen. Have you met? She’s a regular here. She prefers the water classes though since everyone is so much . . . nicer there.” He dropped his hand to her hip, caressing her skin. “You can’t argue with the results, can you?” He turned to look into Gwen’s eyes, asking, “Ready, baby?” She nodded in reply, and he put a hand in the small of her back as they began walking toward the door. Over his shoulder, Dominic said, “Nice meeting you, ladies.” Yeah, like hell, but they looked too shocked to register the insincere tone of his voice.