Page 22 of Cause When You Love Someone
“Whoa! The bodyguard has some hood in him,” I kidded as I entered the open-faced kitchen.
“I’ve never pretended to be from somewhere I’m not.”
“So, where are you from?” He grinned instead of answering. “Does everything have to be a mystery?”
“No, but everything isn’t for everyone to know. Telling folks your business can be dangerous.”
“Oh. Who’s scared now?”
He leaned against the island that kept us apart. “I’m from here. I grew up in the Paradise Projects.”
“I’ve been there a few times.”
He reached for his glasses. “For what?”
“You know good girls like bad guys.” I lifted a bottle of wine that was on the counter. “Would you like a glass?”
“I don’t drink while on the job.”
“I respect that. Do you eat on the job?”
Our eyes locked when the sexual innuendo hit the air. Unsure of how we went from frowning at each other to subtly fawning, I stroked my lips with my tongue to satisfy the craving to have something in my mouth.
“I appreciate you offering to feed me, but my ride almost here.”
My lower lip shot out. “Damn. You’re trying to get away from me already?”
“I don’t mean any disrespect. I just … It’s for the best.”
“Why?” I asked, pressing my luck.
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“You should appreciate me asking questions rather than making up rumors or moving off of assumptions.”
“I suppose.” He nodded as he relaxed on a barstool. “Go ahead. Ask what you want to know.”
“Well, I know you’re twenty-nine. Do you have children?”
“No.”
“That’s unheard of nowadays.”
“It is, but I don’t have any interest in having a baby with a woman who isn’t my wife.”
Shock drove my back against the sink. “That’s refreshing to hear. Does your girlfriend have a problem with you working with me?”
Again, Ishmael grinned while shaking his head. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“Why not?”
He stared me dead in my eyes while saying, “Because I don’t settle for less.”
“Nobody’s perfect.”
“I’m not looking for perfect, but I’m looking for more than women I’ve dated are willing to give.”
When I reached for a paper towel, I nearly knocked over one of the many vases littering my home.
