Taste of Passion (Madaris Novels) Read Online Free PDF Page A

that I’ll be able to handle a repeat performance. If Ashton, Nettie, and the kids were in town I could stay with them for a while, but they’re in Houston for the summer. My other option is to check into a hotel, but if either Gramma Carrie or Mama Laverne found out I was there alone, they wouldn’t hesitate to come out here to take care of me. I need to convince them that I’m being taken care of.”
    “And you think they’ll believe I’m the one taking care of you?” she asked.
    “Yes, they would believe it if I were to tell them I moved in with you for a while.”
    “But they know I have a full-time job,” she said.
    “Doesn’t matter. They’d still assume you’re taking care of me.”
    Mackenzie wondered how they would assume that but figured he knew his family members a lot better than she did. But still, she wasn’t sure the two of them living under the same roof was a positive thing, especially with Roger Coroni’s case coming up. She would need her full concentration while trying to keep the old man from losing his land; and it was land this big-time developer was determined to take away from him. How on earth was she going to stay focused with Luke around?
    “So what about it, Mac?”
    She glanced up and found his gaze pinning her, and at that moment she knew the answer. He evidently wasn’t feeling the same vibes as she was. “And are you sure that moving in with me for a while is what you really want to do?” she couldn’t help but ask.
    “Yes, I’m sure,” he said, still holding her gaze. She felt her heart skip a beat. “Unless there’s a reason you wouldn’t want me around,” he added.
    She could think of a few but they weren’t any she wanted to share with him. “No, there’s no reason. So theanswer is yes, it will be okay for you to stay with me until you get better.”
     
    “And Mac agreed to let you stay at her place while you’re recuperating?” Blade Madaris asked his cousin to make sure he was hearing right. When it came to the opposite sex he was a very observant man. And the one thing he’d observed that night five years ago, even if Luke hadn’t, was that Mac was interested in him. At least there had been a noticeable amount of sexual attraction between them.
    He’d also observed it that night on Luke’s end, as well, but he knew that unless it dealt with livestock or horses, Luke was slow when figuring out things. So it came as no surprise to Blade that Luke didn’t have a clue about the heated chemistry he and Mac were stirring up. And Blade knew it was probably safe to say that he wasn’t the only Madaris who’d picked up on it, although Mac and Luke made a point of staying clear of each other at most of the family functions. Whether they knew it or not, that in itself was a dead giveaway. More than once he’d felt the strong vibes radiating between them. Mac was a stunningly beautiful woman, the type that turned heads and could make a man’s mouth drop to the floor whenever she walked into a room. She was a woman to draw the attention of any red-blooded man. She had definitely drawn Luke’s.
    “Yes, and that’s where I’m going to need your help,” Luke was saying, drawing Blade’s attention back to the conversation.
    Blade lifted a brow. Carmen was in her bed, already naked and waiting on him. It was a good thing she knew he was a very busy man and that she was a very patient woman. The only reason he had answered his cell phone was because he’d seen the call had been from Luke. Not too many people were privileged to interrupt his personal and private time with a woman. “What kind of help do you need from me?” he asked his cousin.
    “I need you to convince everyone, namely Mama Laverne, that I’m fine and that I’ll be in good hands.”
    Blade smiled as he thought about Luke’s request. He remembered how at the family reunion last year Mama Laverne had kept an eye on everyone; especially on Mac and Luke. The old gal was both smart and