The Shy Dominant (2 page)

“You never talk about your wife. Your girls, but never…” She stopped, chewing her lip. “I’m sorry. Way out of line.”

“My wife is in Arizona,” he told her. “I think. She left me three years ago.”

“She left you three years ago?” Dharma stared at him in shock. “She’s an
idiot.
”

He flushed. “Thank you.”

“I mean… Oh, Goddess, I’m sorry!” Now her youth showed itself in her awkwardness. She was embarrassed for him, angry at his wife.

“Don’t. I like your honesty.”

“Look, can I…?” She huffed. “I’m going to take my break.”

If he had anything to say about it, it would be permanent. “Fine.” He watched as she opened the door and shouted something to one of the bouncers. The big man nodded, giving Fred a ferocious scowl so he’d know to behave himself.

“Give it over,” Dharma said as soon as the door closed.

“Excuse me?”

“Your T-shirt. I’m going to put it on so we can have a serious talk.”

He had it skinned off in a second but stopped at the way she was staring at him. She was looking at him the way he’d looked at her bare breasts, at the tattoos that decorated both of his hard pecs and his shoulders and upper arms.

“Are those…Japanese?” Her voice was hushed, as if seeing him without his T-shirt was an intimate act.

In a way it was. Fred was abashed about showing his body to anyone. He usually kept it covered. “Yeah. I was in the Navy. Got them on shore leave a long time ago.”

“A koi in a lotus pond.” She reached out and grazed a hand down his chest and he couldn’t keep from shivering. He wanted her to touch him. Ached for it.

Instead, he took her hand, steering it safely away. For her, touching him was probably no big deal, but it made him want to push her to her knees. He had no idea what he’d do then, except he wanted to look at her that way, to filter her silky hair through his hands as she knelt for him.

Being bold Dharma, she made no secret of studying him. He cleared his throat as he watched her put on the clothing still warm from his body. It gave him an aching feeling of possessiveness that she was wearing his T-shirt.

“White cotton. So you,” she said.

“Boring, you mean.”

“There’s nothing boring about you.” She laughed again when he gave her a disbelieving look. “You’re as hot as Brad Pitt. Too bad you didn’t pose in the nude.”

“What?” He couldn’t follow her logic, if there was any.

“In the infamous calendar you guys did for charity,” she said. “You’re my favourite model but you left your swimming trunks and T-shirt on. Damn, that was a let-down.”

“Ah…yes.” He found himself combing fingers restlessly through his hair again. She made him so goddamned nervous.

She grinned, as if she liked his awkwardness.

“All right, we can talk now.” She folded her arms which only served to plump up her breasts under the thin covering.

“Sure.”

She laughed. “Hey, I can’t help having the body of a goddess.”

“You’re a vixen.”

“A vixen?” She looked intrigued. “I think I like that. Kind of old-fashioned, but that’s okay. You’re an old-fashioned guy. Better than calling me a slut.”

“You’re not a slut!” His hand shot out, gripping her wrist.

Her eyes widened. “No, but some men think—”

“I don’t give a goddamn. You’re unusual, free spirited…but a lady.”

Her eyes grew misty. “Oh, Fred… I wish I didn’t like you so much. I can’t stop thinking about you. You know that, don’t you?”

He wished he didn’t like her as much as he did either. How many nights had he dreamed of her, tangled in sweaty sheets with no hope of ever touching her?

“Dharma, what are you really doing here? Is the money worth it?” He held her gaze. When she didn’t look away, he couldn’t stop himself from reaching out and pushing an errant strand of her glossy brown hair out of her eyes.

“Tell me why you’re here and maybe I’ll think about it.”

“Taz and some of the guys are meeting up here.” He raised a hand before she could bring up the obvious double standard. “It wasn’t my idea to come here. I didn’t even know it was a strip club.” He blushed and she smiled.

“Okay,” she said. “Yeah, I believe that. Everyone knows Taz is a pig, but this place is definitely not your style.” She leaned closer, her fresh citrus scent suiting the sea air and not the stale beer smell inside the bar. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“I have a secret?” he repeated. He was barely able to keep his mind on her words. He was just as bad as the other men who’d been hot for her inside the bar.

A smile curved her generous lips. “Yep. You’re shy.”

“I’m
not
—” Oh, Jesus, if she only knew.

“Oh yeah, you are. It’s so sexy.” She sighed. “I wish…”

But Fred had stopped wishing years ago. He had two girls to raise and a job that took all the rest of his time. There was no room for anything more and he was too old for a second chance. Especially with this fiery, younger woman.

“You’ll quit working here?”

She cocked her head. “I have two weeks off coming so I’ll think about it. You mentioned a job?”

He laughed at her bold go-get-‘em attitude. Damn, she could always make him smile. “I was thinking of a part time receptionist job in the municipal hall. Since they’re just next door to the fire hall, they lend us administrative support occasionally, so I know they’re looking for someone.”

“I can type, but I’ve never done that kind of work,” she said frankly.

“It’s not hard to learn and Mrs Anderson could help you pick up what you don’t know. She wants more time to travel and spend with her grandchildren, so she is cutting back her hours. I…
we
really need someone to pick up the slack.”

“How much does it pay?”

“I have no idea. I can find out.” He waited, listening to his own heart beating in painful suspense as she paced, her high heels clicking on the asphalt. He found himself staring at the bare globes of her butt before he yanked away his gaze. Goddamn, he’d kidnap her if he had to, but she was not working here without him to look after her!

“It’s less than what I make here,” she mused. “But I wouldn’t have to be at the office until two-thirty a.m.”

“No.”

“The boss here doesn’t miss an opportunity to pinch my ass. Would I have to worry about that with
you?
”

His skin heated in another damnable blush. “No.”

“Too bad.” She looked a little wistful. “I wouldn’t mind a spanking from the boss.”

“A…what?”

She wiggled her eyebrows at him. “I’ll let you think about it.”

Holy shit, she was a little kinky. And he was so not going to be able to sleep tonight picturing her in her thong in his beige office, her rear end pinkened by his hand.

“Not fair, Dharma.”

“I know, but you’re making me consider quitting my job, so I figure you deserve it.”

“I couldn’t make you do anything, honey. You’d take my head off.”

Her eyes glinted. “Oh, I can think of a few things you could make me do. And we’d both enjoy it.”

He was breathing hard. Her gaze slid down his chest to the front of his pants.

“Dharma…”

She closed her eyes. “I know. I’m sorry, I’m being bitchy. It’s just… Most people judge me. I hated you seeing me working here because I thought—”

“I don’t judge you. I just want to protect you.”

“Again, that is so retro.”

“I know.”

“I guess you wouldn’t jump into burning buildings if you didn’t need to rescue people.” She lifted the hem of her borrowed T-shirt.

“What are you doing?” Sweat broke out on his forehead.

“Giving it back to you. I’m going back inside to tell Armando I’m starting my vacation tonight.” He opened his mouth to argue with her, but she raised an eyebrow. “I need to quit for me, so I’ll take the time off, try out this secretarial gig and see how it goes. If I like it, then I’ll quit working here, but it’s not smart in this economy to do that without knowing if I’ve got a sure thing.”

It was pragmatic good sense. Too bad he hated the hell out of it. “When will you quit working here?” he pushed.

“I’ll do one more night as a test case after my vacation. If it doesn’t feel right…” She shrugged.

He’d find a way to make it totally not feel right. “So can I drive you home?”

She frowned. “I’m almost done for the night, but I don’t need you to do that.”

“I didn’t see your car.”

“Took the bus. Oh, all right, drive me home.”

“Please leave my shirt on.” He smiled at her, feeling more at ease with his almost-victory. “I’m willing to beg.”

She gave him a direct look. Then she brushed her mouth very gently against his. It was a kiss that could have been just between friends. “I’d like you to make
me
beg.” Her meaning was clear. “You better keep that wedding ring on, because if it ever comes off, I’m coming after you.”

He balled his fists to keep from tangling his hands in her hair. He was relieved she was at least half-dressed. The truth was, he didn’t want Taz or any of his men to see her half naked and assume she was free.

Even though he had no right, even though he was too old for her, he wanted Dharma to be his woman.

Chapter One

Dharma muttered under her breath.

“What was that, young lady, are you using bad language again? Your mother and I despair…”

The censoring voice made her jump so she hit her head on the top of the file cabinet. She swore, this time with both venom and volume and looked over her shoulder at her nemesis in her new job—the legendary fire hall heartbreaker, Taz, his nickname short for Tasmanian devil.

“Screw you.”

His eyes heated and he gave her ass a long, lingering look, obviously mentally stripping away the demure cotton of her skirt. “Now?”

“You can’t be serious!”

“I’m always serious about fucking,” he said with apparent sincerity.

And with Taz, that’s all it would be. He would give a woman—or the occasional man—his cock, but he wasn’t the type to sugar coat a fuck.

“How is it you’re able to sleep around so much? Are women
that
desperate?”

He grinned. “I make ‘em that way.”

“I bet.” She didn’t underestimate the power of a man who stood six feet five, with bottle glass green eyes and black tangled hair that looked like it had been tousled from a demanding female hand. Right now Taz had his arms folded as he watched her, biceps bulging from all the hours he spent either on the beach with his surf board or working drills at the fire hall.

“I told you I’m not interested.” Her cool glance of dismissal only seemed to amuse him.

“I heard you, tigress.”

“Don’t call me that.”

His eyes were half slitted as he continued to consider her. “Better to play with me than a married man, sweetheart.”

She ignored his shot about Fred. She didn’t want to reveal that he wasn’t exactly married because she figured it was Fred’s secret to share. And anyway, she was not pursuing her sometime boss, much as she damn well wanted to. The most she’d done was rename her vibrator Fred. “What a joke, you using ‘sweetheart’.”

He grinned again and Dharma couldn’t help but laugh at him. That’s how she’d always handled Taz, laughing at him when he hit on her. She thought he might actually enjoy their little battles though she bet he’d definitely take her up if she ever gave him a clear ‘go’ signal.

He was a born predator.

And a damn sexy bastard.

She knew he’d be unbelievable in bed. Too bad she was so crazy about a bashful older man who couldn’t see his own appeal.

“Do you have any work to do, other than stalking me?”

“I’m worried about Fred.”

“Why, is something wrong with the girls?” Fred’s office was utilitarian except for all the vivid photographs and artwork from his daughters. They lit up the room.

“I was hopin’ you could tell me.”

Dharma’s gut tightened. Fred
had
been quiet lately. She’d caught him staring into space a couple of times at his desk, which was not like him. He was driven by his job and she knew the only reason he didn’t work insane hours was his daughters depended on him. “I don’t know what it could be.” Her lips tightened. “But I’ll find out.”

“Good girl.”

“You so set me up to do your bidding,” she drawled.

“Too bad doing my bidding doesn’t translate to sex.” He shrugged, but she couldn’t be annoyed with him over his prompting her to dig into Fred’s life. Taz might be a heartless slut, but when it came to his friends, he was protective.

“I’ll let you know if it’s something he’d want you to know.” She sighed, standing up to rub the curve of her aching back.

“Not doing too much, are you?”

She flushed, knowing he was referring to her periodic arrhythmia. A few months ago when she hadn’t been sleeping well, she’d eaten half of a caffeine-laden chocolate brownie and suffered an attack. She’d managed to freak out her friends and earned a trip to the ER, where they’d slowed her heart down with a drip that had taken hours.

“No, it’s unlikely to come from low impact activity like this,” she said. “And anyway I take my mini strength aspirin so I’m golden.”

“Make sure you keep taking care of it.”

“Taking care of what?” Fred growled as he appeared in the hallway. “Are you flirting with our borrowed admin again?”

Taz raised his hands. “She’s all yours,” he purred.

“Just what does that mean?” Fred blushed, but Taz was already striding away.

Dharma took a moment to study Fred. His hair was cut close to his skull, but somehow Dharma had the impression he’d been shoving his hands through it. He looked tired and pale under the tan he had from all the time he spent out of doors. He trained constantly with his men and women, despite all the paperwork and hassle of his job.

She leaned against her desk, folding her arms, levelling her best gunslinger look at him. “What’s up?”

His brows rose. “You do realise you work for me, right?”

“I can care about you as well as work for you. Something’s not right, Fred. Taz picked up on it as well, so you have us both spooked.”

Fred held her gaze, then gave a curt nod. “Come into my office.”