A Madaris Bride for Christmas

by Brenda Jackson

  “Then get a divorce. But personally I think it’s a risk worth taking. While we were talking, I looked him up. His bio is pretty darn impressive. Harvard grad with an MBA. And he ran his family’s charity, the Madaris Foundation, for a few years before resigning to partner with DeAngelo Di Meglio to build hotels.

  “The first one was in Dubai, and the one in Vegas is the second. He stated in an interview with Young Executives magazine that he wants a total of six. I know there’s a bad penny in every bunch, but still. You’ve known him for a few weeks now, and the two of you even dined together at your place. Have there been any red flags to make you think he’s not what he seems to be?”

  Carly shook her head. “No, but after Nathaniel, I don’t believe I’m the best judge of anyone’s character.”

  “Forget Nathaniel. He was a minister, for heaven’s sake. Most people would have felt they could trust him. And this is different. You thought you loved Nathaniel. You don’t have any illusions about this marriage to Lee.”

  Nathaniel had come across as a man who cared for everyone he met, a man with a belief in doing what was right.

  She had been a volunteer at an agency he ran to feed and clothe the needy. She’d given her time as one of the cooks in the kitchen and enjoyed doing so. They’d met when he came through one day to thank the volunteers, and he’d invited her to lunch. They began dating exclusively not long after that and continued to do so for a full year. He had been an associate minister, with dreams of one day pastoring his own megachurch with her by his side. Then he began breaking their dates or not showing up. One night, she and Heather were supposed to have been out of town visiting Heather’s family and Carly decided not to go. Instead, she had dropped by his apartment unexpectedly and found him there with another woman.

  Finding out he wasn’t who he’d claimed to be had hit her hard. She wasn’t sure she’d fully recovered. She didn’t love him anymore—she was sure of that—but his betrayal left her feeling that she couldn’t trust as easily.

  But it had been three years. Was she willing to let what Nathaniel had done keep her from seeking out relationships? Even those just based on passion?

  “There’s a lot I have to think about.”

  “And you should,” Heather said. “I just don’t want you to deny what could be a chance at real happiness. A chance to never be a loner again.”

  Carly nibbled her bottom lip, remembering Lee had said that very thing. He was smooth. He had known all the right things to say, as if the lovemaking hadn’t been enough. She still couldn’t believe all the things Lee had made her feel, all the passion he had pulled out of her. She’d had more orgasms in a single night than she’d had in all her years of having sex.

  “So what are your plans for today?” Heather asked her.

  “I’m going to L.A. to check out that restaurant I told you about. Lee wants to go with me.”

  “Um, sounds like he wants to spend quality time with you outside of the bedroom. That means he wants to get to know you more than just on a physical level. That’s good.”

  Carly wasn’t sure it was good or not, but she was willing to take things one day at a time.

  * * *

  Lee glanced up from his menu and met Carly’s gaze. Neither said anything and neither broke eye contact. Her eyes told him everything, even things she probably didn’t want him to know.

  Heat flowed between them, hot and heavy. If they weren’t in a public place...

  The hours-long drive from Vegas to L.A. had been bad enough, but it seemed the sexual magnetism between them was stronger than ever today. He was a goner the minute she opened the door wearing jeans and a cute yellow top. The jeans highlighted a slim waist that flared into curvy hips, while her blouse displayed her femininity and her firm, high breasts, which he enjoyed touching, licking, sucking, devouring...

  He shifted in his seat to relieve the pressure of his erection pressing against his zipper. They had decided to sit outside on the restaurant’s patio. The day was somewhat breezy, and windblown hair fell around her shoulders. Her glazed lips looked ready to be kissed. As always, she looked stunningly beautiful.

  Most couples, when they genuinely wanted to get to know each other, would take the sexual element out of their relationship so they could build one on something other than the physical. But in his and Carly’s case, the physical dominated everything. It was what their relationship would be built on.

  The dark pupils of the eyes staring back at him flickered with a need he read pretty well. In response, his gaze relayed a silent message of what to expect later. If she really were reading his thoughts, she knew he intended to make the other night appear insignificant in comparison. When she broke eye contact, grabbed her glass of iced tea and took a huge sip, he knew she had done a pretty good job of figuring things out.

  “It’s only going to get worse as time goes on,” Lee said, watching her wrap her mouth around the straw and recalling exactly how that same mouth had wrapped around his jutting erection a couple of nights ago.

  “There’s no way it can get worse.”

  The smile that touched his lips held intimate promise. “I have a feeling that it will, Carly. At this very minute I want you more than I did all those other times.”

  She nibbled her bottom lip again. “Surely, this can’t be normal.”

  A shiver surged through his veins as a memory took over his mind—of him fully embedded inside of her. “Evidently for us it is.”

  He still found it amazing that he could desire any woman this much. The longing was wickedly tantalizing. He couldn’t control his desires. His urges. His cravings. Never would he look at Clayton and Syneda as strange again. Now he understood.

  Deciding that conversation might help them temporarily forget their heated lust, he said, “Now tell me again why you wanted to come to this place.”

  A smile touched the corners of her mouth. “It’s called checking out your competition. You can’t convince me you didn’t do it before building your hotels.”

  He had. He had spent the night in more hotels than he cared to count while documenting what he liked and what he didn’t like about each one. “Yes. So that’s what you’re doing?”

  “Basically. Fannie’s reputation has grown from a little mom-and-pop café to a restaurant with a stellar reputation. I understand you can’t come to L.A. without eating at Fannie’s for at least one meal. And their desserts are rumored to be to die for.”

  He shrugged. “I can’t imagine them being better than yours.”

  Her smile widened and his groin jolted from the impact. He’d been telling the truth, but now he planned to give her plenty more compliments just to see that smile.

  “Thanks, Lee. You say some of the nicest things. Sometimes I wonder...”

  “You wonder what, Carly?”

  “Are you too good to be true?”

  Her words could have only one meaning. She still didn’t fully trust him or trust herself with him. “What if I told you I was wondering the same thing about you?”

  Surprise flickered across her face. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

  “Why would I kid you? A serious involvement with a woman was the last thing I was looking for when I met you. I’m an extremely busy man trying to run two hotels and pushing hard to open a third. Now not only have I met a woman I desire, but one who I also enjoy being with, talking to and whose morals I admire.”

  “What do you think you know about my morals?”

  He chuckled. “It’s obvious you’re not a gold digger. You’re not turned off by hard work. And you don’t mind giving to others. I know a couple of times a week you help out in the kitchens of various homeless shelters in Vegas, and I understand from Chef Blanchard that it was your idea to donate the hotel’s leftover food to feed the needy.”

  Lee knew it had gone even further than that. When she’d lived in Miami she and a few others had been instrumental in establishing a clearinghouse whose purpose was to connect restaurants and cater
ers with the various organizations that could distribute leftover food to those who needed it. And he also knew she’d met Nathaniel Knox through her charity work.

  She set her chin in a defiant line. “I didn’t do it for recognition or for show.”

  “I didn’t say you did. In fact, I believed you didn’t. The more I find out about you, the more I like you. And I hope the feeling is mutual.”

  Carly knew she would be lying if she said it wasn’t. She enjoyed being here with him. When she’d opened the door for him earlier that day she’d been speechless. She had seen him in jeans, but there was something about seeing him in a pair with a white shirt, a brass belt buckle, a Stetson on his head and boots on his feet. The words tall, dark and handsome fit perfectly. You could take the man out of Texas but you couldn’t take Texas out of the man.

  Even in a crowded restaurant his presence was compelling. When they’d walked in, women had strained to stare at him. Carly had seen glimpses of envy in some of their eyes. She’d wondered if he was aware of the effect he had on women. He certainly knew what effect he had on her.

  Because the place was packed for lunch the waiter had suggested they sit on the patio. It was a nice day with beautiful October weather. From where they were sitting, she could see the Hollywood sign, but even that landmark didn’t hold a light to Lee Madaris.

  When their gazes had locked, too potent with desire to break away, she had felt totally at his mercy. She would not have deprived him of anything he’d asked for. Oh, God. How could any one man have such an impact on any woman’s senses?

  “Tell me about your aunt.”

  His request broke into her thoughts, making her smile. “Aunt Ruthie is my heart. She wanted me when no one else did.”

  He cast an unfathomable look at her. Immediately, she wished she hadn’t said what she had. She wasn’t trying to solicit pity. “I shouldn’t have said that. Sorry.”

  “Why are you apologizing for the way you feel about something? You have nothing to be sorry for.”

  She knew he was right, so she continued. “My mom had me when she was a senior in high school. My aunt didn’t want her to toss away her dream of going to college, so my aunt kept me while Mom...I mean Gail...was away at school, and during the summers when she came home, I was supposed to be her responsibility.”

  She didn’t say anything for a minute. “I understand things worked out fine that first year, but the second year Gail made excuses about why she couldn’t come home. She said she’d gotten a job over the summer but she never sent home any money. She did come home for Christmas, but only for a day. And then she stopped coming at all. She didn’t even call to see how I was doing.”

  Carly took a sip of her water, wondering why she was telling him this, stuff she’d told only Heather.

  “When did you see her again?” Lee asked softly.

  She could remember that day distinctively. “I was five and she came home to ask Aunt Ruthie, to beg her actually, not to come to Boston for her college graduation. She explained that she had met someone and it was serious and that she didn’t want him to know about me. The guy was from a well-off family and he could give her things she’d never had. I remember Gail and Aunt Ruthie arguing, and I felt sad that it was about me. My own mother was saying she didn’t want me. Even at five, I understood.”

  Lee reached out and she felt his warm hand cover hers. “Then I truly hope that at twenty-eight you understand that I do want you, Carly. I want to marry you, make a beautiful home for us and give you children who will want you as well.”

  Carly broke eye contact with him; she had to look away or else he would see the longing and vulnerability in her gaze. What he was offering was something she had always wanted. A sense of belonging. It was a horrible feeling not to be wanted.

  He felt this way now because they were intensely attracted to each other. But what if...?

  She looked back at him to find him still watching her. “What if it stops, Lee?” she asked, speaking her doubts aloud. “What if the passion fizzles or goes away? What if—”

  “It won’t. I feel strongly about that.”

  “But what if it does?” she countered.

  “Then we’ll deal with it.”

  She shook her head, not satisfied with his answer. “How would you deal with no longer wanting me? Will you suggest taking a lover like your friend? Will you betray me? Ask for a divorce to marry someone else who’ll have more passion than I do?”

  She watched his brows draw together in an angry frown. His hand tightened firmly on hers. “You’re getting worked up over things that won’t happen. You’re going to have to trust me.”

  She drew in a deep breath. There was that word again. Trust. More than once he’d asked her to trust him and, God help her, more than anything she wanted to.

  Carly decided to let the subject go when the waiter returned with their food.

  * * *

  “At last. I finally met a woman who’s not afraid to ride on a roller coaster,” Lee said, laughing, taking Carly’s hand in his as they walked along the Santa Monica Pier. “In fact, I’m beginning to wonder about you.”

  Carly chuckled. “Just because I don’t mind taking a risk doesn’t make me strange.”

  He released her hand and placed his arm around her shoulders. He brought her closer to his side as they walked toward his parked car. Today had truly been special. After leaving Fannie’s they’d driven around L.A. and taken in the sights. This was her first visit to L.A. since moving to Vegas and he’d wanted her to see as much as she could.

  He’d promised they could plan another day to drive up to Malibu. A Madaris family friend—movie actor and director Sterling Hamilton—and his wife, Colby, lived there with their two kids. Sterling was one of his uncle Jake’s closest friends and the one credited with bringing Jake and Diamond together.

  “There’s too much to see and do here,” Carly said when he opened the car door for her.

  “Like I said, we’ll be back.” And he meant it. If nothing else, today had shown him that he needed to get out of the hotel for fun and relaxation every once in a while, especially when it meant spending time with such a pretty woman.

  “Did you enjoy brunch at Fannie’s? You didn’t say?”

  He smiled at Carly when he slid into his seat. “Didn’t I? If I didn’t it’s because I was more into you than I was into my meal.”

  She laughed. “You, Lee Madaris, have more lines than any man I know.”

  He gave her an innocent look. “I’m serious. But since you ask, the food was good and the dessert was delicious. But I said it once and I’ll say it again—it wasn’t as good as yours. I’m convinced the Grand MD employs the best pastry chef anywhere. We’re lucky to have you. Why did you decide to leave Miami? South Beach is a beautiful place.”

  Carly hesitated, wondering if she should tell him everything. She hadn’t mentioned that for a long time she’d been convinced she’d heard a murder. Deciding she didn’t want him to think she was someone who often gave in to weird dreams, she said, “The pay at the Grand MD was better. Besides, my best friend and roommate, the one who talked me into moving from Connecticut to Miami with her, got married and moved to Spain. I decided that I wanted a new beginning somewhere else as well.”

  Lee started the car and pulled out of the parking space. “Tell me about your life after high school.”

  She had been looking out the window at all the people enjoying the pier and the beautiful blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, but now she swung her head around to look at him. “Why? Wasn’t your investigator’s report detailed enough?”

  It still bothered her that he’d done that. Now he knew more about her than she did about him. But he had apologized, so she would let it go for now. However, she intended to ask him a lot of questions later.

  “I want to hear you tell me” was his reply.

  She didn’t say anything for a moment. “My aunt was a professional cook and I enjoyed working with her in the kitchen.
I knew I wanted to be a cook as well. Since desserts were my favorite, I wanted to be the person to prepare the final dish of the evening, the dish everyone would remember, the one that would tantalize their taste buds.”

  She paused. “I attended college in Birmingham and lived with Heather in the dorm. I won a local cooking contest and the prize was a chance to attend one of the top cooking schools in Paris for two years. I wasn’t going to go but Aunt Ruthie convinced me that I should. In the end, I’m glad I went. It was such a rewarding experience. And it helped me get a spot at a cooking school in Boston and then a good job at a restaurant in Connecticut after that.”

  “And that’s where you met Knox?”

  “Yes.” She had told him enough about herself; it was his turn. “Now tell me about you.”

  He talked and she listened. He’d already told her about his siblings, parents and great-grandmother, but he elaborated about the close relationships he had with all of his cousins, four in particular. He told her about his three older cousins, Justin, Dex and Clayton, and what great role models they’d been. He talked about his uncle Jake and the Whispering Pines Ranch and how he’d spent his summers there.

  Carly could see that the Madaris family was a big one and a very close-knit one as well. She was beginning to feel a little uneasy about coming into a family such as his.

  “Your great-grandmother?”

  Lee glanced over at her as he smoothly moved his sports car down the highway as they headed back to Vegas. “What about her?”

  “You said she has someone already picked out for you to marry. How will she feel about you marrying me instead?”

  He chuckled. “It doesn’t matter to her who I marry as long as the deed is done. So please don’t think she’ll be upset about our marriage. Mama Laverne intends to marry off all of us before, as she puts it, she closes her eyes and takes her last breath. We’ve been hearing that for over twenty years now. The old gal isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. She has more than ten other great-grands to help with the marriage plunge and my cousin Nolan is next. Already he’s running scared.”