Duke (2 page)

T
akiyah ran
up to the glass door and yanked it open just as the waiter was peeling the Help Wanted sign off the glass. “Oh, please tell me you’re not taking that down because you’ve hired everybody you need.”

The waiter eyed Takiyah up and down. He was a slender man with dark liner around his eyes and his hair teased to perfection. She had the impression he would rather be a half dozen places other than at the famous Marquette’s restaurant. “We have a dining room full of wannabes, girlfriend. I’m sure Creed can find everybody he needs in them. Sorry, maybe next time.”

She started to turn away, disappointed, and walked nose first into a big, hard chest. “Ow, damn it.”

Glaring up at the idiot, she lost her breath at seeing the man who harassed her and her friend the other night. What the hell was his name? Duke. She knew good and well she hadn’t forgotten although she wished she had.

“Can’t you watch where you’re going?” She tried to go around him, but he blocked her path. The fool had the nerve to wear a big grin as if he was happy to see her. Too bad it wasn’t mutual.

“We meet again,” he said. “Couldn’t get enough of me?”

“You wish. Move.”

“Interviewing is about to start.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the dining room. “Let’s find a seat.”

“I was told—” She didn’t get to finish what she intended to say before the jerk had her seated on the front row and him scooted in next to her. When a man in a suit walked out, an air of importance floating around him, she figured he was in charge. The man glanced at Duke with a frown and moved on, skimming the crowd of mostly women. They all sat at round tables, covered in pristine white tablecloths.

“Good morning, everyone,” the big man said. “I’m Creed Marquette, one of the owners and the manager here.”

Takiyah glanced around, shocked at the transformation among most of the women. Preening and primping, they shifted in their seats, poked out chests to show off their breasts, and even made small noises to call attention to themselves. Disgust rolled through her. So this was what it was like at Marquette’s? Women trying their best to catch the interest of the billionaire owners? Maybe she shouldn’t try to get a part time job there. Takiyah didn’t have time for foolishness. All she wanted to do was make her money and go about her business.

“Don’t worry,” Duke whispered in her ear. “Creed runs a tight ship. He doesn’t hire the ones that are too eager to get into his bed.”

She blinked at him, annoyed that he’d read her mind. Not wanting to encourage conversation, she turned a cold shoulder to him.

“Very quickly, let me introduce you to the other owners,” Creed said. “This guy here is my baby brother, Stefan. And—”

“And I’m Damen, the middle brother,” the one in glasses said for himself. He grinned as big as Duke, but for some reason she wasn’t put off with him the way she was with the pain in the ass at her side.

Then a new thought struck her. These men, who all stood just outside a door with a porthole window in it, all looked alike. Dark hair and green eyes ran in the family, except the youngest brother had frosted his tips blond. She peeked over at Duke and was shocked to realize he could be Damen’s twin.

No way. This bastard couldn’t be the fourth brother. Has Adele missed her chance?

“What about Duke?” one of the ladies called out. Takiyah leaned forward to find a tiny little thing with long manicured nails laid gently on Duke’s arm. She tried not to throw up her breakfast.

Creed’s jaw clenched. “I said I was introducing you to the other owners. Of course, this is my cousin Duke Marquette. He and my brothers work as waiters here at Marquette’s.”

The tiny hand was withdrawn, and Takiyah felt the chill wind coming from that end. She looked at Duke, and it didn’t seem like he cared one way or another that the woman had latched onto him because she thought he had money and then dismissed him when she learned he was just a poor relation.

When Creed excused himself for an issue in the kitchen, she couldn’t help turning to Duke to question him. “Does it bother you to be in their shadows?”

“I work best in the shadows.” He leaned closer to her. “If I say I’m hurt, would you comfort me?”

“No.”

He chuckled. “You don’t bite your tongue, do you, Takiyah?”

She gasped. Most men forgot her name a second after hearing it. He remembered, but she didn’t let it go to her head. Not after he gave her a knowing look. The man was exhausting.

“I’m just here to try to get a job. I’m not interested in you one way or another.”

His dark brows rose toward perfectly disordered hair. “And after you looked down on me for being a waiter?”

“Correction, that was Adele. I just looked down on you in general.”

“Ouch.”

Creed returned and went over information about the hiring process and what would be expected of the wait staff. At her side, Duke got a kick out of her dismissal of him. She felt his gaze on her far more than on Creed. Not that he needed to pay attention since he wasn’t being considered for a job.

Takiyah’s cell phone dinged, and she cringed when Creed glanced her way. The frown on his face said she was already off to a bad start, and she scrambled to silence the phone. Creed seemed like the easy-to-fly-off-the-handle type.

One of the supervisors on her day job acted like that, and she couldn’t stand him. He shouted at everybody and criticized people for not meeting their quotas for number of calls per day. Lately, she and he had been having words, and she didn’t know how long it would be until she found something else. The waitressing would at least keep food on the table for her and her son.

While Creed answered one of the ladies’ questions, Takiyah checked her phone real quick. She liked to always be available if anything happened with Keen, her son. Duke leaned over close to her, invading her space.

“Is it Adele?” He tried to check for himself, but she smacked his hand and glared at him.

“You don’t give up, do you?”

He touched a finger to his lips, amusement in his eyes. “Creed’s talking.”

Like this idiot cared. She dismissed him and faced front. Soon the group interview began. Takiyah ordered her thoughts and sat straight. She willed Creed to understand that she was the kind of person who would work her ass off and become an asset to his restaurant.

“What about you, Tak-Tak…?”

She opened her mouth to answer, but Duke cut her off. “This is Takiyah. Trust me, she’s an excellent waitress. You want to hire her, cuz.”

“Trust
you
,” Creed said.

There were protests around the room. “Oh that’s how she’s playing it,” one of the women said. “Move in on the cousin to get a foot in the door.”

She thumped a hand on the table. “I don’t even know him!”

“Come on, Yah Yah,” Duke teased. “We had such a great time the other night.”

Takiyah’s temper flew through the roof. “Stop playing games with me. I don’t like you. Get it through your head. Creed, I hope you’ll consider me for the job. I’ll work damn hard, but I’m not going to sit here quietly while he ruins my chances.”

Damen appeared to be amused by the situation as much as Duke, and she recognized pity in Stefan’s expression. Both pissed her off even more. Creed folded his arms over his chest and grew thoughtful.

“So, you don’t think getting closer to Duke will give you an advantage?” Creed said.

“Why would it? He’s an id—” She slapped her hand over her mouth. “Um, sorry. I know he’s family, but…”

Despite Duke bugging her, she didn’t like to call people out in front of others unless she had to. That wasn’t her style.

“No, please go on,” Creed said. “I like honesty, and you can ask my wife who is notorious for saying whatever she pleases. I’d rather my employees say exactly what’s on their mind than kiss my ass and screw up their jobs because they’re distracted.”

So he was married, but none of the preening women cared. They still felt like they had a chance. Takiyah sighed.

“I’m not sure Marquette’s is right for me. It looks like you have a nice place here, and your reputation is all over New Orleans.”

Creed nodded. “And the reason you’re not sure it’s right for you?”

She side-eyed Duke. “Because I’m not for nonsense. I have a thirteen-year-old son to raise, and I don’t risk his well-being for anybody.”

“Understood.”

Creed went on with the interviewing process. Takiyah answered questions to the best of her ability, and when the session was over, she jetted out the door.

“Takiyah,” Duke called after her on the street.

She sighed and waited for him to catch up. “What? You don’t have anything else to say to me, Duke.”

“I wanted to apologize.” He seemed sincere. At least the smug grin was off his face. “I promise I was only trying to help.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but for the short time I was in there, it didn’t look like you have much of a reputation with your cousins.”

He chuckled and shoved his hands into his pockets to rock on his heels. “I am sort of the black sheep in the family.”

“And you’re proud of it?”

He shrugged. “I live my life the way I choose. Couldn’t ask for more than that. To answer the question you didn’t ask, no, it doesn’t bother me at all how others view me. Not even a little bit.”

She studied his handsome face and believed him. What was that like, not to care about other people’s opinion? Her phone vibrated again, and she checked it. An email had come in from Marquette’s with info about coming in to fill out paperwork and get her measurements for ordering a uniform. She blinked in surprise.

“I was hired that fast?”

Duke grinned. “I knew you would be.”

“Because of you?”

“Indirectly. Creed doesn’t like waitresses who spend all their time trying to seduce him or his brothers. You’re different, so it was a no-brainer. Now you just have to do a good job. The bear is easy to appease.”

“The bear?”

He chuckled. “That’s what we call him. Make no mistake, the teeth and claws are deadly. I’ll protect you though.”

“No thank you.”

He laughed. “Aren’t you the least bit grateful to me? I was the foil so you could look your best.”

She put a hand on her hip. “And that means what exactly?”

He leaned in so close she almost thought he would kiss her. To her surprise, her heart started pounding, and she stumbled back a few steps to get some air. Duke, the stubborn ass, moved in again, and her breath caught in her throat.

“You could tell Adele what you’ve learned about me.”

She spun away from him and started walking down the street. He fell into step beside her. “You don’t give up! So what, you expect me to tell her you’re related to the guys who own Marquette’s? Did it ever occur to you Adele might be the kind of woman who would get with you to later go after your cousins?”

“You’re worried about me?”

“So not.”

“Don’t worry. I’m a big boy, and if Adele uses me for my connections, couldn’t I use her in return for…”

“I despise you.”

He burst out laughing, throwing his head back. The man had a smile that could arrest a woman’s heart. They all did. The Marquettes were a dangerous brood even if the others were married. She wouldn’t be bringing Adele around if she could help it. Not that Adele was the kind of woman who would try to break up a marriage, but Takiyah loved her, and she wouldn’t want a shallow asshole like Duke to hurt her.

Doesn’t have anything to do with you being attracted to a man who only sees your white girlfriend.

“Goodbye, Duke.”

She started to walk off, but he grasped her hand in a gentle but firm hold. Her heartbeat kicked up a few notches. She tried her best to keep her breathing under control. Duke’s gaze bore into her hers as if he knew the reaction he had on her and was amused by it. “You’ll take the job?”

Rather than pull out of his grasp and prove he unsettled her, she let him hold onto her hand. His strength ignited something inside her, and the innocent touch turned intimate in its quality. She licked her lips and turned her head so he couldn’t see her expression.

“I might take it,” she said. Really, she wanted to say no, but she never let anyone run her off from whatever decision she’d made. Marquette’s paid well, and the atmosphere was just what she was looking for.

“Take the job, Yah Yah.”

She gritted her teeth. “Call me Yah Yah again and see what happens.”

He chuckled. “I like teasing you. With you at Marquette’s, it will be a lot more entertaining.”

“I’m there to do a job.” She couldn’t take it anymore and tugged at her hand. He squeezed it gently and then let go slowly. His thumb stroked over her skin, sending chills racing along her spine. From his expression, one would think he didn’t notice what he’d done, but she wasn’t fooled. Why the hell was he flirting with her if he wanted Adele? Her opinion of him plummeted even more because of the way he behaved.

“Are you always this stiff?”

“Stiff?” she said too loud, and then glanced around the narrow street to see if anyone was looking their way. A few heads turned, but most people just went about their business. “You’re annoyed that I’m not drooling at your feet begging for your attention. You probably take advantage of all the women who come after you to get to your cousins.”

He sniffed. “You’re right, Kiyah—I’m trying out a new nickname by the way. I’m the ugly cousin. No one loves me. Do you feel bad for me?”

She snorted, and a laugh burst out before she slapped a hand over her mouth to suppress it. Duke’s eyes blazed with excitement. He knew he’d gotten to her. She gave him a shove, but it turned out to be a mistake when her palms touched the steel hardness of his chest. Through his shirt, she felt the ripped muscle.

She snatched her hands back and whirled away to start walking. When he didn’t fall into step beside her, she paused and peeked over her shoulder. He stood where she left him, watching her, unmoving and unreadable.

After a moment, he grinned and saluted. “See you on your first day, Kiyah.”

She fled, burning up that he thought he had the right to call her by a nickname. Taking the job at Marquette’s was going to be a challenge, but she would do it—attracted to Duke or not.