A Madaris Bride for Christmas

by Brenda Jackson

  Their visit had been strategically planned down to the last detail. They would be given a tour of the hotel before they were served lunch. Since tomorrow was a traveling day, no meetings had been planned. However, early the following day, Lee’s skilled marketing team would kick things off with several video presentations and meetings. Around three, the men and their wives would be given the chance to rest and relax before a dinner fit for royalty.

  Afterward, they would enjoy the nightlife Vegas was famous for—from right inside the Grand MD. The casinos, live shows, state-of-the-art IMAX theater and the exquisite mall on the fifth floor that offered twenty-four-hour shopping all guaranteed that the Grand MD would gain a reputation as the hotel that never closed.

  A winning hotel had to have a winning staff. He and Angelo had handpicked all of his executives and managers. Each had hotel experience and had come with sterling résumés and excellent recommendations. He and Angelo were pleased with every staff member, and those who didn’t deliver were quickly replaced. Second-best was not an option at the Grand MD.

  Lee moved away from his desk, intending to walk around and get his blood flowing, but the moment he stepped into the executive suite’s lobby he stopped to stare at the huge picture hanging on the wall. It was a portrait of his great-grandmother Felicia Laverne Madaris the First, whom they fondly called Mama Laverne.

  She was the matriarch of the Madaris family. Having borne seven sons, his grandfather Lee being one of them, Mama Laverne had raised her sons by herself after her husband, Milton, had died. All her sons were still alive except for Robert, who had been killed in the Vietnam War. Lee’s grand-uncle Jake was Laverne’s baby boy.

  Mama Laverne had insisted that Lee hang this particular picture of her right there on that wall. She’d given the same directive to his other cousins. They all had the same framed photograph hanging in the offices of their various businesses. She was dressed in her Sunday best, with a huge dressy hat on her head, and she appeared to be looking directly at the viewer with those shrewd eyes and an all-knowing smile. At least she was smiling. A Mama Laverne frown could make him quake in his boots. She definitely liked giving orders, and she expected them to be carried out.

  Lee chuckled. He wished he could say she was getting bossy in her old age, but as far back as he could remember, she’d always been bossy. Besides that, she was a notorious busybody when it came to meddling in the lives of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Even at ninetysomething, he figured she would still be around to meddle with the great-great-grands’ lives as well.

  He didn’t want to think of a time when she would no longer be in their midst. Their love for her was the main reason why he and his still-single brothers and cousins overlooked a lot of her shenanigans, especially her determination to marry off each of them.

  Closing the door behind him, he walked along the spacious lobby hallway, noting the elegance, style and sophistication that were such integral parts of his Vegas hotel. Besides being the tallest building on the Strip, with seventy-five floors, it had an amusement park on one of its lower levels, making it an ideal place to stay for both adults and families. From the carpeting on the floor to the paintings on the wall, from the furnishings to the hotel’s special amenities, anyone would agree that the hotel deserved the seven-star rating reviewers were giving it.

  Sliding back huge glass doors, he stepped out onto the terrace of the executive suite. Normally, he wasn’t one who took the time to appreciate a lot of greenery, but with the quality of the hotel on his mind, he couldn’t help doing so. Various plants had been flown in just for this terrace.

  Lee inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of the plants mixed with the September air. He looked beyond the Vegas view to study the looming desert. The rain had lessened the heat and now a sultry breeze stirred the air. The sky overhead looked dark and dreary. There didn’t seem to be a single star. A part of him longed to be back in Houston, gazing up into a Texas night.

  Lee shook off the longing. He had too much work to do to be melancholy. He hadn’t been home since last Christmas and another one would be coming up soon, but opening the two Grand MDs had taken up all his time, personally and professionally. Now luring investors for a third hotel would make him even busier.

  Just as he turned to go back inside, his gaze landed on a woman standing on the balcony a couple of levels below. His breath was snatched from his lungs. A low groan passed from his lips as a jolt of sexual energy rocked him to the bone.

  She was beautiful. Sensually stunning. Picture-perfect.

  She stood leaning against the balcony rail, wearing a sexy green dress and chocolate-colored stilettos, her hair blowing in the breeze. From her expression, as she stared down below, he could tell she was fascinated by the bright lights of the Strip.

  Was she a guest at the hotel? He scanned the balcony connected to a tri-level observation deck. It appeared she was alone. Something about her pulled at him. She looked happy, peaceful, but lonely.

  Lee didn’t know the woman yet he felt as if he could read her perfectly. He stood and watched her, totally mesmerized. A slow heat flowed through him and pooled in his groin—she was arousing him in a way no other woman had. What was there about her that made every muscle in his stomach tie into knots? Made full awareness of her fill his every pore?

  Granted, he hadn’t dated in a while because of his stringent work schedule, but still, there was something about this particular woman that had lust rushing through his veins.

  Nothing like this had ever happened to him before.

  He checked his watch. It was getting late, but he had to meet that woman and find out why he found her so captivating.

  Anticipation filled him as he made his way off the terrace and toward the elevator bank.

  * * *

  She simply loved it here, Carly thought. Bright lights lit the Strip and each hotel seemed to compete to shine the brightest.

  It was hard to believe she had gotten the job of pastry chef at the Grand MD’s Peyton’s Place restaurant a little more than a month ago. The hotel had been gracious enough to give her time to resign from her job in Miami and remain in Florida long enough to pack up her things and attend Heather’s wedding.

  Initially, she had missed South Beach and wondered if she would ever get acclimated to Vegas’s dry summer heat. But she had discovered that in addition to being a fun city with its infamous Strip, Vegas was also a nice place to live.

  Her house was in a residential area of town not far from shopping. Because she had everything she needed right at her fingertips she rarely came into town on her days off.

  Except for today.

  Today was her twenty-eighth birthday, and she had decided to celebrate with a night on the town. She had even treated herself to a night at the Grand MD. It had to be the most beautiful hotel she had ever seen. Her room on the fiftieth floor was to die for and the service was excellent.

  Carly had stumbled across this particular balcony a few weeks ago while on break. She loved the view, and it had become her favorite. There had been several other couples here earlier, enjoying the view as well, but they had departed, leaving her alone. She didn’t mind. It was the story of her life.

  Carly forced the depressing thought from her mind. After all, it was her birthday and she intended to have fun. So far it had been a beautiful day. Before leaving home this morning she’d gotten calls from Aunt Ruthie and Heather. They had remembered, and they were the only two people in her life that counted.

  There was a party going on in one of the ballrooms upstairs. She could hear the music playing, a Marvin Gaye classic. She felt like dancing. What the heck. It was her birthday and she had every right to be silly if she wanted to.

  Turning from the rail, she waltzed across the floor. She closed her eyes and pretended she was at a party, celebrating her birthday in style, dancing around a ballroom filled with tall, dark, handsome men. One would come forward, claim her hand and ask—

  “May
I have this dance?”

  At the sound of the deep, husky voice, Carly’s eyes flew open and she stared into the most gorgeous pair of dark eyes she’d ever seen. And there was a very handsome face to go along with those eyes. Where on earth had he come from? She blinked, wondering if she was still clutched in the throes of her fantasy. She had to be.

  “Are you real?” she asked, making sure she hadn’t conjured him up in her mind.

  He smiled and the sight of the dimple in his chin nearly brought her to her knees. It definitely caused every hormone in her body to sizzle.

  “Yes, I’m real. Now, how about that dance,” he said, taking her hand in his. A different song was playing now, this one by Luther Vandross.

  Carly nodded her consent and he pulled her into his arms. The man was a total stranger. Had it not been her birthday, she would not have allowed him to hold her. But she had already decided that it was okay for her to act silly today. And it wasn’t every day that such a good-looking man asked her to dance. Not only was he handsome, but he smelled good too. And to top it off, they danced well together. The way their bodies swayed and moved against each other had her fighting a desire she hadn’t felt in close to four years.

  A desire that had never been this strong.

  She was reminded how it felt to be held by a man, in powerful arms. Every part of her body tuned in to the solid hardness of his. It was staggering; she was mindful of his every movement, the steady sound of his breathing, the way his arms encircled her waist.

  Carly looked up at him to find him staring down at her. His predatory look made her insides simmer. Swallowing deeply, she said softly, “Where did you come from?”

  He smiled again and she felt a tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach. “From my terrace.”

  She nodded. He was a guest at the hotel.

  “What about you? Are you a guest here?” he asked.

  “Yes.” She wasn’t lying. She had checked into the hotel that day. There was no need to tell him she also worked here. “It’s a beautiful hotel.”

  “I think so too. I’m Lee, by the way.”

  “I’m Carly.”

  His smile widened. “Nice meeting you, Carly. Is there a reason you were dancing alone?”

  Her face warmed as she wondered if he thought she’d looked ridiculous. “It’s my birthday and—”

  “Happy birthday,” he said.

  She smiled up at him. “Thanks. I was having my own private party of one.”

  He tilted his head. “That’s no fun. A beautiful woman should never party alone.”

  He was smooth, she thought. As smooth as he was handsome. And she’d noticed he wasn’t wearing a ring. She knew some men didn’t cherish the sanctity of marriage vows, but she did.

  “For me that’s no problem. I’m a loner anyway,” she said.

  “Why?”

  She doubted he wanted to listen to her sob story. She had few friends and had learned early on that the only person she could truly trust was herself. “I prefer things that way. What about you?”

  “A loner?” He shrugged. “I couldn’t be a loner even if I wanted to. My family’s too big.”

  “Really?” she asked. She couldn’t help but envy anyone who belonged to a large family.

  “Yes, really.”

  The Luther Vandross song ended and they slowly parted. “You’re an excellent dancer,” he said.

  “So are you.” She glanced at her watch. “It’s getting late and—”

  “You’re calling it an early night on your birthday?”

  She chuckled. “Afraid so. I’m checking out of the hotel in the morning.”

  “I see. Well, thanks for the dance.”

  “No, I should be thanking you. It was nice meeting you. I hope you continue to enjoy the Grand MD.”

  His smile widened. “Oh, I’m sure that I will.”

  Carly’s gaze held his. She wasn’t sure why she did what she did next. It could have been his scent surrounding her or his overpowering masculinity or his handsomeness—any of them could have been responsible for obliterating any semblance of her common sense.

  Before she could talk herself out of doing so, she leaned up on her tiptoes. She only intended to plant a light kiss on his lips, but the moment their mouths touched they were caught in a barrage of desires they could no longer downplay. He pulled her into his arms. Her body pressed against his, and she felt every single inch of him. She moaned at the feel of his arousal against her.

  She was surprised by how easily she was stimulated. She was usually in total control of her emotions, which was why, her ex-boyfriend had claimed, he’d sought out another woman. He’d said she was cold and passionless. If that was true, then what was happening here?

  It could be the way Lee had taken control of her mouth, kissing her with a hunger she hadn’t known was possible, cupping the back of her head to make sure their mouths stayed locked the way he wanted.

  She knew if he kept this up she would beg him to take her to his room or she would be hauling him off to hers. Acting silly on your birthday was one thing, but going all-out loco was another.

  While she still could, she broke off the kiss, drew in a deep breath, smiled and stepped back. “It was nice meeting you, Lee.”

  She watched him lick his lips as if he had enjoyed the taste of her. “It was nice meeting you as well, Carly.”

  She turned to leave and made it to the sliding glass door before he said, “It’s a minute before midnight. Leave one of your shoes behind, and I bet I’ll find you.”

  Carly threw her head back and laughed. “I’m a loner, remember?”

  “And what about that kiss?”

  Good question. “I was tempted, and since it was my birthday, I yielded,” she said honestly.

  He shoved his hands into his pockets, a sensuous smile spread across his lips. “When it comes to me, you can yield to temptation anytime.”

  “I’ll remember that.”

  And before he could say anything else, she slipped through the glass door, refusing to yield to temptation by looking back.

  Long moments after Carly left, Lee continued to stare at the door she had slipped through. What the hell had just happened? The woman had blown his mind with a kiss he was convinced would remain in his memory forever.

  He licked his lips again. Her taste was still there. How? Why? And what had sent him flying across the terrace to catch two elevators to meet this woman who had taken his breath away from a distance?

  Her name is Carly.

  At least that was the name she’d given. Even without knowing her last name, he could track her down, if he took a mind to do so. But as much as he was tempted by that thought, now was not the time. He had too much on his plate to get caught up in romantic entanglements.

  He was putting together the biggest deal of his life. When Carly checked out of the hotel tomorrow he would never see her again. And maybe that was for the best. She had warned him that she was a loner, although he couldn’t help but be curious about why.

  There had been something about her—other than her ingrained sexiness—that had touched him. A woman of her beauty should not be alone, especially not on her birthday. He was glad that he had shared a part of it with her.

  When he had stepped out on the balcony and had seen her waltzing with her eyes closed, he had stood and stared. There might have been a dark, moonless sky overhead but she had looked totally enchanting beneath it. Her hair had tumbled around a beautiful cocoa-colored face. She had high cheekbones, beautifully arched brows and a mouth so sensuous his body had hardened just looking at it.

  And that dress. It had clung to her hips, showing off curves and a great pair of legs. It had also revealed enough cleavage to tantalize and enough thighs to entice. He had found himself moving toward her and asking for a dance. When she had snapped her eyes open and he gazed down at her, he’d fallen under her spell. A spell that hadn’t broken, even now.

  The kiss had been the sinker. He hadn’t e
xpected it, but damn, had he enjoyed it. Heat burned his insides remembering how easily his tongue had slid inside her mouth. For the first time in a long time, he had felt unrestrained passion and an unexplained connection for a woman.

  As he walked toward the door, he consoled himself with the knowledge that once he finalized the financing on hotel number three he would have plenty of time to date. Maybe he’d even think about settling down, starting a family that could share the wealth he was creating.

  His mind returned to the work waiting for him in his office and he pushed all thoughts of Carly aside.

  Chapter 2

  She had kissed a stranger.

  The intensity of that bizarre action weighed heavily on Carly’s mind the next day as she folded laundry. She could claim the “birthday silliness” defense all she wanted, but the bottom line was that it was so unlike her that the excuse didn’t pass muster. And then there was the undeniable fact she couldn’t let go of.

  She had enjoyed it.

  Carly would even admit that she had enjoyed it so much she hadn’t thought of anything else since. Even when she’d gone back to her hotel room and dressed for bed, a part of her had wondered what would have happened had she left one of her shoes behind. Would he have tried to find her?

  She frowned at her thoughts. She wasn’t Cinderella and he wasn’t a prince...although he had certainly been dashing. However, she didn’t deal with fairy tales. This was the real world, and in the real world men like Lee whatever-his-last-name-was probably preyed on women nutty enough to act silly on their birthdays. There was no doubt in her mind that had she invited him up to her room he would have accepted the invitation. After they parted ways, he’d probably wandered around the hotel looking for another woman to pick up. With his looks, there was no doubt he would have been successful.

  So why couldn’t she put the kiss behind her?

  She knew the answer. The reason she couldn’t forget it was because it had been just that—unforgettable. Never had she been kissed that way, so intensely, so thoroughly. French-kissing a woman undoubtedly came naturally to Lee; he obviously had a lot of experience.