Free All I Want... Is You by Shakir Rashaan, Curtis Alexander Hamilton Page A

back into her light grey eyes with conviction, Whether I want it or not, the timing’s all wrong. There will be another time, Lexi. You know that already .
    I was taking a chance by turning her down; women can be worse than men when it comes to rejection sometimes, and I still wanted to keep our professional relationship intact. She was one of the best in the business, and being on her good side was always good for business.
    Her eyes widened for a moment, and then a knowing wink and another warm smile spread across her lips.
    I guess I didn’t upset her too much after all.
    “I hope she’s worth it, D.” she said as she kissed my lips a final time before she took Lita’s hand and disappeared around the front of my truck. “But if she isn’t, you know where to find me. Oh, and in case you were wondering, Lita’s game, too.”
    I slowly banged my head against the glass window on the side of my truck, trying hard to calm down the revolt that my body was waging against my mind right then.
    Yeah, I hope she is, too.
     
     
    I had Cori meet me at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in downtown.
    I was in the mood for steak, and I remembered that Cori had a weakness for lobster and crab, so it felt like a good spot to do a lunch date.
    Considering where I came from in Alpharetta, I knew she would beat me to the restaurant and already be at a table by the time I got there. I did that on purpose because I wanted to see what she was wearing while she was seated.
    It sounds a little petty, but I wanted to get a peek at those pretty legs again, and on my terms this time. Call me a bit of a control freak, but it’s the man in me.
    “I’m sorry if I kept you waiting too long.” I said to Cori as I kissed her on the cheek before sitting down at the table. “The shoot that I told you about was in North Fulton at the B&B estate.”
    “That’s fine, D, I was just getting something to drink, so you’re not too late.” Cori let me off the hook as she winked at me. “Maybe I should order something really tasty and expensive to make you pay for making me wait an extra ten minutes on you.”
    “Oh, now you’re just being mean.” I teased back, enjoying the banter between us. More importantly, I was enjoying the smoothness of the exchanges between us, as if there was nothing in the way of things taking their natural course. Not her pending record deal, not my international fame as a photographer.
    It was… nice.
    “So, are you ready for the questions in my mind?” Cori asked me, this cute little inquisitive look in her eyes that made me want to tell her anything.
    “What do you want to know? I’m 26, born and raised in the A, anything else you will have to ask me.” I replied. “And I do mean anything.”
    I observed her as the wheels began turning in her head after I made the clarification. The minute that she realized that I was serious a devilish smile began to spread.
    For a minute there, I was actually worried about how far she would carry the questions or how deeply she would try to trek.
    “The answer to your question is yes, it is true.” I smirked, thinking I had her off guard.
    “How did you know if I would ask that? I could have been thinking about anything.” Cori answered, but she was definitely blushing as she replied.
    Yeah, I had her off guard.
    “No, I didn’t know anything, I’m just guessing here, Cori,” I admitted to her, trying to calm her a little. “So, what’s really on your mind, Cori?”
    I took her hand and stared into her eyes for effect, and I could feel her hands trembling the minute our eyes locked. I knew the effect my eyes had on the women I was interested in, and they didn’t fail me this time. Cori exhaled slowly, as if trying to regain some sort of balance and control, and she subconsciously licked her lips before I snapped her back from whatever world she was traveling to.
    “Cori?”
    “Mmmhhmmmm?”
    “The question you were gonna ask me?”
    Cori shook out of her trance,