A Madaris Bride for Christmas Read online

  Last night that expert kiss had invaded her sleep. She had dreamed they hadn’t stopped with the kiss, that he had followed her back to her hotel room, that he had undressed her, undressed himself and then pulled her down on the bed. She had awakened more than once from her own loud moans as she’d envisioned him taking her nipples into his mouth and sucking hard on them, envisioned his hand slipping between her legs.

  Then, when he had replaced his hand with his mouth, detonating an explosion of passion through her, she had screamed out in her sleep.

  Her dream had gone way too far. Really? An orgasm? She could only imagine what the people in the hotel room next to her thought.

  She’d heard of women’s dreams feeling so real they climaxed, but she’d never experienced such a thing for herself. Heck, nothing of that magnitude had even happened to her in real life, definitely not with Nathaniel.

  Even with all of her dreams, she had quickly dressed and packed after waking up. Since her hotel bill had been prepaid, she’d skipped the checkout desk and gone straight to the parking garage, where she got into her car and drove off.

  Carly was glad that she didn’t have to go back to work until tomorrow night. And since she worked in the restaurant’s kitchen and was never seen by patrons, she didn’t have to worry about her path crossing with Lee’s. In fact, she was confident she would never see him again. She fought off the disappointment of that thought, knowing it was for the best. The man tempted her to do things she wouldn’t ordinarily do. That was the last thing she needed.

  She wanted to concentrate on her new job and be the best pastry chef she could be. There were a lot of opportunities at the Grand MD and she figured hard work would bring her closer to her dream of one day owning her own café. Ever since she’d moved to town, she’d been eyeing a piece of land within fifteen minutes of where she lived, not far from the mall. She could definitely see a restaurant with her name on it sitting right on that spot. The price was more than she could afford with all the student loans she was still paying back. But within a year she would have saved enough for a down payment, and she was hoping the property would still be available.

  Leaving the laundry room, she planned out the few chores she needed to finish before she went shopping. Her aunt and Heather had sent her gift cards with instructions to buy something nice for herself. She smiled at their thoughtfulness and brushed aside the hurt that her mother hadn’t bothered to call. She never did.

  Carly had long ago accepted the fact that Gail Briggs Thrasher believed Carly to be a mistake she’d made at sixteen that she wanted to forget. With Aunt Ruthie’s help, Carly’s mother had not only finished high school but had gone off to college as well. Only thing was, Gail eventually decided she didn’t want to be a mother to her illegitimate child. Knowing she was never wanted had bothered Carly while growing up, but she had stopped letting it be the downer it once was.

  Her aunt Ruthie was a very religious woman and she believed that one day Carly would get all the happiness that had ever been missing from her life. A part of Carly hoped her aunt was right.

  A few hours later, Carly sat down to the computer at her desk and pulled up the online copy of the Miami Herald. She’d promised herself she’d forget about what she’d heard that night in the alley four months ago, but she hadn’t been able to stop checking periodically for any mention of what she thought had happened. So far, Carly hadn’t connected any reports of missing people to the events she’d heard. Heather was convinced Carly had dreamed the entire thing, and now a part of Carly wondered if perhaps Heather was right.

  But she couldn’t eradicate the memory of that man’s deep, raspy voice. Even if she never saw the man she believed had pulled the trigger, she was convinced she would recognize his voice.

  If she continued to check the internet for another month or so and nothing appeared in the online newspaper then maybe she could finally let it go.

  * * *

  Lee stepped out of his shower thinking that so far the day had gone just the way he’d planned. His five important guests had arrived and were checked into the guest suites on the seventieth floor, which had an exclusive elevator for privacy.

  The sheikhs and their wives had flown into Texas, spending a few days at Jake’s Whispering Pines Ranch. The women had been left behind with Jake’s wife, Diamond, to fly to Los Angeles to shop. They would be joining their husbands in Vegas tomorrow. The three men had arrived this morning in Jake’s private plane. Kyle and his wife, Kimara, had been the first to arrive at eight that morning, and Mitch Farrell and his wife, Gina, had arrived within an hour or so of the Garwoods.

  The Garwoods and Farrells had visited the hotel before, when they’d attended the Grand MD’s Vegas grand opening, but Lee could tell from the looks on their faces that they were still impressed with what they’d seen during this visit. Of course Jake had been to the hotel several times since they’d opened their doors, but it was the sheikhs’ first time at the Grand MD in Vegas. Although they had visited the hotel in Dubai, they had already commented several times on how beautiful the Vegas hotel was.

  Both sheikhs had attended college in the United States and had been visitors to Vegas a number of times before, staying at several of the other hotels on the Strip. Lee had overheard Sheikh Yasir whisper to Jake just how magnificent he thought the Grand MD was. The design, different from the one in Dubai, was impressive.

  So much so that Lee and Angelo owned private residences on the seventy-third floor of the hotel. Both were huge and provided all the comforts of home, including their own private pools and entertainment rooms for parties. Their balconies provided a panoramic view of the city and beyond.

  Although Lee would always have a deep affinity for Houston and he still got homesick at times, he would be the first to admit that Las Vegas had grown on him. He loved the Strip and enjoyed mingling with the millions of people who visited the city every year with plenty of money to spend. His job was to make sure some of that spending cash came the way of the Grand MD.

  He had entertainers lined up three years in advance, including stand-up comedians, musicians and magicians. All the shows were sold out until the middle of next year. Since the Grand MD was the new kid on the Strip and had something for everyone, the shows had helped the hotel receive record-breaking reservations.

  Reservations from guests like the woman he’d met last night.

  Not only had Carly been on his mind this morning but she had remained on his mind all last night...even while he slept. To think this much about a woman was unlike him. He didn’t have the reputation his cousins Blade and Clayton had acquired prior to getting married, but he had dated enough women to suit him. Beautiful women. Stunning women.

  None had been as unforgettable as Carly.

  Memories kept invading his mind. Their dance. Their kiss. Why had he been tempted to go down to the lobby and wait for her to check out today just to see her again? Doing so would have been a mistake and he’d talked himself out of it, but it hadn’t been easy. Why did the thought of their paths never crossing again bother him?

  Slipping into a pair of sweats, Lee had just pulled a T-shirt over his head when the suite’s doorbell rang. He pushed a button to check the video camera and saw it was Angelo. He spoke into the speaker. “Enter your code and come on in.”

  By the time Lee walked out of his bedroom Angelo was walking through the door.

  He and DeAngelo Di Meglio had met years ago when a close Madaris friend, Colonel Ashton Sinclair, had introduced everyone to his cousin MacKenzie Standfield, an attorney living in Oklahoma. Mac, as she was often called, was partner in a law firm with two other women—Samari Di Meglio and Peyton Mahoney.

  Mac had married Lee’s cousin Luke a few years back; Samari, who was Angelo’s sister, was married to Lee’s cousin Blade, and almost two years ago Angelo had married Peyton. Half American and half Italian, Angelo and Samari came from a family dynasty of attorneys in New York.

  “Looks like everyone has settled
in,” Angelo said, sitting down in a nearby chair. “That’s good. Tomorrow is going to be one hell of a busy day.”

  Lee knew that to be true. Their breakfast meeting was scheduled for nine and would include an in-depth presentation and video. They would break for lunch at noon before resuming the meeting at one. Dinner would be a private gathering tomorrow night at the hotel’s most elegant restaurant.

  “I understand you chose Peyton’s Place for our dinner party tomorrow night,” Angelo said, smiling.

  “I figured you’d like that,” Lee said, grinning. Angelo had named the hotel’s elegant restaurant after his wife. “Diamond suggested it, and I agreed it would be perfect. By the way, did Peyton come with you?”

  “Yes, and so did Sam,” he said of his sister. “Blade will join her here tomorrow. Sam and Peyton went shopping,” he said of his sister and wife. Angelo chuckled. “Let me rephrase that. Sam went shopping and dragged Peyton along.”

  Lee nodded, smiling. Everyone knew how much Peyton hated going shopping, especially with Sam. He was glad to hear Blade would be making a visit to the hotel.

  “Want something to drink?” he asked Angelo.

  “Yes, I’ll take a beer if you have one.”

  “I do,” Lee said, heading for the kitchen that he rarely used. There was no need to cook when there were eight restaurants and six cafés in the hotel. He would be the first to admit that room service was spoiling him. To counter all those calories, he worked out at the gym every morning and, in some instances, again at night. “Here you go.”

  Angelo followed him and slid onto the stool at the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. “Thanks,” he said, twisting off the bottle cap at the same time as Lee twisted off his. Both men took a long drink. “Good stuff.”

  Lee agreed. He leaned back against his refrigerator. “I need to ask you something.”

  “What?”

  “Have you ever met a woman you became attracted to immediately?”

  Angelo smiled. “Yes. Peyton. When Sam brought her home from college for a visit. I wanted her bad.”

  Lee laughed. “That’s too much information, man.”

  “You asked.” Angelo took another sip of his beer. “Why do you want to know? Is there a woman you saw that you wanted?”

  Had he wanted Carly or was he just intrigued by her? Lee knew the truth without really thinking about it. “Yes. I met a woman last night I was extremely attracted to. It was kind of scary, in a way.”

  Angelo nodded. “I understand.”

  Lee raised a brow. “Do you?”

  “Yes, I think so. You ever heard of fate?”

  Lee smiled. “Only Justin’s version.”

  Justin Madaris was one of Lee’s older cousins. After Justin’s wife died, Justin believed one day he would find someone else to love—a woman who would be his fate. Miraculously, it had happened just the way Justin had predicted. He had met Lorren and the two had been married for quite a few years now.

  “Well, I guess I’m like Justin and believe in such a thing,” Angelo said. “That’s one of the reasons I didn’t give up on Peyton when she didn’t want to have anything to do with me.”

  Lee remembered that time. “But things did work out.”

  “Yes,” Angelo said as a huge smile spread across his lips. “Things did work out. Like I said. Fate. Might be the same for you.”

  Lee shook his head. “I doubt it. The woman in question checked out of the hotel today and chances are I’ll never see her again.”

  Saying the words made Lee realize just what a downer that was. He finished off the rest of his beer before placing the bottle on the counter. “I’m off to the gym. Want to join me?”

  Angelo stood. “No. When you’re married you come up with other ways to burn off calories.”

  Lee shook his head and grinned. “Again, man, that’s too much information.”

  * * *

  “Isn’t that exciting?”

  Carly smiled over at her coworker, a chef assistant by the name of Jodie Wrangler. Jodie, who’d begun working at the hotel a week before Carly, had just finished explaining that Peyton’s Place would be closed tonight for a private party. It was rumored that the two owners of the hotel had invited important guests they were trying to impress. There was even a rumor that Oscar-winning actress Diamond Swain was included in the group.

  She’d missed the head chef’s announcement while she’d been off work for her birthday, and Carly had wondered what the flurry was about when she’d returned to work today. The kitchen seemed busier than usual and everyone was bustling about with enthusiasm.

  “Yes, that’s exciting,” Carly said to Jodie, but in her mind she didn’t truly think it was. She had worked in restaurants where they’d closed their doors for private parties. In most cases, the kitchen staff was reduced since everyone wouldn’t be needed. That meant less pay in somebody’s paycheck.

  “Chef Blanchard wants to see you. He’s probably going to tell you about the party tonight, so act surprised.”

  Carly put down the cake pan to head over to Chef Blanchard’s office. Chances were, since she was one of the newest chefs, she would be one of those sent home for the evening. She knocked on the closed door.

  “Come in.”

  She entered the office that resembled a mini-kitchen with a desk in the center. Pots lined the wall, along with numerous trophies and plaques. Dr. Blanchard was a renowned chef, and she’d heard his name a number of times in culinary school both in the States and in France.

  “I understand you wanted to see me, Chef Blanchard.”

  “Yes, yes,” he said, smiling. “Come on in and have a seat.”

  “Thanks,” she said, taking a chair in front of his desk. The man was totally different from Chef Renaldo in both looks and temperament. Chef Renaldo had been short, stocky and had a mean attitude most of the time, where Chef Blanchard was tall, thin and had a pleasing personality.

  “I have good news for you, Carly.”

  She wondered if he thought informing her that she had another day off was good news. “And what is the good news?”

  He leaned back in his chair with a huge smile on his lips. “I’m sure you’ve heard by now that our two owners, Mr. Madaris and Mr. Di Meglio, have important guests here at the hotel, and they have requested a private party. That means the restaurant will be closing to anyone except the group of thirteen who will be dining here tonight.”

  She’d never met the two owners but had heard several whispered comments around the kitchen by the women who had. Both Mr. Madaris and Mr. Di Meglio were rumored to be eye candy of the most serious kind.

  “I see.”

  “I’m putting you in charge of desserts.”

  Carly blinked, certain she had heard wrong. “You’re putting me in charge of desserts?”

  “Yes. That dish you made during your interview will be perfect. Two of the gentlemen are from the Middle East and I know they will love your Pi-Sky as much as I did.”

  Carly was speechless. Seldom did a head chef deviate from a restaurant’s menu.

  “Thank you, sir. For the vote of confidence,” she said, beginning to feel that excitement Jodie had alluded to earlier.

  “You’re welcome. I believe you’ll find all the ingredients in the hotel’s kitchen store, including King Arthur flour.”

  Because of the number of restaurants and cafés in the hotel, each one used the same kitchen supplies. To keep things simple, the hotel hired a shopper whose job was to make sure any and every item the cooks needed was on the premises.

  “That’s great. Thanks again.”

  “Don’t mention it. These guests are important and we all want to make a good impression.”

  “Yes, sir. We will.” She left the chef’s office smiling.

  * * *

  Lee glanced around Peyton’s Place, the only rotating restaurant on the Strip. It was the most popular of all the hotel’s restaurants and always in demand. It seemed everyone was fascina
ted by the slow rotation offering a breathtaking view of the Strip and the Mojave Desert.

  There would be no business discussions tonight. They had done enough of that during the day. Now it was time to eat and unwind. All five men had invited their wives to join them, and Angelo had invited Peyton as well. All seemed to be in a festive mood, and Lee was glad of that. It was a good way to end such a busy day.

  He couldn’t help noticing that all six men were married to what he considered to be smart and beautiful women. Over dinner, he had discovered Sheikh Yasir’s wife, Delaney, was the sister of motorcycle builder and racer Thorn Westmoreland and also the sister of bestselling author Rock Mason, aka Stone Westmoreland.

  Johari Valdemon, who was married to Sheikh Valdemon and was Sheikh Yasir’s sister, enlightened everyone over dinner with the story of how she and her husband had been promised to each other at birth and yet she hadn’t set eyes on him until she was twenty-four. They’d met here in the States. While in college, Johari had intentionally gone missing, not ready to return to her country, do her duty and marry. Rasheed had gone looking for her and had found his intended bride dancing on the tables of some club in New York. That tale got a lot of rousing laughter from everyone.

  Jake joked about Kyle and Kimara’s six offspring and how, for years, everyone wondered if they would stop having more children. The couple did admit they enjoyed making babies, and that their fertility had something to do with a vacation cabin they owned in the North Carolina Mountains called Special K.

  Because Mitch’s wife, Gina, grew up with a lot of his older cousins, Lee knew her well. Her brother Trevor was best friend to one of his older cousins, Dex; and for years Trevor had been foreman at Dex’s land-exploration company. Lee liked Gina, always had, and thought she was down-to-earth. It was obvious that Mitch adored his wife.

  “I understand your oldest son left this month for college.” Angelo broke into Lee’s thoughts when he addressed a question to Kyle and Kimara Garwood.