Taste of Passion (Madaris Novels)

by Brenda Jackson

  Surprise shone on his face. “But you have dated on occasion.”

  “Yes.”

  “Then there’s a possibility someone may have gotten a little carried away with you. You are a beautiful woman.”

  She accepted his compliment. “Thank you, but I can’t see anyone I’ve dated over the past five years doing that. Most have been business associates or men who knew I was not ready for anything serious.”

  “Knowing it doesn’t mean that someone may have wished otherwise. Could you provide me with their names so I can check them out?”

  A part of her hesitated, and then knowing those men had nothing to hide, she said, “Sure.”

  Maybe when Adams saw he was barking up the wrong tree, he could turn his attention to Whitedyer as the guilty party. She provided him with the names. Seeing there were only three, he lifted his gaze from his notepad.

  “Over a five-year period you’ve only dated three men?”

  She shrugged. “Yes. I’ve been devoting a lot of my time to building up my business.” And she had. Ashton had been her first client, and thanks to him others—a lot of them friends of his living in Oklahoma—had sought out her services as well.

  “And what about the last guy you were pretty serious about?”

  Her thoughts shifted and immediately went to Lawrence. “What about him? It’s been over between us for a little more than five years. He’s married now and has a family.”

  “That’s nice but I still need information on him.”

  Adams was certainly covering all the bases, she thought, providing him with information on Lawrence. He then asked her questions about the men who worked for her at the ranch, their comings and goings, and how well she knew them. She watched as he jotted all that information into his little notebook.

  “Now about the man you’re currently involved with.”

  At her raised brow, he rephrased the question to say, “Your friend. The one living with you now.”

  She sighed deeply. She had introduced Luke to the sheriff as a family friend. Evidently, the sheriff hadn’t bought her story about Luke being a family friend. Not with the hickey that had been visible on her neck. “His name is Luke Madaris and he’s only with me recuperating for an injury he sustained while performing in a rodeo.”

  “Is he married?”

  “No.”

  “Seriously involved with anyone?”

  “From what I understand, he’s not.”

  “Are you sure of that?”

  “I believe so, but you can always ask him.”

  “And I will.”

  A part of Mackenzie felt annoyed with the questions being asked. “While you are checking out those guys who have no reason to harass me, what will be done about Whitedyer?”

  “I have contacted them and they have denied any involvement in either incident.”

  “They would.”

  Adams flipped his notepad over. “So, other than the break-in of your office and the incident involving the cattle, can you recall anything you may have dismissed as irrelevant but may now wonder about?”

  Mackenzie squinted against the sun coming through the window as she thought about his question a moment then said, “No, other than the hit-and-run involving my mailbox.”

  He raised a brow. “What hit-and-run?”

  It only took Mackenzie a few moments to explain what had happened, and she was surprised to see how Adams was hanging on to her every word and had reopened his notepad to jot down a few things.

  “And at the time you didn’t think anything of it?” he asked.

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Why would I?” she countered. “My ranch is in an isolated area off the main road and I figured the accident was caused by a bunch of rowdy teens with too much to drink. I’ve discovered empty beer bottles at the entrance of my ranch before.”

  “Were there any beer bottles anywhere then?”

  She had to think a moment. She and Theo had surveyed the damage. “No.”

  “Has the mailbox been repaired?

  “No, not yet. A temporary mailbox has been erected but the bricks are still scattered about.”

  He nodded. “When I stop by your place to visit with Mr. Madaris I think I’ll take a look around. And if we find proof Whitedyer is involved in any of these incidents we will make sure they are dealt with to the full extent of the law. Your client has a right to seek legal counsel and you have a right to represent him. Anyone trying to interfere with those rights can find themselves in very serious trouble not only with us but also with the federal government.

  “Did you tell that to the people at Whitedyer?”

  “Yes.”

  She didn’t say anything for a few moments and then, “So what’s next, Mr. Adams?”

  “Now I talk to the men who work for you and Luke Madaris, and anyone else I feel I might need to contact. I’m also working with the lab trying to obtain more information about those sets of tire tracks, to determine what type vehicle they belong to, although I believe it was a pickup truck. And the sheriff thinks they were able to get fingerprints off the gate, which might be helpful if there’s a match in the database.”

  Mackenzie nodded. “You will let me know if you find out something?”

  For the first time a smile touched Adams’s lips, as he came to his feet. “Of course, Ms. Standfield. I will certainly keep you informed.”

  “How are things going, buddy?”

  Luke smiled on hearing the sound of Camden’s voice. They talked at least once a week and he was always glad to hear all the rodeo updates his friend provided. It was good to know who he might be competing against for the title.

  They had been talking for almost a half hour when Camden said, “Oh, yeah, by the way, Nadine has been asking about you.”

  Luke rolled his eyes. Camden of all people knew that Nadine Turner was the last woman he wanted to hear about. “Whatever.”

  “Hey, relax. She might be leaving you alone for a while. Seems she has a new beau. He looks younger than her and she’s been parading him around in front of everyone. I guess she’s trying to prove she’s over you, Luke.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. Best news I’ve heard all week.”

  Deciding he wanted to change the subject, Luke then talked about the upcoming rodeo event that Camden would be competing in in a few weeks. “I’m going to try and make it there that night to see you. I can’t be a participant but I can sure as hell be a spectator.”

  “That will be great. Everyone has been asking about you. They know how lucky you are. Things could have been worse.”

  Luke knew that was the truth. “Did they ever find out how that bull got out that night?” he asked.

  “Not really. Someone was careless and didn’t close the pen but nobody wants to own up to it. You can’t blame them. Gilmore is still pretty pissed about what happened and is dead serious about letting the person responsible go when he finds out who did it.”

  “Thanks for meeting with me,” Felicia Laverne Madaris said to seven women sitting around the table.

  She had called a meeting of what she considered the Madaris Wives, those married to the sons she had birthed, including the one she had lost. It didn’t matter one iota that Diane, who had been married to Robert, was no longer a Madaris since marrying a retired senator last year. It was Mama Laverne’s opinion that Diane, who had given her a granddaughter that she’d named after her, was still very much in the family.

  All the women except for Marilyn and Diamond had been handpicked by her, although at the time none of her sons—or the wives for that matter—had known it. And even if she hadn’t had a hand in choosing Marilyn and Diamond, she was very pleased with her two youn gest sons’ choices.

  Dora, who’d been her daughter-in-law the longest, was married to her oldest son Milton. Pearl had been married over fifty-something years to Lee, and Bessie had been married just as long to Nolan. The same thing applied to Carrie and Lucas. Diane was very
close to her heart since she’d known Diane all her life. Diane’s grandmother had been one of her dearest friends. Robert and Diane had dated most of their lives so a marriage between them had been expected.

  Marilyn had been married to Jonathan over forty-six years, was just what he’d needed at the time, although Jonathan had been determined to be difficult. And Diamond, her newest daughter-in-law, had appeared on the scene to make utter nonsense of Jake’s proclamation that he would never marry again because he was already married to Whispering Pines. Their marriage had caught her off guard, completely taken her by surprise, because Jake and Diamond had kept it a secret a while before finally telling the family.

  “Was there a particular reason you called this meeting, Mama Laverne?” Bessie asked. It was a known fact that she enjoyed her soaps and it was almost time for them to come on the television.

  Mama Laverne rested back in her chair. “Yes, there are a couple. First, I want to thank you for all your hard work in the church’s clothing drive. It was a huge success. The second thing is that I’m proud to say that with the exception of Jake and Diamond’s two, all of my grandchildren are happily married. Now I can channel my focus on my great-grands.”

  “You mean you’re not going to get an early start on Granite and Amethyst?” Diamond asked, grinning.

  Mama Laverne chuckled as she shook her head. “Nope. I figure you and Jake can just pick out a couple of those Garwood kids since there’s more than enough to go around. Of my great-grands, Slade is out of the way. And I decided to skip over Blade since the boy has issues. I’m concentrating on Luke for now.”

  Marilyn Madaris smiled. “And you still believe he has an interest in Mackenzie Standfield?”

  “It’s more than an interest. The boy is smitten. He just doesn’t know it. Mackenzie is a lovely girl and he’s bound to realize that he cares for her sooner or later, and since she’s taking care of him while he recuperates, Carrie and I figure it will be just a matter of time.”

  Bessie Madaris leaned in close. “But Luke’s told the family more than once that he’s never giving up the rodeo for any woman,” she said.

  Mama Laverne smiled. “I know, but I have a feeling that before long, Mackenzie will change the boy’s mind.”

  Diamond, who always found these meetings with her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law enjoyable, as well as informative, couldn’t refrain from asking, “After Luke is married off then you’ll go back to Blade?”

  Mama Laverne sighed deeply. “Like I said, Blade has issues. I think he has more issues than Clayton had in his day. So it really depends on where Blade’s mind is after Luke is finished with. Otherwise, I’m going to move on to Lee or Nolan since they both turned thirty this year. It’s my hope that I live to see the day Blade settles down, and if the right woman comes along there is no doubt in my mind that he will, regardless of whether he thinks he’s ready or not. So for now I’ll concentrate on Luke.”

  Lewis Farley frowned at Detective Adams. “Really, Detective, do you honestly believe someone in our employ is responsible for Mackenzie Standfield’s misfortunes?”

  Adams leaned back in his chair, the one Farley had finally offered him after he’d been in the man’s office for over ten minutes. It was his guess that Farley had initially assumed his visit was some sort of courtesy call and that Whitedyer’s gracious contribution to the Police Benevolent Fund last year would come into play. It hadn’t and it wouldn’t.

  “I don’t know, Mr. Farley, you tell me.”

  The man’s frown deepened. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told the two officers who came a few weeks ago after her office was ransacked. Whitedyer is a highly respected corporation. We fight our battles in the courtroom. We don’t have the time or the inclination to scare off those who consider themselves our enemies.”

  “I’m sure Jacob Madaris will be glad to know that.” Adams’s gaze was trained expertly on Farley, and although the man tried to downplay the effect, the detective could tell the mention of Madaris’s name came as a surprise.

  “Jacob Madaris? What does he have to do with any of this?”

  Adams couldn’t help but smile. “Umm, didn’t you know? Jacob Madaris is a business partner of Ms. Standfield’s, and those poisoned cattle were actually his.”

  The sun coming in through the window cast enough light to show how the blood suddenly seemed to drain from Farley’s face. He suspected, and with good reason, that Whitedyer Corporation, or any other corporation for that matter, wouldn’t want to take on the likes of Madaris. The man had money and he had friends with money. “But since you didn’t have anything to do with what happened to those cattle . . . as well as the ransacking of her office . . . you don’t have anything to worry about.”

  Farley looked across the desk at Adams. “That’s right, and I’ll be the first to assure Mr. Madaris of that. Like I said, I handle our enemies in the courtroom and I’m looking forward to taking on Ms. Standfield, give her a little on-the-job training, so to speak. She needs to see that she has a lot to learn.”

  Adams was tempted to roll his eyes, but refrained from doing so. Instead he asked, “And where is Henry Whitedyer? The CEO and president of this corporation. I’d like to speak with him.”

  “Not sure that’s possible. He’s an extremely busy man.”

  Now that ticked Adams off. He leaned forward in his chair and fixed his gaze on Farley. “So am I. I suggest as his attorney you advise him to carve out some time for me.” He paused and added, “He can do it here or we can request his presence at headquarters.”

  Farley snorted. “Really, Detective, is that necessary?”

  Still holding the man’s eyes, he said, “Yes, I think so, and now that you’re aware of one of the key players involved, I would suggest that you think the same thing.”

  Half an hour later Farley stood at the window and glanced out while thinking about the bombshell the detective had dropped. He tamped down the urge to hit something before crossing the room to his desk to pick up the phone. “Camille, come in here for a second.”

  A few moments later his personal assistant, Camille Yeager, walked in. She was in her late twenties and had begun working for him a year ago. He found her to be very efficient both in the office and, on occasion, in the bedroom. He had to hand it to her that she was pretty bright as well as good-looking. She was definitely someone he enjoyed having around. He could talk to her and usually did, and felt comfortable knowing that whatever pillow talk they shared went no further.

  “Yes, Mr. Farley?”

  “Did you know Mr. Coroni’s attorney had a business on the side and that Jake Madaris was her business partner?”

  He saw the surprised look that touched his assistant’s face. She didn’t have to ask who Jake Madaris was since the man was legendary. And on top of that, he was married to Diamond Swain.

  “No, I didn’t know that. What should we do now?” Camille asked.

  He sighed. “Nothing. But I need you to get Henry Whitedyer on the line.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He watched her leave and leaned back in his chair. His boss wasn’t going to like what he had to tell him.

  “Mr. Whitedyer is on the line,” Camille’s voice said over the intercom.

  Farley picked up the phone and said, “Henry, this is Lewis. I need to meet with you sometime today. And yes, it is important.”

  Chapter 17

  “So when exactly were you going to tell me that Jake was coming for a visit?”

  Instead of answering, Luke pulled Mackenzie back down in the bed with him. “When you got home today, but it kind of slipped my mind.”

  Now that had been the truth. The moment she had walked in the door, he had been there, waiting, and with a need he’d found almost unbearable. At the time the only thing he’d wanted was her. He had figured anything else could wait. And it had. Here it was close to eight o’clock and they hadn’t eaten, although he had cooked dinner. Since the time she had come home she had spent those hours
in bed, in his arms with his body intimately connected to hers the majority of the time.

  The intensity of his desire for Mac had not come as any surprise. But what had stunned his nervous system, startled him, was the force of hers for him. She had all but removed his clothes before he had removed hers. Even now she was sprawled over him, very much naked. When she had shifted position, just a little, to ask the question about Jake, her breasts had literally swung right to his face. All he would have to do was stick out his tongue to capture a nipple in his mouth, cop a taste.

  “If he and Diamond are coming this weekend, there are a million things to do,” she said, attempting to lift her body off his.

  “And none of them will get done tonight,” he said, clamping down on her backside with his hand to keep her in place, and liking the feel of his hand on her bare skin. For some reason he felt possessive, a word he’d never before linked with a woman. “Besides, he didn’t say Diamond was coming, so I take it that it’s just him. He can stay in the guest room.”

  She looked down at him, met his gaze. He knew exactly what she was thinking. If Jake stayed in the guest room that meant that Luke would sleep in her bed, which he’d been doing every night for the past week anyway. It would be crystal clear to his uncle that they were lovers. It didn’t bother him and he hoped it wouldn’t bother her. It was time to find out if it would.

  “Will there be a problem for Jake to stay in the guest room while I sleep in here with you?” he asked in a low voice, studying her face. “If you prefer, I can always sleep on the sofa,” he offered.

  Her gaze held his and finally she shook her head and said, “No. We’re grown-ups and consenting adults. What we do is our business.”

  He couldn’t agree more and was glad she had taken that position. “Uncle Jake has never been judgmental and has always been one to let us live our lives without interference.” He chuckled. “If anything, he tried to convince our parents to give us breathing space and not try and smother us.”