Yeah. I looked how I felt.
Dead.
While he continued laughing, I looked around the park, hoping that no one was watching this weird experience. My body stiffened seeing two guards. They weren’t the least bit hidden and stood about thirty feet away boldly glaring at me. I sobered up quickly thinking about what I wanted to do next.
Did Pacino send these men after me?
Was it Miguel?
Before I lost my shit and pulled my gun, I turned back to my now calm bench mate. “Who are you?” He must’ve heard the startle in my voice.
Clearing his throat, my bench mate extended his cinnamon arm with manicured groomed nails my way. “My apologies. My name is Beauregard Humphrey but please call me Beau.”
“Why are you following me, Beau?”
He shrugged, peering down at his unopened bottle that I just took note of. It was the same brand and flavor as mine. “You looked like you needed a friend. Someone to listen to. I’m a stranger. Unbiased. I saw you heading over here, and I wanted to make sure that you were safe. It’s never okay for a woman, a beautiful black woman, to be out by herself drinking. I didn’t want you to become a victim of some sick pricks' vicious crimes so I’m going to sit and watch while you do what you do.”
Now that made me really laugh. I channeled his crying spell of laughter until tears, happy tears, made friends with my dried-up sad tears. If only he knew who he was sitting next to.
“Beau, I’m Krishna. Funny to be stalked by you.” I held my hand out and ignored the shiver coursing through my body once he shook my hand.
“Krishna. Unique name. oh, and the guards come with the job.” He finally gave me ease with that answer.
“Politics?” This time I really took him in, and I saw it. Probably some politician. He had the face for it and the body. I loved his salt and pepper trimmed beard and low cut. He looked young despite the color of his hair. I’d say mid to late forties.
Beau was a handsome man, even with the traditional politician scowl. His eyes were focused, and I mean laser focused on my face. When he talked he held eye contact. I liked that. His body posture strained confidence and power. Rugged manliness, the lean body and muscles cloaked by his fit suit, I had to look away several times to blink back to my reality. I knew from the length of his legs and how tall he sat next to me that he had to reach well over six feet.
The man is well-groomed and edgy. Lips that weren’t too plump but thick enough to fit his face and kissable to leave any pair of lips bruised. “Yes, ma’am. I’m the Attorney General for Florida.” Well damn.
I nodded wanting to ask several questions, but I stayed on the fine line of things. “Wanna explain the full untouched bottle of liquor?”
“Uh, sure. Unbiased friends, right?” Those eyes focused on me with a hint of humor. I nodded and turned my body towards him, sitting Indian style with my hands in my lap. He wanted my undivided attention and I wanted to listen to anything that would take my mind off my dark clouds.
“I’ve been having these dreams of my late wife screaming. When she died I was driving? Usually we have a car service whenever we go to my work events but that night she wanted it to be just her and I. We were coming back from another political dinner and I was singing Barry White to her,” he smiled with so much happiness that I mirrored it as if I was there.
“She loved Barry White. Anyway,” he scratched his brow before taking a moment to pause. “A drunk driver ran the red light and smashed into us. On her side. She never had a fighting chance; the guy went through the light going over a hundred miles an hour. She died instantly. No matter how many times I watch the traffic cameras and see that I did nothing wrong, that means nothing to my heart, to my conscience. She wanted to go. Always wanted to support me.”
My eyes were probably tired of me crying. He huffed and slouched down on the bench. “I turned to alcohol to ease the pain and silence the blame. Almost lost my job, my kids pitied me. My daughter, my baby girl, came home and found me lying in my own vomit and shit. I never wanted them to see me like that and watching her cry over my misery I entered rehab, got a sponsor, and been sober for six months now.”
He’s been sober for six months and I’ve been grieving the loss of love for six months.
“Wow.” I wiped my face with his handkerchief. “I’m sorry about all the sorrow you’ve faced, Beau. But why are you back tracking?”
“My nightmares have gotten worse. Every time I close my eyes, I see her face. Hear her screams and then silence. Today makes a year since she died. People say with time it’s supposed to be easy. This mess is hard.” My heart sank hearing suffering in his timber.
“You make my issues so minimal.” I laughed trying to lighten the mood.
Those heavy bourbon eyes swept over my way. “It’s your moment so it’s not.”
“The man I loved since I was sixteen years old set me free. Told me that he wanted a divorce, something I never imagined getting and left me at the most crucial, vulnerable time of my life. He up and left me because he thought I couldn’t handle his darkness. His flaws. The parts of him that made me fall in love in the first place.” I managed to say all of that without puking and crying.
“I’m sorry.”
He wasn’t the one I wanted to hear say he was sorry. “Don’t be, Beau.” Right then my phone started to ring. I knew that it was Noelani. Without thinking twice, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and smashed on the ground. Stomped on it until it stopped ringing and became a broken mess under my feet.
Standing with a new smile on my face, I tossed both bottles in the nearby trash. “You completely ruined my Edith Piaf moment. How about you make it up to me by going to dinner and explaining why the AG of Florida is here in Virginia.” I enjoyed talking to Beau. In this short amount of time conversing with him he made me feel safe. He joked about being an unbiased listener but knowing that he was truly that, it gave me security to express.
This was different from the security Amell gave me. For the first time in a long time Beau made me feel oddly secure.
Beau looked off. Glancing everywhere but at me. “I just want company, Beau. Company I didn’t even know I wanted. You barged in on my moment so you pretty much owe me.”
Standing at his full height towering over me and giving me that winning voters heart stopping smile, he extended his elbow. “Let’s go. Got a taste for Italian?”
Soft kisses placed along my jaw brought me back from the funny memory. “What were you dreaming about?” He asked against my ear as he refilled my bath with warm water.
Firm, strong hands rubbed against my thighs making me moan. “How we met. How you stalked me.”
That earned me a rumbling laugh. His beard tickled my neck causing several giggles to flow from my lips as I opened my eyes and smiled at the man who has become everything, I needed him to be without asking.
A nonjudgmental loyal partner. The perfect listener and counselor.
Beau Humphrey.
Such a dreamboat. So dreamy.
I loved everything about him.
My giggles turned to erotic moans at the feel of his lips kissing along my shoulder. “I’d do it again too. I want to feed you. Can I wash you or you need more time?”
This is where my self-control and lust fought with heavy fists. Those bourbon eyes played against the rules. They darkened under my stare sending bold messages of the destruction he’d do to my kitty if I’d let him have his way with me.