Mark: BWWM Romance (Members From Money Book 11)

by Katie Dowe

  Lance had asked him about her.

  “Lola is planning on setting you up with some neighborhood woman,” he had said casually as he delivered the foodstuff to him.

  “I hope you told her not to bother.”

  “I told her to leave it alone.” Lance had taken out one of his wife’s delicious blueberry pies and without asking had gone into the kitchen to get plates and a knife to cut them both slices. “You are obviously hung up with someone already.”

  “I am hung up with my writing.” Mark had poured the coffee into two cups and passed one to his friend.

  “When I picked you up at the airport you looked as if you had lost the most important part of you. Only a woman does that to you.” He sipped the delicious coffee with pleasure and looked around the living room of the cabin. Mark had turned it into his own space in a few short months. “Lola did not pay me any mind when I started pursuing her and it drove me crazy! I could not eat or sleep until she finally showed an interest in me. Where is she and why is she not here?”

  “She is not here because I need to concentrate fully on what I need to do.” Mark stared at his friend for a moment and then looked away. “She deserves better.”

  “And I am sure you told her that.”

  “I did,” Mark said briefly.

  “You always had a way with women even when we were in high school. It must be the eyes or maybe the silent tortured look you have about you. You told her you needed space?”

  Mark nodded.

  “The worst thing you can ever tell anyone.” Lance sipped his coffee thoughtfully. “And knowing you, my friend, you told her exactly that.”

  “Better to tell the truth.”

  “And when you are done here? Are you going to try and pick up where you left off?”

  “Not likely,” he said with a shrug. “She would have moved on by then.”

  He felt pain at the thought and bracing himself against the sink in the kitchen he stared at his reflection in the mirror. First a shave and then back to work!

  Chapter 6

  Latoya moved the plant a little more to the left and stepped back to look at it critically. It was her new office warming gift that had been given to her by Coretta. She could not believe that her friend had finally gotten married and settled down with a child on the way. She had met Eduardo on a flight to Madrid and they had fallen in love. She missed her friend who was now living in that country, but they communicated every day. They had come back for a visit last week and had gone back yesterday. So many things had happened in three and a half years that Latoya could not believe. She had moved into a much larger apartment and she had gotten a promotion! Head of the legal department at the company. It meant that she worked longer hours and her workload was more, but she loved it! Her salary was very comfortable and she had made quite a dent in paying off her debts. She only thought about Mark every now and then and even though she knew she still loved him the pain had gone away. She had read somewhere in the papers that he had written the soundtrack for the hit movie coming out this summer: ‘Love Like This.’ He had done a collaboration with one of the biggest female R&B artists and it was rumored that they had become an item. She had stared at a picture of them together as they posed for a photo. He had gotten thinner she had reflected objectively as she stared at him but it only made his masculinity more defined. He had reached it! He was in demand and singers were clamoring for him to write songs for them. The album he had written had gone platinum in just a few weeks and it was reported that his writing was one of the best they had ever seen. She had folded the paper and had gone back to what she was doing. He was her past!

  *****

  “So, now that you are a big shot writer and dating bestselling artist Diana Rowe, I suppose we are not going to see you much?” his sister Stephanie asked him. He had come back to town for a while now after been in and out and meeting with the directors of the movie and sitting down with Diana to go through the songs. It was the first week he had been free and he had made sure to come and see his mother and sister. They were having dinner at his mother’s place and catching up. After he had made it big, he had called and told them that he would see them shortly. He still could not believe that he had now become a household name! He had told Lola and Lucas that it was mostly thanks to them and that they should keep the cabin because he was thinking of buying it.

  “We are not dating,” he told her mildly as he sipped his wine. She was now married to Luke and was expecting their first child. He could not believe his sister was going to be a mother. “That was purely for the press.”

  “So, who are you dating?”

  “No one.” Mark’s expression became shuttered as he looked at her. Their mother had gone to the kitchen to see to the dessert so they were left to talk.

  “Why?” she asked him bluntly.

  “Because it is none of your business.” He reached over and tweaked her hair. “I have not had time.”

  “Serena is still single,” she said with a sly grin.

  “And she shall remain that way if I am the person you are looking at,” he told her dryly. “Give it a rest.”

  “Stop bothering your brother, darling,” Former Supreme judge Linda Seville reproached her daughter as she came out bearing a tray with coffee and slices of cookies. It was almost April and the movie he had written the soundtrack for was coming out in June to meet the summer. “I am sure he will find someone when the time is right.”

  “Thanks, Mother.” He took a cup from her and a small plate with cookies. “So, when is my niece due?”

  “In July and you had better be here,” Stephanie warned him, placing her hand over her extended belly.

  “I am flying to Brazil for a week to meet with a producer there, but I will be home for several months after that. I would not miss it for the world.”

  “Good.” She looked at her handsome and highly successful brother. “I am proud of you.”

  “So am I,” his mother said as she beamed at him.

  “Thanks.”

  Later that night as he went back to his apartment, he went straight to his office and went around his desk. He ignored the calls coming on his cell phone and just sat there with his head leaned back against the chair. It had been a tumultuous and frustrating three and a half years where he had been on the verge of giving up until he had made a breakthrough and had sent the material to his agent who had in turn showed it to the producer and writer of the movie script. It had been an immediate hit and they had called in Diana who had put her unique touch to the soulful soundtrack. It had taken the soul out of him and had wrung him dry, but he had done it and the money kept piling in along with the requests for him to write songs for various top selling artists.

  Elite Club had called him concerning his application for membership after four years. He smiled humorlessly as he remembered the conversation he had had with the owner Jeremy a few weeks ago. “I applied a long time ago, but I guess I am not surprised that you are accepting my application now. I have suddenly become someone,” he had said cynically.

  “You have to understand how these things work,” Jeremy had told him seriously. “We have members who are here because of their fathers and grandfathers. It is a tight selection and a tight circle.”

  “So, I guess the circle has widened a little to include a billionaire songwriter.”

  “Exactly,” Jeremy told him bluntly. “I am sorry if that sounds like we are prejudiced, but that’s the way it is and it’s easier.”

  “I will think about it and get back to you.”

  But all the hype and the excitement and people reaching out to him and inviting him to functions had been exciting at first, but suddenly it did not mean anything to him now. He remembered his interview with a famous talk show host a few months ago. “Mark, how does it feel to become a star overnight?” she had purred at him. He knew of her reputation of sleeping with the well known men she interviewed but had no intention of falling prey to her delectable charms.

/>   “Like a dream I am about to wake up from any minute now,” he had told her with a laugh.

  “Darling, it is no dream, believe me. I have listened to your entire album and I must say that I am in love! Those are beautifully powerful words.”

  “Diana has a way with that beautiful voice of hers. She puts class to my songs.”

  “Is the rumor true?” She batted her large blue eyes at him and her coral lips curled into a smile. “Are you two dating?”

  “We prefer to keep that part of our lives private,” he had told her firmly.

  “Pity,” she had drawled. “A lot of single women out there would like to know that they had a chance.”

  “I am sure,” he had responded but had not said anything else.

  He lifted his head and braced against the desk remembering how he had taken her there. He had not been able to get her out of his mind even after all the years had passed. He had tried calling her but had discovered that her number had been changed and had gone to her apartment to look her up but she had moved. He was wondering if she was married and living with her husband and kids. He had no right to try and contact her after what he had done to her but he could not get her out of his mind. The touch and taste of her was still very sharp in his mind and at nights he was finding that he could not sleep! He placed his hands on the desk and closed his eyes as he ran his palms over it. He could swear that he could feel her flesh and smell her but he knew it was his imagination. His eyes snapped open as he remembered the café they had met and knew he had to go there to find out if she still visited.

  *****

  Latoya stared at herself in the mirror as soon as she had reached her apartment. She had been making the changes gradually and had started dressing the part of the promotion she had received. She had cleaned out her closet and had spent some of her hard earned money on clothes. Now she had gone all the way by cutting her shoulder length hair and making it swing in a gentle bob against her cheeks. She had also lightened the color which was now a dark brown with red highlights. She shook her head and the tresses fell back into place with a life of their own! She had also plucked her thick brows and they were now tapered giving her a sophisticated look. The stylist had shown her how to apply her makeup and what was right for her skin tone. “You do not need a lot of makeup, honey,” he had told her with a grin as he stepped back to look at her. “You have naturally beautiful skin.” She stared at her image in the mirror not quite believing that this was the same woman who had thought her life was over when Mark left. She smiled at herself and went to get ready for her date. Two weeks ago, she had finally accepted Carter’s persistent offer to take her to dinner or to the movies or wherever she wanted to go. Carter Burrell was the youngest partner at the firm she worked. He had come on board two years ago with an impressive résumé and was doing impressive work at the firm. He was a tall and attractive African American who thought a lot of himself and that was one of the reasons she had hesitated going out with him but she had come to discover that he was not half bad. Besides she had no intention of getting serious. She was just out to have a good time and that was it! He was taking her to a club. She had told him that she was not much of a club person, but he had told her that she should at least try it. “If you hate it we can always leave,” he had told her, flashing his quick smile. It was Friday night and no work tomorrow even though she was planning to go into the office to clear some things off her desk.

  She selected tight fitting black denim pants and silky red blouse that swirled around her each time she moved. She had taken a quick shower and started to get ready. She applied her makeup swiftly choosing a ruby red lipstick. She stepped back to look at the image in the mirror and smiled in satisfaction. She had put on knee high boots with slim heels which added to her height.

  Carter was waiting for her outside the club in a red sweater and designer jeans. “I am going to be the envy of every man inside,” he told her with a smile as he took her hand.

  “I doubt that.” She took his arm and they went inside. The place was crowded and people were jostling each other in the confined space. Carter held onto her firmly as they wove their way up to the bar. “Two gin and tonics, please,” he told the bartender without consulting her.

  “A margarita for me, please,” Latoya told the bartender, putting her small clutch on the counter top. The bartender flashed her a grin before leaving and Carter frowned.

  “It’s the man’s place to do the ordering.”

  “We are not living in the dark ages, Carter, and I have money to order my own drink.” She looked at him for a moment and realized that his arrogance probably stemmed from his success.

  “I am sorry,” he apologized swiftly, waiting until the bartender had put their drinks before them. “I am used to being in control. Not a lot of women are as independent as you are.”

  “That’s where you are wrong.” She looked around at the different people who were gathered there and realized that this was not really her scene. She spotted a few of their clients and turned her head back to him. “We are more plentiful than you think.”

  “You are different,” he murmured, admiring the way her hair fell across her cheek. The strands were thick and lustrous and he could not wait to get his fingers through them. He was playing it her way for now but when he got through to her, he was going to screw her hot and heavy and show her who the boss was. He was currently seeing an intern at the hospital, but he had seen Latoya transform from being a drab nonentity to an absolutely beautiful and sexy woman! Even though she was not a lawyer he knew she would look good on his arm. “That’s why I am so attracted.” He reached over to touch her face briefly and stifled a frown when she pulled back.

  “Let’s just enjoy the evening,” she told him coolly.

  She finally agreed to dance with him, secretly happy that they were playing a popular reggae number that did not require them being close to each other. She found that she actually enjoyed herself and found him to be good company in spite of his supercilious behavior.

  It was a little past midnight when she told him that it was time for her to leave.

  “Admit it. You had fun, right?” he asked as she shrugged into her coat.

  “I did,” she said with a smile. They headed outside the club.

  “I am happy.” He took her arm and steered her away from the building. “My BMW is parked around the side. How about I take you home?”

  Immediately, Latoya was brought home to why she was so turned off from him. He could have simply said his car, but he had to put in the fact that it was a high end vehicle. “I will take a cab.”

  “Look, Latoya, I know that sometimes I come across as being a jerk that lets his success get to his big head, but I can assure you that I am a decent and hardworking brother as you should know from my work at the firm. I am just not used to a woman like you.” His voice was pleading as he looked at her.

  She hesitated and looked at him for a moment. “I am not impressed by what a person has, so if you think that you are going to attract me by what you possess then you are wasting your time,” she told him firmly. “I am not looking for a relationship, Carter, as I have already told you.”

  He inclined his head and smiled at her. “Just friends for now.”

  “Just friends.” She saw a cab coming and hailed it. “Thanks for a very nice evening,” she said as the cab pulled up next to them.

  He waved at her and watched as the car pulled away. His hands clenched into fists and his brow was heavy with a frown. He was going to show her!

  *****

  He kept coming to the café, but he did not see her. The place had not changed over the almost four years he had been there. Maybe the crowd had gotten a bit younger. The original owner Mabel had retired and her thick heavy set daughter by the name of Maria had taken over. She had demanded a signed photo of him to be placed on the wall behind the cash register and he had done so with a smile. Nowadays, when he came there he was given free coffee and a slice of pie e
ven though he had told her he would pay. But he had been coming there for the past week and he had not seen her. She had moved and she no longer had the same number. For the life of him he could not remember the name of the law firm she had been working at because he had not been paying much attention to the name.

  He had just taken a sip of his coffee when he saw her come in. He sat still and stared at her in stupefaction! She was so different and she was gorgeous! She went up to the cashier without looking around, her thick heavy hair shifting with her movements. Had it been so thick, he wondered. She was wearing an olive green dress that hugged her curves to perfection and killer heels black shoes. She looked far different from the hesitant woman who had been devoted to him. He had a feeling that it was not going to be easy getting her to come back to him!

  He pushed away his cup and walked purposefully up to her. “We are going to have to stop meeting like this.” His achingly familiar deep voice sounded behind her and for a moment Latoya was thrown back to almost four years ago when he had said those very words to her. But then she was reminded that he had broken her heart and left her to suffer and she schooled her features as she turned around. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked at him. She had seen pictures of him in magazines and had seen him at functions with the famous singer on his arms. “Mark.” She inclined her head coolly as she stepped out of the way of the other customers.

  “Latoya.” He took her arm and pulled her over to the table where he had been sitting, his hand still on her arm. “You look like a million bucks.”

  “And from what I have read you are worth much more than that,” she told him coolly. She wanted to tell him to let go of her because his fingers were searing through her flesh.