Mackenzie shrugged as she stared straight ahead out the windshield. “Who knows, Luke? There are some people who see what we’re doing as a negative because they think it’s stopping the expansion of a company that’s willing to offer needed jobs. To them, we’re the bad guys, not Whitedyer.”
Lost in his thoughts, Luke hadn’t realized they were back at the ranch until she brought the car to a stop. He couldn’t help but recall what had happened around ten years ago to Caitlin, his cousin Dex’s wife. Blade, Slade, and Luke had been away in college at Morehouse at the time but had heard about it when they came home on break.
From what he’d heard, Caitlin had owned a piece of property that a certain developer had wanted, and they had been desperate enough to try just about anything to get it. They went so far as to try and threaten her into selling it to them. Their tactics backfired when they were confronted with the likes of Dex Madaris, who had just reentered Caitlin’s life. The bad guys found out the hard way that Dex was a force to reckon with.
“Luke, are you okay?”
He glanced over at Mackenzie. She sat there watching him. “Yes, why do you ask?”
“Because I’m home and you’re just sitting there and not saying anything. Nor are you making an attempt to get out the car. Are you sure you’re not in any pain?”
He couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, I’m sure. I was just lost in my thoughts, remembering a time around ten years ago when a developer tried forcing Caitlin to sell her land to them. It was land that had been in her family for generations.”
“I gather they didn’t succeed,” Mackenzie said, taking the key out of the ignition.
Luke chuckled as he unfastened his seat belt. “No, they didn’t succeed. They had to deal with Dex.”
He saw Mackenzie’s gaze fill with understanding. Anyone who knew Dex Madaris would appreciate what Luke was saying. Dex, who was almost twelve years older than Luke, was the Madaris who was known not to play—not even the radio. The majority of the time he was as serious as a heart attack, and when it came to anyone messing with those he loved, he kicked ass first and asked questions later.
Moments later Luke was walking beside Mackenzie across the yard to the house. “Nice night,” he decided to say, just to see if her response would be any different than the one she’d given earlier.
She stopped walking and looked up into the sky. The stars seemed to shine brighter tonight. Her voice was low when she spoke. “Considering everything that happened, I would say yes, it’s still a nice night. I refuse to let anyone take that away from me.” She then turned to him. “Do you understand what I’m saying, Luke?”
He nodded. Yes, he understood. If he didn’t before he certainly did now. What happened tonight had made her angry, but it had also made her more determined. If the person behind tonight’s chaos figured that would be a way to get Mac out of the picture, they were sadly mistaken. The memory of how she had looked when she had walked into her office tonight and seen the mess was etched in his brain. She had looked angry, hurt, yet at the same time fired up, fighting mad.
She began walking again and he fell in step beside her thinking it was a good thing she was moving. Otherwise, he would have been tempted to pull her into his arms and kiss her again. And hadn’t they decided earlier this evening, before she’d gotten that call from Sam, that they would just be friends, that they would build a friendship and not a relationship?
Mackenzie unlocked the door and Luke followed her inside. After stepping over the threshold, he tossed his hat on a nearby hat rack and watched as she headed toward the kitchen. He decided to keep his distance from her for a while. The car ride had been murder on his body in more ways than one. Sharing space with her had caused heat to run through him even when he’d tried not thinking about her. He never wondered how it would feel to have a woman to call his own. A woman whom he could claim as his possession, to do with as he pleased and whenever he pleased. As long as she was willing, of course. And she would be willing, he would make sure of it. That would definitely be an important factor. She would also have to be enticing, provocative, and filled with as much sensuality as any one woman could manage. And all for him.
The thought of having a woman like that had certain parts of him throbbing to the point he could no longer just stand there. But instead of taking the nearest chair he decided to stroll around the room to walk off the need he felt all the way to his groin. After circling the room several times, he began to wonder what Mackenzie was doing in the kitchen. She had been in there for a while now.
He headed in that direction but came up short when he passed through the doorway and saw she stood staring out the window with her back to him. And from the silent quaking of her shoulders he knew she was crying.
Luke realized he should turn away, go back into the living room, and give her this private time alone, but for some reason he couldn’t make himself do that. She was mad. She was upset. Her tears were tears of fury. And at the moment she needed a good shoulder to release them on.
She needed his.
That would put him in a role he wasn’t used to. Hell, the last thing he wanted was for some woman to cry all over him, get all emotional. But he ignored those thoughts as he crossed the room to her. After all, they were working on this friendship thing, weren’t they?
He stood close, at her back, deciding not to wrap his arms around her just yet. Even from where he was standing he could sense the anger vibrating from her. So instead he said in a soft tone, “It’s okay, Mac. Things are going to be all right.”
Her breath escaped in surprise. Evidently she hadn’t detected his presence. Without turning around she said in a broken voice, “I’m okay.”
At that moment he decided to make sure that she was and reached out and circled his arms around her waist, bringing her back against the solid wall of his chest and only winced a little when he did so. He rested his chin on the top of her head. “Yes, you’re okay, and do you know why you’re okay, Mac?”
She shook her head negatively before saying, “No.”
“Because you have guts. And because you also have the drive to do the right thing and fight for a cause.”
“But what if I lose?” she asked in a mere whisper.
He leaned forward, close to her ear, and said, “You won’t. Didn’t anyone ever tell you that the bad guys never win?”
It was then that she turned in his arms and met his gaze. “Never?”
She was looking up at him with those big gorgeous dark eyes of hers and there was no way he could tell her anything different. Besides, he actually believed what he’d said. Bad guys never won. “No, never.”
She sighed as if she believed him, and when he pulled her closer to the fit of his body, she came willingly and snuggled even closer. His hands moved higher and began gently massaging her back, to ease the tension. This was what she needed, rather than the kiss he desperately wanted to give her.
Her face was buried in his shirt but for some reason his chest didn’t feel any pain or discomfort. What he felt at that moment was something a lot more emotional than sensual. It might seem ludicrous but he was mesmerized by the woman in his arms in a different sort of way.
Remember, Lucas Garen Madaris III, it’s all about building a friendship and not a relationship. He wanted to push that particular reminder away but it seemed unmovable and he knew why. A relationship wasn’t compatible with his life goals. Friendship was all they could ever share.
She lifted her head and met his gaze and he felt his gut clench when he focused on her lips. A part of him wanted to taste them but another part, his common sense, told him not to do it.
“Thanks, Luke. I’m fine now,” she said softly.
His gaze shifted to her eyes. His voice seemed to have dipped an octave when he asked, “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
They stood staring at each other for a few quiet moments longer before she said, “It’s getting late. I’d better go.”
Instea
d of responding, he released her and took a step back. “Good night, Mac.”
“Good night, Luke. Make sure you take your medication before you turn in.”
He nodded.
And then she was gone and he was left there, standing alone, and wondering just how he had managed to get himself in such a fix.
Chapter 7
Blade and Slade Madaris, fraternal twins and owners of Madaris Construction Company, were handsome men, Mackenzie concluded as she stood in her doorway watching them get out of the car. She observed Slade offering his hand to his wife, Skye, who swung her legs out of the car to join the brothers. Not for the first time she thought that Slade and Skye made a beautiful couple, and she really liked Skye. She had such class and she was a very friendly and outgoing person.
Her gaze then shifted to Blade. To say he enjoyed being a bachelor was an understatement. Over the years she had heard a lot about him and his philandering ways, his long list of affairs. He was a heartbreak just waiting to happen for any woman who thought she could tame his womanizing heart. She bet a number had tried, but so far none had succeeded.
Suddenly her heart began throbbing against her rib cage and heat began spreading through her lower extremities, an indication that Luke was near. In fact, she was consciously aware of the moment he came to stand directly beside her.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw he had changed into another pair of jeans and shirt. He had that just-showered smell along with his usual masculine scent. The combination was tormenting her senses and reminding her of just what an enticing male specimen he was, something she tried not to dwell on. Especially these past three days since the night she had practically made a fool of herself by crying in his arms.
The day after that humiliating incident she had left home before he had gotten out of bed, convincing herself she was doing so to be there for the cleaning crew. They’d be coming to clear out the mess in her office from the night before. And she had returned late that night since she had scheduled a meeting with a client.
It had been close to ten by the time she had gotten home to find Luke had prepared dinner again—another casserole—that was just as tasty as the one he’d made the night before. He had been in the bedroom but had gotten up to join her in the kitchen, inquiring whether the police had made any progress in their investigation. She had told him the police still didn’t have a clue who had ransacked her office, but they were still obtaining more information. Of course Whitedyer denied any involvement and so far none of the customers at the restaurant that night had reported seeing or hearing anything suspicious.
He had asked her how her day had gone, but when he saw she wasn’t very talkative he had gone back to bed.
That night had pretty much set the pattern for the following two days. They only had a conversation when they thought they had something to say; otherwise they seemed to be distancing themselves from each other. She sighed deeply at the thought of that happening. So much for them trying to be friends.
“If your frown gets any deeper everyone is going to wonder what I’ve done to you, Mac,” Luke said in a low voice, interrupting her thoughts.
She couldn’t help but glance up at him, taking in the handsomeness of his features, especially his sensual mouth. She had noted that he was getting around better these past three days. His limp was less pronounced and he didn’t wince as much when he moved around. He had mentioned at breakfast that morning that he had cut back on his pain medication a few days ago and was getting along just fine without them. She had been glad to hear that, but she wasn’t glad to hear what he’d just said.
“I’m not frowning,” she countered, forcing a smile to her lips.
He chuckled as he glanced back up at her. “Now you’re not, but only because I just mentioned that you were. The last thing I want them to think is that I’ve been a bad patient.”
No, he hadn’t been a bad patient. In fact, he’d been just the opposite. It wasn’t his fault that his very presence caused havoc to her central nervous system, producing some sort of physical response whenever he was near. Instead of responding to what he said, she took a step on the porch when Skye quickly moved in her direction. Sexual tension seemed to be swirling in the air between her and Luke and the sooner she put distance between them, the better.
“I don’t know how the rest of your body is holding up, but I’m glad to see your eye sockets are still in pretty good working order where Mac is concerned.”
Luke shot his cousin Slade a frown. “What are you talking about?”
Slade chuckled. “I’m talking about the fact that when it comes to Mac, Blade and I do all the talking and you still do all the looking. Just like you were just doing. Just like you’ve been doing since we got here. She moves, your eyes move. They’re like radar that keeps track of her.”
Luke silently admitted that he had been staring at Mac, and probably had been doing so frequently. But then she was pretty, and damn, he was a man who appreciated beautiful things, especially women.
“We’re trying to be friends,” he finally said, thinking that statement would explain everything.
“Why?” It was Blade who asked.
The three of them were sitting on the porch while Skye and Mac were out in the yard near the corral. Theo had brought out an easygoing gelding for Skye to ride. Luke couldn’t help but smile at the thought that the first time Skye, a New Englander, had been on a horse was after she’d met Slade. And now she was a city girl who was determined to adjust to the western life she was a part of.
Luke glanced over at Blade. “Why, what?”
“Why are you trying to be friends with Mac? Slade and I are her friends. We always figured you would shoot to be something more.”
Luke’s frown returned. “How could the two of you think something like that? You of all people know I don’t have time for relationships. I just got time for rodeos.”
Blade chuckled. “How often do I have to tell you, Luke, that a man makes time for it all? Especially a woman.”
Luke rolled his eyes. “Everybody doesn’t have your stamina, Blade, or your desire to hit on any woman not already taken.”
Blade smiled. “Speaking of a woman not already taken, if you’re not placing a claim on Mac, then I know a couple of guys who’re interested in her. I’ve been keeping them at bay by saying she was yours, but if you’re going to relinquish any serious interest then—”
“Who are these men?” Luke asked, feeling his shoulders stiffen as well as a tightening in his chest that had nothing to do with his injury. He knew some of Blade’s friends. They were womanizers like him, and the prospect of Mac being exposed to any of them didn’t sit too well with him.
“Wyatt is one and Tanner is the other.”
Luke was out of his chair so fast that he winced at the pain he felt in his knee. “Wyatt Bannister and Tanner Jamison?”
At Blade’s nod, Luke scowled deeply. “Keep them away from her. They would mean her no good.”
“Mac’s a grown woman, Luke,” Blade said.
“And those two friends of yours are nothing but horny-ass men,” Luke all but growled. “Do like I said, Blade. Keep them away from her.” Without another word, Luke limped into the house.
Slade glanced over at his brother. “Well, I think you’ve done it now. You got him pretty pissed.”
“Damn, I hope so,” Blade said cheerfully. “What I told him is true. Wyatt and Tanner are itching in the crotch to hit on Mac. The only thing keeping them at bay is Luke. They don’t want to infringe on his territory. I thought I’d prepare him since Wyatt and Tanner are attending the graduation party the folks are giving QT next month and Mac plans to be there too.” QT was the nickname for Quantum Talon Madaris, Blade and Slade’s twenty-five-year-old brother, who had recently graduated from Howard University Medical School.
“Luke needs to come to terms with what Mac means to him. If he’s determined to pick rodeo over her then he should move aside,” Blade said, smiling, knowing th
ere was no way Luke would do that. However, it was something Luke would have to discover for himself.
Slade looked over at his twin. “Why do I get the feeling that you, of all people, are trying to play matchmaker?”
Blade chuckled. “Mainly because I like Mac, and like Luke, I don’t want Wyatt or Tanner to come anywhere near her. Hell, they’re my home boys so I know what they’re about. I consider Mac like a sister. Besides, I would hate for Ashton to get involved if one of them were to get out of line with her.”
Slade shuddered at the thought. Ashton Sinclair, a colonel in the marines and a former Recon man, was as tough as they came. Like Mac he was part Cherokee and part African American and rumor had it that he even had some sort of mystic powers. “Hopefully, Luke will make some sort of move before the party,” Slade decided to say.
Blade nodded. “Yeah, we can both hope so.”
Luke stood at the kitchen window watching Skye and Mac. Both were good-looking women. One was spoken for and one was not. His vision was concentrated on the one that was not.
Mac.
He frowned when he remembered what Blade had said a few moments ago. There was no way in hell that he was going to let Wyatt Bannister or Tanner Jamison get anywhere near her. He knew Wyatt a lot better than he knew Tanner since Wyatt was one of Camden’s brothers. And he’d heard enough about Wyatt’s exploits from Cam to know just how Wyatt operated. Besides, Wyatt was one of Blade’s closest friends which in itself said it all. Blade and a few of his “buddies” were affiliated with a sort of private all-male fraternity called the Notorious Gentlemen’s Club, and although Blade had never acknowledged it, Luke had heard the members would periodically hold secret meetings and they were even contemplating opening a nightclub in Houston with that same name—Notorious Gentlemen’s Club—as if any of them could ever be considered true gentlemen.
Mac was a beautiful woman and he couldn’t blame any man for being interested in her, but as far as Luke was concerned, those men could effectively count her out as a possible conquest. Whether he laid claim to her or not, she would still be off limits to any of them.
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