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Back Love in Play
Chapters (65)
  1. Dominique’s attraction to Jake was not only undeniable, but almost frightening in its intensity.
  2. Also by
  3. Title Page
  4. Epigraph
  5. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. LOVIN’ BLUE
  65. Copyright Page

“I’m so sorry for your loss, Jake,” Dominique repeated. As much as she’d hurt from her partners’ betrayals, she’d never had to endure anything like what he’d described. “It’s understandable why you prefer to keep things casual.”

“I never told you I preferred it,” Jake corrected. “I told you that I wasn’t necessarily looking for more than that. I enjoyed my years with Robin, enjoyed being married. I like steady companionship, having someone to come home to and confide in. I had enough of waking up next to anonymous bodies in my bed while playing in the NFL. But after a while that shit gets old, and you want a woman of substance.” He turned his gaze on Dominique, looked at her lips for several seconds before raising his eyes to meet hers.

Dominique swallowed discreetly. “And you think that’s me?”

“I don’t know. But I’d like to find out.”

11

11

Reggie’s pacing threatened to wear out the plush white carpeting in Dominique’s office. He was lamenting the fact that after enjoying a wonderful dinner, Dominique had turned down Jake’s invitation for a nightcap at his house. “I just don’t get it, Miss Dom. Pardon my French but you’re a grown-ass woman with grown-ass needs. Ain’t nothing wrong with getting a little loving every once in a while.”

“I know...”

“Or a lot.”

“You’re right. But I get this feeling...”

“Where, in your cha-cha?”

“Reggie...”

“I’m just sayin’...”

“I get the feeling that if I slept with him it would be hard for me to keep my feelings and expectations in check. I think I’d want more.”

“And what’s wrong with that?”

“The timing, Reggie! I have to wait six more years, until Justin has graduated and is away at college. Then I can refocus on my personal desires.”

“Why do you keep hiding behind that flimsy excuse? That didn’t stop you from seeing the tune-up man. What was his name?”

“It doesn’t matter.” In this moment, Dominique regretted ever telling Reggie about Charles. If she hadn’t, he wouldn’t be able to use this oh-so-sensible argument right now. “Justin didn’t know the tune-up man, didn’t worship the ground that the tune-up man walked on. That’s the difference.” Dominique looked off into the distance. “I just wish the thought of him didn’t turn me on so much.”