Mark: BWWM Romance (Members From Money Book 11)

by Katie Dowe

  “Most definitely.” She felt foolish saying it again and forced herself not to turn back to look at him. She wanted to walk with a spring in her step and a song in her heart.

  She arrived at the office and after giving her boss her coffee, she flew into her office and closed the door behind her, taking deep breaths to calm herself. “Get a hold of yourself, girl. It’s just dinner and it might not turn out right. He might not like the way you eat your lobster and he might eat like a slob and turn you off,” she said to herself, but she had a feeling that it would not be like that!

  ******

  Mark smiled and nodded as his sister and her friends talked a mile a minute. His mother was talking to her friends and sipping her wine with a smile on her attractive face. Linda Seville was still an attractive woman who had turned sixty today. She had lost her husband to diabetes and heart failure ten years ago and had never been with anyone else since. She was a retired judge who now spent her time doing charity work especially for abused children and despaired of her children settling down and finding the proper mate. Mark glanced over at his sister and an indulgent smile lit his face. They looked alike enough for people to know that they were twins with the same shade hair that had been passed on from their mother and the unusual eyes, except he was well over six feet while she was petite and bordered on being a little plump like their mother. She was a pediatric nurse who took her work home with her and could not wait to get married and have children of her own. Her boyfriend Luke was also a nurse and they worked at the same hospital.

  She came closer to him and led him towards the sofa that was unoccupied. “Penny for your thoughts?”

  “They are worth way more than that,” he told her teasingly.

  “We were talking and you did not hear a word that was said.”

  “I was thinking about my next song,” he lied smoothly. He had been thinking about Latoya Cross and found that he could not wait to have dinner with her on Friday. Today was Tuesday and it seemed too far away.

  Stephanie eyed him suspiciously. They were very close, but Mark tended to be on the reserved side often going off by himself to think. She was a regular chatterbox and could not be silent if they paid her. “Mother seems happy. Aren’t you glad that you agreed to chip in for the party?”

  “Judge Reynolds seems to be talking her ear off,” Mark said in amusement as he watched his mother nodded politely. “I bet she is dying to excuse herself.”

  “You are terrible.” Stephanie punched him in the arm. “Are you sure you are okay?”

  “Positive.” He touched her cheek gently. “Stop worrying. I cannot wait for you to get a child or two so you can transfer your attention to them.”

  “I am still going to harass you.”

  They looked up to see their mother in front of them. “How about a dance with your old lady?” she asked with a smile.

  “You are never getting old.” Mark got to his feet gracefully and took her into his arms and onto the space cleared for dancing.

  “I am worried about you,” she told him, her eyes meeting his.

  “No need to be.” He bent and kissed her cheek. “I am a big boy and I can take care of myself.”

  She looked at him levelly for a moment and then nodded.

  He left as soon as he was able and went straight home, his thoughts on Latoya Cross!

  Chapter 2

  Latoya was nervous like a cat on a hot tin roof! She had hurried home from work early telling her employer that she had an emergency and had gone home to change out of her casual Friday outfit of bright blue denims and silk blue top. She had taken a shower wishing she had the time to soak in chamomile and jasmine, but she had to make do with the sweet smelling body wash that was supposed to relax you. She had rummaged frantically in her small closet looking at the clothes there in despair of finding one suitable thing, but she had come upon a dusky pink dress with cotton sleeves and flared skirt that made her waist appear smaller than usual. She scooped her hair up and twisted it into a neat chignon securing it with pins while looking at the result critically. She had applied light makeup not wanting to appear as if she was trying too hard even if she was! Dangling gold earrings and bracelets completed the ensemble. She paired it with strappy black sandals with medium heels and she was ready.

  She hesitated a bit wondering if he had said five or after five. She did not want to go and have to wait sitting there looking like an idiot. She waited a few more minutes before she left her apartment and went looking for a cab.

  Her heart thundered in her chest as she went inside the dim restaurant and saw him at the bar. The light shone on his dark brown hair with the blonde highlights. He looked up and saw her and his gaze was arresting as he swept her from head to toe before coming over to her. “I almost did not recognize you,” he murmured softly. “You look different,” he added. People went around them as they stood there staring at each other. Latoya could smell the heady scent of his aftershave and she noticed the way the black t-shirt stretched tautly over his muscled chest. Her eyes drifted up to the cleft in his chin and his mouth had her catching her breath. His unusual eyes held hers hypnotically and she could have sworn he had touched her, so aware of him she was. He took her arm and guided her to a corner booth, his fingers curling around her arm heightening her senses. He pulled out a chair for her and waited until she was seated before going to his and taking a seat. A waiter materialized out of nowhere and took their order.

  “I like that shade of lipstick on you,” he murmured as soon as the waiter had moved away. Her heart was pounding so hard that she was sure he heard it from across the simple Formica table. “Forgive me for being so forward but I could not help it.”

  “It’s okay,” she said breathlessly, feeling foolish for sounding like a teenager who was meeting her idol face to face for the first time.

  Their food arrived shortly after saving the situation. Her eyes widened as she tasted her lobster and he laughed in approval. “What did I tell you?”

  “You were right,” she murmured, putting some more of the soft butter-like meat inside her mouth and closing her eyes. His eyes narrowed as he looked at her and he felt the stirring of desire deep inside him. He did not have time for a relationship as he had told his sister because he needed to concentrate on his writing, but she brought out something in him.

  He decided to talk about inane matters to get his mind off how her mouth would taste beneath his! “So, Latoya Cross, what do you do?”

  “I am a legal secretary at a law firm.” She told him the name and saw his flare of recognition.

  “I was a lawyer,” he said briefly as she looked at him. “I decided that I wanted to follow my dream and write songs for a living but so far nothing is happening. Maybe I need a muse.” His eyes strayed to her lips again and she felt it slamming inside her this time with more intensity!

  “I am sure it will happen soon,” she murmured.

  “I certainly hope so. My mother is starting to wonder what kind of a man I am to give up a very lucrative career to settle for an uncertain one and my sister is beginning to think I have lost several screws,” He said wryly.

  “You have a sister?” Her tone was decidedly wistful and Mark looked at her sharply.

  “No siblings?”

  She shook her head. “My mother died a year ago.” She went into the details of her parents briefly and he looked at her in sympathy.

  “My dad died some time ago and Mother never remarried. He was the love of her life. Stephanie and I are very close as twins can get, but sometimes she is the proverbial pain in the neck.”

  “Do you look alike?” she asked him fascinated.

  “Physically,” he told her with a smile. “I often refer to her as ‘Shorty.’”

  “You are close.” It was not a question because she could see it in his face.

  “Hmm.” He leaned back and sipped his wine. “What is a beautiful woman like you doing sitting with me on a Friday? No significant other?”

  �
��No.” She laughed at him and his breath caught at the transformation. She was exquisite! “What about you?”

  “Too busy with trying to find the right words and lyrics.” He leaned forward and Latoya felt when the atmosphere changed. “You have a beautiful smile.” He had abandoned his wine and used one hand to lift her chin. “It does something to a man.”

  “You sound as if you are writing your song,” she said shakily.

  Suddenly, he dropped her chin and reaching for a napkin he scribbled something on it.

  “May I see it?” she asked, leaning forward to try and see what he had written. He folded the napkin and put it into the pocket of his pants.

  “Not just yet,” he told her with a grin. He signaled the waiter for the check and her heart sank, thinking that the date was over. “How about a walk on the seaside?”

  “Sounds like a good idea,” she said, pushing back her chair. He got up and came around to help her up. To her surprise, he took her hand as they made their way out. There were several other couples with the same idea and they made their way along the boardwalk inhaling the scent of the sea and enjoying the balmy weather.

  “I have a boat that I take out sometimes. I have not done so in a long time,” he murmured, slowing down his long strides to match her shorter ones. “It’s a small dinghy, nothing like a yacht,” he added, grinning down at her.

  “What a disappointment,” she said with an exaggerated sigh causing him to laugh.

  “I like you, Latoya Cross,” he murmured as soon as they came to the end of the boardwalk.

  “I like you too, Mark Seville,” she murmured, her mouth dry. He had stopped, forcing her to do so as well. They stood there facing each other, his arm coming up to clasp her arms.

  “What are we going to do about it?”

  She shook her head, her throat closing up. He tilted her head up and bent his to brush her lips with his slowly. Latoya’s lips parted, her breath escaping her. He lifted his head and looked down at her, his eyes a shade darker than they were before. Before she could say anything to him, he ducked his head and took her lips with his, bringing her closer to him. Latoya curled her fingers into the softness of his shirt, her body pliant and yielding. His tongue met hers and tangled as he explored the softness inside. Mark felt the desire exploding in him, his body hardening. He wanted to stop! Somewhere in his mind the voice was warning him to stop, but the hold on his body was too much for him! It was the laughter coming up to them that had them breaking apart. They stood there only a few inches apart looking at each other, their breathing irregular and their desires heightened. A slight breeze had sprung up to cool the air and the couples were heading back to wherever they were going but still they stood there. He moved abruptly and tugged his fingers through his hair messing it up before dropping his hands to his sides. “We should go.” His voice was hoarse as he looked at her.

  She nodded, unable to speak, just feeling the trembling of her body and his mouth on hers!

  He took her home in his black Cherokee and the silence continued after she had directed him to where she lived. When he pulled up outside her apartment, she wanted to invite him up so much that she almost said it but forced herself to remain silent.

  “Well, I guess I will see you.”

  He nodded and smiled at her briefly without saying anything. She got out and hurried in, closing and locking the door behind her. She heard when he drove away, and leaning her head against the door, she sighed heavily wondering if she was ever going to see him again!

  ******

  She did not see him for a week. She had expected him to call her over the weekend but remembered that they had not exchanged numbers. They had exchanged saliva but had not exchanged numbers. She had spent the time delving in her cleaning and preparing for the coming week by sorting out what she was wearing in order to put him out of her mind. She had succeeded partially except when she had sat down to have her solitary meal of baked potato and roast beef. He had kissed her! She closed her eyes as she remembered the sensation of his mouth on hers. His tongue tangling with hers and the heat turning her body into liquid fire! She had wanted him and to her shame she realized that if he had suggested that she go to his place she would gone there readily. She had always been a prude. Coretta had accused her of that so many times while they had been together. “For goodness sakes, Latoya, give it up! What are you waiting for? Are you going to go back to the Creator the way you came?” She had finally succumbed and had gotten involved with Bobby Vale in college, but the relationship had not lasted very long before she realized that he was a player who wanted to be in total control. She had quickly dumped him before it was too late! She had then made the decision that she would never get involved unless it was going to lead to marriage, no matter what Coretta said.

  She sipped her white wine contemplatively as she stared off in front of her. She had grown up with both parents and had never felt as if she really belonged. They were always wrapped up in each other always managing to surface long enough to make sure she had food to eat and that she was doing well in school. She had watched them cuddling together and excluding her and she had turned to her toys sadly pretending that they were children for her to play with. Latoya drank down the wine to get the bitter taste out of her mouth. It was the past and she did not want to dwell too much on it.

  Getting up, she took her plates to the sink to wash them out. Time enough to deal with Mark Seville when she saw him at the café.

  But he was not there. On Monday, she had thought that maybe he had some things to deal with and he did not show. She had made it through the day even though her mind was on him but she did not worry too much. Tuesday came and there was no sign of him and then Wednesday and Thursday. By that time, she was such a wreck that she found herself making mistakes and having to type over one document twice. She saw her boss looking at her strangely and it was then that she decided that enough was enough! She had met the man recently and he had kissed her once. Surely it was not enough for her to be behaving as if she had lost her best friend! By Friday, she could manage to go to the café and only look at the spot where he usually was – once.

  Saturday and Sunday was not so easy, but she managed with a determination that was innate! Mark Seville had wanted to experiment and she had been willing. That was that!

  *****

  Mark was frustrated! He had gone home that night after he had kissed her and had not been able to sleep. He had tried drinking some strong black coffee, but it reminded him of her so that had been a dead end. He had made the decision deliberately not to go to the café for the entire week but to stay at his apartment and try to write something. He kept thinking about the texture of her skin, the way her lips tasted, and her moan as he pressed her body closer to his. He had sat by his pool with his laptop propped up against his knees and stared out at the dazzling sunshine and the birds nesting in a maple tree. He had not done a lick of work so the joke had been on him!

  His mother had called and asked him to come over to deal with something for her and he had gone over reluctantly.

  He had found her sitting by her pool and reading the latest Alex Cross novel. His mother had retired from the court house, but she still had a penchant for novels steeped in action and drama.

  “Darling, pull up a chair for a minute.” She secured the place she had been reading with a book mark and placed the book at the end of the lounge chair. “How is the writing going?”

  “It’s going.” He shrugged slightly as he sat next to her.

  “I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but I really think you should get back out there. You are a good lawyer and that is where you belong. Will you at least think about it? I can make a phone call to the district attorney and you can start working immediately.”

  He was almost tempted. Lord knows he had been trying and the rejections were getting to him but he had promised himself that he would give it time. He wanted to write, it was just that the material was not coming together the way
he hoped. “No, thank you, Mother.” He lifted his hand and stilled her protest. “I promise you I won’t become so broke that I am going to have to live off you and Steph,” he said teasingly. “But seriously, Mother, I am going to make it and you taught us never to give up.”

  “I believe in you,” she said with a sigh, looking at her handsome son with pride. “Okay, darling, I have done my motherly duty. Now let’s get you working for your mother.”

  ******

  In spite of her firm resolve, Latoya’s heart jolted when she saw him in his familiar corner Monday morning. July had given way to August and the heat had intensified. She had chosen a light floral cotton dress and teamed it with a small red jacket and had pinned her hair up to get it out of the way and to try and keep cool. She saw him the minute she came in although she had told herself that she was not going to look over there. Their eyes met and held for a moment before she looked away going to get her order. She had to take several deep breaths before she could get her breathing under control. She collected her order and made her way out, but he was standing in front of her. “I owe you an apology.” His voice was forcing her to look into his amazing eyes.

  “You don’t owe me anything.” She settled for cool and succeeded.

  “An explanation at least,” he said persuasively. “How about having lunch with me at Claudine’s?” he asked, referring to the busy lunch place around the corner.

  She almost said yes! She almost abandoned every sensible thing she had told herself, but she had a brief to finish typing and some urgent research to do before the end of the day. “I am working through lunch.” She hated that she sounded regretful.

  “How about dinner?”

  “Look, Mark, we obviously made a mistake and I think we should nip it in the bud right here. You said you have your writing to focus on and I have…” She waved the latte vaguely. “I have things to sort out in my head so why don’t we leave it?”