A Touch of Love

by Sheryl Lister

  By the time they placed the muffins and other pastries that the chef, James Willis, had made into the display case and brewed coffee, the coffee cake was done. After letting it cool for fifteen minutes, Lexia sliced it and added it to the case just as the six-thirty opening time rolled around. They had a steady stream of customers for the first couple of hours. Many people sat to eat while reading the paper or working on tablets. As soon as the rush hour died down, she retreated to her office.

  An hour later, Sam stuck her head in the door. “Guess who’s here, Lexi?”

  By the smile on her friend’s face, Lexia figured it had to be Khalil. “And? Just give him the plate you insisted we set aside just in case.”

  “I would, but he specifically asked to see you.”

  She lowered her head to the desk and groaned.

  Sam laughed. “Hey, at least he looks good and has it going on. It could be worse.”

  She glared. “You’re not helping, Samantha.”

  “Uh-oh, she called me by my whole name. Must be serious. And I am helping. No need to let your best years pass you by because of one idiot.” She folded her arms and leaned against the door frame. “I still wish you had let me kick Desmond’s butt.”

  Lexia smiled. Sam had been with her when she caught Desmond Martin and one of the waitresses who worked at the diner they owned having sex in the office. He hadn’t shown one ounce of remorse and made it his mission to hurt Lexia by taking away the diner when she wouldn’t “forget about it,” as he’d said. Samantha, with her five-ten height, had been ready to dismember him. If Lexia thought they could get away with it, she might have. Now there was Khalil Gray. She pushed to her feet.

  Sam straightened and pointed a finger Lexia’s way. “And be nice.”

  Lexia rolled her eyes. “I’m always nice.”

  She burst out laughing. “Tell that to the last four guys that you sliced and diced so sweetly they’re still trying to figure out what happened.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she lied. Since her divorce, she’d immediately shut down any man who had shown the least bit of interest in her—delete and block. Why she hadn’t done the same thing to Khalil was a mystery. Lexia sighed heavily. “Let me go see what he wants.” She walked past Sam and started toward the front.

  Sam stopped her. “Ah, you might want to take this.” She held out the plate.

  She ignored Sam’s knowing smirk, snatched the plate covered in plastic wrap and strode off. Khalil was standing with his back to her and talking on his cell when she approached and Lexia took a moment to study his slim build. He stood over six feet and gave new meaning to fine and sexy. If she had to guess by his attire, she would say he was some kind of fitness buff. Once again, he wore a pair of athletic pants, which accentuated a firm muscular butt that made her want to find out if it was as hard as it looked. She chastised herself for the errant thought and promptly shoved it aside. As if sensing her presence, he turned and smiled. Her pulse skipped. Heart-stopping was the only way to describe it. And those eyes. If she had any sense, she’d drop the plate on a table and get as far away from this man as fast as possible.

  “I’ll call you back,” she heard him say. He stuck the phone in his pocket. “How are you, Lexia?”

  “Fine.” She handed him the plate. “S—”

  “Lexi figured you’d be in and saved you an extra-large piece,” Sam said as she breezed by carrying full plates, earning a scowl from Lexia.

  Lexia wanted to strangle Sam. Sam knew good and well she had cut that piece herself.

  Khalil’s smile widened. “Thanks for looking out for me. How did you know I’d be here today?”

  “I didn’t.” No way would she tell him she’d spotted him earlier as he rushed toward the elevator. “Well, enjoy your food.”

  “Aren’t you going to join me?”

  “I hadn’t planned to. I have a lot of work to do.”

  He cupped her elbow and steered her toward a booth at the far end. “I’m sure Sam won’t mind if you keep me company for a few minutes. After all you are the boss.”

  The warmth of his touch ignited a fluttering sensation in her stomach. To keep from melting in a puddle, Lexia quickly slid into the booth.

  Khalil set the plate down. “I’ll be right back.”

  She watched his sexy swagger as he headed back to the counter and knew, instinctively, that he’d gone back for tea. That walk should be outlawed! She could just imagine him strutting down a runway. She frowned when he came toward her with two cups.

  “Chamomile with honey and lemon for you and, of course, decaf vanilla chai for me.” He took a seat across from her and pushed the cup her way.

  Lexia sent a lethal glare Sam’s way. The traitor. “Thanks,” she murmured.

  “So how long have you been a chef?” he asked, starting in on his food.

  “Eight years, but I’ve been cooking since I was a teen.” She had fond memories of Mr. Wall letting her help in the kitchen of his small diner. Just as quickly, another thought stirred up the anger and hurt she had worked so hard to forget. Not wanting to dwell on the unpleasantness, she took a sip of her tea and changed the subject. “What about you? Do you work here in the building?”

  Khalil finished chewing. “Lately, it’s starting to feel like I work here, but no, I don’t. Our family-owned home safety company is located on the sixth floor and I attend some of the meetings. I’m actually in fitness.”

  “I figured it was something like that by the way you’re always dressed. Are you some kind of personal trainer?”

  “Yes, among other things.” He leaned forward and locked his gaze with hers. “Are you looking for some personal training?”

  A vision of his hands on her demonstrating some exercise technique flashed in her mind. Lexia choked on her tea. She hastily set the cup down with a thud.

  “Are you okay?”

  When he started to stand, she held up a hand. “I’m fine,” she croaked. “It just went down the wrong pipe.” She cleared her throat, took a careful sip and swallowed without incident. “See. Fine.”

  Khalil studied Lexia for a moment, and then nodded. They fell silent. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  She had hoped he’d forgotten. “No. Although I probably should work out more consistently, my schedule doesn’t allow for a gym membership right now. Where do you work?”

  “Maximum Burn in Fox Hills.”

  Great. Less than ten minutes from my condo. “I’ve heard of it.”

  “Anytime you want to come by, let me know.”

  “Um...I heard it’s pretty pricey.”

  He waved her off. “We offer plans to fit every budget. I don’t want money to be an obstacle for anyone looking to maintain or start a healthy lifestyle. But you don’t have to be concerned about money. For you, the cost is free.”

  Lexia narrowed her eyes. “What’s the catch?”

  Khalil laughed. “No catch. Well, maybe a small one.”

  “I knew it.”

  He reached for her hand. “A date. Next Tuesday morning, you and me, right here in this booth, ten thirty.”

  She should have known better than to ask. From the moment they had met, he’d made his interest clear. “I don’t—”

  “It’s a win-win for both of us. I get to spend more time with a beautiful lady and you get three free personal training sessions. And before you say you don’t have time to go to the gym, I’ll design a program for you that can easily be done at home with just a few simple and inexpensive pieces of equipment. So what do you say?”

  He unleashed that mesmerizing smile on her and Lexia heard herself agreeing.

  “Great. It’s a date. You can let me know next time what your fitness goals are and when you’d like to start your sessions.”

  She m
ade a move to stand and he was up and around to her side with his hand extended in a flash. She tentatively placed her hand in his and he helped her to her feet. “Thanks.”

  Once again, he brought her hand to his lips. “Until next week, Lexia.” He smiled, winked and strolled out.

  What in the world have I gotten myself into?

  Chapter 3

  Monday evening, Lexia leaned against the kitchen counter trying to decide which recipe to use for the cooking demonstration next month. With summer fast approaching, people would most likely be looking for something a little healthier. Her mind automatically shifted to Khalil and his personal training offer. If her body reacted just from him simply holding her hand, no way could she handle a session with him standing so close, his hands roaming over her arms, sliding down her torso and hips, around to her... She abruptly halted her lustful thoughts. “Get a grip, girl,” she muttered. “Recipes...that’s all you’re supposed to be thinking about.” She flipped through the cards and lingered over one featuring shrimp tacos with a creamy cilantro sauce. This could work.

  She searched through the cabinets and refrigerator and found all the ingredients. Lexia made a practice of shopping every week and kept her kitchen well stocked. Since it was relatively early, she decided to make homemade corn tortillas instead of using the store-bought ones. She defrosted the shrimp, removed the tails and seasoned them with a rub made from seasoned salt, pepper, cumin, paprika and chili powder, then skewered them. Next, she went to work on the cilantro sauce. Just as she finished, her phone rang. She quickly washed and dried her hands and ran to catch it. Seeing Samantha’s name on the display, she said, “What’s up, girlfriend?”

  “Hey, girl,” Samantha said. “Aaron has to work late tonight and I was wondering if you wanted to grab a bite to eat.”

  Lexia smiled. “Oh, so now you have time for me,” she teased. Since Samantha and Aaron started dating four months ago, Lexia and Sam rarely hung out during the week.

  “Whatever. We’ll see if you have time once you and Mr. Gray start hanging out.”

  “Yeah, right. We won’t be hanging out. The man has playboy written all over him. You saw him. Besides, I’m sure he has tons of women running after him already. Remember he was a model.” Against her better judgment, she’d read more about him and found out that he had modeled all over the United States and in several other countries. There had been thousands of photos of him with an array of beautiful women, and in some of the shots, they seemed quite cozy.

  “Mmm-hmm, I saw him, all right. Saw that he only had eyes for you.”

  “You were asking about dinner.”

  Sam laughed. “You can change the subject, but you can’t change Khalil Gray’s blatant attraction to you. Now, regarding dinner, I can pick something up and bring it over or we can meet up somewhere.”

  “Actually, I’m experimenting with a recipe, shrimp tacos with a cilantro cream sauce on homemade corn tortillas.”

  “Say no more. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

  Lexia heard a beep. “Sam?” She pulled the cell away from her ear and glanced down at the display. Sam had hung up. She chuckled, shook her head and continued preparing dinner.

  Twenty minutes later, she opened the door to Sam.

  Sam held up a bag. “I stopped and got our favorite Moscato.”

  “In that case, come on in.” They both laughed.

  She followed Lexia to the kitchen. “Do you need me to do anything?”

  “If you can grill the shrimp while I make the tortillas, that would be great.”

  “Sure.” Sam washed her hands, then carried the plate with the shrimp skewers to the stove. She laid them on the preheated built-in grill. “Mmm, this smells so good. What spices did you use?”

  Lexia rattled off the list while pressing the tortillas. When she finished, she heated the comal and added the tortillas, one at a time. Once everything was done, Lexia added some of the sauce to the shredded cabbage and mixed it in. “All right, let’s try this.” They fixed their plates, filled glasses of wine and sat at the kitchen table.

  Sam rubbed her hands together. “I’m starving.” She bit into a taco, chewed and groaned. “Oh my goodness, Lexi, this is absolutely divine. And this sauce.” She spooned more onto her half-eaten taco. “It’s so light, like a summer day. What’s in it?”

  “That’s what I was going for. It’s light sour cream, cilantro, lime and a dash of salt. I’m planning to do this for the cooking demonstration at the food festival next month.” She was pleased by the outcome and agreed that the light dish would be perfect for summer.

  “Girl, I hope you’re planning to make at least a hundred of these because folks are going to be lined up for miles to get one. This would be a great recipe to add to the menu at the café.”

  “Maybe.” She had been thinking about adding a few calorie-conscious items to the menu, especially since the low fat coffee cake seemed to be such a hit. One woman had called it guilt-free indulgence. “What do you think of adding three or four healthy dishes so people have options?”

  “With the fitness craze going on, I think it’s a great idea.” Sam sipped her wine and added slyly, “I’m sure Khalil would appreciate it. Who knows, he might start coming in for breakfast and lunch.”

  Lexia took a big gulp of wine. As much as she tried to deny it, the prospect of seeing Khalil sent a thrill through her. What would he think of the tacos?

  “See, you’re over there thinking about him.”

  Busted, she picked up a stray shrimp and popped it in her mouth. “No, I’m not,” she lied. “I was thinking about what other dishes would work well.” The smile on Sam’s face said she knew better, but she didn’t comment.

  “Are you ready for your date tomorrow?”

  “It’s not really a date.”

  “That’s not what he told me on his way out last week when he asked me to make sure to set aside two pieces of that coffee cake. You might want to redo your twist out and wear something cute.”

  Lexia groaned and rose from the table with her plate. “He’s coming to my job, so he’ll have to settle for my work clothes. If he wants anything else, he might want to find one of those models he’s used to.”

  Yet, hours after Sam left, Lexia found herself searching through her wardrobe for something other than her normal khakis and pullover knit top.

  By the time she made it in to work the next morning, Lexia was in a foul mood. She’d spent a restless night dreaming about a man she had no business even thinking about. Her life was simple and uncomplicated and she wanted it to stay that way. She decided that today’s “date” would be the last one, no matter how much Khalil affected her.

  “Lexia, there’s a guy outside asking for you,” Jayla said, poking her head in the office.

  Her gaze flew to the clock on the wall. He was twenty minutes early. Sighing inwardly, she came to her feet. “Thanks, Jayla. I’ll be out in a moment.”

  “Okay.” She disappeared.

  Lexia drew in a calming breath, rehearsed her I-can’t-see-you-again speech in her head and went out front. A relieved smile lit her face at the sight of Cameron standing outside the café. She stopped to give a meal order to Mr. Willis, then pushed through the doors. “Cam, I’m so glad to see you.”

  “Hey, Lexi.” She could hear the sadness and fatigue in his voice.

  “You want to come in and eat?”

  Cameron shook his head. “Too dirty.”

  She scanned him from head to toe. His hair was matted and littered with pieces of lint, the shirt and jeans looked like the same ones he’d had on when she saw him last and she suspected he hadn’t bathed since then, either. But beneath the dirt and grime was a good-looking man with a heart of gold. “How about we go sit on the bench outside and talk. I’ll bring you some breakfast.”

&nb
sp; He nodded and shuffled out the glass doors leading to the back parking lot.

  Lexia waited to make sure he was seated before going to get his food. She had to figure out a way to help him. A few minutes later, she joined him on the bench and handed him the to-go carton filled with scrambled eggs, potatoes with onions and peppers, bacon, sausage, two biscuits and a large cup of orange juice. He dived in like a starved man and her heart constricted. “How’ve you been? I was worried when you didn’t come by last month.”

  Cameron shrugged and continued eating. When he finished and set the carton aside, he sighed heavily. “Thanks, Lexi.” He stared out at a spot in the sky. “Jan is probably cussing me out from heaven over the mess I’ve made of my life.”

  Lexia laughed softly. “No doubt she is. But she’d also understand. Just like she was your world, you were hers.” She handed him the framed photograph he had asked her to keep.

  He ran his hands lovingly over the faces of Janice and their two daughters, five-year-old Lauren and one-year-old Sienna. “I miss them so much.” His voice cracked.

  She felt her own emotions rising and covered his hand with hers. “I know. So do I. But Jan would want you to go on.”

  He swiped at the tears coursing down his cheeks. “You’re right and I’ve been thinking on it.”

  It was the first time in over a year he had mentioned trying to reintegrate into society on his own. Every time Lexia had brought it up in the past, he’d change the subject or leave. “If there’s anything you need me to do, anything, just ask. Like I told you before, you’re welcome to stay in the back room of the café until you get on your feet.” She had added a bed months ago, hoping he would take her up on the offer.

  He stared off again. “Let me think about it, okay?”

  “Sure. You want to take a shower? I still have the clothes you asked me to keep.”

  Cameron looked down at himself. “I guess I don’t smell too good.”

  She chuckled. “That’s an understatement.”

  For the first time in almost two years, a slight smile appeared on his face. “I can always depend on you to tell me the truth.”