Jake’s eyes narrowed slightly as he eyed Dominique’s luscious mouth. He didn’t like the attitude coming out of it and knew just how he wanted to shut it up. It had been a long time since he’d had a woman. Too long. His manhood twitched at the thought of the one in front of him bringing him out of his six-month slump. Impulse replaced rationale. Straightening to his full six foot five, Jake responded. “As a matter of fact, I do, Ms. Clark. Lunch. My house. In two hours.”

“Can we, Mom, please?”

“Oh no, honey,” Dominique quickly answered, the thought of being behind closed doors with this testimony in testosterone bringing on the squiggles and flutters again. He looked even finer up close, his authoritative air getting on her nerves even as it aroused her. “Thanks, Mr. McDonald, but we couldn’t impose. Besides, I have dinner plans for later this evening”

“It’s Jake, and it’s no imposition at all. And we’ll keep it light so that you’ll have an appetite for your date tonight.”

So you assume I have a date, huh? Dominique saw no need to correct this thought.

“Please, Mom! Coach Mac can really cook!”

“How do you know?”

“He brought us cookies the other day.”

Now it was Dominique’s turn to raise a skeptical eye to Jake. “Cookies? You mean the kind with loads of sugar, butter, and other unhealthy ingredients?”

“No,” Jake said. “The kind with agave sweetener, unbleached flour, raisins, nuts, flaxseed, and other”— Jake paused, giving Dominique’s ample body the once over—“healthy ingredients.”

“They were delicious, Mom!”

I bet he is. “If you say so.”

Jake looked up to see Shawn and a couple parents heading in his direction. He reached into his jacket, pulled out a card, and gave it to Dominique. “Call me in half an hour to get my address.” He walked off without waiting for a reply.

An hour later, Dominique was still trying to come to grips with Jake McDonald and the effect he had on her. He was an attractive man to be sure, but that wasn’t the only thing that made her heart race. His confidence was sexy and that he could cook, a total turn on. He was, in a word, dangerous. In two words, a dangerous distraction. Dominique needed to focus. Besides the cover-story drama with the persnickety actress, there was a vengeful board member who’d recently reminded her, in so many words, that he was just waiting for her to mess up, and through all of this, Reggie’s malaise over his lost love continued. With a plate this full, she didn’t have time for a supersized extra like Jake McDonald, even though just the thought of seeing him again made her mouth water. I’ll call and politely decline. With that thought firmly in mind, Dominique reached for the phone.

“Hello.”