LITMIR.BIZ

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of black women now seated in her section.

      A bowl of peanuts sat on the middle of the table next to a vase of fake flowers. Ebony scooped up a handful and put some into her mouth. When she finished what was in her hand, she took some more. “These are good. I could eat the whole bowl!”

      “How can you be hungry after all that food we ate at the church? Where do you put it all?” he joked good-naturedly.

      “I didn’t eat anything at church,” she confessed, double-checking to ensure her napkin was clean. Ebony covered her lap, and then dusted the salt off her hands. When she lifted her head and found Xavier watching her, she asked him what was wrong. “What’s with the frown?”

      “Why didn’t you eat at church?”

      “Old Man Griffin was still hungry after he finished his plate, so I gave him mine.”

      Xavier raised a brow. It was the second time tonight Ebony had surprised him. First she had stayed behind to help him clean, and now this. He had watched her on and off during the night and whenever he glanced her way she looked like she wanted to bolt from her seat. Chester and Mariana were sloppy eaters, and he thought their poor table manners had robbed her of her appetite. But that hadn’t been it at all. Xavier was glad his assumptions were wrong. Thinking about dinner reminded him of something he wanted to say. He waited patiently for the waitress to serve Ebony her meal, and then for her to start eating, before he spoke. “I wanted to talk to you about Lydia’s—”

      “Who?”

      “The young girl who stormed out of the church.”

      “I didn’t even know her name.” Ebony knew what was coming next. Xavier was going to reprimand her for chasing the girl off. “I don’t even know what I did wrong. One minute I’m listening to Old Man Griffin talk about his accident at work and the next thing I know she’s yelling at me!”

      Xavier reached out and touched her hand.

      His warmth spread up her hand and to her heart. It was a dizzying sensation. Ebony stared down at his hands. His fingers were long and thin, his nails neatly trimmed. But it was the size of his hands that made the blood in her body rush to her most intimate parts. She bit down on her bottom lip to keep from blurting out what she was thinking.

      “I don’t know what she said to you, but don’t take it personal. Her mother has a heavy drug habit and she’s been arrested for prostitution too many times to count. She kicked Lydia out of the apartment shortly after her seventeenth birthday and she’s been hustling ever since. I’ve been trying to get her into a shelter, but she refuses to go.”

      When Xavier had been young and idealistic, he had thought he could change the world. He was going to make a difference. Touch lives. Bring change. Under his care, druggies would kick their addictions, dealers would see the errors of their ways and prostitutes would turn away from their corners and head to the church. But he soon realized there was little he could do if the person didn’t want to change. And the majority of the homeless people who came through the church doors night after night didn’t really want his help. These days Xavier concentrated on providing a place where they could have a hot meal. “Lydia’s tough-girl-I-don’t-need-anybody persona is a defense mechanism. It’s her way of coping with all the crap that’s going on around her. You represent everything she’s not but would love to be. That’s why she lashed out at you. Don’t take what she said to heart. They were the words of an angry girl who feels like she’s fighting against the world.”

      In the ensuing silence, Ebony gave more thought to what Xavier said. His words were comforting and made a lot of sense, but she couldn’t help feeling guilty. Maybe she had done something to provoke Lydia. Or maybe he was right. Maybe Lydia was a troubled teen trying to find her way. Xavier had given her something to think about.

      Ebony sipped her drink. “You’re very insightful, Mr. Reed.”

      He winked at her. “I get that all the time.”

      They laughed. Ebony looked out the window and marveled at the number of stars in the sky. It was a clear night, flanked by a light breeze. Somewhere between stargazing and finishing her meal, her mind wandered. She would have to go into the office early tomorrow. Piles of paperwork were stacked high on her desk and she had an afternoon meeting with a bank representative. Ebony had realized at a young age that education was key for enrichment, personal and professional growth and most importantly, independence. Starting Discreet Boutiques had been her passport to financial security and its success was a complement to her hard work and dedication. Success came at a price, and Ebony refused to let anything—not even sleep deprivation—stand in her way.

      “Who are you daydreaming about now?” Xavier asked, intruding on her private thoughts. He took a bite of his pie.

      “Not who, what. I was thinking about work.”

      “Do you always have work on the brain?”

      “Most of the time.”

      “What do you do for a living?” His right hand flew up before the question was off his lips. “Don’t answer that. Let me guess.” Cupping his chin and soothing his hand over his jaw, he narrowed his eyes on her face. Admiring her creamy-brown complexion and well-shaped lips wasn’t going to give him any clues, but he gawked anyway.

      Ebony’s heart skipped a beat. And then another one. She tasted her drink, and the rich liquid cooled her body’s fire. It wasn’t Xavier’s steady gaze that made her palms sweat; it was desire. It surged through her body like a hurricane through the state of Florida in the month of June.

      “You’re a career-minded woman, with great self-confidence,” Xavier began, “so I’d guess that you were a stockbroker, a state prosecutor or maybe even a CEO of a Fortune 500 company.”

      Ebony nodded appreciatively. “Not bad, Xavier. I’m not CEO of a billion-dollar company—yet, but I am co-owner of a popular lingerie boutique.”

      “I knew it!”

      “How’d you know?”

      “Power’s oozing from your pores.”

      “Am I that easy to read?”

      Xavier snapped his fingers. “Like the cover of a book.”

      Ebony liked the way his smile danced across his face. I wonder how the rest of his body moves. “Have you been involved in the program for a long time?” she asked, changing the subject before her lax tongue got her into trouble.

      “This is my fourth year as the program coordinator, but I’ve been going to Jubilee for years. The members have become part of my extended family. Pastor Henderson and his wife, Necee, are my second parents and their teenage sons are the brothers I never had. I don’t work too far from the church, so when I need a quiet place to work, I come by and use one of the upstairs offices.”

      “Where do you work? Oh no, let me guess,” she said, imitating him to a tee. Letting her eyes rove over his thick, juicy lips, she wondered if it was possible for him to look anything but delicious. I bet he’d even look good in a pair of neon pants, she thought, holding his gaze. “You’re a natural born leader, so I’d guess you work in Human Services. You’re a firefighter, a medic or maybe even a cop.” A picture of Xavier in a blue polyester uniform and handcuffs dangling from his hips flashed in her mind. Then a devilish grin rippled across her face. “Am I right?”

      “Not bad. But you’re wrong.” He chuckled heartily at the exaggerated look of shock on her face. Xavier finished his milkshake. “I’m the guidance counselor and home economics teacher at Christian Academy High. But—” he paused for effect “—when I was a little I used to play cops and robbers.”

      Xavier’s heart warmed at the sound of Ebony’s rich, throaty laugh. It was playful, sexy and flirtatious all in one. And he wanted to hear more of it.

      For the next forty-five minutes, conversation flowed smoothly between the pair. Flirtatious smiles, shrieks of laughter and amusing tales punctuated the meal. Ebony was

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