Taste of Passion (Madaris Novels) Read online

  But a part of her knew Luke Madaris wasn’t just any man. He was a man who knew what he wanted out of life. He also knew what he didn’t want and a long-term relationship with a woman was one of them. rodeo was his life. The only mistress he desired. Anything else was just wasted time. Besides, she knew although he desired her that she wasn’t his type. She had seen the kind of women who threw themselves at the rodeo riders. Bold, brassy, and assy. That had been Cam’s way of describing them, not hers.

  “Answer me, Mac.”

  She blinked, remembering he was waiting for her response. No, she wasn’t ready for it although her body was singing a different tune. She wasn’t one to indulge in trivial affairs. She couldn’t be just another notch on any cowboy’s bedpost, just another itch he had to scratch. An easy lay.

  She dropped her hands from him and shook her head. “No,” she finally said softly. “I’m not ready.”

  Accepting what she said, he took a step back and she felt the heat of embarrassment when he rezipped his jeans. “All right. But if you ever change your mind—”

  “I won’t.”

  He smiled. “If you ever do, you’ll always know where to find me.”

  Yes, she knew. All she had to do was follow the PRCA circuit. Instead of saying anything, she nodded. And then before she could take her next breath, he leaned in and kissed her again. This one was different. There was a tenderness to it that vibrated emotions all the way through her.

  It only lasted a minute and then he was walking away and all she could do was inhale softly as she watched him go.

  Chapter 9

  The next morning when Luke got up, Mac had already left for work. He smiled, thinking she probably assumed it was business as usual, but boy was she wrong. He would be turning up the heat and more than just a little.

  He had accepted her decision that taking things to another level was something she wasn’t ready to do, but he intended to get her primed so when the time came and she was ready, it would be a very smooth transition. Friendship was no longer an option for them. Even a committed player like Blade had been able to see that. The only excuse he could come up with for not seeing it himself was the fact that when it came to life he had tunnel vision. The rodeo was the only focus he had in his future. It had always been primary. Anything else was secondary.

  Nothing had really changed in that regard, but he was willing to indulge in a short-term affair with Mac, just as long as she understood short-term meant short-term. “Forever” was not a word in his vocabulary. Neither was the word “love.” Both had been the downfall of many good rodeo riders, who were probably sitting at home, watching the rodeo on their television, and regretting having given up the chance to experience the profound adrenaline rush that came with the sport.

  He would not be one of them. Once Mac understood that and accepted how things had to be between them, his conscience would be clear and they’d be free to move on, enjoy the moment and create beautiful memories.

  His cell phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. He quickly picked it up. “Yes?”

  “Luke, it’s Reese.”

  Luke couldn’t help but smile at the sound of his brother’s voice. There were two years between them. At thirty-one Reese was following in their cousin Dex’s footsteps, and after getting a degree in geology, he was presently working as a geologist at Madaris Explorations, the company Dex owned.

  Luke’s brother Emerson, who was twenty-nine, was a criminal attorney working for Houston’s state attorney’s office; and his brother Chancellor, who was twenty-seven, had joined the military after high school, and after giving Uncle Sam five years as a U.S. Army Ranger, he had returned home to try his hand at ranching. He owned a small spread outside Houston not far from Whispering Pines and enjoyed ranching as much as Jake did.

  “How’s it going, buddy?” Luke asked Reese. He was close to all three of his brothers.

  “That’s what I want to know about you. Blade suggested we wait a few weeks before we call, to give you time to adjust.”

  “Yeah, I know and I appreciate it. That first week was a killer. I was in a lot of pain most of the time. Now I’m undergoing physical therapy.” He chuckled when he thought about his first day with Margaret. “Hell, I’m still having pain, but at least I know it’s a means to an end and I’ll be back in the chute in September.”

  “Just don’t overdo it, Luke.”

  “I won’t.”

  He spent the next half hour talking to Reese, getting caught up on what was happening with his other two brothers and figured that he would probably be hearing from them before the week was out.

  “So, how are things with Mac?”

  Luke lifted a brow. “Mac is fine. Why do you ask?”

  “I was over to Uncle Jake’s place on Sunday and the womenfolk were there. And I overheard a few things.”

  “A few things like what?”

  Reese cleared his throat before saying, “I think they assume that something is going on between you and Mac. Said they had picked up on it a while back and it would be just a matter of time before you got hooked.”

  “Hooked?”

  “Yes. I think they meant it would be just a matter of time before you fell in love with Mac and walked away from rodeo.”

  Luke snorted. Evidently they had lost their minds if they thought that. “Trust me, Reese, it’s not going to happen. The only thing I love is rodeo. There’s not a woman alive who can compete. rodeo is the number one thing in my life.” There was no reason to admit that Mac was a very close second.

  “That’s what I thought but I figured how they were thinking was something that you should know.”

  “Thanks for sharing.”

  After ending the call a slow smile touched Luke’s lips. He could just imagine who was the ringleader of the Madaris Women’s Movement. Syneda. She thought the only good Madaris was a married one and probably felt that way only because Clayton, when footloose and fancy-free, had had a reputation as a ladies’ man that made Blade’s looked tame. And the thought of that was pretty scary considering Blade’s reputation. Hell, after Clayton had settled down and married Syneda, he had given the case of condoms he’d kept in his closet to Blade. And Blade had been quick to tell him and Slade about the assortment of shapes, styles, and colors, but all guaranteed to be highly effective. And as per Clayton they didn’t have an expiration date, which meant they hadn’t been cheap. That had been nearly five years ago and knowing Blade they had probably gotten all used up by now.

  Luke glanced at the clock on the wall. Margaret would be arriving in a couple of hours. That would give him a chance to go out and share a cup of morning coffee with Theo. He liked the older man and had been surprised to learn that he’d had dreams of being a rodeo rider, but an unexpected pregnancy that had resulted in a rushed marriage had ended those dreams.

  Luke shook his head. As far as he was concerned the worst kind of dream was one that ended before being given a chance to come true.

  “Finally, a hickey.”

  Mackenzie’s hand flew to her neck before recognizing the shrewd smirk on Sam’s face. She frowned. “I don’t have a hickey!”

  Sam chuckled. “I know. Gotcha!”

  Mackenzie rolled her eyes. “That’s not funny.”

  “Yes it is,” Sam said, coming to place her rear end on the edge of Mackenzie’s desk. “The mere fact that you reacted as if you could have had one is definitely a telltale sign. Evidently you’re not too tired when you get home late in the evenings to mess around with the hunk.”

  “But not what you think.”

  “Hey, cheer up. It’s bound to happen sooner or later,” Sam said, smiling. “And make sure you pass on to me any new positions. For me it’s been a while.”

  “Longer for me,” Mackenzie couldn’t help but say.

  “Has not,” Sam countered.

  “Has too.”

  “Has not.”

  The two women then simultaneously laughed at the ridiculousness of their c
onversation. “But seriously,” Mackenzie said, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. “It’s been over five years for me.”

  “Damn, Mac, it’s been only two for me. Didn’t you do what I suggested after you broke up with Lawrence?”

  Mac gave her friend a stern look. “No, I didn’t. I couldn’t do something like that.” Not surprisingly, Sam was the one who’d suggested that she get back at the entire male race—especially those with the word “player” written on their forehead—for what Lawrence had done by setting up a few for heartbreak . . . only after she had gotten her use out of them.

  “Hey, don’t pity the players of this world. They deserve every bad thing that comes their way.”

  Since she’d always known Sam was a player-hater, especially after that episode with Guy Carrington a few years back, Mackenzie decided not to waste her time getting into an in-depth discussion about it. There was no need. The bottom line was that on occasion, Sam enjoyed setting up players by pretending to be an airheaded, ultraneedy, spoiled little rich girl. By the time the players discovered the truth, it was too late.

  And all because of Guy.

  Guy Carrington was the man who had caused what should have been Sam’s beautiful wedding day to end disastrously when two women showed up, claiming they were Guy’s other women . . . and with babies in tow—three of them. Talk about baby-mama-drama. Mackenzie wasn’t sure who’d screamed the loudest—Sam, her mother, the women, or the babies. Luckily, all of that had taken place before Sam had gotten the chance to say “I do,” so instead she’d said, “I don’t,” and had been a true-blue player-hater ever since.

  Deciding to avoid the subject of Sam’s love life or lack thereof, Mackenzie said, “So, what brings you to my office? Don’t tell me you’ve run out of cases.”

  Sam grinned. “Not on your life. I met with Amanda Johnson today and she’s determined to go ahead and bring a lawsuit against that dealership for selling her that car knowing the speedometer had been tampered with.”

  Mackenzie nodded. “If they were smart they would try and settle out of court.”

  “That’s the problem, they aren’t smart. So how are things going on the Whitedyer case?”

  Mackenzie shrugged. “We’re waiting for the judge to set a date for the initial hearing and I’m hoping it will be sometime next week. The sooner we can take it to court, the better.” And then she asked, “Where’s Peyton?”

  “She had a lunch meeting with one of her clients. And speaking of lunch, what are your plans?” Sam asked as she slid off the desk to stand.

  “Haven’t made any.”

  Sam smiled. “In that case, how about if we go and grab something at that deli on the corner?”

  “Sounds good but I can’t eat much,” Mackenzie said, opening a desk drawer to pull out her purse. “Luke prepares dinner every evening. He’s good at making casseroles.”

  “You’re lucky he’s making something. Some men wouldn’t think of lifting a finger in the kitchen. They would expect us to come home and throw something together after working all day.” Sam then gave a suggestive grin and said, “You might want to keep him around.”

  Mackenzie stood and led the way out of her office. “And I’ve told you a dozen times that he’s moving on as soon as he’s better,” she threw over her shoulder.

  “And I’ve told you that if I were you, I’d do whatever I could to make him change his mind.”

  Mackenzie looked at Sam when they reached the door that led out of the building. “I have no reason to do that.”

  “Umm,” Sam said, giving Mackenzie a serious smile. “It wouldn’t hurt if you were to think of a few.”

  The person sitting on the bus stop bench put down the newspaper he had pretended to be reading when the two women walked by. He leaned over to ask his companion, “Which one?”

  The companion smiled and said, “The one in the brown pantsuit.”

  “You sure?”

  “Positive.”

  The person nodded before tossing the newspaper into a garbage bin nearby. The two individuals then stood and parted ways.

  Chapter 10

  Luke nodded into the phone for the umpteenth time before he finally got a chance to say, “Yes, ma’am, Mama Laverne, I won’t overdo anything and I promise not to return to playing cowboy until the doctor says I’m good and ready.”

  He couldn’t help but smile when his great-grandmother began talking again, trying to call the shots all the way from Houston. He loved the old girl dearly. She was the matriarch of the Madaris family and one tough lady who kept everyone in tow . . . at least she tried. It might have been easy with the second generation of Madarises—the grands, namely his father and all those older cousins like Justin, Dex, and Clayton, but he knew she definitely had her work cut out for her with those in his age group, the great-grands who were the Madaris new wave.

  He couldn’t help but think of the family legacy his great-grandparents, Milton and Felicia Laverne Madaris, had started so many years ago with their seven sons—Milton Jr., Lee, Nolan, Lucas, Robert, Jonathan, and Jake. After Poppa Milton’s death, Mama Laverne had raised her sons while overseeing the huge family spread, Whispering Pines. All her sons were alive and healthy except for Robert who had gotten killed in the Vietnam War.

  Luke was proud of his family; always had been and always would be. They were a close-knit group who were taught to look out for one another.

  “Luke, are you listening to me?”

  Luke felt guilty because in all honesty, although he had heard her words, he hadn’t been listening. “Yes, ma’am, I heard every word,” he said.

  “So, you do agree it’s time for you to settle down with a wife and children?”

  Luke almost dropped the phone. “No, ma’am, I don’t agree with that. I love my life just the way it is. I don’t need a wife and children. I plan to do like Uncle Jake and wait until I get into my forties before thinking about marrying.” He smiled. “Heck, I might even wait until I’m fifty.”

  “Need I remind you that Jake was married for a short while years before Diamond?”

  “Yeah, but as far as I’m concerned, it didn’t last long enough to be considered a marriage. Hell, I never laid eyes on the woman. None of his nieces and nephews in my generation did. So as far as we’re concerned he was a single man until he married Diamond. Marrying late seems to have merits.”

  He breathed in deeply and was tempted to hold the phone away from his ear when she began giving him a blistering and scolding retort. But he couldn’t do anything but stand there and take it like a man. As soon as he was able to get a word in he told her he had to use the bathroom, expressed how much he loved her, and quickly ended the call.

  Moments later he found himself pacing the floor waiting for Mac to come home. Usually she arrived like clockwork around eight o’clock, saying she preferred remaining at the office finishing up everything instead of bringing any work home to do. He wasn’t all that crazy about her working late, especially since the police hadn’t gotten any leads on the person responsible for ransacking her office. However, he had felt relieved after she’d informed him that she, Sam, and Peyton had hired a security guard to be there whenever they worked late. Also, those two police officers had agreed to patrol the area more. But still, she wasn’t home yet and it was eight-ten already.

  He stopped pacing and rubbed his hand down his face. Why was he feeling so antsy about seeing Mac? Had that kiss they’d shared yesterday affected his brain cells or something? Although he usually thought about her every day, today had been worse than usual. She had been on his mind practically every second.

  She hadn’t been aware of it but he’d been awake when she had left that morning and he had stood by the bedroom window and watched her leave. She had looked real nice in her brown pantsuit, a pillar of professionalism. But what he liked most about the pantsuit was the way it had emphasized the soft curves on her body. And they were curves that he very much wanted to become acquainted with.

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nbsp; He took a deep breath when he heard a car door slam and couldn’t force back the smile that touched his lips. Mac was home.

  Mackenzie entered her home and gasped when Luke suddenly appeared seemingly out of nowhere. She placed her hand over her chest to slow down the rapid beating of her heart. “Luke! My goodness. Why were you standing by the door?”

  “I’ve been waiting for you to come home.”

  Her eyes widened fractionally. “You’ve been waiting for me? Why?”

  “For this,” he said, reaching out and stroking her jaw, just seconds before tilting her chin up and lowering his mouth to hers.

  The moment their mouths connected Mackenzie dropped her briefcase to the floor and wrapped her arms around Luke’s neck. She hadn’t expected this, but she definitely planned to take full advantage. She had thought about their kiss most of the day. In fact when Sam had walked into her office and teased her about the nonexistent hickey, she had been thinking about it.

  Now she was getting another kiss to think about tomorrow. Wow! Is this how it was when you truly bonded with someone? Was married to that person? Coming home and being greeted at the door with a kiss was certainly a pretty nice benefit.

  What was even nicer was the time he was taking to kiss her. He wasn’t doing a rush job but was drawing things out with every lick, suck, and entanglement of their tongues. And she was plastered so close to him that she could feel every tight muscle on his masculine frame.

  There was no doubt in her mind that Luke Madaris was an experienced kisser. The man certainly had a way with his tongue. It had to be a gift. Even now she could hear the tiny whimpers coming from deep within her throat and could feel the heat throbbing all through her body. And she could feel the deep pounding of her heart in her chest and the hardening of her nipples.

  Finally, he lifted his head, just barely, and went for her neck, placing soft kisses there, and she knew she would definitely have a hickey tomorrow because she felt the exact moment he branded her.