Nervously gathering the scattered papers in a neat pile, Syneda placed them in a folder on the corner of her desk. Then she stood to face the man who had plagued her mind for the past couple of weeks; especially this morning before she had become totally absorbed in her work.
The door swung open and Syneda managed to place a friendly though strained smile on her lips.
Clayton entered her office escorted by Joanna. It was obvious Joanna was completely enthralled by the tall, dark, handsome man dressed impeccably in a dark suit.
“Thanks for showing Mr. Madaris in, Joanna. That will be all for now.”
“All right,” Joanna replied, not taking her eyes off of Clayton. “If you’re absolutely sure there won’t be anything else.”
A slight frown of annoyance covered Syneda’s face. Joanna appeared to be in a daze. She hadn’t moved an inch. It bothered Syneda that Clayton had this effect on women. “I’m positive, Joanna. You may leave us alone now. And make sure I’m not disturbed.”
Clayton raised a dark brow at the harsh tone of Syneda’s voice.
“All right, Ms. Walters,” Joanna replied, not ignoring the curtness of Syneda’s words. She gave Clayton a warm smile before leaving.
“I wasn’t expecting you until late this afternoon, Clayton. You’re early.”
“My case this morning was canceled, so I caught an earlier flight out. I had my secretary phone you a few times, but she couldn’t get through to speak with you. She did leave a message though. I hope you don’t mind me showing up like this, but I need the key.”
A confused frown covered Syneda’s features. “The key?”
“Yes, the key to your apartment.”
“Oh,” Syneda said, as understanding dawned. She went into her desk for her purse. “You need the key to get inside my apartment.” She handed it to him. “Just make yourself at home. I should leave here by five. What would you like to do tonight? How about dinner someplace?” She had already decided it would be best if the two of them spent as little time as possible at her apartment.
“What do you usually do on Friday nights?” Clayton asked, taking the key she offered.
“Usually, I just grab something on the way home, then watch my favorite television program.” As an afterthought she added, “That’s if I don’t have a date for the evening.”
“Do you have a date for tonight?” Clayton asked quietly.
“No.”
“Then you shouldn’t change things just for me. However, since I’ll have nothing to do until you get there, how about letting me prepare us something to eat.”
“Clayton, that isn’t necessary.”
“I’d enjoy doing it. I’m not a bad cook, you know.”
Syneda knew that was an understatement. Thanks to their mother, who was superb in the kitchen, all three Madaris brothers were great cooks. “I just hate for you to go to all that trouble. You’ll be showing up my insufficiencies as a hostess again.”
As soon as the words had left her mouth, Syneda regretted them. They could dredge up memories of their last weekend together, and by the sudden silence in the room it appeared they had.
Clayton captured her eyes with his. “Trust me. You were a good hostess. You took very good care of me that weekend,” he replied huskily. “I’ll have dinner prepared by the time you get there. Don’t work too hard.”
Before Syneda could utter a response, Clayton had turned and walked out of the door.
“Clayton, I’m home.”
Around five hours later, Syneda entered her apartment using the spare key. Her plans to leave work early had been aborted when she’d received another unexpected visitor. This time Larry Morgan.
He had told her in no uncertain terms that he would not agree to give his child up for adoption no matter what John Drayton did to him.
Syneda’s thoughts came to a sudden halt when her nose picked up the aroma of food. She was starving. She’d skipped lunch to finish an important report only to have the completion delayed because of Larry Morgan’s visit. Then, not long after he had left, she’d gotten a call from John Drayton. He had not been pleased with her decision to give his daughter more time to make a final decision. As far as he was concerned, the decision had been made. Therefore, he’d stated, he wanted to be represented by another attorney in the firm. That suited Syneda just fine.
“I was wondering when you’d get here,” Clayton said, coming into the living room. He had changed into a pair of jeans and a white chambray shirt.
Syneda’s mind began reeling as she eyed him from head to toe. He was an incredibly sexy man whether he was dressed in a suit, jeans…or nothing at all, she thought. She noticed he was holding two filled wineglasses. He handed her one of them.
“I thought you could probably use this. I take it you’ve had a bad day.”
Syneda graciously took the drink he offered. “That’s putting it mildly.” She took a sip. “Thanks. Something smells wonderful. What is it?”
Clayton smiled. “It’s a surprise. I just hope you’re hungry.”
Syneda laughed. “Clayton, I could eat a horse about now.”
“Well, dinner is ready when you are. Would you like to take a warm bath to unwind first?”
“That’s not a bad idea. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Clayton watched as Syneda rounded the sofa and went into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. He had found incredible hunger raging through him upon the sight of her. He only hoped his plan would work. He didn’t want to push her into anything, but with Syneda, some things had to be forced on her, and accepting a relationship between the two of them was going to be one of them. She was so certain she didn’t want or need the love of a man in her life that she was overlooking the obvious. A man who loved her was already in her life.
Over the past few days, he had done a lot of thinking about what she had told him the last night they had spent together; specifically, the information she had shared about her father. Whether she was willing to admit it to herself or not, the pain of her father’s rejection and abandonment was clouding the way she thought about love.
He knew she had some deep-rooted fears. The first being her fear of ever becoming dependent upon anyone, especially a man. And for that reason he understood her need for more space than normal. She would never agree to a relationship that would be confining.
She was also a private person, and she thought she couldn’t become seriously involved with a person for that reason. She didn’t know that the key to that problem would be for her to become involved with someone with whom her privacy wouldn’t be threatened.
And then there were her biggest fears, rejection and abandonment. It was plain she had decided the best way to avoid the heartache of both was by not getting close to anyone.
He could only imagine the pain, anguish, and disappointment she’d endured when her father had not shown up for her. In his mind, Clayton could envision her at the age of ten standing at the window peering out, waiting day after day after day.
Having been involved with Big Brothers of America, he’d always taken pleasure in watching a fatherless boy who’d been patiently waiting for a Big Brother finally get one. The joy, excitement and happiness on the kid’s face was priceless. But because Syneda’s father had never shown up for her, she had been cheated out of experiencing any of those emotions.
Clayton expelled a deep breath and walked back into the kitchen. He had a big job on his hands. He was deeply in love with Syneda and was determined that in time, she would put the past behind her and return his love. What she needed was time to heal, and he had found a way to give her the time she needed while still sharing a relationship with him.
He hoped she would go along with what he would be proposing to her. She was a strong-willed woman, but he’d have to be even stronger to get her to do something she would be totally against doing. But he was determined that before he left on Sunday, she would have accepted the fact that there could never be a platonic relationshi
p between them again.
The warm bath was a wonderful idea, Syneda thought. Turning on the faucet she added a generous amount of her favorite bubble-bath gel to the flowing water. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply as the fragrance of a flower garden began filling the steamy room.
Removing her clothes, Syneda sank to her neck in the bubbles a few minutes later. She felt somewhat guilty about how much Clayton had done since his arrival. From the smell of things in the kitchen, undoubtedly he had prepared quite a feast. There was no way he could have found the ingredients he had needed to cook with in her kitchen, which meant he had gone grocery shopping. That thought made her feel even more guilty. He was her guest, she was not his. It seemed Clayton was always going out of his way to take care of her.
Getting out of the bath some time later, she toweled herself dry before lotioning her body. She liked the way the fragrance of the lotion lingered on her skin. After changing into a pair of slacks and a top, she entered the living room.
Syneda found Clayton sitting on her sofa, finishing the rest of his wine. He looked up when she entered and smiled.
“How do you feel now?”
“A lot better, but my problem will still be there to haunt me on Monday.”
“Is it a case you’re working on?” Clayton asked, handing her another glass of wine.
“Yes and it’s a bummer. My client is—or I should say was, since it seems I’m no longer representing her—the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in New York. She’s unmarried and pregnant, and her father wants her to give the child up for adoption.”
“What does she want?”
Syneda sat down on the sofa. “She wants to keep her baby and marry the father of her child. He wants to marry her, too.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“John Drayton doesn’t think Larry Morgan is good enough for his daughter. And he’s determined to ruin the young man’s career unless he agrees to give in and sign papers giving the child up for adoption.”
“Unless the woman is a minor, Syneda, there’s really nothing the father can do, however, it’s understandable why he would want to.”
Syneda raised arched brows. “And just what does that mean?”
“It means that although the man is playing his role of father a little too thick, I can understand him wanting the best for his daughter.”
Clayton’s response rankled her. “Wanting the best for his daughter? That has nothing to do with it, Madaris,” Syneda snapped. “He just wants to control her life.”
“A life she undoubtedly couldn’t control on her own. If she could, then she wouldn’t be pregnant now, would she?”
Syneda gave him a hostile glare. “Accidents do happen, Clayton. Everyone isn’t as overly cautious as you are. I can’t believe you’ve taken the father’s side in this.”
Clayton heaved an exasperated sigh. “I’m not taking anyone’s side. For Pete’s sake, I don’t even know these people. All I’m saying is that sometimes parents think they know what’s best for their children. You can’t hang the man because he thinks he’s doing the right thing.”
“But that’s just it. He isn’t doing the right thing. Cassie Drayton and Larry Morgan love each other. Their baby is a part of that love. But you wouldn’t understand something like love, would you?”
“I guess not. But I suppose you do.” Clayton could tell by her expression that his comment had nearly infuriated the life out of her. No doubt she felt like slapping him silly.
“I only know what I saw today, Madaris,” she said after having stared at him for a long moment with angry eyes. “And today I met a man who desperately wants to be with the woman he loves.”
“Ah, well now. It’s good to know some men who say ‘I love you’ aren’t just feeding women ‘lines,’” he said sarcastically with a sweetness that he knew probably pushed Syneda beyond the boiling point. He hoped she was beginning to realize she couldn’t judge every relationship in life based on what had happened between her parents.
Syneda’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, but what you’ve failed to—”
“Let’s just drop the subject. I don’t want to argue with you.”
“We aren’t arguing. I just don’t like—”
Before Syneda could finish what she was saying, she found herself lifted from the sofa and into Clayton’s arms. “This is the only way I know to shut you up.”
Before she could react, his mouth was opening over hers. Her struggles to free herself were useless. Clayton had her pinned in his arms while his mouth took over hers.
Syneda could not identify at what point she stopped resisting him as streaks of pleasure exploded deep within her. It seemed every desire she had tried to suppress since Clayton’s last visit came pouring out. She couldn’t help responding to the powerful sensual chemistry sizzling between them, and was unprepared for the sudden rush of hot passion that swept over her. She was a fool to have thought she had gotten this man out of her system.
She pressed herself against him, needing to feel his hard body and the strength of his arms holding her. She locked her arms around his neck and returned his kiss, wanting his taste to fill her mouth. Their kiss grew hotter, wilder, longer.
The sound of Syneda’s stomach growling echoed in the room. Clayton slowly lifted his head to first stare down at the sea-green eyes glazed with passion before moving lower to her full, inviting lips.
“You’re hungry,” he said huskily.
Syneda gazed into dark eyes that were starkly sexual. “Yes, I am,” she replied, her words coming out soft as whipped cream.
Clayton wanted nothing more than to carry her into the bedroom. But he knew he couldn’t. When they made love again, it would be on his terms. Terms he hoped she would agree to.
“Come on,” he said, taking her hand. He led her to the kitchen and sat her down at the table. After placing various casserole dishes before her, he sat down across from her. “First, we eat.”
Syneda’s throat suddenly felt dry. She should not have let him kiss her. The last thing she wanted was for him to think her position had shifted and they could be more than just friends. “After we eat, then what?” she asked in a curious whisper, looking into his eyes.
Clayton’s gaze held hers. The look in his eyes was intent, clear and challenging. “Then I’ll make you an offer I hope you can’t refuse.”
Chapter 11
At first Syneda pretended not to have heard Clayton’s statement. She went about spooning the baked chicken, macaroni and cheese, okra and tomatoes and rice pilaf onto her plate. She put down her first mouthful, savoring the taste of the well-prepared meal. Finally the strain of curiosity was too much for her.
“What kind of offer are you talking about?”
Clayton smiled. He’d known her nonchalant attitude wouldn’t last long. She was an inquisitive person by nature. Most attorneys were. “I prefer we discuss it after dinner.”
“Why can’t we discuss it now?”
“I want to do it later.”
Syneda sighed. Experience had taught her Clayton did things when it suited him. Evidently this would be one of those times. “All right, suit yourself, but I may not want to hear anything you have to say after dinner.”
“I’ll take that chance.”
She frowned. She also knew from experience he enjoyed getting in the last word.
“How does everything taste?”
“Good. You’re an excellent cook.”
“Thanks.”
They ate in silence for several minutes, and then Clayton spoke. “Mom should be giving you a call in a few days.”
Syneda lifted her brow. “Why?”
“Uncle Jake is giving Senator Lansing a kickoff party for his reelection campaign at Whispering Pines sometime next month. More than likely Mom will be contacting you to make sure you come.”
Syneda smiled. “I’d love to come. You know how much I admire Senator Lansing. I’ve never met him, but I’m a big supporter of his.”
Clayton nodded. “The day after Senator Lansing’s party is Gramma Madaris’s eightieth birthday. We’ll be having another party to celebrate that, too. Knowing Mom she’ll want all of us to spend the night at Whispering Pines so we’ll all be accounted for on Sunday.”
“Okay.” Syneda knew that sleepover also included her. Ever since Lorren had married into the Madaris family, they had not held any family gatherings that had not included her. She knew Clayton’s mother, Marilyn Madaris, considered her more than just Lorren’s best friend. The entire Madaris family thought of her as part of the family and she really appreciated that. Now that Mama Nora spent a lot of her time traveling with a group of other widows from church, Syneda enjoyed the rather close relationship she had developed with the Madaris family.
After dinner together she and Clayton cleared the dishes off the table and cleaned up the kitchen. Syneda couldn’t help noticing Clayton had taken all the dishes out of the dishwasher and had stacked them neatly in the cabinets.
“Now we’ll talk.” Taking her hand, Clayton led her into the living room where he motioned for her to sit down on the sofa. He sat next to her.
“All right, Clayton, what is it?”
He took her hand in his, and gave her an engaging smile. “I propose that we become lovers,” he came right out and said in a very controlled voice.
Syneda looked at him. He was serious! “That’s out of the question.”
“Why? Have you changed your mind about love and commitment?”
His question startled Syneda. “Of course not!”
“You still don’t want anything to do with either?”
“That’s right,” she answered quickly, wondering where Clayton’s line of questioning was leading to.
“Then we’re perfectly suited for each other, and becoming involved will have a lot of advantages for the both of us,” he said.
“Advantages like what?”
“Neither of us wants to get involved in any sort of permanent relationship. I live in Houston, you live here, so there won’t be any crowding. We’ll both get the space we need. Then there’s the stability of a steady relationship, which means there won’t be any risks since we won’t be dating other people.”
Eternally Yours Page 12