didn’t want to bet. In fact, she didn’t want to talk about it anymore. Glancing around she caught the waiter’s attention and motioned for their check. She and Michelle made it a point to dine out together most Wednesday nights. And occasionally on Wednesdays they would join their parents and grandparents at church for dinner prior to the start of prayer meeting.
Later, as she drove toward home, Dominique smiled as she wondered if Jordan had taken a cold shower as she had suggested.
***
“Please tell me you’re kidding, man. Tell me Judge Kincaid is not your mystery lady.”
Jordan leaned back in his chair and looked across the room at Royce, who was apparently in shock over the news he had just delivered. He smiled and sipped his beer, deciding not to answer his friend’s question just yet. He felt refreshed after taking a cold shower. Refreshed and in a good mood.
“Jordan?”
Jordan tipped his beer to Royce and smiled. “You heard me right. The Honorable D. Kincaid is the same woman who’s been making me hot and bothered for the past two weeks.”
“Damn. And you’re going to pursue her?”
Jordan raised his eyes to the ceiling. “Royce, I’ve been pursuing her ever since I first saw her.”
“But that was before you knew she was a judge, man.”
“So what does that have to do with anything?”
“Need I remind you that after your divorce from Paula, you swore you would never get involved with another woman with a career in law?”
Jordan blinked at him, remembering. “Umm, I did say that, didn’t I?”
“Yes, in fact you were pretty damn adamant about it.”
Jordan nodded. Yes, he had been. “What I said was that I would never marry a woman who has a career in law again. There’s no way this thing with Dominique will ever get that serious.”
“It won’t?”
“No. What I’m dealing with here is a unique case of lust.She has everything I like on a woman; big hips, big breasts, big legs and it’s obvious that she’s also big on intelligence. I’m really hot for her, man.”
“So what you want from her is a short-term meaningless affair?”
Jordan frowned. The way Royce said it made his intentions sound dishonorable. “I want the same thing you want from the women you date.”
“Sex. A good time. And more sex?”
Jordan shook his head. He’d always enjoyed sex like any other man, but Royce considered it a national pastime, right up there with baseball and apple pie. “Well, yeah, but I prefer staying with the same woman a lot longer than you do, Royce. I’d rather not change women as often as I change my shirts.”
Royce smiled. “If you stay with the same woman too long they start to get clingy, just like those shirts will get if you don’t throw a Bounty in the dryer with them. Then you’ll have one hell of a mess on your hands.”
Jordan took another sip of his beer and then met Royce’s gaze. “Does Judge Kincaid look like the clingy type?”
Royce thought on Jordan’s question for a minute and then said, “No.” Seconds later he added, “But any woman can turn into the clingy type, Jordan.”
Jordan shrugged. “Then it’s up to me to be honest and up-front so she’ll know what to expect. All I want from her is something solid and exclusive.”
“Solid and exclusive?”
“Yes. Solid enough to know that we understand what we want out of the relationship, and exclusive to the point that while the two of us are dating, we won’t be seeing other people.”
“For how long?”
“Until either of us feel it’s time to move on.”
Royce nodded. “Those conditions seem fair.”
Jordan leaned back in his chair and took another sip of beer. He hoped Dominique thought they seemed fair as well.
Six
J ordan’s gaze fastened on the woman who was slowly walking toward him. Throughout the night he had thought about her, thinking about the kiss they had shared and anticipating when he would see her again.
As he continued to look at her, he
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