by Tina Martin
Then again, perhaps she was looking at this all wrong. Maybe Desmond had no real interest in her. He was being himself, a ladies man. A player. Didn’t all players try to hit on every woman they came into contact with? Why would he be any different?
She watched him slice a massive chunk of the lasagna, opening his mouth wide to chew it. Apparently, he was hungry too.
Desmond greedily finished the first bite. After taking a sip of water, he looked up at her. “So, Sherita…”
Sherita looked up at him and held his gaze, watching his lips form into a smile.
“Yes?” she forced out.
“I want to address something you said earlier.”
“What was that?”
“You said I’d been doing a good job of avoiding you.”
Sherita shook her head. “There’s no need to address it.”
“There is. You seemed bothered by it?”
She lifted a brow. “Not sure how you got that impression, but I’m not bothered by it. Not at all. As a matter of fact, I didn’t even want to come here tonight to babysit when Emily told me you would be here.”
“And why’s that, Sherita?”
“Because I don’t know you all that well, Desmond. I know of you. I know what I hear, what I’ve seen.”
“Then let’s address some of it,” he said, stuffing more lasagna to his mouth.
“Why?”
“Because I think we should.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin. “There’s no reason for us to be enemies.”
“And there’s no reason for us to be friends, either.”
He stared at her for a moment. “Okay,” he nodded. “Let’s say there’s no reason for us to be friends…does that mean you have to avoid me? Think less of me than you do of my brothers?”
“Since when do you care what people think about you?”
“Who said anything about people? I’m talking about you, Sherita.”
Sherita took a sip of water to quell the intense heat of his eyes. He made it a practice to stare at her, and he knew there wasn’t anything she could do about it but get up and walk away. But that would be admitting he was able to get to her. She wouldn’t let him have the upper hand. So, after setting her glass back on the table, she said, “Okay. Let’s talk.”
He seemed pleased with her response. Finally, he was getting his way. “Why do you think I’ve been avoiding you?” he asked.
“I don’t think it…I know it for a fact. You have been avoiding me. Dante, Dimitrius, Melanie, Emily…everybody knows it.”
“Okay, you’re not understanding my question so let me be clearer. Yes, I have been avoiding you. My question is, why do you think I’ve been doing so?”
She shrugged. “Beats me. Unlike you, I don’t have the capability to read minds, and if I did, your mind wouldn’t be one I would read.”
He forced himself to grin. She wasn’t ready for intense Desmond, but it looked like he had to give it to her anyway. He took a napkin, wiped his mouth and cleared his throat. “The reason I’ve been avoiding you is because I like you. I’m attracted to you. I like the way you talk, the sound of your voice and the way you laugh when I hear you interacting with Emily and Melanie. I like the way you dress, the way your lips poke out when you’re upset and the way you blush when you’re embarrassed, sort of like you’re doing right now. You’re a good woman, Sherita. You have a strong work ethic that I really admire, but it’s those things that kept me away from you.”
Confusion washed over Sherita’s face. He’d been avoiding her because he liked her? What kind of game was he playing?
“You look confused,” he observed.
“I am.”
“I was hoping you could read between the lines so I didn’t have to be so thorough.”
“There are no lines to read between, Desmond. You said you were avoiding me because you like me? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”
A frown flashed in his forehead, then it quickly went away. With a serious, stoic face, he said, “So I have to spell it out for you.” He took a sip of water. “Okay, it’s like this…I like you…more like I want you. More like I’ve had dreams about you, about us…more times than I would like to admit to. There’s something different about you, Sherita. Something special. You’re unlike any woman I’ve ever encountered. So I stayed away, yes, not for my sake, but for yours, because you’re not ready to be pursued by a man like me, darling.”
Sherita had met some cocky, conceited men in her life, but never one like the man sitting across the table from her. “You stayed away for my sake…”
“Yes. I’m not like Dante and Dimitrius, Sherita. They found their soul mates and married them. You know Dante’s story. He was married before he met Emily, but his wife had died. Emily came along, and he fell in love again. Then there’s Dimitrius…he fell in love with Melanie. Now, my brothers have adorable children. I don’t want that.”
“You don’t want what?”
“Marriage. Children. That’s not for me. Never has been. Never will be.”
Still confused, Sherita asked, “And…why are you telling me this?” She took a sip of water.
“Because you’re my soul mate, Sherita.”
Sherita coughed hard. The water must’ve gone down wrong, especially after Desmond’s comment. When she was able to clear her throat, she burst out in a cloud of laughter, laughing so hard it nearly brought her to tears. When she was finally able to get her laughter under control, she asked, “What’s that in your glass, because it can’t be water?” She laughed more and when her laughter subsided, she glanced at Desmond. He was sitting still, his fingers interlocked, arms resting on the table.
Brows raised, he asked, “Are you done?”
“That depends. Are you done cracking jokes?”
“It’s not a joke, and you can laugh if it makes you temporarily divert from the reality of this situation, but you are my soul mate and you know it. Why do you think your breathing is much heavier when I’m around you? Why your palms are sweaty? Why do I make you so nervous, Sherita? You need to listen to your body. It’s trying to tell you something.”
Sherita narrowed her eyes at him. “Is this how you do it? How you get women to go home with you?”
“I’ve never taken a woman to my home.”
“Well, wherever you take them…how many women have you told this soul mate story to?”
“None. Only you.”
“And you expect me to believe that?”
“You should. It’s the truth.”
The truth…the man didn’t know the meaning of the word. And how could a person who didn’t have a soul be somebody’s soul mate?
“Well, let me tell you a few things about myself, Desmond. I don’t date players.”
“I never said I wanted to date you.”
“Oh, yeah…that’s right. You don’t date. You just sleep around. Whatever be the case, rest assured the words soul and mate will never go together where we’re concerned. I’ve been down this windy road before with a man like you, only then I didn’t know I was being played. Now, I know better, and when you know better, you do better, right?”
“So I’ve been told,” he responded.
“Good. Then you can stop all this soul mate crap and talk to me like a woman. I’m not an object…a toy for you to play with.”
“You don’t have to be a toy for me to play with you, Sherita,” he said with challenging eyes.
“Okay, I’m done,” she said, standing. “Thanks for dinner.” She was starting to think Desmond had some serious mental flaws. Maybe that’s why he was still single.
“And there you go running again.”
“I’m not running anywhere. I’m just removing myself from this senseless conversation.”
“There’s nothing senseless about it. Come sit down so we can finish our discussion, Sherita.”
“No thanks. I’m good.” Sherita dumped the contents of her plate in the garbage then walked over to the sink wher
e she rinsed her plate and left it there. Afterwards, she took the bottle of water she had been sipping on and left out of the back door. She needed air. A lot of air. Some things Desmond said had been right. Her body did react to him in ways it had never reacted before. She couldn’t explain it, but she knew it had nothing to do with being soul mates. Why would he suggest such a ridiculous thing? And why was he so arrogant? Was it because he was fully aware of how attractive he was? Of how women reacted around him?
Then he said he didn’t want marriage and children. Odd. He was so good with handling Grace. From what she’d witnessed firsthand today, he loved Grace and Ezra equally. He knew how to change diapers, warm milk, calm a baby and rock one to sleep. He would make an excellent father.
The sound of the back door opening snatched her attention away from her thoughts. She watched Desmond glance over at her. He sauntered towards the table with stalking eyes that looked like he was ready to pounce upon easy prey. It made her think about what he’d said – that he liked her. Wanted her.
Desmond pulled out a chair, sat beside her then looked at her again.
Sherita glanced up at him, then quickly turned away before finding the courage to look at him again. “Listen, Desmond. I’m not sure what your goal is tonight, but—”
“My goal is to get to know you.”
“Then why are you talking about wanting me?”
“Because I do want you,” he said honestly, “But I won’t pursue you, Sherita, because you need someone who can give you all the things I can’t. Things I won’t.”
Okay, so he wouldn’t pursue her. She felt relieved at his omission, but made a mental note to remain cautious, because Desmond had a way with words. And, like laser beams, his eyes remain locked on her.
Hoping to divert his pensive stare, she asked, “So, do you live in this area?”
“No. I live in South Asheville. It’s about twenty-five minutes away from here. I live closer to Dimitrius and Melanie.”
“That’s nice.”
“It is. From what I understand, you don’t have siblings, correct.”
“Correct. I’m an only child. I think that’s the way my parents wanted it from the start.”
“They live here in Asheville?”
“Yes, about ten minutes away from me.”
“And where do you live?” he inquired.
“In the Shiloh Neighborhood. I have a one-bedroom apartment there.”
“You like it?”
She shrugged. “It’s okay. It’s a means to an end.”
“What end is that?”
“Owning a home one day and my own portrait studio. I’m a big dreamer. I make sacrifices now in hopes they’ll pay off later.”
“That’s good,” he said stretching his arms up, showing off his lean chest.
“Yeah…that…that is good,” Sherita stammered, temporarily sidetracked by muscles. She took a sip of water. She could hardly believe she was having an actual conversation with Desmond. There was no more soul mate silliness, or I-want-you psycho talk – just a normal conversation.
“So tell me about the man who broke your heart,” he said.
“What?”
“Tell me about him. You said you’d been played before.”
Sherita sighed, leaned back in her chair and stared up into the night sky. Just when the conversation was going well, he had to bring up something about relationships. But, instead of cowering, she said, “His name was Thane. I met him in college, dated for two years and while I’m thinking we’re going to get married after graduation, he was dating another girl while he was with me. I broke it off and he was unfazed, but I was hurt.”
“And after him?”
Sherita looked at Desmond. “There was no one after him.”
“No one?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“And how long ago did you end things with Thane?”
“Four years.”
“Wow. Four years.”
She nodded.
Desmond stared at her. He could see the hurt in the depths of her eyes. He could detect the moment she tried to muster up a smile, but failed miserably. This Thane person had broken her heart, and she apparently hadn’t recovered from it.
“I heard he was back in town.”
“Who? Your ex?”
“Yep. You know what really sucks?” she asked.
“What’s that?”
“He’s still friends with my parents.”
Desmond shook his head. “That doesn’t make much sense.”
“No, it doesn’t. It’s like he’s trying to keep a part of me in his life so he can come back whenever he wants.” Sherita exhaled sharply. “But enough about me. Let’s talk about you.”
He smiled. “I’m an open book, baby.”
She grinned. “No, you’re not.”
Desmond’s smile widened, revealing his perfect teeth. “Then tell me who I am, Sherita. Who is Desmond Champion?”
“Umm…you’re definitely not an open book, although you can be forthcoming and straightforward with certain things,” she said, thinking about how he confessed to her that he liked her. “You know what I find strange about you, and this is just from my interaction with you today.”
“What’s that?”
“You say you don’t want children, but you are so good with Grace and Ezra.”
He smirked. “That’s family. I love my family. I would fight to the death for them. All of them.”
Sherita smiled.
“See, I’m not the complete jerk you thought I was, right?”
She grinned. “No, you’re still a jerk.”
“Ouch.”
“I’m kidding,” she said, stretching her arms up in the air. “That’s too bad, though…that you don’t want babies. You’d be a great father.”
“Well, thank you for the compliment.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Do you want children?” he inquired.
“I do. I want marriage, children…love, happiness. Everything you don’t want, I want.”
“I figured as much.” A part of him felt disappointed that he couldn’t be the man to give her those things, but he’d been true to himself for this long. There was no need to change now. Although her smiles were potent enough to take him out of a sour mood, her scent left him spellbound and the slightest eye contact with her tightened his muscles, he had to stay true to himself.
“Have you ever been in love, Desmond?” she asked. Their eyes connected for a moment, then he looked away. Interesting. Desmond never looked away. He’d stare long enough for her to look away, but he never would.
“Desmond?”
There. There was his eyes, not that she wanted them on her, especially given the intensity of his focus. She was simply waiting for an answer to her question. From the looks of things, she wouldn’t be getting that answer. Desmond was just sitting there. Staring.
He’d lose himself in her eyes, only to find his gaze roaming every part of her face. Over the last year, he’d been learning self-control, but some things were more tempting than others. Like he told her to listen to her body, he was paying attention to his. However, unlike Sherita, he didn’t have sweaty palms, broken speech or the lack of eye contact. He had a clenched jaw, tight muscles, elevated heart rate and an intense craving for sugar. And it was all because of her. That irritated him. How could he let her so deep into his thoughts when he’d never let another woman there? If she could penetrate his mind, then she had a good shot at making a run for his heart. And he wasn’t having it.
“Desmond?”
Even the way her lips moved when she said his name had him daydreaming. That wasn’t good. That was the moment he knew he shouldn’t have agreed to this babysitting idea. He should’ve done what he had planned on doing – relax at home while catching up on some TV shows. And he should’ve kept on avoiding Sherita like he’d been doing for the past year. He had work to do, at The Champion Corporation and within himself, and none of it invo
lved being overly concerned with the cares and affairs of a woman. Soul mate or not.
“Did you say something?” he finally asked.
“I asked you if you’ve ever been in love.”
He shook his head. “No.”
“No even once?”
“Not even once.”
“May I ask why?”
Desmond frowned. He was still figuring that out, so how was he going to tell her? “No, you may not.”
Sherita snapped her head back, surprised at his answer, and by the fact that he looked insulted she’d asked that particular question. “Oh. My bad. I wasn’t trying to pry.”
Desmond shook his head and stood up. He needed to find something sweet and fast. He walked away from the table without saying a word to Sherita.
“What…the?” she said out loud, watching him go inside of the house. Was he really upset? She got up, too, and went inside, searching for him. She found him standing in the foyer, threading his arms through the sleeves of his motorcycle jacket.
“Wait…are you leaving?” she asked.
He zipped up his jacket. “What does it look like?”
Sherita expelled a long breath. The man needed an attitude adjustment, big time. How does one go from talking and behaving normally to being an all-out jerk?
“Was it something I said?” she asked, completely confused. His insolence came out of left field. One minute, they were having a discussion and the next, he was preparing to leave the house with an apparent chip on his shoulder.
“No, not at all,” he said without bothering to look at her.
“Desmond, if I—”
“I said it’s nothing,” he said, raising his tone.
She crossed her arms. “Then why are you leaving?”
“Why are you asking me questions like I owe you an explanation?” He snatched his helmet from the table and headed towards the door. Turning the knob, he exited quickly, feeling Sherita on his heels. “I have plans, okay,” he snapped.
“You’re lying. You don’t have plans. What is it, Desmond? You can’t stand the thought of having a normal conversation with a woman?”
