Isaiah checked the schedule for the basketball camp and compared it to his schedule, saw a conflict and grunted. “I’m going to miss picking up Bridget from the airport,” he said absently.
“And? She can’t find her way to a hotel?” Kevin asked drily.
Kevin had met Bridget twice and wasn’t a fan. Isaiah wasn’t offended. Bridget’s straightforward personality often rubbed people the wrong way. For the past year, she and Isaiah had been off-again while she finished law school. He’d asked her to move to Jacksonville after getting her degree. He was tired of being on the dating scene. He was ready for a wife and kids. Bridget was the best option. His parents liked her, they were compatible and he knew she wasn’t after him because he was a professional baller.
Isaiah flipped his phone in his hand. “I thought about letting her stay at my place,” he said in a blasé tone.
Kevin’s attention snapped to Isaiah. “Hell no!”
Isaiah shrugged. “Why not?”
“Her staying with you means you’re back on again.”
“I’m ready for that step.”
Kevin cocked his head to the side. “What step?”
“The next step. Marriage, kids, all that.”
Kevin’s head shook before Isaiah finished talking. “Not her.”
He hadn’t expected Kevin to give an enthusiastic endorsement for Bridget, but he wasn’t expecting the flat-out steel in his friend’s voice. “Why not?”
“Man, she’s a nice girl but she isn’t right for you.”
Isaiah leaned back and laughed. “She’s perfect for me. Smart. Beautiful. Good family. No scandals.”
Kevin’s head fell back and he made a snoring sound. “Boring.”
Isaiah grinned at his friend’s theatrics. “Reliable. I’d much rather trust my future with her than someone I don’t know. You know how exhausting dating is? I don’t want to meet some new woman’s mom, dad, sisters and brothers. I don’t want to have to figure out if she’s really into me or hoping to be the next star of celebrity wives. I know and trust Bridget.”
“You can trust her to tie your balls in a knot,” Kevin grumbled. “And not in the good way.”
Isaiah raised a brow. “There’s a good way?”
Jack stopped the tattoo gun to stare at Isaiah. “Of course there’s a good way.”
Isaiah waved a hand. “Oh, well, then enlighten me.”
Kevin pointed at Isaiah with his free hand. “You want a woman who drives you crazy and makes you laugh. Someone who heats your blood with just a look. A woman that’ll cuss you out when you’re being a fool, but you know she’ll always have your back.”
“That sounds like a recipe for drama.” Isaiah couldn’t keep the distaste out of his voice.
“It’s a recipe for excitement,” Kevin said. “She challenges you, pushes you, and you might not like it all the time, you may argue, but making up again?” Kevin grinned and nodded. “That makes everything worth it.”
Isaiah laughed. “No harm, but that doesn’t sound like the type of marriage I want.”
“Hell, what can I say? That didn’t work for my marriage, either.” Kevin said in a teasing voice, but Isaiah caught the glimpse of regret in his eye.
Kevin had married his college sweetheart and she’d divorced him after five years. Then he’d had another long-term relationship that had ended a few years ago. He’d admitted to his mistakes in those relationships, and joked about being a failure at long-term commitment. The only good thing he claimed from his rocky relationships was his kids. Even though he often joked about his past, Isaiah suspected his failed relationships hurt more than he let on.
“But we’re not talking about me,” Kevin said, his cheerful voice back. “You’re champing at the bit to find a wife and have a pack of kids. I get it—your parents have a beautiful union and you like stability. You’re that guy.”
“That guy?” Isaiah asked.
“The relationship guy. That’s cool. We need guys like you out there. It’s good for team testosterone to have decent men out there, but don’t let your visions of a perfect family lead you to marrying the wrong woman. Divorce isn’t fun. Believe me.”
“Bridget isn’t the wrong woman. That’s why I asked her to move to Jacksonville. When I get married I want to stay married. I know Bridget and she knows me. We both want the same things and our families love each other. She’s perfect.”
Jack glanced at Isaiah quickly before going back to the tattoo. “Perfect doesn’t mean you want to sleep with her every night.”
Heat filled Isaiah’s face and he flipped his cell phone again. “We’re compatible in every way if that’s what you’re getting at.”
It had been a while since they’d slept together. And the last time had been rushed, when they’d both been in the same city a year ago and only had a few hours before she had to catch a flight. He’d always thought their sex life was decent, until he’d heard the stories the guys told. Then he realized his and Bridget’s sex life had always been tame. There was nothing wrong with tame...it just made him wonder about wild.
Kevin shook his head. “Big deal. Most women are decent in bed. She’s moving here because you asked her to. Are you burning to see her in here?” Kevin placed a fist over his heart. “Is she all up in your head? Are you twisting, turning and downright yearning for her to get here so you can get your arms around her?”
Twisting and turning, yes. But not out of anticipation. More out of a sense of anxiety. Was asking her here the right thing? That wasn’t something to talk about now. Kevin was his friend, but Jack didn’t need insight on Isaiah’s boring romantic life. “Of course,” he said quickly. Kevin’s look said Isaiah was full of crap.
Isaiah focused on his phone and checked social media. He thought about the last time a woman had heated his blood. Still thinking about Angel. Isaiah clenched the phone and his teeth. He needed to stop thinking of Angel, but not thinking of her was nearly impossible. Dark sparkling eyes, full luscious lips, curves... Damn, the woman’s curves were amazing. Smooth, golden tan skin that had sparkled with a glittery lotion that smelled as enticing as she looked. And that thick dark hair—he’d wanted to reach out and touch it.
Angel was the perfect name. If that was her real name. The bartender at Sweethearts gentlemen’s club probably used a fake name, just like the dancers did.
Their conversation had lasted all night. He’d felt a connection, but wasn’t that supposed to be what he felt? Women at the strip club worked to make connections so patrons spent more money. Even though he’d wanted to ask for her number, he’d made himself walk away instead of shattering the illusion if she turned him down.
“What are you guys doing tonight?” Isaiah asked.
“Some of the fellas are going to Sweethearts. I’m not feeling it. I’d rather burn my money on something else.”
The jump shot of anticipation at the mention of Sweethearts made Isaiah’s heart dribble against his rib cage. He took a slow breath to steady the beat. He didn’t need to go back there.
“Why aren’t you feeling it?” Isaiah asked.
“I promised Chanel I’d take her to Hawaii.”
Kevin’s