SENSUAL CONFESSIONS

Sensual Confessions
NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
Brenda Jackson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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To the love of my life, Gerald Jackson, Sr.

To everyone who enjoys reading about those Madarises, this one is for you.

Dear Reader,

I never imagined when I penned my first Madaris book fifteen years ago that the series would still be going strong today.

The Madarises are special, not just because they’re my first family series, but because over the years you’ve made them your family. The Madaris men have become your heroes because they represent those things you desire in a man—someone whose looks not only take your breath away, but who also makes you appreciate the fact that you’re a woman. I still believe that, even with a man like Blade Madaris.

Blade, his twin brother, Slade, and their cousin Luke became special the moment they appeared on stage at the bachelor auction in Surrender. Of the three, I knew that Blade Madaris was a force to be reckoned with, even more so than his older cousin Clayton. There was a hint of just what type of man Blade was when it was revealed that he was the one who’d inherited Clayton’s infamous case of condoms.

Although Blade thinks his player lifestyle is just perfect, what he doesn’t count on is meeting a woman like Samari Di Meglio. A woman he can’t seem to walk away from.

I hope you enjoy reading Sensual Confessions, the sixteenth book in the Madaris Family and Friends series.

All the best,

Brenda Jackson

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.

—James 1:19

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

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Epilogue

Chapter 1

“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.

Chapter 2

Blade tossed the hotel key on a table after settling into his suite. He couldn’t help the smile that touched his lips as he recalled Sam’s parting words. He didn’t for one minute believe she had been serious.

Of course, what she’d said had sounded pretty damn convincing, like saying it would be the end of it. If those words had been spoken by any other woman, it would have been. He didn’t have time to waste on anyone who refused his advances. But Blade knew for a fact that he did interest Sam, just as she interested him. It had been obvious tonight, although she probably wanted to deny the truth. But he wouldn’t deny it. He didn’t intend to give up on her so easily, and evidently, she was counting on that fact.

He was a man who knew women inside and out. He was thirty-four and knew the female gender a lot better than men with twice his experience. And for him to make that claim said a whole hell of a lot.

From the time they were teenagers, it was clear that he and his twin brother, Slade, had a different take on women. Slade had been easygoing and had put his career first. Blade, on the other hand, had been able to juggle both. His sexual exploits rivaled those of his cousin Clayton, who ten years earlier had had the same reputation.

At one time, the thought that Blade was following in Clayton’s footsteps had been cause for major concern in his family. They figured once Clayton had settled down and was married, that would be the end of the playboys in the Madaris family. He chuckled as he removed his jacket, thinking about how he had proven them wrong. He probably had more notches on his bedpost than his cousin Clayton ever thought of.

Times were different now. Things had changed. He probably didn’t have to work as hard to get a woman in bed as Clayton had. Nowadays, women were liberated, freethinkers. The ones he dated didn’t mind the fact that they weren’t the only one. They enjoyed a challenge and preferred getting physical in the bedroom more than anything else. The sky was the limit behind closed doors and he’d had no complaints. He dated women whose only concern was not having to “fake it,” and who didn’t give a damn that come morning, when he walked out the door, chances were he wouldn’t be back. They weren’t into long-term relationships any more than he was. He dated women who not only knew the score, but played the game as much as he did.

He had accepted early on in life that marriage wasn’t for everyone, and he didn’t lose sleep over the fact that he wasn’t settling down to the kind of marriage his parents had. More than anything, the two words that scared him to death were settling down. There was still too much fun out there to be had, too many women out there to sleep with. Marriage demanded faithfulness and he was convinced there was not a single woman capable of holding his interest forever.

He had tried to explain his position to his family time and time again. But that hadn’t stopped them, even Clayton, from worrying about the number of women coming and going in and out of his life—namely, his bedroom. His great-grandmother thought he had issues. But as far as he was concerned, he just had a healthy Madaris sexual appetite.

He would never forget the day Clayton had given him a huge case of condoms and told him that at the rate he was going, he would definitely need them. Clayton had been right. Blade had gone through that case and was working on several more.

Some women he met definitely had marriage on their minds. He quickly let them know, up front, he wasn’t going there. He never intended to marry. It was okay for some, like his brother Slade and cousin Luke, but not for him. He enjoyed life too much. He enjoyed having fun in the bedroom. And as they say, variety is the spice of life—at least when it came to his sex life. What was a sexual taboo for some was a welcome change for him.

He had no intentions of ever getting stuck with a wife who would eventually turn their bedroom into nothing more than a place to sleep. He worked hard and enjoyed playing harder. The thought of being stuck in a marriage that was limited to predictable sex—“PS,” as he referred to it—was enough to make him break out in hives.

And he didn’t want to have to answer to any woman. He wanted to come and go as he pleased. He was always getting calls from different women, but he answered them when he got good and ready, and not before. He didn’t mind dropping one if he had to, because she could quickly be replaced. He would never trade in his long list of numbers in his little black book for a long, drawn-out, till-death-do-us-part marriage. What was the point?

It didn’t bother him that he had acquired quite a reputation, one that rivaled that of Clayton, who had been his idol growing up. As best he could remember, he’d never seen Clayton with the same woman twice. But now, even Clayton was happily married and a proud father.

Blade shook his head. Imagine that. He’d be the first to admit that Clayton had hit gold with his wife, Syneda. In fact that’s how he always thought of her—as Clayton’s golden woman—with her green eyes and mass of golden-bronze hair. She was fun to be with, witty and beautiful, and it seemed as if she was handling her man. It was easy to see why Clayton only had eyes for his wife. He adored her. But Blade knew for a womanizer like Clayton to find a woman like Syneda was indeed a rarity.

Blade was a man who loved women, but he loved his bachelor lifestyle even more, which was why practicing safe sex was critical in his book. He was selective with the women he slept with. In certain situations, he even asked his bed partner to produce medical verification attesting to her sexual health, and he did likewise. Nothing personal, just covering all the bases.

His thoughts shifted to Samari Di Meglio. There was something about her that stimulated him sexually just thinking about her. Sure, she could claim all she wanted that she wasn’t interested in him, but he knew for a fact that she was. He recognized the look whenever their eyes met, and he felt the heat when he’d touched the palm of her hand. He had also picked up on the sexual vibes that were just as obvious as if she’d opened her mouth and said it aloud, letting him know she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

Maybe she was the kind of woman who liked to be pursued by men, and with her beauty he could easily imagine that happening. He could see a man wanting her so bad that he’d do just about anything to have her, knowing that one night in bed with her would be well worth it.

Whether she knew it or not, she had done the unthinkable to a Madaris—at least this particular Madaris. She had issued a challenge that struck a nerve with him, and he intended to make her eat her words. And he would take great pleasure in doing so.

He headed toward the bathroom to take a shower.

Sam’s town house was in a secure gated community called Windsor Park, situated on a beautiful lake with mountains in the background. It was considered one of the safest areas in the city.

A few months after she’d come to Oklahoma, Sam’s parents had insisted that she move to Windsor Park. At the time, a man her father had prosecuted more than twenty years ago had escaped from prison and was determined to get back at him.

Since threats had been made against the entire Di Meglio family, her parents decided not to take any chances, especially after there had been several attempts to run her brother off the road. The man was eventually caught. But before he could be apprehended, he was killed in a shoot-out with the police.

Sam’s home was much too large for one person. In her opinion, it was definitely more space than she needed. There were two bedrooms on the ground floor, a bathroom, a living room, dining room and spacious kitchen. On the upper floor were two more bedrooms—one that she used as an office—an entertainment room and a huge bathroom that included a sauna and a Jacuzzi. There was a screened-in balcony with a hot tub off the master bedroom.

At first, she had intended to move out of the town house into a smaller place once the threat had passed. But by then she had fallen in love with her home. She loved the close proximity to the office and enjoyed all the amenities the exclusive gated community provided, especially the scenic walking trail and recreational park. On the weekends she would spend hours relaxing or sitting on a blanket by the lake and reading.

Sam pulled into her private garage and within minutes was entering her house. The moment the door closed behind her, she kicked off her shoes. It was only then, in the comfort of her home, that she allowed her mind to drift back to Blade Madaris.

She wondered if he would take her words at face value. Any man with an ounce of pride would. For a woman to come right out and say that she wasn’t interested in him was bold, not to mention ego-crushing.

She had been looking in his eyes when she’d said it, but his reaction was unreadable. But then, she hadn’t hung around long enough after that to really find out. She had driven off like the devil himself was on her tail.

She put her purse and briefcase on the table as she made her way into the kitchen, thinking she’d have a cup of tea before getting ready for bed.

She, Mac and Peyton had decided to take on Clarissa Penton’s sexual-harassment case, but the three of them had agreed that it sounded a lot like Clarissa was trying to get even with her boss for refusing to return her advances.

After turning on the stove to heat the water for her tea, Sam glanced out the window at the lake. She had intended to pull her notes together and go over what they knew about the case so far. As Mac had reminded her, they would be meeting to discuss the case in the morning. But any plans to review those notes had been made before tonight’s dinner. And being in the presence of Blade Madaris for an extended period of time had been unnerving. Although she had tried downplaying the chemistry and mutual attraction between them, it had been there, and blatantly so. But that didn’t mean she would act on it, even though her body was daring her to do so.

It wasn’t because she thought he was too much to handle. To her way of thinking, no man was once he met the right woman. She’d heard a lot of stories about Blade and figured someone needed to knock him off his high horse. But it wouldn’t be her. Not this time. She had enough to deal with. There was her share of the caseload that had been divvied up among the three of them, and her parents were still trying to run her life even from New York.

Antonio and Kayla Di Meglio still hadn’t learned their lesson with Guy, she thought, settling down at the kitchen table with her cup of tea. Guy had joined her parents’ law firm and, according to her father, had a bright future. He was highly intelligent, articulate, a smooth dresser, a sharp lawyer, and he had an interest in politics, which had once been her father’s dream. Guy had even told her parents he had Italian ancestors somewhere in his family. That made him a shoo-in.

Yielding to her parent’s wishes—and against her better judgment—Sam had begun dating Guy. To her surprise she’d really liked him, although she wouldn’t go so far as to admit that she fell in love with him. They dated for almost a year before he popped the question. Because she thought she’d gotten to know him, and believed he was the one man she could live the rest of her life with, she had said yes.

Her parents had turned her wedding into the social event of the year, inviting more than five hundred guests. She’d had bridal showers galore and her wedding dress had been designed by Vera Wang. Her parents had assumed, as she had, that she and Guy would share a long and prosperous marriage, and the storybook wedding would be one they would all remember.

Sam shook her head as she finished her tea and walked over to the sink to rinse out her cup before placing it in the dishwasher. Yes, her wedding day had been one she and Guy would remember, all right, along with her parents and all five hundred invited guests, but for all the wrong reasons.

She had walked down the aisle to take her place by Guy’s side when a commotion in the back of the church got everyone’s attention. Two women with screaming babies came forward to announce that Guy was their babies’ daddy. One even claimed she was pregnant with another child of his. Talk about drama. It took the reverend and the ushers a full hour to get things under control. Later, in Reverend Caldwell’s study, Guy had confessed that the two women’s claims were true. However, he felt the situation had nothing to do with Sam, and they should go on with the wedding anyway. He’d certainly been a fool to think that. She’d told him so, and none too nicely.

Sam walked out of the kitchen and went upstairs to her bedroom, remembering how she’d gone on her honeymoon without Guy. When she’d returned two weeks later, she had gotten a call from Mac, asking if she wanted to become a partner with Peyton and her, realizing their law-school dream of forming their own legal practice.

Mac had been living in Louisiana, and her boyfriend had proved to be no better than Guy when he up and married someone else. Peyton, who’d grown up on Chicago’s South Side, had been working as a community activist and lawyer, wasn’t involved with anyone and was ready for a change. Mac, who was a black Cherokee, was ready to move back home to Oklahoma. Considering everything, the timing was perfect.

Over her parents’ objections, Sam left New York and headed for Oklahoma. But distance had not stopped her parents from trying to interfere in her personal life or wanting to play matchmaker on occasion. In a way, she understood her parents’ desire to have grandchildren. Their friends—the social elite of Manhattan and the Hamptons—were all bursting with pride about their grandkids. At thirty-two, DeAngelo, who was still very much a player, had no intention of settling down and getting married, so her parents had focused their attention on her.

As she stripped off her clothes to take her shower, she couldn’t help but think again of Blade Madaris. Maybe now the flower deliveries would stop coming to the office, since she had a strong suspicion he was behind them. During dinner he had mentioned to Luke that one of their aunts had opened up a florist shop on the ground floor of the Madaris Building. Had he just been bringing Luke up-to-date on what was going on in their family, or was it meant to let Sam know he was her secret admirer? Thanks to Angelo, which is what friends and family called her brother, she knew firsthand how players operated. Send a woman flowers to break down her defenses, her brother would say. Who could resist a beautiful, sweet-smelling, romantic bouquet?

Samari Di Meglio, for one.

She knew from the conversation at dinner that Blade would be in town for only a day or so, not long enough for them to run into each other again. Since he was Luke’s cousin, and a close friend at that, and she was one of Mac’s best friends, chances were their paths would cross again, but hopefully none too soon. Blade was a player who had little regard for the women whose hearts he broke. He was the type of man she wanted no part of, the kind she detested. And after what she’d said to him tonight, she was certain he would stay as far away from her as he could.

Blade chided himself, silently scolding himself for being a fool for getting up at the crack of dawn and hurriedly eating breakfast just to chase behind a woman. It was certainly not the way he usually operated.

He appreciated the car rental company for delivering the vehicle to him and having it ready for him when he walked out of the hotel that morning. A man with a plan, he slid behind the wheel, and now he stood watching from the office window the object of his curiosity as she parked her car. She had no idea he was there awaiting her, and he couldn’t wait to see her face when she did. He liked having the element of surprise on his side.

“I’m not sure it was a good idea to let you in, Blade.”

He glanced over his shoulder and met Mac’s gaze and couldn’t help but smile. Dressed in a blue pantsuit, she looked sleepy but in a beautiful sort of way. It was obvious she wasn’t used to getting to the office this early, but had let it slip that they would be here early since she had to be in court by ten.

“Why do you feel that way?” he asked.

She rolled her eyes. “I think it’s obvious. Sam doesn’t like you.”

He knew that was probably putting it mildly. “I intend to change her mind about that,” he said.

“Personally, I don’t think you can. You didn’t make such a good impression on her at my wedding or my birthday party. That said, I’m going into my office. I’ve seen Sam’s hot-blooded Italian temper in action and I don’t want to be around when she walks through that door and finds you here.”

He watched as Mac hurried into her office and closed the door, and then he glanced out the window in time to see Sam get out of her car. He felt his heart flutter in his chest as she swung her legs around to get out. She was wearing a business suit, with one of those short skirts again, the kind that showed off just what a nice pair of legs she had.

She crossed the parking lot carrying a deli bag in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. But his eyes weren’t really focused on what she was carrying. They were focused on her and just how good she looked this morning.

Why am I so drawn to her? He couldn’t help but ask himself that. He couldn’t blame his fixation on her beauty, since he’d been attracted to beautiful women before. The fact that she presented a challenge was part of it, he was sure. For some reason, he wanted to best her at her own game. He had to represent the players out there.

As he continued to watch her, he saw her smile at the security guard standing by the entrance. Blade frowned, remembering how the guy, who looked about twenty-four or twenty-five, had given him the third degree until he showed him proof that he was related to Mac. He knew the guard was just doing his job, but Blade thought he’d been more of a stickler than he needed to be.

He watched as the same man who’d given him grief just an hour or so earlier gush like a besotted fool when Sam greeted him with a smile. Sure, Blade would be the first to admit she had that effect on men. But still he didn’t like the way the man was looking at her, mainly because he recognized the look even if Sam didn’t.

He tried to ignore the mounting irritation he felt, and refused to consider, even for a moment, that he was jealous. Being jealous of a woman didn’t fit who he was. Admittedly, he was more than slightly annoyed that she never smiled at him that way, but he intended to change that, as well. He was a smart enough man to know that getting a smile out of her would take time.

He continued to study the two and rolled his eyes. Now they were standing and chatting like old friends. He glanced at his watch, and when he looked out the window again he tried to ignore Sam and the security guard by looking up at the sky. It was the second week in April and the temperature that morning had been cool, but the weather forecast said warm air was moving their way. The sky was a beautiful blue and he couldn’t help wondering how the weather was back home in Houston. When he glanced back at Sam, he realized she was about to enter the building. The clock on the wall said seven-thirty as he quickly moved toward the door.

She opened the door, nearly gasped in surprise when she saw him standing there. Before she could open her mouth to say a single word, he smiled at her, leaned in the doorway and said, “So tell me, Sam. Just what kind of man does interest you?”

Sam stared up at Blade. It had been a long time since any man had rendered her speechless. What was Blade Madaris doing in her office at this time of the morning? She quickly answered her own question when she thought about the question he’d just asked. He was a man whose advances were probably never rebuffed. He was used to women thinking he was the greatest thing since Grandma’s apple pie. For him to show any interest in a woman was a privilege, an honor, or so he thought.

She’d heard that back in Houston he had his choice of single women at his beck and call. Considering that, it was no wonder he was so conceited. The mere thought that she wasn’t like all those other women, and that she’d had the nerve to come right out and tell him he didn’t interest her, probably had him in a tizzy to find out why, or better yet, to prove her wrong.

Instead of answering, she moved passed him and headed toward her office, since she needed time to regain her composure. “Good morning, Blade. You’re the last person I expected to see today.”

“I’m sure I was,” he said, walking in step beside her.

She wasn’t sure what cologne he was wearing but he certainly smelled good. How could his scent be more seductive than a breakfast sandwich and coffee from Walter’s Café?

“I guess you figured what you said last night would have kept me from coming back,” he added, as he followed her into her office and closed the door behind them.

She had figured that. “I was being honest with you, which I felt was best.”

“I appreciate it but I don’t believe you.”

Sam placed the bag and coffee on her desk, and by the time she turned to face Blade a frown had settled on her face. “Excuse me?”

He smiled. “I said I don’t believe you.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against her desk. “Are you so conceited that you think every woman alive should want you?”

His smile widened. “For starters, we’re not talking about every woman, we’re talking about you. And yes, I think you want me.”

She gave him a chilly look as the muscles in her neck actually knotted. “Please explain how you figure that.”

He shrugged. “You’ve been sending sexual vibes my way.”

Her brow wrinkled at the center of her forehead. “What?”

“I said you’ve been sending sexual vibes my way. It started at the wedding. I have this uncanny ability to detect when a woman and I connect in the most sensual way. I have a built-in radar that lets me know she’s attracted to me. When that happens, it’s up to me to let her know whether or not I’m interested. If a woman picks up on the ‘I’m interested’ signal, that’s cool. If she doesn’t and if it’s someone I really want to hook up with, then I take things a step further. I picked up on the fact that you’re attracted to me. However, when I responded, so to speak—on two occasions, I might add—for whatever reason, you retreated.”

Sam kept her jaw clenched tight. He was right. She had been interested in him, but not for the reasons he thought. She knew immediately when she saw him at the wedding and observed how he worked the room at Mac and Luke’s reception that he was a player.

The only reason she had singled him out was the same reason she targeted most men like him, and that was to teach him a lesson. By the time he noticed her, she had decided not to pursue her plan, since Luke and Mac’s marriage officially made him a relative of her best friend. She figured the best thing to do was to spare him.

Then last month, when she’d seen him again at the birthday party Luke had given for Mac, she’d known he was once again on the prowl. More than once he had tried hitting on her and she’d ignored him. By the time the party had ended, she’d pretty much decided that if she ever saw him again she would finally take him down a peg. Now would be a perfect time if she didn’t have her parents to deal with.

A week after the party the flowers had begun arriving, a beautiful bouquet each week, but without a card. The florist explained the flowers had been ordered over the Internet so she had no idea who’d sent them. It could have been anyone. Although Sam had never mentioned it to Mac, a part of her had believed they were from Blade, since he had been the last man to come on to her and he had the money to do something that extravagant. It was obvious that the weekly floral arrangements she’d received weren’t cheap.

“I can see I’ve left you speechless.”

Her response would have been a snort, but she suppressed the instinct. Her first inclination was to give him the reading of his life, something Angelo said she was good at when it came to men who were womanizers. He and Sam’s three male cousins had been the recipients of such a dressing-down.

She lifted her head, locked onto his gaze. “Read my lips, Blade. There weren’t any vibes. Anything you thought you sensed was a figment of your imagination. Contrary to what you believe, not every woman is interested in you. If you knew anything about me, the one thing you would know is that men like you turn me off. I can chew them up and spit them out.”

“Prove it. Prove that I can’t break through the defenses you have set up around yourself.” His voice was deep, controlled and sexy. The expression on his face was intense and just as sexy as his voice. She wanted to roll her eyes. But for the moment, she couldn’t move her gaze from his.

Defenses?

“Besides,” he continued, interrupting her thoughts as a cocky grin spread across his face. “I sort of like the thought of you chewing me up. You can even go ahead and bite me a few times and I won’t complain.”

He took a step forward, standing in front of her. “But what I will do, Sam, is retaliate in a way that will have you moaning for days and groaning for nights.”

A shudder passed through Sam’s body at his threat. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep and was still feeling tired. Or it could have been that Blade was standing too close to her and his scent, the sound of his voice and the look in his eyes were all getting to her. Or it could have been the fact that it had been more than four years since she’d been intimate with a man. And the last time had been so quick she would’ve missed it if she had blinked. Not only had it been rushed, it had been thoroughly unsatisfying.

She stared at him. “You’re sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

A soft smile touched his determined lips. “Yes.”

She shook her head. When they had been doling out arrogance, he had been first in line, she was sure. There was nothing wrong with being confident, but this man was as conceited as they came. “Sorry to disappoint you, but you’re wrong.”

“Then prove it.”

Famous last words, she thought. But he was beginning to annoy her. “I don’t have to prove anything. I told you how I feel. It would be so much easier on the both of us if you respected that.”

“And I will once you answer my question. Just what type of man does interest you, since I don’t? Based on what you said last night, you have no problem with a man who’s not into long-term relationships, so just what turns you on, Sam Di Meglio?”

She glared at him. “A man who respects my wishes, for one.”

He took a step closer to her and put both hands on her desk, effectively pinning her in between. He smiled faintly. He smelled heavenly. And her heart was beating like crazy in her chest.

His mouth was inches from hers. “And I will respect your wishes,” he said in a silky voice that sent all kinds of erotic sensations through her body. “But first, since you won’t answer my question, let me give you my opinion and tell you what I think.”

She breathed slowly and deeply, inhaling his scent through her nostrils. “You really don’t need to bother.”

His smile widened a bit as he leaned closer to her. “Humor me.”

His breath was hot on her lips and she fought back the urge to do more than just humor him, to do something crazy like stick her tongue out and lick his lips from corner to corner. So she did something probably even worse; she concentrated on those lips. They were beautiful, firm and full, curved and clearly defined and shaped in a perfect bow.

She would be the first to admit she was one of those women who were drawn to a man’s lips. Even though he’d ended up being a deceitful ass, Guy’s lips hadn’t been all bad. But no one’s lips could compare to the ones she was staring at now, the ones sending shivers through her body, making her feel hot all over, so much so that she wanted to remove her jacket, take off her blouse, slip out of her skirt, take off her bra and panties and…

She blinked. What in the world was happening to her? What could she be thinking? What was he thinking? She opened her mouth to ask Blade that very thing, when, too late, she realized he’d been waiting for her to do just that.

Before she could draw in her next breath his mouth captured hers and began eating away at it like she was his breakfast and he intended to devour her right up until lunch. The moment his tongue touched hers, stroked it in such a way that blatantly reminded her how long it had been since she’d engaged in foreplay with a man, he conjured up all those deep-seated, wild fantasies no other soul knew about, not even Mac and Peyton.

Any thoughts of what Mac and Peyton didn’t know fled Sam’s mind when Blade deepened the kiss. She knew she had to do something before he went any further or before she succumbed any more to his passion. If that happened, considering the last time she’d been intimate with someone, he could drag her to the floor and she wouldn’t put up much of a fuss. In fact she might be the one dragging him first.

She had no idea just how long they’d been kissing or how long they would have continued had the intercom on her desk not buzzed, and if their secretary, Priscilla Gaines, hadn’t chosen that moment to say, “Ms. Madaris wanted me to remind you of the meeting this morning, Ms. Di Meglio.”

Sam drew in a deep breath as Blade reluctantly let go of her lips. “Bad timing, wouldn’t you say?” he whispered, straightening his physique and taking a step backward.

She exhaled, still wondering what the hell had happened. She shook her head, sending a mass of curly locks flying around her shoulders as if that would help screw her head back on, not only right but tight. She knew at that moment that this man was dangerous to any woman. He was smooth and lethal all rolled into one. She wondered how many hearts he’d already broken and how many more he would be breaking. Maybe not intentionally, but with total disregard for the fact that although he might not fall in love with a woman, some would ultimately fall in love with him and painfully watch as he swaggered out of their life without even a backward glance.

“I’d better leave and let you get back to work now,” he said, smiling as if coming to her office and kissing her senseless first thing in the morning was an everyday occurrence. “I’ll be returning to Houston later today, but I plan to come back to Oklahoma City in about three weeks.”

She frowned. “Why?”

His smile widened. “The Mosley Building, or have you forgotten?”

She had forgotten, sort of. “Why do you need to come back? I thought your construction crew would be taking over now that things have been finalized.”

He chuckled as he smooth out his jacket. “Not yet. As chief engineer, I’m hands-on from start to finish. That means you’ll be seeing a lot of me for at least the next six months or more.”

Her entire body stiffened when she remembered his spiel at dinner last night. For Pete’s sake, she didn’t want to see any more of him. Less of him would serve her nicely. She had let her guard down with him today, and judging from the smirk on his face, he evidently assumed he’d gotten the upper hand. “I don’t want to see more of you, Blade.”

The smile that appeared on his face at that moment would have been priceless to any other woman. “You need to stop doing that, you know,” he said as he headed toward the door.

She crossed her arms over her chest again. “Doing what?”

He glanced back over his shoulder and paused long enough to reply, “Saying one thing when you mean another.”

She glared at him. “I mean what I say, Blade. You just can’t seem to get the message.”

He put his hand on the doorknob and angled his head to the side to look at her, a pose she found unnerving. “No, Sam. I read you loud and clear, and if you do mean what you say then you need to stop sending mixed signals. I’ll see you in three weeks.”

He opened the door and was gone.

Chapter 3

“So there you have it,” Peyton Mahoney said, as she threw her pencil in the middle of the conference table. “According to the photo lab, those pictures were doctored.”

A disgusted look appeared on Mac’s face. “So Clarissa Penton lied to us. Those are not pictures of her and Sidney Gresham in bed together.”

“Nope. So what do we do now?” Peyton asked.

“There’s only one thing left to do,” Mac replied, as she rubbed the back of her neck. “Get her on the phone and ask her to meet with us. We’ll let her know what we’ve found out and advise her to get someone else to represent her. We should also suggest that she drop the charges, and let her know what can happen if she doesn’t.”

Mac glanced over at Sam. “What do you think?”

Sam had been staring into space, but now looked across the table at her two friends. “The way I feel right now, I want to call her in and kick her you-know-what for wasting our time.”

Mac couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. She saw that Peyton was doing a better job than she was at holding back. Both of them were well aware that Sam was in a lousy mood and had been since Blade left. They were also aware that Sam and Blade had spent almost twenty minutes together in her office before he’d finally departed, and that was only after Priscilla had reminded Sam of their meeting. They had both noticed that although Sam had reapplied her lipstick, her lips were kiss-swollen nonetheless.

“I think,” Mac said, “that we go with option one—call her in and let her know we won’t be representing her in her sexual harassment case against Sidney Gresham.” She glanced at Sam again. “You might want to take a chill pill before she arrives, Di Meglio.”

Muttering something under her breath, Sam stood and walked over to the coffeepot to pour a cup. “I don’t need a chill pill. What I need is my head examined.”

“Um, Blade Madaris was that bad, Sam?” Peyton asked, grinning.

She turned around and stared at her friends for a long, steady moment before rolling her eyes to the ceiling. “No, he was that good,” she said in a disgusted tone. “Damn it.”

From the stares and arched eyebrows, she immediately knew what Mac and Peyton assumed. “For crying out loud, stop staring at me like I don’t have any panties on. We didn’t go that far. Jeez. He was only in my office for twenty minutes. It was only a kiss.”

Peyton stood as she gathered her folders. “Hey, a woman and her man can do a lot in twenty minutes. And please don’t ask me how I know.”

Since Peyton was the argumentative type and no one was in the mood for a debate this early in the morning, they didn’t say anything as she left the room. As soon as the door closed behind her Sam felt Mac’s eyes shift to her.

“Sam, if Blade is making a nuisance of himself and is harassing you, I can have Luke talk to him.”

Sam waved off her words as she returned to her seat. “It’s not that serious, Mac. He’s not harassing me. There’s a difference between a man openly pursuing a woman and when he’s harassing her.”

“And usually the difference is the attitude of the woman,” Mac pointed out. “Do you or don’t you want to be involved with Blade?”

“No, I don’t and I’ve told him that. But of course he thinks he can change my mind. I think he sees me as some kind of conquest. I’m the one woman not falling at his feet, not eagerly crawling between his sheets. He wouldn’t be a true-blue player if he didn’t get the woman who rejects his advances, namely me.”

She leaned back in her chair, stared into her coffee and then added, “He thinks I’m being defensive, whatever that means. And I didn’t help matters this morning by letting him kiss me.”

“Mmm, sounds interesting.”

Sam looked at her friend. “Damn it, Mac, it was better than interesting. I’ve never been kissed like that before. The man makes using his lips and tongue some sort of art form.”

Mac chuckled as she stood up. “Must be a Madaris trait. And I hope you know that unless you put your foot down and give him a reason not to, Blade will be back, and he won’t give up until he gets what he wants.” She shook her head. “Neither of you are acting rational. I’ve known Blade for more than seven years, and I’ve never known him to pursue a woman the way he’s chasing you for any reason, conquest or otherwise. I’ve known you even longer, and I’ve never known you to let a bona fide player get under your skin.”

Sam didn’t say anything for a moment and then said, “He claims I’m sending mixed signals.”

“Are you?”

She paused, then admitted, “Possibly. You and Peyton of all people know how I handle players.”

“Yes. Which has me wondering why you’re handling him differently?”

“He’s Luke cousin. Besides, my parents are beginning to act crazy again by playing matchmaker. There’s this new guy who’s working at the law firm. My folks are all but shoving him down my throat. My mother sent me pictures of him over the Internet, but I’ve refused to open the file.”

Mac shook her head. “Will your parents ever learn?”

“Apparently not. I see now that I made a mistake after law school when I let them talk me into coming home and working in the family firm. Those years I spent at Di Meglios were the worst. My parents were determined that I not have a life, at least not one they couldn’t control.”

Sam couldn’t help but remember those years. Her parents were highly respected attorneys who’d earned a name for themselves in New York circles. The firm included her mother and father, her father’s two brothers, Federico and Leandro, and their sons, Maddox and Damon, as well as her brother. They were all Di Meglios and they made their name representing the rich and famous.

Besides her mother, Sam had been the only Di Meglio woman in the family practice. All her female cousins had been smart enough to choose some other profession, since they’d known they would have been expected to work at the family-run law firm.

She cringed each time she remembered her parents’ angry words when she’d told them of her decision to move to Oklahoma and form a law practice with Mac and Peyton. She knew they were still holding out, hoping that eventually she would come to her senses and return home to Manhattan to the plush, prestigious office overlooking the Hudson River, which was still empty and waiting for her. Angelo was the only one who knew for certain that she wouldn’t be coming back, and she had left with his blessings.

“You’re a big girl and I know you can take care of yourself,” Mac said, interrupting her thoughts. “And as far as Luke is concerned, he knows that Blade is capable of handling himself, as well. Just so you know, Luke and I talked about it last night, when Blade walked you to your car. We’ve made a decision to stay out of it. Whatever happens is between you and Blade. Like I said, you’re a big girl.”

Sam didn’t say anything for a moment and then, smiling, she stated, “Well, the first thing this big girl needs to do is clear her calendar for a week and fly to New York to pay her parents a visit. I need to settle a few things and get them to understand my life is my life, and I won’t have them interfering. And as for Blade, if he continues to be a nuisance, I will settle a few things with him, as well.”

Later that evening Blade entered his condo. In a way he was glad to be back home in Houston. His meeting with J. W. Mosley had gone well and the man was looking forward to working with Madaris Construction Company. The building would be a magnificent addition to downtown Oklahoma City’s skyline.

Blade had slept through most of the flight. But right now, he was wide-awake and Sam Di Meglio was on his mind. He was convinced that the only reason he was still thinking about her was because he hadn’t met anyone quite like her. Besides her beauty, he knew there was a passion in her just waiting to be unleashed. He saw it in her walk, was moved by it whenever their eyes met, and had felt it in their kiss that morning. He was definitely looking forward to returning to Oklahoma City, and would make it his business to see her again.

He had talked to Luke on his cell phone on the way to the airport. His cousin had given him fair warning and tried to convince him Sam wasn’t a woman a man wanted to toy with. Blade didn’t want to toy with her. He wanted to spend an entire night in bed with her. He wanted to get her out of his system. He was convinced the kiss they’d shared that morning had definitely been the reason she was still on his mind.

He had put his overnight tote and garment bag on the bed when his cell phone rang. He quickly pulled it out of his pants pocket. “This is Blade.”

“I know who you are.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle upon hearing his great-grandmother’s matter-of-fact voice. “Yes, ma’am, Mama Laverne, I’m sure you do. And how are you doing today?”

“As well as can be expected. And how was your trip to Oklahoma?”

Blade lifted a brow. “How did you know I went to Oklahoma?”

“Slade told me when I called to check on Skye. She’s been a little under the weather.”

“Oh,” Blade said, leaving his bedroom and heading for the kitchen to get a beer out of the refrigerator. He hadn’t known his sister-in-law was sick. “How is she doing?”

“She’s doing fine for someone who’s having a baby.”

Blade blinked. “Excuse me? Skye’s pregnant?”

“I dreamed about fish last night, so you know what that means.”

He nodded as put his great-grandmother on speakerphone, placing his cell phone on the table while he unscrewed the beer cap. Yes, he most certainly knew what that meant. Everybody in the entire Madaris family did. If Skye wasn’t pregnant, someone else was. It seemed whenever his grandmother dreamed of fish someone ended up pregnant.

“Yes, I know,” he said, before tipping the beer bottle to his mouth to take a huge swallow.

“I’m guessing it’s Skye, which would be my first great-great-grand. So I’m tickled pink at the thought of that. But who knows. It might not be Skye. It just as well could be one of your girlfriends.”

Blade nearly choked on the beer he’d been drinking.

“Blade? You okay?”

He coughed to keep from choking. “Yes, I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about it being one of my girlfriends. I don’t do babies.”

“But you do women and all it takes to make a baby is a man and a woman who—”

“Excuse me, Mama Laverne, but I think I hear someone at the door,” he said, quickly deciding the last thing he needed was to hear his great-grandmother’s version of how babies were made. “I need to go answer it.”

“Oh, okay. Will you be at church Sunday?”

He rolled his eyes. He hadn’t planned to go. “Why? Is there something happening there this Sunday?”

“Something happens at church every Sunday, Blade.”

He rolled his eyes again. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll see if I can make it.”

“Elsie Fowler’s niece is back in town and she’ll be there.”

Blade shook his head. Now he knew for certain that he wouldn’t make it. Elsie Fowler’s niece, Sharon what’s-her-name, was not his type. She was the clingy kind who hadn’t been all that great in bed. “Okay, Mama Laverne, I’ll talk to you later.”

He hung up, glad to end the call. His great-grandmother meant well, but they had different opinions about things, namely his marital status and his social life. The old gal was a die-hard matchmaker. And from what he’d heard, she used to be good at it back in the day. Five of her seven daughters-in-laws had been handpicked. And now she was trying to step back into that role. All of her great-grandchildren were well aware that she was trying to marry them off. Blade even suspected she had something to do with Luke and Mac getting together. It was a good thing she didn’t know of his interest in Sam or she would have taken it the wrong way. The only thing he was interested in was getting her in his bed, nothing more.

After emptying his beer bottle and putting it in the recycling bin, he made his way to the living room. It was a Thursday night and in his corner of the world, the weekend didn’t start on Friday. It started tonight. He picked up the phone to call his friends Wyatt Bannister and Tanner Jamison to see if they were interested in heading over to Sisters, a restaurant where they knew single women liked to hang out. He was back on familiar turf and he felt good about it.

Chapter 4

“Welcome back, Sam. How did things go with your parents?” Mac asked as soon as Sam walked into the conference room.

She made a face as she sat down in one of the chairs at the large oval table.

“Mmm, that bad?” Peyton inquired as a grin spread across her lips.

“Worse. They weren’t expecting me, so I figured I would have the element of surprise on my side, but that wasn’t the case. Even with such short notice they were able to make sure Cash Larkin made an appearance.”

“Cash Larkin?” Peyton asked as she spread cream cheese on her bagel. “Who’s Cash Larkin?”

“He’s a new attorney at the firm. He’s been there for about six months or so. My parents think he has a promising career and is just the man to marry their daughter. Sound familiar?”

“Will they ever learn?” Peyton asked, smiling.

“Apparently not.”

Mac shook her head and then asked, “Did you accomplish what you set out to do?”

“With my parents, maybe. But I’m not sure about Cash. I don’t know what my parents said to him, but I think he assumed that a serious relationship with me was a done deal. I hate to burst his bubble because he is a cutie.”

“If he’s a cutie then why burst his bubble?” Peyton asked with a serious expression on her face. “You shouldn’t assume he’ll be like Guy. Who knows? He just might be the one.”

Sam didn’t reply, since Peyton was only echoing what her parents had said. She couldn’t go through life blaming every man for what Guy had done to her. All men weren’t like him.

“It doesn’t matter if he’s nothing like Guy,” she finally said. “I’m not interested in Cash. Besides, there wasn’t any chemistry between us. No heat.”

Peyton raised an eyebrow. “None?”

“Not enough to make me pause. Like I said, he’s good-looking. He has a good body, nice teeth, but that’s about it,” she said. What she wouldn’t say was that compared to Blade Madaris he lacked just about everything. He didn’t have that swagger, that intense look in his eyes, and when she shook Cash’s hand, all she felt was a warm, clammy palm—not a spark of hot desire.

“How does he kiss?” Mac asked.

Sam shrugged. “Don’t know. We didn’t get that far.” And it wasn’t for lack of trying on his part, she thought, remembering the couple of times he tried to get her alone. She just wasn’t feeling him. Maybe it had been the wrong thing to do, but she had compared Cash to Blade. There had been more than just chemistry between her and Blade, even when she hadn’t wanted to admit it. Even when she had denied it to herself and to him.

The moment he’d showed up at Mac’s rehearsal dinner, Sam knew he would be trouble. She had watched him out of the corner of her eye as he smoothly checked out the women, mostly single female friends of Mac. And she knew the moment his gaze landed on her. Later that night, when everyone left the church for the rehearsal dinner, he’d approached her to make small talk. But she’d stopped him cold with an icy look before he could even get in a word.

“Well, I hate to change the subject, but I have some good news to share with everyone,” Mac said.

Sam sat up straight and looked over at her expectantly. “What’s your good news?”

Mac was beaming brightly. “Well, it’s not really my good news personally, but good news about people I care about. First, Ashton called yesterday to say that Nettie is expecting.”

“Wow!” Peyton said, clapping her hands. “That’s wonderful!”

“He didn’t predict triplets again?” Sam asked, smiling. Everyone knew the story of how Mac’s cousin had said Nettie would be having triplets—three sons—even after the doctor had convinced Nettie she would never have children.

“No, he says it’s just one baby this time. A daughter,” Mac said, chuckling. “And,” she continued, “Luke talked to Slade last night. He and Skye are expecting.”

“I think we really do have a reason to go over to Twains after work to celebrate,” Sam said. She had met Skye at one of Mac’s bridal showers and had immediately liked her. She was down-to-earth and friendly.

“I agree,” Peyton interjected.

Mac chuckled. “Count me in.”

Sam nodded. She was happy for Nettie and Skye. They had fallen in love and married good men. Sam had met Ashton while she and Mac were roommates in law school. Sam had had a crush on him for a while. It was a man-in-uniform thing. As far as Slade was concerned, although he was Blade’s twin brother, the two looked and acted nothing alike. Slade was handsome in his own right, but his disposition was entirely different from Blade’s. They were like night and day. It was easy to see that Blade was a man who enjoyed women, and it was just as obvious that Slade was a man who could be loyal to only one woman. It was there in his eyes whenever he looked at his wife. Blade wouldn’t know how to look at a woman like that. He wouldn’t know the first thing about making a woman feel like she was the only one, mainly because with him she wouldn’t be.

“Okay, it’s time to get down to business,” Mac said.

Sam put her case files on the table. Mac was right. It was time to get down to business and that meant eliminating any thoughts of Blade Madaris.

Blade drove the rental car to the rodeo construction site. After he parked the car, he turned his attention to the men from Madaris Construction who were hard at work on what would be Luke’s rodeo school.

Weather permitting, the project would be completed on time, and Luke’s school would be finished by the end of the month. Mac was hoping to host a grand opening the first of June, which meant landscape work had to be finished by then, as well. The timing was good, since some of the same men on Luke’s project would be working on the Mosley Building.

Blade got out of the car and pushed his Stetson back off of his forehead with his thumb. He hadn’t had time to drop by and check on the progress at the site when he’d been in Oklahoma City a couple of weeks ago. In fact, he hadn’t been to the construction site since the foundation had been poured.

The building was huge and consisted of two floors, which would give Luke all the space he needed to teach others what he had been taught. From what Blade had heard, there was already a waiting list of eager rodeo students.

“You’re back?”

Blade turned and saw Luke coming out of the barn. He couldn’t help but chuckle and say, “Hey, you could act like you’re glad to see me.”

“Whatever,” Luke said, giving him a bear hug. “Like I don’t know the real reason you returned.”

Blade looked away and observed one of the men installing a window on the second floor. His cousin was the last person he would have told that he hadn’t been himself lately. He’d done what he always did when he’d returned to Houston and had gone out with Wyatt and Tanner to their usual spots. But he hadn’t had a burning desire to sleep with any of the women he saw there. He actually thought he was coming down with something until he’d figured out just what was wrong with him. The kiss he’d shared with Sam had done him in. He’d never kissed a woman that way without the two of them ending up in bed. That meant that he and Sam had unfinished business. In order for him to move on, he needed to get her out of his system.

“Any news from the home front?” Luke asked, prompting Blade to turn around and look at him.

Blade couldn’t help but smile. “I’m sure you’ve heard about Ashton and Slade.”

Luke nodded.

“And I don’t know if you’ve heard about it yet, but Reese got a promotion,” Blade added.

“No, I hadn’t heard,” said Luke. “A promotion to what?”

“He’s foreman of Madaris Explorations.”

Luke frowned. “But that’s Trevor’s job.”

Blade chuckled. “Not anymore.” Trevor was a family friend and had worked as their cousin Dex’s foreman for years.

“Trevor is opening a facility to train ex-military men. It’s for those interested in tactical military operations.”

“Sounds deep.”

Blade laughed as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “Knowing Trevor, it will be. And I understand Drake Warren might be working with him at some point. And if Ashton ever decides to retire from the military, he’ll be joining them, as well.”

Luke leaned back against the post. Blade could feel his cousin studying him. He looked at him. “What’s wrong?”

“You tell me. Why are you back?”

Blade took a breath and looked away momentarily to where three of his men were working on the roof of the building, installing shingles. There was no way he was going to confess to Luke the real reason he was back in town, especially since Sam was Mac’s best friend. Since getting married, Luke had become a damn knight in shining armor.

He glanced back at his cousin. “I told you I would be coming back.”

“You said in three weeks, not two.”

Blade leaned against the post that was supporting Luke’s weight. “There are more permits I need to file at the courthouse for the Mosley Building,” he said. He didn’t like having to explain his reasons for anything he did to anyone, not even Luke.

“That’s it?”

Blade met Luke’s gaze directly. “Is there supposed to be more?”

“You tell me.”

Blade knew he couldn’t very well do that. The less Luke knew of his plans for Sam the better. Besides, there were certain things he couldn’t explain to Luke because he didn’t understand them himself. Like why the women back in Houston had suddenly become uninteresting to him. While he had been home, he had begun to take a closer look at the women he’d been dating and had found them lacking, except in the bedroom. But now even that wasn’t enough to hold his interest.

“There’s nothing to tell. When is Mac coming home?” he asked, changing the subject.

The look Luke gave him let Blade know his cousin knew exactly what he was doing and that he wasn’t taking the bait.

“Usually she’s home by now, but she called a few minutes ago to say that she, Peyton and Sam are going for drinks after work to celebrate.”

“To celebrate what?”

“Ashton and Skye’s news. They’ll be going somewhere to eat afterward, so if you haven’t eaten yet you might as well join me for dinner. And if you don’t have a place to stay while you’re in town, you know you’re welcome to stay here.”

“Thanks, but I’ll be at the hotel. It’s located downtown near the courthouse where I need to transact business. There are a number of permits I need to get pulled.”

Although Luke wasn’t saying anything, Blade was aware that his cousin knew enough about the construction business to know that he didn’t have to come to Oklahoma City himself to pull any permits. Blade had people working for him who could have performed those tasks.

He glanced over at Luke. “So what’s for dinner?”

“A casserole.”

Blade smiled. At Morehouse that had been Luke’s specialty. He, Luke and Slade had shared an apartment not far from campus, and the one thing they could look forward to was Luke’s casseroles.

“You didn’t say how long you plan on being in town, Blade.”

No, he hadn’t, Blade thought. “Not sure yet,” he answered. And then he added. “I’ll know by the middle of the week.”

Hopefully by then I’ll have a plan, he thought. There was no way he could tell Luke that he would remain in town for as long as it took to get Sam into his bed.

The man glanced around thinking this particular restaurant seemed as good a place as any for them to meet. He glanced over at the woman who was already there waiting for him.

She looked a little different today and he immediately knew what it was. She was wearing makeup. No doubt to impress him, since she fancied herself in love with him. And she probably thought he had fallen in love with her, as well. He shrugged. What she thought wasn’t his concern. But if believing such would assure that she continued to provide him with the information he needed, then so be it.

He sat in the chair across from her. “You look pretty today.”

“Thanks.” She smiled. His compliment had pleased her, so he would make sure to shower her with more in the future. After a few minutes of small talk, in which he told her again how nice she looked, he said, “The flowers are still being delivered.” It was a statement and not a question.

“Each week, and they are beautiful, too. She likes them and doesn’t suspect a thing.”

He nodded, glad to hear it.

“She thinks she has a secret admirer.”

He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of that, and thanks to Samari Di Meglio he’d had very little to smile about over the past few years. He wasn’t a secret admirer—far from it. But if she wanted to think that she could certainly do so. When she discovered the truth it would be too late to do anything about it.

“How long will you continue to send the flowers to her?”

The annoyingly soft voice had interrupted his thoughts. Now she was asking a question that really wasn’t any of her business. His jaw tightened. His gaze narrowed. “For as long as I want,” he said in a chillingly cold tone.

He saw the look in her eyes, the flash of fear. He breathed in deeply, knowing that he had to get his feelings under control. The last thing he needed was to make her wary of giving him the information he needed.

He reached out and touched her hand, held it in his for a while. “I didn’t mean to scare you. But I’ve told you why I need to make her remember what she’s done, and why she has to pay for doing it.”

The woman nodded. Of course, he hadn’t told her everything. He’d told her just enough to get her sympathy to do what he needed her to do. She assumed the most he would do was scare and harass Samari Di Meglio for a while, and not do anything really serious to harm her. He smiled to himself at the thought of that. Little did the woman sitting across from him know, but he had a much bigger and more sinister plan. It was one he had worked on for years. Now the time had come and no one, and he meant no one, would stand in his way.

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