Many people have suggested its not a good idea to have your primary gmail directly linked to your GV acct. With this in mind, perhaps the best thing you could do is create another Gmail account and also another Google Voice account associated with that email. For that new account do not request a number. Once you have another Google Voice account you can transfer the number from the account you use now to the new one. It does not cost anything to establish a new Google Voice account or to transfer as it is not porting as conventionally known. Look up at Google how to transfer a number from one account to another. Its pretty easy...just don't request a new number when you set up the new GV account.
Awesome, that set-up sounds exactly like what I need.
Thanks