He fell into the familiar rhythm of the locker room and almost succeeded in forgetting about his ridiculous fascination with Melissa. But not quite. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her charm every person she talked to. The men drooled; the women wanted to be her best friend.

When the large crowd sat down for the speeches, Dominic made sure that Melissa was seated beside him. Who knew what another guy would try?

She seemed riveted by the speaker, a high-school principal in his early thirties. Rationally, Dominic knew that this guy was her perfect match. If he had an ounce of decency, he would persuade her to go out with the guy.

Instead, it took every bit of control Dominic possessed to keep himself from tackling the man.

He couldn't let anyone else have Melissa. Not some high-school principal, not one of the has-been players salivating over her, and definitely not some hotshot like JP, who would leave her high and dry when he was done f**king her senseless.

Chapter Fourteen

Melissa sipped a glass of champagne at the reception, with Dominic hovering close to her shoulder. He hadn't let her out of his sight and all but snarled at any man who'd so much as looked her way. She shouldn't have been happy about the way he was acting—if he didn't want her, then why couldn't some other guy make a play?—but she was anyway.

She'd wanted him to pay attention to her for too long to deny herself the thrill of being wanted.

It was time to make a decision. Should she make it clear to Dominic that she was through being toyed with, and make herself step away from the sensual web he constantly wove around her? Or, should she give in to the sheer sensuality of being with him, give in to how much he seemed to want her right now, knowing that nothing long term would ever come of their amazing lovemaking?

The cute principal came over to them, and Melissa smiled. She had a feeling that this was going to be a lot of fun. Especially given the deep frown Dominic was wearing.

"Dominic," the man said, "it's a great pleasure to meet you. I'm Hank Albright. You've done a wonderful thing for these kids."

Dominic grunted something that might have been, "Good to meet you," but to Melissa it sounded more like, "Go away."

Hank turned to her. "I don't believe we've met yet."

She smiled and opened her mouth, but Dominic was faster. "She's my agent. Melissa McKnight."

Elbowing Dominic in his impressively hard stomach, she offered her hand to Hank. "It's lovely to meet you. Your speech was fantastic."

"Thank you." Hank's eyes sparkled. "I really believe in what we're doing here."

She nodded, moving an inch closer to the high-school principal. "Me, too." It was bad of her—she wasn't interested in Hank—but she couldn't resist toying with Dominic. It would do him good to have to work for her attention this one time.

Especially since she'd made her decision: She was giving in to the joy of a no-strings fling with Dominic.

Dominic plucked her half-full glass out of her hands. "Time to go."

She grabbed a full glass off a passing waiter's tray. "See you later, then."

If she hadn't been so suddenly, utterly confident in her ability to wrap Dominic around her little finger—sexually, at least—she would have been shaking in her heels. Because he looked mad. The kind of mad that sent three-hundred-pound defensive lines scurrying out of his way every Sunday.

Amazingly, Hank seemed oblivious to the power plays around him. "How about we find a quieter place to talk?" he asked her, completely missing the look of fiery death Dominic shot him.

"I'm afraid Melissa has to wrap up a contractual detail for me," Dominic said, as smooth as butter. "Maybe some other time."

She turned to Hank. "Could you please hold my drink for a moment? I need to speak with my client. I'll be right back."

Hank nodded, looking between the two of them uncertainly. "Sure thing."

Melissa led Dominic out of the crowded room, out the back door toward the locker rooms. Stepping inside a freshly painted door, she held it open for Dominic. One of her big fantasies had always been to make love with him in a locker room.

Tonight, she hoped to turn that dream into a reality.

Still, she didn't want to make it too easy for him. "I don't know what you're trying to prove, Dominic, but I'm an adult. I can speak for myself."

The locker room was nearly dark, but for the moonlight coming through the windows above the lockers.

Dominic was only too willing to play along. With his strong arms, he pinned her against the row of red lockers. "I'm listening," he said in a low voice that made her wet all over again.

It took every ounce of control she possessed not to start kissing him, running her hands down his muscular frame.

"Come closer," she said. "I'm only going to say this once."

He moved closer, his hard chest pressing into her aching br**sts. "If I want to date someone else, I'll date him. If I want to have a drink with a guy like Hank, I'm going to."

Dominic's eyes were black as they bored into her. "No."

Her heart hammered in her chest. "What gives you the right to say that?"

The pad of his thumb rubbed erotically against her lower lip. "Because I want you."

It rubbed across her jaw. "Because I need you."

It rubbed down into the hollow of her shoulder blades. "Because you're mine."

She shivered with desire.

"I've wanted to kiss you all night. I want to take you right here with your legs wrapped around me. I want my c**k deep inside you when you come."

She couldn't breathe. Her knees were shaking.

"Tell me no," he whispered. "Tell me to go away and I will. It will kill me, but I swear to God I'll leave you alone."

"Stay," she whispered, and his hand curved around one breast, sending shivers through her entire body. Coming up on her tippy-toes, she pressed a soft kiss on his lips. He tasted like champagne and desire.

A low groan emerged from his throat. "I'm not going to be able to take my time," he said, then crushed her mouth beneath his.

His tongue danced with hers as his hands moved down her body. Every spot he touched came alive, and she moved closer to him. His thick erection pressed into her belly, imprinting her with his desire. His palms played with her br**sts, but far too quickly they were gone. She wanted them back on her sensitive ni**les. One touch, the slightest pressure of his mouth on her br**sts, and she'd explode.

But then she felt him pulling up her skirt, his fingers ripping at her stockings.