A Madaris Bride for Christmas Read online

  First of all, Carly thought, just because his touch made her tremble was no guarantee she would satisfy him in the bedroom. Nathaniel would certainly attest to that. So Lee’s belief that she was full of passion was unfounded.

  And second... She narrowed her gaze at him. “What makes you think that passion is all I want? For all you know, I might want a marriage based on love. What makes you think I’ll be willing to settle for less?”

  Lee didn’t say anything for a minute. “I’m not a bad catch, Carly. As my wife, you will have any and everything you want. I’ll even throw in perks...like that piece of property you’ve been eyeing since moving here.”

  She looked at him with surprise. “How do you know about that land, Lee?” She hadn’t told anyone but Heather, and he didn’t know her best friend.

  “That’s not important. What is important is that whatever you want to put on that land, I will make sure it happens. If you want your own restaurant there, the same company that built the hotel will build it. The deed to the land and the building would be yours. Free and clear. Then you’ll finally have something to call your own.”

  She stared at him as she dissected each and every word he’d spoken. “How do you know that I don’t already have something to call my own?”

  He returned her stare. “There’s a lot about you that I know. I had you vetted.”

  Carly was taken aback. “Excuse me?”

  “I hired a private investigator, the best in the business, to give me a report on you.”

  Her eyes widened, not believing what she was hearing. “You had me investigated?”

  “Of course. When I came up with this plan, I knew there was passion between us, but I needed to make sure there weren’t issues in your past that I couldn’t handle. Now I know why you’re hung up on that loner thing. What I don’t know is why you’re not with anyone and what happened between you and that minister, Nathaniel Knox. But that’s unimportant. You can tell me about that when you’re ready.”

  Carly had heard enough. She stood, fury nearly choking her. “You should leave now.”

  He stood as well, and she could tell by his expression he was surprised by her anger. “Leave?”

  “Yes. Leave. How dare you invade my privacy that way?” she said in breathless rage. “How dare you!”

  “Carly, I’m sorry. I thought—”

  “I don’t care what you thought,” she said, fighting back tears. “Leave and lock the door behind you.”

  Then, without saying anything else, she turned and walked quickly up the stairs.

  * * *

  After hearing Carly’s bedroom door slam shut, Lee dropped back down in the chair.

  Damn. What had he done?

  He hadn’t meant to hurt her. He believed honesty was the best policy, in business and in his personal life. She had a right to know he’d ordered an investigative report on her.

  He wanted to go upstairs and talk to her, apologize again for his insensitivity, but she didn’t want to hear anything he had to say.

  In fact, she had asked him to leave.

  He stood and reached for his jacket, but when he glanced across the breakfast bar into the kitchen and remembered the dishes still sitting on her dining room table, he knew he couldn’t leave her place in such a mess. Tossing his jacket back across the chair, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

  * * *

  Carly had a good cry and then berated herself for allowing any man to drive her to tears again.

  Nathaniel, even though she had expected compassion from him because of his profession, had ridiculed her for her failure to be the sensuous woman he wanted her to be, and now Lee had reminded her of all the things she didn’t have. So what if she didn’t own anything other than her car, had bills to pay and couldn’t afford the land for her dream restaurant? He had intended to use her situation to make her do what he wanted her to do...which was to marry him just to prove a point to his great-grandmother.

  She was glad she’d found out what he was about before she let things go too far. If she’d known kissing a man would cause all this grief she would have kept her lips to herself.

  Moments later, Carly walked into the kitchen ready to clean, and gawked. It was spotless. After she’d told Lee to leave he had hung around and cleaned up? Why?

  She refused to soften. It had been a considerate gesture on his part, but she was too hurt and angry to be grateful for it.

  That was when she saw the sheet of paper on the breakfast bar.

  Carly

  I am deeply sorry and hope you forgive me for my lack of sensitivity. I will make it up to you, I promise.

  Lee

  She reread the note a couple of times before crumpling it up and tossing it in the trash. She didn’t want him to make anything up to her. She just wanted to be left alone.

  * * *

  “The big man called. He wants to know what’s going on with the woman who called the tip line the night you got rid of Harrison,” Bracey said, staring hard at Nash.

  Nash glared back. Bracey had earned the big man’s confidence, something that rattled Nash like hell. He didn’t give a damn that Bracey had worked with Chicago street gangs and was the liaison between the gangs and the cartel. Anytime he looked Bracey in the eye he saw greed and power. If the big man wasn’t careful, Bracey would try to take over. Nash had gotten bad vibes from the man from the first.

  “I told you I would handle it, so get off my back,” Nash said, his voice sounding deep and raspy to his own ears. “There was no one else in the alley that night.”

  “But someone made that call.”

  “I’m aware of that, but the tapes of the calls to the tip line that night are missing.”

  “Missing?”

  “Yes.”

  “How is that possible?”

  “I don’t know, Bracey. Maybe there’s another mole.”

  Nash watched the deep frown form on Bracey’s features. “There’s not another mole.”

  Nash smiled. “You sure?”

  Bracey’s gaze darkened. “If there is, I’d be the first to know.”

  “You didn’t know about Harrison,” Nash countered.

  Bracey got in Nash’s face. “Only because I never came in contact with Harrison. He was one of yours.”

  Nash didn’t like being reminded of that. “Tell the big man not to worry. I’ve got everything under control.”

  He then left the room, slamming the door behind him.

  Chapter 6

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Madaris. I’m glad you’re joining us tonight.”

  “Thanks, Richard,” he said to the man who managed Peyton’s Place. “I believe my personal assistant spoke with you earlier.”

  “Yes, sir. Your table is arranged just as you requested.”

  “Wonderful.”

  Lee followed the man to his table in one of the secluded back rooms used exclusively for private dinners. When he confronted Carly later he wanted privacy.

  Almost two weeks had passed since he’d prepared dinner for her. Even after his oral and written apologies, she refused to take his calls. He’d even sent flowers to her home and still no luck. More than once he’d thought about showing up on her doorstep, but he’d decided to wait it out.

  Now he couldn’t wait any longer—he had to see her. He thought about Carly when he woke up in the morning and when he went to bed at night. No woman had ever taken over his mind like she had. Maybe pursuing her was a mistake, but it was a mistake he had to make.

  Normally, he didn’t do obsession when it came to women but he had allowed Carly to interfere with every aspect of his life. More than once he had thought about ditching the marriage idea or finding someone more amenable to the plan. But he had quickly dismissed both options.

  He wanted Carly.

  “Your waiter will be here momentarily, sir. Please enjoy your meal.”

  “Thank you. I’m sure that I will.”

  It wasn’t long after Richard had left that a wa
iter appeared. “Would you like a glass of wine tonight, sir?”

  Lee shook his head. “No, just coffee. And please bring me your dessert menu.”

  The young man nodded and quickly left. Lee knew that Carly was working tonight because he had checked her schedule earlier that day. If Chef Blanchard found the inquiry strange, he hadn’t let on. Drastic times called for drastic measures and he needed Carly to forgive him. For her not to do so was simply unacceptable.

  The waiter returned with his coffee and the menu and left again. Lee scanned the list of delectable desserts, all of which he knew had been prepared by Carly. He eyed one item closely and when the waiter returned he said, “I think I’ll try some of your Key Lime Appacula.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  As he watched the waiter leave, closing the door behind him, Lee thought about what he would say to Carly. He’d made a seriously dumb-ass blunder that night and now he needed to fix it.

  “Here you are, sir.” The waiter placed the dessert in front of him. “I hope you enjoy it.”

  “Thank you. I’m sure I will.”

  He did. The moment he slid the scrumptious-looking pie into his mouth he had to close his eyes in pleasure. It was so delicious his taste buds tingled. This would definitely mean more time at the gym for him this week, but seeing Carly was worth it.

  Before he could finish his coffee, the server had poured him another cup. “That was delicious,” Lee said when the waiter removed his plate. “I must commend the chef.”

  The waiter smiled. “Certainly, Mr. Madaris. I’ll let Chef Blanchard know that—”

  “No. Not Chef Blanchard. I want to speak directly to your pastry chef. I believe it’s Chef Briggs.”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll let her know.” The man quickly walked off and pulled the door closed behind him.

  Lee’s chest tightened. Glancing at his watch, he wondered how long it would take Carly to come to him.

  And if she had a mind not to come, then he had no reservations about going into that kitchen and getting her.

  * * *

  Carly had just finished frosting a cake when Mickey approached her. “You have another compliment on the Key Lime Appacula.”

  She smiled. “That’s good to hear.”

  “And he wants to tell you personally how much he liked it.”

  Carly’s stomach tightened into knots. She gripped the spatula firmer. “He?”

  “Yes, the big man himself, Mr. Madaris.”

  Carly placed her spatula aside. She knew Lee’s summons had nothing to do with her pie. She had seen the missed calls; she had gotten the flowers. She had ignored his calls and had taken the ridiculously large floral arrangement to a nursing home she passed every day on her way to work. Hopefully someone there would appreciate them more than she did.

  “You can tell Mr. Madaris I’m busy.”

  Mickey looked at her as if she’d grown a second head. “Are you crazy? You don’t tell the owner of the hotel where you work that you’re too busy to accept a compliment.”

  Carly drew in a deep breath. No, you didn’t. But if she saw him and told him what she really thought about him, she would lose her job anyway.

  “Relax, I was just joking,” she said, smiling, as she removed her apron. The last thing she wanted was for any of her coworkers to become suspicious about her relationship with Lee.

  “He’s in one of the private dining rooms. The one with the double doors.”

  Carly nodded as she left the kitchen. Lee was smart to keep their conversation private.

  The restaurant was crowded, but no one paid attention to her as she made her way toward the back. Without bothering to knock, she opened the door, went inside and closed the door behind her. He was not sitting at the table. Instead, he stood with his back braced against the wall of windows at the back of the room.

  The moment her gaze snagged his, her anger turned into awareness. Total. Absolute. Complete.

  And what frustrated her even more was that she saw the same degree of awareness reflected in the dark depths of his eyes as well.

  Carly struggled not to respond to him and fought for control over the flare of sensual hunger in her stomach. They stood, staring at each other. She wanted to break eye contact with him but discovered she couldn’t.

  She’d known when she ignored his calls that talking to him, seeing him would make her lose her ability to think logically. That was just what she’d been trying to avoid, so she turned to leave.

  “Don’t go, Carly. Please. Let’s talk.”

  Talk? How could they talk when he could emit sexual vibes so easily? She turned back around to face him.

  “Why are you doing this to me?” she asked softly, backing up against the closed door.

  “Why are you doing this to me?” he countered, taking a couple of steps forward.

  She gasped when he stepped into the light. He was aroused. Seeing his reaction to her made the juncture of her legs throb. This was crazy.

  “I’m sorry I came across as insensitive the other night, Carly. I honestly am. I handled things the wrong way, and I apologize.”

  He took another step forward. “But I won’t apologize for acknowledging the attraction between us. I want you and if you’re honest with yourself you will admit to wanting me as well.”

  Yes, she wanted him. She would acknowledge it to herself, but never to him. She couldn’t. The last man she’d opened up to had betrayed her. Nathaniel had not been who she thought he was, and he’d had the gall to smile when he told her she’d never known the real him. So now she couldn’t help but wonder—who was the real Lee Madaris?

  When he moved a step closer she put out her hand. “Stop. Don’t you dare come near me.”

  “Why? What are you afraid of, Carly? I won’t hurt you.”

  She opened her mouth to tell him that he had already hurt her. She felt exposed, her soul bared and her inner secrets revealed. He knew too much about her. Things she hadn’t even told Nathaniel. The only other person who knew the full story of her life was Heather. She’d taken a chance with her college roommate, but only after Heather had come back to the dorm and found Carly crying after Sidney Thrasher’s visit.

  Her mother’s husband had told Carly she had no place in the lives of his wife and children. It didn’t matter that his wife was Carly’s mother. He had instructed his wife to forget Carly was ever born.

  Carly figured that wouldn’t be hard to do since Gail Briggs Thrasher had forgotten years ago. But hearing him say the words had hurt, ripping her heart to pieces. It had been Heather’s understanding and friendship that had pulled her through. To this day Aunt Ruthie still didn’t know about Mr. Thrasher’s visit. Knowing would have hurt her aunt more than it had hurt Carly.

  And now Lee knew.

  “Trust me not to hurt you the way others have.”

  She blinked. Lee was now standing directly in front of her. When had he moved?

  He reached his hand out to her. She nibbled on her bottom lip. Why wasn’t she telling him just what he could do with that trust? Why wasn’t she storming out of the room? Why was she allowing herself to be hypnotized by his eyes?

  It would be easy to get him to stop bothering her. All she had to do was threaten him with a sexual-harassment lawsuit. That would end his fascination.

  But would it end hers?

  All the anger she’d felt over the past few days hadn’t stopped her from thinking about him, remembering every kiss they’d shared and the heat they generated. That heat was a strange phenomenon to her. Regardless of what he thought, she was not a passionate person.

  Then what was she? Even she couldn’t deny there was something going on between them, something so charged, so hot that she was convinced she could hear fire crackling even now. There had to be a reason she responded to him this way and to no one else.

  “Who are you?” she whispered, her mind swirling in confusion.

  If he found her question strange, his expression didn’t show it. “I am Lee Carl
os Madaris III. The man who wants you with a passion I feel in every cell of my body.”

  Carly fought to control the turbulent emotions warring inside of her. She was so conflicted she couldn’t speak.

  But a part of her didn’t want to speak; she wanted to feel. And nobody had ever made her feel like Lee.

  Her feet moved one step and then, suddenly, he covered the rest of the distance and pulled her into his arms.

  * * *

  Using his mouth, Lee drank in everything that was Carly in a kiss so explosive he thought he felt the room shake. Never had a kiss been so overwhelming; the impact of this one sent sexual excitement through his entire body. His desire was razor-sharp, and her moans made the desire even stronger.

  He pressed her back against the door and lifted her by the hips. Her legs wrapped around his waist. His arousal pressed hard into her, making him hate the material of their clothes that served as barriers to naked skin. He was tempted to take her here and now.

  He knew he couldn’t, so he released her mouth, eased her back down on her feet and stepped away. This was not the place. He licked his tongue across her lips as they both tried to bring their breathing under control. Then he slid his key card into her hand.

  “Use this to come up to my suite when you get off later.”

  She looked down at what he’d given her and shook her head. “I can’t.”

  “You can,” he said with a desperation he should have despised. But he didn’t. His mind hadn’t been the same since the night he’d seen her from the terrace.

  He reached down and picked up the toque that had fallen and tenderly placed it on her head as he held her gaze. “Please come to me later.”

  “I have to go.” She opened the door and left.

  Lee drew in a deep breath as a tiny glow of hope blazed to life inside of him. She hadn’t given the key card back to him.

  * * *

  “Good night, Carly. Enjoy your days off.”

  “Good night, Jodie. I will.”

  Carly drew in a deep breath as she moved toward the elevator bank. When she’d returned to the kitchen after her interlude with Lee, no one seemed to have noticed how long she’d been gone. They must have assumed she’d been on break.