Page 54 of Caught off Guard

“Leave this off so I can admire all that yummy chocolate. My sugar level tends to be low at times, so I might need a quick lick.” She poked out her tongue and wagged it at me before flicking it over my nipple quickly.

The combination of her hands roaming over my abs and the cool wetness of her tongue had me sucking in my breath as an electric sensation overtook me. I wanted Zora so much that logic wasn’t at the forefront of my mind.

“God took all his time when he made you. It should be illegal for you to be so damn fine.” She stepped back and wiped the corner of her mouth like she’d eaten a five-course meal.

“I didn’t know you had such a devilish streak in you, Dr. Langston.”

“It’s not devilish. Call it free-spirited. You bring out the suppressed freak in me. Since I’m sequestered in this academic prison, I’m going to make the most of my time here. With my new man.” She winked at me, drawing my attention to her long lashes.

“I like the sound of that.” I enveloped her in my arms and circled her waist, lifting her.

To my delight, she wrapped her legs around me and smiled right in my face. Her fresh breath and bright teeth had me cheesing like I’d won the Georgia lottery.

“This feels like a honeymoon. I love our private time,” I said.

“Since I’ve never been married, I wouldn’t know.”

Memories of my good times with Cece overtook me. I tried to keep my face neutral but couldn’t maintain my smile as memories of what could have been came to my mind.

Zora’s face dropped. She tapped my arm for me to put her down. I lowered her to the ground and turned away before she could read my expression.

“What happened just now? You talk about me wearing a mask, but when you mentioned a honeymoon, you left me. Was it Cece?”

I held my closed eyes with my fingers as I silently implemented a technique to stay in the moment. The last thing Zora needed to see was me break down over another woman.

Who used to be my heartbeat.

I hated the periodic monologue that overtook me when I thought of Cece. I knew she wasn’t coming back, but the absence of those joyous times still pinged my heart.

“I want you to tell me about her. She’s important to you, so I want to know her too. Or at least as much as you want to share. I can tell y’all built something special together.”

I had never shared intimate details about the good, bad, and ugly parts of my marriage with another woman. My therapist and parents were aware of the intimate details of my life, but sharing a world where Cece was not able to speak for herself often felt wrong.

“It’s complicated. And it’s the reason I haven’t dated much or remarried. No woman wants a man’s dead wife sleeping in the middle of their bed with them.”

“What does that mean?” Zora’s doe-like eyes drew me in as conviction tapped at my heart.

If I was serious about seeing where a relationship might take us, I needed to remove my mask too. I pointed to the quaint table in the kitchenette.

“Let me make you some tea and chat over there.”

Zora nodded and moved to the cabinet. She pulled out an electric tea kettle and a small box of assorted teabags.

Several minutes later, we sat next to each other, sipping hot tea. Zora rested her hands around her steaming mug as I placed my hands in my lap.

“Cecelia Forrester was my first love—the apple of my eye, my ride-or-die since day one. With her help, Cairo Kinney became a global brand. She was the first woman who trusted me to love her. She was the most encouraging person I’d ever met. Beautiful and pure as the driven snow.”

Zora reached for my hand and gave me a faint smile as I continued.

“We met at an academic orientation when she and I were high school students about to enter Penn State. A couple of months before she enrolled, she got a full ride to Bucknell, which wasn’t far away.” I sipped my tea and took a deep breath.

“We dated until my junior year when I was drafted by the Tampa Tornadoes. I had to decide how I would proceed with our relationship. Since I loved Cece, I chose marriage. My dad encouraged that decision, saying it would keep me out of trouble with the women who wanted to trap a professional basketball player.”

“Your dad sounds like a wise man.”

“He is. Fame came quickly for me. Cece stayed by my side, guiding me and praying for me as I tried to figure out what I was doing. For almost fifteen years, we had a good thing going on. She was diagnosed with ovarian germ cell tumors in her twenties, but we thought we caught it early enough to beat it. She couldn’t have kids, but at least I had her. About six years ago, she relapsed. We maintained hope until she could no longer take care of herself. Five years ago, she withered away like a beautiful flower, leaving me on this earth to fend for myself.”

I had to turn away from Zora’s glossy eyes. If she shed a tear, I would too.

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