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  “What’s that all about,” Israel asked as he walked next to her.

  “Please tell me you didn’t hear my stomach,” Cairo flushed.

  “Is that what that was?” Israel teased.

  Cairo was mortified, but it was a lighthearted mortification. Israel chuckled, and it didn’t help that Lachlan, who she didn’t think was paying attention, smiled and chuckled, too. This time when she rolled her eyes, she made sure Israel could see her before Cairo giggled herself.

  “It’s okay,” Israel consoled. “We’re all hungry.”

  “Whatever,” Cairo huffed playfully.

  The pleasant smells from the campsite intensified as they drew closer. The trio was welcomed by the campers when they arrived at the campfire.

  “Are we celebrating,” Cairo asked as one of the campers handed her a cold beer.

  “It was a good day,” the camper advised. Cairo got swept up in a conversation with the camper and her second in command as they debriefed her on the day. Israel and Lachlan continued toward the fire, each picking up beers to drink along the way.

  “What is that,” Israel said as the two men sat down.

  “Witchetty grub,” Lachlan answered. Israel watched as Lachlan pulled out what looked like broken limbs, peel the bark back, and pop the thick caterpillar-like creature into his mouth. “Tastes like chicken,” Lachlan offered as he chewed.

  “I bet it does,” Israel chortled, popping the top on his beer and taking a hefty swig. The cold liquor tasted good going down, but it also reminded Israel how hungry he was.

  “Try it, mate,” Lachlan encouraged, extending a broken branch to Israel. “Taste like chook,” Lachlan smiled. “It delivers.”

  Sitting his beer down, Israel took the branch from Lachlan. Although he wasn’t ordinarily a fan of eating live and moving things, Israel understood the importance of the gesture. That was part of learning about different cultures and experiencing new things. It was also confirmation of Israel’s acceptance of who Lachlan was and that they were indeed mates. Peeling back the bark, Israel picked up the grub and put it in his mouth. Lachlan nodded his head, approving the follow-through.

  “It does taste like chicken,” Israel agreed.

  “Yeah, told you, mate,” Lachlan smiled.

  “Do you gentlemen mind if I sit down?”

  “Not at all,” Israel replied, looking up at Cairo and then standing up to offer a hand. Lachlan stood as well, recognizing a woman entering their presence and made room for Cairo on the log. After she was seated, Israel resumed his seat.

  “I take it things went well with the dig today,” Israel asked, noticing the satisfied look on Cairo’s face.

  “It did,” she replied. “No major issues, no injuries? I say it was a good day.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Israel agreed. “Lachlan was just sharing his Witchetty grubs with me,” Israel explained.

  “I’ve had them before,” Cairo replied. “They're tasty. Right now, though, I need a whole lot of whatever is on the grill.”

  “Shall we,” Israel asked.

  “Mmhmm,” Cairo hummed.

  She sat her beer down and accepted Israel’s extended hand as she lifted her curvaceous frame from the log. The organizers of the feast had everything laid out and ready. The trio fell in line behind those waiting to prepare their plates.

  Barbecuing was as common a practice in Australia as it was in the United States, and the menu, as far as the meat was concerned, was pretty similar as well. Common for an Aussie BBQ was burgers, steaks, sausages, and fresh fish. Sometimes, kangaroo was a part of the menu cut into steaks and used for burgers. Barramundi fish, a local large-scaled silverfish, was on the menu tonight along with a variety of red meats.

  “Everything looks delicious,” Cairo sang as she fixed her plate. “What no beetroot for your burger,” she asked Israel.

  “Nah, I’m good,” he replied.

  “Okay, but you’re missing out,” Cairo warned.

  “Am I now?” He challenged.

  “Definitely,” she smiled, putting a few more items on her plate.

  “Maybe I’ll taste yours,” Israel flirtingly suggested.

  Cairo cut her eyes in his direction, not missing the double entendre at all. His response was loaded, and Cairo felt the weightiness of his words. The heat from the campfire paled in comparison to the warmth Cairo felt in her cheeks as Israel’s gaze lingered on her, compelling Cairo to look into his. There was a faint light that twinkled in the depths of his obsidian eyes that couldn’t be contributed to the flames that blazed brightly nearby.

  Once they were done, only Israel and Cairo returned to the area they’d been sitting in. Lachlan chose to sit with some of the other campers he’d become familiar with. Before they broke bread, each bowed their heads and uttered a silent prayer. There was no hesitation in moving to enjoy their meal.

  “Mmm, mmm, mmm,” Cairo hummed again, “so good.”

  Israel agreed with her. The food was good.

  “I told you, you’re missing out on the beetroot,” Cairo commented after taking a bite of her burger laced with the dark red vegetable.

  “It doesn’t go on a sandwich,” Israel offered a dissenting position.

  “Who says,” Cairo challenged, her arched brows pitching on her forehead.

  “I do,” Israel crooned, rising to the challenge.

  “Just taste it,” Cairo encouraged, “and if you decide it’s not a go, then at least you have formed your opinion based on taste and not conjecture.”

  “Conjecture, huh?”

  “That’s what I said,” she purred.

  “Alright now, doc,” Israel cautioned, his eyes flashing a gentle coquettish warning. “I like it when you’re all feisty.”

  “Taste the sandwich, Israel,” she coaxed, lifting her sandwich, and offering it to him. Her eyes were narrow, and Cairo leveled a steady gaze as she watched the play of emotions on his face. He gave in to her request and took a bite, fully expecting that he wouldn’t like it. But Israel gave the flavors a chance, and when he didn’t wince or negatively contort his face, Cairo smiled, satisfied.

  “Good right,” she opined, the thickness of her long lashes kissing her onyx cheeks.

  “Alright,” Israel exhaled. “It’s good.”

  “Told ya,” she gloated laughingly. “You’ll learn you can trust my taste,” Cairo continued.

  “About?”

  “Lots of things,” she offered, recognizing her comment as divulging more of her thoughts than she intended.

  “I’m good with that,” Israel affirmed.

  Their playful banter continued throughout dinner. Cairo enjoyed talking with Israel. She felt like she could be more of herself without having to guard her words. She didn’t have to be Dr. Davis when she was with him. Israel made it easy for her to be Cairo, the woman behind the title and responsibility. The feeling was refreshing and disarming and entirely unexpected. Cairo found herself relaxing and allowing herself to breathe easier. The unfamiliarity of relaxation around a handsome man that Cairo found herself attracted to presented a new challenge for her. She was prone to be protective and not allow anyone too close. Israel was getting close quickly.

  “Room for dessert,” Israel asked as they polished off their plates.

  “Always,” Cairo replied. She took the plates while Israel strolled to the serving table. Cairo watched Israel as he moved. His swagger was undeniable. His presence could be felt before he was seen. Israel was magnanimous, fitting in with people who were very different than him. Cairo knew Israel and his family were wealthy, billionaire level wealthy. Yet, he didn’t come off with an air of superiority. Some would think being on a dig like this was slumming it, especially for a man in his position. Israel seemed to be loving it, not taking issue with getting his own hands dirty. That was kind of sexy, no, it was really sexy to Cairo. She knew she had to be careful, though. Lowering her guard would only serve to disappoint both of them. Why go through all the trouble of involvi
ng her heart if disappointment was destined to be the end result. Israel was so goddamn charming, though, and hard to resist.

  Her eyes traveled the length of him as Israel made his way back to her. Cairo tried to see him differently, to find something wrong with him, to find a flaw a fault so it would be easier not to fall for him. Yet, as Israel’s handsome, chiseled face came into view, his beautiful mahogany skin, strong jaw, African nose, full lips, and a body built by the gods, all Cairo could do was stare. And then Israel smiled. Not a toothy smile but a simmering sexy smile. Cairo’s heart thumped, and her yoni thumped harder.

  Cairo reached up to assist Israel as he balanced dessert in his capable hands.

  “Ah, Tim Tams,” Cairo hummed as he sat down next to her. The dark chocolate covered biscuits were a staple in Aussie culture.

  “And coffee,” Israel added. Cairo’s eyes traveled to the single cup and then back to Israel. “I thought we could share since the coffee is not really for drinking,” he added.

  “So, you’re familiar,” Cairo replied, picking up a biscuit and dunking the corner in the warm fragrant liquid.

  “I am."

  Israel watched as Cairo lifted the soft, melting fudge to her cocoa lips, opening them slowly and then taking a bite of the chocolate covered biscuit. It was like chocolate overload, and Israel was tantalized by every moment of it. His eyes were hooded as he watched the unintentional sensual move of her mouth. Israel’s gaze was covetous and approving, and Cairo watched him watching her. This time, when she dunked the corner of the biscuit into the warm liquid, she lifted the chocolatey goodness to his mouth. This was the second time Cairo fed him in as many hours. There was something to be said for her willingness to nourish him. This time, Cairo was the one enthralled by the salacious movement of his mouth, so suggestive, so enticing. Her smoldering eyes moved lazily between his eyes and his mouth and back to his eyes that darkened dangerously as he appraised her. Their first kiss was as inevitable as their unspoken attraction to each other. Cairo couldn’t avoid his penetrating gaze. She felt nearly trapped in the depths of his probative surveyance of her. His eyes searched Cairo’s incredible face, reaching surreptitiously into her thoughts, and she felt him unconsciously accepting his exploration of her soul. In her eyes, Israel saw expectancy and apprehension. Cairo was cautious yet longing simultaneously. Israel saw need and resolve to not need.

  His fingers took Cairo’s arm with gentle authority. She gasped but didn’t flinch. She reached up and touched his face, the fluid and gentle motion of her fingers against his skin birthed a throng of sensations that riveted his core. The look on Israel’s face pulled at Cairo’s heartstrings, and she gasped again in heated expectancy. He came close, looking down at her with ravenous intensity. She leaned delicately into him, tilting her face toward his. Israel kissed Cairo like she’d never been kissed before, his lips pressing against hers and then covering her mouth, slowly and thoughtfully. He more than took her breath away as the kiss sang through her veins, like a song intended to assuage her very soul. Cairo was surprised by her own desirous response to the touch of Israel’s lips that demanded response. And Cairo did, pressing her open mouth to his, sending her emotions skidding and whirling, short-circuiting, and reconnecting. And when their lips parted, Israel’s mouth touched her once again, like the quietest whisper.

  That night, Cairo dreamed about him. Cairo studied his face unhurriedly, absorbing each one of Israel’s handsome features. Her mind redrew the loving entanglement she’d seen the night before. This time she was entirely the woman, and Israel was completely the man. Her dream took Cairo further than her eyes or memory had gone, and she moaned as she thought of him. Israel took the time to kiss Cairo’s neck and toy with her breasts, each one, individually, licking and suckling as though much-needed nourishment was provided from the fullness of her breasts. Even in remembrance, in a haze of sleepiness and dreams, she felt the intimacy of Israel’s kiss and the touch of his mouth on her wanton flesh. Cairo saw what her life was missing and had been missing for so long. She found herself receptive and responsive to his incredible touch. Her back arched when Israel gently kissed her lips and loved on her neck and caressed her breasts. She moaned as he coaxed emotion from her with every poignant touch. His contact with her body was personal, directed, purposeful intentional, defying her closed posture and desire to pull away. Israel wanted to please every part of her, even before their bodies connected in the most intimate way. Cairo was no longer a passive observer. She was fully absorbed in the dream of him.

  Cairo felt the singe of his caresses, the fire in his kisses as they blazed hotly against her desirous nature. Cairo appreciated Israel’s gaze as he touched her, tracing the curve of her lips and the rise of her ass. Cairo felt the moisture of his tongue as he lapped at her swollen nipples. When Israel finally entered her sacred space, the connectivity between the two souls reached beyond the stratosphere. He pulled out of Cairo everything she had withheld, protected, and coveted, giving her everything her heart could hold. Cairo was no longer on the periphery of the sensual entanglement. Her feminine proclivities were stimulated to the point of no return, and even in her sleep, her puss tightened and pulsed from the presence of his manhood thrusting slowly, provocatively inside her welcoming walls. Cairo panted as the heat from his penetration reverberated through her, knocking against the core of who she was. Her wetness descended with every upward stroke, Israel’s thrusts causing palpitations of her heart, and moans from her soul. He moved inside her with confidence, delivering titillating stroke after debilitating stroke, weakening Cairo while strengthening her, calling her name as he reached the height of her.

  And just as her body reached the epitome of climax, the scene in her mind drastically and unyieldingly shifted. The room she was in was stark white, sanitized, unfeeling, and unwelcoming. Unfortunately, Cairo knew the room well. She had been there before, more times than she cared to admit. There was always dread when she sat in the nondescript room. She’d lost the ability to hope in this space a long time ago. Yet, she found herself there, once again, waiting for what Cairo already knew would be bad news.

  She had had another episode where her body defied her womanhood, defiling the essence of what being a woman really meant. Cairo bled painfully for ten straight days, depleting her energy, leaving fatigue, nausea, and bloating in its wake. She had been to several doctors since she was much younger, some dismissing her pain as usual, while others painted the bleakest picture of what her condition really was. When the diagnosis of endometriosis was finally settled on and confirmed with a second opinion, the recommendations for treatment were just as varied as the plethora of physicians Cairo encountered. Some suggested invasive surgery, while others suggested variations of surgery. Some suggested homeopathic ways to deal with the symptoms while ignoring the source of the condition, while others offered additional diagnosis that only seemed to confuse the issue. Although some hesitated to call her infertile, they painted a very grave picture of Cairo’s ability to procreate successfully, to have a successful pregnancy, to have a healthy, full-term baby. When Cairo woke up from her dream, there were tears in her eyes. Her feelings of incompleteness overwhelming her sensibilities.

  Chapter Six

  Two Weeks Later

  Israel and Cairo had been working side by side for the past few weeks. That time frame had been peppered with stolen glances and stolen moments, deep conversations, and lighthearted laughs. Israel grew even more charming the longer Cairo was around him. Not only was he charismatic, but his insight and intellect also surfaced in the most unexpected ways. Cairo found that it was easy to listen to Israel, especially when he discussed something he was passionate about. His zeal and conviction were as alluring as his kissable lips and enchanting eyes. Cairo had done well not completely falling head over hills for Israel, but he made it so damn easy.

  “Planning to have a root with her,” Lachlan asked as the two men worked side by side.

  “What,” Israel countered eve
n though he knew precisely what Lachlan meant.

  “Every time you look at ‘er, it’s like you’re about to go off like a frog in a sock,” Lachlan assessed.

  Israel chuckled at Lachlan’s colorful commentary. Lachlan saw Israel side-eyeing him yet continuously returning an innocuous gaze towards Cairo.

  “I don’t believe in unrequited attraction,” Israel replied.

  “Righto, mate,” Lachlan replied. “It’s not unrequited, no,” Lachlan assessed. “She looks at you the same, eh.”

  Lachlan went on with the business of working, but his words, his observations remained with Israel, echoing a sentiment Israel already felt in his heart. That’s when he knew Cairo was different. He had more than a physical reaction to her. It was visceral, heart racing, and soul-stirring. That was a nascent feeling for Israel, and the boundaries or lack thereof were new and exciting. Yet, feelings running so profoundly for a woman he’d only known a short period of time was also unnerving. But Israel was the kind of man that trusted his gut. If what he felt resonated so profoundly in his spirit, then it must be right. He wouldn’t question it nor run from it. He wasn’t afraid to love. He’d done it before, once.

  Her name was Erica Franklin. She attended Clark Atlanta University when Israel was a student at Morehouse. She majored in business while Israel majored in archaeology. Erica was studious, fun-loving, family-oriented, and beautiful. Israel fell hard for her, and Erica fell equally hard for him. They dated the entirety of their senior year. She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc, and of course, he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. It was first family all the way with APhiA being the first African American fraternity and AKA being the first African American Sorority. Their Greek affiliation is what brought them together. It was distance that broke them apart. Not because distance couldn’t be mastered, it could. Yet, where they were individually in their lives, neither wanted to hold the other back from having the chance to pursue their dreams unencumbered. Erica secured a job in Hong Kong, working for one of the largest tech firms in the country. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, and Israel was excited for her. He never wanted to hold her back. They did the long-distance thing for a while, and it was okay, yet they both missed the personal contact, being together, occupying each other’s space. Their decision to end their relationship wasn’t because love couldn’t conquer all. They understood and mutually agreed that ending their relationship was best. Some would have said they didn’t give true love a chance. But for Erica and Israel, theirs was a mature decision that they both were willing to live with because of how much they loved and respected each other.