Love in Bloom: An Anthology (Arabesque) - Softcover

Craft, Francine; Hudson-Smith, Linda; Sims, Janice

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0373830629 ISBN 13: 9780373830626

Publisher: Harlequin Kimani Arabesque, 2006

Synopsis

When divorced health-food-store owner Maya Williams takes part in Francine Craft's Love's Masquerade, she is unexpectedly reunited with an old high school friend, Christopher St. John. Now, as midnight nears, two people who have known heartbreak may discover that dreams can still come true.
Linda Hudson-Smith's Forbidden Fantasy brings social worker Ashleigh Ayers together with Austin Carrington, the football hero she has adored ever since she was a lonely, unwanted orphan.
But a Caribbean cruise offers unexpected surprises...and the passionate fulfillment of a long-ago promise.
In Janice Sims's Teacher's Pet, literature professor Bethany Porter meets self-made millionaire Colin Armstrong, and she's hooked. But it will take the help of two romance-minded friends for this by-the-book woman to learn that love has its own thrilling lessons to teach.

About this title

About the Author:

Linda Hudson-Smith has won several awards, including a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews. She is also a recipient of the Gold Pen award and has won two awards from The African American Literary Awards Show.

The mother of two sons, Linda lives with her husband, Rudy, in League City, Texas. To find out more go to her Web site: www.lindahudsonsmith.com. You can also e-mail her at lindahudsonsmith@yahoo.com.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

It was cool for mid-October, but Maya Williams was fast getting hot under the collar. Standing at the counter of Personal Printers in Washington, D.C.'s L'Enfant Plaza, her annoyance was growing.

The young male clerk argued with her in a supercilious way. "Ma'am, I think you're going to have crowded copy. A lot of this could be left off—and should be."

Maya sighed with exasperation. "That's why I asked for help. I'd like to see the whole range of copy laid out."

"Well, I don't know," the young man insisted. "If you ask me—""

He was cut short by a sinewy man at least six foot two who came to them. "Let me handle this, Mac," he said smoothly. He smiled at Maya with big, perfect, white teeth, and pointed at a wall plaque behind him. "We mean this, you know. We do aim to please.

She felt a surge of electricity pass between them, and for a moment Maya couldn't get her breath. He was something short of a god, more deeply attractive than handsome, with close-cropped, curly jet-black hair, a long face, and humorous dark black eyes. He raised heavy, smooth black eyebrows at her.

"Now, ma'am, let me ask you to start over. My young assistant is a brilliant guy, but he sometimes thinks he knows best." He was trying not to stare at her, but her healthy black hair done in three lengths of braids ending in black beads fascinated him. The round face with its brown eyes and sculpted mouth and naturally arched eyebrows over long, soot-black lashes gave her a piquant look. Her lissome body in its heather-lavender coat dress was a dancer's body. He was thirty-four; he'd place her at about thirty-one. She was cool, with banked fires; yeah, he'd bet on it.

Maya flushed, her dark honey skin growing warm. She wanted to say something, but her stomach was fluttering and his eyes were magnetizing her.

He stuck out his hand. "Chris St. John, owner of Personal Printers. We aim to please, like the sign says."

Her hand clung to his a little too long and his eyes narrowed. "You've changed," she managed to get out. "Remember high school? Dunbar? Are you that Chris St. John?"

"One and the same. You've changed, but I'd know you anywhere, Maya Williams. You moved away in your sophomore year, left a lot of guys heartbroken."

"I don't think so, and how would you have time to know?" She chuckled. "As I remember, you were one of the players, girls coming out of your ears."

"And you were a tease. I let others believe I was a player. I had a lot of other things on my mind."

She remembered. He had been a senior when she moved with her parents to New Orleans. He was friendly with her, pleasant, but that was all.

He grinned. "I gave myself one more year back then. When you were a senior, I'd be in college, and I planned to make my moves on you."

They each searched the other's hand for wedding rings. Neither wore one.

"Nice shop you've got here," she said. "The printer I've been using didn't seem capable of handling an invitational brochure for our Sweetheart's Ball on Valentine's Day and some brochures for my shop."

Chris glanced at the shop copy. "So you own a health food store."

She nodded. Healing Hands. It was her pride and joy. "Let's sit and talk about this," he said. Damn it, something about her turned him on, sky-high. He led her to a nest of ivory leather chairs and a big glass cocktail table. They sat side by side. As his hand brushed hers, she felt another jolt of electricity and caught her breath. He looked at her levelly, denying nothing.

"Are you married?"he asked suddenly, not meaning to ask it. Some women didn't wear their wedding rings.

She shook her head. Having known him gave her license. "Are you married?"

"Not anymore."

Long fall afternoon rays of sunshine came through the plate-glass windows as they talked about the copy.

"You've already got the shop brochure copy laid out very well. True, the ball copy is a bit jumbled. What do you want to accomplish here?"

She marshaled her thoughts for a few minutes, more aware of him than ever. Finally she said slowly, "Two friends and I, well, all of us own shops. Lillian has a flower shop over in Georgetown. Dosha has a scarf and leather shop on K Street and my shop is on Connecticut Avenue just beyond Dupont Circle.

"We've given this ball for three years and it has been a great success. This year, the Post and the Washington Informer want to cover it and we want something special. Our theme is the Wondrous World of Love."

"Sounds very interesting. Go on."

She spread her hands. "Valentine's Day is celebrated the world over, pretty much the same, with flowers, candy, gifts, dances."She glanced over to him. His eyes on her were warm, beguiling. She crossed her ankles in her flattering backless tan suede shoes. "Want to hear more?"

"I do."

"Well, Valentine's Day's been around since the beginning of the fifteenth century. From what we find now, there was a priest and a bishop, both named Valentine, and seven or eight or more others with the same last name. At first, there were religious overtones to overcome the pagan side. All manner of customs grew up. If you dreamed of your opposite sex the night before Valentine's Day, that would be your husband or wife. Also, the first person you saw that Valentine's Day morning might be your mate. And..." She looked down quickly.

"And?" he asked supportively.

"Well, from the beginning it was held that February fourteenth was selected because that was the day birds began to mate each season."

His blood was racing now. What in the hell was going on with him and this woman?

She laughed then, her crystal-clear voice tinkling. "That's when the old priests demanded that young people choose a saint to be close to on Valentine's Day, and not a sweetheart."

"Spoilsports. How long did that last?"

"Not very long. We've had what we have today for a very long time."

"Valentine's Day is my birthday," he said softly.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "What a wonderful day to be born on. Mine's January the twenty-eighth. We're both Aquarians."

"A good sign." His eyes twinkled.

He wanted to ask her questions about herself. He wanted to tell her what his life had been like, and sadness closed in on him like a vise. She saw the look and her heart went out to him.

A leggy young girl of ten or so came in shyly. "Excuse me," she said, "but, Dad, I need the purple marker in your shirt pocket."

He introduced them and as the pair shook hands, the child's boneless flesh seemed to melt into Maya's. She was a lovely child with almond-colored skin and thick black braids.

"Janna," Maya said. "What a lovely name."

"Thank you. I'm busy drawing. I'm going to go now." Maya's eyes followed her across the gleaming hardwood floor until she was out of sight.

"What a lovely child," she said.

"Do you have children?"

"No." He noted the shadow that passed over her face. "No. I have no children. Is she your only child?"

"Yes." His voice grew cool. "Now, back to business. I'm going to spend a while with your ball copy and come up with ways to give us space, beauty and information. I guarantee you I'll make this a special invitation package, something your guests will all remember. Already, I see separating the invitation itself from the information you have here and using that information wisely. You've got a great idea. I think we can do business. I'd certainly like to try."

Maya stuck out her hand. He was such a smooth operator, and yet it went deeper than that. As a man, he was no flash in the pan, but he was sophisticated. Was he a player? He was attractive enough. This time, his hand lingered, clasping hers.

"Why don't I give you a call tomorrow?" he asked. "I've added two new hires, one of whom is the young man you first talked with. Training can be hell. Do you have that problem in your shop?"

"Oh, yes, in the past, but now..."Her eyes sparkled. "I've got a manager anybody else would kill for and a crackerjack clerk and gofer. But I'll tell you, it hasn't always been that way."

"Hmmm. A couple of my people are very good. We've landed a big government contract and it's running me ragged."

Maya drew a swift breath. "Then you're probably cutting back on other work. You've got a long time with this, but it's an ornery task. I'd understand if you couldn't put much time on this project."

He rocked a moment or two. "Nothing doing. I need something that touches my soul, and this does. You're going to have masks and a ballroom? Beautiful decorations? That kind of thing? I love pomp and circumstance."

"You're right on the mark. The ball is from ten to two in the morning. We unmask at midnight. This year we have a huge champagne bowl."She paused. He certainly had gotten into the spirit of things. "You're welcome to come, and bring a guest."

He started to explain that there was no guest he wanted to bring. Stella, his ex-wife, would have been delighted to go, but Stella lived on Diamond Point Island in the Caribbean and he didn't intend to find someone new for a very long time.

"That's kind of you," he said. "I'll consider it."

She felt a little nonplussed now. Was she coming on to him? Did he think she was coming on to him? Coming on to him, she chided herself. She was swallowing him whole.

She laughed nervously. "I don't want to seem too forward, but I feel I know you."

"I don't think you could be too forward," he said gallantly.

"You're a warm, giving woman, and I wish I'd met someone like you years ago, before it was too late."

Alarm bells went off in her head. What was he talking about? Well, she wouldn't find out today anyway. She was going to get out of here before she made a fool of herself flirting with this man.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harlequin Kimani Arabesque
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0373830629
• ISBN 13: 9780373830626
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Number of pages: 400