Guarding His Heart

Chapter 2

“Come on, Kevin, tell me. Are you retiring?”

Kevin chuckled and took a sip of the red wine in his hand. He leaned against the balcony of photographer Rafael Sim’s penthouse overlooking uptown Manhattan. He stretched out his hands reflexively. The nearly constant ache didn’t subside. Pretty soon he wouldn’t be able to ignore it. He put down the glass of wine and looked up from his failing hands.

“Rafael, when the decision is made, I’ll let you know.”

“You really think you have one more season left in you?” Rafael asked. There was no judgment in his voice. If anything, there was a hint of admiration in his friend’s tone.

A month ago, Kevin would have lived up to that admiration.

“I’m not quite ready to be put out to pasture,” Kevin said. Carefully, he picked up the wineglass and took another sip. He didn’t admit defeat easily and he wasn’t ready to give up his place in the league.

“Well, you know retiring will free up your time to pursue other things,” Rafael said. His curly dark hair was cut in a fashionable style that would have looked ridiculous on any other guy, but Rafael was able to pull it off, along with his white pants, flowered button-up shirt and dark-rimmed glasses. That was Rafael, fashionable to the core.

“Things like what?”

Rafael shrugged and leaned his forearms on the balcony next to Kevin. “Things like sponsoring the art exhibit of your good friend.”

Kevin laughed at the blatant request. He’d met Rafael several years ago during New York Fashion Week. That was right after Kevin’s divorce, when he’d chosen to bury his heartbreak in the arms of a supermodel he’d met. She’d dragged him to a fashion show and instead of being bored out of his mind, he’d ended up sitting next to Rafael, talking about art. Kevin had agreed to sponsor Rafael’s next exhibit and they’d been friends ever since.

“You know I got you,” Kevin said. “What are you showcasing this time?”

“Chronicling life in my hometown in Texas. The place once thrived... Now the jobs are gone and it’s dying out. My family is still there, and they’re trying to hold on like everyone else.” Rafael’s voice was bittersweet. “The loss of jobs is sad, but the hope of the people still shines, ya know?”

“I know.” Kevin’s own hometown in South Carolina had gone through the same thing. Loss of industry, people moving out and a stunted tax base had nearly killed the place his mom and grandmother still called home. He’d done what he could to help bring business back and the place was finally making a comeback. “I think that’s a good idea. Maybe it’ll help shine some light on your hometown.”

Rafael nodded. “That’s what I’m hoping for.”

The sound of conversation inside the penthouse increased. Kevin straightened and glanced toward the door. “Sounds like we’re missing your party,” he teased. There were other people on the balcony, too. Music played from the speakers and conversation and laughter flowed, but it definitely sounded like something had excited the people inside.

“I know,” Rafael straightened and walked toward the balcony doors. “Let’s go see what’s going on.”

Kevin followed. He glanced through the glass at the people still inside. He spotted a pair of beautiful brown eyes and a flash of blue-tipped hair. A slow smile spread over his face while pleasant surprise and the thrill of a chase played a pickup game in his chest. “Jasmine Hook.”

Rafael nodded and grinned. “She made it.”

Kevin glanced at Rafael. “You know her?” Obviously, if she was here. He wanted to know how Rafael knew the woman he’d thought of repeatedly since the shoot earlier that day.

“We worked a couple of shoots together. How do you know her?” Rafael threw Kevin a curious look.

“She photographed me this morning.”

Rafael’s eyes widened. He ran his hand through the curly bangs that had fallen over his eyes. “No shit. She saw you naked.” He didn’t say anything else, but his tone begged Kevin to spill some dirt.

“She did, but she wasn’t impressed.”

Rafael flicked his wrist. “I should have known. Jasmine isn’t easily impressed. She dated Julio for a while and they broke up about two years ago. After that, she hasn’t gone out much. I was hoping you and your raw animal magnetism would have broken her dry spell.”

Kevin seemed to recall that Julio was Rafael’s cousin. He wasn’t in fashion but he was a popular DJ in the New York club circuit. “What happened with her and Julio?”

He had expected his animal magnetism to have gotten Jasmine to at least agree to see him again. He didn’t typically strike out when it came to women. He wasn’t arrogant, but he also knew some women were easily drawn to a professional athlete. A lesson he’d learned the hard and fast way early in his career.

“He got back with his kid’s mom. They’re married now.”

“He broke her heart?” That would explain why she’d backed off. Broken hearts made getting back out there difficult. He knew; he’d been on both ends of that particular ailment.

“Doubtful,” Rafael said. “She seemed okay afterward. None of the usual dramatics, and she’s still okay with me.” Rafael shrugged as if that explained everything.

“Why wouldn’t she be okay with you?” He didn’t bother to ask what the usual dramatics were. Rafael was a bit of a drama king himself. Last year, Kevin witnessed one of Rafael’s post-breakup meltdowns. That had not been pretty.

“I hooked them up,” Rafael explained. He pulled open the door and stepped inside. “Come with me to greet her,” he said over his shoulder.

Kevin followed Rafael over to Jasmine. She looked even better hours later. She seemed chill and relaxed as she greeted Rafael’s other guests. Her smile was easy and her laughter infectious. She still wore the black boots from earlier with a different pair of jeans, torn this time, and a gray tank with MTWTFSS on the front. Days of the week, the WTF in the middle in bold. Kevin smiled at the hidden question.

Rafael strolled right up to Jasmine and encased her in a huge bear hug. Jasmine laughed and hugged him right back. The two were obviously friends. Whatever ill will she had toward Rafael’s cousin had not spilled over and ruined their relationship.

She glanced at Kevin over Rafael’s shoulder. Surprise flashed across her features. He didn’t know what divine intervention put her at the same house party as him, but he was thankful for it. He acknowledged her with a nod of his head. She blessed him with one of her killer smiles before she pulled back and looked at Rafael.

“I hear you got a good look at Kevin’s goodies,” Rafael teased.

Jasmine’s answering chuckle made various parts of Kevin’s body tighten. “He did well. Not a trace of shame or embarrassment in the middle of a room full of strangers.” Her brown eyes met his. The light hit them, adding a golden hint to their brown depths. He wanted to step closer to gauge their hidden secrets. “I didn’t expect to see you here,” she said to Kevin.

Rafael answered before Kevin. “He’s a good friend of mine. Even more so today because he agreed to sponsor my next exhibit.” A woman across the room called Rafael’s name. He turned toward her and nodded. “Well, since you two know each other, I’ll go see what Livie wants.” He waved his hands at her and Kevin as if they should keep talking and left them.

Jasmine turned the full impact of her sexy smile Kevin’s way. The dull ache in his hands was easily forgotten when she smiled at him that way. Everything was forgotten except thoughts of what he might need to do to see that smile more often.

“So, exhibit sponsor, huh?” she said with a raised brow. “Maybe I should call you.”

“I like Rafael’s work. I haven’t seen yours.” He actually had and knew it was good. The pictures they’d gone over after the shoot were impressive. He knew the “Bodies in Motion” issue wasn’t just about gratuitous naked athletes, but she’d done a great job of capturing his athleticism as he’d run, jumped and dunked the basketball in the studio. She was talented, but he liked teasing her.

“You’re an art critic now?” She brushed her long, blue-tipped bangs out of her eyes and met his gaze through thick lashes. The silver bangles on her slim wrist slid down her arm almost to her elbow.

He pursed his lips and nodded to try to look serious. “Oh yes. I’m very selective. My opinion is highly sought after by those in the know.”

Full lips twitched and her eyes brightened with laughter. “Hmm. I’ll have to keep that in mind. I can’t have you criticizing my photos of you.”

“Yours will be judged extra hard.”

He placed his hand near her lower back but didn’t touch and nodded his head in the direction of the bar on the left side of Rafael’s spacious living room. There wasn’t a bartender and Rafael’s guests could mix their own drinks. Jasmine let him lead the way. He was pretty sure let was the right word. He doubted she would ever let anyone direct her if she didn’t want them to.

“And why will mine be judged harder than the others?”

“Because they’re pictures of me,” he said. “I never like my pictures.”

She laughed as if that were ludicrous and he grinned, drawn in by the music of her voice. It was true, though. He didn’t like pictures of himself. He knew women found him attractive, but he wasn’t classically handsome. He’d filled in his tall lanky frame with muscles and covered his upper body in art, but that didn’t make up for his prominent brow and not-perfectly symmetrical features. He hadn’t been popular with the ladies until he’d excelled at basketball and ultimately gone professional.

“What I saw though my camera says you have nothing to be ashamed of.” She reached for the bottle of red wine and poured herself a drink.

“Oh, so you did like what you saw?”

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, the hint of a smile on her lips. “That’s just my professional opinion, you understand. Purely an academic observation.”

His answering chuckle eased him deeper into her spell. She was cool. Funny and lively in a way that immediately made him want to relax and get to know her better. “Okay, academic.” He took her free hand in his, pretended he didn’t feel the spark that came from her skin against his and turned her hand over. “Then why can I still see my number on your wrist?”

She sucked in a breath as if the spark had hit her, too, but shrugged easily. “I have no idea. You must have used some super permanent ink when you wrote it down.”

He’d used a regular pen. She hadn’t washed it away. Which meant she’d at least considered calling him. Which meant he had a chance. “You know, I think I did.” He rubbed his thumb over the soft skin where his number still resided.

Her body shivered and her eyes darkened. With hunger? Awareness? Maybe desire? He wasn’t sure which but hoped for all three. She slipped her arm back. “I’ll scrub it off later.”

“After you write my number down so you can call me.” He eased closer.

She smelled delicious. Sweet and decadent like fruit and chocolate. Was that perfume or just her? One way to find out was to hold her naked. Learn all her curves and cravings. Follow the trail across her neck and breasts to discover each and every hidden secret she had.

His heart beat an intoxicating rhythm in his chest. The anticipation coursing through him slowly rose as if he were about to go on an expedition, and Jasmine was the ultimate experience.

“Who says I’m going to call you?” There was no heat in her voice, just a trace of flirtation.

Kevin’s grin widened. Oh hell yes. He definitely had a shot. “Who says you aren’t?”

She sipped her wine, licking her lips after pulling the glass away, and hit him with a look that was both flirty and don’t-get-ahead-of-yourself. She was interested but maybe still weighing her options. Cool, he didn’t have a problem with a woman who took her time to make a decision. If she had standards he needed to meet, then he would do whatever he needed in order to meet them.

Rafael clapped and got everyone’s attention before Jasmine could reply. Reluctantly, Kevin gave him his attention, too.

“Okay, folks, you know what time it is?” Rafael asked.

A collective, half-hearted groan combined with muffled laughter in the room. Kevin looked at Jasmine, who rolled her eyes and chuckled. She said at the same time as him and everyone else in the room: “Game time.”

Rafael loved playing games when he got people together. “You got that right,” he said cheerfully. “We’ll start with Cards Against Humanity.”

Jasmine raised her wineglass in a salute. “I love that game.”

Kevin tapped his chest. “Me, too.”

“We’re such horrible people.” She bit her lower lip and they both laughed.

Damn, he really liked her. The game’s tagline did say it was the card game for terrible people. Mostly because some of the questions and answers in the cards were so outrageous he wouldn’t dare play it around his mother or grandmother.

They joined the rest of Rafael’s guests who agreed to play. Jasmine had a sense of humor that matched his own.

After the card game, Rafael decided they’d all play Two Truths and a Lie. Each person told three stories and the rest of the room had to guess which story was the lie. Learning that Jasmine had skinny-dipped in her gym back in high school only added to the wild mystery of her.

After the games concluded, the crowd was even more relaxed and talkative. He and Jasmine stuck together as they mingled with Rafael’s mixture of artistic friends. They eventually broke away into their own conversations about art, music and movies before ending up in a corner on the balcony.

“I still can’t believe you’ve never seen The Princess Bride,” Jasmine said, shaking her head as if he were an enigma.

“Why would I ever see that movie?” he asked, unable to control his humor at her audacity.

“Because it’s a freaking classic, that’s why.” She slapped his chest. The low light of the balcony played on the muscles in her arms as she moved. He had discovered a tattoo. A small heart on the front of her shoulder that occasionally peaked out from the strap of her tank top in her enthusiasm.

He slid closer to her and ran his hand over the smooth stone of the balcony railing until his fingertips brushed hers. “The Blues Brothers is a classic. A princess movie is not.”

“You’re such a guy,” she said with mock disgust. She brushed her bangs away. “You could learn a lot about romance by watching a princess movie.” She took a sip from a bottle of water. His gaze dropped to her neck. So sleek and sexy. Even her shoulders were hot. Everything about her had his body on edge.

He slipped his hand over hers. The air thickened with the heat vibrating between them. “I know plenty about romance.”

She sucked in a breath and licked her lips. “What did The Blues Brothers teach you about romance?”

He tilted his head to the side and leaned in close to her. “Right now, the only thing I can think of is having a mission from God.”

She rolled her eyes but continued smiling. “What mission is that?”

He didn’t know if she recognized the quote from the movie or not, but right now, he felt like heaven was telling him to kiss this woman. “To do this.”

He covered her mouth with his.

Chapter 3

His kiss was soft and gentle. But the power of his body was a constant vibration of energy beneath his skin. The promise of a passionate explosion simmered in the easy touch.

It was a player’s kiss. Sexy and teasing enough to make her want to lean in for more. The kind of kiss that brought fantasies of his lips caressing other parts of her body. He didn’t grope her or jerk her up against his body. Only his lips touched hers, and that made her yearn more than she had when she’d tried giving up coffee and potato chips cold turkey two years ago.

Then, as if he knew she was a second away from latching onto him the way she had the coffee and the bag of kettle-cooked salt and vinegar chips her sister brought to convince her to give up the madness, he eased back. Her eyelids were like weights as she slowly lifted them to meet his eyes.

The corner of his mouth was lifted cockily. His eyes held the intense focus of a hunter closing in on prey. Excitement and possession swirled in their depths. If she let herself, she’d agree to the affair he offered with just a look.

Except she had goals. Professional and personal ones. Her own exhibit. No relationship drama. No more getting caught up in the lies of a promised forever.

“What are you thinking about?” His voice was silky and mellow. Her thighs clenched with need.

Your exhibit. Remember your exhibit.

“Cabins,” she said.

He blinked several times. “Cabins?” He ran a hand over his lower lip. “Why are you thinking about cabins?”

Probably not the best lead-in after a fantastic kiss, but he needed to be brought down a notch or two. Kevin had thrown out the bait with that sexy-as-hell-but-not-quite-enough kiss, and she’d bitten. She could tell he was ready to lure her in, and oh, she wanted to be lured. Really, really wanted to be, but her life was about goals, not getting off.

“My next project. I want to document cabins.”

Kevin’s brow cocked. He still smiled but there was a definite dimming of the spark in his eye.

“I’m trying to focus on my next project,” she said. “You would distract me from that.”

“Ahh, now I get it.” He took half a step back. Just out of her reach. She ran her hands over her pant legs to stop herself from reaching out.

He leaned an elbow on the balcony. Nailed her with his full attention. “Tell me about your project.”

He couldn’t be serious? Could he? She hadn’t said that to make him run, but she hadn’t expected him to ask for more information. “Why?”

“Obviously, your project is important enough to distract you from what I thought was a damn good kiss.” He raised a brow in question.

She nodded, willing to concede to the truth. “The kiss was very good.”

“Yet you thought of cabins. I want to know about the project.”

“Seriously?” She’d expected some sly comment about him not being a distraction, or that they could just have a little fun before she moved on. Instead he’d asked for more information. Kevin was making it hard for her to not leave New York with a bang.

He waved a hand for her to continue. “Seriously. I’d like to get to know you.”

Jasmine eyed him and tried to tell if he was full of crap. He watched her expectantly. Eyes focused. The seductive up-tilt of his mouth was still there. Still tempting.

Fine. If he wanted to know, she’d tell him. If he thought her idea was dumb, then she’d save a lot of time trying to figure out if he was worth her serious consideration and move on quickly. If he liked the idea...maybe leaving New York with a bang, literally, wasn’t such a bad idea.

She took a deep breath. When she’d announced her plans to a few people in the fashion industry, they’d looked at her as if she’d announced she was packing up and moving to Alaska to become a pioneer woman. Maybe she was taking a drastic step, but she wanted to do something worthwhile. She didn’t care what they thought, but the idea of Kevin looking at her like that? Well, that made her stomach churn a little.

“Okay, so I was visiting relatives in Georgia last year,” she said in a rush before changing her mind. “When I was there, my uncle had a bonfire out in the field next to the house. They used to grow corn there I think, but anyway, there was this old cabin along the edge of the field. When I asked, he said it was the first house his great-great-grandfather built during the Reconstruction. He’d purchased the small bit of land, farmed it, fought the Klan on it and ultimately survived.”

“Damn. That’s cool as hell.” Excitement and interest infused Kevin’s voice.

“I know, right?” Her own excitement was piqued by his. She’d been thrilled to learn more about her mother’s family. She’d lost her mom when she was so young. Her dad remarried and she’d rarely spent time with her mother’s family. After her father later divorced and her stepmother completely disappeared out of her life, Jasmine had reached out to her mother’s family.

“So I took pictures of the place. Started a scrapbook with the family history I got from my uncle. I sent a copy to him. Then the rest of my family asked for copies. It gave me an idea to capture more old cabins and homes owned by black people. Capture where they lived and highlight their history with what I can track down. Kinda chronicling the everyday life of the regular people trying to make their way in a world that didn’t want them to find a way.”

“That’s what’s up.” Kevin nodded and sounded impressed. “Where are you starting?”

His response fueled her excitement even more. She’d gotten such a lackluster response from some of her colleagues. Kevin got what she was trying to do. That meant others had to get it, too.

“I’m going back to Georgia. I’ve been in contact with a historian who’s working to save slave cabins. I’m setting up a meeting with him to get an idea of where to go next.”

“What will you do after you finish?” All of the flirtation was gone, replaced by a genuine interest in her project.

“I have an agreement with Jordan and Jones to publish my findings.” That was the first time she’d said that out loud. Her disbelief at the leeway the publishing house was giving her seeped into her voice. “Angelero Gallery gave me the okay to exhibit my pictures once I’m done to build up interest before the book’s release date.”

“Wow. You’ve got everything lined up.”

She did, yet nerves still turned her stomach into a jumbled mess. She had the book deal because of her borrowed status photographing celebrities. The agreement from the gallery was for the same reasons—that and she was friends with the owner. That didn’t mean people would like the photos or get what she was trying to convey.

She kept having a recurring nightmare of people only seeing old, dilapidated houses instead of the stories of the people who lived there. What those families overcame. She’d be laughed out of the gallery and her book would flop harder than a deflated basketball.

“I’m excited about the project,” she said brightly, instead of letting him hear her insecurities.

“It’s cool you have a plan and know what you want. Seriously, not everyone has that.”

Something in his voice made her think he didn’t refer to people in general, but instead to himself. “What are you doing during the off-season? Do you relax or are you itching for the new season to start?”

He looked down at his hands and stretched them out. A frown pulled on his lips. “Actually, I’m trying to figure out my next steps.”

Next steps? From the little she knew of basketball, he was still considered an elite player in the league. “What do you mean?”

“Retirement or not.” He looked up at her.

“Retirement? You can’t be serious. You just won a championship. You’re the cover model for the Sports Fitness ‘Bodies in Motion’ issue. That only goes to top athletes. Why would you retire?” Okay, so maybe she’d researched him a little after today’s shoot.

“I’m thirty-six. Might as well go out while I’m still on top.” He shrugged as if the answer was an obvious one.

Except the look in his eye didn’t match his voice. His tone reminded her of someone forcing themselves to make a decision they were still unsure about. “What will you do if you retire?”

He shrugged. “That’s the thing. I’ve got a few business interests. I could explore more of those options. It’s just...”

“They’re not basketball.”

He studied his hands again. “Basketball has been my life since I was eighteen. I was drafted right in the middle of my first year of college and I haven’t thought about doing anything else since. Could I really be happy in a suit, sitting behind a desk at a corporation?”

She couldn’t see him in corporate America. Not because of the tattoos or pierced ears; the art could be hidden beneath business suits and the earrings could come out. She couldn’t see it because Kevin had this layer of wildness and excitement about him. No matter the environment, that dangerous air and flair to live outside the boundaries expected of him would always show.