"I know I've screwed up countless times," he continued in a raw voice. "I didn't recognize real love when it was right in front of me the whole time. I didn't see the real, amazing woman you are—but I'm not blind anymore."
Melissa's brain shouted the words I love you but she couldn't get her mouth to say them. Something inside her, some wounded part of her that had more questions than answers, held the words back.
Dominic hated to watch her leave. He desperately wanted to fix everything. He wanted to call her father, tell him that he seduced Melissa, not the other way around. He wanted to pull Melissa into his arms and kiss her until she saw reason. He wanted to be there for her emotionally and professionally, to assist her in the exhausting work of managing a player like JP.
But he couldn't do any of those things. Not if he wanted there to be a snowball's chance in hell for Melissa to realize that he could change, that he could back off and let her take the wheel.
And that she loved him, too.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
A s she drove down the winding freeway to San Francisco, Melissa felt thirteen years old again, terrified about bringing home a B on her report card, praying that her father never found out about the one and only biology class she'd ever skipped—but knowing that he would—and that she'd be grounded for a month for the transgression.
Fortunately, the four-hour drive gave her plenty of time to think. Time to realize that she no longer needed his praise to feel good about herself.
Somewhere during the past week, she'd turned a corner. Partly because of Dominic, but mostly because she'd finally started to value her own worth, she had finally looked up and realized that she was capable of doing amazing things, both professionally and personally.
From here on out, she was going to live her life on her own terms. She was going to figure out what she wanted, and then she was going to go out and get it.
The only question that remained was what to do about Dominic. She loved him, yet the chasm between them was wider than ever.
The next morning, Melissa walked into her father's office at eight o'clock sharp. His face looked like thunder.
"You have betrayed me and you have betrayed my agency with your thoughtless actions. I can hardly stand to look at you."
She stood her ground. "I'm not a kid anymore. I can date whomever I want and I can love whomever I want."
"My players are off-limits. If Dominic leaves my agency, it'll be your fault."
"I understand your concern. And that's why I've already severed the relationship."
He looked surprised, but still furious. "You should never have gotten involved with him. Never."
She nodded. "You're right. I shouldn't have, but not for the reason you think. I made the mistake of falling in love with one of the best men I've ever known. Unfortunately, he's not the right guy for me. One day, I hope I can forgive you for putting money above your own daughter's happiness."
His mouth opened, then shut. By his silence, she knew how deeply she'd hurt him with her accusation. She turned to leave his office, then realized she'd left out one very important thing.
"I quit."
She walked out and rode down the elevator with her head held high. All her life she'd wanted her father's approval, an outward display of his love. Now, even though she knew she'd done the right thing, the divide between them was too deep. Her hopes for a stronger relationship with her father could never come to pass.
She checked her voice mail, and the sound of Dominic's voice sent chills up her spine. He had set up a meeting for JP with the Outlaws' general manager.
God, how she wanted to call him and confide all her fears and doubts to him. She wanted him to hold her in his arms and tell her that he loved her, that everything was going to be okay.
She was also worried about him. He was probably sitting down with the reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle right now, telling him everything. It was going to be a big story; there was no way around that. She desperately wanted to be there for him, holding his hand, letting him know that he was loved and lovable, no matter what mistakes he'd made as an adolescent.
By the time she met JP in front of the Outlaws' headquarters, she had a raging headache.
"I take it things didn't work out between you and Dom?" he said when he looked at her.
What was the point of denying everything? Dominic was brave enough to face his dirty laundry. She'd face up to hers.
"No. They didn't."
JP shook his head. "That sad sack of shit. I was sure he was going to tell you he loved you."
She chewed the inside of her lip. "He did."
JP looked at her like she was a crazy woman. "1 truly don't get women. At least think about giving him a chance, okay? I know he's old and beaten up, but he's a pretty good guy underneath."
She took a deep breath. "Forget my love life. It's time to focus on football. Here's the deaclass="underline" You shouldn't even have this chance. Any other player would have been filling out applications for a real job by now."
JP held up his hands to fend her off. "Trust me, boss, I know. Dominic's already read me the riot act for three days."
Her gaze was steady. "I don't know what lucky star you were born under, but having Dominic swoop in and turn you into a decent player, and then decide to retire so you have a shot at his spot, is pretty much the luckiest thing I've ever seen." She paused to make sure he understood what she was saying. "Don't blow it today. One fumble, one misstep, and everything comes crashing down. Got it?"
JP nodded respectfully. "Loud and clear. Now let's go kick some ass."
By that afternoon, her phones wouldn't slop ringing. The San Francisco Chronicle had printed an interview with Dominic about not only his past but his role in training JP. Word quickly hit the street that the Outlaws were thinking about signing him to their already full roster.
Other teams knew what this meant. A guy like Dominic DiMarco wouldn't put his reputation behind anyone who didn't have the elusive "it" that won Super Bowl rings.
Melissa had spent several years assisting her father during free-agent negotiations and she knew exactly how this game worked. The only problem was, she didn't have enough hands to take care of everything, enough phones or space in her voice mail to deal with the messages. A stack of thirty unanswered voice mails sat on her kitchen table. What she wouldn't give for an assistant.
Even though she should have been concentrating solely on JP's career, Melissa couldn't help thinking about Dominic. Had there been any backlash from the article? Was Dominic feeling vulnerable? Did he have anyone to lean on?
More than anything, she wanted to comfort him, confess her love.
But she couldn't. If she kissed him, touched him, they'd just keep playing out the same scene again and again.
Him helping her. Her resenting it.
Him declaring his love. Her not sure she believed it, with mind-blowing sex to fill in any gaps. Sex that only confused her more.
Her phone stopped ringing and in the rare silence a glimmer of realization took shape. She'd always assumed that Dominic had helped her because he didn't think she was strong enough or talented enough to handle the business on her own. But what if she'd been wrong?
When they'd worked with JP at his lakefront house, Dominic hadn't once questioned her judgment. He'd looked at her with respect, agreed with her decisions pertaining to JP's career.