“In fact, I plan on contacting Claire tomorrow to see if she can find me a bigger place,” he added, giving Slade a heads-up on his plans. “It will be cheaper to lease something instead of remaining in a hotel, since I’ll be making a number of trips back and forth periodically to check on things.” He smiled. His reasoning sounded good even to his own ears.
“That might not be such a bad idea. It might save us a lot of money in the long run. Take care and I’ll talk to you later.”
“You, too.”
“And don’t forget to call Mama Laverne or you might be sorry.”
“I’ll call her.” Blade hung up the phone thinking about Slade’s comment about saving the company money. He chuckled. Saving the company money was the last thing on his mind. Getting Sam into his bed topped the list.
Sam couldn’t help the smile that kept creeping across her face as she blow-dried her hair. You didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that Blade thought he had her right where he wanted her—almost. The fact that he couldn’t follow her inside the gated community might have set him back a bit, but there was no doubt in her mind that he intended to recover ground tomorrow over dinner. She would definitely be prepared.
A short while later, she got into bed and curled up under the covers. She hadn’t gotten a lot done tonight because of Blade’s visit, which meant she would have to get up and go into the office early. She had an appointment at ten with a woman who was divorcing her husband and wanted full custody of the family dog. To avoid dwelling on what a circus the case might become, Sam shifted in bed, trying not to think about Blade—the man who seemingly was trying to monopolize all of her time.
She didn’t have to close her eyes to recall how he’d looked standing in her office doorway or how she’d felt ogling him. Her office had been filled with so much sexual energy it was a wonder the two of them hadn’t been electrocuted. She knew that she needed to mind her p’s and q’s at dinner the next day, and stay one step ahead of his game. He was a man on the prowl, determined to get inside her panties. And she was just as determined that he didn’t.
She wondered if he would continue to send the flowers. Peyton had joked that her secret admirer must know her schedule, since no flowers had been delivered while she’d been away last week. It would have been easy for Blade to find out that information. Mac might have innocently mentioned it to him, just as she’d mentioned her whereabouts tonight. Or Luke could have been the one to spill the beans.
Sam sighed, thinking she missed the flowers and had gotten used to receiving them. The gesture seemed like Blade’s M.O. Including a card with some mushy sentimental line just wasn’t his style. Evidently, he was trying to make sure he was always in her thoughts whenever she looked at the beautiful flower arrangement.
He hadn’t mentioned that he was the one sending her flowers. He hadn’t even paid much attention to the bouquet when he’d been in her office. If this was all a part of his version of the game of Seize and Conquer—which she was certain it was—then she intended to enjoy the flowers while they lasted.
She knew once he learned the truth—that she had been stringing him along—he wouldn’t be happy. There was a chance he might not want to speak to her ever again.
She pushed the thought to the back of her mind. She wasn’t going to indulge in a guilt trip where Blade was concerned. All it took was remembering her wedding day to make her forget about having any sympathy for Blade. And then there was Vivian Randall, her college roommate. Ten years had passed, but at times it seemed just like yesterday that Sam had rushed to the campus emergency room, only to find out that it was too late—Vivian had died of an overdose of pills. She still felt guilty about Vivian’s death, since it had been her medication—a drug Sam’s family doctor had prescribed for her migraine headaches—that Vivian had taken when she committed suicide. And all because a guy she thought she was in love with had played her. He had hurt and humiliated her in the worst way.
Even under a pile of blankets, Sam still felt cold. She knew that exacting revenge wouldn’t erase the memory of being embarrassed on her wedding day in front of five hundred guests, or what had happened to Vivian. But it gave her some satisfaction that at least one player would get his just deserts.
She shifted in bed when her phone rang. She reached to pick it up and saw from the caller ID that it was Frederick Damon Rowe, affectionately called FDR. She and Frederick were the same age, shared the same birthday, had finished law school at about the same time and had begun working at Di Meglio on the same day. Over time, they had become close friends.
FDR was a great guy. And unlike some of the other employees at the firm, it had never bothered him that her last name was Di Meglio. He treated her like anyone else and not the bosses’ daughter.
“Hey, FDR, what’s going on?”
They talked for a little while and she listened as he told her about a case he was working on. Although her parents approved of their close friendship, they had never tried to encourage a romantic relationship between them. Sam had always thought it was a little odd, since FDR was a very handsome man who had a lot going for him. In fact, she wouldn’t be surprised if he made partner soon.
Later, after ending the call, she thought about what her brother had told her a few days ago. Angelo had claimed FDR was seeing someone and that it seemed to be serious. If that was true, why hadn’t Frederick mentioned it to her? Why was he keeping secrets from her?
But she wasn’t going to worry about that tonight. She had enough to deal with as she prepared for dinner with Blade Madaris tomorrow evening.
Chapter 7
“They’re baaack….” said Priscilla jokingly, using the catchphrase from the Poltergeist movie sequel.
Sam glanced up at the beautiful bouquet of flowers that Priscilla placed on her desk. She couldn’t help but lean back in her chair and laugh. For the past month Priscilla had been the one who’d delivered the flowers to her, at first complaining that the fragrance was too strong for the office. But last week, when Sam was out and the flowers didn’t come, Priscilla had been the one complaining that she’d missed them, according to Mac and Peyton.
Priscilla had been with them for a couple of years, and at forty-one, she was more like a mother figure. She was a stickler for details and always maintained a professional demeanor, refusing to call them by their first names, even though she insisted they call her Priscilla. Sam had always thought that the single mother of eleven-year-old twin boys was very attractive. But in the two years that she’d been with them, she had never once mentioned anything about a man in her life.
“I heard you’re nothing but a phony, Priscilla,” Sam said, as she moved her chair closer to her desk. “Mac and Sam told me all about how you carried on when the flowers didn’t come last week.”
“Okay, Ms. Di Meglio, I admit I’d gotten used to them,” Priscilla said, putting Sam’s mail in her in-box. “You still have no idea who’s sending them?”
A smile touched Sam’s lips. “Maybe and maybe not. We’ll just have to wait and see. Oh, I forgot to mention that when I saw FDR last week he told me to tell you hello.”
“Oh,” Priscilla said, her gaze quickly shifting away. “Well, I better get back to my desk. I have a lot to do before the end of the day.”
Sam watched her secretary scurry out of her office. Had she imagined it or had Priscilla acted kind of weird at the mention of FDR? She shrugged, certain that she had just imagined it.
She studied the beautiful arrangement sitting on her desk. Every week the mix of flowers was different. She wondered if the choice had been the sender’s, or just ones the florist had picked out. It didn’t really matter, since every arrangement was breathtakingly beautiful and brightened up her week.
Sam glanced at her watch. Her first appointment of the day would be arriving in less than an hour.
Blade’s meeting with Mosley lasted for a little more than an hour. The moment he walked out of the office building he was on the phone, returni
ng his secretary’s call. “Yes, Claire, what do you have for me?”
“I did what you asked and was able to find something available in Windsor Park. The person I spoke with was extremely helpful. Once I mentioned your friend who’s already living there, they were able to locate a vacant town house right next door. In fact, the two of you will practically share the same driveway, since your garages are connected. The place is completely furnished, with two bedrooms and…”
Blade didn’t hear the rest of the details once Claire said how close his town house was to Sam’s. He looked up into the Oklahoma sky and thought that someone up there definitely liked him. And to think he’d even missed church the past few Sundays.
“So, is this a place you want us to sign a lease for, Mr. Madaris?”
“Yes.” He couldn’t say the words quickly. “How soon can I move in?”
“Today if you like, once we finalize the paperwork, which can be done by fax. I spoke with the utility company and put them on hold until you told us to move forward. Now that you have, we can do so without delay. The keys to the unit and the paperwork will be delivered to your hotel before three o’clock. Would you like me to order groceries and have them delivered, as well?”
A smile touched his lips. “No, that won’t be necessary, Claire. I’ll be eating out most of the time while I’m here.” That made him recall his dinner date, not that he’d forgotten.
“Will there be anything else, Mr. Madaris?”
“No, that’s about all.”
He hung up the phone, still smiling, and thinking now he was making progress in his goal to get Sam in his bed.
Felicia Laverne Madaris, matriarch of the Madaris family, leaned back in her chair and gazed at the woman sitting across from her. Dora had been her daughter-in-law the longest and was married to her oldest son, Milton. “So, Dora, what do you think? Is there another reason Blade is staying in Oklahoma City while all the women here are pining for him?”
Dora hunched her shoulders. “Who knows what that particular grandson of mine is up to? But I will tell you this—I pity any woman who gets mixed up with him, thinking he’s looking for something serious.”
Mama Laverne nodded in agreement and then said, “Mmm, I think he’s hot on the tail of one of Mac’s friends—the pretty one with all that curly hair. I saw him trying to talk to her at Mac and Luke’s wedding, but the chile wouldn’t give him the time of day.” She chuckled. “I think she set him back a bit.”
Dora chuckled in turn. “Smart girl.”
“Yes, but if she’s the reason he’s back in Oklahoma, that means for the first time in his life he’s actually running behind a woman instead of the other way around. The women here in Houston have made things easy for him, always at his beck and call. This Oklahoma girl might give him a run for his money, and I’d love to see that happen. I’m going to make it my business to find out more about her. She just might be the one.”
Neither woman said anything for a long time while they sat sipping their cups of tea. “You’re the first person I’ve mentioned this to, but I dreamed of fish again last night,” Mama Laverne said.
Dora’s eyes widened. “You think it’s Christy?”
Mama Laverne understood why she would think that. Her granddaughter Christy had proudly proclaimed after the birth of her first child that she and her husband, Alex, wanted a lot more children, and it seemed that whenever anyone called or dropped by, the couple was always in bed.
Mama Laverne smiled and shook her head. “They might be working on a new addition, but not this time. I actually saw the image of a man sitting on a dock with a fishing rod in his hand, and he seemed pleased as pleased could be when he pulled in a whopper of a bass from the lake.”
Dora’s lips quirked into a smile. “Sounds like a mighty proud man who went fishing that day. Who was he?”
Mama Laverne didn’t say anything for a minute. For the past month, her fish dreams have been coming steadily, and in a way it made her heart feel good to know that the Madaris family and their friends were multiplying and would continue to do so long after she was gone.
“Mama Laverne?”
Her feeble fingers tightened on the cup in her hand, and then she said in a voice that quirked with humor. “The man was Clayton.”
Dora’s eyes widened to twice their regular size. “Clayton?”
“Yes.”
“That means…”
“Yes.” Mama Laverne said the one thing Dora couldn’t bring herself to say. “Yes, that means that Syneda is pregnant again, and heaven help us all.”
Chapter 8
Blade crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against his parked car. He couldn’t hide the smile that touched his lips as he watched the woman who walked out of the two-story, redbrick building. Nor did he want to. He squinted against the sunlight and adjusted his eyes accordingly so he could see her better. She was definitely a beautiful sight to behold.
He hadn’t known what to expect when he showed up at exactly five o’clock for their first—and what she probably considered their only date. Under normal circumstances he would have agreed with her. But he had a feeling that tonight would not end the way he wanted, though it definitely wouldn’t be for lack of trying on his part. He wanted her in his bed, and his moving into Windsor Park greatly reduced the distance it would take to get her there.
She looked beautiful, as usual, wearing another business suit that showed off her legs. The red color highlighted her complexion, and her curly hair flowing around her shoulders gave her a sexy appeal. He wondered how far he would go tonight. A better question was how far would she let him go? He had made reservations at a nice restaurant in Bricktown, one of the most popular areas of the city. He had requested a table in one of the cozy, secluded sections of the restaurant, with candlelight. After dinner he would bring her back here to get her car, and she would assume their night together would be over. Little did she know it would just be starting. He could just imagine what her reaction would be once she discovered he was now living next door to her.
Tipping the brim of his Stetson, he smiled when she approached, and said, “Sam.”
“Blade. Have you been waiting long?”
“No. And even if I had been, you would have been well worth the wait.”
Her mouth quirked at the corners and he knew at that moment that she’d probably heard that line before. That might be true, because he’d certainly delivered it over the years, but this time he’d actually meant what he’d said.
He opened the car door for her and inhaled her scent. She smelled feminine. She smelled like woman. And as he watched her slide onto the leather seat, he appreciated a glimpse of her thighs. He hoped that later tonight he would be getting more than a glimpse. In fact, he was anticipating seeing her naked.
“Thank you,” she said, seconds before he closed her door.
“You’re welcome.”
He moved around the front of the car to open the door to the driver’s side. Once settled with his seat belt in place, he glanced over at her and saw she was looking at him. He smiled. “Are you okay?”
She smiled back. “Yes.”
Blade backed the car out of the parking lot, thinking she was smiling and that was a good thing.
Sam decided to stare out the window at the buildings they passed, although there was nothing different about them. She usually drove through these same streets every day on her way to the office. But she needed this time. Not to clear her head, because that wasn’t possible as long as Blade was sitting in the seat next to her, but to affirm in her mind that going through with her plan was something she needed to do. It was something she had to do to the man who was most women’s most ardent fantasy, and who could potentially become her own worst nightmare.
There was no doubt in her mind that over the next few hours she would be tempted as a woman in a way she’d never been tempted before. Blade had that ability. He had that skill. And she didn’t have to be a genius to know that toni
ght he fully intended to use it.
“We should be there in a minute.”
His words prompted her to glance over at him and ask, “Where are we going?”
“To Yates.”
She nodded. She was impressed. “I heard it’s a very nice place.”
“You’ve never eaten there?”
“Surprisingly, no.”
He looked pleased at that. “Then I’m glad your first time will be with me.”
She shifted her gaze back out the window, thinking that in a way she was glad her first time would be with him, too.
“And you look nice.”
She chuckled as she looked back at him. “You look nice yourself.”
And she meant it more than he would ever know. When she had walked out of the building and seen him standing there, leaning against his car, waiting for her and looking like a man who knew what he wanted and had every intention of getting it, it had sent an intense shudder all the way up her spine.
“We’re here.”
She glanced out the windshield. Yes, they were.
The blood flowing through his veins felt warm as Blade glanced across the table at his companion. Sam had been quiet during most of dinner. He couldn’t help wondering what she was thinking, what she was feeling, and if she had any idea how much he wanted her.
To be quite honest, he hadn’t realized the extent, the degree, the depth of his desire for her until now. He had been in her presence for more than an hour, the longest amount of time he’d ever spent alone with her since they’d met. At least they were practically alone, since the restaurant had adhered to his request and seated them in a secluded area in the back, at a table set for two.
After mulling over the menu, they had decided on their order. While waiting for their meal to arrive they had indulged in a glass of white wine. She’d asked him questions about his work on the Mosley Building, which set the tone of their conversation, avoiding any personal subjects.
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