During dinner on Friday night Mac had mentioned that Sam and Peyton had gone away for the weekend to a resort in a town called Sparks. He figured that had been Sam’s way of putting distance between them.
Now she was back and he was wide-awake and feeling like a Peeping Tom. He’d never had a reason to stand in the shadows to watch a woman in a hot tub before, but he was doing so now, as all kinds of sensations formed deep in his belly.
Blade wasn’t sure how long he stood there, but it was long enough to focus on the way her head lay against the back of the tub, and how her beautiful face seemed to glow in the moonlight. Her hair was tied up on top of her head, exposing the long, graceful curve of her neck and throat.
Bubbles were swirling all around her and he didn’t have to strain his eyes to know she was naked in the hot tub. That much was evident by the way the bubbly water splashed on her chest, and on occasion a plump, bare breast would be exposed when she shifted positions. He felt the lower part of his body get hard and was about to open his mouth to let her know he was there, and to ask if he could perhaps join her, when she spoke.
“Enjoying the peep show, Blade?”
She hadn’t even opened her eyes, which immediately let him know she’d been expecting him and had known all along he was there. She had intentionally been humming to lure him out of his bed. Okay, so she’d gotten him, and his mind was suddenly filled with a number of ways he would like to get her. Several positions came to mind, but the one he liked best was doggie style.
A shudder rippled through him, all the way to his groin, when he visualized it in his mind. He clenched his jaw, trying to suppress the heat consuming his body. He finally decided to answer truthfully. “Yes, I’m enjoying it, immensely. But I would enjoy it even better if I could see a lot more of you.”
“That can be arranged.”
His eyes strained as he watched her. What he hadn’t expected was her easing out of the water to stand up. And just as he’d assumed, she was naked and her body was simply beautiful. She was so flawless that he could hear his heart weep and could feel his erection beating its head against his zipper in agony.
She possessed what had to be the most perfect pair of breasts—firm, luscious, shapely. Her nipples seemed to be calling out for his mouth. He forced his gaze to move lower, to her flat stomach and the water that was glistening off her gold belly ring. And then he saw the small tattoo of an eagle on the side of her hip.
Blade pulled in a deep breath as his gaze moved to the juncture of her thighs. Sweet mercy. He muttered deep in his throat as he fixed his eyes on her womanly charm, perfectly shaped with a Brazilian wax. He licked his lips, remembering the kiss he had placed there, and how his tongue had felt sliding around the smooth surface before going deep inside of her.
He could have sworn she had tasted of cinnamon and spice that night, and even now the flavor of her still clung to his tongue and wouldn’t go away. Her feminine heat was emitting a scent that was being absorbed into his nostrils, his skin and every damn inch of him.
He released his breath when she got out of the tub, showing a nice curvy and delectable backside. Her long, beautiful legs glistened with water and were gorgeous and as shapely as a pair of legs could be. As soon as her feet, which were as beautiful as the rest of her, touched the tile floor, he noticed a toe ring.
She crossed the floor to where she’d placed a towel across a chair, and worked every curve of her body as she strutted her stuff. A lump formed in his throat as she swayed her hips, lifted her breasts and all but glided sensuously to her destination. A model on a runway could not have done any better. He nearly moaned in agony when she reached for the towel, flapped it open and then draped it around her body, covering up all those parts he’d enjoyed seeing.
“Show’s over, Blade.”
His gaze moved to her face. “Why did you even bother?”
She threw her head back and laughed. “So you’ll have a chance to see what you’ll never get.”
She was teasing him, toying with his jewels, and he didn’t like it one damn bit. “Would you like to bet on that? Two can play your game, Sam.”
He could tell from her expression that she didn’t like the sound of that.
“What do you have in mind? Torment me. Tease me. Tantalize me with no promise of release?” he asked.
“All of the above.”
Now it was his time to chuckle. “Don’t mess with a man who’s at the top of his game, especially if that man is so hard up for you that he can’t think straight.” He was giving her fair warning. It was the right thing to do.
He watched her features and knew she was trying to make a decision about something. “Maybe you’re right. All we’re doing is causing each other agony, which is a waste of time and energy.”
His erection throbbed in anticipation. Now she was making sense.
“But I’m not sure you can handle me, Blade. I’m not a woman who can be easily pleased.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to remind her that pleasing her hadn’t been too difficult the other night. “There’s not a woman walking this earth that I can’t please.”
“So you say.”
“So I know. Give me one night with you to prove it.”
He saw indecision etched on her face. “I’ll think about it.”
He couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, you do that. But in the meantime, have breakfast with me in the morning.”
She shook her head. “I have an early appointment at the office.”
“What about lunch?”
“I plan to work through lunch.”
He refused to give up. “Dinner?”
He waited to see if she would come up with another excuse, and then she surprised him by saying, “Dinner will be fine, but it has to be here. It was your treat the last time. It’s only fair that it will be mine this time.”
He nodded, wondering what her “treat” consisted of. “What time?”
“Will six o’clock work?”
“Yes.”
“Fine. I’ll see you here at six.”
She was about to open the French doors to her bedroom when he stopped her. “Wait! Do you need me to bring anything?”
She looked at him for a moment, then tossed her head to send the hair that had been atop her head falling to her shoulders. She stood there, looking not only like a seductive creature, but one who was wild and too sexy for words.
“Yes, you can bring something.”
The look in her eyes was scorching every part of him. “What?”
“Plenty of condoms.”
He couldn’t think. His mouth dropped, and before he could pick it up, she slid inside the house and closed the door behind her. And while he stood there in a daze, with a hard-on that was like nobody’s business, the lights on her balcony went off and cast him in total darkness.
Sam couldn’t help the smile on her face as she slid into bed an hour later. By her parting words, Blade could only assume that there would be some action after dinner at her place. But he was so wrong. She planned to tempt him and tease him, but she had no intentions of delivering. In the end she would frustrate him, annoy the hell out of him and make him mad. Then she would ask him to leave and take his condoms with him.
Oh, well.
Tomorrow night she would pretend she had softened and was just as hot as he was, but not quite ready to go all the way. She would lie about some hang-ups she had and see what kind of cure he would concoct for them. Most players thought they were love doctors who had their own brand of medication for whatever ailment a woman had. She wondered if Blade knew how to mend broken hearts. The ones he’d probably caused many women.
She had known the exact moment he had stepped out onto the balcony. She had been aware of when he had begun watching her through the planter. Although she hadn’t wanted it to, her body had responded to him in a way it had never responded to another man. She would have to be on her toes tomorrow, making sure she was the one in charge at all times. He
’d already discovered her weakness, and she had to make sure he didn’t have any more tricks up his sleeve. If she could keep his head from between her legs, she would be fine. She simply refused to become another woman he could easily seduce.
She flipped over on her back in bed and stared up at the ceiling. Now was not a good time to question her judgment in handling Blade. He was a man who liked sex, and to dangle it in front of him with no intention of giving in just might push him over the edge. What would he do if that were to happen? Other than wanting to wring her neck, she couldn’t think of a single thing. He wasn’t a violent man who would be driven to such an act. He would walk away, pissed as hell, and would not want to have anything to do with her again. Players did have their pride and didn’t like any conquest to get the best of them. They didn’t like to fail.
But he would fail. She would be Blade’s ultimate downfall.
Blade woke up the next morning in the best of moods, with Sam’s words ringing in his ears. When he’d asked her what he could bring, she had simply said, “Plenty of condoms.”
He wondered what plenty meant. A dozen? Hell, he’d bring two dozen just in case, although he couldn’t imagine going through that many in a single night. He hadn’t done anything like that before, but there was a first time for everything. His thoughts shifted to the other night. Now that had been her first time, by her own admission.
Of course, she’d alluded to the possibility that there wouldn’t be any action because he just might not be able to please her. He looked forward to proving her wrong and enjoying every inch of her luscious body in the process.
He was heading to the bathroom to take a shower when his phone rang. He checked the caller ID and saw that it was his cousin Felicia. Smiling, he clicked on the line. “What’s up with you on this cheerful Monday, Fe?”
“Nothing much. I’m helping Diamond with Rasheed’s party and doing invitations. Usually you don’t bring anyone, but I thought I’d play it safe and check to make sure nothing has changed.”
She was right. He never brought anyone to a Madaris family function. He wouldn’t dare. First, there wasn’t a woman alive he could bring who wouldn’t think she was the anointed one. And if he was to show up with a woman, his family would assume he was making a statement. He liked scoping out the eligible single women invited to family parties. Over the years, he’d scored quite a number of hits. He then thought of Sam and conceded he’d also made one or two misses.
“Thanks for asking, but I’m doing the solo thing as usual,” he said, ignoring Sam’s face, which kept popping up in his mind. There was no way he would consider taking her to a family function, regardless of how bad he wanted her in his bed.
“All right, but if you change your mind let me know.”
He chuckled. “Trust me. I won’t be changing my mind.”
“Well, I’ll let you go,” Felicia said. “When do you plan to return to Houston?”
“Probably next week.” He thought about his hot dinner date later this evening and then added, “But it depends on how much I get accomplished while I’m here.”
After hanging up the phone, he glanced at his watch. He didn’t have a whole lot to do today. There was a conference call at eleven and a meeting with J. W. Mosley at three. Then he would eagerly return home for the dinner date he had with Sam. There was no way he wouldn’t be on time, and there was no way he wouldn’t have plenty of condoms, which meant he needed to make a pit stop at the drugstore. He’d brought only so many with him, since he hadn’t expected to be this lucky.
And while he was out and about he might as well pick up a little gift for Sam to set the mood. He’d noticed a florist shop not far from Windsor Park. Sam looked to be the kind of woman who would appreciate getting a bunch of flowers.
He smiled as he headed to the bathroom to take that shower. Yes, a beautiful floral arrangement should do the trick. Normally he didn’t do the flowers thing, but he would try anything to get in her good favor.
Hopefully the end result would be him in her bed.
Chapter 12
“I heard Blade moved into the place next door to you. What’s up with that?” Mac asked as she slid into the chair across from Sam’s desk.
Sam turned away from her computer and gave her a faint smile. “You and I both know what’s up with that. He’s up—probably most of the time—and figured being close is just another way to get me into his bed.”
Mac nodded, knowing what she said was probably right. “I’ve never known Blade to work this hard for a woman. You might have become an obsession with him.”
Sam shrugged. “As long as it’s a healthy one I don’t have any problem, because it’s coming to an end soon.”
Mac leaned forward in her chair. “He’s not going to like it if he discovers you’ve set him up, teased him with no intention of delivering.”
“He’ll get over it.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Then it’s his concern and not mine.”
Before Mac could respond to that, there was a knock on the door. “Come in,” Sam said.
Patsy Ackerman, the young woman who worked for them part-time as a paralegal, stepped in. “Here are those reports you wanted to look over for the Collins case.”
Sam smiled at her as she accepted the folders. “Thanks. Now I have to make time to read them before our court date in a few weeks.”
Patsy nodded and then glanced at the flowers on Sam’s desk. “You got more flowers. They’re pretty.”
Sam studied the arrangement and couldn’t help but agree. “Yes, they are pretty, aren’t they?”
“And you still don’t know who’s sending them?”
Sam lifted a brow, wondering how Patsy knew the flowers were being sent by an unknown admirer. “No, it’s still a secret,” she replied honestly, seeing no reason not to.
Moments after Patsy had left, Mac silently stared at Sam. “What?” Sam asked, seeing the concerned look on her friend’s face.
“I hope you know what you’re doing. Blade’s a player, true enough, but he’s also a Madaris. They don’t like being crossed.”
Sam frowned. “Then maybe he needs to learn how to keep a certain part of his anatomy in his pants.”
“Maybe so, but be forewarned. If you’re trying to teach him a lesson, your self-control just might be tested, as well.”
She didn’t doubt that. It was tested each and every time she breathed the same air as Blade. Each and every time she remembered what he’d done to her that night in the parked car. She couldn’t look at his mouth and lips without remembering, without feeling a tingling sensation at the juncture of her thighs, and without her panties getting wet.
“I can handle Blade, Mac.”
Mac drew in a deep breath and said, “A Madaris man can be lethal when he has one thing on his mind, so for your sake I hope that you can handle him.”
The knock sounded on Sam’s door at exactly six o’clock, even though she hadn’t expected Blade to be late. But she hadn’t expected him to be standing there with a huge bouquet of flowers—more beautiful than all the others he’d sent her—and wearing a Stetson that shadowed his eyes and did everything to emphasize those oh-so-sexy lips of his. She thought he looked good in a pair of jeans and white shirt and his signature blazer. He smelled good, too, with whatever cologne he was wearing.
She couldn’t help but smile when he stepped inside her house, thinking that all those other floral arrangements, although beautiful, hadn’t done anything for her, but for some reason these did. Maybe the reason was because there was no secrecy shrouded in these flowers. With these, he was finally admitting that she was definitely the object of his seduction.
“These are for you,” he said, tossing his Stetson on her coffee table with a perfect aim before handing her the flowers.
“They’re beautiful, Blade. But then they always are. Thank you.”
He gave her a funny look and shrugged his masculine shoulders. “You’re welcome.”
She turned to put the flowers in a vase and set them on the table. She felt his gaze roam over her body, taking in her short denim skirt and the white halter top stretched tightly across her breasts, which she wore without a bra. She had seen the outfit on a mannequin in the store today and had known it would be perfect for tonight. It was just the thing to get a man’s erection throbbing. It was designed to get him hot and definitely bothered.
Sam turned back around and her gaze automatically went to his zipper, although she couldn’t have missed the massive bulge even if she had wanted to. He was huge and appeared as hard as a rock. He was as aroused as any man could be, and he wasn’t trying to hide it. She doubted he could have hidden the colossal protrusion even if he’d wanted to do so. She hadn’t counted on blood pulsating rapidly through her veins upon seeing him in that state and realizing the degree of his desire for her.
And just like she was checking out every single aspect of him, he was checking her out, as well. His gaze moved all over her, from head to toe, but paused for more than a second on her breasts. And then, as if his eyes sent some kind of erotic message, the nipples of her breasts started feeling sensitive, almost achy against the material of her top. She also felt the tips swell under his unwavering gaze.
If she’d been any other woman, into casual sex just for the hell of it—and if he’d been any other man, and not a player whose philosophy was to always bed and never wed women—she would have seriously considered being his sexual playmate for a while. She’d never thought about doing such a thing before, but he would have been a temptation she might have given in to.
“I hope you’re hungry,” she heard herself saying, as his gaze continued to scan her up and down.
His eyes returned to her face and he smiled. She forced herself not to melt right there on the spot at how sexy his smile looked, while he stood there with his hands shoved into his pockets, staring at her as if he wanted to eat her alive. He’d nearly done so before and the memory sent sensuous shivers up her spine.
Sensual Confessions Page 11