CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“I’M READY, NOLAN.”
Nolan placed the television remote down to turn his attention away from ESPN. Whoa! He blinked. Then his gaze roamed all over the woman standing in the middle of the room. “Ivy?”
She gave him a cheeky grin. “Yes, it’s me. You like the dress?”
It was more than the dress, he decided, getting to his feet. She looked good. Different. He thought she was beautiful before but even more now. What had she done to herself? She wasn’t wearing her glasses but those gorgeous soft brown eyes were the same. And that scent, not too enticing, but a fresh and sweet fragrance that he thought was perfect on her.
He checked out her outfit—a beautiful blue sundress that stopped just above her knees, showing off a pair of great-looking legs in black high-heel sling-back sandals. Her bare arms showed what looked like satin-soft skin, so soft he wanted to reach out and touch it. And she wore matching jewelry. He thought the silver necklace and matching earrings and bracelet looked nice on her and complimented her outfit.
Nolan’s gaze moved upward to her hair. She had it pulled together on top of her head but not in that severe-looking bun. She had gathered her hair back in a twist with curls dangling on the side to draw emphasis to what he thought was a very attractive face.
“Well?”
His gaze shifted to her eyes. “Well, what?”
She rolled her eyes. “Do you like the dress?”
He had to be honest. “I love the dress. It looks great on you. You look absolutely stunning.” And he meant every word.
“Thanks. I was going to wait until I got back to Houston to do the makeover but decided tonight would be a good time to try.”
Her words confused him. “Makeover? Why do you need a makeover?” he asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his slacks. Otherwise he would be tempted to cross the room and touch her. Never would he have figured himself to be a man that could be tempted to that degree by any woman but he’d discovered around Ivy he was constantly swamped with unfamiliar emotions and reactions. “There was nothing wrong with how you looked before.”
He recalled her telling him how that jackass she used to be with wanted her to change her looks to suit him. He meant what he’d just told her. There hadn’t been anything wrong with how she looked before. He’d thought she had beautiful features and had looked rather cute in her eyeglasses.
“Thanks, Nolan, that was a sweet thing to say. However, once we get back to Houston and pretend to be a couple, it’s important to me that I at least look like a woman you would be interested in. A woman people would believe that you could fall in love with. Otherwise, no one will take our affair seriously.”
He frowned. First of all he wasn’t sure there was a woman out there he would fall in love with, regardless of what anyone thought. Second, she was a woman he would have shown interest in. “You don’t think you’re a woman I would be interested in?”
“Of course not. Think about the women you’ve dated recently and how they looked.”
In all honesty, he didn’t want to think about them. She had brought this subject up before...on that first day when they were debating the pros and cons of their plan. She honestly didn’t think he would have given her a second glance. Okay, he would admit that day she’d come to his office he had immediately ruled she wasn’t his type and had even told Mama Laverne so. But he would have claimed that she wasn’t his type even if she had been, mainly because she was being forced on him and he hadn’t liked it. But he would have to admit that even on that day in his office, he’d noticed her beauty and grace.
Deciding not to get into a discussion about the women in his past, he said, “You would have caught my interest.”
Rolling her eyes, she said, “Whatever.”
It shouldn’t bother him that she didn’t believe him, but it did. “You bought all of this while shopping today? The dress? Shoes? Perfume? Jewelry...?”
“Yes, I lucked out. If I’d had time I would have got my nails done and a pedicure at the salon next door. But I didn’t want to prolong the time.” She then asked, “You haven’t noticed anything about my dress?”
He looked at her dress again. What he noticed was just how good she looked in it. “No, is there something I’m missing?”
“Yes. It’s blue. Yesterday during dinner I asked what your favorite color was and you said blue. So I bought a blue dress. I figured if your cousins knew blue was your favorite color and I wore blue tonight, they would assume I was trying to impress you. Get it?”
Yeah, he got it. “Smart idea,” he heard himself say. He then glanced at his watch. “Ready to go?”
“Yes, I’m ready. I just hope we’re able to pull things off.”
There was no doubt in Nolan’s mind that they would. He knew there was no way Syneda and Clayton wouldn’t notice that he couldn’t take his eyes off Ivy tonight, and there wouldn’t be any pretense about it.
* * *
“WELCOME TO THE SALAMANDER,” the smiling hostess said, walking over to them when they entered the restaurant. Ivy glanced around, thinking how beautiful the place was. Even more so than the one in Houston because this one was larger and had a gorgeous view of the gulf.
“Thanks.”
“Nolan Madaris?”
“Yes, I’m Nolan Madaris.”
“The Madaris party is seated this way,” the woman informed them. “Please follow me.”
Ivy found her hand suddenly tucked into Nolan’s as they followed the hostess who led them toward a section with a phenomenal view of the ocean. She had never met Nolan’s cousins but was certain they were the couple watching their approach. The first thought that came to her mind was that they were a beautiful, well-dressed couple. The man was dashingly handsome and the first word that came to mind to describe the woman was radiant. Then she decided just the word radiant wouldn’t do her justice. Gorgeously radiant would work. Thick and curly golden-bronze hair fell to her shoulders and was perfect for her light brown complexion. When they got closer to the table, the gentleman stood, and the woman’s lips formed into a smile that extended to a pair of sea green eyes.
“Clayton and Syneda,” Nolan greeted, giving the man a huge bear hug and then leaning down and placing a kiss on the woman’s cheek. Ivy thought that up close the woman was even more beautiful.
“I’d like you to meet Ivy Chapman. A friend. And, Ivy, this is my cousin Clayton and his beautiful wife, Syneda.”
Handshakes were exchanged and although Nolan had warned her that the woman was one of his great-grandmother’s ace allies, Ivy felt the woman’s friendliness was genuine.
“Glad you could join us,” Clayton Madaris said, grinning brightly. “Are the two of you enjoying the bay?”
Ivy decided to let Nolan answer that. During the drive over, he’d told her to follow his lead. “Yes, we’re enjoying the bay, although things didn’t work out as we’d planned,” Nolan said.
“Oh, what happened?” Syneda asked like she didn’t know. Nolan had warned Ivy that she would.
“You tell them, Ivy,” Nolan prompted, placing his hand over hers. A gesture she noted Syneda took in. “I get upset every time I think about it.”
Ivy smiled over at Syneda and Clayton. “It seems my grandmother and Nolan’s great-grandmother are playing matchmakers, although they’d both been told we aren’t interested. They duped us and made sure we ended up at the cottage together this week.”
Clayton shook his head in a way that had Ivy wondering if he’d truly known about it. More important that he didn’t approve. “That’s Mama Laverne for you. Always thinking she has to marry people off. Luckily, she was doing a lot of her missionary work out of the country when me and my two older brothers, Justin and Dex, were all still single and dating. But now she’s got it in her head that she’s a master matchmaker. If you ask me, she ought to stay out of people’s business.”
“Clayton!” Syneda admonished her husband. Another thing Nolan had warned her about was that this couple usually didn’t agree on anything.
“Well, it’s true,” Clayton said. “She puts people together with no idea just how they will get along.”
“But the two of you seem to be getting along,” Syneda pointed out, frowning over at her husband before looking at Nolan and Ivy.
“Yes, but only because Nolan felt sorry for me. I was looking forward to spending a week on the beach. Since the cottage can accommodate two, he invited me to stay.”
Syneda looked over at Nolan and smiled. Ivy was certain the woman noted that Nolan’s hand was still covering hers. “That was so nice of you to do that, Nolan.”
He smiled at Syneda before turning his megawatt smile on Ivy. “I would like to think that I’m a nice person.”
Ivy gave him a huge smile. “You are a nice person. No doubt about it.”
“Thanks,” he said, lifting her hand to his lips to kiss it.
“I’ve enjoyed your company.”
“And I’ve enjoyed yours as well. It’s hard to believe our week is up, and we’ll be returning to Houston tomorrow,” he said, looking at Ivy.
“There’s no reason the two of you can’t continue to see each other, is there?” Syneda asked with obvious hope in her tone.
Nolan didn’t respond to Syneda’s question right away. Instead he kept looking at her and Ivy couldn’t break eye contact with him if she’d wanted to. It was as if his gaze was holding hers captive and there was no pretense about it. She knew Nolan’s response to Syneda’s would further lay the groundwork for their plan to outwit Nana and Ms. Laverne.
His hesitation in responding would appear that he was giving Syneda’s words some serious consideration. Without breaking eye contact with her, he finally said, “As far as I’m concerned, there’s no reason. What do you think about that, Ivy?” he asked her.
She swallowed as he continued to hold her gaze, not saying anything at first, as if she was thinking hard about his question. “I think you’re right.”
There was no telling how long they would have sat there, staring into each other’s eyes if Clayton Madaris hadn’t cleared his throat. They forced their gazes from each other to look at Clayton. However, it was Syneda, who was bubbling over with smiles, who asked, “So what have the two of you been doing at the cottage?”
Ivy saw a sparkle of amusement in the woman’s eyes like she’d understood the moment she and Nolan had just shared and she was privy to Ivy’s secret sexual fantasy about Nolan.
Nolan told them about going swimming, her help in repainting his patio furniture, the boat he’d rented and how he’d taught her to fish. They chuckled when he told them about her aversion to baiting her hook and gutting the fish. He even told them that he was teaching her how to prepare a few meals.
“That’s wonderful,” Syneda said, all but clapping her hands as she continued to smile all over the place. “Nolan is a fantastic cook.”
“He most certainly is,” Ivy agreed. “I’ve probably gained five pounds already this week.”
“I doubt that you have and even if you did, you look fantastic in that dress,” Nolan complimented.
“Thanks,” she said, giving him a huge smile. And she noticed, like everyone else at the table, that he was still holding her hand.
At that moment, a waitress came to take their dinner orders.
* * *
“I DON’T CARE if Syneda is your great-grandmother’s biggest ally. I truly do like her,” Ivy said, entering the cottage when Nolan opened the door and stepped aside for her to enter. “She is such a sweetheart and it’s obvious Clayton adores her.”
“Yes, she is a sweetheart. And yes, Clayton adores her,” Nolan said, tossing the car keys on a living room table.
Nolan found himself watching Ivy, something he’d been doing all night. She was bending over to remove her sandals, and like earlier that day when he’d caught her bending down inside the refrigerator, he was enjoying the view. It was amazing how the fabric of her dress stretched across her backside like that. And it was even more amazing what a nice and curvaceous backside it was.
She turned to him, twirling her sandals in her hand. “I think tonight went well, don’t you?”
“Yes.” He couldn’t help but agree, but he was hard-pressed to decide which parts of what he said and did were real and which were fake.
“I believe Syneda’s report to your great-grandmother will be a favorable one, especially when she tells her of our decision to continue to see each other once we leave here.”
He hated to tell her, but at that moment he really didn’t give a royal damn about any report Syneda would be giving to Mama Laverne. He wasn’t sure of the why but at some point during the night, his pretense had become genuine interest on his part and filled with all kinds of emotions.
It was obvious that Clayton and Syneda were impressed with Ivy. She was nothing like those airheads he’d been dating over the past year. Women who hadn’t threatened his bachelor status. Women whose no-boundaries-sex lifestyles had done more to turn him off than to turn him on.
He liked that Ivy was impressed by his cousins ability to work together as partners. And when they’d asked her questions about cybersecurity, she had been in her element. It was quite obvious that Ivy Chapman was a highly intelligent woman. In a way he regretted that Mama Laverne thought she was the ideal woman for him. She was the ideal woman for some man but not for him. At that moment a knot formed in his gut at the thought of that nameless man in her life.
“So what do you think?”
Nolan blinked. He had missed her question. “Sorry? What did you ask?”
She smiled at him. “I asked if you wanted to join me in eating that dessert you’re holding tight in your hand.” She chuckled. “I’m glad you suggested we got our peach cobbler as takeout. I couldn’t believe the hints Clayton was throwing out, clearly letting us know that he was in a rush to get his wife back to their hotel room.”
Her observation made Nolan chuckle. “Clayton and Syneda are two of the most sensuous people I know. As far as sexual chemistry and vibes are concerned, they got them hands down, and it’s easy for everyone around them to feel it.”
“You are right. I felt it.”
He nodded, wondering if she felt theirs. Whether she knew it or not, they’d been emitting some pretty strong vibes tonight as well. He knew for a fact Clayton and Syneda had picked up on them because of the stares they’d given them. “At least Clayton gave out hints tonight. Usually they just disappear for a while.”
Ivy mouth fell open in shock. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope. I’m not kidding. The family is used to their overt sexual behavior. They complement each other and keep things exciting. The longer they are married the more adventurous they get. There’s never a boring moment with those two.”
“I can imagine,” Ivy said, shaking her head.
“Have you ever thought about growing your operation into something larger?” he asked, following her into the kitchen. He’d found it impressive that many Fortune 500 companies had sought her out. That meant they had a lot of confidence and respect for her skills and abilities. “You have the clientele to do it. Some very impressive clients I might add.”
He watched her grab plates out of the cabinets, going on tiptoe to do it, making the hem of her dress rise. He got a glimpse of her thighs and felt his body get hard. But then he would admit being aroused by her a lot tonight. He slid into a chair at the table, deciding it would be best if he were sitting down when she turned around.
“Yes, I’ve thought about it,” she said, placing plates and forks on the table. “I’ve even gone so far as to check out office space in various parts of town. But...”
He lifted a brow. “But what?”
She began gnawing on her bottom lip and he tried ignoring the way his pulse flickered watching her do so. “I enjoy being a businesswoman, but I’m doing so at the level that I’m comfortable with as a small business owner. Anything larger would become too overwhelming to me. Right now all I have to concentrate on is the work I do for my clients. If I were to expand, then I would have to think about employees, PR, marketing, rental space and all kinds of stuff.”
In a way he understood what she was saying. He employed close to a hundred people and loved taking on huge jobs. And the more challenging the better, which was why he was looking forward to the work he’d be doing for Lee and DeAngelo in Paris. He liked the size of his operations and had good people working for him. His goal was to grow his business even more. He hadn’t mentioned it to anyone but Lee, Reese, Corbin and his granduncle Jake, but he and Nicholas had discussed the possibility of combining their companies and becoming partners. Such a move would automatically advance him into a global market.
“You have to do what makes you comfortable,” he said, fully understanding her position. “Not everyone wants to be a Fortune 500 company. As long as you’re making money and not losing it is what counts.” And from his research, he saw her small company was making money. Lots of it. One thing in her favor was that she didn’t have the huge overhead since she worked out of her home. And she had only a personal assistant who handled the paperwork she did have.
“Thanks,” she said, giving him a radiant smile. “What would you like to drink?”
They’d had wine at dinner but he figured another glass wouldn’t hurt. They were in for the night so they didn’t have to worry about overindulging. “Sharing another glass of wine would be nice, especially since it’s our last night together.”
She nodded. “Okay, two glasses of wine coming up.”
Nolan watched her walk over to the refrigerator, loving the way her body moved in that dress. He liked the way she looked in her bare feet as well, with those gorgeous legs. And he thought she smelled good. Her scent was invigorating him all over.
Heat flowed through Nolan and he contemplated the moment. His hands itched to touch her, his mouth was burning to taste her. Suddenly, not able to control his desires, he stood and moved toward her, coming to a stop directly behind her. When she closed the refrigerator and turned around he was right there.
“Oops, sorry,” she said, nearly bumping into him. “Did you need something out of the refrigerator?”
“No, I don’t need anything out of the refrigerator,” he said in a voice that was filled with a kind of heat he hadn’t experienced in a long time or ever.
He took the wine bottle from her hand and placed it on the counter and then turned back to her. “But I desperately need this, Ivy.”
And then he lowered his mouth to hers.