Chapter 10

Rielle had heard a vehicle approaching while she was unlocking her gate and looked up to see the SUV and she became a little nervous. St. Sebastian was like anywhere else in the world, even though it was paradise there were serpents here as well.

The crime rate was nowhere as high as some of the other islands but she was not interested in becoming any type of statistic and stayed in her car next to her gate as it went by. Her relief was short lived when the SUV stopped a few yards ahead of her and she saw a tall figure exit the vehicle which she identified as Jarrod Stewart’s.

The fact that she knew who he was didn’t help to alleviate her fear when she recognized K.C. Whitfield coming towards her in the headlights. His long legged gait brought him quickly to the side of her vehicle and he leaned down till she could see his face in the light of the streetlamp.

“Hi, are you all right?” he asked when she rolled down her window.

“Hi um yes, I was just getting ready to reverse in.” she replied keeping her voice low.

His cologne wafted into the interior of her jeep and defeated her attempt to ignore the heat in her belly and the throbbing between her legs that had just stopped only to have it start up again when she inhaled his citrusy scent.

He looked at her house with the light on above the front door, wide porch, and large yard bisected by a concrete drive leading to a dark car port.

“I’ll wait until you’re safely in your yard.” He told her easily and she nodded after a moment not wanting to appear ungrateful.

She had reversed into her yard a million times and only prayed that she could make it in one shot with his eyes on her and released a pent up breath when she did it. She grabbed her purse, got out of the vehicle and looked up at the light in the ceiling of the carport that was on a timer but for some reason had not come on before she walked over to where K.C. Whitfield stood in the combined street and moonlight with a hand shoved in his pocket.

“Is something wrong?” he asked seeing Rielle’s furrowed brow.

“It’s nothing; I just have a little maintenance to do tomorrow.” She replied with a smile that faltered when he didn’t return it.

His face was cast in interesting shadows and her heart thudding in her chest as she caught the smell of his cologne. There was something about the way this man smelled that turned her on.

“I hope that doesn’t mean you will be up on a ladder tomorrow when you have someone willing to do that for you.” He said walking with her onto the porch and holding the screen door open for her.

Rielle stopped to look up at him before she fished her keys out of her bag and glanced at his outstretched hand.

“Your concern is noted but unwarranted I’m used to doing things for myself. Correct me if I’m wrong but this wasn’t a date.” She said looking up at him before putting her key in the lock and turning it.

He smiled at this show of independence as he dropped his hand.

“That’s true and I’d like to remedy that. Can I take you out to lunch maybe tomorrow night or Sunday?” he asked smoothly and she turned to meet his intent gaze.

She was flattered by his attention, any woman would be but he was way out of her league. Even though she had been in relationships this was not in her realm of experience and she knew it.

“Mr. Whitfield, that wasn’t my coy way of getting you to ask me out. I don’t think that would be very wise.” She began and stopped as an index finger hovered against her lips and she inhaled his masculine scent catching notes of lemon and cedar.

“I’m thirty-one, single and an architect. I live in Denver not far from my parents who have been happily married for thirty-five years. I’ve done a lot of travelling but I enjoy sitting at home watching Top Chef and then trying to cook what I’ve seen. I’m not a bad guy and I would like to spend some time with you, if you would allow me the pleasure of your company.” He told her softly and saw her eyelids lower over her expressive eyes.

Rielle found herself smiling as he told her about himself because she also liked watching the reality show and she wondered what else he liked to do. She must have come off as really inexperienced because he was trying really hard to make her feel comfortable in his presence and it was working to some extent but she wasn’t stupid.

Interracial dating was becoming more prevalent and even though she was a product of such a relationship she knew some people were not motivated by genuine emotion.

She had gotten a lot of male attention in college but had stayed faithful to her high school boyfriend until she had returned home at Christmas and they had broken up. In her sophmore year she had dated a little and had ended up dating a guy in her chemistry class from the previous year who had always been nice to her.

It had taken him three months to get her into bed and that single experience had never been repeated because unfortunately they'd had no chemistry in bed. They realized they had gotten into a comfortable rut which did not make for a satisfying relationship. Sex had just put a glaring spotlight on that fact. Now of course she knew better and if she'd had any fear that she might be frigid meeting  K.C. eased those fears, while raising others. 

“Can I ask you a question?” Rielle finally said turning to face him squarely and she had to give him credit for keeping his eyes from dropping to her cleavage.

“Are you about to ask me if I’ve dated a woman of color before?  The answer would be yes I have. I’m not just asking you out as an experiment, I’ve never dated a woman for any other reason than because we shared an attraction.  A woman’s color has never factored into the equation.” K.C. told her staring down at her intently with those beautiful blue eyes and she believed him.