his head back again, the water hit him in the face with full force and pounded against his broad chest.
A rise of steam billowed in the open space, painting the tiled walls with a cloudy mist. Minutes passed before Luke moved to soap himself with the organic body wash he favored. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of sandalwood and vanilla, and just like that he was wide-eyed and awake, his earlier moments of sluggishness vanquished.
Luke was suddenly anxious about the mandatory meeting that had been scheduled for first thing that day. The memo had said no one was excused, and he could only begin to imagine what was so important. Having spent most of the night brushing up on the details of all his current projects, Luke was fairly confident that he would be able to respond to anything thrown at him, but then again, with his older brothers, just how sure could he be? He heaved a deep sigh.
Reaching for his requisite loofah sponge, he guided his large hands across the tight, sinewy lines of his torso. The soft sponge gently caressed his flesh, his skin like dark satin stretched over rock-hard marble. As he soaped and lathered each taut muscle, Luke had the overwhelming sensation that something big was going to happen to him today. Something that would change his life forever. He only wished he had a clue what that was so that he could be prepared for it.
Luke heaved a deep sigh. Leaning forward, he pressed his palms against the tile, the spray washing over his back and buttocks. Beaded water like tiny pearls tolled down his back, puddling in small streams before running down the backs of his long legs.
Some thirty minutes later he stepped from the shower, reaching for a large white towel that rested on the corner of the marble countertop. As he swiped at the moisture that dampened his skin, he admired his reflection in the mirror. His time in the gym was paying off nicely, definition clearly painting the muscular lines of his body. The new trainer was working him well, and Luke appreciated the benefits the hard work was producing.
Wrapping the towel around his waist, he stood staring at his reflection for a minute longer. Energy gleamed in the pools of black gold that were his eyes. They were his father’s eyes, and his brothers’. History glimmered back at him, a testament to the legacy he’d been bequeathed at birth. He was a true Stallion, through and through. Never mind him being prepared for whatever was coming. Whatever was coming had better be prepared for him, Luke mused, a soft smile pulling at his mouth. Nothing and no one had ever bested a Stallion man, and as far as he was concerned, nothing and no one ever would.
The laughter ringing through the conference room of Stallion Enterprises’ corporate headquarters belied the serious nature of the business meeting the executive board was supposed to be holding. The Stallion brothers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, were chuckling heartily as they sat discussing the impending anniversary celebrations for Mark, John and John’s father-in-law, Edward Briscoe. It had been one year since all three men had jumped the holy matrimony broom, each of them taking a wife within weeks of each other.
The joint anniversary celebration had been the brain child of John’s wife, Marah, and her twin sister, Eden Waller. Mark’s wife, Michelle, had been pulled into the excitement, albeit reluctantly—the other women were adamant that since Edward and his wife, Juanita, and Michelle and Mark had both eloped, then their one-year anniversary celebrations needed to be the talk of Dallas. The three-day event was scheduled to coincide with the family reunion and the annual Black Rodeo hosted by the Briscoe-Stallion family at the renowned Briscoe Ranch.
“I swear,” John was exclaiming, disconnecting the call on his personal cell phone. “This party is going to send us to the poor house. Every time Marah calls it’s about the price of something having gone up. This thing is costing a fortune!” The man tossed up his arms, feigning annoyance.
His brothers all laughed, three pairs of dark eyes focused on his wide grin. The family resemblance ran deep, all four men imposing in stature. They each boasted well-formed physiques, black-coffee complexions, chiseled jawlines, seductive bedroom eyes and charismatic smiles.
Luke laughed. “I can’t believe you and Mark keep giving in so easily. Those women have both of you whipped silly!”
Mark laughed with him. “Love will do that to you, baby brother. You should try it.”
Luke shook his head from side to side. “Not me. I’m following in Matthew’s footsteps.” He gestured in his brother’s direction. “You go, Mr. Bachelor of the Year!” he exclaimed, acknowledging their sibling’s most recent claim to fame.
Matthew laughed. “That’s right, baby brother! Don’t go out like that. Enjoy it while you can!”
“What do you mean?” Mark asked. “Go out like what? John and I didn’t do anything but get married.”
“And married to very beautiful, talented, exceptional women,” John added. “I have to tell you boys, it beats that dating game you two want to keep playing.”
Luke’s head waved from side to side. “I like that game. I play it very well.”
“Me, too, as evidenced by the fact Texan magazine is giving me an award for it,” Matthew intoned. “In fact,” he said, gazing down at the Rolex watch on his wrist, “I plan to play with Miss Daphne Cuthbert at seven o’clock this evening, so let’s get this meeting wrapped up.”
“Does Daphne have any sisters?” Luke queried.
Matthew nodded enthusiastically, gesturing with his hands. “As a matter of fact, her sister, Janette, has a pair of legs that go from here to—”
John held up his hand. “Spare us.” He chuckled. “You two are determined to learn your lessons the hard way,” he said, his head shaking from side to side. “Don’t say Mark and I didn’t warn you!” Shifting the stack of manila folders on the table in front of him, John laughed heartily, his brothers laughing with him. “On to new business,” he said, shifting back into CEO mode without batting an eye.
Not skipping a beat, his siblings shifted with him, their earlier elation replaced with disciplined reservation. John leaned back in his leather executive’s chair, his arms folding over his chest as his gaze shifted from one brother to another. His forehead was furrowed as he fell into deep thought, something serious clearly crossing his mind. The other three men leaned forward, each of them attentive. Luke pulled his yellow-lined notepad closer, his ballpoint pen poised in anticipation.
John began slowly. “The reason I called this meeting is because Stallion stock has been under accumulation over the last few weeks. Too swiftly and too much of it. It’s raising some concerns about who is suddenly so interested in us and why.”
“Isn’t interest a good thing?” Luke asked, meeting John’s gaze evenly. “It’s near an all-time high, isn’t it?
John nodded. “That’s true, but it’s not a good thing if it’s all being purchased for the wrong reasons. One entity in control of too many shares could present us with some major problems.”
Matthew nodded. “Word on the street is someone wants us and wants us bad. We have to figure out who and why. I’ll be contacting all of our major stockholders in the next few weeks to see if anyone can shed any light on the situation, but we can’t afford to let our guard down. This could be a problem for us.”
A look of confusion crossed Luke’s face. “I don’t understand…” he started.
“We four have controlling interest in the company right now, but if one individual acquires enough of our stock, we could find ourselves in the middle of a hostile takeover attempt,”
