Guarding His Heart

by Synithia Williams

  He leaned in close to her ear and whispered, “I’d rather nibble on you.”

  Her eyes widened. A red tint crept beneath her light brown skin. “Are you saying you’re going to bite me?” She didn’t sound the least bit offended by the idea.

  He leaned one hand on the counter and the other on the backrest of her stool. “Only when you ask me to. Until then, I just plan to dream about kissing you again.”

  Heat flashed in the depths of her eyes. The edges of her smile lifted, and her breasts rose and fell with her breaths. “Eat your food and then we’ll go look at the cabin. That’s it.”

  She tried to sound stern, but her nipples were delightful beacons beneath her shirt and the flush hadn’t left her skin. Kevin slowly settled back on the stool. He picked up his fork. “As you wish,” he said with a wink.

  Delight filled her face. “You watched the movie?”

  “When I said I couldn’t stop thinking of you, I didn’t lie.” Which was why he’d watched The Princess Bride the day after she’d walked away.

  Her smile said she was impressed. Kevin’s chest puffed up with the win. Oh yes, he was going to have Jasmine.

  Chapter 7

  Jasmine snapped another picture of the small home Kevin had brought her to. The original structure only had one room, but Kevin told her other rooms had been added over time. The land around the house was overgrown with grass and weeds. The old fields that sat west of the home were now the beginnings of a young forest.

  Kevin stood in front of the house with his back against the faded porch railings. The sun and shadows played over his tall body as if they couldn’t resist running across the firm muscles. A fond smile played at his full lips. Jasmine lifted her camera and snapped a picture.

  She lowered the camera and took a deep breath. The air was warm, the scent of pine thick. There were no other sounds except for the rustling of the breeze in the trees and the sounds of birds singing.

  “It’s so peaceful out here,” she said. “How long has this land been in your family?”

  He blew out a breath and a line formed between his brows. “Let me think. I know my grandfather lived here, and I think he said his dad lived here, too. My grandmother knows more than me. If you want to talk to her, I can introduce you.”

  A tremble of anxiety shot through her. She quickly squashed the reaction. Meeting his grandmother had nothing to do with them and everything to do with her project. “That sounds good. If you think she’ll talk to me.”

  His answering smile made her heart jump. “She’ll talk to you. My grandma loves to talk about the family.”

  He pushed away from the porch and strolled toward the back of the house. Jasmine followed. “Tell me what you know.”

  “I know that we used to grow corn over there.” He pointed to the overgrown area to the left. “And peanuts, too. We’d sell the peanuts and some of the corn. My granddad wasn’t a big farmer. Just grew enough for the family to eat and sell a little. He also worked at the textile mill.”

  “Did you live with them?”

  “My mom stayed over there.” They were at the back of the house and he pointed to an area that wasn’t as overgrown. “She and my dad had a trailer on that spot. I was at my grandparents’ a lot. When I bought Mom and Grandma a new house, she sold the trailer.”

  “Where’s your dad?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. My parents split when I was eleven. He left quickly after. He hated it here. Thought the town was too small.” Kevin bent over and snapped off a tall blade of grass. He twisted it and tossed the pieces on the ground. “Last I heard, he married someone else and had a new family. He tried to contact me once, right after I was drafted. I quickly told him to leave me the hell alone.”

  There was no pain in his voice. That didn’t mean the pain wasn’t there. She’d gotten good at hiding how much it hurt when Kathy had walked out of her life.

  “Some people don’t like the quiet,” she said. “They have too much time to think about things. Some choose to focus on what they don’t have instead of their blessings. That’s their problem.”

  “I understand that now,” Kevin replied. “I like silence. I can clear my head of all the bad. That’s why I come home every off-season. I don’t really go into town, but I hang with my grandma and mom. Eat too much food, listen to the latest town gossip and chill before getting back to the grind.”

  Silver Springs was vastly different from the city Jasmine had grown up in outside of Richmond, Virginia. She’d lived in New York since graduating college. She liked the hustle and bustle of the city, but she could appreciate the silence of the country, as well—appreciated that Kevin still looked at his home as a place of solace instead of someplace to run away from and forget.

  Jasmine picked a yellow dandelion and tucked it behind her ear. “The people here love you.”

  “That’s just because I’m a basketball star.” He walked over to one of the trees where an old rope and tire swing hung.

  “No, they love you because you give back. You’ve done a lot for this town.”

  Kevin tugged on the rope. His biceps bulged quite nicely with the movement. “I only do what I can to keep the town alive. My family is here. I don’t want them to be in a place that’s stagnant.”

  “Sounds like you’ve supported smart moves to make the town prosper.” She went over to him. Snapped a few pictures of him testing the tree and swing.

  Lines formed around his mouth as he slowly uncurled his hands from around the rope. “I’ve been lucky with my picks of things to invest in.”

  “Do you invest in other places or just here?”

  “Other places and other businesses. I know that all it takes is one injury. One illness—” he looked at his hands “—and I’m out of the game. Early on, I listened to the older players and invested my money to have multiple streams of income.”

  “I told you you were smart,” she said with a grin.

  “Yeah, but I didn’t invest because I thought that it’d be my whole long-term plan.” He ran a hand over the curve of the tire. “I have no idea what I’ll do if I retire.” He looked and sounded lost and frustrated. The smile was gone, along with the normally ever-present spark in his eye.

  Jasmine skipped over to him. She placed her hand over his on the tire swing, forcing his attention off thoughts of an uncertain future. “What’s something you love doing now?”

  The spark returned and he flashed a cocky grin. “You really want to ask me that?”

  A flutter started low in her stomach. That’s what she got for trying to bring his smile back. “In a nonsexual way. What do you like to do?”

  He considered her words. “I really don’t know. Basketball is all I’ve done for so long. I’ll have to get back to you on that.” He focused on her. “What about you? Tell me about your family.”

  “What? Why?” She wasn’t prepared for the question.

  Kevin moved until he stood behind her. Strong hands rested on her hips. “Because I want to get to know you.” His voice was a warm caress in her ear. The flutter in her stomach intensified and heat spread between her thighs.

  “There’s nothing to know,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. “I’m very boring.”

  One hand lifted and flipped her blue-tipped bangs. “You’re definitely not boring.”

  Soft lips brushed her ear before he pulled away. She swayed on her feet, her heart pounding and need growing inside. Damn, he was too good at making her want more of his touch.

  “You’re just trying to flatter me.”

  “That, too,” he said with a grin. “But I really am curious.”

  She pushed the tire swing. Watched it sway instead of looking at him. “My mom died when I was five. I don’t really remember her. My dad remarried when I was seven. Then he and my stepmom divorced when I was sixteen. I have one sister and s
he’s my best friend.”

  “Do you still talk to your stepmom?”

  “No.” More heat than she’d intended crept into her voice. She glanced at Kevin to see if he’d noticed.

  He raised a brow but didn’t question anymore. Relief rushed through her. He slipped the phone from his pocket. “My turn.”

  “To do what?” she asked hesitantly.

  “To take your picture.” He tapped the screen, then held the phone up with the camera facing her.

  Jasmine laughed and held up a hand. She backed up a few steps. “Oh no. I don’t take pictures.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. A photographer that doesn’t like to take pictures?”

  “I photograph beautiful things and people. I don’t photograph me.” She turned away.

  Kevin’s hand was on her shoulder before she could walk far. He pulled her back against his front and held up the phone. The camera on selfie mode. He leaned down until his head was next to hers. “You’re a beautiful person.” He snapped the picture.

  She sank into the warmth of his embrace. She could enjoy being held by him for a few seconds longer. “You’re a flirt.” She knew she was cute, but she wasn’t beautiful. She was fun, quirky and outgoing. That more than made up for not having movie-star good looks. But it didn’t mean she liked taking pictures of herself. She hated herself on camera.

  “I tell the truth.” He snapped another selfie. Then kissed her cheek. Her eyes widened and he snapped that picture. Jasmine laughed at his antics and he snapped several more.

  She spun around to face him. “You’re ridiculous.” The words didn’t carry any heat.

  “If I ever hear you refer to yourself as not beautiful enough to be photographed, I’m going to toss you over my knee and spank you.”

  She raised a brow. “Into the kinky, are we?”

  His full lips lifted and her world became brighter. “I’m into anything when it comes to you.”

  He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her forward. His head lowered and he kissed her. Not a brief brush like before, but a full-fledged kiss. His lips were firm but gentle against hers, her reasons for needing to stay away from Kevin forgotten. She was an adult. She knew this wasn’t forever. There was no reason to deny their attraction.

  Her tongue slid across his lower lip. Kevin let out a soft moan and opened to her. She lost herself in the kiss. His mouth on hers was still soft and sensual, but his kiss went deeper, a little darker. The pulse of power in his large body was even more pronounced now that she was pressed against him. Her camera between them kept her from getting closer. For once in her life, she considered throwing the thing to the side.

  He pulled back slowly. “Would you like to see more places around here?”

  She blinked several times. “What?”

  “I’m thinking of cabins.”

  She laughed and pushed away from him. She deserved that, but the fire in his eye and the feel of his mouth against hers still tingling on her lips meant she didn’t care. “Yes. I would like to see more cabins.”

  * * *

  Noon had come and gone by the time Jasmine and Kevin made it back to the bed-and-breakfast. He’d taken her to three other places, all from families he’d known growing up in the area. Jasmine had been pleased to learn Silver Springs had started out as a sort of haven for free blacks during the Reconstruction, grew as a farming town and boomed even more in the thirties with the opening of a textile mill.

  Many of the families he knew had been there since the area was officially incorporated as a town in 1920. Jasmine’s brain was already racing with the idea of documenting the old homes and talking to the members of the founding families. The place and town would have been all but forgotten if Kevin hadn’t stepped in with investments to help his hometown prosper when industry moved out.

  “Thank you for the tour,” she told him as they walked up the stairs into Meadow Springs. “There’s so much history here. I’ll probably be in town a lot longer than I planned.”

  Kevin placed his hand on the small of her back, the steady pressure of his touch a pleasant feeling. “I don’t have any complaints with that.”

  “How long are you going to be in town?” She supposed he had other things he did in the off-season besides hang out here.

  “I’ve got a few meetings here and there but mostly visits planned with my kids and a quick vacation with friends early next month.” He opened the door for her. “I’ll be around for at least another two weeks.”

  Two weeks and then he would be gone. She was on no specific deadline for this project. She had several months before she was scheduled to exhibit at the gallery and could spend as much time in Silver Springs as she liked. The idea of him not being there if she chose to be in town longer than two weeks took some of the shine off her excitement.

  “I know you want to spend time with your family and friends in town, so don’t feel as if you have to escort me every day.” She entered the cool interior and breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t realized how much the temperature had risen until the air-conditioning hit her.

  “I can catch up with friends and help you out. You said tomorrow you’ll start reaching out to some of the families. Since I know a few, I’ll put in a good word for you. Let them know you’re not some raving lunatic.”

  She laughed and looked up at him. There were so few guys she was able to look up at. Most were eye level or shorter when she wore heels. Today she’d traded in her boots for casual sneakers. Kevin’s height and muscle made her feel tiny in comparison, but also sheltered and protected instead of threatened. Even though she didn’t need protection, she liked the feeling.

  “Hey, Kevin, look who came to see you,” Rachel said from behind the counter.

  Jasmine had liked Rachel when she’d chatted with her briefly this morning. The woman was friendly and helpful. Now she and a tall man who was slim except for a slightly rounded stomach both grinned at Kevin.

  Kevin’s face lit up with surprise and recognition. “Tank?”

  Tank laughed as he crossed the room and gave Kevin a hug. “Nobody has called me Tank in years.”

  The two men embraced and slapped each other on the back. “Oh yeah, it’s Coach Givens now,” Kevin said. “You’re doing big things.”

  “Not compared to you, but I’m trying,” Tank said.

  Kevin shook his head. “Taking the high school team to the regional finals is big things. That hasn’t happened since we played. Good job, Tank.”

  Tank rubbed his chin and grinned self-consciously. “I got a good group of kids this year. Thank you for the donation to renovate the gym. That really gave the team a sense of pride they needed. It’s translated on and off the court.”

  “Hey, man, no thanks required. Just take them to the playoffs again and I’m repaid.” Kevin shifted toward Jasmine. He placed his hand on her lower back and brought her forward. “Tank, this is Jasmine Hook. Photographer extraordinaire to the Hollywood rich and famous. Jasmine, this was the best team captain the Silver Springs Saints ever saw.”

  Jasmine smiled and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, Tank.”

  “Same here.” He eyed her with curiosity and threw a look Kevin’s way.

  “Jasmine is documenting the old homes of blacks during and after the Reconstruction,” Kevin said. “She’s got a book deal and a New York gallery exhibit lined up to display the photos. I took her out to your great-grandparents’ old place.” He looked at Jasmine. “That was the last one we visited.”

  Jasmine swung her head in Tank’s direction. The quick movement made her head spin. “Oh, I’d love to talk to you more about that. Get some history of your family, if you don’t mind.” Her tongue felt like a thick tube sock in her mouth, making the words come out slower than she’d expected.

  “Do I mind? Not at all. My family helped found this town, but after the tex
tile mills came in, they swept our contributions under the rug. I’d love to set the record straight.”

  Jasmine smiled her thanks, but her vision began to tilt. She’d pushed too hard today and now she was about to pay for it.

  Kevin, Tank and Rachel talked about other families and places she could photograph. All good information, but the trembles started. First in her hands before slowly taking over her body. A cold, clammy sweat coated her like slime and nausea churned.

  “Excuse me a second. I need to grab something in my room,” she said. She turned away and focused on getting one foot in front of the other as she made her way to the stairs. Her room was on the second floor. Not far from the top of the stairs. She should be able to make it okay.

  She stumbled on the first step. A strong arm wrapped around her waist. Kevin’s body supported her weight.

  “Hold on. I’ve got you.” His voice was warm and steady.

  She hated appearing weak in front of him, but the room spun more with each passing second. “First door on the right. Keys are in my pocket.”

  He helped her up the stairs, dug the keys out and got her inside. Jasmine pointed to the bathroom. “There’s a black case on the counter. Bring it please.”

  He quickly retrieved it and brought it back to her. “What’s going on?”

  “I pushed too hard,” she said, taking the case from him. “My blood sugar is probably low.”

  Not probably. Definitely. She only got this woozy, sick feeling when her levels dropped. She opened the case and pulled out the glucose meter.

  Kevin knelt on the floor next to her. He didn’t say anything, just watched her closely as she checked her blood. He didn’t look away, nor cringe at the sight of it. She’d commend him if she wasn’t feeling like she’d gone for a hundred twirls on a merry-go-round.

  The reading was abysmal. She should have taken her meter with her, but when he’d asked her to go, she’d been so excited about getting started and then had enjoyed his company so much common sense slipped.

  With a lifetime of practice, she took out the needle and prepared an insulin shot. The pressure of his hand didn’t go away while she worked. He looked worried and nervous. She felt bare and self-conscious as he watched her. She wasn’t embarrassed—juvenile diabetes was a part of her life she couldn’t hide—but he watched her so intently. With concern instead of the distaste Julio had shown. She needed space.