From now on, things would start to look up. Not only would she do a kick-ass job with JP, she'd make herself get over Dominic. Maybe she'd take yoga classes or join a book club. And then she'd meet a nice guy who'd fall in love with her at first glance. They'd get married and have babies, and life would be perfectly normal. Boring, possibly, but that was okay. Anything was better than this roller coaster of emotions.

When she took the elevator upstairs, the cute girl behind the front desk squeaked with excitement. "Melissa, I've been dying for you to get back. Someone very special is waiting for you in your cube. Lucky you!"

The music in Melissa's head ground to a screeching halt.

He wouldn't. He couldn't.

Jenny looked positively starstruck. "Dominic came by again to see you." Lowering her voice to a whisper, she said, "He's so sexy I can't stand it, but don't tell your father I said so. He fires anyone who thinks the players are cute."

Dominic walked around the corner, and Jenny's giggles filled the tense silence. "Oh good, Dominic, you've found her." She looked at Melissa. "He's been waiting over an hour."

"Have a good meeting with JP?" he asked in a voice that was as smooth as butter.

Remembering everything that had happened last night in the restaurant in vivid detail, she croaked, "Yes."

He smiled, moving closer, much closer than she was equipped to deal with. "I'm glad. I'll buy you a cup of coffee and you can tell me all about it."

He knew she couldn't refuse his invitation in front of Jenny, and she forced a smile. "Great."

Jenny beamed at her, clearly thrilled. "I'll answer your line, Melissa. Don't worry about a thing."

Melissa managed to keep her smile intact until the elevator doors closed. "What do you think you're doing?" she hissed.

Dominic was all innocence. "Taking a meeting with my agent."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, regretting it when she realized how good Dominic smelled. Her eyes flew open again.

"For the hundredth time, I'm not your agent, Dominic."

He nodded. "You're right: not yet. But since I'm currently agentless, I'd like to run something by you, if you can spare me a few minutes."

Melissa sighed. "I need to watch JP's game tapes this afternoon, but I suppose I could have a cup of coffee with you." What kind of danger could she be in, in a bustling coffee shop with dozens of strangers around?

The elevator opened at the garage, and she looked at him questioningly. "We can walk to the Peet's Coffee just around the corner."

"I know," he said, unlocking his car with his remote. "Hop in."

" I agreed to get coffee. Not get in your car."

"If you don't want to give me your opinion on a new business venture, just say the word."

What could she say to that, without sounding like she was afraid of being alone with him? She got into his car.

He pointed out several excellent restaurants on their drive out of Union Square, acting like nothing had happened last night. They wound through various neighborhoods, heading west of downtown into Golden Gate Heights.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, unable to keep her curiosity at bay any longer.

"We're almost there." He made a sharp turn around a jagged rock face, then pulled into a dirt lot next to a building that seemed to be made entirely of glass. It wasn't a house, but it wasn't an office building, either.

She got out and followed him to the front door. "What is this place?"

He slipped a key into the lock and grinned at her. "It might be my new restaurant."

She blinked in surprise. "You're going to open a restaurant?"

He opened the door and she walked into the light-filled space. The view from the floor-to-ceiling windows blew her away; the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge and Alcatraz were spread before her.

"Wow, what an incredible view! I've never seen the city from this vantage point before."

He came to stand beside her, the heat of his body warming up the chilly space. "I agree. But I'm not going to make any final decisions just yet."

She turned to study his beautiful face. "What are you waiting for?"

He looked her in the eye. "You."

She took a step back. He couldn't say things like that to her. Not when her brain took off and ran with it, mutating whatever he really meant into what she wanted to hear. She needed to clarify his statement, and fast.

"I'm happy to give you my opinion. But 1 don't know anything about restaurants."

His eyes were such a deep, rich brown that they were nearly black. It was too easy to get lost in them, and she forced herself to look away. A gleaming silver espresso unit sat on a chipped granite counter-top. He followed her gaze and motioned for her to sit down on a folding chair, dusting it off first.

"Try to imagine the place fixed up, full of people."

She settled into the chair as he worked behind the counter, making their drinks. Anyone could see that the building had great energy; all it needed was some TLC. He handed her a small, steaming cup, then sat beside her.

"How'd you find it?" she asked. "I like real estate. Keeps me busy during the off season, between workouts and charity events."

She studied him over the rim of her cup. "Have you run your idea by your friend Jason?"

Dominic nodded. "He gave it the thumbs-up. But I'm more interested in what you think."

A smile played at the corners of her lips. "Considering I don't know the first thing about opening and running a profitable restaurant, that's just dumb."

"I can't think of the last time someone called me dumb." He grinned. "At least to my face."

She shrugged. "Athletes are some of the smartest people I've ever met. People are just plain wrong when they immediately assume you don't have brains to match your skills." She took a sip of the wickedly good espresso. "You've never given me any cause to doubt your brainpower . . . until now."

Dominic put his cup down on the counter, then gently removed her fingers from her cup and set it next to his. Her heart rate sped up as he scooted his chair closer to hers and reached for her hands. Initially, she'd been cold in the unheated, high-ceilinged room, but now that his large hands covered hers she was enveloped in warmth. And safety. Which was crazy, particularly since Dominic was such a threat to her emotional well-being.

"You're beautiful, you're sexy, you're smart. I value your opinion."

No one had ever said such wonderful things to her. And then he was moving even closer, and kissing her gently on her lips. "You've been on my radar for a long time."

She sucked in a breath, hardly able to believe him. Had he truly noticed her before the night at Barnum's? Or was he just buttering her up for another easy screw?

"I'll bet you say that to all the girls."

His incredible dark eyes held her captive. "I'm saying it to you."

She couldn't stop herself from taking what he was offering, even though she knew she would pay for it with her heart.

"You taste like sugar," he murmured against her lips, threading his fingers through her hair, "and coffee beans."

She plunged her tongue into his mouth and kissed him like she'd been wanting to by the elevator, in the office, in the front seat of his car. Dominic was a drug she couldn't resist. His kisses swamped her senses and his hands on her breasts—oh, God, she loved the way he rubbed his thumbs over her aching nipples—sent her reeling straight toward ecstasy.