Sam looked at Mac as she planted her hands on her hips. “Trust me, if that was the case I wouldn’t be getting flowers.”
“Still, I think you should consider investigating just to be on the safe side. You could have a stalker.”
Sam shook her head. Of course Mac would think that way. “I really don’t think it’s that serious. Besides, I have an idea who they might be from.”
She glanced back at Blade and her gaze went directly to his face. The eyes staring back at her were dark, piercing and determined. They were filled with a hunger like he wanted to eat her alive. She could just imagine what was going through his mind. He wouldn’t hesitate to seduce her if given the chance. She tilted her head, knowing he would never get the opportunity.
Okay, she would admit there was a sexy air about him, and there was no doubt in her mind that he proudly lived up to his womanizing reputation. A part of her knew she probably should not have come, since tonight she wasn’t at the top of her game. But because she was here, she would just have to deal with it and handle the notorious Blade Madaris in her own way.
And notorious he definitely was, with a face too gorgeous to be real. He possessed a ruggedly handsome square jawline, high cheekbones and a straight nose. And then there were his lips, the most sensuous looking pair she’d ever seen. They were curved in a smile that was trying really hard to seduce her, get on her good side and break down her defenses.
She found his efforts annoying and was determined not to let him get past her guard. Some men just didn’t know when to give up. Her mind went back to the flowers she’d left sitting on her desk, and felt the same held true for whoever had sent them. For the past three weeks she’d received a bouquet of flowers. They were beautiful, and she could tell by the blossoms in each arrangement that they had to have been expensive. Although she wasn’t one hundred percent certain, she believed they had come from Blade.
If he was the culprit, and assumed liked a lot of players did that a quick way into a woman’s panties was with sweet-smelling roses, he would be sorely disappointed. Maybe there were some women who were that naive, but their name wasn’t Samari Di Meglio.
Mac nudged her shoulder, interrupting Sam’s thoughts. “Our guys are waiting.”
Sam frowned, feeling a migraine coming on. “One of the guys is definitely yours, but the other is sooo not mine. I wouldn’t claim him if my life depended on it.”
As they began walking toward the two men, Sam wanted to believe what she’d just said.
Blade glanced at the two women who were making their way toward him and Luke. Both were stunningly beautiful. One was already taken by Luke. The other…well. He studied all five foot eight of her. He looked her up and down, top to bottom, taking note of her blue business suit with its short skirt that showcased a pair of lush brown thighs and long, sexy legs. They were legs that went on forever, and one of these days he intended to see just where they stopped. He could just imagine the body hidden under her suit—a body he was convinced needed a master touch. His.
He smiled at the thought before his eyes moved up to her face. She was a mix of Italian and African-American. She had a pair of beautiful dark exotic eyes, a cute nose and delicious looking lips. Her caramel-colored skin looked soft and smooth, and the mass of black hair that flowed around her shoulders gave her a sexy look. Samari Di Meglio was the kind of woman who easily drew men to her, made them drool mercilessly and compelled them to include her in any wicked fantasies they had. But he also knew that she was a woman with no intention of ever being claimed by any man—not now or forever.
That was fine with him, since the word forever wasn’t in his vocabulary, anyway. He wasn’t interested in any woman beyond the first two orgasms, maybe three on a hot night. To go beyond that was asking for trouble, especially if she had a tendency to become possessive, or assumed that most men’s brains were controlled by what happened below the belt, and that if you kept a certain part of their anatomy satisfied, then that’s all it took. But that was a false assumption where Blade was concerned.
That might be true for some men, but he had yet to encounter a woman who could make him forget what day it was, whose bed he was in or whose legs he was between. And when the time came, he had no qualms about pulling back, pulling out and getting the hell out, if necessary.
“Hello, Blade.”
“Hi, Mac.”
He kissed her on the cheek and then watched as her face broke into an incredible smile when she looked at her husband. Luke leaned over and kissed Mac’s lips as she slid into his open arms, almost instinctively. The gesture was as natural as anything Blade had seen in a long time. He had known—from that first night more than seven years ago when Luke and Mac had met at a charity bachelor auction in Houston—that the two had the hots for each other. And he was still having a hard time getting used to the public displays of affection between them, especially since Luke had always been aloof where women were concerned. Marriage had certainly made him a different man.
Blade shifted his gaze from the loving couple to the woman standing in front of him—who was so damn delicious looking he could eat her for dessert. And one day he intended to do just that. As usual, whenever they were around each other, the sexual tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
“Hello, Sam.”
“Blade.”
She held her hand out and he took it, liking the soft, warm feel of it. She reclaimed her hand as he pulled out her chair. “Glad you could make it.”
She smiled politely. “I’m sure you are.”
He sighed inwardly. He had a feeling that all the lines he had planned to use on her tonight would be wasted. The woman was what most would call a lost cause, but he didn’t intend to give up. All it took was a whiff of her perfume to know the battle wouldn’t be easy, but the victory would be well worth it. Besides, she hadn’t yet tangled with the likes of Blade Madaris—on a good day or an even better night.
He glanced over at Luke and Mac. The couple had finally sat down. “How are you, Mac?” he asked.
She smiled at him. “I’m fine. Luke mentioned that your company was awarded the contract for the Mosley Building. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
“How long do you plan on being in town?” she asked.
“Not sure. That depends.”
“On what?” Sam asked.
She watched Blade shift his gaze from Mac to her with a smile that would have made her drool if she was the drooling type, which she wasn’t. But she would give it to him for being the kind of man who could make her feel hot all over, whatever the temperature. And then there were his eyelashes, which were just as deadly as his lips. His lashes were long and thick—lashes most women would envy.
“As chief engineer of Madaris Construction Company, I need to make sure the groundwork is laid before my crew can start work. There are surveys I need to complete, research that needs to be done, soil samples to be analyzed, as well as planning the construction schedule from start to finish. I also need to work with the Mosley people to keep the public informed as to what’s going on.”
He took a sip of water. “The design of the Mosley Building will be unique, and it’s my job to make sure the
