Page 108 of One Good Reason
So no, I’ve never felt like I was deserving of anything. Not even the Superman that’s swooped in and tried to change my skewed view.”
Reaching across the table, I grabbed her hand. “You’re deserving of everything you’re receiving nowandthe things you will receive in the future. You’ve spent your whole life taking care of other people, Talitha. Let me take care of you.”
“I don’t need saving, Law,” she reiterated for the umpteenth time.
“I’m not trying to save you. I’m trying to help you get over your fears.”
“I don’t even know what all of my fears are.”
“Then how about we start there. Figure out the things that’s hindering you from growing into your full potential. Once you’ve gotten that figured out, the rest is easy.”
“Nothing about life is ever easy, Harvey.”
“It is if you make it easy, Howard. You’ve gotta commit to doing the work.”
She sighed before perking up and changing the subject. “Back to this steak. Are you going to give me a piece?”
“We discovered months ago that you don’t eat medium rare steak.”
“I’ll eat whatever you feed me.”
“I’ll feed you this dick. How about that?”
“God, you are awful,” she complained and tossed her napkin across the table at me. “I can’t wait to tell Gema how bad your mouth has gotten in her absence.”
The more I stared at Talitha, the more I realized I was towing a fine line between insanity and love. After the first time we had sex unprotected, I made sure to sheath myself. The last three times however, I had purposely gone in bare. I wanted to feel her, the real her without any type of barrier between us.
This woman had reiterated on multiple occasions that falling in love wasn’t in the cards for her. Hell, we equally agreed on it before we ever crossed a line. The more I’m around her, the more her layers are starting to peel back, the more my heart beats for her. I promised myself after Dahlia I wouldn’t allow myself to get caught up in that manner again. Talitha was like a breath of air. When I looked at her, I wasn’t trying to picture Adele’s qualities in her. Hell, if anything I was grateful that she was everything Adele wasn’t. If I wasn’t careful, I was going to end up in love with a woman who was incapable of loving me back.
CHAPTER 26
Talitha
“Harvey, I’m almost insulted. You came to my city and didn’t notify me?” a sultry voice cooed from the side of me. Turning my head slightly, I stared at the fair-skinned, older woman.
“Adele.” Law pushed back from the table and stood. Tossing his napkin on the table, he wrapped his arms around her and whispered something into her ear. Whatever he said made her giggle and pinch him in the side. “My apologies.” He pulled back but didn’t remove his eyes from her. “It was spur of the moment.”
“Bullshit Harvey.” She giggled. “Are you trying to hide this beauty from me?”
“Adele, this is Talitha. Talitha, meet my oldest friend, Adele.”
“Pleasure to meet you darling.” She held her hand out.
“You as well.” I smiled and grabbed her hand.
“Adele, Talitha is the one I was telling you about, with the technical college.”
“Oh, your business partner?” She smiled.
Tossing his eyes in my direction, Law bit his bottom lip before confirming, “That amongst other things.”
“I see,” Adele hummed and looked me up and down. “Harvey, before you leave the city, call me so we can chat. I’ll get you get back to yourbusinessdinner.”
Was this old bitch being shady?Something about the way she looked me up and down wasn’t sitting right in my flesh. I could have been overreacting. In New York, I’d met a few of Law’s friends and I was wrecking my brain trying to remember if he’d ever mentioned her.
The two of them stood there having a hushed conversation and clearly something he said pissed her off because she slanted her eyes at him and stormed off.
“I’m sorry about that,” he apologized when he sat back down.
