She fought the urge to roll her eyes. Alice didn't.

"One day, if you're lucky—and have lots of fantastic plastic surgery—you'll look half as good as Dominic," Alice taunted.

But JP just grinned. "Your version of foreplay is hot."

The four of them headed toward Dominic.

"Dom," JP said, "time to take pics with Melissa. You'd better go fix your makeup."

Dominic's hot gaze swept Melissa's face, then he turned to the photographer, ignoring JP completely.

"How's life with the new baby?" he asked, and Melissa noticed the bags under the man's eyes. How did someone as important and famous as Dominic manage to know the small details about the people all around him? Impressed, she vowed to learn from his example.

"She's great," the man said. "My wife and I aren't getting any sleep, but she's worth it."

Dominic looked uncomfortable. Was it because she was standing there amid talk of wives and children? Did he know she'd been dreaming of having his babies?

Melissa took a step back, accidentally knocking into a waiter's tray, and cold, wet liquor seeped into her dress.

Alice quickly took charge. "We'll be right back," she told everyone, then linked arms with Melissa and pulled her to the women's restroom.

"Loverboy," Alice said, "is desperately in love with you."

Chapter Eighteen

Hope warred with confusion inside Melissa. "You're mistaking desire for love," she protested. They locked themselves into a large, private bathroom, where Alice grabbed a wad of paper towels and pressed them to Melissa's back. "No. He loves you."

"Oh really? Then how come the morning after our first time together, he told me how sorry he was? And that we could never make the mistake of sleeping together again?"

"But you have slept together again. Lots of times, right?"

Melissa's face flamed. "It hasn't changed anything. I can tell he still feels guilty, like he would stop sleeping with me if he could."

"Poor stupid bastard—trying to fight the obvious."

Melissa shook her head. "You don't understand. He's not interested." Alice snorted, and Melissa clarified: " Not in any kind of long-term way. Yet every time I tell myself to stay away from him, the next thing I know my legs are wrapped around his waist."

"No kidding. We were all getting a contact singe out there."

Melissa sat on the closed toilet seat and put her head in her hands. "I don't know what to do."

Alice reapplied her lipstick in the sink mirror. "Have you tried talking with him? You know, duct taping him to a chair on one side of the room so he can't jump you, and asking him some tough questions?"

Melissa raised her head. "No. I already put myself on the line once and got an emotional smackdown. I'm not interested in setting myself up for another big fall."

Her friend looked stern. "If it were me, I'd rather break my own heart than let some guy do it for me. Even if the guy is impossibly hot."

"It's just a fling," Melissa repeated. "No strings attached. When it's over, we'll both go our separate ways with no recriminations."

Alice gave her a look that said she was full of it. "You just keep trying to tell yourself that. Maybe one day you'll believe it."

A loud knock sounded on the door. "If you're not dead in there, could you open up before I pee on the floor?"

"You want me to deal with her?" Alice said in a scary voice.

"No. Let's get out of here. I've got an important photo op waiting."

Dominic kept a respectable, professional distance from her as the photographer took dozens of shots. But his eyes followed her around the aquarium the rest of the night as she networked with players, agents, sportswriters, and the coaching staff.

How could he make her so wet with nothing but a glance? He hadn't touched her, yet she was as hot for him as she'd ever been. Maybe even more so, given the hours of anticipation. When was he going to make his move? The waiting was killing her.

Then she thought, what if she propositioned him tonight? What if she was the one who did the dragging into a dark corner, rather than being dragged?

A small smile played around the edges of her mouth. That was exactly what she'd do. Now the only question was, how?

Dominic looked to be deep in conversation with the general manager of the Outlaws across the room. But Melissa knew better: He was keeping tabs on her. He would notice if she left the room.

Beyond the newly finished entrance, the aquarium was still a construction zone.

Melissa grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and headed for the back corner, near a door marked construction crews only. Without so much as a glance behind her, she pushed the door open. Ah, just as she had hoped: a completely deserted space. The walls and roof were on, but it was mostly bare plywood here.

She sipped from her glass, her heart skipping. It wouldn't be long now. And then she heard the faint squeak of the door hinges. She waited a beat, letting him move closer before she turned around.

"Decided to take a tour?" he asked, his deep, sensual voice washing over her.

She set her glass on a stack of Sheetrock. "I couldn't wait any longer."

"I was feeling exactly the same way."

She walked into his arms, and as he slid one hand over her ass, she shivered with excitement.

"I don't feel any panties but I'm not sure I can trust my hands."

His fingers found her zipper, and as he began sliding her strapless dress off, her legs started trembling. A moment later, she was standing nearly naked in front of him, wearing only garters, heels, and the beautiful necklace he'd given her.

A growl emerged from his throat. "Sweet lord, you're beautiful."

No one had ever looked at her like he did—like he was the luckiest man in the world. She felt impossibly beautiful in his eyes.

He was already kneeling in front of her, his breath hot on her clit. His hands came around her hips, holding her upright for his sensual invasion. His tongue found her first, warm and so knowledgeable about the perfect way to make her come. He didn't bother teasing her, since the whole night had been foreplay, but licked her with long, smooth strokes from her labia to her clitoris. The orgasm came before she was even aware of it.

The next thing she knew, she was in his arms and he was carrying her across the room. He took off his jacket without putting her down and laid her on a table, cushioned by the black fabric. She reached for his zipper but he was two moves ahead of her, his sheathed cock ready and waiting for her to take it in.

"All night long I've wanted you," he said. "Every goddamn second. You're so sweet, Melissa. So perfect."

He drove into her, his kiss rough and possessive as he claimed her, and she took him deeper, wishing this moment would never end.

She was his. Forever.

What the fuck am I doing? Dominic asked himself thirty minutes later, when he and Melissa were back out mingling on opposite sides of the room. Things were getting out of hand.

One accidental fuck could easily be accounted for, especially considering how long he'd wanted her. But instead of getting her out of his system, each time they had sex he wanted her more. Anyone could have walked in on them in the construction zone. They'd gotten lucky. Again. He couldn't count on that luck forever.

In fact, part of him wanted the chance to come clean. To tell the world that she was his woman. His.