Slow Burn (A Madaris Family Novel)

by Jackson, Brenda

  Skye nodded, quickly wiping away her tears. “Yes, that means I’m your sister.” She knew the crack in her voice could probably be heard by everyone in the room, but at the moment she didn’t care.

  “Wow! That’s cool!”

  She then watched as the brother she hadn’t known she had stood and crossed the room toward her, with a full grin on his face. She eased out of her chair on wobbling knees and took a deep breath as he got closer. When he closed the distance separating them, he reached out and pulled her into his arms and hugged her. All the fears, doubts, and apprehensions she’d been holding inside since leaving Maine came pouring out, and she clung to him. At this moment in time, he was the only sure thing in her life, and this was a pivotal moment for the both of them. Happiness squeezed her throat and she looked over Vincent’s shoulder and saw Justin and Lorren. They were standing together, holding hands, and the smiles on their faces let her know they were pleased with how things had turned out, but hadn’t been surprised. They had known their son.

  Skye then glanced over at Slade. Their gazes held for the longest time, and then he winked at her and that wink meant everything to her, because in his own way he was letting her know how happy he was for her.

  Then Vincent pulled back slightly and grinned up at her. “I’m going to enjoy having an older sister. Thanks for finding me, Skye Barclay. And welcome into my life.”

  CHAPTER 6

  Skye woke up the next morning in the best of moods and immediately reflected on what had happened last night.

  Vincent had accepted her as his sister.

  She was so elated she wanted to call her parents and Wayne to tell them how wrong they’d been about Vincent and the Madaris family. Vincent’s adoptive parents had been kind and had not seen her as a threat, and Vincent had not rejected her. But still, she had a feeling her parents and Wayne wouldn’t want to hear what she had to say. They were probably still stewing that she had made the trip and wouldn’t want her to call and tell them they had been wrong.

  She fluffed her pillow and sat up, thinking how Justin, Lorren, and Slade had given her and Vincent time alone last night to talk. He’d had a million questions for her, and of course she hadn’t been able to answer all of them. He wanted her to tell him about adoptive parents and how she’d felt knowing she’d been adopted. He had also been concerned that she was angry with their biological mother for giving her up.

  She had assured him she hadn’t been and that she could understand why a sixteen-year-old would make such a decision. She told him about her job as an accountant, and he’d told her of his plans to become an architect like Slade. She could tell from the way Vincent talked that he admired his older cousin.

  And she had promised Vincent she would be there when he got out of school today. He’d been fearful she would be catching the next plane back to Maine, but she’d assured him that wouldn’t be happening and that thanks to Lorren’s invitation, she would be their houseguest for the rest of the week.

  A giggle bubbled up in her throat when she recalled how he had talked her into a game of soccer to be played when he came home from school today. He tried baiting her by saying he wanted to see if she was any good. She smiled, thinking that she would have to prove to him just how good she was.

  Last night she had the best sleep she’d gotten in a long time. After going to bed actually smiling about how Vincent had accepted her, she had later dreamed about Slade. She hadn’t intended to, but it seemed so natural for him to invade her dreams. And in her dreams he had kissed her several more times, each hungrier than the last, and she had awakened at some point during the night filled with a kind of ache in the lower part of her body that she’d never experienced before.

  Thinking she had lain in bed long enough and the least she could do was check to see if Lorren needed her for anything this morning, she got up and slipped on her robe. She was about to cross the room to go into the adjoining bathroom when a sound from below caught her attention.

  She padded in her bare feet to the balcony. The ranch house was huge and elegant, and its air of openness and warmth was breathtaking. Nearly every bedroom overlooked a large enclosed patio, which had a one-of-a-kind swimming pool. Other than at a gym, Skye doubted she’d ever seen a pool so large. Before going to bed she had stood in this very spot and glanced down at the pool with its zigzag shape that had been enhanced with some sort of special lightings. It had been simply beautiful, and to her way of thinking it was stunning now as well, because the man who had filled her dreams full of fantasies last night was there, standing on the diving board, about ready to plunge in.

  He was looking so incredibly sexy wearing only a pair of swimming trunks that showed just what a great physique he had. He actually looked like an Adonis come to life, she thought, giving him a thorough once-over as her gaze moved from the top of his head all the way to his toes before he lunged into the water. The man was perfect. Even his dive into the water was perfect.

  Drawing in a deep breath, she stepped back before she was seen and ambled back toward the bed to drop down on it. Jeez. No man had a right to have a body that looked like that. She wondered if what was wrong with her—why she was so attracted to Slade—was the result of neglected hormones. She and Wayne had stopped making love a long time ago. He claimed he was too busy with important court cases. She hadn’t doubted him, since he was a man who was obsessed with winning.

  Getting up, she decided she couldn’t hide out in her room forever. There were certain things that she had to be strong enough to resist, and at the moment Slade Madaris topped the list.

  Slade levered himself on the edge of the pool while watching Skye come down the stairs. His gaze took in her every graceful step. Today she looked younger than her twenty-six years, wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a pullover pink blouse and her hair pulled back in a ponytail. He thought that she could pass for a girl of twenty easily.

  He had decided to get out of the pool because the heated water was turning cold, but after seeing Skye a cold swim might not be a bad idea. Especially after the dream he’d had of them together last night. As much as he’d tried not thinking about the kiss they’d shared, he had. In fact, his dreams had gone a little further and they had indulged in other things besides kissing. He had awakened that morning expecting to find his sheets scorched.

  “Good morning, Slade.”

  His chest tightened at the sound of her voice. He watched as she made her way around the rattan furniture. “Good morning, Skye. Did you sleep well?”

  “Yes, thanks for asking. And I want to thank you for last night.”

  Surprise sparkled in his eyes. He wondered if perhaps they had shared the same dream, then quickly decided there was no way they could have. “What are you thanking me for?”

  “Being here when I met with Vincent. I think your presence helped immensely.”

  He regarded her closely as he thought about what she had said. “Why do you think that?”

  “Because he looks up to you. I can tell. You’re a good influence on him, a wonderful role model and that’s good.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  He began drying off with a huge towel. He glanced up to find Skye watching him. “Is anything wrong?”

  Skye didn’t trust her voice to speak until she could get her breathing under control. “No, nothing’s wrong.”

  She glanced around, trying to look at anything but him. “Is Lorren back from taking the kids to school?” Lorren had mentioned she would be doing that this morning. And Justin would be going into town. He volunteered his services at the hospital at least one day a week.

  “Yes, she’s back,” Slade responded. “But now she’s locked in her office trying to finish this book she’s writing. She told me to convey her apologies and that she’ll be joining us for lunch. I’m to keep you entertained until then.”

  “Oh.”

  He chuckled as he slipped into a pair of shorts and pulled a T-shirt over his head
. “You don’t sound too happy about it.”

  Skye managed a tight smile as she sat down at the table. To be honest, she wasn’t all that happy about it. Everything about the man, from the sexiness of his voice to those “make you drool” dimples, made Slade temptation at its finest, and she needed to stay focused.

  “So what would you like for breakfast? Rubena, their housekeeper, is on vacation, and I was instructed to prepare breakfast for you—whatever it was you wanted.”

  “No, absolutely not,” Skye said, not imagining someone doing such a thing for her. Her parents had a housekeeper, too, but no one had waited on her since she’d moved out of their home. “I don’t need you to prepare breakfast for me. A glass of juice is all I need.”

  “That might be all you want, but it’s definitely not all you need. Do you not normally eat a well-balanced meal?”

  “Not normally.”

  “Then I guess today will be your lucky day, because that’s one thing I’m good at.”

  “What?”

  “Preparing a well-balanced meal,” he said with a smug look on his face. “And if you’re afraid I don’t know what I’m doing, you’re free to join me in the kitchen to watch.”

  She thought about his invitation but a second, then chuckled and said, “Slade Madaris, you’re on.”

  She did more than watch. Under his encouragement she ended up pitching in. Of course, after explaining her cooking skills lacked any serious anointing, she did some relatively simple things like scrambling the eggs and buttering the toast. And after she convinced him her coffee would probably taste like mud, he had kept her away from the coffeepot. He’d said good coffee to a Texan was just as important as a good horse for him to ride. And when she’d let it slip out that she didn’t know the first thing about riding a horse, either, Slade seemed totally shocked.

  “There’s no way I can let you get back on a plane for Maine without at least introducing you to Basic Horse Riding 101,” he said, grinning as they sat down at the table.

  “Whatever,” she said, grinning, pulling her plate close. “Umm, everything looks delicious. You surprised me. You really do know your way around in the kitchen.”

  He chuckled. “That’s a trait of all Madaris men. We learn early how to fend for ourselves so we won’t become helpless at the hands of any of the overzealous ladies.”

  Skye lifted an eye. “Overzealous ladies?”

  “Yes, those who think one way to capture a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

  She grinned as she bit into a slice of bacon. After savoring it and then swallowing, she said, seemingly aghast, “You mean there are women who actually think that?”

  “Oh, you would be surprised.”

  No, she probably wouldn’t. When it came to a man like Slade, she could just imagine a woman doing just about anything to gain his attention. It was a good thing she wasn’t in the running, because she couldn’t cook worth a damn. She wondered what it would take to attract a man like him. Oh, she knew he was attracted to her, but the way she saw it, attraction to the opposite sex for most men came natural. No biggie. Men had a tendency to always think below the belt anyway.

  “So, who taught you how to cook?” she decided to ask.

  “My great-grandmother, Laverne Madaris. She’s in her late eighties and is still one feisty gal. When you’ve reached a certain age, you begin taking her cooking classes. Vincent will have to enroll in them pretty soon. It wouldn’t surprise me if she has gotten something set up for him this summer.”

  Skye hoped not, especially when she intended to ask Justin and Lorren if Vincent could spend the summer with her in Maine. “Well, your great-grandmother did a wonderful job.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Tell me some more about your family. They sound really interesting.”

  Skye and Slade spent the next half hour finishing their meal and sipping coffee. She liked listening to the sound of his voice when he told her about all the cousins he was close to and admired. He shared fond memories with her about the escapades of his twin, Blade, and his cousin Luke. She could tell from the sound of Slade’s voice that they were close and there was nothing one wouldn’t do for the other.

  After she listened to him, her life seemed so mundane in comparison. She couldn’t mention anything that happened during her lifetime that had been earth-shattering, unless you counted the time she caught the wrong bus home from school and got lost for a few hours. She’d been ten at the time and had gotten tired of waiting for the private car her parents would always send for her and decided to do like the other kids and take the bus. That had been a big mistake. Even Congressman Baines, who’d been her father’s top client at the time, had gotten all involved. All it had taken was a phone call from him to the Augusta Police Department and they had turned the city upside down looking for her. When she’d been found, it had to have been one of the most embarrassing moments of her life.

  “A penny for your thoughts.”

  She glanced up into Slade’s smiling eyes. “Oh, I was just thinking about my one moment of defiance. Happened when I was ten.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “All right.”

  She told him the story, and telling it to him made her realize just how serious her actions had been at the time. Anything could have happened to her.

  “The congressman must have thought a lot of your father to get involved the way he did.”

  Skye nodded. “My father worked for him for years as his private accountant, and we consider him a close friend of the family.”

  Slade poured another cup of coffee and said, “Congressman Baines’ son is making a name for himself as a very popular and well-liked senator.”

  “Yes. I don’t know Senator Ryan Baines all that well, but I do know he’s very popular with a lot of the voters in Maine.”

  A few moments later and they were finishing up with breakfast. “Now for that riding lesson,” Slade said, leaning back in his chair.

  Skye lifted a brow. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.” He checked his watch. “It shouldn’t take us any time clearing off the table and loading the dishwasher. Then let’s agree to meet back down here in about thirty minutes.”

  Skye smiled. The thought of learning something new appealed to her. “I might as well warn you that I don’t pick up on things easy.”

  Slade leaned in close across the table and whispered, “I’ll be patient.”

  Her heart thudded in her chest and she felt goose bumps form on her arms. How was she supposed to get through a riding lesson with him? It had been murder on her senses just getting through breakfast.

  She met his gaze. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Yes, I’m absolutely positive.”

  CHAPTER 7

  “Hey, you’re not doing too badly for a greenhorn.”

  Skye chuckled as she glanced down at Slade. She was actually sitting atop a horse, and Slade was holding the reins, slowly leading the animal around the wide-open space of the backyard. Her first challenge had been finding the courage to get up on the huge animal’s back, and the next had been not holding on too tight.

  Slade, good to his word, was patient. He had explained every part of the saddle, the different types of horses there were, and why he had selected the one that she was sitting on. “Jessie is a right friendly gelding and is the horse that Justin used to teach Vincent to ride.”

  “Vincent? This horse is that old?”

  Slade chuckled as he led the horse toward another area of the ranch. “Yes. The expected life span of a horse is approximately twenty to thirty years,” he explained. “So there’s a good chance Jess might be around for Vincent’s kids.”

  He brought the horse to a stop. “Now back to your lessons. These,” he said, pointing to the horse’s ears, “are good indicators of what’s going through a horse’s mind, so keep an eye on them whenever you’re in the saddle. Ears that are laid back against his neck mean the horse is unhappy or a
nnoyed about something. When the ears are pricked up and facing forward—like they are now—that means the horse is happy and interested. Flickering ears mean the horse is listening and attentive, and lowered ears mean the animal is somewhat bored.”

  Skye nodded, taking it all in. “You certainly know a lot about horses.”

  Slade began walking the horse again and glanced up at her and wished he hadn’t. The backdrop of the morning sun placed a glow on her face. His gaze zeroed in on her lips and he thought they looked full and inviting and the sight of them teased him with all kinds of possibilities. “I’ve been around horses all my life,” he forced himself to say, slowing his steps.

  They had come to an area of Lorren Oaks that was basically secluded. He hadn’t intentionally brought her here, but it seemed like a good place to stop and rest a bit. After all, she’d been riding, but he’d been the one doing all the walking.

  “Where are we?” Skye asked, glancing around. “The scenery is simply beautiful.”

  He had to agree with her on that. This was his favorite part of Lorren Oaks. “We’re still on Madaris land, but we’re not far from the original boundaries. Justin purchased the adjoining lands a few years ago, so it’s still somewhat inhabited and untamed, and he plans to keep it that way.”

  Slade reached up to help her off the horse. “Come take a look around.”

  When he lifted her off the horse’s back, before her feet could touch the ground he drew her close. “Umm, you smell good.”

  She clutched tight to his shoulders and leaned back to look at him. The darkness of his eyes made her breath catch, and instinctively she wrapped her arms around his neck. For some reason she felt totally relaxed and the thought of being in his arms made her tingle all the way to her toes.

  “Look at me, Skye.”

  She didn’t want to look at him, but did so and met his eyes. The tender smile on his lips made a tightness settle in her chest. “I know what you said yesterday,” he said huskily. “About not wanting me to kiss you again, so if you’re totally against it, I won’t do it. But if there’s any possible way that we can share another kiss, can we?”