Page 7 of Guarding Our Love
“Yes. I’ve seen him play a few times on television.”
I wasn’t sure why that made my heart skip a beat, but it did. I smiled at her when her deep brown eyes were on me again.
“Good. That’s my boy. He’s out there dominating the court, and I love that. I just hope I get to see him settle down one day before I die.”
“Grandpa, please.” I glanced toward Sloan, then back at my father again.
Sloan didn’t say anything in response. She just giggled, and I prayed she didn’t get any preconceived notions about me.
I looked her way again, and my heart shattered into a million pieces when I saw the big ass rock and band on her finger. She was fucking married. I didn’t know why that bothered me so much. It wasn’t like we had seen each other in years, and I had my own shit going on.
I wasn’t surprised that someone snatched her ass up. Even in high school, Sloan was wifey material. She would wait for me after practice with food and sports drinks. She did the same thing on game days. There wasn’t a single game she missed during the two years we dated. I could count on Sloan to be in the stands, rocking my jersey. She even came to the away games once she got her car during our senior year.
As she talked to my grandfather about his options, I studied every curve of Sloan’s body. She had always been thick, but she filled out even more, especially in her ass and hips.
Damn, did she have kids?I wondered who was the man that was lucky enough to bag her ass and if he treated her right. He was a fool if he wasn’t. I didn’t know Sloan as an adult, but I was pretty sure she hadn’t changed much over the years… at least not in a bad way.
I thought about her over the years, but we never crossed paths. I thought she left town or something since I never even saw her whenever I was home. Granted, I lived on the outskirts of town, but I was around. Woodlake Valley was home and mysafe space, so I was able to go anywhere in town without being bothered. How did I not see her? I wondered if my mom knew she was married because I was certain they had seen each other over the years. The town wasn’t that big, so where had she been hiding? Unless she lived somewhere else too but chose to work in Woodlake Valley. I had so many questions for her, but I wasn’t sure I would get the chance to ask her. I wasn’t trying to step on anyone’s toes, but I genuinely wondered about her.
“Do you guys have any questions?”
Sloan’s breathy voice snatched me out of my thoughts. She still sounded the same as she did all those years ago, and oddly enough, I had the same reaction to it as I did then. I had to put my hands in my lap to cover myself because I didn’t need her or my grandfather to see how my body reacted to her.
That shit was crazy to me. Sloan was fully covered, but her blouse and skirt did nothing to hide her ample breasts or the curves of her hips. Her hair was longer now. I was glad that she still kept it curly. She had lipstick on her lips that made them plump. I had to shake my head to rid myself of the thoughts I had of when I taught her how to suck my dick.Shit, did she suck her husband’s dick like that?I cleared my throat to bring myself back to the present.
“Yeah. I wasn’t sure if you said someone would be available around the clock or not.”
I licked my lips when Sloan turned to face me. I watched her as she followed the trail my tongue made over my bottom lip. Internally, I smiled because she was just as affected by me as I was by her.
“Yes. You have the option of having a different person come in shifts, or you can have a live-in person if you want. It’s up to you two.”
“I’d prefer the same person as much as possible. I don’t want too many different people in and out of my house.”
I had plenty of space where they wouldn’t even be on my side of the house, and I wouldn’t have to come over there, but still.
“I understand how important discretion is for you. I can assure you that no matter what you choose, your privacy will be respected. I have dealt with the same company for years, and they have multiple people who have worked with famous people. They can even sign a nondisclosure agreement if you want them to.”
“That’s a good idea. How much of this process will you be there for?” I just wanted to see how much time I would have to talk to her.
“The whole thing. I’ll connect you guys with the agency and answer any questions you may have during the process. Even after you pick someone, if you need me to help you with anything, I will be available to help you. It’s a pretty simple process, but I can understand your apprehension. Not only because of your status, but you want to make sure your grandfather is getting the best care possible.” Sloan smiled at Grandpop then looked back at me. “I’ll give you some information and some time to think about it. Here’s my card, and I’ll be by to check on you tomorrow.”
She said that more to my grandpa, but if I could, I would be there too. I had a game coming up, but I could find a few minutes to check on him by the end of the day. Sloan glanced my way again, and we stared at each other for a few seconds until she cleared her throat.
“If that’s all, I’ll leave you guys to discuss all of this. I’ll be back tomorrow, Mr. Cooper.”
“Thanks, Sloan. Have a good night,” I said.
She gave us both a closed-mouth smile and walked toward the door. I watched her the whole way and didn’t peel my eyes away from the door until she was completely out of sight and thedoor had closed. Her scent permeated the air even after she was gone.
What were the odds of running into Sloan after all of this time? Maybe the universe was trying to tell me something. In due time, I was sure I would find out.
My heart feltlike it stopped the minute I walked into Mr. Cooper’s room and spotted Calil. I didn’t expect Mr. Cooper to bethatMr. Cooper, and I sure didn’t expect to see Calil. I knew he and his grandfather were close, but I also thought he would have been somewhere playing basketball. Calil had always been good at playing, so I wasn’t surprised when I heard he played professionally. I didn’t keep up with basketball or sports, but Roy and the boys did. I did see him play a few times when they watched the game, but I would always leave the room.
I couldn’t believe the way my body reacted to him. It was hard being professional, especially with him looking and smelling so good. I tried not to look in his direction too much, but I felt him watching me.
Calil had grown up. He let his hair grow out and had locs past his shoulders. They were pulled back into a ponytail, but I could tell how long they were. His toasted almond skin was now covered in tattoos from what I could see. I wasn’t surprised by that either.
The minute I could leave the room, I hightailed it out of there. Being so close to Calil made me feel like the walls were closing in on me. I shouldn’t have felt any type of way about him because I was married with children. Granted, my husband and I weren’t on the best of terms, but still.
