James (Members From Money Book 34)

by Katie Dowe

  James

  Will he be patient enough to work through her issues?

  A sexy overcoming hardship romance by Katie Dowe of BWWM Club.

  Kennedy is trying to put her life back together after an abusive relationship when she meets Chinese billionaire James at a self-defense class.

  Little do they know how their chance meeting will completely change their lives!

  Despite James falling head-over-heels for the beautiful Kennedy, she is having a difficult time opening up to him…

  She is reserved and very cautious, but James realizes that there is something about her that he wants desperately to protect!

  And he is more than willing to do what it takes to make sure Kennedy feels safe with him.

  But can Kennedy find a way to heal from her past and accept James’ love?

  Find out in this emotional yet sexy romance by Katie Dowe of BWWM Club.

  Suitable for over 18s only due to sizzling hot sex scenes!

  Tip: Search BWWM Club on Amazon to see more of our great books.

  Free: Get Jason from the Members From Money series where YOU'RE the star!!

  Hi there. As a special thank you for buying this ebook, for a limited time I want to send a copy of Jason free of charge directly to your email! It's a personalized story, meaning you'll add a few details about yourself (these won't be shared with anyone else) and you'll become the star of the story!! :D

  You'll be emailed a new chapter once a day for 7 days. You can get it by clicking the cover below or going here:

  Direct link: www.afroromancebooks.com/personalized-jason-members-from-money

  This book is so exclusive you can't even buy it. As well as sending daily emails with the story, I'll also send you updates when new books like this are available.

  Copyright © 2018 to Katie Dowe and AfroRomanceBooks.com. No part of this book can be copied or distributed without written permission from the above copyright holders.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

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  Chapter 1

  Kennedy struggled to fight her way out of the awful oppressive dream. She felt as if a fog was weighing her down and icy fingers were wrapped around her throat. It was always the same. It had been almost a year since he'd died and still the nightmares continued. She finally struggled out of her sleep and jumped up off the pillows, her fingers going to her throat as if she could still feel his fingers wrapped around her skin. She blinked at the darkness and automatically glanced at the bedside clock. The blinking red lights revealed that it was almost two a.m. With a ragged sigh she tunneled her fingers through her already tangled dark hair and dug her nails into the scalp. Maybe some tea would help. She slid off the bed and shoved her feet into her furry bed slippers, reaching for her robe to put on over her pajamas. She shivered slightly as she made her way through the darkened rooms, turning on lights as she went. It was two days after Christmas and the prediction had turned out to be true. A white Christmas had surfaced after many years of there not being one. It should have been a time of excitement and joy for her but she hadn't felt happy for a very long time. She shook her head and went to put the pot on. She wasn't supposed to dwell on the past. The future was right before her and looked very bright. That was what the pastor at the church she had turned to for refuge had told her. She flexed her fingers to stop them from trembling and went to find the chamomile pouch. She thought about calling her sister but decided against it. Joan would probably want to leave her home and rush right over and she didn't want to do that to her. She had to learn to handle things on her own. At least that was what the group leader in the meeting she attended had told her. She had to learn to be strong again.

  She made the tea and took it with her to the living room where she curled up on the sofa and sipped it slowly. Her mind turned to work. It was easier that way. ‘Chocolate Delight’ had been a dream of hers and her friend Markeeta ever since they'd left college but she had doubted herself about it when she'd met him. Her mind shied away from going in that direction, and with a determination that had stood her well through that traumatic period in her life she thought about the store and how well it was doing. They sold chocolates and chocolate-based products. One section had the machines to make your own chocolate delight beverages and there was a section for the romantic at heart. They customized gift baskets for the special occasions in couples’ lives. Then there were the delightful pastries made out of chocolate that kept people coming back for more. Kennedy handled the books and the promos while her friend and partner Markeeta handled the baking and coming up with different ideas to wow people. They'd hired a girl for the register recently and it was working out pretty well. Kennedy furrowed her brows as she remembered that she hadn't made the deposit over the holidays and the store would be opened again for business tomorrow or later this morning. She had every intention of going in early this morning. She stared down into her cup and allowed her mind to drift for a moment to happier times. Her mother and dad had been happily married until one day out of the blue he'd told her mother that it wasn't working and had just up and left. It had taken Kerry Clarke a long time to get over it and pick herself up to take care of the two girls he'd left behind. He'd left when Kennedy was fifteen and her sister was seventeen. Kennedy had seen them together and had dreamt that when she got older and found a man for herself, they'd have what her parents had. Her dad leaving them like that had left a stamp on them that had never departed. He'd died two years later from a massive heart attack and her mother had mourned his departing all over again. She died two years after him, having never quite recovered. Then Joan had met and married a man two years after that. The marriage hadn't lasted a year before they were getting a divorce. She—her head snapped up and her mind switched gears automatically as she finished her tea. She was not going to think about it—she was moving into the future and was determined not to bring the baggage with her. She arose from the sofa and went into the kitchen to rinse out the mug, looking around to make sure everything was in the right place. She started to reach for the towel to wipe the moisture from the counter and, realizing what she was doing, she bundled up the cloth and dumped it onto the counter in an untidy heap, forcing herself to leave it like that. That was also in her past. He wasn't here anymore to demand that she fix it properly. He wasn't around to eviscerate her with his spiteful words. He wasn't here to slap her around if she showed any signs of fighting back and standing up to him. He was gone forever and she needed to remember that. Her knees buckled and she leaned against the wall, wrapping her arms around her stomach and trying to get rid of the trembling. He wasn't here anymore but his influence over her life still lived on.

  *****

  James Zhang got out of bed early that morning and did what he always does. He went straight to the gym he'd installed two bedrooms from his suite and started the rigid workout regime he had designed for his body. He never felt the need for a personal trainer because his body had been in that mode since he was a child growing up. His farther had seen to it that he and his sister were true to their traditions and learned martial arts since they were very little, and they had become masters of the craft. James had taken it further and had implemented a full workout along with his karate moves. He was powerful and well coiled with his long, lean body rippling with muscles. H
e stripped off his shirt and strapped on the boxing gloves. He was due at the hotel for a meeting at eight and he needed to get in at least an hour and a half before he showed up. He did this every morning to get his body prepared but he also did it so that he could exorcise demons. His little sister Julia had her own way of dealing with their past and he had his. He pummeled the bag hanging from the ceiling fiercely, his mind trained to concentrate on what he was doing. He always refused to let his mind wander and concentrated fiercely on the routine. He had earned his black belt in karate when he was only thirteen years old and even though he was very good at it he'd advanced even more. He knew his own power and restrained himself whenever he was riled. He punched at the bag furiously as he put a face to it. He'd done this every single time his father had lashed out at him, telling him to do more and be more. “You are a Zhang, boy, and that means you're better than everyone else around!” he'd told him coldly. “We own half the neighborhood. These people work for us so we have to show them that we're worthy of them being our employees.” Once when James was ten years old, his father had seen him playing with a neighborhood boy and had beat him within an inch of his life. “We don’t mingle with the help, boy, and you know that.”

  James had stopped having friends after that and had kept to himself. His past had turned him into a man with little emotion and he'd been determined never to let anyone get under his skin again. So far he'd been highly successful. But somehow his sister had come out of their father’s abuse with her sunny personality intact. No matter what James did or said she'd always stuck by him until he'd realized how much he loved her. She was the only one who could get him to change his mind about anything and get a smile from him.

  His father had died three years ago and his mother—a weak willed woman—had followed soon after, leaving James in charge of the vast fortune his father had built. They owned restaurants and hotels all over the country and had formed a dynasty that was respected throughout North America. He was a respected member of society and a member of the Elite club that his father had also been a member. There had been a karate tournament at the club in September and he'd been the on to organize it. He'd trained the members’ sons to fight but hadn't entered it because it would have been unfair to the boys for him to do so. He was not involved in a relationship because of his past and mostly because he was afraid that he would be like his father in the way he'd treated his mother.

  He pummeled the bag one last time and held it between his hands to stop the motion before walking over to the cooler to get a bottle of water. He stood before the full length mirror and stared at himself critically. He was well over six feet tall with golden brown skin, a broad forehead with glossy black hair that he kept short and sloe-like dark eyes. His Chinese heritage was apparent in his bearing and his stoic expression. He rarely smiled and when he did one could see the bright smile that made a vast difference to his sober expression. He moved from the mirror and, tilting the open bottle, he guzzled down the water, not stopping until he'd finished it. He tossed the empty bottle into the recycling bin and, picking up his shirt, he went back to his bedroom to get ready. He'd hired a housekeeper when he'd first gotten his apartment and for the first month or so had felt strange having someone picking up after him. His father hadn't believed in having anyone doing their housework and had told them that he worked hard to run a business so the women in his household should do their part and make sure the house was kept clean and food waiting for them when they got home. James had been dragged into learning the business from the ground up since he was nine years old and had started at the bottom. His sister and mother had stayed home and kept the house, having dinner waiting for them when they got home. Dinner had been a formal, silent nightmare that they'd had to endure every single night. His father had made sure they got the best education but as for love and a healthy relationship... he hadn't thought those were important. James strode into the bathroom and stripped off his clothes before going into the huge shower to turn on the jet sprays. He'd sold the lonely pathetic-looking house they'd grown up in as soon as both parents had died and had bought himself an apartment and one for his sister. He'd wanted to shed everything to do with his oppressive and painful past, but how could he?

  *****

  “You look as if the two days holiday didn't do you any good,” Markeeta commented as soon as she wandered into the office at seven-thirty. “Did you get any rest at all?”

  “Not enough sleep,” Kennedy said lightly as she took a break from the spreadsheet she was working on. “I kept thinking about the numbers and the bills I didn't remember to pay.” Markeeta was her friend but she didn't know the full story of her physical and emotional abuse. No one did except her sister Joan. She was too ashamed to share. She went to a support group on Tuesdays at the Zhang hotel a few blocks from the shop and was finally sharing a little bit of her past. She was still not fully there yet.

  “Not that you need any beauty sleep honey, but some sleep would help.” Markeeta put her purse into the locker and reached for her apron. “People are off the Christmas high now and will start getting depressed at how much they spent during the holidays. I was thinking a soothing chocolate drink to wallow in and also to serve as a pick-me-up.”

  Kennedy laughed, her mood lightening. “Only you would think of something like that. What do you have in mind?”

  “As soon as I whip it up I'll come and let you taste a cup,” the plump girl said with a grin. “Even though for the life of me I cannot imagine how you work in a chocolate shop and never seem to put on any weight. I'm seriously beginning to hate you a lot.”

  “Long walks and very little to eat when I get home. And besides, I hardly eat what’s here,” Kennedy pointed out.

  “You my friend are bad for business.” Markeeta knotted the strings of her apron and went towards the door. “See you in a bit.”

  Kennedy leaned back as soon as the door closed. She'd gotten in at six thirty and hit the books. Joan had called to check up on her and she'd deliberately not said anything to her about the persistent and disturbing dream. Joan had a lot going on in her life, she certainly didn't need any additional worries. Her ex-husband had gotten married again a week ago and she wasn't dealing with it well. She'd become depressed and had stayed home from the company she worked for, spending two days in bed. Kennedy had no intention of adding to her woes. She had her store, doing something she loved doing and she had the group where she was beginning to warm up. Her nightmares would go away one day and soon she would be able to l put her past behind her. At least that was what she'd been told.

  *****

  Julia Zhang took a deep breath before knocking on her brother’s door. His secretary had stepped out for the moment and her desk was empty. Not that she could have stopped her from going in anyway, but the woman always reminded her of a dragon waiting to pounce.

  James looked up as she opened the door and came in. “I'm busy,” he told her briefly.

  “So am I.” She ignored the number of chairs scattered around his desk and came to sit on the side of it, with one leg swinging. Julia Zhang was a petite beauty who had gotten her height from her mother. She had dark hair that drifted past her waist and had inherited the Zhang genes, which meant that she was a classically beautiful Asian woman who turned heads wherever she went. She bore a startling resemblance to her brother except for the height. She worked at the company as a public relations officer and was very good at her job, but she'd taken a walk around town and knew what was needed.

  He lifted his head and looked up at her, his dark brows lifting. “What is it Julia?”

  “There's a vacant space at the hotel and I was thinking of using it to teach self-defense classes for free.”

  He leaned back against the chair and stared at her, his dark eyes inscrutable. She hated that she could never tell what he was thinking or feeling.

  “Why?”

  “Because there's a women’s shelter a few blocks up and also a meeting that is held at the hotel t
o accommodate women who are suffering from abuse. I thought that I could do my part and teach them how to defend themselves. The space is already there James, and I could utilize it in a good way.”

  “We're not into charity work,” he told her mildly.

  “That’s father talking, not you.”

  His hands clenched into fists at that and she regretted bringing him up. “Look James, I really want to make a difference and I think that this would be a PR gold mine. It will show that we care about the town we live and do business in. It would show that we care about what's going on around us.”

  “You cannot erase what happened to us in the past, Julia.”

  “But we can make it count for something,” she told him gently. “I've spent my life hating my parents, especially our father, James and I would like to move on from that. I think this is a way to do so. I'll hold he classes for two to three weeks and if the hotel needs the conference room then I will reschedule the class for another time. But they haven't been using it much. What do say?” her sloe dark eyes pleaded with him.

  “When do you want to start?”

  Her eyes lit up in excitement. “Two weeks from now. I promise that it will not interfere with my work here. I'll do it after I'm finished up.”

  “Why do you care so much?”

  “Because I'm tired of women being victims. I want to do something to change that.”

  “It’s going to be hard work,” James told her.

  “I know, and I was hoping that my big brother would come and help out sometimes,” she said with a pleading look on her lovely face.

  “I'm not falling for that one.” A smile played around his lips as he looked at her. “Go ahead.”

  “Thank you so much.” She jumped off his desk and came around to hug him. He stiffened and didn't return the hug, but she was used to it and didn't let it bother her. “Oh, by the way, we have that function later. You know that the new restaurant we opened up in the downtown area is already making wave reviews. The prices are affordable and the location is perfect. I kind of miss the fast food place that had been there before,” she added with a grin.