Taste of Passion (Madaris Novels)

by Brenda Jackson

  And he felt her.

  He felt the way her chest rested against his, the way she was responding to his kiss, as if, like him, she had been waiting for this to happen again. And he felt how perfect she was in his arms. And when he deepened the kiss even more, he felt how she quivered in his arms, how her mouth vibrated beneath his. A burning sensation was erupting deep in his gut but it had nothing to do with pain, and had everything to do with a need that had never affected him this way, not with any woman.

  And when she latched onto his tongue, heat flared in the pit of his stomach, and without realizing he was about to do so, he let out a deep moan and felt an intense out-pouring of desire that consumed him completely. He was finding it impossible to pull his mouth back. His mind refused to recall that earlier he’d decided he should not have kissed her that first time. It was a moot point now. He would deal with this weak impulse later. The most important thing was that he held her in his arms and was enjoying every tantalizing moment that her lips were joined to his, her tongue mingling with his own.

  No telling how long he would have stood there and taken her mouth like a starving man if Princess, who was jealous for losing Mackenzie’s attention, hadn’t decided to reclaim it by nudging her. Mackenzie pulled her mouth away from his and then she leaned back to stare at him.

  He decided to speak first, having an idea what she would say. Bringing his hand to the side of her face, he said, “If you can’t say anything nice about what we just did, then don’t say anything at all.”

  Instead of saying anything, she lowered her head to gently rest it against his chest. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist again. “That should not have happened, Luke,” she said softly, against his shirt. But he heard her loud and clear.

  “Whether it should have happened or not, Mac, it was bound to happen again, sooner or later,” was his response.

  She lifted her head and met his gaze. “Why?”

  Her question, asked in a quiet tone, nearly robbed him of breath. She was staring at him with those big, beautiful dark eyes. And in their depths he actually saw confusion, like she really didn’t have a clue. It was as if she didn’t fully understand the impact of sexual chemistry.

  He decided to try and break it down for her. “The reason why can be summed up in several different words, Mac. Hormones. Testosterone. Sexual need. Desire. Temptation. Take your pick.”

  She took a step back, at least as far back as Princess would allow, which wasn’t much. “I don’t want to pick any of them. Why can’t we just remain friends?”

  A smile touched his lips. “That might be easy enough if we’d ever been friends. Think about it. That night of the auction, you had met Slade and Blade a few months earlier. Because of my extensive travels on the rodeo circuit, our paths had never crossed until that night. The twins were comfortable with you. I wasn’t. Not sure if I’m even comfortable with you now.”

  He could tell from her expression that his words had surprised her. Not only had they surprised her, he sensed by the stiffening of her spine that they had also offended her. “You wanted to come here and stay in my home while not being comfortable with me?” she asked, as if such a thing were clearly an insult, not to mention illogical.

  “That’s not what I meant. The reason I’m uncomfortable with you has nothing to do with trust, Mac. It has everything to do with control. Let’s be real here for a moment. From the first, we were attracted to each other. Admit it, because I certainly can and will. The moment I walked out on that stage and saw you in the audience I was attracted to you. I homed in on you like nobody’s business, and the reason my gaze kept coming back to yours is because I felt something being reciprocated.”

  He waited for her to deny such a possibility and when she didn’t, he continued. “And the reason I didn’t act on it then is the same reason I don’t want to act on it now. To develop a relationship with you that goes beyond mere friendship is not possible. It’s not anything I want and I doubt it’s something you want either. You’re married to your profession like I’m married to mine. I don’t want a woman in my life and I’ve sensed that you don’t want a man in yours.”

  She nodded in agreement. “Then what was that kiss about?”

  He smiled again. “I’ve told you. Hormones. Testosterone. Sexual need. Desire. Temptation. They’re all there, here, between us, making us think crazy. Making us lose control. Making us want to share kisses.” He decided not to mention what other thoughts were running wild and rampant through his mind whenever he kissed her.

  Instead of looking at him, she stared down at the ground for a second, as if trying to come to terms with what he’d said. She then looked back at him. “All right. Since we can admit we don’t want an involvement of any kind, what do you suggest we do to make us not want to share kisses?”

  Hell, he wished he knew. He had a feeling he would always want to kiss her. But since she had asked, he stated what he thought was the only solution. “We can try working on developing a friendship, not a relationship. And when we do that, all those things that tempt us, make us want to kiss, or take things further than that, will eventually fade.”

  Luke heard his own words. They sounded good, easy enough, and plausible. And to his ear they made perfect sense. But when he was around her he discovered that he had a tendency to throw perfect sense right out the window. And around her he wanted to take kissing to another level. It was a temptation he would have to fight like hell to overcome.

  He gazed down at her. She was studying the ground again. “Talk to me, Mac. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  She glanced up, met his gaze. “I was wondering if it will be possible for us to become friends, I mean real friends. One thing I’ve picked up on is the fact that you’re not overly friendly.”

  He stared at her for a moment and then he couldn’t help but chuckle, although doing so made his body ache some. “You’re right, I’m not an overly friendly person, at least not in the same way you might consider Slade and Blade as friendly. In their line of work it pays for them to be friendly. It’s a part of who they are. It’s a natural ability and one they have perfected over the years. With me, my job doesn’t require friendliness. It requires concentration and total control. Therefore, I tend to blot a lot out. I also make the mistake of not taking things at face value.”

  Mackenzie opened her mouth and was about to say something, but at that moment Theo walked in with his cell phone. “Sorry to interrupt, Mac, but it’s Ms. Sam. She’s been trying to reach you. Says it’s important.”

  Luke watched as she immediately took the phone from the man. “Yes, Sam, what’s going on?”

  He watched her eyes widen before a fierce frown clouded her features. “Okay, I’m on my way.”

  She handed the phone back to Theo and then she turned to Luke and said in an angry tone, “That was one of my partners at the law firm. Someone has broken into our office and ransacked the place.”

  Chapter 6

  What a mess.

  That was the first thought that entered Mackenzie’s mind when she walked into her office and glanced around. What was the reason behind this? And who would do such a thing and why? Had it been a burglary or outright mischief? And why had her office been the only one targeted?

  The law firm of Standfield, Di Meglio, and Mahoney was located in downtown Oklahoma City in a very busy part of the city. In fact there was a popular restaurant a few buildings down, so the first thing Mackenzie wondered was whether anyone had seen or heard anything.

  Trying to push aside the anger that was trying to boil inside of her, she glanced across the room and saw Sam and Peyton. They were talking with two police officers. They glanced her way and she wasn’t surprised when their gazes moved beyond her to the man standing by her side. She had tried convincing Luke to stay at her place until she returned, but he had answered her with two words in a firm voice. “No way.”

  So here they were and she knew her partners’ anger had momentarily been rep
laced by outright male appreciation and awe. The way they were looking Luke up and down was clear evidence of that. She suddenly felt a distinct chill sweep through her body and couldn’t understand the reason for it. Sam and Peyton were her two closest friends, so there was no reason for the feeling of jealousy that twisted sharply inside of her. Why on earth was she feeling territorial toward a man who less than an hour ago had suggested they work on developing nothing more than friendship between them?

  At least that’s what she was pretty sure he had suggested. But the protective arm he had placed around her waist the moment they entered her office was undoubtedly sending a different message to Sam and Peyton. She knew those two and could just imagine what they were thinking.

  She also knew if she didn’t do something about Luke, he could become the primary focus instead of her ransacked office, so she turned to him and said, “Are you sure you’re okay? This place is a mess. Don’t you want to sit outside in the lobby until—”

  “I’m fine, Mac. Come on. Let’s see what the police officer has to say.”

  Seeing that he wasn’t going to leave her side, she said, “All right.”

  Stepping over clients’ folders strewn on the floor, and ever mindful of Luke’s slight limp, they crossed the room to where the others were standing. Sam smiled then made introductions to the police officers. “This is our other partner, Officers, the one this particular office belongs to. Mackenzie Standfield. And this hun—man”—she quickly amended what she had clearly been about to say—“is her friend Luke Madaris.”

  After the policemen shook hands with Mackenzie and Luke, Sam’s smile widened as she said, “And because we haven’t been officially introduced, Luke, I’m Samari Di Meglio and this is Peyton Mahoney. We’ve heard a lot about you.”

  Mackenzie rolled her eyes when Luke shook hands with the two women. “All nice things, I hope,” Luke said, smiling, presenting both women with a killer-watt smile.

  “Of course,” Peyton said, beaming brightly. And Sam’s smile, Mackenzie noted, was just as radiant.

  “Luke Madaris?” one of the officers was saying. “Are you the Luke Madaris, who’s a rodeo star?”

  Luke’s attention then switched to the officer who’d asked the question. “Yes, I’m a rodeo rider.”

  “Hey, come on,” the officer said, chuckling. “Stop being so modest. You’re more than just a rodeo rider; you’re one of the best with all those titles under your belt. My dad and brothers are into rodeo big-time. We even follow the circuit. We were there the other night in the arena when you got pinned in with that bull. That was a pretty nasty predicament. Are you doing okay?”

  “Yes, I’m healing nicely, thanks. I hope to be back in the chute in Reno in end of September.”

  Mackenzie sighed. That’s all they needed, a cop who was one of Luke’s fans. From the hero-worshipping look in the officer’s eyes, she had a feeling she’d have to interrupt if she wanted any answers. “Excuse me, Officer, but do you have any idea who might have done this?”

  It was the second officer who spoke since the one who was Luke’s fan still appeared too stunned by having Luke in his presence to answer her question. “No, ma’am, but according to your partners there doesn’t appear to be anything taken. It seems the person just wanted to make a mess for some reason.”

  “And I think I know the reason and who that person might be, or who the person could be working for.” Sam crossed her arms over her chest, frowning.

  “Who?” Luke’s adoring fan asked.

  “In my line of business I hate accusing anyone of anything, but Mac is working on a very important case, one that could cost this corporation plenty of money if they lose. I bet they had something to do with it.”

  “And what corporation is that, Ms. Di Meglio?”

  It was all speculation on Sam’s part and they knew it. But still, the officer jotted down the name supplied by Sam.

  “And what about you, Ms. Standfield, since this was your office and the only one that was messed with. Do you know of anyone who would do such a thing? Do you think Whitedyer Corporation is involved, like your partner has insinuated?”

  Mackenzie shrugged. In all honesty, she didn’t know what to think. “I’m not sure. I know I was somewhat threatened—but in a joking kind of way—by their company attorney. I was told to find another case to work on or I’d wish I had. But I took it to mean in the courtroom.”

  “What about your client? Has he reported harassment of any kind?”

  “No, but then Mr. Coroni is in the hospital and has been for about two weeks.”

  The officer lifted his brow. “What’s wrong with him?”

  Mackenzie understood what the officer was thinking and quickly assured him that was not the case. “Mr. Coroni is in his seventies and is dealing with a lot of health issues right now. There’s nothing more to it than that.”

  The officer nodded. “My partner and I will check with the restaurant a few doors down,” he said. “There’s a possibility someone may have noticed something when they parked their car.”

  Less than thirty minutes later, the officers had left and Mackenzie, Sam, and Peyton, with Luke’s help, began straightening up the office, doing as much as they could. They would have to hire a cleaning company to come and take care of the mess made from overturned plants, the computer ink smeared in the carpet, and the substance the officers used to get fingerprints.

  “I can’t believe someone would do such a thing,” Peyton said angrily as she attempted to refile a bunch of their clients’ folders. If Whitedyer is responsible for this, then they will be sorry.”

  Mackenzie and Sam nodded in agreement.

  On the way back to the ranch Luke noted Mackenzie was pretty quiet and figured she was still upset about the break-in at her office.

  Although she had tried to convince him otherwise, he had helped with the cleanup. At the moment all he felt was a little soreness, although he might pay a price for his stubbornness later tonight. But he didn’t care. There was no way he could have stood aside and not helped.

  As he rubbed the back of his neck to ease a bit of the tension he felt there, he couldn’t help but think about Mac’s partners. It was pretty obvious the three women were close. He gathered from their conversations they had met while in college and had remained friends over the years. Samari was the feistiest of the three and he could tell that she’d be quick with an attitude and was the type of woman a man would either tame or let run wild if he was up for the challenge. Tall, with shoulder-length, black curly hair, a caramel complexion, and a pair of dark eyes—that he doubted missed much—she was a mixture of Italian and African-American ancestry and was very attractive.

  Peyton was also an attractive woman but she didn’t have much to say and only spoke when she had a specific purpose. She definitely wasn’t one to waste her time with words. She was the tallest of the three women and wore her thick black hair in dreads to her shoulders.

  He couldn’t help mulling over what Sam had told the police officers regarding her suspicions about that corporation having something to do with the break-in at Mac’s office.

  Luke glanced over at Mac and stared at her for a few moments before saying, “If Sam’s suspicions are true about that company, why would they go to such an extreme just to get a piece of land?”

  She glanced over at him. “It’s not just a piece of land. Mr. Coroni owns a huge tract that Whitedyer would like to use to expand their mining business. Some of the people in town are for the expansion because it could mean more jobs and that would provide an economic boost. But others see it for what it really is: another example of how some corporations are not taking steps to protect the environment. When Whitedyer came to town four years ago they promised to work with the community to preserve the ecosystem, but all they’ve done is use under-the-table tactics with some of our politicians to ease environmental regulations.”

  Luke didn’t say anything for a moment and then asked, “But if Coroni doesn’t wan
t to sell what can Whitedyer do?”

  Mackenzie glanced over at him when she brought the car to a stop at a traffic light. “At the moment they’re still working under-the-table, trying to get Mr. Coroni’s land rezoned. They’ve already tried increasing his property taxes to an amount he can barely afford to pay. To counteract that, a fund was established by concerned citizens to offer him assistance. Now Whitedyer is trying to force him off his own land by abusing eminent domain. That’s where I come in. My job is to stop them and it hasn’t been easy. Their company attorney, Lewis Farley, is nothing but an asshole, and unfortunately he has several members of the development council and city chamber backing them. They are trying to take the property away under an amendment that allows for the taking of property for private development if doing so can create jobs or raise revenue.”

  “If expanding the plant will create more jobs then how can you have a case?”

  Mackenzie sighed heavily as she put the car back into motion. “By proving that’s not their intent. Whitedyer just want their hands on the land. We got an anonymous tip telling us that once they get their hands on the property they intend to drop it in the lap of a third party who wants to build a resort; a resort they plan to bring their own people in to run and operate.”

  “Do you have proof of that?”

  “No, but I still plan on fighting them with the laws we have on the books now.”

  Luke didn’t say anything for a moment and then he asked, “And Sam thinks this Farley guy is responsible for what happened at your office tonight?”

  “Yes, that’s what she thinks, but I’m not so sure. I can’t see Farley getting his hands dirty by being part of something like that. But who knows? Desperate people will do just about anything, and I know for a fact they want me to get off the case. However, that won’t happen.”

  Nodding, Luke didn’t say anything until they came to another traffic light. “If not Farley, then who?”