She turned her attention back to the thin pur ple ribbon she was tying around the stems. "1 know she is. And that's why 1 decided to make you this bouquet." She handed it to him, waving away his credit card. "You have the eyes of a man very much in love."

The woman's statement knocked around inside Dominic. He felt like she was one step ahead of him. And that she was right.

"You must tell her," she said. "Tonight, when you give her these flowers."

Again, she was correct. He'd screwed up far too many times with Melissa. It was time to do something right.

"I will."

It had taken him thirty-six years to find his perfect mate, and he wasn't going to wait another day to make her his.

He parked in front of Melissa's apartment building, his heart pounding hard and fast. Women had always come so easily to him that he'd never had to put himself out on the line before.

Would she even consider loving him once he revealed the secret he'd hidden from everyone for so long?

He rang her doorbell. The seconds ticked by without a response. Had something happened to her? He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. Her phone rang and rang, and he hung up when he got her voice mail. Something was wrong. He could feel it.

He sat down on the top step. He needed to calm down and think about the situation calmly. In all likelihood, JP was forcing her to sit in his living room and watch every game he'd ever played. The thought brought a lopsided smile to Dominic's face. He'd gotten the sense that she was none too impressed with JP's playing. And why would she be, since it was mostly showboating?

He was just standing up when a Hummer limo rounded the corner, loud rock music blasting from the open sun roofs. Dominic's mouth tightened. He wasn't surprised when the limo stopped in front of Melissa's apartment building and two barely dressed blondes stepped out. He also wasn't surprised that he wanted to wrap his hands around JP's neck, and that he didn't care whether the little pipsqueak lived.

JP hopped out onto the pavement, pulling Melissa along with him. "Well, well, well," JP smirked, looking damn pleased. "Who would've thought we'd find the great Dominic DiMarco hanging out in Noe Valley?"

Melissa's mouth was tight, her eyes wary. "What are you doing here, Dominic?" She looked at the flowers and her lips formed a small O. She dragged her gaze away from the bright arrangement and back at him. "I'm assisting JP tonight. You knew that."

JP snapped his fingers. "I've got a killer idea. Why don't you come out with us tonight, old man? You can show us your retro moves."

Melissa shot JP a killer glare. "Dominic is busy." She gestured to the flowers. "I'm sure he has a date tonight."

Didn't she realize they were on the verge of something really special? He needed to keep an eye on JP—and any other guy who tried to move in on his territory. Once he got her alone, he'd say those three important words.

"A night out sounds good," he agreed.

Melissa stomped up the stairs and pushed him aside to unlock the front door. "I don't want you to go," she hissed.

"Why not?" He enjoyed the way the tiny hairs on her arm stood up when he put his hand on the small of her back to guide her inside. "Are you afraid we'll do something crazy tonight in front of everyone? In front of JP?"

JP followed with his arms around the two groupies. "I bet you girls are excited about meeting another Outlaw, huh?"

One of the girls stared blatantly at Dominic's crotch. "I certainly am."

"Hey, Dom," JP said, "meet Jilly and Judy. They always come as a pair."

JP's pun wasn't exactly a shocker. Dominic had met dozens of women over the years who got into athletes' beds by promising a hot threesome. Some guys even bragged about scoring with three or four women at a time. But that had never been Dominic's style. When he was with a woman he gave her his complete attention.

He held up his hand. "Nice to meet you," he said, as they went down the hall to Melissa's apartment. Yet again, he noted her warm, colorful style.

"If I'd known you all were going to come over," she muttered, "I would have cleaned."

A small stack of dishes sat in the sink and a sweater lay over the arm of the couch, but her apartment wasn't messy. It was lived in. It was just the way he wanted his condo to look—with Melissa's shoes kicked off by the front door, her mail on the kitchen counter, her keys tossed into a bowl on the entry table.

JP and his girls headed for her bedroom without asking permission.

"I'm going to teach him a lesson about manners," Dominic growled.

Melissa put her hand on his arm. "Don't," she said. "He doesn't mean any harm."

Dominic moved closer to her, backing her up against the front door. "You're wrong," he warned, his mouth close to hers. "He does."

JP called out from down the hall, "Where do you keep your sexy clothes? We can't find any in this closet."

She shoved Dominic away, her cheeks flushed. "JP's my client. I'm getting to know him." Her eyes flashed a challenge. "I need him, Dominic. You know I do. Don't screw this up for me."

Dominic watched her head down to her bedroom. Somehow, he was going to have to keep his hands off her tonight.

And his fists off JP's face.

Chapter Twenty-One

Sitting in the hottest club in the city, surrounded by beautiful women and hot men, Melissa felt utterly out of her element.

JP had a girl on each thigh, both trying desperately to win his attention. Melissa felt sorry for the groupies. Didn't they see that the more they vied for JP's attention, the less they got of it?

"Hey, Dom," JP said, "aren't you thirsty?"

While everyone else at the table was putting back bubbly like it was a dollar a bottle rather than a hundred, Dominic stuck with sparkling water.

"I'd rather win than drink," was his short reply.

Melissa hid her grin. It wouldn't do for JP to think she was taking sides, but he could learn a thing or two from Dominic.

The groupies had tried to cling to Dominic like Saran Wrap, but he was a forbidding, big, dark package when he wanted to be. And he was downright scary tonight. Any playfulness had been replaced by fierceness.

And damn if it didn't turn her on like crazy.

JP grinned at Melissa. "Having fun?"

She nodded. "This is great. Lots of fun." For added impact, she took a sip of her champagne. She envisioned years of accompanying JP on the party circuit, and shuddered with distaste. Not exactly what she had in mind when she'd gotten her MBA. Maybe she could hire a cute, young assistant to take over this aspect of the job. She'd rather be on her couch under a blanket in front of the TV.

The music in the club changed from quick and driving to slow and sensual. Her pulse thrummed beneath her skin, and Dominic's eyes moved to her throat.

She stared into her fizzing champagne, unable to fight the fantasy of Dominic asking her to dance. Then someone was taking her hands in his, but although the hands were big and strong, they belonged to the wrong man.

JP pulled her up out of her chair. "Show me what you've got."

"No. This is a bad idea," she said. "I get it if you're scared."

A challenge lay behind JP's words, and she knew that he was asking if she was tough enough to represent him.

She was.

Melissa raised one eyebrow. "You're the one everyone's going to be watching out there," she countered. "So you'd better bring your A game."