Duke

by Tressie Lockwood

  He laughed and handed her a hot dog. “Now you’re throwing down a challenge. If I think you weren’t satisfied, I’ll have to do something about it.”

  “Whatever.”

  He saw a flash of amusement in her eyes, and something told him she wasn’t as against them getting physical again as she pretended. For now, he would bide his time. This morning wasn’t about seducing her. Rather he planned to win her. When he opened his eyes earlier, he didn’t know what came over him. All he knew for sure was he wanted to impress Takiyah. The knowledge almost made him call off the date, but he had never run from a challenge.

  With a quick phone call to his realtor and then one to Stefan, he had managed to sign paperwork for his house. From that night, he could move in to his place. The swift arrangements had taken almost every cent to his name, which of course was why this trip with Takiyah included hot dogs.

  She took a bite of her food, and he waited to gauge her reaction before he ate his. Her beautiful face brightened, and he thumbed away a bit of mustard in the corner of her luscious lips. “Well?” he insisted.

  “Mm, it’s so good. I can’t believe you have me eating hot dogs with chicken out here on your bike. I thought you would try to impress me by taking me to a fancy restaurant.”

  “Is that what you want?”

  She licked a finger. “No, I’m not like that, but to be honest, when you suggested we come here, I thought you weren’t even going to try. I once went out with this guy who wore whatever shirt his hands landed on in his clothesbasket. It was our first date. I wasn’t looking for a suit and tie, but damn.”

  He shook his head. “I get you. What I like to do is read my woman and get a feel for what she would and wouldn’t like.”

  “And what am I like?”

  “You would fall for me whether I dropped a thousand dollars on you or a dollar.”

  “Hold up. That sounds like it’s all about you.”

  “No, beautiful.” He leaned toward her, and this time instead of cleaning her mouth with his finger, he licked the dab of ketchup. She tasted delicious, far better than the food. He went in again and enjoyed himself for a few moments, tasting her sweet mouth. When he raised his head, he saw that she still waited for an explanation. “Sincerity, attentiveness, maybe a little aggression like taking charge. That’s what you need.”

  She made a noise of disbelief, but when she looked away, he knew he’d hit her personality on the head. He had already figured out a lot about her from day one, but meeting her ex confirmed it. Ed could never have been enough for Takiyah. Duke believed he was, and he would prove it to her. One problem he had run in to so far was that Takiyah thought she needed and wanted something else. She didn’t recognize yet how she responded to him. He would have to patiently show her.

  They finished their food, and Duke balled up the paper and tossed it in the trash. He picked up her helmet and set it atop her head. Pausing to look into her big brown eyes, he grinned. Desire washed over him. Truthfully, it was never far when he was around her. She did something to him. The sensations freaked him out, but Duke was a thrill-seeker. He liked the stirrings of panic in his gut, just like plunging straight down on a steep roller coaster or diving off a cliff. After the initial fear then came the mind-blowing fun.

  Fun is when I spread her legs and she shouts for me.

  He grinned bigger, and she smacked his arm. “I know what you’re thinking. Get that smut out of your head.”

  He widened his eyes. “I’m innocent. How could you accuse me of dirty thoughts?”

  She pursed her lips. “When I first heard your name, I knew the kind of man you are.”

  “You’re saying my parents wanted me to be a dirty-minded letch?”

  For a moment, she looked confused and then began stumbling over her words, thinking she had offended him by insulting his parents. Duke threw back his head and barked with laughter. Damn, she amused him. He couldn’t get enough of it.

  “Relax, baby,” he soothed her. “I wasn’t born Duke.”

  She gasped. “For real?”

  “Nope.” He settled his helmet on his head.

  “You changed it? What was your original name?”

  “I didn’t change it, but everyone knows me as Duke. I thought it sounded cool as a cocky seventeen-year-old. I made it stick.”

  She nodded as if she figured as much. He was the kind of man who would carve out his path anyway he saw fit. If he wanted to be known as Duke, well, he’d get them to see him as Duke. Contrary to what she assumed, he wasn’t always violent. Hell, he’d been a pretty laidback guy before the army. Service had hardened him a little, but he kept the smile in place. Underneath it all, a heart still beat, which was what got him into trouble more often than not.

  “Are you going to tell me your real name, or do I have to guess?”

  “Anthony.”

  “Nuh-uhn.”

  He laughed. “Sound too tame for you?”

  She shrugged. Something told him she wasn’t taking another chance to insult him.

  “Anthony Devlin Marquette.”

  “Devlin. That’s close to devil. Okay, I believe it.”

  “You wound me.”

  “I’m so sure,” she snarked.

  He stole another kiss and climbed onto the bike in front of her. Looking over his shoulder, he asked her, “Are you still okay? Earlier, I expected to have my back covered in green stuff.”

  “Haha. So not funny. I wasn’t about to throw up.”

  “You screamed.”

  “In excitement.”

  “Eventually.”

  She smacked his back. “Get going before I change my mind about you.”

  “And what are you thinking about me?”

  She sealed her lips together and refused to confess. He had to accept that little tidbit that told him his plan to break down her defenses was working. Tapping a finger against his side, he waited for her to wrap her arms around his waist. She did, and he started the bike and pulled out into traffic. Soon they were speeding down the highway to their next destination.

  The plantation house stood two stories tall with huge columns running from the bottom floor to the upper level. At the end of a long walkway, one could view the house between trees whose branches stretched overhead like a row of gentlemen bowing to a lady. When Duke realized what he was thinking, he ran his hand over his face, embarrassed but glad Takiyah couldn’t see in to his mind.

  “Wow, I never knew about this place, and I’ve lived in New Orleans all my life,” she said. “I mean I knew about it just not the details. I guess I learned about it in school or something, but who remembers that when you’re more interested in what your friends are saying. The history here is interesting, and the architecture and grounds are breathtaking. Still, it makes me a little sad.”

  Duke agreed. He watched her shield her eyes and look out over the grounds. He pointed in the direction of the river. “The house was originally named Bon Sejour, which means pleasant sojourn, but if you were riding in a steamboat out on the river, you’d see the house through all the oaks that line the walkway. People started calling it Oak Alley.”

  She made a noise of interest, so he embellished a little, letting some of his own imagination seep into the story.

  “They came right up out of the boats from there and walked up this path to the house. Can you imagine the assignations that took place out there among the trees? A woman sneaks out of the house to meet her lover for a midnight sail on the river. He takes her to a remote spot just like that thicket, covered from human eyes but open to the star-filled sky. He makes love to her all night long.”

  Duke chuckled when he noticed an elderly woman nearby turn bright red, having overheard his words. She’d either done something of that nature in her past or wished she could have. He didn’t doubt it.

  “Assignation?” Takiyah said. “What are we in a historical novel?”

  His brows rose. “Aren’t we? Look around.”

  “I guess the s
etting fits, but you forgot I’m black.”

  He nuzzled her neck to several interested gazes. “I haven’t forgotten. Shall I capture you?”

  She thumped the back of her hand against his chest—hard. “That’s not even funny.”

  When she moved away from him, he chased after her. They left the crowd touring the house, and he caught up to Takiyah with a few long strides. Grasping her wrist, he spun her to face him and pulled her close. The flash of hurt on her face shocked the hell out of him, and he was contrite for his stupid words.

  “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I joke around about everything, serious or not. That’s no excuse. Forgive me.”

  “Sounds like a command.” She kept her gaze lowered, so he couldn’t tell how she felt.

  “Look at me.”

  “Just—” She started to turn away, but he refused to release her.

  “Kiyah, look at me now.”

  She gasped, but she did obey. He felt her heart hammering because he held her tight to his chest. The anger and hurt faded from her brown gaze, and he was satisfied. He ran a thumb over her cheek, bringing on a shiver in her curvy frame. Desire to taste all of her overwhelmed him. He could hardly draw a breath. They stared at each other a long time. He would have gone on doing so if the tour guide didn’t call to them.

  Duke cursed under his breath and released her. When he stepped back, he discovered he had better reposition his cock or risk giving that old lady a heart attack. They returned to the tour, completed it, and then Duke drove Takiyah around the city, seducing her in every way he could think of. By the time it was getting late in the afternoon and they had to head back so they could get ready for work, he was pretty sure she’d say yes to whatever he asked her. To seal the deal, he made no requests of her whatsoever. Rather he kissed her on her doorstep, gave a casual salute, and climbed back on his bike.

  Chapter Eleven

  “He thinks he’s all that,” Takiyah said as she set up the silverware on one of her assigned tables.

  “Who?” Karey was just wandering by and overheard Takiyah’s complaint.

  “Um, nobody.” Takiyah jerked around to face the table and ducked her head. She needed to keep her thoughts to herself. Nobody had mentioned there being a policy in the restaurant about not dating coworkers, but even if there wasn’t, she didn’t care for anyone to know she’d gone out with Duke. The staff members with sense would feel sorry for her because of her foolishness, and the hungry women would be jealous. Either way, it wouldn’t bode well for her.

  She could just imagine the drama that would arise, not to mention the competition. Even Duke had told her at the beginning, Creed hired her for her attitude of not getting caught up in mess. What would he think about her falling for his cousin not even a month in to her job? Would he fire her on the spot?

  Wait, who the hell said anything about falling for him? All he did was buy me a hot dog and some other junk and take me on a few tours. How’s that special?

  Arguing with herself wasn’t doing any good. The truth was, she had had fun today, more than she had the entire time she was married to Ed.

  Damn it, Takiyah, stop the comparison! You’re not sizing Duke up for a ring!

  See, this was why she shouldn’t have given him a chance. Since they arrived at work, Duke kept glancing her way, winking. Every time he passed by, he moved far too close. Anybody with eyeballs could see what he was up to, but she figured they thought he was just targeting her like he always targeted women. That was the only consolation she had. Unfortunately, she was becoming vulnerable to his antics, in light of their earlier date.

  She kept thinking about when he would invite her to sleep with him again and how she’d decided to do it. Lecturing herself to change her mind before it was too late didn’t work. She wanted him, and her rational mind—or irrational—kept telling her she had a right to go after what she wanted even if she was a woman. This was the twenty-first century after all. The problem was, if she were a fully liberated woman, the internal argument wouldn’t arise at all. Thoughts of love and marriage and a home kept entering her head, jumbling with the physical side of things.

  Finished with the setup for her first table, she grabbed some more silverware and napkins and went to work on the second one, nearest the front entrance. Everyone around her zipped to and fro. A couple of late stragglers wandered in, looking wide-eyed and nervous that Creed would catch them. Stefan and Damen didn’t much care if anyone was five or ten minutes late. Creed chewed off their asses and docked their pay when he was having a bad day. The man was always fair but sometimes hard. Takiyah liked to be early, so she never had a problem.

  When furtive movement caught her attention out of the corner of her eye, she figured it was another employee. Something made her look up, and she couldn’t believe it was Basil sneaking in. The fool had already been fired from what she heard. Why was he back? Talk about a glutton for punishment. Well, he could do what he wanted. Creed would catch him before long.

  Takiyah recalled there was a special flower arrangement for her third table. The couple tonight had been married for fifty-one years, and they were celebrating. Stefan had arranged a song for them, and Damen ordered gifts. She had never heard of a restaurant doing such a thing, but these were the Marquettes. They almost had to break out of the norm. In fact, she was surprised a reality show hadn’t been made off their lives yet. Then again, Creed would never allow it. She recalled the night the reporter tried to get a picture of the fight between Basil and Tyjon. Creed guarded the privacy of both his restaurant and their own lives like a hawk.

  Takiyah stuck her head in the kitchen door. “Hey, anybody know anything about the gifts Damen arranged for my people?”

  Every back was turned. Those that faced her had their heads bowed over their tasks. She doubted they knew she was there.

  “Hello?” she called again.

  Someone snapped “no,” but she wasn’t sure who. Sighing, she walked farther into the kitchen. Maybe Damen was in his office. She couldn’t recall seeing him or Stefan, come to think of it. They never shirked their duties. From what she’d seen they absolutely loved their jobs.

  Takiyah stood outside Damen’s office door and knocked lightly. “Damen? Are you there?”

  No answer. She tried the knob, but it was locked. She tried Stefan’s office and found it unlocked but empty. Wondering if one being locked and the other not spoke something to their personalities, she hesitantly approached Creed’s door. Better to just ask him instead of being unprepared. Damen had said he wanted everything for the special couple to go off without a hitch.

  A noise reached her from other side of the door. Something dropped, and she frowned. For some crazy reason, she thought maybe Creed had fainted. Then the stupidity of such a thought struck her, and she laughed. She opened the door a crack. “Creed, you okay?”

  Instead of Creed, she found Basil at his desk, trying to dump pens and pencils back inside a holder. For a moment, she couldn’t find words around her shock. Basil’s face paled. “Shh, close the door.”

  Not thinking, she did. “Are you nuts, Basil? Why are you in here? Creed will kill you. What could you possibly be looking for? Your last check?”

  “I said shut up,” he whined, holding his chest with one hand and fanning his face with the other. “You scared me. I thought you were Creed.”

  She folded her arms over her chest and tapped her foot. “I suggest you pull yourself together and get the heck out of here. If he finds you poking in his office, you’ll be in far more trouble than just being fired. You’ll find yourself behind bars. Everybody knows Creed doesn’t play.”

  “I was wronged. You know Tyjon attacked me, and I bet he’s still living in the lap of luxury at Stefan’s house.”

  “He’s family. The Marquettes are tight, and Creed loves family more than anything from what I’ve heard. You are the employee. He would expect you to behave like you have some sense in the restaurant.”

 
“When Tyjon pulled my hair?” Basil decided this was a great opportunity to smooth his greasy locks into better position. “He’s jealous of me. That was apparent the first time he came into the restaurant with his boyfriend. His man looked at me, and Tyjon didn’t like it. I can’t help how beautiful I am.”

  “Well, you’ve got confidence. I’ll give you that.” She started to turn away from him when she noticed two wrapped packages on top of a file cabinet next to the closet. These had to be the gifts. She breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to grab them. Sure enough, her customers’ names were scratched in calligraphy on ornate tags. She doubted Damen had written them, but who knew. More likely, he had a secretary or his wife do it. He might have special-ordered them from some boutique.

  Takiyah was just picking up the gifts when she heard voices in the hall—deep voices that couldn’t be anything other than the Marquette men. Her heart stopped, and her legs went weak.

  Okay, calm down, Takiyah. You have an excuse. Just explain about the gifts.

  She cooled down a little. After all, she was under Damen’s orders, and Creed’s office wasn’t locked, so he obviously didn’t mind them wandering in on business.

  Basil let out a squeak of terror and came hurtling toward her. She had just enough time to take in his bulging eyes and gaping mouth as he shoved her into the closet and followed her in, shutting the door behind them.

  “What in the hell do you think you’re doing, Basil? Get off me.”

  “Shut up!” He practically threw her in the closet and wrapped both arms around her. For a scrawny thing he was ridiculously strong. She struggled, but she couldn’t shake him off. They both went down to the floor, and the presents fell from her fingers. While she scrounged around on the floor to find them, Basil slapped a hand over her mouth. She started to try biting him, but the office door opened, and they both froze.

  “I thought I locked this,” Creed said, and Takiyah’s heart sank. That bastard Basil had somehow picked the lock or got the key from somewhere.