Читать книгу Sensual Confessions - Brenda Jackson - Страница 10

“Just who do you think you’re fooling, Blade? You’re interested in Sam. Admit it.”

What was this—an interrogation? Blade Madaris thought as he ignored his cousin Luke and glanced around the restaurant before looking down at his watch. It was almost six. He had just arrived in Oklahoma City a few hours ago and Luke had picked him up from the airport.

On their way into town, Blade had persuaded Luke to make a pit stop at a restaurant downtown. He’d even suggested that Luke call his wife, Mac, and invite her to join them, conveniently extending the same invitation to the other two female partners in Mac’s firm, Samari Di Meglio—better known as Sam to her friends—and Peyton Mahoney. Since Mac’s marriage, the law firm that used to be known as Standfield, Di Meglio and Mahoney was now Madaris, Di Meglio and Mahoney.

“Of course I’m interested in Sam,” Blade finally said, easing back in his chair and taking a sip of water. His great-grandmother had always said that confession was good for the soul. “She’s a woman, isn’t she? And a good-looking one, so quite naturally I want to get to know her better.”

Luke stared at him. Irritation was clearly etched in his face. “But what’s the reason?”

Blade rolled his eyes. “Why? Does a man have to have a reason to want to get to know someone?”

Luke gave him a suspicious look.

Blade sat his glass down on the table. “For crying out loud, Luke,” he said. “You’ve only been married ten months and already you’ve forgotten that you were once a skirt chaser.”

“I haven’t forgotten, but I consider Sam a friend.”

Blade glanced at his watch again before looking at Luke. “Good for you. But to me she’s a prospective conquest. Will it make you feel better if I told you she doesn’t even like me?”

“Doesn’t surprise me. Your reputation precedes you, even in Oklahoma. She’s heard about you and detests everything you represent,” Luke said bluntly.

“Whatever.” Blade wasn’t the least bit bothered by Luke’s warning. She wouldn’t be the first woman who detested him, and he figured she wouldn’t be the last. Besides, women might complain about him being a player, but that had never stopped them from jumping into his bed.

Admittedly, he had picked up on the negative vibes from Samari at Luke and Mac’s wedding, and had found it rather amusing—challenging in a way. It didn’t bother him in the least that Sam was difficult, because the one thing he liked when it came to women was a challenge. He took it all in stride and figured her resistance would make the victory that much sweeter. He was confident that he would be getting what he wanted. And he had decided the day of Luke’s wedding that he wanted Sam. Clarification, he wanted Sam in his bed. There was a difference.

Luke’s phone rang. Blade watched as his cousin stood to pull his cell phone out of his jeans pocket, sliding it open as he sat back down. “Yes, sweetheart.”

A few moments later Luke nodded. “All right, we’re at the restaurant waiting,” he said. “No problem. I love you, too.”

Luke put his phone back in his pocket and glanced at Blade. “That was Mac.”

“Like I thought it was anyone else,” Blade said, chuckling.

“They got slightly detained but are on their way now.”

He nodded and detected that Luke was just as eager to see Mac as Blade was to see Sam. “Marriage certainly agrees with you, Luke,” he said after a while.

Luke grinned at him. “Hmm, maybe you ought to try it.”

A scowl quickly appeared on Blade’s face. “And maybe you ought to keep your opinions to yourself.”

Luke couldn’t help but laugh. “Not that I think you’d really care, but Mac mentioned Peyton couldn’t make it. She’d made other plans.”

Blade took another sip of water. It wasn’t that he didn’t care, especially since Peyton Mahoney was a good-looking woman in her own right, but he’d set his sights on Sam. There had been something about Samari Di Meglio that got to him, just below the gut.

“So how long will you be in town?”

Blade glanced over at his cousin. He, Luke and his brother Slade were thick as thieves—always had been, always would be. The only kicker was now Luke and Slade were married and he was still single, and that was taking some getting used to.

“Not sure yet,” he replied, glancing at his watch once again. “I’m meeting with J. W. Mosley tomorrow. Slade and I are glad we won the bid for the contract. I understand we had some pretty stiff competition.”

Luke nodded. Blade’s construction company, which he jointly owned with his fraternal twin, Slade, had been hired to do extensive renovations to Luke and Mac’s home, as well as build the Luke Madaris Rodeo School. And now the company would also be building the new thirty-four-story Mosley Building in downtown Oklahoma City.

Over the past few years, the Madaris Construction Company had earned a reputation as one of the best firms in the country. With Blade as construction engineer and Slade as master architect, their designs were renowned worldwide.

“You’re sure they’re on their way?”

Luke glanced at Blade. He recognized the look on his face, since he’d seen it on several occasions over the years. It was Blade’s predatory look. Luke swore silently to himself and decided it wasn’t any of his business, since he’d given his cousin fair warning. Samari Di Meglio was not your typical Blade Madaris kind of woman. Sam despised players in the worst way, and Blade was definitely a player—of the card-carrying variety. Hell, he even had membership in the notorious Gentlemen’s Club, and everyone in Houston knew that its members were far from being gentlemen.

“Yes, they’re on their way,” Luke said, taking a sip of water after deciding to mind to his own business. Blade was a grown man and Sam was a smart, intelligent woman. There was no doubt that the two would tangle, bump heads and even try to do each other in before it was over. He smiled as he leaned back in his chair. Things would definitely be interesting and all he could do was settle in for what he knew would be a wild and crazy ride.

Samari Di Meglio frowned as she glanced at the woman by her side after handing the valet attendant her car keys. “I don’t know why I agreed to come here with you, Mac. You of all people know how I feel about Luke’s cousin. The man is everything I detest.”

Mackenzie Standfield Madaris couldn’t help but smile. “Well, yeah, I know. I’m also surprised that you came.”

Sam shrugged. “What can I say, it’s a free meal.”

Mac rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

Sam, Peyton and Mac had met in law school. The three women had become the best of friends and now they were partners in their own law firm, Madaris, Di Meglio and Mahoney. She of all people knew that the last thing Sam needed was a free meal, especially given her family—the filthy rich Di Meglios of New York.

Thanks to the proceeds from the trust fund that she had received on her twenty-third birthday, Sam had been the one to provide the financing to get their law firm off the ground, and for that Mac would be eternally grateful.

“Besides,” Mac said as they entered the restaurant, “if there’s any one woman who can handle Blade Madaris, it’s you.”

Sam appreciated Mac’s vote of confidence, especially when she glanced around the restaurant and her gaze landed on the man in question at the same time he laid eyes on her. He immediately gave her one of his predatory smiles.

She could actually feel the blood rushing through her veins and felt the hard thud of her heart beating in her chest. It wasn’t a good sign that a twenty-eight-year-old woman suddenly felt like a teenage girl swooning over one of those “I-heart-you” smiles from the cutest boy in school.

Luke and Blade saw them as they entered and stood up to greet the two women, stretching their muscular bodies to their full height. Sam’s gaze immediately went to Blade’s broad shoulders, and with his jacket off she could actually see the muscles rippling under his starched white dress shirt. He was wearing a pair of jeans that hugged his firm muscular thighs. She’d seen him only a few times and the one thing that stood out, besides the fact that he was truly a handsome man, was that he was a sharp dresser, whether it was business or casual attire. He was Mr. GQ in living color, and he had an air of machismo about him that women could sense and few could resist.

He stood tall—almost six foot four—with a body that had her insides quivering in appreciation. She hated being reminded of how long it had been since she’d been intimate with a man. She was used to flirting with men who had the word player stamped on their foreheads, and setting them up for heartbreak. She enjoyed showing them that two could play their games. Thanks to the hurt and humiliation she’d suffered at the hands of Guy Carrington a few years back, on what should have been her wedding day, she got great pleasure from pretending to be the needy, airhead, spoiled little rich girl. She enjoyed getting to them before they got to her, but not in the same way, of course. She figured it was their just deserts, and the least she could do to retaliate for their thoughtless behavior toward women.

Mac touched Sam’s arm, regaining her attention. “Wait a minute. You didn’t bring it up so I will.”

Sam lifted an eyebrow. “What?”

“The vase of flowers you got today.”

She shrugged. “What of it? I have a secret admirer who evidently hasn’t gotten the message that I’m not interested.”

“Or one of those players who didn’t appreciate your turning the tables on them, perhaps?”

Sam looked at Mac as she planted her hands on her hips. “Trust me, if that was the case I wouldn’t be getting flowers.”

“Still, I think you should consider investigating just to be on the safe side. You could have a stalker.”

Sam shook her head. Of course Mac would think that way. “I really don’t think it’s that serious. Besides, I have an idea who they might be from.”

She glanced back at Blade and her gaze went directly to his face. The eyes staring back at her were dark, piercing and determined. They were filled with a hunger like he wanted to eat her alive. She could just imagine what was going through his mind. He wouldn’t hesitate to seduce her if given the chance. She tilted her head, knowing he would never get the opportunity.

Okay, she would admit there was a sexy air about him, and there was no doubt in her mind that he proudly lived up to his womanizing reputation. A part of her knew she probably should not have come, since tonight she wasn’t at the top of her game. But because she was here, she would just have to deal with it and handle the notorious Blade Madaris in her own way.

And notorious he definitely was, with a face too gorgeous to be real. He possessed a ruggedly handsome square jawline, high cheekbones and a straight nose. And then there were his lips, the most sensuous looking pair she’d ever seen. They were curved in a smile that was trying really hard to seduce her, get on her good side and break down her defenses.

She found his efforts annoying and was determined not to let him get past her guard. Some men just didn’t know when to give up. Her mind went back to the flowers she’d left sitting on her desk, and felt the same held true for whoever had sent them. For the past three weeks she’d received a bouquet of flowers. They were beautiful, and she could tell by the blossoms in each arrangement that they had to have been expensive. Although she wasn’t one hundred percent certain, she believed they had come from Blade.

If he was the culprit, and assumed liked a lot of players did that a quick way into a woman’s panties was with sweet-smelling roses, he would be sorely disappointed. Maybe there were some women who were that naive, but their name wasn’t Samari Di Meglio.

Mac nudged her shoulder, interrupting Sam’s thoughts. “Our guys are waiting.”

Sam frowned, feeling a migraine coming on. “One of the guys is definitely yours, but the other is sooo not mine. I wouldn’t claim him if my life depended on it.”

As they began walking toward the two men, Sam wanted to believe what she’d just said.

Blade glanced at the two women who were making their way toward him and Luke. Both were stunningly beautiful. One was already taken by Luke. The other…well. He studied all five foot eight of her. He looked her up and down, top to bottom, taking note of her blue business suit with its short skirt that showcased a pair of lush brown thighs and long, sexy legs. They were legs that went on forever, and one of these days he intended to see just where they stopped. He could just imagine the body hidden under her suit—a body he was convinced needed a master touch. His.

He smiled at the thought before his eyes moved up to her face. She was a mix of Italian and African-American. She had a pair of beautiful dark exotic eyes, a cute nose and delicious looking lips. Her caramel-colored skin looked soft and smooth, and the mass of black hair that flowed around her shoulders gave her a sexy look. Samari Di Meglio was the kind of woman who easily drew men to her, made them drool mercilessly and compelled them to include her in any wicked fantasies they had. But he also knew that she was a woman with no intention of ever being claimed by any man—not now or forever.

That was fine with him, since the word forever wasn’t in his vocabulary, anyway. He wasn’t interested in any woman beyond the first two orgasms, maybe three on a hot night. To go beyond that was asking for trouble, especially if she had a tendency to become possessive, or assumed that most men’s brains were controlled by what happened below the belt, and that if you kept a certain part of their anatomy satisfied, then that’s all it took. But that was a false assumption where Blade was concerned.

That might be true for some men, but he had yet to encounter a woman who could make him forget what day it was, whose bed he was in or whose legs he was between. And when the time came, he had no qualms about pulling back, pulling out and getting the hell out, if necessary.

“Hello, Blade.”

“Hi, Mac.”

He kissed her on the cheek and then watched as her face broke into an incredible smile when she looked at her husband. Luke leaned over and kissed Mac’s lips as she slid into his open arms, almost instinctively. The gesture was as natural as anything Blade had seen in a long time. He had known—from that first night more than seven years ago when Luke and Mac had met at a charity bachelor auction in Houston—that the two had the hots for each other. And he was still having a hard time getting used to the public displays of affection between them, especially since Luke had always been aloof where women were concerned. Marriage had certainly made him a different man.

Blade shifted his gaze from the loving couple to the woman standing in front of him—who was so damn delicious looking he could eat her for dessert. And one day he intended to do just that. As usual, whenever they were around each other, the sexual tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

“Hello, Sam.”

“Blade.”

She held her hand out and he took it, liking the soft, warm feel of it. She reclaimed her hand as he pulled out her chair. “Glad you could make it.”

She smiled politely. “I’m sure you are.”

He sighed inwardly. He had a feeling that all the lines he had planned to use on her tonight would be wasted. The woman was what most would call a lost cause, but he didn’t intend to give up. All it took was a whiff of her perfume to know the battle wouldn’t be easy, but the victory would be well worth it. Besides, she hadn’t yet tangled with the likes of Blade Madaris—on a good day or an even better night.

He glanced over at Luke and Mac. The couple had finally sat down. “How are you, Mac?” he asked.

She smiled at him. “I’m fine. Luke mentioned that your company was awarded the contract for the Mosley Building. Congratulations.”

“Thanks.”

“How long do you plan on being in town?” she asked.

“Not sure. That depends.”

“On what?” Sam asked.

She watched Blade shift his gaze from Mac to her with a smile that would have made her drool if she was the drooling type, which she wasn’t. But she would give it to him for being the kind of man who could make her feel hot all over, whatever the temperature. And then there were his eyelashes, which were just as deadly as his lips. His lashes were long and thick—lashes most women would envy.

“As chief engineer of Madaris Construction Company, I need to make sure the groundwork is laid before my crew can start work. There are surveys I need to complete, research that needs to be done, soil samples to be analyzed, as well as planning the construction schedule from start to finish. I also need to work with the Mosley people to keep the public informed as to what’s going on.”

He took a sip of water. “The design of the Mosley Building will be unique, and it’s my job to make sure the materials we use and the work we do meet our highest standards. So there’s no telling how long I’ll be here—maybe four to six months.”

Sam nodded. Regardless of what he’d just said, she knew there was more to him hanging around Oklahoma City than he let on. The look in his eyes said as much. The man just refused to give up. She would hate to make him another casualty, like every other player who thought she was fair and easy game. Evidently, he felt pretty damn sure of himself.

Any other time she would have jumped at the opportunity to prove him wrong, but with the phone call she’d received from her parents before leaving the office, she didn’t have the time or the inclination. Although she was pretty good when it came to multitasking, she didn’t want to take on both Blade and her parents at the same time.

Her mom and dad, who had been responsible for choosing Guy as their future son-in-law, were at it again. For some reason they couldn’t leave well enough alone. At first, when they had called last week, they’d insisted that she fly home to New York to meet the man they thought was the perfect match for her.

When she had refused, they had tried playing on her sympathy by claiming that they would be too old to enjoy grandchildren when she and her brother, DeAngelo, finally settled down and produced offspring.

“Peyton sends her regrets, but she wasn’t able to make it, Blade,” Mac said, diverting his attention.

Sam glanced at him to see if any disappointment registered on his face. He smiled. “Luke told me and I’m disappointed,” he said evenly.

Was he really? Hmm. As if she’d spoken out loud, Blade shifted his gaze from Mac to her and once again gave Sam that predatory smile. She was relieved when the waitress appeared and placed glasses of water in front of her and Mac, and gave everyone menus. She had dined at this restaurant before, so it didn’t take long to decide what to order.

Sam closed her menu and glanced up to find Blade staring at her. She was about to ask if there was anything wrong, but decided not to. Instead she stared back at him. She smiled to herself. If he thought he could outstare her, he was so wrong. This was one of the games she and her brother would play as children, when they didn’t have anything better to do. Not only did she play it well, oftentimes she beat her older brother. She could hold her own with the best of them and could stare down anyone without blinking.

It didn’t take long for her to see that was exactly what Blade was trying to do. Evidently he’d played a similar game as a child and could definitely hold his own. But she had to admit—even though it bothered her to do so—that staring at him was affecting her in ways that the game she’d played with DeAngelo never did.

She felt a stirring sensation emanating from Blade’s dark eyes. They seemed to be staring right through her, reading her thoughts.

“Blade, I understand Jake will be hosting a huge party in a few weeks to celebrate Sheikh Valdemon’s marriage,” Mac said.

It was only then that he looked away from Sam, to answer her. “Yes, he is. And you know nobody throws a party like Uncle Jake and Diamond. They would have given the party sooner, but it’s been hard for the newlyweds to visit the States because of commitments between the two countries.”

“I can’t wait to meet the woman the sheikh chose as his bride,” Mac said excitedly.

Blade shrugged. “Everybody who attended the wedding celebration said she’s a beauty. Still, I thought Rasheed would remain a bachelor forever. But I guess he had to marry sooner or later to produce an heir.”

Sam remembered the sheikh. What woman who’d attended Luke and Mac’s wedding hadn’t? She had certainly checked him out herself. “Who did he marry?” she asked.

“A young woman from his country,” Blade said. “One chosen for him by his family. If I remember correctly, she’s the reason he had to unexpectedly leave Luke and Mac’s wedding. Rasheed wasn’t happy about that. But according to Uncle Jake, it ended up being a love match anyway, and I’m glad. I would have hated for him to have gotten tied down for the rest of his life, married to a woman he didn’t love,” Blade concluded.

Sam took a sip of water and looked over the rim of her glass at him. “So when you marry, it will be for love, Blade?”

She knew by the look in his eyes that he didn’t appreciate her question, and from the silence at the table it was evident that, like her, Mac and Luke were waiting for him to answer. Sam wasn’t exactly sure what had possessed her to ask such a question when she already had a pretty good idea what his response would be. But she had asked, and there was no doubt in her mind that he would make it crystal clear for her, so that there would never, ever be any misunderstanding. He enjoyed being a womanizer, and he proudly played the part.

He took another sip of water before flashing a smile that revealed a pair of dimples she hadn’t noticed until now. His eyes locked on her face. “I don’t ever plan to marry, Sam—for love or any other reason. I enjoy my life just the way it is. I could never be a one-woman man. What’s the point?”

“Yes, I agree with you one hundred percent. What’s the point? I don’t plan to marry, either. Like you, I like my life just the way it is, and I could never belong to one man exclusively.”

She wasn’t quite sure what he had expected her to say, but from the look on his face she could tell that hadn’t been it. He evidently thought men were the only ones who could play the field.

Sam was spared from saying anything else when the waitress returned to take their orders. But that didn’t stop her from glancing across the table at Mac and seeing the sly smile on her friend’s lips. Luke seemed inordinately preoccupied with his silverware.

It was obvious she had stunned Blade, so everyone was giving him a chance to recover. From the way he was staring across the table at her, he had to be wondering why—since they had the same outlook on life when it came to commitment—she had refused to give him the time of day.

Sam looked away as she ran a finger around the rim of her glass, then seductively touched the tip with her tongue, knowing Blade’s eyes followed her every movement. She tried to ignore the shudder that passed through her each time their eyes connected. When the waitress delivered their food, and she began eating, she tried to overlook the intense sexual chemistry between them even as they shared the table with others. She wasn’t sure whether Mac and Luke were aware of what was taking place between them or not, but both she and Blade knew it. Dinner was as enjoyable as it could have been under the circumstances, and at the end of the meal she thanked everyone for inviting her, and stood up to leave.

“Where are you rushing off to?” Blade asked, quickly rising to his feet.

The tone of his voice, to her way of thinking, sounded a lot throatier than it should have. It sent shivers up and down her body.

She met his gaze. “I’m going home. I drove Mac over. But since Luke’s SUV is here, I’m sure all three of you will be riding back together and—”

“No,” Blade said smoothly. “I’m staying at a hotel in town.”

That surprised her. “You are?”

His smile widened. “Yes. I didn’t want to impose on the newly weds. Would it be a bother to drop me off at the hotel?”

“Drop you off?” she asked, as if she hadn’t heard him right. She inhaled deeply, silently telling herself to get a grip. Handle her business. So what if she had to drop him off at some hotel? She could do that. Put him off at the curb and keep going.

“Yes, at the hotel.”

Before she could answer, Luke spoke up, giving her an out. “No need to bother Sam. Mac and I can drop you off at the hotel, Blade. Besides, your luggage is in my truck.”

She cast Luke an appreciative smile. “Then it’s all settled. Luke and Mac will make sure you get to the hotel,” she said, looking back at Blade. “It was good seeing you again, and thanks for dinner.”

She was about to turn for a quick getaway when he said, “I’ll walk you to your car.”

Sam forced herself not to tell him she preferred if he didn’t. She knew he hadn’t intended to let her go that easily, not until he found out what he wanted to know. “Fine.” She glanced at Luke and Mac. “It’s always good seeing you, Luke, and I’ll see you in the morning, Mac.”

“Yes, bright and early,” she responded. “We have to go over our notes for the Penton’s case.”

Sam nodded and gave her a thumbs-up before turning to leave, with Blade by her side.

He didn’t say anything until they had walked out of the restaurant and were waiting as the valet attendant went to get her car. Then Blade faced her and said, “I think you owe me an explanation.”

“About what?” she asked, deciding to play innocent as she tilted her head back. He held her gaze with an intense look in his eyes.

“If you don’t have any problems with casual dating, then why have you been giving me the cold shoulder every time I approach you?”

Before she could answer, the valet brought her car around. “The reason is rather simple,” she said, opening the door and tossing her purse on the passenger seat.

“Is it?” Blade asked, watching as she slid into the driver’s side of her sporty red Mercedes two-seater.

“Yes,” she replied, buckling her seat belt and rolling her window down.

He gazed at her. “And what reason is that?”

She turned the radio to a station that played soft music before looking back up at him, staring straight into his eyes and stating what she knew was the biggest lie of her life. “You, Blade Madaris, don’t interest me. Good night.”

And before he could utter another word, she revved the engine and drove away.