His voice brought to mind hot chocolate, sticky buns, and other forms of decadence. “Jake, it’s Dominique.”

“Hey, Nick.”

Immediately, Dominique copped an attitude. To everyone except Reggie, who called her Miss Dom, and her family, who called her Nikki, she was Dominique. No shortcuts. No other exceptions. “I do believe I introduced myself to you as Dominique Clark.”

“You did, but that’s a mouthful.” Jake paused and let that unexpected double entendre hang in the air. “So may I call you Nick?”

Dominique’s jaw tightened even as her lower body squirmed. “I prefer Dominique.”

Another pause and then, “All right, then. Dominique.”

She loved the way his voice caressed her name. And had its timbre gotten deeper, lower? One thing had definitely moved. The now-familiar flutter in her stomach had eased its way down to her smoldering cootchie. She needed to end this madness now! “Jake, I really appreciate your offer but—”

“I’ve just put the food on, enough for three people. Don’t even think about cancelling on me.”

Justin, who’d been playing his Xbox, ran over to where Dominique sat on the couch. “Is that Coach Mac? I’m hungry!”

“Yes, Justin, now put on your shoes so we can go get you something to eat.”

“Where,” Jake asked. “A fast-food restaurant? Are you really going to pass up a home-cooked meal for that junk?”

Why did he have to hit the nail on the proverbial head? His assessment was so accurate that Dominique couldn’t even be mad. “We weren’t going for fast food,” she said, changing her mind on the spot from a drive-through to a sit-down establishment where the meal wasn’t delivered quite so... quickly. “Where were you going?”

She barely hesitated. “Red Lobster.”

“Mom, I hate lobster!”

Dominique had answered with the first non-fast-food place that popped in her head. Dangit! I should have said Sizzler. “Okay, baby, we’ll choose another place.”

“What you’ll do,” Jake responded as if he were talking to his squad, “is write down my address and come over so that your son, and his mom, can have a nice, home-cooked meal. Something I have a feeling is a rare occurrence.” Before Dominique could formulate a sufficiently sarcastic response, he continued. “If what I’m saying isn’t true, you won’t be offended.” Once again, Jake had rendered speechless a woman who normally got the last word. “Good. Here’s my address. See you in twenty to thirty.”