Sensual Confessions - Brenda Jackson [4]
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 materials we use and the work we do meet our highest standards. So there’s no telling how long I’ll be here—maybe four to six months.”
Sam nodded. Regardless of what he’d just said, she knew there was more to him hanging around Oklahoma City than he let on. The look in his eyes said as much. The man just refused to give up. She would hate to make him another casualty, like every other player who thought she was fair and easy game. Evidently, he felt pretty damn sure of himself.
Any other time she would have jumped at the opportunity to prove him wrong, but with the phone call she’d received from her parents before leaving the office, she didn’t have the time or the inclination. Although she was pretty good when it came to multitasking, she didn’t want to take on both Blade and her parents at the same time.
Her mom and dad, who had been responsible for choosing Guy as their future son-in-law, were at it again. For some reason they couldn’t leave well enough alone. At first, when they had called last week, they’d insisted that she fly home to New York to meet the man they thought was the perfect match for her.
When she had refused, they had tried playing on her sympathy by claiming that they would be too old to enjoy grandchildren when she and her brother, DeAngelo, finally settled down and produced offspring.
“Peyton sends her regrets, but she wasn’t able to make it, Blade,” Mac said, diverting his attention.
Sam glanced at him to see if any disappointment registered on his face. He smiled. “Luke told me and I’m disappointed,” he said evenly.
Was he really? Hmm. As if she’d spoken out loud, Blade shifted his gaze from Mac to her and