A Touch of Love Read online

  A passion to believe in

  Lexia Daniels can’t deny that her café’s most loyal customer is as tempting as any of the delicious treats she bakes. Burned by a bitter divorce, she tries to keep her desire in check around Khalil Gray, but the gorgeous ex-model is intent on seduction. Then a devastating accident reveals the complicated man behind the perfectly sculpted body... A man she can’t seem to resist.

  At first, Khalil sees Lexia as a sexy challenge. But after an explosion shatters his world, she becomes the only person he can’t seem to push away. And every sign around him is telling him he needs her close. Khalil is happy to explore their erotic chemistry as long as it means resisting real emotion. But playing by his old rules could cost him the love he never thought he’d find...

  She stopped at the door and sent him a text. A moment later, it swung open. She did her best to keep her eyes focused on his face and not the corded muscles of his arms and chest visible beneath the sleeveless tee. Then again, with his newly trimmed mustache and beard, long eyelashes, and golden-brown-sugar eyes, his face was just as much a visual treat as the rest of his body.

  Khalil’s low chuckle snapped her out of her thoughts. “Come on in.”

  He backed up just enough so that when she passed their bodies brushed against each other, the contact sending a jolt of awareness through her. Lexia stifled a moan. Halfway across the room, she turned around and noticed him standing with his back braced against the door, arms folded. She angled her head. “What?” He straightened and came toward her with the grace of a panther and she unconsciously took a step back.

  Khalil stroked a finger down her cheek. “I didn’t get my hello kiss.”

  Before Lexia could blink, his mouth came down on hers, hot and demanding.

  Dear Reader,

  If you’ve kept up with the Gray siblings so far, you know that Khalil Gray is the most laid-back of the five, and I’ll admit to being surprised by some of the things he revealed to me. But his easygoing manner is going to be put to the test, as well as his claim that there isn’t a woman alive to make him give up his single status. Lexia Daniels isn’t eager to lose her heart either, but life and love don’t always play by our rules, as they’ll soon find out. I hope you enjoy their journey because I sure did!

  As always, I so appreciate all your love and support. Without you, I couldn’t do this.

  Much love,

  Sheryl

  Website: www.SherylLister.com

  Email: [email protected]

  Facebook: Facebook.com/SherylListerAuthor

  Twitter: Twitter.com/1Slynne

  A Touch of Love

  Sheryl Lister

  Sheryl Lister has enjoyed reading and writing for as long as she can remember. She writes contemporary and inspirational romance and romantic suspense. She’s been nominated for an Emma Award and an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award, and named BRAB’s 2015 Best New Author and 2016 Breakout Author and Black Pearls Magazine’s 2017 Author of the Year. When she’s not reading, writing or playing chauffeur, Sheryl can be found on a date with her husband or in the kitchen creating appetizers and bite-size desserts. Sheryl resides in California and is a wife, mother of three daughters and a son-in-love, and grandmother to two very special little boys. Visit her website at www.sheryllister.com.

  Books by Sheryl Lister

  Harlequin Kimani Romance

  Just to Be with You

  All of Me

  It’s Only You

  Tender Kisses

  Places in My Heart

  Unwrapping the Holidays with Nana Malone

  Giving My All to You

  A Touch of Love

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.

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  For DeAnna Swope, because you’re amazing!

  Acknowledgments

  My Heavenly Father, thank you for my life. You never cease to amaze me with Your blessings!

  To my husband, Lance—you continue to show me why you’ll always be my #1 hero!

  To my children, family and friends—thank you for your continued support. I appreciate and love you!

  A huge thank you to Thomas Swope, Jr. and DeAnna Swope for providing me with a small glimpse of the Deaf Community. Your help was invaluable! DeAnna currently serves on the Deaf Anti-Violence Board in Georgia, is a case manager at Avita Community Partners, and was recognized as one of the 2016 Rising Stars: Black and Deaf Inspirations as a leader in the community.

  To my Club N.E.O. sisters—I love you ladies!

  A special thank you to the readers and authors I’ve met on this journey. You continue to enrich my life.

  Thank you to my editor, Patience Bloom, for your editorial guidance and support.

  A very special thank you to my agent, Sarah E. Younger. I appreciate you more than words can say.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from Decadent Desire by Zuri Day

  Chapter 1

  “What the hell do you mean they were charged twice?” Khalil Gray stopped in his tracks. He met the disapproving glare of a grandmotherly woman and offered up a tight smile. Lowering his voice, he repeated the question.

  “I have no idea,” Felicia McBride answered. The twenty-six-year-old college student worked as the assistant manager at his fitness center, Maximum Burn. “There’ve been four calls since you left, with members saying their accounts were debited twice this month. They’ve already been corrected, but I have no idea why it happened in the first place.”

  He ran an agitated hand down his face. “Thanks, Felicia. I’ll check it out when I get back.” He ended the call, still trying to figure out what was going on. He had owned the gym for five years and never had a problem before.

  Khalil continued through the lobby toward the elevators and jabbed the button with more force than necessary. He toyed with stopping in Oasis Café for his favorite low fat apple cinnamon coffee cake, but because of traffic and construction across from the Wilshire District office building, he was already fifteen minutes late for the Wednesday morning staff meeting at his family’s home safety company. The elevator doors opened and he stepped back to allow the stream of people to exit before boarding and riding the car up to the sixth floor.

  Khalil greeted the receptionist and walked briskly down the hallway to the large conference room. He slid into a vacant seat and turned his attention to what his older brother, Brandon, was saying. Brandon had taken over as CEO of the company nine months ago. Their father, Nolan Gray, had started the company upon his discharge from the army after being disheartened by the difficulty in getting services and accommodations for the disabled. He’d decided to do something about it by designing them himself. Their father’s best friend, Thaddeus Whitcomb—who had lost the
lower part of his leg while serving—joined the company as a minor partner and vice president. The two men had a long-standing agreement that there would always be a Gray at the helm as CEO and a Whitcomb as vice president. Currently, only Brandon and their older sister, Siobhan, worked for the company. He listened as each department gave updates.

  After the last person finished, Brandon directed his attention to Khalil. “Khalil, you’re still going to be meeting with production about your equipment, right?”

  Khalil nodded. “Next week. The second gym is scheduled to open in June and I don’t want any delays.” They had broken ground a year ago on the now three-level center, and the building would be completed in four weeks, barring any problems. He wanted all the equipment to be ready for installation.

  “So, roughly three months until opening day. Let me know if you run into any difficulties. Is there anything else?”

  Khalil glanced at the wall clock. It was almost eleven. Any hope he had of getting that coffee cake dissipated. When no one spoke, he pushed the chair from the table and started to stand.

  “I have one quick thing.”

  He dropped back into his seat and groaned inwardly. He loved his sister-in-law, but couldn’t she table her comments until the next meeting? Brandon had met Faith Alexander when he’d come to her rescue after a car accident. Unbeknownst to either of them, Faith was the long-lost daughter of Thaddeus Whitcomb, and rightful heir to the VP position. Uncle Thad, as they affectionately called him, had been looking for his daughter for twenty-eight years after his wife divorced him. Khalil smiled inwardly remembering all the fireworks that followed when Brandon found out the woman he had rescued and begun dating was actually going to be his second-in-command. He hadn’t been too happy since he’d grown up thinking he would head the company alone—a fact that Brandon had reiterated several times. Things had worked out between Brandon and Faith and they had married six weeks ago.

  Khalil tuned back in to Faith discussing the new intern program. It gave him an idea about doing something similar at the gym. A few minutes later, the meeting ended.

  “Hey, Khalil. I want to talk to you before you leave.”

  He shot a glare at Brandon. Another five minutes passed before his brother made it over to where Khalil stood impatiently waiting.

  “Why are you frowning at me like that?” Brandon asked.

  “Because it’s after eleven and my coffee cake is probably gone by now.” He strode out of the conference room, leaving Brandon to follow. “If you want to talk, we need to do it on the way downstairs.”

  Brandon chuckled. “Weren’t you grumbling about that three weeks ago when you were here?” He pushed the down button on the elevator.

  Khalil only attended the weekly staff meeting when he had something on the agenda. “Yeah, and you’d better hope it’s not all gone again. Dad’s staff meetings never ran this long. You’re taking this CEO thing way too far.”

  “Well, we have two new products in the design phase and have to finalize plans for our interns who’ll be starting soon, so there’s a lot to discuss.”

  When the elevator arrived, they joined four other occupants and rode down to the first floor without speaking. As soon as the doors opened, Khalil hurried across the lobby to Oasis Café. The only things left in the display case in the spot where the coffee cake usually sat were the tipped-over sign and crumbs.

  Behind him, Brandon laughed softly. “Guess you’ll have to get here early next time.”

  Before he could tell his brother where to go, a tall, pretty woman approached.

  “Good morning. Table for two?” She reached for menus.

  “No, thank you.” Khalil pointed to the glass case. “Do you have any more of the low fat apple cinnamon coffee cake?”

  “Sorry. We sold the last piece about an hour ago.” She chuckled. “It’s our most popular item and it goes fast. We still have some other pastries you can choose from.”

  He frowned. He didn’t want any of those sugar-laden sweets. After spending over a decade in the modeling and fitness business, he was very selective about what went into his body. The only allowances he made were family dinners. His mother could throw down in the kitchen and he looked forward to the monthly get-togethers. “Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

  She smiled. “Is there anything else I can get you?”

  “Yes, I’ll take...” Khalil trailed off when a woman wearing an apron came from the back and placed a plate on the counter. A wide headband held back her thick, wavy natural hair, and she had flawless skin, wide, dark brown eyes and lush lips, all set in an exquisite mocha face.

  “I saw you this morning and knew you’d be in. You’re later than usual,” she said.

  The deep, throaty sound of her voice caught him off guard and sent a jolt to his midsection. Khalil sent a scathing look over his shoulder at Brandon, then smiled, reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “This is the best thing that has happened to me lately and I just may have to ask for your hand in marriage, lovely lady.”

  Her brow lifted and she gave him a sassy smile. “Sorry, but I only accept marriage proposals from men whose name I know.”

  His grin widened. “Is that right?” Was she flirting with him? She tried to pull her hand back, but he didn’t let go. “Then let me introduce myself. Khalil Gray. And you are?”

  Staring at him, she said softly, “Lexia. Lexia Daniels.”

  “So, Lexia Daniels, exactly how long do we need to know each other before you say yes to my proposal?”

  Lexia shook her head and gently, but firmly withdrew her hand. “I need to get back to work.” She placed a cup on the counter, along with a decaf vanilla chai tea bag—his favorite. “Enjoy your coffee cake and tea.” She turned and headed back the way she’d come.

  “This should improve your mood some,” Brandon said.

  “Mmm-hmm.” Khalil had been here several times since the café reopened under new management almost two years ago and couldn’t recall ever seeing her. His gaze followed the sweet curve of her hips until she disappeared.

  The other woman smiled knowingly and rang up his purchases.

  He handed her some bills. “Is she the chef?”

  She laughed. “No, Lexia isn’t the chef, though she can cook her butt off. She owns the place.” She leaned forward and said conspiratorially, “But she does make that coffee cake.”

  Owner? Khalil was even more intrigued. He craned his neck trying to get another glimpse of Lexia, but didn’t see her. “Can you ask her to come back out for a moment? I didn’t get a chance to thank her.”

  “You bet. By the way, my name is Samantha. But you can call me Sam.” She tossed him a bold wink and strutted off.

  Brandon shook his head.

  “What?” Khalil asked while filling his cup with hot water. He broke off a piece of the warm cake and popped it in his mouth. Lexia must have heated it.

  “I thought you were dating that model you met six months ago. How are you flirting with another woman?”

  “Not dating. It’s publicity.”

  “You said you were done with modeling and appearances.”

  “I am. It’s for her. Rosalyn’s agent and I go way back, and since she’s a relative newcomer, he thought it would help her career. I promised to escort her to the fund-raiser benefiting teen models in New York next month, but that’s—” He stopped short when Lexia approached. Up close, she was even shorter than he thought and he towered over her petite frame by more than a foot.

  “Sam said you wanted to talk to me.”

  “Yes. I just wanted to thank you for the cake. You’ve made my day much better.”

  Lexia let out a short bark of laughter. “If that’s all it takes to make your day—” An embarrassed expression crossed her face and she cleared her throat. “You’re welcome. I’m glad you enj
oy it.”

  “I am definitely enjoying it.” And he was enjoying her. “Does this mean I can count on you to save me a slice if I’m late again?”

  She averted her attention briefly to wave at a woman entering, then turned back. “I don’t know when you’ll be here.”

  Khalil moved closer. “I’ll be more than happy to call and let you know.”

  “That’s...that’s not necessary,” she said quickly. “Just pop in when you arrive and Sam can set aside a piece if you don’t have time to get it then.” Lexia took two steps back. “Was there anything else, Mr. Gray?”

  “Khalil. And no.” For now. “Thanks, again.”

  She nodded, spun around and headed toward the booth where the woman Lexia had waved to was sitting.

  He removed the tea bag, added a package of raw sugar, a dash of milk and stirred. Brandon was still staring at him. “What now?” He gestured to a nearby table and they sat.

  “You seem a little preoccupied with the owner.”

  He grinned. “It’s nothing but a little harmless flirting. She’s not even my type. I prefer my women a little taller and ones who have legs that go on forever.”

  Brandon studied Khalil for a long moment. “She may not be the type you’re used to dating, but she may end up being exactly your type.”

  Khalil waved Brandon off. “Don’t get all sentimental on me now that you’ve gotten married. I told you before, there’s not a woman alive who can make me give up my single life. After all the relationship drama I’ve seen over the past decade and a half...I’ll pass.” He acknowledged that Lexia was a beautiful woman, but that was as far as it went. Never again would he allow his emotions to overrule his good sense. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

  “I noticed you on your phone and frowning during the meeting. Is everything okay?”

  Khalil took a sip of tea and set the cup down. Just thinking about what Felicia told him incensed him all over again. “I got a call from my assistant manager telling me a few people have complained that they had been double charged for their membership fee this month.” He continued eating.

 
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