Lost in a Stallion's Arms (Kimani Romance) (4 page)

Luke rolled his eyes. “Give me a break. Wealth by no means absolves any of us from anything. Yes, I have money and my financial security enables me to do things other people can’t do. But since it is my money to spend as I see fit, then there should only be a problem with that if what I am spending my money on is doing other people more harm than good. And even then that’s debatable.”

“What about getting your hands dirty every now and then? What about getting down in the trenches and working with the poor and underprivileged one-on-one? Have you ever thought about doing that?”

“As a matter of fact, I have. I have volunteered many times before, Ms. Lake, as time and opportunity have allowed me to. But since you don’t know me, you wouldn’t know that, would you? And for a woman who’s not trying to be critical, you’re sure doing one heck of a job. You’re also passing judgment without being informed.” Luke crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back in his seat as he continued to stare her down.

A flash of something Joanne didn’t recognize gripped her nerves, a wealth of emotion rising without warning. The man was eyeing her so intensely that it felt like he could see straight through her. She felt exposed and vulnerable, and she didn’t like it one bit.

She took a deep breath, fighting to collect her thoughts. “My apologies,” she said finally, contrition filling her face, “and perhaps I was, but I’ve encountered too many wealthy people who care right up until the check clears the bank, and then they forget all about the people they were supposed to be helping until the next time they need a tax deduction. Children can go hungry between those deposits.”

She paused, her gaze locking with his. “So now that you’ve written your check, Mr. Stallion, what next? What will the children and their families have to look forward to after you and your money sweep in to make the neighborhood a better place for all the poor people and then you disappear? Because that’s how this is going to work, isn’t it? You’ve written your check and now you’re going to disappear?”

Luke took a deep inhale of air, filling his lungs and blowing it slowly past his full lips. He pushed himself up and out of his seat, leaning over the desk on his forearms, his eyes meeting hers evenly. He smiled deeply, the gesture pocketing full dimples in his dark cheeks. “Joanne Lake, I’m not going anywhere, so you can take my check, and that promise, straight to the bank.”

“Y
ou like this man!”

Joanne groaned loudly as her best friend, Marley Brooks, hovered above her.

Marley stood with her hands on her narrow hips, her braided extensions swaying against her shoulders. “You like this man and so you went right on the attack. Now what kind of sense did that make?”

“I did not attack him!” Joanne exclaimed, dropping her head back to the tabletop and banging her forehead against it. “I can’t believe that I attacked him like that!”

Joanne was suddenly rattled. It galled her to admit that her friend was right. The entire time she’d been in the man’s company all she could think about was kissing him. His full lips had been inviting, begging her to meet his mouth with her own, and even in their disagreement, Joanne hadn’t been able to contain the rise of desire that had consumed her. The only way she knew to rid herself of her wanting had been to pretend he wasn’t a man she could imagine herself being with. All she could think to do was to attack the one thing about him that she knew the two had in common—their wealth.

Marley laughed, her gaze moving to the man standing behind the counter of the coffee shop. “Rick, we need two caramel frappucinos with extra caramel, please.”

The man named Rick nodded his head, giving her a thumbs-up as Marley dropped down into the seat beside her friend.

“So, is he as cute as I’ve heard?” she asked excitedly.

Joanne groaned again. “Cuter,” she said, still not bothering to look up. “And I made a complete idiot out of myself.”

Marley shrugged. “You always do. Why do you always have a problem with the rich boys? We both know you’re not looking for any unemployed Joe still living with his mother.”

Joanne sat herself upright, meeting the other woman’s gaze. “You say that like all I do is judge a man by how much money he makes.”

“If the shoe fits…”

Joanne rolled her eyes skyward. “Oh, please…”

Their conversation was interrupted as Rick dropped the two iced drinks onto the table in front of them. He paused, giving Marley an annoyed look. Marley gave him one back.

“I swear, Rick, just give me five more minutes. I do get a break!”

Grunting his response, Rick moved back to his station, his attention drawn to a customer in need of a coffee fix.

Marley leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. “So, what happened next?”

“Nothing. He stood up, put his papers back into his briefcase, winked at me and walked out of the room.”

“So, do you think he’ll really come back?”

Joanne nodded. “Before I left they told me that he’d been put on the volunteer schedule for the next three weeks. I’ll see him again tomorrow.”

“Sounds like boyfriend might like you back,” Marley said with a soft giggle.

“It’s not like that. He’s just volunteering.”

“You kill me. One minute you want him volunteering and then when he does, you sound like it’s the end of the world.”

“Oh, like he’s a guy I really want to see after he called me judgmental.”

“And you telling him his giving spirit wasn’t really so giving might not make him want to jump your bones anytime soon, either.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying you’ve got some issues, my friend, and those issues aren’t going to help you in your search for a man. See a shrink and get yourself fixed.”

Joanne dropped her head back down to the table. “Go back to work, Marley. I don’t know why I told you.”

Marley giggled. “Because I’m your best friend and you tell me everything!” She sipped her drink before continuing. “So, if you’re really not interested in Mr. Stallion, will you introduce him to me? I promise I won’t run him, or his money, off.”

Joanne lifted her eyes to glare at her friend. “Marley, bite me!”

Still laughing, Marley stood back up, grabbing her beverage as she moved toward the back of the service counter. “Yep, you do like that man!”

When Luke poked his head into Matthew’s office, his brother was in deep concentration over a stack of legal documents. He was almost reluctant to disturb him, but he needed some advice. He knocked, raising his hand in a quick wave as Matthew lifted his eyes to see who was there.

“Hey, Luke, what’s up?”

“Do you have a minute? I could use a friend.”

Matthew dropped his ballpoint pen to the desktop. “For you, little brother, I have two minutes. Come on in and close the door.” Pushing himself away from the large mahogany desk, Matthew came to his feet. He moved to the other side of the room, gesturing for Luke to join him in the upholstered chairs that sat around a small conference table.

“So, what’s up?”

Luke took a deep breath, suddenly nervous. It wasn’t like this was the first time he’d had to turn to one of his kin for advice about women, but this wasn’t just any woman.

Matthew eyed his baby brother curiously, the young man’s brow creased in thought. “Are you okay?”

Luke met the man’s gaze, his head bobbing up and down against his neck. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just that…you see…well, there’s this woman—”

“She’s not pregnant, is she?” Matthew asked, concern flooding his face.

“No, nothing like that,” he replied with a nervous chuckle. “I think I could deal with that.”

“No time soon I hope because that truly is not the kind of trouble you need right now.”

“Really, Matthew, that’s not my problem. You see, I met this woman. She volunteers down at the community center and…” Luke paused, suddenly not sure what the problem was.

“Let me back up,” he said, changing gears. “Do you think we’re selfish? I mean, do you think we take our wealth for granted? This woman accused me of just tossing my money around without regard for people who are in serious need, and I have to tell you, it grated a nerve.”

“What was she saying, that you don’t give enough money away?”

“She thinks I need to be volunteering more of my time instead of giving my money away.”

“That’s different.”

Luke shrugged. “Do I give off the impression that I’m more about our money than anything else?”

Matthew sank back into the sofa, a slight smile pulling at his mouth. “Before I answer that, why are you so concerned about what this woman thinks about you? John always told us that what we thought about ourselves was more important than anything. If you know in your own heart that what you’re doing is right, then what does it matter what she thinks? Why is it bothering you so much?”

“Because she…” Luke paused, searching for the right words to convey what he was feeling. He suddenly found himself questioning exactly what that was. He met his brother’s stare, his expression pensive.

Matthew chuckled. “If I’m not mistaken, this woman has your nose wide open!”

“What?”

“Look at you. Are you falling for this girl?”

Luke stood up, moving from his chair to the window, shaking his head vehemently. “No!” he exclaimed, almost shouting the word. “It’s not like that.” He peered through the blinds to the landscape outside. “I don’t really know her yet. She just…well…”

Matthew laughed out loud. “If you say so,” he said, clearly unconvinced. “Who is she?”

Luke shook his head, a shy smirk filling his face. “Her name is Joanne. Joanne Lake. That’s really all I know about her.”

“Is she cute?”

Luke grinned broadly, moving back to sit in his chair. He leaned forward, excitement blanketing his expression. “Brother, the woman is too fine! She is deliciously thick with curves that make a man weak in the knees.” He blew warm breath past his full lips, shaking his head as memories of Joanne flashed through his mind. A rush of heat suddenly ran south, moving him to cross his right leg over his left, his hands falling casually into his lap as he leaned back.

“Well, she must be something special for you to be so interested.”

Luke returned his brother’s stare. He nodded slowly. “Yeah, I think she is.”

Matthew rose from his own seat and moved to Luke’s side, patting a broad hand against the younger man’s shoulder. “Then get to know her and let her get to know you. You’re a pretty special guy yourself. If it works between the two of you, then you won’t have to worry about what she thinks about the money. It won’t matter to her one way or the other.”

Luke nodded. “Thanks.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “Do you think about getting married, Matthew? I mean, since John and Mark both tied the knot, do you ever think about it?”

Matthew smirked, then shrugged his shoulders. “Actually I try not to, little brother. I mean, why ruin a good thing? Look, you’re still young and idealistic. Committing yourself to a serious relationship should be the least of your concerns. You have all the time in the world to be worrying about that grown-up endeavor. For now, just enjoy yourself.”

Before Luke could reply, the office intercom sounded from Matthew’s desk, his secretary’s voice rising from the microphoned box. “Mr. Stallion?”

“Yes, Carol?”

“Vanessa Long is holding on line two for you. I told her you weren’t taking calls, but she insisted that you would take hers. She says it’s important.”

Luke raised a curious eyebrow. Vanessa Long was an old family friend by virtue of her long-time friendship with their brother Mark. There had been a time when the whole family had been certain that Mark and Vanessa would end up in wedded bliss, but shortly after high school Vanessa had come out of the closet, announcing her preference for women. Mark’s very best friend had suddenly become his very best lesbian friend.

There was nothing unusual about Vanessa calling the office or their home, but usually she was calling Mark. Rarely did Vanessa call any of the others. If she spoke to any of them it was usually by default, Mark being unavailable. Luke couldn’t help but notice the look that crossed Matthew’s face, his brother suddenly seeming anxious. He couldn’t keep himself from prying. “What’s Vanessa calling about?” Luke asked, curiosity flooding his face.

Matthew shrugged, ignoring his brother’s question. “Carol, tell her I’m in a meeting with Luke and I’ll call her back as soon as we’re free, please.”

“Yes, sir.”

The intercom’s soft hum quieted as the woman in the exterior office severed the connection. Matthew turned his attention back to his brother.

“And to answer your first questions, yes, I do think you sometimes take your wealth for granted. But that’s because you don’t have any memories of when we didn’t have money, not like the rest of us do. It’s all you know. Plus John and Mark spoiled you. You’ve always had everything you needed and most things you wanted.

“But no, you are not selfish. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Now, I have a ton of work to get through, and I’m sure you have a long list to complete yourself. I’ll see you at the house later,” Matthew said, dismissing him.

Luke smiled as his brother moved back to his desk and sat down. Matthew was good, but he wasn’t that good. He’d evaded Luke’s question, but curiosity was a strange beast, always intruding where it was least wanted. The younger man persisted. “So, you’re not going to answer my last question?”

Matthew focused his gaze on the pile of papers atop his desk, feigning interest in the stack of manila folders. “What question was that?”

“What’s Vanessa calling
you
for?”

Matthew looked up, tossing his brother an easy smile. “I guess once you leave I’ll be able to call her back and find out, won’t I?”

Luke laughed, heading toward the door, his brother’s smug expression following him out the exit.

B
etween lending a hand in the recreational room with the younger kids, mentoring their older siblings with homework projects, driving senior citizens to doctor’s appointments and helping parents navigate government aid and applications, Luke spent a lot of time asking questions and familiarizing himself with the issues that were relevant to the neighborhood. And for each question he asked about what was needed and what was wanted, he was asking two questions about Joanne.

Had Joanne been even remotely aware that so many people were discussing her, Luke knew it would have been a problem. He lifted his gaze to stare at her across the room, watching as she sat in discussion with a group of teen girls about their college options.

Since their last extended conversation, when Joanne had questioned his moral principles, she seemed to be avoiding him, or at least avoiding any in-depth conversations with him. Initially, Luke hadn’t been sure how to take her aloofness, but he was still intrigued. The woman absolutely fascinated him.

Clearly, Joanne had issues with his wealth. Luke couldn’t help but wonder if it was because her own history had been so substantially modest. If what everyone said about her was true, Joanne hadn’t been blessed with the privileged life that had been advantaged to him.

Luke admired that Joanne had risen above the hand that had been dealt to her to be where she was today. Luke understood that without her will and determination and the strength of her convictions, her life could have followed a very different path. It was apparent that Joanne had challenged herself to do better, and failing had not been an option. Instinctively, Luke sensed that he knew exactly how to fix the issues between them. Joanne was clearly a woman who responded to a challenge, and Luke was intent on giving her one. The light-bulb moment had him grinning from ear to ear.

Mrs. Woodrow, the octogenarian who sat beside him, chuckled into his ear, her voice low as if the two were conspiring together. “Don’t know that she ever been married or nothin’. Ain’t never seen her wit’ no man since I been comin’ here.”

“Is that right?” Luke whispered back, dealing another hand of gin rummy.

The old woman nodded. “Hear she live in ’dem apartments over on Fourth Street. You know the ones I’m talking ’bout, ’dem go’berment projects just befo’ you gets to the schoolhouse.”

“Yes, ma’am, I know those.”

“Now, ’um not one to gossip, but I hear her mama use to clean houses to put her through ’dat college she went to.”

Amusement painted his expression. “You don’t say! What about her father? What did he do?”

“Don’t know ’dat she had no daddy. But you might want to ask Miss Lucy. She ’da one come every Wednesday for the clinic with ’dat bad wig.” The woman shook her head, her expression voicing her displeasure. “Wig all tore up! And it’s so red! A woman her age don’t need to be wearing no red hair!”

Luke laughed. “Maybe you should give her some tips, Mrs. Woodrow. Everyone knows you have some of the prettiest hair around here.”

Devilment shimmered in the old woman’s eyes. She giggled softly, waving one frail hand in Luke’s direction as she pulled the other through the wealth of silver curls she wore. “Hush yo’ mouth!”

Luke gave her a dazzling smile, moving the woman to giggle even more. “Sure looks pretty to me, Mrs. Woodrow,” he said, flattering her shamelessly.

“Gin!” the woman cackled, snapping her cards to the table.

The man shook his head. “Young lady, you keep distracting me! I’m never going to win a hand if you keep this up.” He smiled brightly.

Mrs. Woodrow grinned, thin lips pulling back over ill-fitting dentures. She leaned in close, her voice dropping an octave as she resumed her whispering. “A girl like Joanne just needs to find her a good man. She spends too much time down here at this center. All the mens here are either old, married, worthless or all the above.” The woman tapped Luke’s chest with a wrinkled finger. “Yup, Joanne needs her a good man. You don’t have you a wife, do you?”

A smile pulled at Luke’s mouth. “No, ma’am, I don’t.”

“Didn’t think so. ’Cause if you did you wouldn’t a had no biz’ness to be asking so many questions about Joanne.”

The conversation was interrupted as little Bryson eased his way between them, leaning a bony elbow on Mrs. Woodrow’s knee. The woman chuckled softly as she brushed a hand over his head, patting the child gently against his back. “What ’chu want, baby?”

“Mizz Joanne wants Mr. Luke. She wants some help wit’ some boxes.”

“What ’da magic word?” the old woman scolded gently.

“P’ease. She said p’ease come help wit’ da boxes, Mr. Luke.”

“I sure will. Thank you, Bryson,” Luke said, moving onto his feet. “Would you like to take my place and play cards with Mrs. Woodrow?”

The young boy grinned widely. “Can we play Go Fish? I like ’dat game.”

Mrs. Woodrow skewed her face, her cheeks sinking as if she’d bitten into something sour. “I don’t think I knows ’dat game, baby.”

“I’ll show you, okay?” Bryson said, reaching for the deck of cards. “I’ll show you good!”

Leaving the two to maneuver through Bryson’s version of Go Fish, Luke sauntered over to where Joanne was waiting. A hopeful expression blessed the woman’s face, her usual reserve heightened with a touch of anxiety. She met his smile with a faint one of her own.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt, but one of the local restaurants just donated cases of canned goods for the food bank and we need as many hands as we can to get them off the truck.”

“No problem. I’m glad to be of service,” Luke answered, following behind as she led the way to the delivery bay at the rear of the building. “So, how are you doing today?”

Joanne nodded. “I’m well, thank you,” she responded. She cringed, painfully aware that her formal responses and extended periods of silence were starting to wear thin. She was grateful that he was behind her, unable to see the dismay on her face.

The man had been volunteering for well over a week, and when she hadn’t been avoiding him, she would only allow them to exchange fragments of polite conversation until she could find reason to turn tail and run. She could only imagine what he had to be thinking about her. But this wasn’t her, and Joanne didn’t have a clue why she was reacting so nervously to Luke being around. But his presence was working her nerves like no other man had ever done before.

Joanne couldn’t begin to explain why Luke Stallion had her so anxious, but every time she was near him she broke out into a cold sweat. The first few times they’d encountered each other it had been Luke who’d been bumbling and stumbling with anxiety. Now suddenly he was too cool, too smooth and too cocky as he strutted around the center like a prize bull. Joanne, on the other hand, couldn’t seem to get it together.

Luke continued to chat as if nothing was awkward between them. He suddenly paused, stopping in his tracks as he gently touched her shoulder, moving Joanne to stop in hers.

Luke took a step forward, sandwiching Joanne between him and the wall. He resisted the urge to draw his finger along the curve of her cheek, wanting to relish the sensation of her silken skin.

“I just wanted you to know that I wasn’t offended by your attitude the other day.”

“Excuse me?” Startled, Joanne lifted her eyes to stare at him, her eyebrows raised as high as the pitch in her voice.

He repeated himself. “That attitude you gave me. In case you were concerned, I didn’t take it personally.” The look on Luke’s face was smug, amusement gleaming in his eyes. His gaze was so deep that Joanne felt every nerve ending in her body stiffen.

Clearly peeved by his assertion, she suddenly crossed her arms over her chest, one foot tapping the concrete floor anxiously. She forced herself to bite back a caustic reply, saying instead, “I don’t recall giving you
attitude
. I was just expressing an opinion.” She was a bit chagrined by his arrogance, but that stare was unnerving her more. She found herself fighting not to stare back. She made herself focus on the fire alarm box that decorated the wall right behind his head.

“Clearly you misinterpreted our conversation. I was just expressing my point,” she said, hoping that there was much attitude in her reply.

Luke chuckled. “Oh, really. Well, I appreciate that. As you can see, I took your opinion to heart. That’s why I’m volunteering.”

Joanne drew a hand beneath her chin, her fingers falling against her neck. “Good for you.”

“I thought you’d be happy about that.”

“You have to do what works for you, Mr. Stallion, not what works for me.”

Luke nodded slowly. “What would work for me is if you and I could start all over again. Somehow I think we got off on the wrong foot, and I’d like to make up for that. I hope we can be friends. I would really like for us to be good friends.” Luke took a step toward her, seeming to tower above her full frame. “Maybe we can do dinner tonight? If you’re not busy?”

Unnerved, Joanne took a step back, moving right up against the egg-shell-colored wall, visibly shaken by the nearness of him. The smile that pulled at his full lips seemed to widen with understanding. Luke sensed that he’d touched a nerve.
What audacity!
Joanne mused as she slipped to her left side, needing to put some space between the two of them. She spun about on her heels, feeling as if she were about to break out into a full gallop. As the man sauntered easily behind her, she still didn’t bother to answer his question.

Minutes later, with their chore accomplished, Luke brushed the dust from his hands onto his jeans. His gaze met Joanne’s again, the woman fighting not to stare at him. He sensed that she wanted to say something, the words seemingly caught on her tongue. He didn’t give her an opportunity, instead saying what he had hoped to say before.

“Do you dance, Joanne?”

“Excuse me?”

“Dance. Do you dance?” he repeated.

Joanne leaned her weight on one full hip. She met his stare. “I can.”

“Do you salsa?”

Joanne smiled. “I do.”

“There’s a great club in downtown Dallas called the Tom Cat Club. Do you know it?”

Recognition painted her expression. “I’ve heard of it,” she said casually.

“It’s a nice place. The food is good and the music is on point. A group of us get together every now and then for dinner and dancing. I was thinking that maybe you could join us tonight. It’s a group thing. Are you interested?”

A pregnant pause filled the space between them as Joanne assessed her options.
If I say yes, then he might think I’m interested in him. If I say no, then he might think I’m not interested in him. But it isn’t a date. It’s a group thing. A group date couldn’t be taken the wrong way. I could do a group thing.
Joanne blew a deep sigh, second thoughts flooding her mind. It wasn’t a good idea for her to be mixing center business with personal pleasure. But then again, she hadn’t gone out in ages. And dinner and dancing might be fun. After all, it wasn’t like they would be alone together, and he needed to know that Joanne Lake didn’t have attitude!

“That sounds like fun,” she finally answered, her cheeks heated. She inhaled, filling her lungs with air, then blowing it past her pink-tinted lips. “I’d love to.”

Luke grinned broadly. “Great. I’ll meet you there around seven o’clock.”

She nodded. “I’ll see you then.”

“See you later, buddy!” he chimed as he lifted his hand in a quick good-bye and moved down the hall away from her.

Watching until he disappeared out of sight, Joanne shook her head in dismay.
Buddy?