Slow Burn (A Madaris Family Novel) (20 page)

Marilyn chuckled. “Then you might as well pull it out.”

Slade glanced at his watch the moment he stepped off the
plane. He should have arrived back in Houston around noon, but because of a delayed flight it was four o’clock already. He had just enough time to make it home, shower, and get to the senator’s retirement party.

Skye had left a message on his cell phone that she would meet him at the party. Since Alex was out of town and she and Christy hadn’t come in from the movies until late, Skye had ended up spending the night. It seemed that Alex’s plane had also gotten delayed coming in from Illinois and he wouldn’t be arriving in town until later. So he would also be joining Christy at the party.

God, he’d missed Skye. More than once he had picked up the phone to call her but then had changed his mind, not wanting to interrupt any time she was spending with Vincent. And then at night when he figured she would be at home, he’d gotten stuck with wining and dining potential clients. Blade, not surprisingly, had met some woman he’d become enamored with and had made himself scarce for several nights.

But Slade figured all that was good, since he was home and couldn’t really be mad at his brother. Blade was no more ready to settle down with the right woman than the man in the moon. But Slade felt different. In fact, he’d come to realize something very vital while in Atlanta. He’d fallen in love with Skye.

Exactly when it had happened he wasn’t sure. It might have been the moment he’d opened Justin’s door to find her standing there. Or it could have been the moment he had shared their first kiss.

He smiled. But then again it might have been the day he had picked her up from the airport. He had definitely felt something other than lust when he’d seen her that day. Or, he thought, smiling further, it could very well have been the first time they’d made love.

Just thinking about that night had memories racking his mind as well as his heart. That night had been one filled with passion and desire. He remembered every shiver of pleasure she’d felt, because he’d felt them as well. And when he had entered her body for the first time, it had been one of the most precious moments of his life.

He was glad that things hadn’t worked out for her and her ex-fiancé. The man hadn’t appreciated just what he had. Slade knew he would not make that same mistake. He would appreciate her every day of his life.

He couldn’t help wondering how she felt about him. He knew she didn’t love him, but he did believe she could grow to love him. He would not force his love on her, but he would ply her with all the love and affection any one woman could handle, and then he hoped that one day she would return the feelings.

Now that he knew just how much he loved Skye, there was no way he would ever let her go.

Skye glanced around the elegantly decorated room. Never in her life had she been under the same roof with so many important people. First she had to recover when movie actress Diamond Swain-Madaris had opened the door to greet them and invite them in.

Skye knew she had to have stood there a full five minutes staring with her mouth open. The woman was simply beautiful, and according to what Christy had shared with Skye on the ride over to the ranch, Diamond was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. Everyone in the family loved her, and their uncle Jake simply adored her, and with good reason. She had brought so much love and joy into what had been Jake’s lonely life on Whispering Pines.

Skye had seen the Clintons shortly after that, along with Oprah. When she spotted George Clooney standing by the terrace talking to fellow movie actor Sterling Hamilton, she thought she’d died and gone to heaven. Later, Christy had introduced her to Sterling, who was considered a close family friend because of his friendship with Christy’s uncle Jake. Skye had also been introduced to Sterling’s beautiful wife, Colby, as well as another couple who were close friends of Jake’s—Kyle and Kimara Garwood. When they’d walked away from the couple, Skye had almost flipped when Christy had whispered to her just how many kids they had. She shook her head. Unbelievable.

Skye smiled. She was really enjoying her friendship with Christy. Not only were they the same age, but their birthdays were just days apart. And she could tell from talking to Christy that she had a very close relationship to Slade, Blade, and Luke and simply adored her three older cousins.

Christy checked her watch. “I wonder what’s taking Alex so long to get here.”

Skye had wondered the same thing about Slade. “I’m sure it was pretty hectic getting from the airport. He’ll be here soon.”

Christy smiled. “God, I hope so. I miss him so much. I wanted to go with him on this trip, but he felt it best that I stay home this time.”

Skye nodded. Last night after she and Christy had come in from the movie—a new Denzel release the two of them had practically drooled through most of the scenes of—Christy had told Skye all about her love for her husband, a love that had lasted from the time she’d been thirteen. She’d also told Skye about her adventure two years ago when she’d gotten kidnapped.

“I can’t wait for you to meet Alex,” Christy was saying. “He is simply wonderful.”

Skye took a sip of her wine before she was tempted to say that she thought Slade was simply wonderful, too, when she turned and noticed what had to be one of the most gorgeous men she’d ever seen. He was standing across the room talking to Jake Madaris. It was apparent he wasn’t from this country but was from the Middle East.

“Who is that?” she asked in a strained voice. The man was smiling at whatever Jake was saying, and his smile…oh my gosh! It was simply beautiful. He was tall and had dark piercing eyes. The color of his skin was a medium brown, and straight black hair flowed loosely around his shoulders. He was dressed in a business suit, and it was apparent the outfit cost a lot.

Christy followed the direction of Skye’s gaze and grinned. “He’s simply gorgeous, isn’t he? Alex is handsome, but the sheikh is in a class by himself.”

Skye’s brow rose. “The sheikh?”

“Yes, Sheikh Rasheed Valdemon. He’s the one I was telling you about, who bought me for a million dollars from those bad guys to get me out of harm’s way.” Christy chuckled. “Of course he never had to pay the million dollars.”

As far as Skye was concerned, it didn’t matter. She couldn’t imagine being close enough to the man to breathe the same air. Christy was right. Skye thought that Slade was an extremely good-looking man, but the sheikh took “good-looking” and gave it an all new definition.

“Skye Barclay?”

Skye quickly turned, wondering who on earth at this party would know her. She smiled when she saw it was Congressman Baines and his son, Senator Ryan Baines. It had been the senator who’d spoken. It then occurred to her that most of the time when the two men were together, it was the congressman and not the senator who did most of the talking. Although the senator was always friendly to her, she’d always gotten the impression—and to be honest she really didn’t know why—that he avoided her whenever he could, which really didn’t make sense. But the congressman did just the opposite. She couldn’t recall a time during any part of her childhood that he hadn’t been a part of it.

She smiled and quickly gave the congressman a huge hug. She hadn’t seen him in quite a while.

“Congressman Baines, how are you?” She then turned to the senator and offered him her hand. “And how are you doing, Senator Baines?”

“I’m fine, Ms. Barclay, and you?”

“I’m fine also.” She then introduced the two men to Christy.

“I’m curious as to why you’re so far from home,” the senator said, looking at her curiously. “Do you know Senator Lansing?”

Skye shook her head. “No, I just met him tonight. However, since I’m here visiting with the Madaris family over the summer, I—”

“You’re visiting the Madaris family?” the senator asked, seemingly surprised.

Skye smiled. “Yes, in a way.” She met the congressman’s gaze, knowing her father confided in him about a lot of things. “I’m sure my parents told you that once I discovered I was adopted, I wanted to find my biological brother.”

The congressman nodded. “Yes, but I thought they said you had made a trip to a town near Dallas.”

“I had. But since my brother, Vincent, was spending the summer here with his family, the invitation was also extended to me to come for the summer as well.”

The congressman smiled. “That was very kind of his family.”

“Hello, beautiful.”

At that moment a very handsome man walked up and placed a kiss on Christy’s lips. Skye immediately assumed it was Christy’s husband. Introductions were made and when Christy introduced him she said, her eyes glowing with love, “I want everyone to meet the best private investigator in the entire world: Alexander Maxwell.”

Skye couldn’t help but grin. All last night Christy had sung her husband’s praises. Skye shook the man’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Alex.”

He smiled. “Likewise.” He was then introduced to the congressman and senator.

“I hear you’re almost a man wonder at finding people, Alex,” Skye said jokingly. “It took the private detective I hired almost a year to find Vincent. When I’m ready to locate my biological father, I’ll make sure and give you a call.”

Alex chuckled as he brought Christy closer to his side. “Yes, you do that. I’d be happy to take you on as a client.”

“Hello everyone.”

Skye swallowed. She would recognize that deep masculine voice anywhere. She turned and met Slade’s smiling eyes. “Slade. Welcome back,” she said, smiling at him and at the moment not caring who saw how glad she was to see him.

He came to stand next to her. “Thanks. And I’m glad to be back.” He said hello to Christy and Alex, and then he glanced over at the two men he didn’t know. Skye quickly introduced him to the congressman and senator.

Slade then glanced over at Skye. “Would you like to dance?”

Skye stared up into what she thought was Slade’s gorgeous dark eyes. She had missed him. The time she had spent with Vincent had helped, but late at night when she’d been alone in her bed she had thought of Slade. She had hoped that he would call her, but he hadn’t. But maybe that had been a good thing, since it had given her time to think. There was a reason she and Slade had met the way they had, a purpose to why they had connected so easily, establishing first friendship and then a level of intimacy that took her breath away just thinking about it.

“Yes, I’d like that,” she said, smiling up at him. She turned to everyone else. “Excuse us.” She then walked away with Slade toward the area where other couples were dancing.

The moment Slade pulled Skye into his arms he leaned down and whispered, “If only you knew how much I missed you.”

A sensuous shiver raced down Skye’s spine with his words, and she seemingly melted into him. He held her close, and at that moment she didn’t care who might be watching and assuming there was more between them than mere friendship. This was Slade, the man she loved, and a part of her wished she could tell him just how she felt.

Slade was also having a hard time holding on to his emotions. Holding Skye this way—in their first dance together—reminded him of how wonderful it felt to hold her in his arms, whether standing or lying down. At the moment he ached to lie down somewhere with her, make love to her, claim her as the woman he wanted in his life for always.

When he had walked into the party and seen her, everything and everyone else in the room had faded into a state of non-existence. His eyes had been trained solely on her. She looked radiant in the gown she was wearing, a vision of beauty that nearly had him breathless. It was slinky and sexy all rolled into one, and he couldn’t imagine any other woman wearing it. It seemed to have been made for her and her alone.

Thinking he needed to talk to take his mind off of leaning down and kissing her right then and there, he said, “I see you aren’t the only person from Maine here tonight.”

She smiled up at him. “No, it’s nice seeing the congressman and senator here. But then there are so many other important people here as well.” Her eyes widened. “I even saw a sheikh.”

Slade released a soft chuckle. “That was Rasheed. He’s a close friend of the family.”

“It seems the Madarises have a lot of friends.”

“Yes, they do.”

At that moment the music ended, but Slade didn’t release her, so Skye assumed they would remain on the dance floor for the next song. But then he leaned down and said, “Please come outside with me for a minute.”

It was hard for Skye to swallow. She nodded and Slade took her hand in his and led her outside on the terrace. When they kept walking, she asked, “Where are we going?”

He smiled down at her. “For a walk.”

She lifted a brow. “At night?”

Slade chuckled. “There’s a well-lit walking path on the other side of this patio.”

“Oh.”

She noted how beautiful the night was and that the lit trail they were following was lined with numerous bluebonnets. They kept walking, neither saying anything but both enjoying the beauty of their surroundings. She and Christy had arrived before it had gotten dark, and Skye had seen the beauty of the Whispering Pines ranch. This was definitely a working ranch, and its beauty was absolutely spellbinding.

When they were a good distance away from the terrace, Slade stopped walking and turned to her. As though their minds were on the same page and their desires in sync, she tilted her head back the moment he leaned his down. His arms slid around her waist the same moment hers slid around his neck.

“Skye.”

He whispered her name in a voice that sounded achingly low, unbearably sexy, and then their mouths connected on a blissful sigh. His hand moved from her waist to settle in the small of her back and bring her body closer to the fit of him at the same time he deepened the kiss.

Slade thought this was heaven. The sweet, succulent taste of her always amazed him, always made him greedier for more. Desire ripped through every part of him, making his already hot body even hotter. A helpless groan murmured from deep in his throat, and he continued to taste her while she was doing likewise and tasting him as she mated with his tongue, enveloping it in the wet warmth of hers.