Catching Lily (Spring Training Book 2) Read online

  Within minutes, the police pulled up, one car out front and one out back, judging by the sound coming through the rear exit.

  “Wait right here,” Dominic insisted, leaving her as he went to let two men in the front and then leading them through the gallery toward the back. He opened the rear door next for the two officers who were already examining the mess and propped it open with a wedge.

  “Is this your gallery, ma’am?” The taller, skinny, blond officer asked.

  “Yes. I’m the owner.”

  “Can you tell me what happened?”

  “We were just locking up when someone sped up, threw something at the windshield of my car, and took off.”

  “I see. And did you get a look?”

  “I did.” Dominic returned to her side and set a hand on her shoulder. “Black SUV, maybe a Tahoe. I gave a partial plate to the dispatcher. It sped away as I ran outside.”

  “I see,” the officer repeated. “Any reason why someone would be angry at you? Targeting you for something? Any disgruntled clients? Sales gone bad? Family? Exes?”

  She rubbed her temples with one hand and sighed. “Yes.”

  Dominic pulled her into his embrace more firmly. “Her ex-boyfriend took some long-distance photos of the two of us together in a compromising position Tuesday night and spent the last two days harassing her, threatening to release the pics to social media if she didn’t break up with me and get back with him.”

  The officer stared at the two of them for a moment, his expression blank. “I see.” He gaze roamed to Dominic for several seconds next. “Aren’t you Dominic Cordes?”

  “Yes.”

  He nodded, but he obviously took his job seriously because he didn’t even smile or ask for an autograph or anything. Lily thought it was impressive. “Which one of you was he blackmailing?”

  “Both, probably,” Lily replied. “He started out trying to get at me, but somehow along the way, he realized who Dominic was and capitalized on that fact.”

  “Did he ask for money?”

  She shook her head. “No. He said he wanted me back.”

  “Early this morning, I sent four friends over to have a chat with Mr. Vandergriff. He insisted he didn’t take the pictures and knew nothing about any blackmail.”

  Lily jerked her gaze to face him. “That’s not what you told me.” She was shocked and horrified.

  Dominic dipped his head to one side and then grabbed her hand as she stepped out of his reach. “I didn’t want you to worry about him anymore. It was beyond obvious he was lying. You have texts that came in from his phone. Pics from his phone. I didn’t need him to admit guilt. I needed him to stop harassing you. My friends made themselves clear. Although, obviously not.”

  “Was there an altercation?”

  “Nope. It all happened on his front porch.”

  “And he didn’t release the pictures as he threatened?” the man asked.

  Lily shook her head. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to throttle Dominic or thank him for keeping some of the information from her.

  “No,” Dominic stated. “Not yet, anyway.”

  The two officers from outside joined the two inside, letting the back door shut with a snick. One of them held out a clear plastic zipped bag with a piece of paper in it. “Brick through the windshield. This was attached.”

  Lily took the note from him and held it where she and Dominic could look at it together.

  What part of “break up with Cordes” didn’t you understand? Last chance.

  She almost dropped the page, but Dominic took it from her. “That son of a bitch,” he muttered.

  “I’m thinking he didn’t heed your advice,” the tall officer stated.

  “Do we know who put this note through the windshield?” the officer from outside asked. He was dark-skinned and had his hair shaved close to his head. Under normal circumstances, Lily would have found him attractive, but right now, he simply came off as no-nonsense, which was exactly what she needed.

  Dominic responded. “Good chance it was Luke Vandergriff. Ex-boyfriend.”

  “Yours or hers?” the darker man asked.

  “Hers.” Dominic didn’t flinch.

  “He’s been harassing them for a few days,” the taller blond officer responded.

  “I’ll send someone to his residence now. We’ll see if the partial plate is a match.”

  “He does drive a black SUV,” Lily responded. She was still too shocked to think clearly. It was unimaginable that someone she dated for nearly two years would go to this extent to get her back. Why? They had nothing in common. Or more precisely, she preferred monogamy and he preferred not-monogamy.

  The two officers who had entered through the rear left through the same door.

  The taller blond remained, his partner taking notes.

  “Why didn’t you call the police before now?” he asked, his gaze darting back and forth between Lily and Dominic.

  Lily took a deep breath. Her head was pounding. “I was scared. I didn’t want to involve the cops and risk having those pictures posted. They wouldn’t be great for either of our careers. I didn’t even tell Dominic about what happened until last night. It seemed easier in the short run to do as Luke asked.”

  “So you broke up with Cordes?” He glanced back and forth between them, confused.

  “We weren’t really a couple yet. I just stopped speaking to him so I could think. We were both in a wedding of mutual friends on Wednesday.”

  “I see.” That was fast becoming the blond officer’s favorite line. “Do you have the texts?”

  “Yes.” Lily raced across the room to grab her cell phone from her purse on the counter in the kitchenette. She returned, scrolling through the messages until she found the ones from Luke. She held the phone out to the officer.

  He read through her conversation and then lifted his gaze. “Do you mind if I copy this for evidence?”

  “Sure.” She sighed. “What difference does it make now? Those pictures are probably all over the Internet.” She wiped an unwelcome tear from the corner of her eye. Dammit. The last thing she needed for publicity was pics of her fucking in a car. Great. Even though Dominic had acted like it was no big deal to him, she knew that couldn’t be true. He wouldn’t welcome that sort of publicity, either.

  The officer smiled wanly as he looked at the pics. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I know how difficult this must be.” He headed toward the counter, set the phone down, and took pics of her phone with his, scrolling through the texts to make sure he got everything. He handed her the phone back. “It would be best if you not delete anything yet. We might need it for evidence. And keep everything you get from him in the future too.”

  She nodded, another tear sliding down her face, which she wiped on the back of her hand as Dominic set his palm on her lower back. “I’m sorry, babe.”

  “My partner called a tow truck to pick up your car. They’re on the way. You can go home when they get here. And one of us will be in touch with you as soon as we know something else.”

  She nodded, wrapping her arms around her middle, a sudden chill making her shudder. She followed the officers to the front door with Dominic at her side.

  He held the door for them, thanked them, and then locked and bolted the door when they left. A knock at the back door had them turning to deal with the tow truck driver next.

  Fifteen minutes later, her car was gone. She locked the gallery, set the alarm, and headed for the front door. “You’ll take me home?”

  “Of course. To my place.” He led her outside and over to his black Navigator.

  She climbed inside and waited for him to enter the driver’s side before speaking again. “Please. Just take me home. I’m exhausted.”

  He nodded, shocking her by not putting up a fight. Ten minutes later, he pulled into a visitor spot in front of her apartment building. “Nice place,” he stated as he led her inside the guarded front entrance.

  She nodded at the doorman as they went by, a
nd turned her gaze toward his while they waited for the elevator. “I’m an adult. I own a business. I’m not poor.” Her voice sounded sharper than she intended.

  “I didn’t mean to insinuate otherwise.” He stepped closer, and she let him run his fingers down her arm until they threaded with hers.

  “I’m good now. You don’t have to come up.”

  “You don’t seriously think I’m going to leave you here and drive away, do you?”

  She sighed. No. She expected him to put up a fight, but she really just wanted to be alone. Soak in a bath. Have a pity party for one. “Fine,” she stated as they entered the elevator. “But my libido has vanished. You can come in for a minute, but I just want to go to bed.” That probably would do nothing to dissuade him.

  He didn’t speak on the way to the third floor, but he held her hand lightly in his.

  Her phone buzzed in her purse as they stepped off, and she groaned at the thought of looking at it.

  “Give it to me, babe.” He held out his hand as they walked toward her apartment.

  She didn’t even glance at it as she handed it to him. Fine. Let him handle it. She unlocked her door, but he grabbed her arm before she could enter.

  “Humor me. Let me go in first. Wait here.”

  Oh Lord. Was it possible someone had gotten inside and trashed her place? Or worse, was still in there? She made a mental note to tell the doormen not to ever let Luke into the building again.

  “Okay. No sign of anything here,” Dominic stated as he returned to the door. He held out her phone as she entered. “It’s Ava. Your sister, right?”

  “Yes.” She took the phone from him and read the message as she kicked off her heels and left them by the front door.

  Ava: What the hell is happening at your gallery? Did someone break in? Pete from across the street texted me.

  Lily dropped her purse, sat on the couch, and texted her sister back.

  Lily: Long story. Someone broke into my car. I’ll explain tomorrow. I’m exhausted.

  Ava: Okay. As long as you’re all right. Call me tomorrow.

  Dominic handed Lily a glass of white wine. “Found this in your fridge.”

  “Bless you. I still can’t believe I’m dating a man closer to her age than mine.” She groaned at that reminder, closed her eyes, and leaned her head back.

  Dominic sat next to her, wrapped an arm around her, and hauled her into his chest. “Don’t go there, Lily. I don’t give a shit about our age difference.”

  “I should.”

  “No, you shouldn’t.” He kissed the top of her head.

  She took another sip of wine. “I should go to bed. Someone kept me up half the night last night. I’m exhausted.”

  “Is that it? Or are you hoping if I leave, the problem will go away.”

  She sighed. “It’s possible.” She lifted her face to his. “But I really am tired.”

  “You slept. Maybe not eight hours. But you slept. What time do you work tomorrow?”

  She sighed again. “Eleven.” He was right. She needed to get over the fact that part of her didn’t believe she deserved what Dominic made her feel. Cherished.

  It had been a long time since her parents died. Sixteen years. Guilt still niggled at her, but she knew intellectually she didn’t cause their deaths, and they would want her to have happiness. Had it been easier to date a man who didn’t treat her with respect than to allow herself to feel such incredible joy with a man who made her feel like she hung the moon? Probably. “Will you stay?” she whispered, lifting her gaze to his.

  He smiled. “Yep. Besides, I’m already here. If someone saw me enter, it’s too late.”

  “Unless they’re waiting outside for you to leave.”

  “Let’s hope that instead, the police are picking up your ex right now.”

  “Can they arrest him?”

  Dominic nodded. “They can. They won’t hold him more than a day if someone posts bail, though.”

  She rubbed a hand over her face. Part of her knew she should tell Dominic to leave. For both their sakes. She didn’t have the balls to open the Internet and find out if Luke made good on his promise yet, but that didn’t mean she wanted to tempt him, either. “That motherfucking son of a bitch,” she mumbled.

  Dominic threaded his fingers into her hair and massaged the base of her neck.

  “I knew he was a dick, but this is too low, even for Luke.” She lowered her head, letting her hair fall around her face so that Dominic had better access to her neck. His fingers were amazing. Tense muscles were giving up the fight.

  “Come here.” He shifted to face the room, spread his legs, and patted the spot between them. “Sit on the floor. I’ll work out the knots.”

  She couldn’t resist the temptation. Setting her glass on the coffee table, she lowered herself to the floor between his thighs, her feet crossed and legs outstretched in front of her. The pencil skirt prevented her from bending her knees.

  “Tip your head down, baby.” His voice took that tone again.

  She complied, her heart beating faster immediately.

  He brushed her hair out of the way and set both hands on her shoulders, working the tight muscles with magic hands.

  “Where did you learn to do that?” she murmured.

  “I get a lot of massages. Perk of the job.”

  “Mmm.” Right. Professional athlete. “I haven’t asked you anything about your…uh, job. So, you’re a pitcher.”

  He chuckled. “Yes.”

  She figured most regular people knew that. “And your, uh, games start in a few days?”

  “Well, the preseason does. I report to Jupiter on Sunday for spring training. We play nearly every day at one o’clock for the month of March, and then the official season begins.”

  “You play in Jupiter every day? Against whom?”

  “All the teams in the Grapefruit League. Almost half of my games are in Jupiter. The rest are all in Florida though, so not far to drive.”

  “Grapefruit League?” She tried to focus on his words while he worked wonders on her back.

  When his hands slid around to the front of her blouse to work each button through its hole for the second time that evening, she let him. “That’s what they call the half of the teams that report to Florida cities for spring training. The half that go to Arizona are called the Cactus League.”

  “That sounds ridiculous.”

  “It’s tradition.”

  “So you’ll play games every day near here for a month?” She wondered if she might go to some of them. If they were close… If they were on days she was off or could get Stephan to cover for her…

  “Yes. And I hope you’ll plan to come to many of them.”

  “I don’t know. It’s kinda soon to talk about something like that.” And we have a crazy fucker trying to ruin our careers.

  His hands smoothed around to draw her blouse over her shoulders. It fell down to pool at her wrists. He gave the material a tug, drawing her hands behind her back. “Sit up straight. Keep your head tipped down. Leave your hands here.”

  Her pussy pulsed at those words, so distinct from the normal everyday conversation they were having. How did he separate the two personas so easily?

  She clasped one wrist behind her back with her other hand.

  When he popped the clasp on her bra and eased it down to hang around her wrists too, she shuddered. “That’s it. Relax. Feel my hands.” He resumed his massage, melting her.

  His voice switched. “I don’t think it’s too soon to discuss the future. It’s a reality. I have to leave in three days. We have something between us. I want to explore it further. I need you to come to me to make that happen.” His hands eased around to her front, kneading the soft flesh of her breasts in small circles high on her chest. His voice dipped to his other self again. “Shoulders back. Lift your breasts for me. That’s a girl.”

  She squeezed her legs together, feeling the pulse of her clit against her soaked panties.

&n
bsp; “Uncross your ankles, Lily.”

  She complied, so easily following his instructions. It should unnerve her. Instead, she felt nothing but hunger.

  Hunger for more of his words. More of his touch. His lips on her skin. His cock.

  The discussion about traveling to see him faded. All she could concentrate on was his touch. He leaned forward a little more to cup her breasts, weighing them, squeezing, lifting…ignoring her nipples, which responded to their own arousal by pebbling to stiff peaks.

  She pursed her lips to keep from moaning. After all, he wasn’t really doing anything yet.

  When he stroked a thumb over both nipples at once, she arched into his touch. “So needy…” He released her breasts and lifted his hands to her hair, gathering it away from her face. “You have a hairband somewhere?”

  It took her a second to register his question, and then she nodded. “Bathroom.”

  “How about I go get one? You take off the rest of your clothes. When I get back, I want you kneeling in the center of the rug on the other side of the coffee table, knees spread, hands behind your back, head tipped to the floor. Understood?”

  That last word was the most potent. She nodded.

  He pulled her hair back, almost too hard, making her head tip to meet his gaze. “Understood?” Same word. More force. One brow lifted.

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “That’s better.” He released her. “You have about fifteen seconds.” Then he left the room.

  She scrambled to her feet, let her blouse and bra fall to the floor, and unzipped her skirt. It fell also, and then she wiggled out of her panties. Before he returned, she was on her knees where he wanted her. She was also out of breath from the excitement.

  “Oh, baby, I’m so proud of you,” he crooned as he returned. “I know this is new to you. I also know you’re nervous. That’s natural. Expected. I’m pushing your comfort zone. I want you to understand that I take my cues from you.” He stood right in front of her now, stroking a hand over her head. His voice lowered. “On a scale of one to ten, how aroused are you?”

  She swallowed hard. “Eleven, Sir.”

  “I thought so. Trust me to guide you.” He patted her head and stepped back.