And if she didn't get JP a new deal fast, both of them would be out on their asses with no job and no money.
A middle-aged woman wearing an apron opened the door. "Well, aren't you a breath of fresh air? Come in. I'll take you to his majesty."
Not sure what to make of that greeting, Melissa followed the woman down the hall to the stairs.
"One floor down, first door on your right." The woman walked off, whistling a pop melody. Melissa headed down toward the blaring seventies rock music.
Knowing a knock wouldn't be heard over the deafening music, Melissa let herself in. Her mouth fell open. JP was pumping iron in a fully equipped home gym with an incredible view of the ocean. A young woman was riding along the sand on a white horse, but even that beautiful picture paled in comparison to the impressive musculature of JP's upper body.
Melissa waited for a tingling sensation to start in her belly and between her thighs—the same inner buzz she got every time she saw Dominic.
Nothing.
Great. Just great. Any other woman would already have whipped off her panties and begged JP to do her. But no, not her.
JP dropped the heavy weight he was holding back on its rack and turned to her with a wide smile. His eyes moved from her face to her br**sts to her legs and back up again in slow procession.
"Hallelujah, you are a luscious package. God must have heard my prayers."
JP was as big a playboy as they came, yet there was something likable about him.
"Save it for the press and your fans. And hopefully your new general manager." She held out her hand. "I'm Melissa McKnight. Your new agent."
He dried his hands on a clean towel before grasping her hand. She prayed for a frisson of energy— but nothing.
"I was pretty upset when I found out Tom had fobbed me off on a new agent," JP admitted through perfectly white teeth, his blue eyes beautifully offset by his even tan. "But now I just might send him flowers."
If Dominic had said something like that, she would have blushed, gotten wet, and begged him to take her right there on the gym mat.
With JP, she felt only mild amusement.
"How about you wait until we make a new deal?" she said. "I'll wait upstairs while you get dressed. We've got a lot to take care of this morning."
He waggled his eyebrows. "I like the way you think, pretty lady."
She held up a hand, forcing away a budding smile. "'Melissa' will be just fine from now on, thanks."
She could feel JP's eyes on her ass as she walked out of the room, and she was flattered. But even though he was her age, he was too cocky. Too wild.
Dominic was the kind of man she wanted to be with. Mature. Quietly confident. And so gorgeous, looking at him made her eyes cross.
The next two hours flew by as she quizzed JP on his entire football career, starting from Pop Warner. She didn't ask him about his DUI; she didn't want a confrontation to rule their first meeting. Next time, though, she was going to push him up against a wall and be in his face about his poor behavior.
Every time JP made a pass at her that morning, she deflected it. Had being with Dominic transformed her in some way? She'd never been a target for such magnetic male attention before, especially not from a man like JP, whose looks could kill.
Honestly, it was kind of fun. She wasn't going to encourage him, of course, but a girl was allowed to enjoy feeling pretty.
She drove back to the office with a smile on her face. Although she hadn't seen JP on the field yet, he certainly was a charmer. But charm could take him only so far. He needed to be the real deal to attract a new team, especially given his past off-the-field antics. For the next few hours she was going to hole up in the film room with JP's game tapes. Once she had a handle on the type of wide receiver he was— whether he had great hands, speed, blocking skills, or, best of all, a combination of all three—she'd make a list of potential teams to woo on his behalf.
From now on, things would start to look up. Not only would she do a kick-ass job with JP, she'd make herself get over Dominic. Maybe she'd take yoga classes or join a book club. And then she'd meet a nice guy who'd fall in love with her at first glance. They'd get married and have babies, and life would be perfectly normal. Boring, possibly, but that was okay. Anything was better than this roller coaster of emotions.
When she took the elevator upstairs, the cute girl behind the front desk squeaked with excitement. "Melissa, I've been dying for you to get back. Someone very special is waiting for you in your cube. Lucky you!"
The music in Melissa's head ground to a screeching halt.
He wouldn't. He couldn't.
Jenny looked positively starstruck. "Dominic came by again to see you." Lowering her voice to a whisper, she said, "He's so sexy I can't stand it, but don't tell your father I said so. He fires anyone who thinks the players are cute."
Dominic walked around the corner, and Jenny's giggles filled the tense silence. "Oh good, Dominic, you've found her." She looked at Melissa. "He's been waiting over an hour."
"Have a good meeting with JP?" he asked in a voice that was as smooth as butter.
Remembering everything that had happened last night in the restaurant in vivid detail, she croaked, "Yes."
He smiled, moving closer, much closer than she was equipped to deal with. "I'm glad. I'll buy you a cup of coffee and you can tell me all about it."
He knew she couldn't refuse his invitation in front of Jenny, and she forced a smile. "Great."
Jenny beamed at her, clearly thrilled. "I'll answer your line, Melissa. Don't worry about a thing."
Melissa managed to keep her smile intact until the elevator doors closed. "What do you think you're doing?" she hissed.
Dominic was all innocence. "Taking a meeting with my agent."
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, regretting it when she realized how good Dominic smelled. Her eyes flew open again.
"For the hundredth time, I'm not your agent, Dominic."
He nodded. "You're right: not yet. But since I'm currently agentless, I'd like to run something by you, if you can spare me a few minutes."
Melissa sighed. "I need to watch JP's game tapes this afternoon, but I suppose I could have a cup of coffee with you." What kind of danger could she be in, in a bustling coffee shop with dozens of strangers around?
The elevator opened at the garage, and she looked at him questioningly. "We can walk to the Peet's Coffee just around the corner."
"I know," he said, unlocking his car with his remote. "Hop in."