Seductively: Playing for Hearts Book 2 (Crimson Romance) Read online

  Seductively

  Playing for Hearts Book Two

  Debra Kayn, author of Breathing His Air and Wildly

  Avon, Massachusetts

  This edition published by

  Crimson Romance

  an imprint of F+W Media, Inc.

  10151 Carver Road, Suite 200

  Blue Ash, Ohio 45242

  www.crimsonromance.com

  Copyright © 2013 by Debra Kayn.

  ISBN 10: 1-4405-6649-6

  ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-6649-3

  eISBN 10: 1-4405-6650-X

  eISBN 13: 978-1-4405-6650-9

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, corporations, institutions, organizations, events, or locales in this novel are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used fictitiously. The resemblance of any character to actual persons (living or dead) is entirely coincidental.

  Cover art © 123rf.com; istockphoto.com/hexvivo and DenisPepin

  Wheels — After all these years, we finally have our “thing.” Other people have their song, their anniversary, their moment that they share together. We have our thing. I love our thing. No one else can have our thing.

  Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  About the Author

  More from This Author

  Also Available

  Chapter One

  If Stan Dogger raised his voice any louder, Diana Spenner was going to scream. It was bad enough he decided to call her out on her last hour of working before her two weeks of vacation started, but she had no desire to tell the hotel owner the real reason she wanted to continue working and skip her down time.

  Except she had a little thing called a temper, and Mr. Dogger had used his quota of bossiness for the day. She clamped her lips. Let it go, let it go …

  “You’re going to die of a heart attack if you keep working every day without a break.” Mr. Dogger fisted his hands on his waist.

  Oh, now he was just being ridiculous. “I’m twenty-four. I’m not going to keel over because I like working a forty-hour week. Besides, I already promised I’d take a couple of weeks off in the spring, before tourist season starts.” She smiled extra wide, hoping against the odds he’d change his mind.

  “That’s six months away,” he said.

  “Come on, Mr. Dogger.” She lowered her voice and stepped closer. “Admit it. You need me here. You don’t want to cover for me. Mrs. Dogger wants to take you to Napa Valley for a week. It’d be the perfect time to get away, enjoy the sunshine, drink some wine, and buy your wife those fancy red heels she’s eyed at Sallie’s Shoes.”

  His bushy gray brows lowered. “I’ve known you since you were a little girl. Don’t be using my wife against me. If I hear you’ve conspired behind my back with Adele, I’ll fire you. Now, go home!”

  She scoffed. “Fine. I expect you to call me if things get too hectic. I’ll even fill in for one of the servers in the lounge if anyone calls in sick.”

  As the hotel manager, she usually oversaw the front desk, scheduled the other employees, and made sure the guests were enjoying their stay without any complaints. But, she wasn’t going to turn down extra work if she could convince Mr. Dogger to fit her in elsewhere at the hotel. With tourist season upon them, he could use the extra help.

  “Get out of here.” He pointed to the doorway. “Go. Not another word.”

  Discouraged, she gathered her laptop and fled the office. She’d counted on working the extra hours and taking her vacation pay at the same time. The money from earning double time wages would’ve set her a month ahead of schedule on her dream of purchasing the old Ferriday place. That’d move her next goal of opening a bed and breakfast up to next summer. Now she was going to have to wait until December to purchase the house, and hope that no one bought it in the meantime.

  Of course, she couldn’t tell Mr. Dogger why she wanted to work. Soon, she’d be his only competition in the small valley. The less people knew of her plans, the better.

  She wasn’t going to let anyone talk her out of doing what she wanted. One word about her decision to spend her savings, and her parents would do whatever they could to discourage her. That’s why she’d deposited her money at the Cottage Grove Credit Union, and not her father’s bank across the street. She even refused to mention a word about her dreams to her best friends, Shauna and Kate, and she usually never kept anything secret from them.

  A woman’s loud scream came from behind her. She whirled around and barely jumped out of the way of three women running toward the lobby. Clutching her laptop to her chest, she gazed after them. Something exciting must have happened in the otherwise quiet town.

  She followed them at a slower pace, arriving in the front of the hotel to find a packed room. She studied the area, and frowned. It seemed every woman staying at the hotel had gathered in front of her.

  The last time she saw this big of a crowd was during the Cottage Grove Fundraiser two months ago when Dominic Chekovsky, a professional hockey player, made an appearance in public. The hair at the back of her neck moved as another woman ran past her to enter the large group congregating in front of the double glass doors. She shivered as a bad feeling came over her, one Shauna would say was a cosmic sign from Jupiter that a major roadblock was headed her way.

  Silence swept through the crowd, and the cluster of women parted in what she’d call quiet reverence. She squinted, peering around the shoulders of the women. A ball of foreboding settled under her ribs, followed by a gasp. She refused to call her reaction an adrenaline rush or an attraction that threatened to careen out of control.

  She’d barely accepted the reality of seeing the biggest pain in her ass when Dominic Chekovsky strolled across the blue carpet in all his six foot four glory, straight toward her. His blond hair short and swept to the side framed a face women could only call stunning. The angled cheeks, dominant chin, all atop broad shoulders, slim waist, and thick thighs. He really was a nicely sculpted man, until he opened his mouth.

  His eyes so light blue, they appeared more ice-like, gave him an intense gaze. A gaze he directed straight at her.

  She stood straighter and lifted her chin. A week ago, she’d punched him in the stomach when he wouldn’t move out of her way and accept she wasn’t interested in dating him. This time, if he refused to take no for an answer, she’d hit him over his hard head with her laptop. Then sue him for damages. She had no interest in dating a professional athlete. Especially one with an ego bigger than the stadium or coliseum or whatever kind of building hockey players played in.

  She’d witnessed how women re
acted to him. She would never lower herself to scream and claw over anyone, no matter how sexy he was in person.

  “Diana. It’s so good to see you again.” Dominic stopped in front of her.

  “What are you doing here?” She stepped back when the women pressed in on all sides of her.

  “I must talk with you.” He ignored the other women. “Maybe somewhere we can be alone without an audience. Please?”

  His Russian accent was thick, each word pronounced with emphasis as if he meant to hold his audience captive. She glanced around and rolled her eyes. Each woman crowded around him held their breath, waiting for him to give them each a bit of personal attention.

  “It’s important, Diana,” he said.

  “I don’t believe you.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Take your pick, stud. Any one of them would love to spend time with you and listen to what you have to say.”

  The crowd vibrated with tension. She fought the urge to tell them all to get a life. It was utterly ridiculous seeing grown women, most of them married, throwing themselves in Dominic’s path.

  “Shauna told me to tell you it was in your best interest to talk with me.” Dominic inched forward.

  She groaned. He knew using Shauna, who’d do anything for Diana, as a pawn would work. Damn him.

  Mr. Dogger was going to throw a fit when he hears about the disturbance Dominic was causing in the hotel again. He still hadn’t forgiven Dominic for the damage the women caused last time he came to town. Although, the extra money Dominic gave Mr. Dogger for the damage the women caused in their attempt to get to him ended up providing new tables in the lounge.

  If Diana took him upstairs to her room at the hotel, the women would follow and never leave the vicinity. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. Mr. Dogger would have no other option than to have her continue working after he realized the women would not leave as long as Dominic was here.

  “Fine. You can come with me up to my room. Ten minutes. And you’re not allowed to ask me out on a date.” She pushed her way through the crowd, letting Dominic find his own way of keeping up with her.

  In the elevator, she held her laptop in front of her body as a shield and kept the women from following them inside. Dominic squeezed past her. The doors slid closed, and she pushed the button, sending them up to the next floor, and relaxed.

  “Thanks.” Dominic leaned against the wall.

  She watched the floor lights climb above the door. “Just so you know, I didn’t do this for you. It’s for Shauna.”

  “You wound me.”

  “You’ll survive.” She watched the lights climb above the doors. “This is my floor.”

  He followed her out of the elevator and down the hall. She shifted the laptop under her arm, and felt Dominic take it from her grasp. Without arguing over being perfectly fine managing on her own, she dug the key out of her pocket.

  Most hotels upgraded to card keys years ago, but Mr. Dogger kept the old hotel to the original construction since he bought the place back in the seventies. She was lucky enough to convince him to change over to using computers six months ago to make her job easier.

  The elevator pinged the second she swung the door open and the giggles from the women following them pushed her into action. She shoved Dominic inside before locking the door. The rumors of women, all women, being highly attracted to the star were no exaggeration. She’d seen the mobs that followed him, touched him without permission, and how the females threw themselves on him at the fundraiser. Later when she’d hung out with her friends at the Quayside, Dominic had to leave early because the women were causing a scene.

  A small part of her could almost feel sorry for him. She took her laptop from him, set it on the table, and crossed her arms. “Okay, you’ve got ten minutes to say what you think is so important you had to interrupt my perfectly fine day.”

  She rarely invited anyone into her private room. Despite living in a hotel, she’d made the place her own. Plants lined the floor near the patio sliding door leading to the balcony. She’d bought fabric and covered the couch and chair with a floral print to brighten the room, and placed a few large wicker baskets around the sparse area that held her personal belongings. She might live in a hotel, but she needed her books, her CD’s, and her sketchbook of the plans she was drawing.

  She tilted her head and studied him. “Well? Are you going to tell me why you came to see me?”

  Dominic’s brow wrinkled and he stared at her before catching himself and walking across the room to peer out of the window. She waited. Her experience with Dominic usually caused her to become defensive, and him to lay everything out on the line.

  Ever since he’d come to Cottage Grove — at her friend Shauna and her boyfriend, Grayson Schyler’s request — he’d set out to sweep Diana off her feet. He was dominating and bossy, and no matter how many times she explained she wasn’t interested in going out on a date, he became more determined to get her to change her mind. She had no idea how to get through to him.

  She was not interested in dating him. Brent Thiegher, her college boyfriend, acted the same way. She’d dated him for over a year, despite knowing he was a flirt. All she saw was a star quarterback, sexy, popular, and smooth talker. One month after she broke up with him, knowing she’d never be happy in a relationship with him, she found out he’d seen three other women while they were supposed to be exclusive.

  She eyed Dominic. He was a pro hockey player, sexy, popular, and a smooth talker too. Normally he had no problems bossing his way into a conversation. Today, his quietness unsettled her. Where was the charm? The flirting? The massive dose of self-confidence?

  She moved over and sat on the edge of the couch. The subdued attitude bothered her. Something must’ve happened to —

  She jumped to her feet. “Oh my God, is Shauna okay?”

  He turned around. “Of course. I’m staying at Grayson’s house. I saw her this morning before she went to work.”

  She sat back down. “And Grayson is okay too?”

  “He’s fine.” Dominic walked across the room and sat on the other end of the couch, well away from her.

  “Why are you back?” She gripped the cushion underneath her, knowing she sounded bitchy but unable to stop. Dominic needed no encouragement from her, or he’d assume she’d changed her mind about him. He’d be wrong.

  She had no desire to go out with him. None. Ever. Not even if he begged. Okay, she might like to see him on his knees. Maybe then the women would stop throwing themselves at him if they saw a little humbleness thrown in with his huge ego.

  She inhaled, catching a hint of spicy cologne. Her stomach fluttered, and she shook her head to snap out of finding him attractive. “Are you going to answer my question?”

  He leaned forward and planted his elbows on his knees. “I need your help.”

  He joked. Her burst of laughter dwindled, until she frowned. This man had everything going for him. Fame, skills, wealth, and not to mention any woman he wanted at his fingertips. Why would he need her help?

  All he had to do was ask people, and anyone would help him. He was famous. He even had a security team he usually took with him when out in public who helped him keep his distance from all the women who ran after him. She’d seen him handle himself just fine when he was around his friends.

  “Come on, Dominic, talk. You’re taking up my vacation time.” She crossed her legs.

  “Has anyone told you that you’re pushy?

  “All the time.” She shrugged. “Why?”

  “It’s very attractive.”

  She snorted. “The answer’s no.”

  “You don’t know what I was going to ask you,” he said.

  “Let’s see … ” She swung her foot back and forth. “You’re going to ask me out. That’s what you do every time you see me, and my answ
er is still no.”

  He sighed and sat back, staring straight ahead and not looking at her. She studied his profile. His jaw twitched and he ran his hands along the length of his thighs. She gulped. Long, hard, thick thighs a woman could dig her nails into.

  “Hockey season has started and I’d like you to come and stay with me at my place,” he spoke quietly.

  She shook her head in surprise. “So you’re skipping dating and going straight to sex. The answer’s still no. You do nothing for me.”

  God, she was a liar. He could do a lot for her, but thinking about it was different than actually doing it.

  “Please.” He shifted and faced her. “The women are affecting my playing. I have a company who keeps trying to steal my towels. I can’t even sleep at night, because the coach said I have to make them all go away. I don’t know how. You’re the only one who can’t stand me.”

  “Why do you think I can help you or I’d want to help? I don’t even like you because you think everyone wants you.”

  “They do.” His brows lowered and he sighed.

  She shook her head. “That’s why you irritate me.”

  “I have a proposition for you. I want you to pretend to be my girlfriend. Maybe you’ll scare the women away. They’re the source of my problem. They won’t leave me alone. Day and night, they’re finding new ways to get close to me. I need them to go away.” The sincerity written on his face showed her he wasn’t joking around.

  “Get real.”

  He shook his head. “You don’t get it. If I can figure out why you don’t like me, I can use that knowledge to get the cologne company off my back. That will also make the women disappear from my life and leave me in peace, so I can concentrate on playing hockey.”

  “Cologne?”

  “They think my sweat turns women on and want to bottle my … smell.”

  She stared. “That’s disgusting.”

  “You’re telling me. Try having your boxers stolen when you slip into the showers after practice or someone trying to lift your luggage at the airport.” He stood and paced the room. “I can’t stand it anymore.”Her phone rang. She walked over and looked at the screen. Yes!