Sensual Confessions (10 page)

Peyton shook her head. “I don’t know whether you should be flattered or scared.”

Sam stared at her. “Scared?”

Her friend nodded. “If it was anyone else, I would say
it sounds like he’s stalking you. But I’ve met Luke’s family and they all seem sane.”

Sam laughed. “However, you and I both know that in every family there’s a loony tune. But seriously, I think of Blade’s antics as more of him making a nuisance of himself than a threat.”

“Then maybe you
should
be flattered. I’ve heard stories about him. I have cousins living in Houston and his reputation there is legendary. Blade Madaris is used to having anything and anyone he wants. The women love him. Good eye candy is hard to find these days and you have to admit he’s rather pleasing to the eyes.”

“Yes, he is pleasing to the eyes,” Sam couldn’t help but admit.

“If he did lease that house just to keep you within reach, it’s probably a first for him to give any woman that much attention. Hmm, makes me wonder.”

“About what?”

“How you’re going to deal with him. Blade appears to be a man pretty sure of himself, and he goes after what he wants. Moving next door proves that he wants you.”

“He won’t have me.” She knew that had to be a sore spot with him. Men who assumed they could have any woman they wanted, and play them however they felt like playing them, without concern for their feelings and emotions, were used to having things their way.

“So, what are you going to do about him living next door?”

Peyton’s question interrupted Sam’s thoughts, and she couldn’t help but smile at the plan she’d decided on earlier. “I intend to drive him crazy. Take every opportunity to remind him of what he doesn’t have and what he won’t be getting. Handle him like I handle all players. I think he needs to be taught a lesson.”

Peyton frowned. “Haven’t you gotten enough of going after players to teach them a lesson, Sam? One of these days it’s going to backfire on you again. Do I need to remind you about Belton LaSalle?”

Just hearing the man’s name sent shivers down Sam’s spine. LaSalle had been a player of the worse kind. He had pursued her for weeks after meeting her in a bar where she, Peyton and Mac had been enjoying after-hours drinks. He had walked in that night with the word
player
all but plastered on his forehead.

Sam had decided that Belton should be taught a lesson. She didn’t want to think about what might have happened that night if Mac and Peyton hadn’t been at the same restaurant and seen LaSalle slip something into her drink when her back was turned. They had immediately called the police, who had arrested Belton there on the spot. Belton had been sentenced five years for possession of GHB, the date-rape drug.

Not wanting to talk or think about Belton LaSalle any longer, Sam changed the subject and discussed the woman she had met with earlier that day: one who wanted to sue the local newspaper for failing to print her husband’s obituary. She was certain more people would have shown up for the service had they known.

“Where’s Mac?” Sam asked a few moments later, when Peyton stood to leave for her three-o’clock appointment.

“She left early today. Her brother-in-law Reese is in town and she wanted to prepare dinner.”

Sam nodded, remembering Mac had mentioned that Reese would be arriving. She wondered if Blade would be having dinner with Mac and Luke. Sam certainly hoped so. The last thing she wanted was for him to make his way over to her place and knock on her door. It would be just like him to find some excuse to aggravate her.

Besides, she needed time to put her plans for him into motion. She wanted him to think she had come around and was open to having an affair. And when he thought he had her just where he wanted her, she would let him know that he was the one who had been used.

There was nothing like seeing the look on a player’s face when he was ready to sizzle, only to have her defuse the flame. She liked being a tease and proving to them that some women were immune to their doggish charms.

“Peyton, what do you have planned for the weekend?” she asked. Tomorrow was Friday and the last thing she needed was to run into Blade over the weekend. And with him living next door there was a strong possibility that would happen. Besides, she needed distance to think of a good plan for him.

“Nothing. Why?”

“How would you like to go with me for the weekend to that new resort in Sparks? I heard it has a real nice spa, and it will be my treat.”

Peyton studied her a second and then asked. “Any reason you want to get out of Dodge?”

Sam rolled her eyes. “For Pete’s sake, stop asking questions. Do you want to go or not?”

Peyton smiled. “Yes, I’ll go, but it doesn’t have to be your treat, Di Meglio.”

Sam waved one hand in the air. “Whatever. I’ll bring my bags in tomorrow and we can leave right after work. I’ll call to make the reservation.”

After Peyton left her office, Sam leaned back in her chair, feeling more relaxed. She had found something to do for the weekend and didn’t have to worry about crossing paths with Blade.

L
ate Sunday night the sound of a woman humming woke Blade up. At first he thought he’d been dreaming, but now he was wide-awake and could still hear the sound. He flipped on his back, perked up his ears and wondered where the melody was coming from.

Easing out of bed and grabbing his robe, he glanced around his room. He didn’t believe in ghosts, so the thought of this place being haunted didn’t enter his mind. He began walking toward where the sound was coming from.

He opened the French doors leading to the balcony and stepped out in his bare feet on the cool ceramic tile. He glanced to his right and had a good view of Sam’s balcony. Because of the way the townhomes were designed, the only thing that separated the two was a brick planter, which afforded only a semblance of privacy between the two homes. But all he had to do was push a
few plants aside to see into the screened-in area off her bedroom.

She had installed a hot tub and she was outside in it. Her head was thrown back and her eyes were closed and she looked relaxed. She was humming the song that had awakened him.

Although he hadn’t checked the time, he figured it to be close to midnight, since it had been after ten o’clock when he’d left Luke and Mac’s place. When he’d arrived home he’d assumed Sam had returned from her weekend getaway and had turned in for the night, since all the lights were out at her place.

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.