Page 20 of The Friend Zone
“I’m not that kind of man. If not having children of your own is your decision, I understand, and it doesn’t change my opinion of you.”
Dana relaxed in the chair. Sheldon was definitely different, because when this part of the conversation came up, she was either called selfish, told she would change her mind, or told the right man could change her mind. None of those comments came from his mouth, and she appreciated his open-mindedness.
After the meal, they skipped dessert and instead stopped for donuts before going back to Dana’s townhouse. She unlocked the door and turned to face him.
“I enjoyed myself tonight,” she said softly.
“So did I.”
Sheldon bent his head and gave her a kiss, starting with a gentle peck. When she didn’t pull back, he wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss. Groaning, he shifted his hands to her bottom and tugged her closer until his erection hit her lower abdomen.
Dana pressed her hands against his chest and pulled back.
“What?” he whispered in a rough voice.
“I’m not ready yet,” she said.
“Oh.” Sheldon stepped back, breathing heavily. Running a hand down his face, he let out a shaky laugh. “I understand.”
“Thank you,” Dana said quietly, though she didn’t know how he could be so understanding because she herself couldn’t comprehend why she couldn’t move forward.
“I’m an understanding guy,” Sheldon said with a rueful smile. “I better get out of here. I, ah… I’ll be in touch.”
“Have a good night,” Dana said quietly.
She closed the door and rested her forehead against the frame. Why couldn’t she freaking go forward? She’d had one-night stands in the past, so there was absolutely no reason for her to hesitate. In fact, she’d had purely sexual relationships in the past.
But she had stopped him, and deep down she knew why. Her subconscious wouldn’t let her fall for this man yet, though he was darn near perfect.
Although she’d been kissing Sheldon, all she could think about was Omar.
10
Dana relaxed in the warm sudsy water with her eyes closed and a bath pillow at her back. A caddy secured to either side of the tub stretched across the water and contained a glass of red wine. A lit candle perfumed the air with the scent of lemons and blood orange, and her cell phone played an audiobook—the latest literary treasure bounding up the best-seller list.
Although she wasn’t teaching classes this summer, she prepared for the fall by browsing bookstores and purchasing books to read before introducing them to her students. The latter part of the day she spent with teacher friends, shooting the breeze and discussing plans for the rest of the year.
After a filling dinner, this was now her relaxation time, but her phone rang and interrupted the audiobook. The screen displayed Omar’s name, and her heart flipped sideways in her chest.
She touched the speaker button. “Hey, Omar. What’s up?”
“I called to give you some important news. Clear your calendar for Friday night. T-Murder is putting on a charity concert at Hot Vinyl Playhouse.”
Dana wrinkled her nose. “T-Murder? Mr. Cheat On His Wife? I’m not a fan.”
“Come on, she forgave him and they’re back together. They even had another kid.”
Dana harrumphed her distaste and wiggled her toes in the water.
“He doesn’t do major concerts anymore. This is something for his fans. Set aside your reservations and remember they’re raising money for a good cause. Proceeds from food and beverage sales are going to the homeless.”
The combination of his voice and the warm water licking her skin did something to her. She could listen to him talk for hours.
“I don’t know.”
“You need to keep an open mind about hip-hop.”
“His music and videos are so raunchy.”
