Dominique swallowed. The fluttering that only happened when Jake was in the vicinity went out of control. “Okay, I’ll admit it. I find you attractive.”

“I’ll admit that about you, too.”

“And that there’s definitely a spark between us.”

Jake stopped stirring and turned. “Is a spark all you feel?”

“But this situation would simply be too complicated,” Dominique continued, ignoring his question. “You’re my son’s coach. I’m not looking for a relationship and...” The rest of the sentence was silenced by Jake’s full lips connecting with her equally thick ones. It was a wisp of a kiss, the merest meeting of flesh. But the sensation was like magic, potent and filled with the promise of more to come.

“And I think it’s time to eat,” Jake whispered, once he’d ended the chaste yet powerful kiss. “Justin! Come grab these plates and set the table.”

It took less than thirty minutes for Jake, Dominique, and Justin to demolish a delicious meal of chicken tacos and spicy vegetable-laden brown rice. He’d used organic this, fresh that, and free-range the other but Dominique had to admit that the dinner was delicious. Conversation flowed as easily as the sparkling pomegranate juice that accompanied the meal. Justin was all ears as Jake shared stories from his NFL glory days, and Jake showed genuine interest as Dominique gave an overview of life in magazine publishing. When she looked at her watch and noted the time, Dominique truly did not want to leave. But staying was not an option.

“Jake, your healthy home-cooked meal was quite tasty. Our magazine is big on touting the benefits of good nutrition and I realize I’ve been lax on incorporating this fact into my own life. Thanks for the reminder.”

“Can I come over here tomorrow, Coach Mac?” Justin asked. “Your food is good.”

Inwardly, Dominique flinched. Nothing like a child to keep it real and diss his mother’s cooking skills—or lack thereof—in the process. “Boy, don’t be ridiculous. You can’t expect your coach to cook for you every day.”

“But he likes to cook!” Justin implored.

“Yeah, but I’ve got work to do,” Jake said, once again coming to Dominique’s rescue. “Like studying tape on next week’s rival. Y’all played well today but don’t think that every game will be as easy to win as that one. This next team is going to bring it. Y’all better be ready to give it right back.”