Then Came You
by Martha Kennerson
Chapter 1
India Slone whisked through the double doors that led from the VIP terminal to a circular driveway at the rear of the airport where the private jets were housed. She stood for a moment to allow her eyesight to adjust to the sunlight as she fished out a pair of Chanel sunglasses from her purse.
“Good morning, Ms. India,” Davis, her long-time driver, called as he stood holding open the door of the shiny black Mercedes limousine.
“Good morning, Davis,” India replied. She reached out and gave her long-time friend and employee a quick hug.
“How was your trip?” he asked, taking her bags. “Do you own a TV station now?”
“Everything went fine. And it’s a small radio station,” she clarified, handing him her overnight bag while holding onto her briefcase. “And yes, I now own it.”
“That’s our girl.” He gave her a wide smile. “Ms. Rochelle put your clothes in the backseat, and I’ve already raised the privacy partition.”
“Thanks, Davis. How much time do I have?”
“There’s no Saturday traffic, so I’ll have you there in fifteen minutes,” he assured.
In the back of the limo, India quickly exchanged her business suit for a pair of form-fitting jeans and an event t-shirt with her company’s logo stamped prominently on the back. She took out a wipe and removed her makeup. After trading five-inch heels for a pair of wedge heel tennis shoes made especially for the event, she looked down at her feet and frowned. “Rochelle, I’m going to kill you.” The shoes reminded her of something a teenager would wear.
India hated dressing down in public; it only made things worse. Her flawless skin, small frame and petite stature often caused people to believe she was her early twenties. Most women would have found that flattering, but India did not. She’d worked too hard to make her company a success. Being taken for a young, inexperienced girl instead of an extremely capable executive was difficult for her to accept. She had particular problems with men who hadn’t achieved even a semblance of the success that she had. They certainly learned the hard way that she would leave them eating her dust if they couldn’t respect her intellect, accomplishments, or ambition.
She had just pulled her long, black hair into a high ponytail and dusted her face with powder when the car came to a halt at the side of the University of Houston’s Hofheinz Pavilion, a sprawling multi-purpose arena located in the city’s Third Ward.
India hit the button so the privacy partition descended. “We’re here, and Ms. Rochelle is waiting for you,” Davis said before leaving the driver’s seat.
She turned to see her very efficient assistant heading for the car, wearing the same company outfit, minus the shoes.
Within seconds, the limo door opened.
“Thanks, Davis. I’ll see you in a couple of hours,” India instructed.
He smiled down at her and said, “You really do look adorable.”
“Don’t,” she shot back at him through narrowed eyes but with a curve of her lips that signaled she wasn’t too upset.
“Right on time,” Rochelle Lewis—a tall, ivory, blue-eyed beauty—called out to her. Rochelle offered a bright smile as she handed over a stack of messages. Her blond ponytail bounced with each step. “And by the looks of this turn out, you won’t have any trouble getting the funds or the support you need for the center. They’ll be making the introductions shortly.”
India walked alongside her assistant, reviewing the messages—most of which were from the same person—and into the arena where the first of many events scheduled to occur over the weekend was about to begin.
“Who’s Mia Green, anyway?” Rochelle asked, looking down at the messages India held. “She keeps calling, and she’s rude.”
India smirked. “She works for the school.”
“She sure wants to talk to you,” Rochelle huffed. “When I tried to ask what it was about, she got all uppity and just said that you’d know.”
“It’s just some old personal business I need to deal with. Nothing for you to worry about.”
India scanned the huge space, focusing on the large stage that had been raised in the middle of the court and the draped area at its side. As she began to take in the near-endless sea of people, her eyes met a set of dark orbs that seemed to brighten the moment their gazes locked.
Those eyes were on the face of the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen. He was leaning against the wall, his hands firmly tucked into the pockets of a pair of blue slacks, his feet crossed at the ankles. His olive skin was the perfect complement to a fine beard and a mass of curly dark hair. Broad shoulders, muscular arms, and flat stomach had his event shirt screaming for relief. He had to be over six feet tall, close to a foot over her five-foot-three frame. Her whole body came to life in a way it never had before.
The beautiful stranger gifted her with a sexy smile that knocked the wind out of her, causing her to miss a step and stumble. “Damn.”
Rochelle caught India’s arm, preventing a fall and complete humiliation. “You all right?” she asked, trying unsuccessfully to hide a grin when she followed.
India righted herself and smiled. “Yes, thanks.” She turned back to where the man had been standing, only to find that he’d moved on.
Nice going, India.
At least she’d saved herself from another gorgeous disappointment. She followed Rochelle to an empty space along the side of the stage to wait.
“Girl, there are some fine men here,” Rochelle declared. “If you play your cards right, even you can get hooked up.”
“Even me?” India ventured.
Rochelle stiffened for a hot second, then gave a nonchalant wave. “You know what I mean.”
“No … I don’t,” she said, patting her shoes on the carpet.
“Don’t get your panties all in a bunch,” Rochelle said, tapping the screen of her iPad. “On the other hand, maybe you should.”
“What?”
Rochelle held the iPad to her side. “Look, when was the last time you let yourself go and had a really good time with a sexy man?” She held up her hand. “Don’t answer that. I already know. You’re one of the coolest women I’ve ever met. You’re beautiful and rich as hell, but when you do take some time out of your busy schedule to go on a date, they’re with some dull ass men.”
India parted her lips to protest, but Rochelle silenced her with the waggle of her index finger. “I know you have to be careful of gold diggers, but come on. Even that man you were seeing a few months ago was a snooze fest.”
India grimaced, picturing Alfred Jefferies, a handsome stockbroker who was moderately successful. But like many before him, he couldn’t handle the power and fortune she’d amassed. She remembered his “we need to talk” request, along with the conclusion.
“He wasn’t that bad.”
Rochelle stared at her, letting silence carry the moment.
“All right, maybe he was a little dull,” India conceded, knowing that was one of the reasons she had secretly been relieved when it ended.
“Exactly!” Rochelle’s smile was victorious as people ambled near the staging area. “My bladder needs my attention a lot more than you do at the moment.”
“Okay …”
“I’ll be back before you need to go on stage,” she said to India. “I can’t miss seeing all those sexy looking men being auctioned off at tonight’s gala. I just might find my first ex-husband today.” Rochelle adjusted her shirt, making sure her perky breasts were on display.
India shook her head and laughed.
“I’m willing to put money on it that you’ll land one of those gorgeous firemen or at least a retired basketball player.”
India gave Rochelle a warning look.
Rochelle chuckled and made it a few feet away before India said, “Wait, you can leave your iPad with me.”
She handed it over and hurried away. India took a moment to check emails, trying to keep he
rself distracted so she wouldn’t go searching for that fierce-looking mystery man. India had plenty of important things on her plate at the moment. Landing a man wasn’t one of them.
Chapter 2
Jonathon Victor looked down to where she stood, and his heart skipped several beats. She was the most beautiful woman—well, girl, judging by her looks—he’d ever seen. Her smooth, caramel skin glowed with a freshness he found extremely sexy. That bright smile and the way she laughed with her whole body made him want to know what she found so humorous. Her long hair seemed to overpower her frame, but there was something about her stance—almost regal—that said she could handle anything that came her way.
Too bad she’s so young.
“Chief, I’m happy you made it,” Victoria Lowe said, sliding next to him and offering a flirtatious smile. Victoria was head of the outside accounting agency that had been hired to oversee the University’s weekend fundraising activities.
“Everyone’s very excited about seeing your guys, but having the top dog come out is a real honor.” Her lids lowered for a moment, and then she focused in on him. “Will you be at the gala tonight?”
“I haven’t decided yet,” Jonathon answered smoothly. “But I’m sure it’s going to be a big success whether I’m there or not.”
“Yes, but—”
“Excuse me, sir,” Lieutenant Brooks said, his gaze resting first on Jonathon then on Victoria. “Ms. Lowe, I need a word with the Chief if you don’t mind.”
A flash of disappointment lit those suggestive brown eyes of hers. “Of course,” she replied before turning her attention back to Jonathon. She placed a manicured hand on his chest and widened her smile. “I hope to see you tonight. I’ll save you a dance …” She leaned up towards his ear and added, “And a few other things, too.”
Victoria walked away, swaying an invitation to those “other things.”
“Damn, boss,” the lieutenant teased. “Is there any woman you can’t pull?”
Jonathon’s gaze focused on the beautiful girl standing next to the stage. A v-neck event shirt framed her ample breasts, and her fitted jeans accentuated a tiny waist and fleshy hips. He could only hope she was over twenty-five. He’d recently accepted a friendly drink from a woman who was just old enough to drink, but who couldn’t hold up her end of the conversation. It only took that one time, and he’d sworn off dating anyone unless they were mature and had substance. Yet, somehow he felt he could make an exception for the beauty he saw beside the stage. Men stared at her, but she didn’t seem to notice. For some reason, Jonathon did. And he didn’t like it.
“What’s up … everything all right, Brooks?” Jonathon asked.
“Yep,” the lieutenant answered. “You just looked like you needed to be rescued,” he said, folding his arms across his beefy chest.
“Rescued?” Jonathon’s head snapped to the younger man.
“Let’s face it. You haven’t gone out since … well you know …”
“Yes, I know, but what does that have to do with you thinking I needed to be rescued from Victoria?” Jonathon’s gaze shifted to the human Betty Boop who was looking at both of them over her shoulder. “She’s harmless.”
“Hardly. How do I say this?” Brooks scratched his chin. “She’s not exactly the kind of woman you go out with after … you know.”
“You don’t have to keep dancing around the subject,” Jonathon snapped. “My engagement ended ten months ago. I’m fine. I can certainly take care of myself where women are concerned.” He scanned the stage area, finding the beautiful girl who seemed more mature than impetuous—at least he hoped so.
“But we both know Jennifer really did a number on you.”
Jennifer Cramer thought her money and power could turn Jonathon into something her parents found acceptable. When she realized that he wouldn’t play along, she ended the relationship. Jennifer never understood Jonathon’s need to be so socially conscious; both professionally and personally. Her idea of giving back was writing a check up to the IRS limits and walking away.
“It’s history.” Jonathon clenched his hands at his side. “There’ll never be another woman like Jennifer Cramer in my life again. End of story.”
“If you say so,” Brooks said, but his tone expressed something else entirely. “Have you seen the she-devil yet?”
“Who?” Jonathon asked, frowning.
“You know… the woman trying to steal the Scott property out from under us.”
Jonathon shook his head. “I wouldn’t know if I had. I haven’t met her yet, remember? I don’t even know her name. I barely know it’s a woman heading up the group.”
“Probably some old biddy with too much time and money on her hands who doesn’t give a damn about the neighborhood.”
“Cool it, man. Whoever she is obviously cares about the community; she just wants something different for it than we do.”
Brooks folded his arms across his chest. “Always the diplomat. Well, a volunteer firehouse is better for the community than another place to house books … we have two libraries already.”
“First off, it’s a resource center and second, I’m not opposed to it; just its location.”
“So what are you going to do about it?” Brooks asked.
Jonathon’s shoulders relaxed before he placed his hands in his pockets. “Our group is going to outbid hers, then we’ll convince the school’s advisory committee to use some of the funds they raise today to support the on-going needs of the firehouse,” he explained confidently.
Brooks matched his stance. “Good luck with that; I hear the people backing the center have pretty deep pockets.”
“Well, so do we; the local businesses in the area recognize how important the firehouse is to the community.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Looks like they’re ready to get started,” Jonathon said, noticing that more people were filing into the staging area.
He left Brooks behind and made his way through the crowd to where the mystery girl stood. “Shouldn’t you be in class?” He smiled down at her, pleased to see her slender fingers stop gliding over the screen of the iPad.
She looked up, and Jonathon suddenly found himself looking into a set of the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen.
“Gorgeous,” he murmured.
Smooth man, real smooth.
The hazel-eyed beauty blinked and gave her head a small shake. “School?” she frowned.
Jonathon’s smile widened. “I mean, should you even be over here?” He checked his surroundings before focusing on the beauty once again.
Her forehead creased. “What do you mean?”
“Well, this is a holding area for sponsors,” he replied. “You work for one of them or something?”
Her smile widened, and for a moment, he could swear there was a mischievous twinkle in those golden orbs. “Something like that.”
Great. I’m lusting after a young volunteer.
“A volunteer, huh? Nice. For what company?” he asked, staring into her eyes.
Her tongue wet her bottom lip and Jonathon’s sex went hard as steel—a reaction he hadn’t had to any woman since …
“Slone and Associates. You know them?” she asked, holding his gaze.
Jonathon was so captivated by her eyes that he hadn’t heard her question. There was something strong yet vulnerable about them, like she’d seen a lot in her short time on the planet. His whole body was on alert and responding to her nearness, and he didn’t even know her name.
“Have you?”
“Sorry … have I what?” Jonathon asked, trying to cover his momentary lapse.
“Slone and Associates. Have you heard of them?”
“Yes, of course,” he replied. “They’re a big advertising company downtown and the main sponsor for this event. You volunteering for them or interning or something like that?”
“Or something,” she said, smiling as the words crossed her lips, but something about that smile wasn’t qu
ite right.
“I’m sorry. We’ve done all this talking, and I haven’t asked your name.”
“If you’ll excuse me.” She gave him a cursory nod, then walked over to where a woman stood gesturing for her to come forward.
Chapter 3
India made it to Rochelle’s side, but took another glance at the man whose baritone voice had held her captive for those few minutes.
“Ms. Slone, I’m Dylan Ray, Dean of Student Affairs,” a tall, dark-skinned, attractive man said, taking her hand and gripping it a little longer than necessary. “It’s so wonderful to finally meet you in person. Thank you so much for your support. You know, video conferences really don’t do you justice.”
India smiled and removed her hand. When he inched toward her, she instinctively took a step back. “Thank you. It’s my pleasure. Helping the next generation prepare for their future is important to me.”
“With the money you’ve already donated, along with all the money we’re expecting to raise from this weekend’s activities, we should be able to buy the land next week without too much of a problem. Then we’ll break ground on the new resource center in the spring,” he assured her.
“That’s wonderful, but what problem could there be?” she said, her gaze still connected to the stranger across the room.
“Nothing really, there’s just another community group after the land, too.”
India frowned and tilted her head slightly. “Another group? I wasn’t told about any other party being interested.”
He waved off her concern with a flick of his hand. “It’s nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about. They don’t have the funds or the support needed to get the property.”
Signed, Sealed, Delivered ... I'm Yours Page 31
