Dex grinned. “No, it’s not too much to hope at all.”
“Then by all means, Mr. Madaris, please come in.”
Caitlin closed the door behind him and wondered why she hadn’t figured it out earlier. While working at Whispering Pines that summer, she had acquired a taste for a delicious tea that Jake Madaris made each night. He’d claimed its special ingredients of herbs and spices was a secret recipe that could only be shared with the men in the Madaris family, but only after they had reached their thirty-fifth birthday. Her smile widened as she also remembered how, after a week of working at Whispering Pines, she had discovered it would not be as easy as she had thought to convince Delane Ormond that a computer would make her job easier. By the end of each workday, Caitlin found herself ready to pull her hair out. To help her relax each night, Dex would serve her a cup of tea before she retired to bed.
“Does this mean that you know the secret recipe?” she asked.
Dex turned after placing the tray on the table next to the bed. He chuckled. “Yes, I know it, and like the other Madaris men before me, my lips are sealed. Uncle Jake would kill me if they weren’t.”
Caitlin grinned. “And just how is Jake Madaris?” She had liked Dex’s uncle, and had been surprised upon meeting him to discover how young he was. Jake Madaris, Dex’s father’s youngest brother, was only seven years older than Dex. He and Dex looked more like brothers than uncle and nephew. She became amused each and every time Dex and Clayton had called him “Uncle Jake.” She often wondered if they did it out of respect or to needle their young uncle.
Dex began pouring the tea into the cups. “He’s fine. But he’s still angry with me for stealing his employee. You never did finish that job, you know.”
Caitlin laughed as she accepted the cup of tea from Dex. The aroma of it filled the room. “No doubt Ms. Ormond was overjoyed.”
“If she was, it didn’t last long. Uncle Jake hired someone else to take your place, and they finished the job.”
“I don’t envy that person at all.”
Dex sat down in the wingback chair. “What you should do is pity him. I understand he had become an alcoholic by the time the job was finished.”
Of course he was joking, Caitlin thought. His dark eyes were sparkling with laughter. And she couldn’t help but laugh with him. It felt so good to laugh. “Thanks, Dex,” she said when their laughter finally stopped.
“For what?”
Caitlin moved to the bed and sat Indian-style in the middle of it. “For helping me relax tonight.”
Dex nodded, and a mellow silence followed while they both sipped their tea. Dex was the first to speak. “Did you ever get the chance to go back to school?”
“Yes, after Jordan turned six months old. Dad watched her while I attended classes at night.”
Dex nodded. “Do you like teaching?”
Caitlin shrugged. “It’s all right, but one day I want to have my own company.”
“A computer consulting company?”
“Yes. It’s nothing I want to get into right away, of course, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. How do you like being your own boss?”
Caitlin listened while Dex told her a number of things about being self-employed. They then talked about recent books they had read and movies they hadn’t seen.
“I can never find time to go to the movies. My work keeps me pretty busy,” Dex said, not adding that he had preferred it that way.
“And I never wanted to leave Jordan with a sitter for long,” Caitlin said, finishing off the last of her tea.
“Maybe, when we’re all settled in Houston, you and I can do stuff like that, go to movies and go out dancing. Any member of my family would be more than happy to look after Jordan for us.”
She stared at him, somewhat surprised. He was suggesting that they begin spending time together. “I’d like that.”
Dex nodded as he stood. “I think it’s past your bedtime,” he said. The clock on the wall indicated it was after midnight. He picked up the serving tray.
Caitlin stood and placed her empty cup on the tray. “Thanks again, Dex.”
Dex lowered his head. Just before his lips lightly touched hers, he whispered, “Don’t mention it.” He straightened. “Good night, Caitlin. I hope you sleep well.”
She watched him open the bedroom door and walk out. Caitlin sighed deeply. Being with Dex tonight, talking to him while they sipped tea, reminded her of how things had been before, peaceful and loving. But she was realistic enough to know that although he was making every effort to make their marriage work, they were still together for all the wrong reasons. He may care for her as the mother of his child, but he didn’t love her.
Caitlin forced that thought from her mind, not wanting to ruin what she considered a nice ending to a perfect evening. Instead, as she prepared for bed, her thoughts were focused on what a sexy and good-looking man she was married to.
Dreams swirled around in Caitlin’s mind, making her hot with desire even while she slept. She could feel Dex’s hand on her, pulling her to him in an embrace. She was pressed so tightly to his naked body that she could feel every part of him as she became enveloped in his seductive masculine heat.
The strength of him throbbed against her and the muscular-sculpted hardness of his chest pressed against her breasts. In the deep recesses of her mind she could feel his massive upper arms and broad shoulders. Her fingers burned as they trailed a path over his body, well defined and taut.
When his warm lips moved across her forehead and cheeks before finally claiming her lips, she melted. His mouth was seductively firm and bittersweet. A tortured sigh from four years of celibacy escaped her, followed by another filled with blatant need. The kiss was one of sensuality and one of deeply held passion. It filled her with escalating sensations.
The ringing of the telephone jarred Caitlin awake. Startled, she sat up in bed. Her breathing was irregular, her heartbeat was hammering in her ears. The gown she wore was slightly damp from the heat her dream had generated. She quickly picked up the phone.
“Hello? “
“I hope you’re a lot smarter than your old man was, lady,” the muffled voice said. “Take any offer that’s made and sell that land of yours.”
Clutching the receiver in trembling hands, Caitlin asked, “Who is this?”
“Just sell that land near Eagle Pass and no one will get hurt.”
“Who is this?” The only response she received was a click followed by the buzzing of the dial tone. Placing the telephone back in the cradle, she sank against the bed.
Land near Eagle Pass? Was someone interested in Shadowland?
Fury made her heart pound. How dare that person call and threaten her. No one could force her into selling Shadowland, the land that had been in her family for generations. Evidently her father had received a similar threat.
Disturbing emotions sparred inside her. She shuddered at the threat the caller had made. Should she tell Dex?
Taking a deep breath, she knew she had to deal with her own problems. She didn’t want to give Dex any reason to feel responsible for her. Somehow she would handle this without his help.
Chapter 10
“When will we be leaving for Houston, Dex?”
Dex gazed across the breakfast table. The shadows under Caitlin’s eyes indicated she’d had a sleepless night. His mouth tightened. “Does your eagerness to leave San Antonio have anything to do with the phone call you got around three this morning?”
Surprise flared in Caitlin’s eyes. She set her coffee cup down. She hadn’t wanted Dex to find out about that call and wondered how he had. Him knowing would only compound the problems already existing between them.
“How do you know about the call?”
The kitchen grew tense and silent. Caitlin couldn’t help noticing the angry lines creasing Dex’s forehead and mouth.
“I couldn’t sleep and was up watching television. I picked up the phone the same time you did,” Dex
replied. He would not mention the reason he hadn’t been able to sleep was because he couldn’t get her off his mind. He’d lain awake remembering how long it had been since he’d been intimate with a woman. But his body hadn’t wanted just any woman, it had wanted her. And it still did, which wasn’t helping his attitude toward her this morning.
“Were you going to tell me about the call, Caitlin?”
Caitlin met Dex’s gaze as his question hung in the air between them. There was a certain coolness in the charcoal-gray eyes staring at her. She immediately picked up on the dark, brooding, hard-edginess of his mood.
“No, I wasn’t going to mention it to you. I have to fight my own battles.”
Dex laughed harshly as he stood. “And just when did you begin fighting your own battles, Caitlin? I was under the impression you totally enjoyed being told what to do and when to do it. You must have done a hell of a lot of growing up over the past four years.”
Outrage flushed Caitlin’s cheeks as she stood. Her chin lifted and she met his blazing gaze head-on. “You’re right. I have done a lot of growing up over the past four years. And I won’t let you or anyone else push me around. I meant what I said, I don’t need you to fight my battles.”
Dex couldn’t help noticing the fire in Caitlin’s eyes and the way she had straightened her spine and placed her hands on her hips. If ever he’d seen a woman who was ready to draw blood, this was the one. But he had no intention of letting her fight anything alone.
He closed the distance between them. “As your husband, I have certain rights and obligations. One of which is to protect you from any type of harm or danger. You’re my wife, and I won’t take threats made to you lightly.”
There was a tense silence as they stood staring at each other. Dex spoke again, this time his tone was somewhat gentler. “As long as there is breath in my body, Caitlin, nobody will threaten you and get away with it.” He took her face in his hands and leaned toward her, capturing her mouth with his.
A hot rush of desire surged through Caitlin when Dex’s mouth took hers, making her melt under the heat of his passion. Her arms crept around his neck at the same time she opened her mouth to him. Fire leaped into her veins and a shiver coursed through her body as Dex deepened their kiss.
Caitlin was fully aware that his hand was moving, pulling her even closer to him. Her body, with a will of its own, arched closer, not wanting the moment to end. She was glad Jordan, who’d gone to bed later than usual last night, was still asleep.
Caitlin whispered Dex’s name when he trailed his mouth across her face and kissed her eyes. He pressed her head against his neck.
“I’m sorry for losing it and blowing up at you like that,” he said in a husky voice. “But when I listened in on that call, I got madder than hell. And knowing he’s probably the same guy who harassed your father, made me—”
Caitlin pushed herself out of Dex’s arms. “What do you mean, he’s probably the same person who harassed Dad? What do you know about this, Dex?” Sparks suddenly flared in her eyes. “And if you do know anything, you should have told me. You have some nerve getting mad with me for not telling you about that phone call, when you’re keeping things from me.”
“Look, Caitlin. You had enough to deal with. I didn’t want to—”
“You didn’t want! Who made you an expert in knowing what’s best for me? I’m not some damsel in distress. I happen to be a very strong woman who doesn’t need you in my life to survive. Jordan and I were doing just fine without you.”
Dex frowned. “There’s no need for you to cop an attitude.”
“Cop an attitude?” she repeated in a low, lethal tone. “You want an attitude, Dex Madaris, then I’ll show you an attitude.”
Dex shook his head. He had to constantly remind himself that the woman standing before him was not the meek and mild twenty-one-year-old he’d left in San Antonio four years ago. She was a twenty-five-year-old woman who didn’t mind showing him how stubborn she could be, nor how independent. He had to force himself to admit that he actually found the new fiery Caitlin more intriguing, and she looked so sexy when she got angry.
“We can stand here and argue till night, and the only thing we’ll accomplish is waking up Jordan,” Dex said in a calm tone. “I suggest we go in the living room and discuss this like two adults, and I’ll tell you everything I know.”
Caitlin hesitated briefly before following him. Together they sat on the sofa. Dex then told her about the letter Dr. Flores had given him, and about his visit to the police station. He saw a lone tear flow down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away.
“I can’t believe anyone would be that cruel, that heartless. My father was a sick man. He didn’t need that kind of aggravation in his life.”
Dex pulled her into his arms. “I know, baby.” After a while he said, “Tell me something about this property Malone Land Developers is interested in.”
“Shadowland is property that’s been in my father’s family for generations. His great-great-grandfather was Blaze Abrams, a Black Seminole Indian and a scout for the United States Army. Blaze fell in love with Vashti Randolph, the niece of a retired Buffalo soldier. Vashti’s uncle Robert had been like a father to Blaze and when Robert Randolph died, he willed Shadowland to Blaze and Vashti in hopes they would marry one day.”
Caitlin smiled. “I remember the stories my grandmother used to tell me. They were stories about the Black Seminoles and how they helped the government keep law and order along the Mexican border.”
Her smile widened. “But my favorite story was of Blaze and Vashti and the rocky romance between them, and the love and happiness they shared when they eventually married. As you know, following the Civil War, many blacks in these parts owned land. And there were a number of prosperous all-black communities in the area, as well. There were a number of land-grabbers who tried to say as an Indian, Blaze couldn’t inherit land, but he and Vashti were able to hold on to it. Each of their descendants since then have promised never to sell Shadowland and to keep it in the family. There’s a lot of history behind Shadowland. Rich history that my parents and I have always been proud of.”
Caitlin’s eyes reflected the depth of the emotions she felt. “There’s no way my father would have ever sold it, and I feel the same way. It’s part of my heritage, and now Jordan’s. Shadowland has been in my family for over five generations, and I intend for it to remain there for many more.”
Dex thought of his uncle Jake and his huge ranch, Whispering Pines. Just like Shadowland had been in Caitlin’s family for generations, Whispering Pines had been in the Madaris family for just as long.
“You said Shadowland’s located near Eagle Pass?”
“Yes It’s out in the middle of nowhere. Why anyone would be interested in it is beyond me.”
“I’d like to see it. How do you feel about me, you and Jordan taking a little ride?”
“But I thought you had to get ready to fly to Austin for your meeting on Friday.”
“Caitlin, there’s no way I’m going to Austin now. I’ll contact Trevor to go in my place.”
“I don’t want my problems to interfere with your job.”
He smoothed back a stray tendril of hair from her face. “They won’t, and they aren’t your problems, they’re our problems.” Dex stood. “How soon can you and Jordan be ready to leave?”
“In thirty minutes or so.”
“Good. I need to leave for a while. I’m going to pay a visit to Malone Land Developers. I’ll be back shortly.”
“You’ve got to be kidding, Corinth. Please tell me you aren’t serious about buying anything out of this place.”
Corinthians’s dark brown eyes sparkled. She glanced around the posh room filled with scantily dressed mannequins wearing all types of sexy lingerie. “I most certainly am serious, girlfriend, and I didn’t bring you along to try and talk me out of it. I need help picking out a few items.”
Brenna stared at the mannequin in front of them wearing a
sheer, short nightie. The outfit brought a blush to her light brown cheeks. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Corinthians frowned. “Of course I know what I’m doing. I’m doing what I should have done years ago. I’m going after the man I love. Of all people, I thought you’d be happy for me.”
Brenna turned to face her. “I don’t have a problem with what you’re doing, Corinth, but I do have a problem with how you’re going about it. Blatant underhanded seduction isn’t your style.”
Corinthians lifted her chin. “And just what’s wrong with me finally taking the initiative and going after who I want? He’s free and so am I. I’m also older and more self-assured than before. The timing is right.”
“Don’t you dare get an attitude with me, Corinthians Avery. I’m your best friend, remember. All I’m saying is that you haven’t seen Dex Madaris in over four years. He may not be the same man you remember—the same man you supposedly fell in love with.”
“And why wouldn’t he be?”
“People change. You’ve even said he’s been married and divorced since you’ve seen him last. A bad marriage changes some people. I just don’t want you to get hurt. All Dex Madaris ever wanted from you is friendship. How’s he going to feel if you suddenly force yourself on him?”
Corinthians tried concentrating on a matching edible pair of panties and a bra, and not on what Brenna was saying, but couldn’t. The two of them had been friends since grade school, and deep down she knew Brenna had her best interests at heart.
“I’m not forcing myself on him,” Corinthians finally said as they continued walking around the store. “All I’m doing is letting Dex know I want more than just friendship.”
“But what if he doesn’t want more? That will place a strain on the relationship the two of you already have. No man likes to feel cornered.”
“I have to take that chance, Brenna.”
Whispered Promises Page 12
