Page 22 of Caught off Guard

“You are such a good man.” She brushed her fingers across my lips, her gentle voice soothing my spirit like a salve.

Since it felt right, I kissed the tip of her nose.

“And you are a gentle soul worthy of all the goodness that is coming your way.”

“How do you know that?”

I pressed the pads of my fingers near her heart.

“Call it a sixth sense.”

The world stood still as Zora placed her hand over mine, pressing it on her chest. She closed her eyes, inhaling and exhaling before opening them again and nodding. In our silence, I desired her and looked forward to receiving fully whatever she wanted to give me.

“Since you’ve already seenthe library, I’ll show you the rest of my home.”

Zora’s tight smile made me wonder if she was embarrassed by her breakdown earlier. She remained by my side as I led her toward the rotunda. We stopped in the middle of the floor as beams of light shone on us and the speckled gray and black marble floor beneath our feet.

Zora tilted her head back, lifting her eyes to the seventy-foot high, hand-painted ceilings with subtle geometric designs covering it. I admired her profile, before following her eyes and pointing to where her gaze landed.

“Those are called Cairo pentagonal tiles,” I said.

“Yes…congruent convex pentagons. Their shapes are more irregular than traditional pentagons.”

I stared at Zora with my mouth slightly open. She looked at me casually as if she hadn’t just described those tiles like a genius.

“That’s quite specific knowledge.”

“I know that because I was a dual architectural engineering and mathematics major at North Carolina A&T. Geometry has always fascinated me.”

“Beautiful and smart? I think I’m in love.” I winked at her, pleased to watch her shoulders fidget as she blushed under my gaze.

“I was conceived in Cairo, and I learned about the city’s architecture when my parents took me to Egypt for my eighteenth birthday. It only made sense to bring a bit of that nostalgia to my home.”

“That’s a special gift. And unique like their owner.”

I smiled, Zora’s words warming my heart.

“Speaking of birthdays, when is yours?” she asked.

“New Year’s Day.”

Zora’s high cheekbones rose as she beamed, adding even more beauty to her glowing face.

“How symbolic. You’re a trailblazer down to the day that you were born. Your excellence is apparent in every way.” Zora waved her hands and smiled.

“Thank you. Castle Kinney is seventeen thousand square feet of sacred space. I love it here.”

Zora nodded.

“I can see why.”

I reached for her hand, which she gave with no resistance. I guided her beyond the rotunda into my commercial-size kitchen, which I had renovated for Cece when we first moved in. Zorawalked to the two large stainless-steel ovens and faced me with a surprised look on her attractive face.

“These are restaurant-quality appliances. Do you serve an army in your home?”

I joined Zora and traced the area she touched with my fingers.

“Cece loved to bake and spent more time here when she couldn’t leave the house. It was my pleasure to offer her whatever she needed to be happy.”

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