CUPID'S BOW (MADARIS SERIES Book 2)

by Brenda Jackson

  Kyle’s thoughts slumped into morose musings. “For heaven’s sake, Mason, it’s the twenty-first century. Arranged marriages played out years ago. Granddad’s request is totally insane. Besides, what if she can’t conceive? What if we aren’t compatible?”

  “Then you’ll definitely encounter a problem your grandfather may not have taken under consideration,” he responded mildly. “Let’s just hope that’s not the case. You have six months to find out.”

  Kyle shook his head in disbelief. His grandfather had it all figured out. First, he had to make sure there would be a wedding. Then to make sure it wasn’t a marriage in name only just to satisfy the conditions of the will, he had further dictated that a child be conceived, which meant that the two of them would have to become intimate. Kyle rubbed his temple with his fingers as the enormity of the situation sank in. Being forced to admit he’d been outsmarted by the old man didn’t sit too well with him.

  “If I remember correctly, the Stafford estate was sold a few years ago. Do you have the address where Kimara Stafford is living now?”

  Mason nodded as he reached into his desk drawer and took out a slip of paper. He handed it to Kyle. “She shares a house in Stone Mountain with the young woman who’s her business partner.”

  Kyle gave Mason a hard, cold glare. “Don’t look so smug. I still have no intention of marrying Kimara Stafford. Since she’s as opposed to the idea of the marriage as I am, hopefully, together the two of us can come up with something. And I can guarantee you, it won’t be a baby.”

  He turned and walked out of the office.

  Kyle spotted the street sign indicating Mackenzie Lane. It was located just off Broderick Road in an upscale neighborhood on the outskirts of Atlanta. It didn’t take long for him to find the house sitting back off the road on a meticulously well-tended lawn. Oak and magnolia trees, whose tops swayed with the whisper of a warm breeze, flanked the stylish brick structure.

  He parked his Lexus in the driveway, hesitating briefly before walking up the winding path to the front door. After ringing the doorbell several times with no response, he listened over the back-drop of various noises for a sign that someone was home. He was just about to turn to leave, when his ears picked up an upbeat tune playing from a distance in the backyard. Following brick steps, he walked around to the back of the house.

  The pungent smell of chlorine teased his nostrils and led him to an area surrounded by a privacy fence. The gate was slightly ajar, and without hesitating he opened it and went into the backyard. What he saw left him thunderstruck. A woman, dressed in skimpy shorts and an even skimpier bandeau top, was on the patio, moving her body furiously to the rock music blaring out of a nearby CD player.

  Kyle stood hidden from her view in total awe at the sight of the curvaceous body whose chestnut-brown hair was piled atop her head in a ragged knot with wayward strands catching the midday breeze. His gaze took her in from head to toe. She had a long, graceful neck that connected to a sleek back. That back merged with the gentle curve of a sexy behind. Her bare hips flared into long, straight thighs which were joined to a gorgeous pair of legs.

  Kyle couldn’t stop the rapid sensations of sexual hunger tearing through him as he watched her body bend, stretch, and strain to the music. He was suddenly at a loss at the intensity of his attraction to her. In a daze he continued watching her, trying desperately not to make a sound and dismissing the thought that at the moment, he was no better than a peeping Tom. The back of her head was to him, but he had a hunch he wouldn’t be disappointed with the face he couldn’t see.

  He was suddenly jolted senseless when she dropped her body forward to the ground, and with palms flat on the floor began walking on her hands, coming up on her toes. He almost swallowed his tongue when he got a peek at her cocoa-colored face, and thinking he’d been absolutely correct about her looks. She was gorgeous with a delectable mouth that was full and inviting; high cheekbones; a delicate feminine chin; and thick, well-shaped brows. His entire body burst into flames of desire. The more he watched her, the more he wanted to touch her to see if she was real or a figment of his imagination. Without realizing he was doing so, he began moving toward her, coming to a stop directly behind her.

  The woman whose rump was in the air as she began her cool down caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. A scream tore from her throat and she jumped to her feet, reacting in fear. Her sudden move made Kyle lose his balance and tumble over into the pool.

  Kimara Stafford’s eyes widened in shock at the sight of the drenched man in her pool. She was about to race off and barricade herself in the house, when she recognized him. She would know Kyle Garwood anywhere. The years had been kind to him. Way too kind.

  He was still as handsome as sin.

  Even saturated with pool water he looked gorgeous. There was an inherent strength in his classically dark, handsome good looks, and she detested the fact that his features held a certain sensuality that was downright disturbing.

  “How dare you sneak up on me!” she stormed. “Just who do you think you are, coming up behind me like that?”

  Kyle pulled himself up over the edge of the pool and stood soaked to the bone in front of the seemingly hysterical woman. Her eyes, he mused, under normal circumstances, would be a dark brown. However, at the moment they were blazing with sparks of fire in them. “For Pete’s sake, calm down! I can explain.”

  His eyes squeezed shut momentarily against the sting from the chlorine water. “I’m Kyle Garwood, and I was looking for your roommate, Kimara Stafford.”

  Kimara’s lashes fluttered and rose in surprise. He thought she was Nicky? Did he not recognize her? Probably not. Her appearance had definitely changed over the years. “You’re looking for Kimara? Do you make it a habit to sneak up on people?” she snapped.

  Kyle willed his temper to stay in check. The woman was getting downright testy, and for no reason at all. “Look, lady, I didn’t actually sneak up on you. I was about to make my presence known before you attacked me. As far as I’m concerned, you should be thankful I’m not a criminal with you bouncing around dressed like that with your gate unlocked.”

  “This is my backyard and it’s private property. And I wasn’t bouncing around. I was doing my aerobics. And furthermore, there’s nothing wrong with the way I’m dressed.”

  Kyle frowned, wondering what was happening to him. Beautiful women were not uncommon to him. However, this one had him spellbound. His anger ignited at the thought that she hadn’t had enough sense to be more cautious. What if another man had come upon her the way he had? Suddenly his anger became a shadow beneath the passion he felt snaking through his body.

  He could not remember ever having been so affected by a woman. The intensity of it pulled at his insides. Her body was all feminine, all enticing, and all womanly. It was a body that belonged to a woman ripe for love of the most fulfilling kind. In that instance he knew two things; making love to her would be all-consuming, all-fiery, and hot; and he wanted her like he had never wanted another woman before in his life. The thought that any woman could get under his skin like she was doing didn’t sit well with him at all. In defiance of these strange feelings, he lashed out at her.

  “If anything, I hope I scared some sense into you. Maybe next time you’ll be more careful.”

  Kimara’s anger escalated. She wanted him gone and off her property. “What do you want with Kimara?” she snapped.

  Kyle glared at her. “It’s personal.”

  She placed her hands on her hips. “Too bad. She’s not up to seeing anyone, so please leave.”

  “And who made you her spokeswoman? I came here to see Kimara, and I don’t plan on leaving here until I do. Do you hear me?” Kyle said, raising his voice a little too loud for Kimara’s taste.

  “Yes, I can hear you, Mr. Garwood. So can everyone else in this neighborhood,” she yelled back.

  “Hey! What’s going on? What’s all the screaming about, and whose gorgeous car is that in the drivewa
y?”

  The two people turned around at the sound of the feminine voice. Kyle stared at the unusually tall, attractive woman who came from inside the house to join them. “I forgot my proposal for the Joyners’ daughter’s wedding and came back for it. It’s a good thing I did. Sounds like World War Three out here,” she said. “Is anything wrong, Kim?”

  “Kim?” The name escaped Kyle’s lips with a mixture of astonishment, disbelief, and surprise. He stood with his mouth gaped open in utter shock. A few seconds later he groaned and sucked in his breath as his eyes raked over the woman standing in front of him. There had to be some mistake. She looked nothing like the Kimara Stafford he remembered. “Chubs?”

  “Don’t call me that!” Kimara flared. “You’ve done enough damage for one day, so I suggest you leave. And do me a favor and don’t come back, because we have nothing to say to each other.” With those icy words, a fuming Kimara stormed into the house slamming the door behind her.

  The other woman cleared her throat as she approached the wet man. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Nicole Britt, Kimara’s roommate. But I prefer to be called Nicky. I already know who you are, Mr. Garwood. I’ve seen your picture several times in magazines and newspapers.”

  Kyle took the hand being offered to him in friendship as he gazed into tawny brown eyes that highlighted her almond-colored features. The woman who wore flat shoes stood equal to his six-foot-two- inch frame. “It’s nice meeting you, Nicky, and please call me Kyle.”

  A smile touched Nicky’s lips. “If you’ll excuse me for saying so, Kyle, it seems like you’ve made quite a splash around here.”

  Kyle took his gaze off the view outside the window and focused it on Mason Long. There was a purposeful intent in his eyes. “Are you sure she’s going to show up?”

  Mason’s brows drew together in a frown. “My secretary contacted Miss Stafford earlier today and she agreed to meet with me.” He leaned back in his chair. “Would you mind telling me what this is about, Kyle?”

  Kyle rose from his seat and leaned casually against the closed door. He shrugged dismissively. “There’s nothing to tell other than I’ve decided marriage may not be such a bad idea after all.”

  Mason sat there, blank-faced, amazed and very confused. “Just a couple of days ago you were totally against the idea. In fact, you said that you had no intention of marrying Kimara Stafford. What made you change your mind?”

  Kyle stared at the man for a moment, his lips twitching at his obvious perplexity. He decided not to tell him it hadn’t been that difficult to realize the advantages in marrying Kimara Stafford if he had to marry anyone. She wouldn’t be after his money, since she had plenty of her own; she was well-bred and socially acceptable; marrying her would guarantee him complete control of Garwood Industries; and the idea of sharing a bed with her held a certain appeal. There was no way he would disclose those reasons to Mason.

  “Let’s just say I’ve had a change of heart. My grandfather was right. It’s about time I settled down and produced some little Garwoods.”

  Mason looked at Kyle suspiciously, not easily fooled by his congenial manner and blithe acceptance of the situation. He had worked with Kyle’s grandfather long enough to know that when the Garwoods were faced with something that couldn’t be avoided, they had the uncanny ability to turn it to their advantage. It would be interesting to see what the younger man’s game plan was.

  He didn’t have time to dwell on the thought any further, because at that precise moment his secretary’s voice came across the intercom on his desk. “Mr. Long, Miss Stafford is here.”

  “Please send her in, Mrs. Franklin.” Mason stood and straightened his tie. Kyle, he noticed, had moved away from the door and stood across the room near the window.

  The door opened and Kimara Stafford walked in. As far as Kyle was concerned, every other object in the room faded to oblivion the moment she entered. Her presence demanded his complete attention. She’s everything dreams are made of, he thought, feasting his eyes on the woman who had haunted his thoughts ever since seeing her two days earlier. Her tailored linen business suit was a far cry from the skimpy outfit she’d been wearing. She strode into the office with the silky grace of an African queen and carried with her the scent of sweet magnolias.

  His mind had drummed out Mason’s greeting to Kimara until he noticed her surprised eyes on him. As he’d requested, she had not been told he would be there. He watched as her expression turned to one of displeasure.

  “I believe the two of you know each other.” Mason’s words brought their attention to him.

  Kyle came from the spot on the other side of the room to stand in front of her. “Yes. It’s good seeing you again.”

  Kimara ignored Kyle’s words and turned to Mason. “What’s he doing here? What’s this about?”

  Mason cleared his throat. “I really don’t know, but I’m sure Kyle will enlighten us, since he’s the one who requested this meeting. Please have a seat, dear.”

  She took the chair Mason offered and tried not to let her gaze take in the man standing not far away. His profile spoke of power and strength. His handsome face held some secret expression, and his lips were parted in a dazzling display of straight white teeth that framed a buttery smile. “What’s this about, Kyle?”

  Kyle took the seat across from hers. For several moments he only stared at her, not believing the transformation that took place over the years.

  “I asked what this is about, Kyle?” Kimara repeated.

  Kyle noticed out of the corner of his eye that Mason had taken his seat and was undoubtedly waiting for his answer too. “I think it should be obvious why I asked you here, Kimara. I want to marry you.”

  At that moment Kyle expected a lot of things, but he hadn’t counted on the clipped but dignified laugh that escaped her lips. “Was that supposed to be a proposal?” she asked, amused.

  Kyle sat back in his chair, not seeing anything funny. “Yes.”

  A trace of a smile touched the corner of her lips. “In that case my answer is no. How dare you assume I’ll marry you.” Her eyes then smoldered with resentment. “Mason, would you mind leaving us alone for a few minutes?”

  “Not at all,” the older man replied, quickly getting out of his chair. From his way of thinking, he didn’t need to witness any disturbance that would make his ulcer flare up again, and he had a feeling if he stuck around, these two young people would cause just that. He hurriedly left the room.

  Kimara stood and began pacing the room. Kyle remained seated, stretching his legs far out in front of him as he watched her. “Why didn’t you return my calls, Kimara?”

  She stopped her pacing and turned to him. “I had nothing to say to you.”

  “I was calling to apologize.”

  Kimara raised a surprised brow.

  “I want to apologize for frightening you that day,” he said. “But I still think you should be more careful about keeping your gate locked.”

  Although she knew he was right, at the moment Kimara wasn’t in a mood to agree with him. “I know why you arranged this meeting, Kyle, to discuss your grandfather’s will. I want you to know up front that I have no intention of going through with what he wants.” She leaned against Mason’s desk, bracing her rear end on its edge.

  Kyle was suddenly plagued with memories of that same rear end bouncing around while she was doing aerobics. That had been a breathtaking sight. “And I think we should go through with it.”

  Kimara gazed at him, anger reflecting in her eyes. “Why? So you can retain the Garwood millions?”

  “No. So we can give my grandfather what he wanted most.” Kyle knew his statement had hit home when he saw her reaction to it.

  Kimara’s eyes narrowed at Kyle. “When did you begin caring about giving your grandfather what he wanted? Poppa Garwood loved you and wanted to spend more time with you, but all you ever found time for besides the business was your numerous women.”

  “I made a mistake,” Kyle
said truthfully. He regretted not spending more time with his grandfather. He’d spent the last two nights at the Garwood estate finally realizing just how much he missed the old man’s presence. At one time the two of them had been close. Things had changed after his parents’ death, and to this day he never understood why.

  “A mistake? To my way of thinking, you’ve made several of them,” Kimara shot back.

  Her words cut into Kyle. “Now, you wait just a minute. What gives you the right to judge me or my actions? I gave my grandfather plenty of chances. I bent over backward several times to make amends, but he just wouldn’t bend. I got tired of trying.”

  “Well, you shouldn’t have. He needed you, Kyle. Your grandfather took our parents’ death extremely hard. It was bad enough losing his own son, but then to lose my father, who was like a second son to him too. Just think what he’d been going through all these years. Do you know he blamed himself for the accident?”

  Kyle was taken aback by her statement. “Why would he blame himself for that?”

  “Because he was the one who talked them into chartering that small plane to fly to the retreat instead of taking a commercial flight.”

  “How do you know all of this?”

  Kimara took a deep breath. “Because he eventually told me. I was there to listen when you weren’t.”

  Kyle stood and slowly walked over to the window. “He could have told me what he was feeling. Why did he have to shut me out? He could have told me, and I would have understood.”

  Kimara looked everywhere but at Kyle. His pain was reaching out to her. She had urged Poppa Garwood numerous times to talk to Kyle about his misplaced guilt. But he felt that doing so would drive an even deeper wedge between him and his grandson. “Yes, he could have talked to you. I even encouraged him to. But he chose not to tell you about the guilt he was carrying around. He didn’t mean to shut you out of his life; he just didn’t want to risk losing you too. He was a very proud man, Kyle, but he was also a good one. When I returned home after completing college, he gave me the strength to make a lot of decisions that needed to be made.”