And then he lowered his mouth to hers.
Sam saw his mouth coming and was ready for it. They had talked long enough and she needed this to take the heat off. The moment their mouths touched she could feel her heart slam against her chest, automatically causing an ache between her thighs. The way his erection was pressing against her wasn"t helping matters. But she could handle it.
Or she would die trying.
Moments later she thought she would be dying anyway, if he continued to kiss her the way he did. His tongue was greedier tonight than it had been the last time. There were no parts of her mouth that hadn"t been licked, sucked and teased. He was thorough and by the time he was finished she was moaning deep in her throat. But then she"d heard his groans, those husky sounds he"d made, letting her know his enjoyment was just as pleasurable as hers.
Once again it was the intercom that had them reluctantly pulling their mouths apart. "Ms. Di Meglio, it"s eight o"clock, and you wanted me to let you know so that you wouldn"t stay here too late," Rita said.
Sam licked her lips, sealing in Blade"s taste. She was surprised Rita had remembered. Usually she was so absorbed in her novel that she forgot everything. Sam leaned over and pressed the b.u.t.ton on her desk. "Thanks, Rita, I"m getting ready to leave now."
Thankfully, Blade stood back to let her lock her desk drawers, and then he moved in step with her when she headed out the door. She bade Rita a good-night when they pa.s.sed through Security. She and Blade didn"t say anything until they were walking out the door to the parking lot.
"She"s a lot nicer than that security guard that was here the morning I stopped by," Blade said.
Sam looked over at him. "That was Frank Denson. He takes his job seriously."
Blade snorted. "Yeah, I can tell." He decided not to mention that as far as he was concerned, the man took her seriously, as well. He had watched how Denson had hung on to her every word. Had the man been a dog he would have been panting and wagging his tail. A low growl rumbled in Blade"s chest at the memory.
When they reached her car he waited until she opened the door and slid inside, appreciating the glimpse of her thigh. "And you"re sure I can"t persuade you to come to my hotel room tonight?"
Sam couldn"t help but grin. Blade was persistent if nothing else. "I"m positive. I agreed to have dinner with you tomorrow night, that"s a start."
He smiled down at her. "I prefer thinking about the finish. It will be a lot hotter and steamier."
"We"ll see."
"No, Samari Di Meglio, get ready to feel. And because I was taught to make sure ladies get home safely, I"ll follow you."
She nodded. There was no reason to tell him that he would only be allowed to go so far, because she lived in a gated community. He would find out soon enough, especially if he a.s.sumed she would be inviting him inside for a nightcap. It wouldn"t be happening.
"Good night, Blade.
"Good night, and I"ll pick you up here tomorrow at five."
"All right." And without giving him time to say anything else, barely giving him time to get into his own car and start the engine, she pulled off.
Chapter 6.
Scowling, Blade sat outside the gate while Sam drove through it. She had conveniently avoided mentioning that she lived in a gated community-a very upscale one at that. The engineer in him couldn"t help but admire the design and structure of the complex-at least what he could see from the outside.
Windsor Park.
He knew the price of the townhomes in this development weren"t cheap. And judging from the fortress surrounding it, the complex looked as secure as Fort Knox. Was there a reason she had decided to live someplace that provided her such high-level security and protection?
As he drove away, he tried to remember just what he knew about Sam. Since meeting her he had asked Mac a number of questions. Some she had answered and others she had not. Luke had been just as tight-lipped as his wife, and the only thing he had said, other than a warning that Sam wasn"t the kind of woman he should go after, was that her family had money.
That was all well and good, since Blade wasn"t exactly broke himself. Thanks to the Madaris Construction Company, and his uncle Jake Madaris-not only a highly successful businessman, but one h.e.l.l of a financial adviser, who had made some wise investments on Blade"s behalf-if he never worked another day in his life, he could still live a very wealthy lifestyle.
Minutes later, when he entered his hotel room, an idea took shape in his head. He would be meeting with some of Mosley"s employees tomorrow to start the ball rolling, so everything would be in place to break ground in a few months. But that didn"t mean he couldn"t remain in Oklahoma City a little while longer than planned, to make sure things were under control and on schedule-although the Madaris Construction Company had yet to miss a deadline, and certainly not on his watch.
And if he intended to hang around, there was no reason for him to remain cooped up in this hotel. First thing in the morning he would call Claire, the secretary he and Slade shared at the Madaris Construction Company, to get her to find him a place to stay. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the complex where Sam was living. He was certain there must be a unit there that could be leased on a short-term basis.
He smiled as he headed toward the bathroom for a shower. It didn"t bother him in the least that he was doing some things he"d never done in the past in his hot pursuit of a woman. But then a man had to do what a man had to do, and since he believed it would be well worth it in the end, then so be it. The moment she had mentioned the words wild fantasies wild fantasies, he had known he would not be able to walk away until he discovered just what kind of wild fantasies she had in mind.
He was in the process of removing his shoes when his cell phone rang. A glance at the caller ID indicated the call was from Slade. He clicked on the line. "Hey, Slade, what"s going on?"
"I thought I"d warn you that Mama Laverne has been asking about you. She dropped by the office today to visit with you."
Blade lifted a brow. She was always asking about him and every other son, grand and great-grand of hers. The old gal made it her business to try and keep up with everyone. She had probably planned to read him the riot act for not showing up for church that Sunday. "And?"
"And she"s wondering why you"re back in Oklahoma."
Blade leaned against the dresser in the bedroom. "What did you tell her?"
"That we have business there you had to take care of. I even showed her the model of the Mosley Building we have on display in the lobby. That may have satisfied her somewhat, but I suggest you give her a call to let her know you"re all right. The older she gets the more she worries."
Blade chuckled. Slade was too nice to say that the older their great-grandmother got the more she meddled in their affairs. "Okay, I"ll call her tomorrow. How"s Skye doing?"
"My lady is doing fine."
Blade shook his head. His twin liked getting all mushy on him when it came to Skye. He was sounding like a whipped man. Like Luke, this marriage thing evidently agreed with him.
"Do you know how long you plan to stay in Oklahoma?" Slade asked, interrupting his thoughts.
Blade shrugged. "For another week or so."
He thought of Sam and then said, "Maybe longer. I want to be hands-on." He wasn"t referring to the Mosley Building, but Slade didn"t really need to know that.
"In fact, I plan on contacting Claire tomorrow to see if she can find me a bigger place," he added, giving Slade a heads-up on his plans. "It will be cheaper to lease something instead of remaining in a hotel, since I"ll be making a number of trips back and forth periodically to check on things." He smiled. His reasoning sounded good even to his own ears.
"That might not be such a bad idea. It might save us a lot of money in the long run. Take care and I"ll talk to you later."
"You, too."
"And don"t forget to call Mama Laverne or you might be sorry."
"I"ll call her." Blade hung up the phone thinking about Slade"s comment about saving the company money. He chuckled. Saving the company money was the last thing on his mind. Getting Sam into his bed topped the list.
Sam couldn"t help the smile that kept creeping across her face as she blow-dried her hair. You didn"t have to be a rocket scientist to know that Blade thought he had her right where he wanted her-almost. The fact that he couldn"t follow her inside the gated community might have set him back a bit, but there was no doubt in her mind that he intended to recover ground tomorrow over dinner. She would definitely be prepared.
A short while later, she got into bed and curled up under the covers. She hadn"t gotten a lot done tonight because of Blade"s visit, which meant she would have to get up and go into the office early. She had an appointment at ten with a woman who was divorcing her husband and wanted full custody of the family dog. To avoid dwelling on what a circus the case might become, Sam shifted in bed, trying not to think about Blade-the man who seemingly was trying to monopolize all of her time.
She didn"t have to close her eyes to recall how he"d looked standing in her office doorway or how she"d felt ogling him. Her office had been filled with so much s.e.xual energy it was a wonder the two of them hadn"t been electrocuted. She knew that she needed to mind her p"s and q"s at dinner the next day, and stay one step ahead of his game. He was a man on the prowl, determined to get inside her panties. And she was just as determined that he didn"t.
She wondered if he would continue to send the flowers. Peyton had joked that her secret admirer must know her schedule, since no flowers had been delivered while she"d been away last week. It would have been easy for Blade to find out that information. Mac might have innocently mentioned it to him, just as she"d mentioned her whereabouts tonight. Or Luke could have been the one to spill the beans.
Sam sighed, thinking she missed the flowers and had gotten used to receiving them. The gesture seemed like Blade"s M.O. Including a card with some mushy sentimental line just wasn"t his style. Evidently, he was trying to make sure he was always in her thoughts whenever she looked at the beautiful flower arrangement.
He hadn"t mentioned that he was the one sending her flowers. He hadn"t even paid much attention to the bouquet when he"d been in her office. If this was all a part of his version of the game of Seize and Conquer-which she was certain it was-then she intended to enjoy the flowers while they lasted.
She knew once he learned the truth-that she had been stringing him along-he wouldn"t be happy. There was a chance he might not want to speak to her ever again.
She pushed the thought to the back of her mind. She wasn"t going to indulge in a guilt trip where Blade was concerned. All it took was remembering her wedding day to make her forget about having any sympathy for Blade. And then there was Vivian Randall, her college roommate. Ten years had pa.s.sed, but at times it seemed just like yesterday that Sam had rushed to the campus emergency room, only to find out that it was too late-Vivian had died of an overdose of pills. She still felt guilty about Vivian"s death, since it had been her medication-a drug Sam"s family doctor had prescribed for her migraine headaches-that Vivian had taken when she committed suicide. And all because a guy she thought she was in love with had played her. He had hurt and humiliated her in the worst way.
Even under a pile of blankets, Sam still felt cold. She knew that exacting revenge wouldn"t erase the memory of being embarra.s.sed on her wedding day in front of five hundred guests, or what had happened to Vivian. But it gave her some satisfaction that at least one player would get his just deserts.
She shifted in bed when her phone rang. She reached to pick it up and saw from the caller ID that it was Frederick Damon Rowe, affectionately called FDR. She and Frederick were the same age, shared the same birthday, had finished law school at about the same time and had begun working at Di Meglio on the same day. Over time, they had become close friends.
FDR was a great guy. And unlike some of the other employees at the firm, it had never bothered him that her last name was Di Meglio. He treated her like anyone else and not the bosses" daughter.
"Hey, FDR, what"s going on?"
They talked for a little while and she listened as he told her about a case he was working on. Although her parents approved of their close friendship, they had never tried to encourage a romantic relationship between them. Sam had always thought it was a little odd, since FDR was a very handsome man who had a lot going for him. In fact, she wouldn"t be surprised if he made partner soon.
Later, after ending the call, she thought about what her brother had told her a few days ago. Angelo had claimed FDR was seeing someone and that it seemed to be serious. If that was true, why hadn"t Frederick mentioned it to her? Why was he keeping secrets from her?
But she wasn"t going to worry about that tonight. She had enough to deal with as she prepared for dinner with Blade Madaris tomorrow evening.
Chapter 7.
"They"re baaack...." said Priscilla jokingly, using the catchphrase from the Poltergeist Poltergeist movie sequel. movie sequel.
Sam glanced up at the beautiful bouquet of flowers that Priscilla placed on her desk. She couldn"t help but lean back in her chair and laugh. For the past month Priscilla had been the one who"d delivered the flowers to her, at first complaining that the fragrance was too strong for the office. But last week, when Sam was out and the flowers didn"t come, Priscilla had been the one complaining that she"d missed them, according to Mac and Peyton.
Priscilla had been with them for a couple of years, and at forty-one, she was more like a mother figure. She was a stickler for details and always maintained a professional demeanor, refusing to call them by their first names, even though she insisted they call her Priscilla. Sam had always thought that the single mother of eleven-year-old twin boys was very attractive. But in the two years that she"d been with them, she had never once mentioned anything about a man in her life.
"I heard you"re nothing but a phony, Priscilla," Sam said, as she moved her chair closer to her desk. "Mac and Sam told me all about how you carried on when the flowers didn"t come last week."
"Okay, Ms. Di Meglio, I admit I"d gotten used to them," Priscilla said, putting Sam"s mail in her in-box. "You still have no idea who"s sending them?"
A smile touched Sam"s lips. "Maybe and maybe not. We"ll just have to wait and see. Oh, I forgot to mention that when I saw FDR last week he told me to tell you h.e.l.lo."
"Oh," Priscilla said, her gaze quickly shifting away. "Well, I better get back to my desk. I have a lot to do before the end of the day."
Sam watched her secretary scurry out of her office. Had she imagined it or had Priscilla acted kind of weird at the mention of FDR? She shrugged, certain that she had just imagined it.
She studied the beautiful arrangement sitting on her desk. Every week the mix of flowers was different. She wondered if the choice had been the sender"s, or just ones the florist had picked out. It didn"t really matter, since every arrangement was breathtakingly beautiful and brightened up her week.
Sam glanced at her watch. Her first appointment of the day would be arriving in less than an hour.
Blade"s meeting with Mosley lasted for a little more than an hour. The moment he walked out of the office building he was on the phone, returning his secretary"s call. "Yes, Claire, what do you have for me?"
"I did what you asked and was able to find something available in Windsor Park. The person I spoke with was extremely helpful. Once I mentioned your friend who"s already living there, they were able to locate a vacant town house right next door. In fact, the two of you will practically share the same driveway, since your garages are connected. The place is completely furnished, with two bedrooms and..."
Blade didn"t hear the rest of the details once Claire said how close his town house was to Sam"s. He looked up into the Oklahoma sky and thought that someone up there definitely liked him. And to think he"d even missed church the past few Sundays.
"So, is this a place you want us to sign a lease for, Mr. Madaris?"
"Yes." He couldn"t say the words quickly. "How soon can I move in?"
"Today if you like, once we finalize the paperwork, which can be done by fax. I spoke with the utility company and put them on hold until you told us to move forward. Now that you have, we can do so without delay. The keys to the unit and the paperwork will be delivered to your hotel before three o"clock. Would you like me to order groceries and have them delivered, as well?"
A smile touched his lips. "No, that won"t be necessary, Claire. I"ll be eating out most of the time while I"m here." That made him recall his dinner date, not that he"d forgotten.
"Will there be anything else, Mr. Madaris?"
"No, that"s about all."
He hung up the phone, still smiling, and thinking now he was making progress in his goal to get Sam in his bed.
Felicia Laverne Madaris, matriarch of the Madaris family, leaned back in her chair and gazed at the woman sitting across from her. Dora had been her daughter-in-law the longest and was married to her oldest son, Milton. "So, Dora, what do you think? Is there another reason Blade is staying in Oklahoma City while all the women here are pining for him?"
Dora hunched her shoulders. "Who knows what that particular grandson of mine is up to? But I will tell you this-I pity any woman who gets mixed up with him, thinking he"s looking for something serious."
Mama Laverne nodded in agreement and then said, "Mmm, I think he"s hot on the tail of one of Mac"s friends-the pretty one with all that curly hair. I saw him trying to talk to her at Mac and Luke"s wedding, but the chile wouldn"t give him the time of day." She chuckled. "I think she set him back a bit."
Dora chuckled in turn. "Smart girl."
"Yes, but if she"s the reason he"s back in Oklahoma, that means for the first time in his life he"s actually running behind a woman instead of the other way around. The women here in Houston have made things easy for him, always at his beck and call. This Oklahoma girl might give him a run for his money, and I"d love to see that happen. I"m going to make it my business to find out more about her. She just might be the one."