Neither woman said anything for a long time while they sat sipping their cups of tea. "You"re the first person I"ve mentioned this to, but I dreamed of fish again last night," Mama Laverne said.
Dora"s eyes widened. "You think it"s Christy?"
Mama Laverne understood why she would think that. Her granddaughter Christy had proudly proclaimed after the birth of her first child that she and her husband, Alex, wanted a lot more children, and it seemed that whenever anyone called or dropped by, the couple was always in bed.
Mama Laverne smiled and shook her head. "They might be working on a new addition, but not this time. I actually saw the image of a man sitting on a dock with a fishing rod in his hand, and he seemed pleased as pleased could be when he pulled in a whopper of a ba.s.s from the lake."
Dora"s lips quirked into a smile. "Sounds like a mighty proud man who went fishing that day. Who was he?"
Mama Laverne didn"t say anything for a minute. For the past month, her fish dreams have been coming steadily, and in a way it made her heart feel good to know that the Madaris family and their friends were multiplying and would continue to do so long after she was gone.
"Mama Laverne?"
Her feeble fingers tightened on the cup in her hand, and then she said in a voice that quirked with humor. "The man was Clayton."
Dora"s eyes widened to twice their regular size. "Clayton?"
"Yes."
"That means..."
"Yes." Mama Laverne said the one thing Dora couldn"t bring herself to say. "Yes, that means that Syneda is pregnant again, and heaven help us all."
Chapter 8.
Blade crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against his parked car. He couldn"t hide the smile that touched his lips as he watched the woman who walked out of the two-story, redbrick building. Nor did he want to. He squinted against the sunlight and adjusted his eyes accordingly so he could see her better. She was definitely a beautiful sight to behold.
He hadn"t known what to expect when he showed up at exactly five o"clock for their first-and what she probably considered their only only date. Under normal circ.u.mstances he would have agreed with her. But he had a feeling that tonight would not end the way he wanted, though it definitely wouldn"t be for lack of trying on his part. He wanted her in his bed, and his moving into Windsor Park greatly reduced the distance it would take to get her there. date. Under normal circ.u.mstances he would have agreed with her. But he had a feeling that tonight would not end the way he wanted, though it definitely wouldn"t be for lack of trying on his part. He wanted her in his bed, and his moving into Windsor Park greatly reduced the distance it would take to get her there.
She looked beautiful, as usual, wearing another business suit that showed off her legs. The red color highlighted her complexion, and her curly hair flowing around her shoulders gave her a s.e.xy appeal. He wondered how far he would go tonight. A better question was how far would she let him go? He had made reservations at a nice restaurant in Bricktown, one of the most popular areas of the city. He had requested a table in one of the cozy, secluded sections of the restaurant, with candlelight. After dinner he would bring her back here to get her car, and she would a.s.sume their night together would be over. Little did she know it would just be starting. He could just imagine what her reaction would be once she discovered he was now living next door to her.
Tipping the brim of his Stetson, he smiled when she approached, and said, "Sam."
"Blade. Have you been waiting long?"
"No. And even if I had been, you would have been well worth the wait."
Her mouth quirked at the corners and he knew at that moment that she"d probably heard that line before. That might be true, because he"d certainly delivered it over the years, but this time he"d actually meant what he"d said.
He opened the car door for her and inhaled her scent. She smelled feminine. She smelled like woman. And as he watched her slide onto the leather seat, he appreciated a glimpse of her thighs. He hoped that later tonight he would be getting more than a glimpse. In fact, he was antic.i.p.ating seeing her naked.
"Thank you," she said, seconds before he closed her door.
"You"re welcome."
He moved around the front of the car to open the door to the driver"s side. Once settled with his seat belt in place, he glanced over at her and saw she was looking at him. He smiled. "Are you okay?"
She smiled back. "Yes."
Blade backed the car out of the parking lot, thinking she was smiling and that was a good thing.
Sam decided to stare out the window at the buildings they pa.s.sed, although there was nothing different about them. She usually drove through these same streets every day on her way to the office. But she needed this time. Not to clear her head, because that wasn"t possible as long as Blade was sitting in the seat next to her, but to affirm in her mind that going through with her plan was something she needed to do. It was something she had had to do to the man who was most women"s most ardent fantasy, and who could potentially become her own worst nightmare. to do to the man who was most women"s most ardent fantasy, and who could potentially become her own worst nightmare.
There was no doubt in her mind that over the next few hours she would be tempted as a woman in a way she"d never been tempted before. Blade had that ability. He had that skill. And she didn"t have to be a genius to know that tonight he fully intended to use it.
"We should be there in a minute."
His words prompted her to glance over at him and ask, "Where are we going?"
"To Yates."
She nodded. She was impressed. "I heard it"s a very nice place."
"You"ve never eaten there?"
"Surprisingly, no."
He looked pleased at that. "Then I"m glad your first time will be with me."
She shifted her gaze back out the window, thinking that in a way she was glad her first time would be with him, too.
"And you look nice."
She chuckled as she looked back at him. "You look nice yourself."
And she meant it more than he would ever know. When she had walked out of the building and seen him standing there, leaning against his car, waiting for her and looking like a man who knew what he wanted and had every intention of getting it, it had sent an intense shudder all the way up her spine.
"We"re here."
She glanced out the windshield. Yes, they were.
The blood flowing through his veins felt warm as Blade glanced across the table at his companion. Sam had been quiet during most of dinner. He couldn"t help wondering what she was thinking, what she was feeling, and if she had any idea how much he wanted her.
To be quite honest, he hadn"t realized the extent, the degree, the depth of his desire for her until now. He had been in her presence for more than an hour, the longest amount of time he"d ever spent alone with her since they"d met. At least they were practically alone, since the restaurant had adhered to his request and seated them in a secluded area in the back, at a table set for two.
After mulling over the menu, they had decided on their order. While waiting for their meal to arrive they had indulged in a gla.s.s of white wine. She"d asked him questions about his work on the Mosley Building, which set the tone of their conversation, avoiding any personal subjects.
Once their food arrived, the conversation slowed-and almost ceased entirely. But what she didn"t say, he could actually feel. That was something he had been aware of from the first time their eyes had met, at Mac and Luke"s rehearsal dinner. Although she might not have wanted to give off those sensual vibes, she was doing so, anyway. They spoke to him and he automatically responded.
Like he was doing now.
He glanced over at her. As if she felt his gaze, she glanced up, and the moment their eyes connected he was literally robbed of his senses. The blood flowing through his body suddenly felt hot-to the boiling point.
"Dinner was wonderful, Blade. Thanks for bringing me here," she said in a soft voice, as if to break the intensity of the moment.
His gaze remained focused on her face. "You"re welcome."
He had to fight the impulse to say he intended for there to be more of these dinners, but then he wondered why he would think such a thing. He was the hunter and she was his prey. Once she was caught there would be no reason for them to do this again. Their date tonight had a purpose and they both knew it. They were adults and were mature enough to handle whatever the outcome.
He wasn"t looking for a long-term relationship or a serious involvement with any woman. He was a guy who wasn"t interested in the house with the white picket fence or the wife who would greet him at the door each day when he came home from work. That was Slade, but that wasn"t him.
"So, will you be having dessert tonight?"
Her question made him smile. "Yes, but not here."
She lifted an elegant brow and then tilted her head in a challenging pose when it became evident that she knew what he meant. "You think so?"
He chuckled softly. "I hope so."
And he truly meant that and couldn"t believe he had done a complete turnaround in his approach to this woman. Usually he wasn"t into playing games. However, Sam was definitely making him work hard for her. But then, he felt she was worth it.
"Maybe this is where I need to tell you that I plan on going home alone," she said, interrupting his thoughts.
For a moment he just stared at her, then nodded slowly. "Yes, but a lot can happen before you get there."
He watched her lower her lids in a way that had him wondering if perhaps her mind was engaging in the same sizzling hot, over-the-top, taboo kind of fantasies his mind was having right now.
He shifted in his seat and decided he needed to change the subject and do it quick. Otherwise his erection just might burst through his zipper. "Tell me about your family, Sam."
He could tell that his question had surprised her. He could also tell it seemed to relax her. She eased back in her chair. Once their dishes and winegla.s.ses had been removed, they enjoyed a cup of coffee. Usually he didn"t touch the stuff. He was hyper enough and didn"t need a caffeine boost.
"What exactly do you want to know?"
"Anything you want to tell me." So I can figure out what there is about you that makes me want you so much So I can figure out what there is about you that makes me want you so much, he thought to himself. Right now I"m thinking what it would be like to take you on top of this table. Right now I"m thinking what it would be like to take you on top of this table.
"It might bore you."
"You could never bore me."
Sam chuckled at his response. "Don"t say I didn"t warn you."
She took a sip of her coffee and then said, "My paternal great-grandparents came to this country from Rome with their four sons and only the clothes on their backs. They worked hard, educated their sons and were proud when all four completed law school and went into practice together. And that was the birth of the Di Meglio law firm."
Sam paused for a moment to indulge in a few childhood memories. As a little girl she remembered her grandmother telling her the family story, and she could still hear the pride in her grandmother"s voice. "Their first office was a place above my great-grandfather"s restaurant in the Bronx. Then after they won their first big case, they opened offices in Manhattan." There was no need to mention the rumors that one of her grand-uncles had had Mafia ties.
She kept talking, mainly because Blade seemed truly interested in what she was saying-interested and intrigued. She talked. He listened, while quietly sipping his coffee and looking attentively at her.
"My father met my mother in law school. I"m told they had a fiery relationship, couldn"t agree on anything and argued case law most of the time." A grin touched the corners of her lips. "From what I hear they nearly drove their professors batty."
Blade burst out laughing.
"What"s so funny?
"Your parents sound like my cousin Clayton and his wife, Syneda. They"re both attorneys as well and can"t agree on anything."
Sam smiled and pushed her hair back off her shoulders. "I met Clayton and Syneda last year during our handling of the Coroni case. Nice couple." She took a sip of her coffee and continued. "My parents had no contact with each other after law school, and then three years later they faced off in the courtroom. He was the prosecutor and she was the defense attorney. What the jurors saw was a hot-tempered Italian D.A. up against an African-American attorney with an att.i.tude. She won. He lost. She went out that night to celebrate. He went out to lick his wounds. They happened to both be at the same nightclub." Sam giggled. "Imagine that."
For a moment Blade could imagine it, especially if her mother had in her younger days looked anything like Sam. "Sounds like a stormy confrontation."
"I understand it was worse than that," she said, after taking another sip of her coffee. "They ended up leaving the bar together, presumably to help him get over losing the case-but in a way that only a woman can. I"m told it was supposed to be a one-night stand, but things didn"t work out that way, and they"ve been together ever since. They have a rather close and loving relationship," she said with a huge smile on her face.
Blade couldn"t help but smile back. "I know you have a brother. I recall meeting him at Luke and Mac"s wedding."
"Yes, DeAngelo. But everyone calls him Angelo. He"s thirty-two and he"s also a lawyer. The Di Meglio law firm is still going strong, with my mother and father, my father"s two brothers, their two sons, my brother and several a.s.sociates."
"And you"re not there?"
Sam shook her head. "No. I worked there for a while-two years, in fact, right out of law school. But I soon discovered there were too many Di Meglios. And as one of only two female attorneys, I was in the minority. My brothers and male cousins made sure I got the easy cases, nothing I could really sink my teeth into. I had three watchdogs instead of three fellow attorneys who respected my skill."
"So after two years you left New York and came here?" he asked, watching her expression closely. Throughout dinner he had been carefully observing her every time she spoke, practically hanging on every word she said. He could tell she was close to her family, probably as close to hers as he was to his.
"Yes, I came here," Sam said. "Mac, Peyton and I had been close friends in law school and had always talked about forming a partnership together, so we decided to fulfill our dream. And the rest is history."
She took yet another sip of her coffee and then glanced back at him. "Okay, it"s your turn. Tell me about your family, although since Mac is married to Luke I know something about the Madarises already. Just to think you have an uncle who"s married to Diamond Swain and is good friends with Sterling Hamilton is awesome."
Blade chuckled. He distinctly recalled the night his uncle Jake had made the announcement to the family. To say that they"d all been shocked was an understatement. Uncle Jake referred to his wife as his "diamond" and the family knew why. The well-known and much-beloved actress, Diamond Swain Madaris, was definitely a jewel to everyone who met her. And movie actor and producer, Sterling Hamilton was considered one of the family.
"Yes, it is. In fact, I think my entire family is awesome. My parents had four sons. You"ve met my twin, Slade, who is married to Skye. And as you know, they"re expecting a baby."
"Yes, we"re all excited."
He smiled. From what he"d heard, the entire family was excited. It seemed that having babies was becoming a favorite pastime for the Madarises and their friends. "I have two younger brothers. Quantum, who is twenty-six and completing his residency at a hospital in Houston, and Jantzen is twenty-three. Slade and I were able to recruit Jantzen into joining the family business as our PR and marketing director, and he"s doing an awesome job."
They talked awhile longer as he told her more about his family. She had already met most of them at Mac"s wedding, which made the conversation flow rather easily. He liked how she remembered things that had happened at the wedding or at Mac"s birthday party that made them both laugh.
"At Mac"s party, you were with someone," said Blade.
Sam lifted her brow. She decided to respond truthfully, as she always did when a question came up about her and Frederick"s relationship. "Yes, he"s a lawyer in my family"s law firm. Frederick Rowe. He still works there and I consider him a good friend."
"So there is nothing going on between the two of you?"
She held Blade"s gaze for a moment and then said, "Why are you just getting around to asking me about Frederick? If you did think we were together that night, I see that didn"t stop you from trying to hit on me."
He reached out and captured her hand when she placed it on the table. She felt herself trembling from head to toe when his fingertips brushed across her knuckles. "The reason I never got around to asking you about him was because I was able to find out that information from Luke. He said the guy was just a friend of yours."