Slow Burn (A Madaris Family Novel) (15 page)

On a deep sigh he parted his lips, and she invaded his mouth with hers, tasting him as hungrily as he’d ever tasted her. She felt his hands tighten around her waist as he pulled her closer to the fit of him, letting her feel how aroused he was.

She continued kissing him, stroking her tongue with his, while her heartbeat hammered relentlessly in her chest. And when she couldn’t take any more, she pulled her mouth back and inhaled a deep breath.

He reached out and tipped her chin toward him and met her gaze. The eyes holding hers were dark, hot, mesmerizing. “You are so unlike anyone I’ve ever known. So utterly different in a good way,” he whispered hoarsely as his lips quirked into a smile. “But you like playing with fire, don’t you?”

She grinned at the incredulity in his voice. “I don’t mind as long as I can count on you to be my fireman who’s willing to put out the flame if it gets out of hand.”

He chuckled. “Well, in that case, I think we need to leave before we end up burning this place down,” he said softly with meaning as he took her hand in his.

As he led her to the door, she whispered over at him, “I think you’re right.”

By the time they had arrived at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Skye’s heart had stopped hammering in her chest. And when she was seated at the table she and Slade had been given, she was ready to relax and feed her stomach as the delicious scent of food filled her head.

She glanced around, liking the décor of low ceilings, dark wood, paneled walls, leather upholstery, and soft lighting, which gave the interior an upscale feel. After they had been served water and handed menus, she took a sip and glanced over at Slade. “I’m sure you’ve been here before, so what do you suggest?”

He smiled at her from across the table. “For me it will be their classic prime-rib-that’s-grilled-to-perfection steak, but I know in your neck of the woods, seafood is the name of the game, so if you prefer to go that route, then I suggest either their lobster tails, steamed crab legs, or wild Alaskan salmon that you can complement with various side dishes that include a baked potato and macaroni and cheese.”

Skye’s eyes lit up. “Oooh, I love macaroni and cheese.”

“Then I’m going to have to prepare dinner for you one night and include it on my menu.”

She lifted a dubious brow. “You can cook good macaroni and cheese?”

He leaned back in his chair and chuckled. “Not only is it good; it’s mean. And if you’re a person who likes cheese, then it’s the dish for you. I use my great-grandmother Laverne’s own recipe. We all do. It’s been passed down the Madaris line for years and is one we can share freely. Now the Madaris prized tea is another matter.”

She smiled over at him. “What about the tea?”

“It’s a secret. The only persons who know what goes into the making of it are the males in the family, but only when they reach the age of thirty-five. So I don’t know the ingredients yet, and in a way I don’t want to know.”

Skye raised her brows. “Why?”

“Because there are certain female members of the family who think they have a right to know and are trying to find out, and I don’t want to be placed in a position where I’m cornered by any of them.” He chuckled. “They can be ruthless in the pursuit of finding out things they have no business knowing.”

Skye grinned. She knew he was just teasing about the women being ruthless, and she enjoyed listening to anything he had to say about his family. She had heard enough to know they were a tight-knit group who might fuss among themselves, but she had a feeling when it came to the real deal, they backed up their own.

She and Slade ended up ordering a huge steak for the both of them, along with seasoned rice and macaroni and cheese. The wine list had been massive, and they had selected one that the manager on duty had suggested. And the highlight of the evening had been the molten chocolate cake that had nearly melted in their mouths.

“So what do you think of a Texas-size steak?” Slade asked, wiping his mouth with the napkin.

“It was wonderful. Everything was wonderful. Thank you for bringing me here.”

“You’re welcome.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s still kind of early. How about me taking you over to the Madaris Building and showing you around?”

She smiled. “I’d like that.”

The building was empty. Not surprising for a Friday night. Everyone had probably left on time to begin their weekend. The entire office park occupied a landmass of over fifty acres, and the goal was to provide a self-contained community where persons could work, play, and live. Expansion of the site to include several tennis courts and two more condo buildings was to take place beginning the first of the year.

Slade had explained that there were fifteen floors, with a total of twenty-one occupants. Several rather large companies, such as Madaris Explorations, which was owned by his cousin Dex, took up an entire floor due to laboratory space and the number of employees. The exterior structure was made of both stone and brick to enhance the landscape, and the entrance was a beautiful glass atrium. There were several restaurants, boutiques, and a day care on the ground floor. One of Justin’s sisters, the one named Kattie, also owned a bookstore located on the ground floor. And the Madaris Publishing Company that was responsible for the printing and distribution of Lorren’s books, was also on the ground floor.

Slade’s cousin Clayton and his wife, Syneda, both attorneys, had their law office on the fifth floor; his uncle Jake had an office also on the fifth floor, which he seldom used, since he rarely left the ranch. And Alex Maxwell, who was married to Slade’s cousin Christy, who was Justin’s youngest sister, had an office on the tenth floor. To Skye it sounded like one huge family affair.

Slade used his master key to let him and Skye in, and in no time they had caught the elevator up to the fifteenth floor. Like Madaris Explorations, the Madaris Construction Company took up the entire floor, letting Skye know it was not a small operation by any means.

The setup of Slade and Blade’s company was professional, the furniture practical and ergonomically correct. Slade showed her Blade’s office, which in her opinion fit him perfectly. Being the natural predator he seemed to be, he had a lot of glass in his office, almost wall-to-wall, that would provide on any given day a view of his surroundings without giving him the feel of being caged.

There was also an office where the accountant worked, as well as a licensing department that handled all the permits that had to be applied for and pulled with the city before work could begin on any project. Slade showed her all the state-of-the-art equipment they used to assure the soundness and sturdiness of any building they erected, as well as the drafting room, which he used exclusively to design any given project.

Last, he showed her his office. Unlike Blade’s, there was only one huge window in the room, but the view at night was breathtaking. Skye crossed the room to stand in front of it to admire the landscaping and how after dark the lights lit up the pond and nearby lake. Across the distance she recognized the building that housed the condo where she was staying.

“You and Blade have to be proud of your accomplishments, Slade. The view from up here is simply beautiful.”

“Thanks, and we
are
proud of everything we do. But we’re also blessed with a family who believed in us and gave us a chance. When we started out on this venture we had just celebrated our twenty-fifth birthday. A lot of people said my father, grandfather, and uncle Jake were taking a chance on us, and that Mitch Farrell was just plain loco. But we proved them all wrong. Now, we basically get to pick and choose the projects we want. But I have to admit there are some that don’t come easy, due to our family name. They think we get the jobs we acquire because of connections.”

Skye heard the tremor in his voice and knew he was bothered by anyone thinking that way. Again, she couldn’t help but note the difference between him and Wayne. Her ex-fiancé thrived on connections. In fact, he felt it was his God-given right to have them.

“You know I thought of this often,” Slade said, easing up behind her. His arms came around her, bringing her back against him to rest her frame intimately against his.

She rested the back of her head on his chest. Contented. “You thought of what?” she asked softly.

“You, here in my office with me. You and me standing at the window looking out at night, seeing all the lights, the moon, the stars…”

“Umm, you sound like a romantic.”

He rested his chin on the top of her head. “In that case, I guess I am. But only with you. I never envisioned standing here at this window with anyone but you.”

The logical part of her brain told her to take what he said as a sweet comment and not make a big deal out of it. But the part of her that loved him did make a big deal out of it. One thing she knew about Slade was that he didn’t say things just to say them.

“You also know what else I thought of a lot?”

“No, Slade, what else did you think of a lot?”

He turned her into his arms. “Standing here in this room, this very spot kissing you.” A devilish smile crinkled the corners of his lips when he said, “Granted that’s not all I thought about doing in this spot with you, but for now kissing will do.”

He leaned down and slipped his tongue between her lips and moaned the moment it settled in her mouth. He moaned again, loving the taste of this woman and thinking it was one he would never get tired of. Each time they kissed made him want to kiss her that much more. And then the heated tips of her breasts that were pressing against his chest weren’t helping matters.

He pulled back slightly and whispered against her lips, “Spend the night with me. In my condo. In my bed. Between my sheets.”

He heard her breath quicken and went on to say, “Tomorrow Vincent will arrive and the time we have to spend together will decrease. Tonight is all we’ll have for a while, and I want to use it to the fullest. Will you let us do that?”

Skye didn’t have to debate with herself whether to take him up on his offer. She wanted this night with him as well. After that, her time and attention would be devoted to Vincent. Slade understood that.

But there was tonight
.

“Yes,” she said, smiling up at him. “Tonight is all we have, so let’s take full advantage of it.”

“I’ll never take you up on another offer, Slade Madaris,”
Skye said in an exhausted voice as she uncurled her legs from beneath his muscular body when he shifted off her. She had no energy left. All she wanted to do was sleep.

Slade let out a long breath as he reached out and pulled her close into his arms. He felt as exhausted as she sounded. But then they
had
said they wanted to take full advantage of tonight.

With the little energy she still had, she turned to him. “We are normal people, aren’t we?”

He nodded, smiling. “Yes, we’re normal.”

“Just making sure.”

He chuckled. “I gather you and Mr. No Brains didn’t do this often.”

She knew who he was talking about. “Umm, like I said, Wayne had a different view on sex. Besides, are there really many people who’d do it this often?”

He glanced at her, surprised she’d ask. “Sure. Most people that I know would.”

She looked up at him. “Must be super-humans.”

He laughed. “No, just regular people with healthy sexual appetites.”

“Don’t tell me; let me guess. It runs in your family.”

He pulled her even closer into his arms and placed a kiss on her forehead. “Yes, such appetites run in my family.”

She recalled observing Justin and Lorren and how touchy-feely they were. They loved each other and had no problems showing it. Skye thought of her own parents and wondered how differently things could have been for them if they had married other people instead of being forced into a marriage with each other. She couldn’t recall ever seeing them display any type of love and affection. In the past she never paid much attention to it, assuming that’s how it was for most couples. Meeting members of Slade’s family had opened her eyes and made her realize the home life she’d assumed was healthy really hadn’t been.

“Ready to take a nap?”

She raised a brow. “A nap? It’s way after midnight. Most people are fully asleep by now.”

“But we aren’t most people, are we? We’re a couple whose time together will be limited, and we’ve decided to take advantage of it.”

Skye closed her eyes, too sluggish to argue. Besides, she’d seen it happen before when she would think there was no way she could possibly go another round with Slade and she would end up doing just that. There was something about the way he could touch her, taste her, talk all kinds of sweet stuff in her ear, whisper words and phrases she’d never heard before. Words guaranteed to turn her on. She had definitely lived a sheltered life.

But then a part of her was acutely grateful for the passion he had introduced her to. Passion she doubted she would have had in her life with Wayne. When she returned to Maine, at least she would have that: memories of the passion.

“We will be taking just a nap, Skye. I plan to wake you up in an hour or two.”

Her eyes remained closed, but her lips curved in a smile. “I’m going to have to do something about that healthy appetite of yours.”

“Want me to give you some ideas?” And then she felt it. His tongue on her breast, hungrily sucking the nipple into his mouth.

She still refused to open her eyes, although heat was beginning to generate between her legs again. “I thought we were going to take a nap.”

“I changed my mind. I decided I want to taste you in a place I haven’t tasted you yet.”

Skye’s eyes flew open. What on earth was he talking about!

And then she felt him place a kiss on her stomach, one of those kisses that trailed his wet tongue around her navel. A helpless groan escaped her lips. She knew he heard it but chose to ignore it and continued to lick all over her skin.

“Slade?”

“Umm?”

“What are you doing?”

“Tasting you.”

And then he showed her just what he meant when he moved away from her tummy to start on the smooth skin of her inner thigh.

“Slade. Don’t.”

The request, weak at best, came too late. He shifted his mouth, and his lips latched on to her womanly core. He used his tongue to taste her like she was a treat he just had to devour. She quivered. She moaned. She whispered his name over and over.

Finally she said, “Slade. Please
don’t
stop.”

He didn’t. He kept it up, insistently kissing her that intimate way, tasting her again and again until her body came apart, rocking, rolling, reeling, and shuddering in one breathtaking pleasurable climax.

She half-sighed, half-laughed. “You don’t play fair.”

He pulled back up in bed and tenderly kissed her lips. “Sweetheart, when it comes to making love to you, I don’t play at all.”

He pulled her closer into his arms and entwined his legs with hers. “Now you can take a nap.”

Skye closed her eyes and a smile curved her lips. And the only thing she could think of before drifting off to sleep was that the man holding her in his arms was simply amazing.

“I feel guilty for keeping you out so late, Diana,” Senator Nedwyn Lansing said, opening the car door for the beautiful woman at his side. “It’s way past midnight.”

She smiled as she slipped into the leather seat of his Infiniti. “We’re too old to have a curfew, Ned, so please don’t worry about it. The play was magnificent, and if they had a second show, I would have been tempted to stay and watch it again.”

He gave her a smile before closing the door, and as he walked around the front of the car to get into the driver’s side, she whooshed out a long, deep breath. It was getting harder and harder to be around Nedwyn and not let her feelings for him show. What was wrong with her? What had been wrong with her for a few years now? Ever since she’d discovered she saw him as more than the man who had been best friend to her late husband and whom she considered her best friend now. Over the years, he’d always been there, even while being the public servant in the nation’s capital. She’d always known he’d been just a phone call away and if she’d ever needed him, he would drop whatever it was he was doing and come to her. She had known it, although she’d never taken him up on it. To her daughter, Felicia, he’d always been her godfather, and he had always been there, fulfilling the promise he’d made to his best friend.

Diana studied Nedwyn’s expression for a brief moment when he opened the car door and got in. She’d always thought he was a very handsome man and had been surprised over the years when, although he had dated, he’d never seemed to give thought to settling down and marrying. Whenever Diana would ask him about his life as a bachelor, he would tease her and say he was already married to the Senate, and fulfilling the role of Senator Nedwyn Lansing and doing a good job for the people he represented was all he needed.

“You buckled in?” he asked, glancing over at her.

She smiled. “Yes, now it’s your time.”

He chuckled, his voice rich and deep in the interior of the car. She thought that at fifty-nine he was an extremely handsome man who wore his age well. He was in excellent physical shape, no doubt due to their weekly games of tennis and golfing. He stood tall, over six feet, and had such a stately stature. He had a light brown complexion, with the most gorgeous hazel eyes she’d ever seen. And when he smiled, there appeared the cutest little cleft in his chin.

She knew that over the years he had captured a lot of women’s interest, but so far he hadn’t reciprocated the interest to any one of them. For a while Diana had thought he would eventually marry this one woman he had dated steadily for a couple of years, a law professor at Howard University. Diana had thought the woman very attractive and, at the time, possibly what Nedwyn needed. After their breakup, he later confided that she had been too demanding for his taste and when she had given him an ultimatum to set a wedding date, he had refused and she had walked. The one thing Diana did know about Nedwyn was that he was not a man who would be forced into any situation he didn’t want to be in. That was one of the reasons she had kept her feelings for him to herself. If she couldn’t have his love, then his devoted friendship was the next best thing and she was satisfied.

“How’s the grands, Diana?”

He asked the question while pulling out of the parking lot. It was a beautiful night, and she was glad he’d asked her to accompany him to the play. Since he had been spending more and more time in Houston due to his retirement, they were spending a lot more time together, but she never considered it dating. In her mind they were too old and too close as friends for that. She had dated occasionally, since at fifty-seven she still enjoyed going places and doing fun things. But lately it seemed that the men were becoming too aggressive. The rules of dating as well as the expectations were changing, and she had decided a year ago that she wanted no part of it. She now preferred group activities with friends or, like tonight, she would keep herself busy until Nedwyn called. And she had to admit that lately he had been calling a lot.

“The grandkids are simply wonderful,” she said, smiling over at him. “I talked to Austin earlier today, and he had a lot to tell me about school. Madaris tried telling me something, too, but at two she’s still forming her words. However, I did get the gist of what she was saying.” Diana chuckled. “She’s going through the potty-training stage and she wanted to let me know she did good today.”

The senator laughed. “They are precious, aren’t they?”

Diana smiled. “Yes, they are, and Robert would have adored them, wouldn’t he?” she said of her late husband.

Nedwyn returned her smile as fond memories flashed through his mind. “Yes, Robert would have adored them, just like he adored you and Felicia. And speaking of Felicia, how are things going with her lingerie shop? I understand that she’s thinking about expanding again.”

“Yes, she is. And this time on a national level. She’s received calls interested in a possible franchise. If she went that route, then that would free up her time to travel more with Trask, especially during football season while he works as a sports commentator for the NFL.”

Trask Maxwell, Felicia’s husband and childhood friend—or childhood enemy, whichever way the stories could be told—had grown up to become a football legend. He’d played professionally for years, until a knee injury at the age of thirty-four brought an end to his football career.

“I ran into Felicia and Trask the other night at the shopping mall,” Senator Nedwyn said. “They looked so happy together, and a part of me actually envied what they had. Then I thought of all the wasted years when I could have had someone special in my life.”

His words surprised Diana. This was the first time he had ever mentioned regretting not sharing a serious relationship with a woman. Would he contemplate doing that now? Was she about to lose her best friend? A lot of women wouldn’t understand or accept the type of relationship the two of them shared. There had even been rumors of their being lovers, which was so far from the truth, since other than a peck to the cheek, Nedwyn had never even tried to kiss her.

“At least your building is well lit,” Nedwyn interrupted her thoughts by saying. They had arrived at her condo.

“Yes, and well secured. I love staying here.” She had taken her nephews Blade and Slade up on purchasing a condo in this building even before it was completed. Her house had gotten too big for her, as well as too lonely. She had wanted to buy a condo with everything modern and all the amenities of condo living. She hadn’t regretted it. And it felt good to know that a few family members were close by, since both Blade and Slade also lived in the building.

“So, are we still on for our game of tennis tomorrow?” Nedwyn asked, bringing the car to a stop in front of her building.

“Yes, we are,” she said. “Same time.”

“All right. And what are you doing on Sunday?” he then asked.

She shrugged. “The usual. Church and then dinner at Felicia’s. Why?”

“I thought it would be nice if we had dinner together. At my place. With the both of us doing the cooking. What do you think?”

For a quick moment, she didn’t know what to think, but she quickly recovered and smiled over at him. “I think that would be nice.”

“Then I’ll leave it to you to plan the menu and we can go shopping for everything at the grocery store tomorrow. Is that all right with you?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Good.”

He then opened the door to come around on her side of the car to open the door for her. She sat there stunned. Nedwyn wanted to spend more time with her, and she really didn’t know what to make of it. She truly didn’t want to get her hopes up.

She smiled when he opened the door and offered her his hand. Moments later, he walked her inside, nodding a hello to the security doorman on the ground floor. Since her condo was on the second floor, the ride in the elevator was over before they knew it.

“So, tomorrow I’ll pick you up at noon,” Nedwyn said when they reached her door. There were only four condos on the second floor, and all four were occupied. Evidently everyone else had retired for the night long ago. The hall was empty. Almost too quiet. And Diana had to inwardly admit it had been a long time since she’d been out this late.

As usual, Nedwyn, being the gentleman that he was, took the key she offered and opened the door for her. She looked up at him. “Good night, Ned. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Good night, Diana.”

She was about to turn when he touched her arm. When she glanced back at him, he leaned forward and placed a light kiss across her lips. “Pleasant dreams,” he whispered in her ear.

She stood there stunned for a second before taking a step back and entering her home, closing the door behind her. The thought that flowed through her mind was that Nedwyn had never kissed her before.

Until tonight.

When Nedwyn let himself into his own home less than twenty minutes later, he suddenly realized he was whistling and had been whistling since walking out of Diana’s condominium building. But then, he thought smiling, he had a lot to whistle about. Diana hadn’t had a problem with his dominating her time this weekend, which he considered a blessing.