“I’m right here.” I was going to say something else about how I was happy to be his friend, but I left it at that. Because I was here. I could rein it in, I could be respectful, but if he wanted more...

I was here.

He moved his body closer, his feet planted on the floor, but his torso swaying in my direction and I didn’t move, too turned-on and overwhelmed by the feel of him. I stood there, barely breathing and hoping he lost it first, my heart pounding in my ears.

I could almost taste him again, but when I tipped my head up, hoping for a kiss, he closed his eyes and stepped back instead.

“I’m going to head out.” He smiled, friendly, but the moment was over. “Thanks again for dinner.”

Point taken.

I walked him out of my apartment and watched as he took the stairs. I weakly reminded myself that friendship was better than nothing. I could at least build something with him, but I was not going to lie to myself. What I wanted was Patrice Denis in my bed, and I was certain that’s what he wanted too.

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Patrice

“What is this? A college professor wearing sweats and basketball shoes. How was your night with Juan Pablo and Camilo?” my mother said, giving me her usual commentary on my clothes with a grin as I stepped into her house. I’d been home for a couple of days but had barely had a chance to see her.

I bypassed her comment about my clothing and distracted her by giving her a tight hug and a double kiss hello.

“Sa’k Pase, Manman?” I kissed both her cheeks and went into my mother’s picture-perfect living room.

She gave a knowing look as she went in for another hug. “I’m good, but I was talking about your clothes.”

I pointed at the couch, grinning. “Is this new?” I asked as she went into the kitchen. She’d moved out of the Bronx to Mt. Vernon a few years ago when she got married, after she and my stepdad bought a house. She had such a different life now than the one we’d started out with in this country. But I worried sometimes the need to make sure she had financial security didn’t let her enjoy what she’d achieved. I also knew she had never quite gotten over some of the stresses of those first few years. At least she’d been working on some of it. In the past year she’d started seeing a therapist to sort out some of her anxiety about her business, and she did seem more relaxed.