Dominique watched television without seeing a thing. Before Justin got involved with football it was a rare Saturday that would find her home at this hour. Usually after working until seven or eight on Friday nights, she would join any number of the editors or other magazine staff and unwind around a piano bar, jazz quartet, dinner, and drinks. Concerts, theater, fundraisers, sporting events—her life was kept busy with invites to some of the best that Los Angeles had to offer. Saturdays were for sleeping in before putting in a good four to five hours at the office. But when it came to Justin and his love of sports, she’d made a decision to sacrifice her Saturday mornings during football season and involve herself in her son’s passion. She thought that it would bring them even closer than they were already. One thing was for sure, it was definitely bringing him closer to his coach.

Hearing a set of keys in the door, Dominique rose from an inclining to a sitting position, smoothed out her caftan, and muted the TV. Justin burst through the door, a laid-back Jake following behind him.

“Mom! I helped cook!” Justin ran over and sat next to Dominique. “Coach Mac made pizzas.”

“Pizza?” Dominique asked, casting a doubtful look at Jake. “That junky food?”

Justin shook his head. “No, these were healthy. We had a choice of sausage or pepperoni, and they were good!”

Dominique looked at Jake with the same quizzical expression. “Pepperoni?”

Jake lowered his eyes, and sat on the recliner opposite the sofa. Clearly, there was a p-word on his mind all right and it wasn’t a pizza topping.

Dominique picked up the vibe and try as she might, she couldn’t seem to control the order of things. One minute the three sat there talking, or mostly listening to Justin rattle on, and the next minute Justin announced that he was going to his room to watch movies. Just like that he, Dominique’s human buffer, was gone. The quiet—and Jake’s stare—were unnerving. Dominique resisted the urge to pick up the remote and unmute the TV. Refusing to feel uncomfortable in her own house, she pulled on her big-girl panties and smiled at Jake.

“Thanks for entertaining the teammates and bringing Justin home.”

Without saying a word, Jake stood, walked over and joined Dominique on the couch. “You’re welcome,” he murmured, wrapping his arms around her.

“Jake...” Anything further coming from Dominique’s lips got swallowed in his kiss—soft, languid, then growing in intensity. His tongue remembered every crevice of her mouth, his hand ran up and down her arm, before settling on her silk-covered thigh.