A Madaris Bride for Christmas

by Brenda Jackson

  Some break.

  She was still caught up in emotions she didn’t want to feel. What she needed was to get home, take a long bath and go to bed. She had the next two days off and she would spend them getting her mind together. She might even drive into Los Angeles. The trip might do her good.

  Carly stepped into the elevator and pressed the number on the keypad for the parking garage. She tried not to think of Lee’s request. His nearness always made her senses go berserk and she didn’t need that again tonight—or ever.

  So why did she reach into her pocket, pull out the key card and scan it?

  Her heart pounded as the elevator moved quickly, bypassing floor after floor. She tried to ignore the surge of excitement racing through her. This was madness. Craziness. Pure insanity. Why was she setting herself up to be hurt all over again?

  The tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach answered her just as the elevator came to a stop.

  You’re doing it for passion.

  The elevator doors opened into the living room she had visited before. She stepped out and saw Lee in the dining room, standing by the table. He’d poured two glasses of wine. Had he known she would come when she hadn’t known herself?

  He must have read the question in her gaze. “I was hoping. Desperately hoping.”

  She didn’t say anything, just watched him slowly move toward her with the wineglasses. When he handed her a glass, she accepted it. Her gaze held his over the rim as they sipped their wine.

  Feeling bold, she took his glass from his hand and placed it with hers on an end table. Then she proceeded to do what she’d been driven to do since the first night they’d met.

  She kissed him again.

  * * *

  She was killing him.

  Lee had wanted this. Needed this. And now it was killing him. He wrapped his arms around Carly as her tongue commandeered his, sucking on it with a hunger that made his belly whirl.

  She actually thought she wasn’t passionate? Then what the hell was this? She was ravishing his mouth and sending spirals of ecstasy ripping through him.

  He returned her kiss aggressively and walked her backward, toward his dining room table. Then he lifted her and sat her on it. He was so full of lust he couldn’t think straight. That tongue of hers had driven him over the edge and there was no going back.

  He barely realized he was tearing out of his clothes, and he didn’t notice much about stripping her out of hers, but he saw the hunger in her gaze when she took in his nakedness, leaving no part of his body unseen.

  When he scanned his gaze over her body, his knees weakened.

  “No woman,” he rasped, “has a right to be this beautiful.”

  He touched her knee and felt her shiver as her legs parted, exposing her to his rapacious gaze. Using his fingertips, he trailed upward from her knee, pausing briefly at her small waist before making a trek toward her breasts.

  He lifted his gaze to hers and saw her sharp intake of breath when he cupped her breasts in his hands. Her nipples were dark, hard, swollen. They beckoned his mouth to put a nipple between his lips.

  She quivered. She moaned his name. Her nipple became more rigid and he sucked it with gluttonous intensity. He gave her other breast the same attention and his name erupted again from deep within her throat. She tasted so damn good, but sampling her breasts would not be enough.

  He released her breasts and eased his hands between her legs, finding her hot and wet. Using his fingers, he spread her labia and then targeted her clit. He stroked her, moving his fingers through her wetness as she writhed, lifting her hips off the table to press her womanly mound against his busy hand.

  His fingers inched deeper inside of her. Her inner muscles clamped him and his strokes became fiercer, faster. When she flung her head back and screamed his name, he watched as her hips gyrated against his hand.

  Her scent filled the room and he felt the need to taste her. When she opened her eyes, her gaze hazy from her release, he licked each of his fingers as she watched.

  But that wasn’t enough. He wanted more and he intended to get it. He lifted her hips and buried his head between her legs.

  * * *

  He was trying to kill her.

  Carly was convinced of it. His tongue bristled with a vitality that electrified her entire body and sent her over the edge again. She tried fighting against it. The impact of another orgasm would take away her last breath. She caught his head and tried pushing him away. But then he did something with his tongue and waves of ecstasy crashed down on her.

  She screamed his name over and over. It was as if years of pent-up need had to escape and she was helpless to do anything but let it happen.

  She released deep breaths and wondered if her heartbeat would ever return to normal. She found the strength to lift her head off the table and watch as he picked up his pants off the floor and pulled out his wallet to retrieve a condom.

  There was no way she would have a third orgasm tonight, but she would make sure he enjoyed one. After giving her two, he was definitely entitled. She scooted closer to the edge of the table. There was something she wanted to do before he sheathed himself.

  “It’s my time to taste you,” she whispered softly, reaching out to take him in her hand.

  Lee shook his head and moved out of range. “I won’t last long, baby. I need to get inside of you now.”

  She watched as he sheathed himself and quickly reached for her, using his knee to spread her legs wide. He probed the entrance of her womanhood just before he thrust inside her. The moment he did, every nerve ending in her body rejuvenated itself.

  She didn’t have time to ponder how it could happen. He pounded into her with a force that rocked the table. Every part of her body responded and she couldn’t do anything but moan. Without missing an incredible beat, he captured her mouth and played with her tongue using the same rhythm he was using on her sex. Her body felt ready to explode.

  And when it did, he exploded with her. He let go of her mouth, threw his head back and released one long, fierce growl. Then his mouth returned to hers. She arched her hips as she felt him get hit with a second orgasm, just that quick. He filled her as deep as he could go and as thoroughly as any man ever could.

  Moments later, he drew in a deep breath as he tenderly stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. Was he in awe of what had happened as much as she was?

  “I didn’t mean for our first time to be here,” he whispered softly. “But I couldn’t help myself.”

  She understood. If anyone had told her she was capable of having three orgasms in one night she would not have believed them. “I couldn’t help myself either,” she whispered back. She tried to pull up off the table. “I need to go.”

  “No,” he said, detaining her. “Please stay. I want to wake up in the morning with you in my arms.”

  She had never counted on words from any man’s lips doing her in, but those did it. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

  “Trust me, it is.”

  This was the second time tonight he’d asked her to trust him, and the fact that she was here meant she did. But still...

  She gnawed her bottom lip. She hadn’t shared a bed with any man since Nathaniel, and under no circumstances had any man ever taken her on their dining room table before. No man had ever made her come three times in a single night, much less three times in the same hour. Lee Madaris definitely had master fingers, a merciless mouth and a shaft that should be patented.

  “Carly?”

  Why did he have to say her name with such gentleness? She met his gaze, and heaven help her, her breathing quickened. Her eyes widened. There was no way she was getting aroused again, was there?

  Just in case, she said, “Yes, I’ll stay the night.”

  He smiled and then swept her off the table, into his arms, and headed for his bedroom.

  Chapter 7

  Lee woke up and squinted against the brightness of the sun shining through his bedroo
m window. And then he looked down at the woman still asleep in his arms.

  Once he had gotten her in his bed, the need to mate with her again had taken over his senses. His appetite for her seemed insatiable. They had ended up making love again before finally drifting off to sleep.

  His gaze raked over her now. He liked the look of her naked thigh thrown over his leg and the feel of her breast pressing against his arm. And his erection, hard as a rock, poked against her backside. Damn, that felt good. She probably didn’t feel a thing, but he certainly did. The primitive urge to mate was escalating through him again. But he didn’t want to wake her, so he lay there and remembered last night—and got harder.

  He tried to think of something else. Jamal, Rasheed and Kyle had not yet gotten back with him about their decision on the Paris hotel. Today was Nolan’s sister Victoria’s twenty-fifth birthday. He would call her later and wish her a happy birthday. She had been the first girl born in the Madaris family in his generation, so everyone remembered her birthday and celebrated it. There would be a party in Texas. The Madaris family liked parties.

  Carly shifted and Lee’s attention was drawn to her face. She was as beautiful as she was sensuous. As he studied her features, her eyes slowly opened.

  A small smile touched her lips. “Good morning,” she whispered.

  He gave her what was meant to be a kiss to curl her toes. Evidently it did because she moaned and then pushed away from him to catch her breath.

  “Wow!”

  He chuckled and pulled her tighter into his arms. “Hungry?”

  “Why? Are you cooking breakfast?”

  “No,” he said, reaching for the phone.

  She sat up in bed. “What are you doing?”

  “Ordering room service.”

  She reached for the phone, took it out of his hand and hung it up. “There’s another way you can feed me, you know.”

  “Is there?”

  “Yes.”

  Understanding dawned when he saw the look of lust in her gaze. But just to be sure, he asked, “And which way is that?”

  She giggled softly and pushed him on his back. “This way.”

  Moving the covers out of the way she revealed the object of her interest. “Ahh, there we are.”

  She took him in her hands and stroked the length of him. He hardened even more under her touch. Then she licked her lips and he recalled seeing her do that the night he’d prepared dinner for her—and the naughty thoughts that had flowed through his mind. But he didn’t dwell on the memory for long. Her moist tongue made swirly designs on his stomach, and he released a guttural groan.

  “Like that?” she lifted her head to ask him.

  He forced a smile through quivering lips. “I love it.”

  She smiled and then moved her mouth lower. He drew in a sharp breath when her tongue stroked up and down his erection, gently nibbling at the bulbous head before sliding him between her lips.

  “Mercy!”

  He grabbed the edge of the bedspread as her mouth went to work on him. She was brazen and her mouth was deadly. It about killed him. When he felt close to the edge he tried to pull her away but she refused to move. She locked her mouth down tight. His release was turbulent, and when it should have ended, he felt another one coming on.

  Moving quickly, he slid from under her, turned her around, tilted her hips and thrust inside her from behind. The moment her hot wetness touched him, he began pounding, loving the sound of flesh beating against flesh. When she screamed his name, he came again. He came hard. His body jerked, bucked, exploded and he felt his fiery release jutting through her.

  This was the one thing he typically didn’t do. Come inside a woman. But he was coming inside her. Too late to stop it, so he let it rip and enjoyed the feeling.

  “Oh!” Carly exclaimed. Instead of pushing him away, she arched her back, pressing against him so he could shove deeper, giving her more.

  When there was nothing left to give, together they tumbled down in the bed, breathing as though they had run a marathon. Within minutes, sleep overtook them both again.

  * * *

  Hours later, Carly watched Lee from across the kitchen table as they ate their breakfast from room service. They’d made love so many times over the past ten hours it was simply mind-blowing. Between them, spontaneous combustion was a real thing. All it took was a look, a touch or a smell and their hormones rocketed sky-high.

  “This passion thing between us. Is it normal?” she asked.

  He smiled at her. “I truly don’t know many cases as intense as ours.” He paused. “Except for one.”

  She lifted a brow and took a sip of her orange juice. “Who?”

  “My cousin Clayton and his wife, Syneda. They have been married close to fourteen years now and to say the heat is still on is an understatement. They are two of the most passionate people I know. It amazes everyone in our family. They have made their marriage an adventure. I’ve watched them sneak off from family functions just to go somewhere and get it on. To be honest with you, it doesn’t surprise us anymore. It’s expected.”

  Carly’s mouth dropped open in shock. “You’re kidding.”

  He chuckled. “I kid you not. They send signals across the room with their eyes. The next thing you know they are missing for a while. They return later with wide, cheesy grins on their faces. Rumor has it their son Caleb was conceived in a hot tub. They haven’t confirmed or denied it.”

  Carly smiled and then asked, “Is it just passion between them as well?”

  Lee shook his head. “No. They are madly in love. In fact, I would have to say that all the marriages in my family are based on love. Even the ones my great-grandmother had a hand in. I guess she lucked out.”

  “In that case, maybe you should give her a chance to find a mate for you. She might surprise you.”

  “She might, but I can do without her surprise. Besides, I don’t have time to fall in love—that’s too much work. And like I told you the other night, you’re the one. A part of me knew it when I saw you on the balcony. There was an instant attraction, something I really didn’t think could exist until that night. Don’t get me wrong, I think love is a great foundation for a marriage, but I believe passion is just as important. Two people can become the best of friends and have a great deal of respect for each other and make a marriage work. If you throw in passion to the degree that we have, it can be just as good a marriage as any based on love.”

  He was putting up a pretty good argument. Other than Heather and Joel, Carly had never been around a couple that she thought was truly in love. There was no doubt about the love between her best friend and her husband. All she had to do was be in the same room with them to feel it. After Nathaniel, Carly had never dreamed of having a marriage like that for herself, but she hadn’t thought of sharing one based on passion either.

  Ideally, she would want both—love and passion. What woman wouldn’t? But she had to be realistic. Few marriages were based on true love these days. She never knew if the emotional words coming from a man’s mouth were true or not. However, passion was something that was there or it wasn’t. It was harder to fake.

  She glanced across the table at Lee, who was reading the morning paper. There hadn’t been anything fake about the past ten hours with him. She had a sore body this morning to prove it. Even taking a shower with him had proved to be innovative. So much so that she had returned to bed and gone back to sleep. The man had a way of wearing her out.

  “You really think passion is just as important as love?” she asked him.

  He met her gaze. “Yes, I do. It’s great if a marriage can have both, Carly, but if it can’t, then I’ll go with passion over love. If there’s love and no passion then I suspect you’re going to have two miserable people. They’re going to start looking elsewhere for fulfillment and risk becoming unfaithful, or they’ll be tempted to engage in an open marriage. I have a college pal who’s in that type of relationship.”

  “An open marr
iage?”

  “Yes. His parents picked his wife and he went along with it because of the financial enticements the union would bring. They don’t love each other, and there is no passion. So they agreed to have an open marriage. He has a lover and so does she. And they are perfectly fine with that arrangement.”

  “Oh.” Carly wouldn’t want that kind of marriage for herself, and from the tone of Lee’s voice, neither would he.

  “So there you have it. I prefer passion. Because I enjoy making love...although before last night, I hadn’t made love to anyone in over a year.”

  A grin spread across her face. “I can believe that.”

  He smiled as well. “But honestly, I don’t think my abstinence was even a factor, Carly. I wanted you. Bad. I see you, and I want you. I touch you, and I want you. I inhale your scent, and I want you.”

  He had told her that before and she hadn’t believed it. After last night, she did. He wanted her now...she could tell. But she had mentioned how sore she was, and he was being considerate enough to keep his hands to himself.

  They ate in silence for a few minutes before he said softly, “We need to talk about last night when I slipped and didn’t use protection. That has never happened to me before.”

  She nodded. “That’s fine. I believe the use of protection should be shared, which is why I’m on the pill...although, I haven’t slept with anyone since Nathaniel, three years ago. And I’m safe in the health department. Because I work around food I’m required to keep my health card in check. It’s on file if—”

  “That’s not necessary, Carly. And just so you know, I’m in good health as well. I have routine physicals.”

  She nodded and took another sip of her orange juice. There was no way she would tell him that she liked the feel of him coming inside of her. It was the first time any man had done that and it had sent intense pleasure skittering up her spine.

  “The other thing we need to talk about is what happened that night at your place.”