A Madaris Bride for Christmas Read online

  “Well, I plan to keep my guard up. Nathaniel proved that some men can’t be trusted.”

  “At least you said some and not all.”

  Carly smiled. “Only because your Joel renewed my faith in some men.” And he had. Heather’s fairy-tale courtship had been special. Carly’s best friend had tried resisting Joel but he had been determined to sweep Heather off her feet and had done just that.

  “Well, I’ll let you know how things turn out. But don’t be surprised if after Thursday he decides never to bother with me again.”

  “What do you plan to do?”

  “Be myself. Then he can decide if I’m as boring as Nathaniel claims I am.”

  Heather asked how Aunt Ruthie was doing and Carly let her switch the topic, asking Heather about her parents and her brother. Heather told her how beautiful the weather was in Spain, and Carly told her about the garden she had started in her backyard. Those living in Vegas had told her that if she planned to grow anything, now was the time to plant and wish herself luck.

  Then Heather said, “I’m still checking the Miami Herald every day online and I assume you’re doing the same.”

  “Yes,” Carly said.

  Although Heather had doubts about Carly’s story about what she’d heard that night, her friend still checked the paper just in case.

  “But so far I haven’t come across anything,” Carly said. “I’ve decided to check for a few more weeks and if nothing comes up then that’s it. It’s going on six months now and I can’t live my life wondering if I’m sane or not.”

  “You’re sane, but you might have been slightly confused that night. Remember, you had worked a double the day before.”

  Carly remembered, but still, why did the sound of that man’s voice keep resurfacing in her mind? She had not dreamed that, had she?

  “You did all you could,” Heather said. “If the police had found anything it would have been in the papers.”

  Carly knew Heather was right.

  “Call and let me know how tomorrow’s dinner goes. I’m still working on Joel about that trip to Vegas that he promised.”

  After ending the call and clicking off the phone, Carly glanced around her kitchen. It seemed that Lee meant business. She couldn’t help lifting her lips in a smile.

  “Dinner should be interesting.”

  * * *

  Lee looked across the table at the three men he’d flown to Dubai to meet. They were older cousins whom he thought of as older brothers. Justin, Dex and Clayton Madaris had already been out of college and working in their chosen professional fields when Lee and his close cousins had become teens. It had meant a lot to be able to ask their older cousins those questions they wouldn’t dare ask their parents. Justin, the oldest, was a doctor; Dex, the middle brother, was a geologist; and Clayton, the youngest brother, was an attorney. All three were happily married with families.

  “I’m surprised the three of you could plan to come to Dubai on vacation at the same time,” Lee said, taking a sip of his wine.

  Justin chuckled. “Syneda planned it all. That should tell you everything.”

  Lee smiled. It did. Syneda was Clayton’s wife and was quite outspoken. She was known for the outlandish. And everyone adored her, as they did Justin’s wife, Lorren, who had been Syneda’s best friend since childhood, and Dex’s wife, Caitlin. All three couples were known to give lavish parties. Visiting them had always been a highlight while growing up.

  “You know you didn’t have to come all the way to Dubai to see us,” Dex said, his lips forming a smile. “Houston was closer.”

  “Your reluctance to visit home has nothing to do with Mama Laverne’s prophecy, does it?” Clayton asked, his eyes showing amusement.

  Lee shook his head. He wished he could find the situation as amusing as Justin, Dex and Clayton did. “Did she find your wives?”

  “Nope,” Justin said. “I think she was taking a break during our generation.”

  “But she did give me grief at my wedding,” Clayton said, grinning.

  “Get the story right, Clayton,” Dex said, taking a sip of his drink. “You were the one causing grief by breaking every rule.”

  Lee chuckled. He’d been at the wedding that day but had been too young to know what had been going on behind the scenes. The one thing all of them had known was that Clayton was the rebel in the family, along with one of their other cousins, Felicia Laverne, who’d been named after Mama Laverne.

  “To answer your question, Clayton, I’m trying to come up with my game plan before coming home for Christmas. Nolan called a few nights ago and said he heard Mama Laverne planning my wedding to her friend’s granddaughter.”

  “Well, she did give you fair warning at Angelo and Peyton’s wedding,” Dex said, shaking his head. “What can you do other than avoid coming home?”

  Lee wished he could answer that question. He was saved from having to come up with something when he saw Lorren, Syneda and Caitlin heading for their table. “Here come your beautiful wives.”

  He watched the expressions on his three cousins’ faces when they stood, waiting for the ladies’ arrival. It was easy to see they adored the women they’d married. It would be nice if all marriages were like that. Lee had been exposed to enough solid marriages in his family to know they could work if both people were on the same page and in love. His parents’ marriage had lasted close to thirty-five years and long marriages ran in his family.

  He had an MBA. He understood business, not this emotion called love. What if there was no love? Could two people marry and become life partners?

  He brought his glass to his lips just as he was slammed with a whopper of an idea. “Why didn’t I think of that before?” he said aloud.

  “Think of what?” Syneda asked, approaching the table.

  “Nothing.” He was well aware that when it came to his great-grandmother, Syneda was one of the old gal’s partners in crime. Rumor had it that Syneda assisted Mama Laverne with ending Blade’s bachelor days.

  Syneda looked at him curiously before giving him a hug. “You sure it’s nothing?”

  He smiled at his cousin-in-law. “I’m positive.”

  He then gave Lorren and Caitlin hugs as well. He was still smiling when he sat back down.

  He’d finally come up with an idea to outsmart his great-grandmother.

  * * *

  Carly had never been this nervous in her life, but there was no denying that she was nervous now. And all because of one man. Lee Madaris.

  She played back everything in her mind, from their first kiss on the balcony to their second kiss in his suite. That kiss had thrown her into a world of confusion, conflicting emotions and primitive yearning. Before that night had ended she had agreed to have dinner with him.

  She glanced at the clock on her wall. That dinner, which he would prepare, was to commence in a little less than four hours. She hadn’t heard from Lee since the food was delivered. She could only assume nothing had changed and he had returned from Dubai today.

  Carly hadn’t been sure what to wear tonight. She had decided on a maxi dress, with spaghetti straps at the shoulders and a ribbed band at the waist. She liked the mix of mauve, beige and green, and her feet felt comfortable in beige-colored flats.

  When her cell phone rang, she picked it up off her nightstand and smiled. It was Aunt Ruthie.

  “Hello.”

  “You okay, Baby-Girl?”

  She smiled. That had always been her aunt’s nickname for her. “Aunt Ruthie, yes, I’m okay. What about you?”

  “Fine. Did my grocery shopping today and ran into Harriet. Her husband had a heart attack last week and he’s still in the hospital.”

  Unlike Carly, her aunt had tons of friends. “I don’t recall Ms. Harriet, but is her husband okay?”

  “Yes, he’ll be okay. But he’ll have to change his diet. And knowing Harriet, she’ll make sure he does. How are things going in Vegas?”

  Carly hadn’t expected her aunt to be crazy
about the idea of her moving to Las Vegas for work, but surprisingly Aunt Ruthie had been fine with it.

  “Things are going great. The restaurant has been busy.”

  “But busy is good, right?” her aunt asked.

  Carly chuckled. “Yes, busy is good.”

  A few minutes later, Carly ended her conversation with her aunt and warm emotions flowed through her. Her aunt had always been there for her, even when Carly’s mother hadn’t. Carly had given up on the hope that one day things would change. Her mother’s husband was a big-time businessman with an image to keep and a family to protect...from her. The man saw her as a threat to his and his family’s way of life, and until that changed, nothing else would.

  Carly glanced at her watch. Since she had time, and wanted to get her mind off her nerves, she pulled up the Miami Herald to see what was in the news.

  * * *

  Lee was glad to be back in Vegas. He smiled as he tossed his luggage on the bed. Usually, he did not feel that way after returning from a business trip. But this time was different. In less than three hours he would be dining with a beautiful woman. A woman he hadn’t been able to get off his mind even thousands of miles away.

  Visiting with his cousins and their wives had been enjoyable, but he’d been ready to leave them to their own devices. The Grand MD Dubai had a lot to offer and they would be there for seven more days to take it all in.

  Now Lee would shower and get dressed for tonight. He’d prepare dinner and make sure they had a pleasurable evening. Then he would unveil his plan, the one he had come up with to outsmart his grandmother. He grinned just thinking about it. Mama Laverne would think twice before planning another wedding for one of her great-grands.

  But to make it work he had to bring Carly on board with his idea. They barely knew each other. She didn’t love him, and he didn’t love her. He wasn’t even sure they had anything in common. However, what he did know was that he craved her. Her, and no other woman.

  He stripped off his clothes as he moved toward the bathroom. His dreams had gotten hotter than ever. Several times while in Dubai he’d taken cold showers. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d done that. He stepped into the shower now and a rush of warm water streamed over him. He was filled with excitement about the evening ahead.

  Damn, it had been a week and he’d missed Carly. He had no idea why a woman he’d seen only twice would make such an impact on him. In the beginning, he hadn’t liked her hold on him, but now she was the answer to his problem.

  If she accepted his marriage proposal, she would need to understand that their marriage would be based on respect and on passion, not on love. That was good enough for him and he hoped it would be good enough for her.

  Lee considered himself a pretty good businessman; he had done his homework. He had contacted Alex, who was married to Christy—Justin, Dex and Clayton’s baby sister. Alex was a top-notch private investigator and a former FBI agent. Lee had given him Carly’s name and that was all Alex had needed. Before leaving Dubai, Alex had electronically delivered a detailed report, which proved to be interesting reading on the eighteen-hour flight back to the States.

  Carly’s grandmother had died before she was born and her grandmother’s only child, Gail, had been raised by Gail’s aunt, Ruth Briggs, a widow. Gail got pregnant with Carly in her senior year of high school. Ruth agreed to take care of Carly while Gail went to college. There were a few recorded visits from Gail, but not many.

  Lee shook his head as he stepped out of the shower to dry off. From what he’d read, Gail met a man from a prominent family while at college and she married him, conveniently not telling him she’d had a child out of wedlock.

  According to the report, when Sidney Thrasher, a successful businessman in Los Angeles, discovered the truth, he didn’t divorce his wife but he had no problem ostracizing her child. In fact, he demanded that Gail do the same if she wanted to save her marriage. It seemed the Thrashers’ two kids knew Carly only as a distant cousin. Now Lee understood why she considered herself a loner.

  He couldn’t imagine a mother deserting her child that way, leaving her for someone else to raise and then turning her back on the child. That was unacceptable. It made him appreciate his family all the more. Even a great-grandmother who was determined to run his personal life.

  One thing was for certain: if she said yes to his proposal, she’d become part of his big family. Carly would have no reason to feel like a loner ever again. He had his game plan, which was more or less a business strategy. He would give her all the pluses and strike down any minuses she tried to present one by one.

  Beginning tonight, it was Operation Carly Briggs.

  * * *

  Carly heard a car door close and knew Lee had arrived. He was right on time. She drew in a deep breath as she looked out the window and watched him walk toward her front door. Was he taking stock of her yard, her neighborhood? He was probably wondering how she could afford to live here on her salary as a chef.

  It wasn’t that she lived in a huge house, but her community was a nice one. Some would even view it as one of the most prestigious residential areas in Las Vegas. He didn’t have to know that the house was really owned by Heather and Joel and had been purchased as investment property.

  Heather hadn’t wanted Carly to live alone in an apartment. So she had talked Joel into buying this nice house with a yard as an investment that they leased to Carly.

  Carly opened the door upon hearing his knock. Lee leaned in the doorway, bigger than life—definitely a man designed purely for feminine enjoyment.

  “Hi, Carly.”

  “Lee.” She tried not to take stock of how blatantly sexy he looked in jeans and a solid blue shirt with a jacket covering his broad shoulders. Not noticing, however, was a hard thing. And he smelled good, as if he’d just showered.

  “Won’t you come in,” she said, stepping aside.

  She watched him walk through the open doorway, thinking the snug jeans fit him too well. He was definitely an amazing specimen of a man.

  “I’m sure you want to start cooking, so I’ll take you to the kitchen,” she said.

  His gaze gripped hers like a tight fist. “You think that’s what I want to do right off the bat?”

  Her thoughts scattered. She could feel herself losing control. Her stomach stirred with lust. She’d never been this sexually drawn to a man before.

  “Yes, that’s what I would assume since you offered to prepare dinner.” She wished she wasn’t so fully aware of him.

  “If you’ll recall, the reason I offered to prepare dinner was because I wanted to see you again. I wanted to get to know you and for you to get to know me,” he said smoothly. “Since you’re so distrustful of my motives, I suggest that you get to know me first.”

  “Is that important to you?”

  Did he feel the same magnetic pull that she felt? It made breathing difficult and plagued her with the inability to break eye contact with him.

  “Yes. There’s a reason it’s important,” he said in a deep, husky voice.

  “Is there, Lee?”

  His gaze raked over her seductively before he surprised her by wrapping his arms around her waist.

  “We’ll talk about the reason later. You look nice today.”

  Heat streamed through her body the moment he touched her. “Thank you. You look nice as well. How was your trip?”

  “We’ll talk about my trip later too.”

  That was when he kissed her, taking her mouth with a hunger that she enjoyed to an extreme that couldn’t be good for her. But she figured she would worry about that later. Right now all she wanted was to indulge.

  Never had her mouth been devoured with such voracious need. Her mouth felt ravaged, raided with an urgency that had her moaning. He could stoke a fire within her so effortlessly. Was it because she’d gone without passion for so long? Passion with Nathaniel had never been like this, where her breasts ached and the area between her legs throbbed.


  He shifted, intentionally sliding his jean-clad leg against her. She felt his heat through the material of her dress. She felt something else as well. His erection strained against his zipper, pressing into her and creating a slow burn at the juncture of her thighs.

  Lee finally broke off the kiss and pressed his forehead against hers. Their breaths mingled. She closed her eyes briefly and when she reopened them he was staring at her. He kissed her lips again gently, before dropping his hands from her waist and taking a step back.

  Drawing in a deep breath, he licked his lips, as if savoring her taste. Smiling at her, he said, “I needed that.”

  Carly’s heart pounded deep in her chest. She hadn’t expected the kiss. It left her senses spinning. What she refused to admit was that she’d needed that as well.

  He glanced around. “Nice place.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Now,” he said softly, his smile widening. “You can take me to your kitchen.”

  * * *

  Sitting at her breakfast bar, Carly watched Lee’s ease and confidence as he moved around her kitchen. Once she’d told him where everything was located, she’d left him alone. She hadn’t wanted him to feel she was scrutinizing his every move, so she had gone outside in the backyard for a while.

  When she’d returned, he had invited her to keep him company. She had slid onto the barstool and he’d poured a glass of wine for her and one for himself before going back to the task of preparing dinner.

  She had yet to ask what was on the menu. From the groceries delivered yesterday, she had a pretty good idea of what they’d be eating. Lee had asked her what she liked and now he was preparing it. That was thoughtful of him. She had to admit that he’d been pretty thoughtful since the first night they’d met, which made her wonder...

  “If you have a question just ask me.”

  Was he a mind reader? “What makes you think I have a question?”

  He smiled. “The way your forehead bunches up. I noticed that about you.”

  Had he? “Well, there is something that has me puzzled.”