“Just trying to help,” he said with a smile.
“Thank you, but why don’t you go and work with those students over there? Kendra could use your help.”
Amari raised his eyebrows at her unfriendly expression. He left and walked towards Kendra. She stood up and hugged him. Raven watched, bitterness filling her heart and spreading to her mouth. She ignored Amari the whole morning and still felt like an idiot.
He’s here to help the center, she told herself. Stop thinking about yourself and focus on the kids. They need him. They love him. In fact, just grow up!
By 3 p.m. most of the students had been picked up. She had forgotten that she had agreed to meet with Amari until he walked into the office.
“What can I do for you?” she asked after a quick glance at his face. “You are free to go home now.”
“We have a meeting, remember? We were going to come up with a plan…”
“Oh, damn. I mean, darn,” Raven said, totally flustered.
“The preacher’s daughter curses.” Amari walked in, but before he sat down Kendra came by the door.
“So I’ll call you Monday,” Kendra said to Amari. Raven watched as he turned to face the beauty.
“Cool. Enjoy your weekend,” he said and turned back to Raven. Raven waved at Kendra, who waved back, but didn’t smile. A few seconds after Kendra left, Raven heard a sound from outside.
“Was that thunder?” she asked, surprised.
“Yeah. I could see the clouds forming when we were finishing basketball. We should hurry. Supposed to hail, too.”
“Okay,” Raven sighed.
“So what do you think I should focus on?” Amari asked, and Raven shook her head to shake off the effect of his presence on her thoughts. She imagined him giving Kendra delicious kisses, and that strengthened her resolve to remain unmoved by the man.
“What you are doing is great. Your participation in the program has already increased enrollment and volunteers,” Raven said, placing her hands on the desk and shrugging. “Ashley suggests that we do a press release on your role here. What do you think about that?”
“Not sure I want that. I’m not doing this for publicity.”
“I know, but some good press would help us raise funds for the kids and the center.”
“Right. That might work. It might bring a lot of kids from the street to come here instead.”
“It’s amazing how many kids finish school at 3 p.m. and go home with nothing to do and no one to watch them. That’s when they end up getting into trouble. If we make this an exciting place it could be like a private club for inner city kids. We could have dance, music, painting classes…”
“You should see how your face lights up when you talk about this,” Amari interrupted her, and Raven widened her eyes surprised. She covered her face with her hands. Amari reached across the desk and pulled her hands away from her face. She was so surprised she couldn’t breathe for a second. She looked at her hands in his large, beautiful ones.
“No. Let me see. You look amazing when you are this excited,” Amari repeated, and she looked at him to see he was serious. “I think you are amazing.”
“Well. I’d forgotten about the meeting. I’ll have to go home. I’m meeting with my father this evening and a family friend will be there,” she said, pulling her hands back and standing up. She made a point of tidying up her desk and then picked up her bag. At that moment she heard another loud clap of thunder, which made her jump. Her nerves were already a mess, and the weather wasn’t helping.
“It’s just thunder,” Amari said. She walked around the desk and then right past him.
“I need to go. We can talk about this again next time,” Raven said.
“How about tomorrow? We can go for coffee or a drink…”
“No. I mean, I can’t. I have church tomorrow.” Now Amari looked distressed as he saw how flustered she was. Was there something about him that she didn’t like?
“You have church all day?” he demanded, totally surprised.
“Not all day,” she said and left the office. She stood looking at the pouring rain outside. Their two cars were parked in the gravel lot being assaulted by heavy rain and hail. It looked so dark outside that it was hard to believe it was only 4 p.m.
“Why don’t you wait until the rain lets up. It won’t take that long for the storm to pass,” Amari coaxed, watching her hold the door that led outside. Her next words caused him to raise his eyebrows questioningly.
“I better run.” Raven opened the door and ran out into the rain. She was looking completely drenched after a few seconds. Amari would have laughed if he wasn’t so shocked. She was practically running away from him and leaving him in the center alone.Who was going to lock up? Was she crazy? Surely she was going to come back.
He watched her get into the car and insert the key to start the engine as lightning brightened up the doorway and a loud, deafening peal of thunder followed. In the lot, the “Old Baby” just coughed and spluttered, and the engine refused to come alive. Was she really going to drive away? He could hear the car make a scratching sound like a dying elephant and after a while he realized that she had given up. Her car had finally died. About time, too, Amari thought smugly. That serves her right for running out on him as if he was about to assault her or something.
Chapter 7
After a minute Amari grasped that Raven was just going to sit in that car and leave him standing in the center like an idiot. He ran outside and knocked on the half-open window. Rain was falling into the car and she didn’t seem to notice.
“Come inside, Raven,” he commanded, his deep voice reaching her frozen, wet stupor.
“It won’t start,” she complained, pulling the key out of the ignition.
“So I see. Come inside and we’ll figure out what to do.” Raven got out quickly before he got soaked through, too. She eyed the hood of his sweater that covered his head with envy.
She got out and they both jogged back to the center. She was breathing hard as they stood by the door watching the rain, hail and wind do its worst. He watched her as the water poured down her face and he couldn’t stop his eyes from traveling down her white shirt that was plastered to her skin, revealing pert breasts that stood to attention. He coughed and looked back outside. Raven looked at him just as he turned away and folded her arms in front of her chest. He was wet, too. She wished Kendra hadn’t told her about their kiss. It made her dislike him somehow. Did he just go around kissing one woman and then holding the hands of another, she wondered.
She stood shivering next to him, her eyes on the pounding rain outside.
“Do you want to dry off?” he asked.
She glanced at him then shrugged. “I don’t think we have towels.” She folded her arms in front of her chest. She had seen him looking and it made her uncomfortable. He affected her so much. She could now understand how desire could make people act irrationally. He walked into the bathroom and came back with a wad of paper towel.
“Here,” he said as he handed them to her.
“Thanks,” she muttered and wiped her arms and dabbed at her face.
Amari wiped himself. She watched him from the corner of her eye.
“That was stupid. Why did you run outside into the rain like that?”
“I told you I was late to go to my parents’ house. My dad wanted to discuss something with me, and I have to meet a doctor who works at the church clinic in Kenya.”
“So who was going to lock up?”
“I forgot. I have to lock up,” she responded without looking at him, so intent was she on drying off and trying to stop her shirt from sticking to her skin.
“Okay.”
“I’m sorry,” she said at last. “You must think I’m crazy.”
“A little,” Amari said. She punched him again and he laughed. “I’ve never had a woman run away from me before.”
“I don’t usually run away from people,” she said, still looking outside.
“Let me wipe your back,” Amari said, touching her back. She jumped like she had been burned.
“It’s okay. I got it,” she snapped and reached for her back, dabbing ineffectually at it.
“Here. I won’t bite,” he insisted, then turned her around. She stood as still as a tree as he dabbed at her back and the paper towel absorbed the moisture on her shirt and skin. After a few seconds Raven closed her eyes. She was intensely aware of the feel of his warm touch. One of his hands held her arm while the other wiped her back. She didn’t know when he had dropped the paper towel, but now she felt his hand going to her waist and turning her around. She now stood facing him. She opened her eyes. He looked at her, an intense look entering his eyes. Was he going to kiss her?
“It’s stopped raining,” he said with his face close to hers. She nodded, looking at him. For a while she couldn’t find her voice.
“Oh. You’re right. I-I should try my car again. It doesn’t like rain.” She took a step from him and cleared her throat.
“I don’t think your car’s going to start. I’ll take you home,” Amari offered, smiling lazily.
“I’ll try it again,” Raven insisted, stepping out on the wet pavement. She locked the door while Amari stood by, and then walked to Old Baby while he went to his car. She turned the key in the ignition without much hope and the engine didn’t even make a sound. She got out of the car and awkwardly walked over to Amari’s SUV. He opened the door for her and she got in. She felt as if she was entering the lion’s den.
Amari started the engine. His practically purred to life, somehow mocking her now-dead little car, and she shook her head.
“I’m sorry about your seats,” she said.
“No big deal. I’m also wet,” Amari said. “So, which way?”
“Do you know how to get to Jefferson?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“I live on River View,” Raven said. “Just off Jefferson.”
“Cool. Shouldn’t be too hard to find,” Amari said, joining the Saturday traffic. Raven was uncomfortable for more than one reason. First, she was damp and cold. Second, Amari was gorgeous. And third, he kissed Kendra.
They got to her apartment quickly, and when the gates opened she directed Amari to the underground parking.
“Thank you,” Raven said.
“I need to dry off. Really long drive.” Amari raised his eyebrows questioningly, giving her a look she felt clear to her toes. She looked at him, trying to decide what she should do. He had given her a ride. The least she could do was let him get dry and dry his clothes for him. Still she hesitated. Being alone with him in the car was stressful enough. Having him in her apartment would double her anxiety. The way he had touched her at the center and the way he seemed to be able to melt her heart with just one smile made him dangerous.
“Come in. I’m on the twentieth floor,” Raven said as she got out of the car. In the elevator they stood facing each other.
“You like living here?” Amari asked. Raven nodded trying to avoid looking into his eyes. They were so intense they made her skin hot. The elevator seemed slower than usual, and it seemed forever before it finally opened on her floor. She opened the door, trying to remember if her place was presentable or not. She walked in and threw her keys on the table and immediately removed her wet sandals.
“Not bad,” Amari said, walking to the window to check out the view.
“The bathroom is over there. I don’t think I have anything that could fit you,” Raven said, walking into her bedroom. She looked in her closet while removing her wet top and pants. As she stripped she felt completely vulnerable. Amari Thomas was right in her apartment while she stood naked in her bedroom. Had the world gone crazy?
She quickly put on a robe as if he could see through walls. There was a T-shirt from Calvary her father had given to her. It was XL, and she hoped it would fit him. She looked in the mirror and hated how her hair had gone all frizzy and curled.
“So much for looking good in the rain,” Raven muttered and at the same time jumped when she heard a loud crash in the living room. She opened the door and ran in to find Amari looking guilty standing by her linen closet with all her artifacts from Africa on the floor.
“Oops.” Amari looked at her, guilt all over his face. “What’s all this?”
“That’s my stuff,” she said walking towards him. He stood back and picked up a wooden carving of a giraffe.
“Where from?”
“Africa. Kenya,” she said.
“You’ve been to Kenya?”
“Yes.” She picked up more artifacts and tried to jam them back in the closet. Now he’d think she was a slob. She’d planned to decorate her apartment in an African theme, but she just hadn’t had the time. These were all her favorite things that she kept in the closet waiting for inspiration.
“I’ve never been to Africa,” Amari said.
“You should go,” she said holding a zebra candle holder. “I got this on the island of Mombasa.”
“Who did you go with?”
“Myself,” she said, smiling at Amari’s surprise.
“Raven. You went to Africa on your own?”
“Yeah. Nobody else wanted to go. My friends were worried about being in a strange country.”
“Weren’t you?”
“A little. My father knew some people there who opened a clinic and they put me up in Nairobi, but I traveled to Mombasa alone.”
“The lone soldier. You didn’t have a boyfriend to go with you?” Her expression changed at that question.
“Don’t have a boyfriend,” she said, moving away from him.
“Is that mine?” Amari asked, pointing at the T-shirt she was holding.
She tossed it to him and stood rooted while he took off the T-shirt he was wearing. When Amari smiled she turned away and walked to the kitchen.
“Tea?” she asked busily, filling the kettle with water. She managed to catch a glimpse of his chest and hard stomach from the corner of her eye. Now every time she closed her eyes she would see him half naked in her living room, she thought gloomily.
“Sure.” He walked towards her and sat by the kitchen counter, looking out the windows.
“What a view,” he said, looking at the waves of rain outside. The storm had finally passed and all that remained was a light drizzle.
“Yeah. I never get tired of it.” He looked at her then put his wet T-shirt on the counter. Raven picked it up.
“I should put this in the dryer.”
“Never mind. This one fits fine,” he said, looking at the slightly snug one he wore. This close she could see his muscled arms. It was still hard to believe that he was really in her apartment, sitting on her kitchen counter.
She poured hot water over teabags in two mugs and handed him one. She watched him put his big hands around his mug and took a sip of the tea. She nearly burnt her tongue.
“So tell me about Kenya,” Amari said.
“It’s gorgeous. I loved the people, the game parks, the music…Nairobi reminded me a little of New York. A rustic version with crowds, and cars honking. It felt good being there. I can’t really put it into words.”
Amari liked the way she was relaxing. She had been tense with him. He still couldn’t understand why, but she seemed jumpy around him before, as if she thought his intentions weren’t noble. He had to admit there was something totally primal in him that drew him to her. He was fascinated by how her upper lip made her look sulky, but when she smiled her eyes brightened and her white teeth glistened brighter than the sun.
“And where’s Mombasa?”
“Mombasa is an island where I took the ferry and drove about an hour to the beach. There were camels on the beach, and I took scuba diving lessons. I met people from all over the world on those beaches, from Germany, Switzerland, Australia, you name it. A lot of people on their honeymoons, too.”
“That where you want to go for yours?” Amari asked, and he could have kicked himself at the look that entere
d her eyes. The relaxed girl was gone, replaced by the wary woman.
“Haven’t thought of that,” Raven said and looked at her watch. “I really must get going. I need to shower and go to my parents.”
“And your parents will what? Scold you if you are late?”
“It’s not that. Dr. Harding will be there, and Daddy really wants me to meet him…”
“Is he matchmaking?”
“No!” Raven cried, surprised. “He’s a wonderful man who works at the Calvary Church clinic in Kenya in Mombi Village. My dad is trying to build a center with a school, hospital, and library, and, well, Doctor Harding went there and has given his life to seeing my father’s vision through.”
“Sounds like an excellent man,” Amari commented and sipped the tea. Raven could tell he didn’t like it as he reached for the sugar bowl.
“He’s amazing,” Raven smiled, and then looked up at Amari and caught her breath. Amari was the incredible one. His eyes were intent on her, seeming to watch every move she made. She walked around the counter and Amari stood up and met her right at the kitchen exit. She gasped, stopping right in front of him. He put his hands on her shoulders.
“Thanks for the shirt,” he said. She shrugged, swallowing hard. He knew he made her nervous. She acted like she had never been touched by a man. Could that be true? He was really curious as he touched her cheek.
“What—are you doing?” she asked.
“Can I thank you properly?” Amari said.
“What?” She took a step back. “Were you thanking Kendra when you kissed her?”
Amari laughed. She stared at him, bewildered.
“I’ve never kissed Kendra. That what she told you?”
Raven shrugged.
“That’s a lie. The only woman I wanted to kiss was you,” he said. His words took her breath away as she stood rooted to the spot.
“Why does that shock you?” He took a step closer and this time she had nowhere to go. Her back was against the fridge and Amari advanced, making her feel weak even though he hadn’t touched her. She looked at him, breathing hard as he leaned closer, unmistakable desire in his eyes. He didn’t do anything until he saw her eyes close, and then he leaned in and tasted the soft lips that he couldn’t stop thinking about since the rain soaked them and made them wet and inviting. He coaxed her lips open with his tongue, still in control, but when she whimpered his desire took over and he pulled her close, molding her body to him. She clung to him, putting her arms around his neck like someone drowning and holding on for dear life.
Show Me the Sun Page 5