A Madaris Bride for Christmas

“Yes, I think so. You ever heard of fate?”

Lee smiled. “Only Justin’s version.”

Justin Madaris was one of Lee’s older cousins. After Justin’s wife died, Justin believed one day he would find someone else to love—a woman who would be his fate. Miraculously, it had happened just the way Justin had predicted. He had met Lorren and the two had been married for quite a few years now.

“Well, I guess I’m like Justin and believe in such a thing,” Angelo said. “That’s one of the reasons I didn’t give up on Peyton when she didn’t want to have anything to do with me.”

Lee remembered that time. “But things did work out.”

“Yes,” Angelo said as a huge smile spread across his lips. “Things did work out. Like I said. Fate. Might be the same for you.”

Lee shook his head. “I doubt it. The woman in question checked out of the hotel today and chances are I’ll never see her again.”

Saying the words made Lee realize just what a downer that was. He finished off the rest of his beer before placing the bottle on the counter. “I’m off to the gym. Want to join me?”

Angelo stood. “No. When you’re married you come up with other ways to burn off calories.”

Lee shook his head and grinned. “Again, man, that’s too much information.”

* * *

“Isn’t that exciting?”

Carly smiled over at her coworker, a chef assistant by the name of Jodie Wrangler. Jodie, who’d begun working at the hotel a week before Carly, had just finished explaining that Peyton’s Place would be closed tonight for a private party. It was rumored that the two owners of the hotel had invited important guests they were trying to impress. There was even a rumor that Oscar-winning actress Diamond Swain was included in the group.

She’d missed the head chef’s announcement while she’d been off work for her birthday, and Carly had wondered what the flurry was about when she’d returned to work today. The kitchen seemed busier than usual and everyone was bustling about with enthusiasm.

“Yes, that’s exciting,” Carly said to Jodie, but in her mind she didn’t truly think it was. She had worked in restaurants where they’d closed their doors for private parties. In most cases, the kitchen staff was reduced since everyone wouldn’t be needed. That meant less pay in somebody’s paycheck.

“Chef Blanchard wants to see you. He’s probably going to tell you about the party tonight, so act surprised.”

Carly put down the cake pan to head over to Chef Blanchard’s office. Chances were, since she was one of the newest chefs, she would be one of those sent home for the evening. She knocked on the closed door.

“Come in.”

She entered the office that resembled a mini-kitchen with a desk in the center. Pots lined the wall, along with numerous trophies and plaques. Dr. Blanchard was a renowned chef, and she’d heard his name a number of times in culinary school both in the States and in France.

“I understand you wanted to see me, Chef Blanchard.”

“Yes, yes,” he said, smiling. “Come on in and have a seat.”

“Thanks,” she said, taking a chair in front of his desk. The man was totally different from Chef Renaldo in both looks and temperament. Chef Renaldo had been short, stocky and had a mean attitude most of the time, where Chef Blanchard was tall, thin and had a pleasing personality.

“I have good news for you, Carly.”

She wondered if he thought informing her that she had another day off was good news. “And what is the good news?”

He leaned back in his chair with a huge smile on his lips. “I’m sure you’ve heard by now that our two owners, Mr. Madaris and Mr. Di Meglio, have important guests here at the hotel, and they have requested a private party. That means the restaurant will be closing to anyone except the group of thirteen who will be dining here tonight.”

She’d never met the two owners but had heard several whispered comments around the kitchen by the women who had. Both Mr. Madaris and Mr. Di Meglio were rumored to be eye candy of the most serious kind.

“I see.”

“I’m putting you in charge of desserts.”

Carly blinked, certain she had heard wrong. “You’re putting me in charge of desserts?”

“Yes. That dish you made during your interview will be perfect. Two of the gentlemen are from the Middle East and I know they will love your Pi-Sky as much as I did.”

Carly was speechless. Seldom did a head chef deviate from a restaurant’s menu.

“Thank you, sir. For the vote of confidence,” she said, beginning to feel that excitement Jodie had alluded to earlier.

“You’re welcome. I believe you’ll find all the ingredients in the hotel’s kitchen store, including King Arthur flour.”

Because of the number of restaurants and cafés in the hotel, each one used the same kitchen supplies. To keep things simple, the hotel hired a shopper whose job was to make sure any and every item the cooks needed was on the premises.

“That’s great. Thanks again.”

“Don’t mention it. These guests are important and we all want to make a good impression.”

“Yes, sir. We will.” She left the chef’s office smiling.

* * *

Lee glanced around Peyton’s Place, the only rotating restaurant on the Strip. It was the most popular of all the hotel’s restaurants and always in demand. It seemed everyone was fascinated by the slow rotation offering a breathtaking view of the Strip and the Mojave Desert.

There would be no business discussions tonight. They had done enough of that during the day. Now it was time to eat and unwind. All five men had invited their wives to join them, and Angelo had invited Peyton as well. All seemed to be in a festive mood, and Lee was glad of that. It was a good way to end such a busy day.

He couldn’t help noticing that all six men were married to what he considered to be smart and beautiful women. Over dinner, he had discovered Sheikh Yasir’s wife, Delaney, was the sister of motorcycle builder and racer Thorn Westmoreland and also the sister of bestselling author Rock Mason, aka Stone Westmoreland.

Johari Valdemon, who was married to Sheikh Valdemon and was Sheikh Yasir’s sister, enlightened everyone over dinner with the story of how she and her husband had been promised to each other at birth and yet she hadn’t set eyes on him until she was twenty-four. They’d met here in the States. While in college, Johari had intentionally gone missing, not ready to return to her country, do her duty and marry. Rasheed had gone looking for her and had found his intended bride dancing on the tables of some club in New York. That tale got a lot of rousing laughter from everyone.

Jake joked about Kyle and Kimara’s six offspring and how, for years, everyone wondered if they would stop having more children. The couple did admit they enjoyed making babies, and that their fertility had something to do with a vacation cabin they owned in the North Carolina Mountains called Special K.

Because Mitch’s wife, Gina, grew up with a lot of his older cousins, Lee knew her well. Her brother Trevor was best friend to one of his older cousins, Dex; and for years Trevor had been foreman at Dex’s land-exploration company. Lee liked Gina, always had, and thought she was down-to-earth. It was obvious that Mitch adored his wife.

“I understand your oldest son left this month for college.” Angelo broke into Lee’s thoughts when he addressed a question to Kyle and Kimara Garwood.

Kimara smiled lovingly at her husband before gazing at Angelo. “Yes, and I miss Kyle VI already. He’s attending Harvard.”

“An excellent university,” both sheikhs chimed in to say with huge smiles. Both had degrees from Harvard.

“I agree,” Lee said. He was a proud Harvard alum as well.

“I take it you couldn’t persuade Blade and Sam to join us,” Mitch said, smiling.

Lee chuckled. “No. They drove to Los Angeles. Sam was determined to get some more shopping in.” He glanced over at Peyton. “How did shopping go yesterday?”

Peyton rolled her eyes. “Don’t ask.”

The waiters removed their plates and everyone agreed that dinner had been absolutely delicious and they were all ready for dessert.

“Thirteen is an unlucky number, Lee. Why didn’t you bring a date?” Diamond Swain Madaris asked.

Lee glanced across the dinner table and smiled at the woman who’d made his uncle a very happy man. “The reason I didn’t bring a date is because there isn’t a woman I’m interested in at the moment.”

“Better not say that too loud,” Jake said, chuckling. “Word might get back to Mom. She’ll find you a bride and start planning a wedding.”

Not if I find one first, Lee thought, as the waiter poured more coffee into his cup. He wasn’t interested in finding a bride, and he wouldn’t appreciate his great-grandmother shoving one down his throat either. She was known to try such tactics.

His mind shifted to the woman he’d met a couple of nights ago. He wondered where she was and what she was doing. Why was he still thinking about her? Why had thoughts of her infiltrated his mind all day? When he should have been concentrating on the business at hand he’d instead recalled their dance, their kiss, her scent. Why had she made such a lasting impression on him?

His thoughts were disrupted when waiters came out carrying several plates. Dessert had arrived.

* * *

“Oh, I bet your dessert is a big hit with everyone, Carly.”

Carly smiled. Jodie was definitely a confidence booster, which was really refreshing. During her years at culinary schools and working in various restaurants, Carly had discovered that most chefs were competitive by nature and very few gave compliments to other chefs. In contrast, Jodie didn’t mind bestowing a compliment and she was always in a good mood. That was probably one of the reasons Carly liked her.

“Thanks. We’ll see.”

“I saw one of the owners today when he was showing a group of men around. All the men were extremely handsome but Mr. Madaris stood out,” Jodie was saying.

Carly glanced over at her. “In what way?”

“Where everybody else got an A, in my book he got an A-plus.”

Carly couldn’t help but chuckle. “An A-plus?”

“Yes, doubly so.”

Carly shrugged, not imagining any man looking that good...except that guy she had danced with on the balcony two nights ago. She wondered if he’d checked out of the hotel by now. And that wasn’t the only thing she wondered about him. What was he doing in Vegas alone? Where was he from? She had picked up on a Southern accent.

Did he have a girl back home? Now was a fine time to think about that—after she’d plastered a kiss on him. But then he had plastered one on her as well. He had been the one to take the kiss to another level, not her. But still...

“Your dessert is really good,” Jodie said, interrupting Carly’s thoughts.

Carly glanced over to where Jodie was sitting on a stool at a counter, stuffing her face with Pi-Sky. Carly smiled. “Thanks.”

Chef Blanchard had put a lot of faith in her, and more than anything she didn’t want to disappoint him.

* * *

“Sweet Allah, that was the best pie I’ve ever eaten,” exclaimed Sheikh Rasheed Valdemon.

“Evidently,” his wife, Johari, said, smiling. “You ate three slices. If you eat any more you’ll gain too much to get on the plane.”

Everyone around the table chuckled, but Lee agreed with Rasheed. Even he had asked for seconds. The entire meal had been tremendous, but what topped it off was the excellent dessert. Rasheed and Lee weren’t the only ones who thought so. Others at the table were singing its praises too.

“Who is the chef for this restaurant?” Sheikh Jamal Yasir asked Lee and Angelo. “I’m tempted to sweep him or her off to my country to work in the palace.”

Lee laughed. “Then maybe we need to keep Chef Blanchard under lock and key for the rest of your visit. But it’s only fair for you to meet him.”

He then said to a waiter standing nearby, “Please tell Chef Blanchard that my dinner party would like to meet him.” The waiter nodded before quickly walking off. Lee was glad that things were going so well and that his potential investors were impressed.

Everyone looked up when the tall, lanky man wearing a huge white chef toque and chef jacket approached their table. Lee stood. “Everyone, this is Chef Blanchard, the person responsible for our very delicious meal as well as the outstanding service we received.”

Compliments were bestowed upon the man who beamed at all the accolades. “Thank you all. I’m glad you enjoyed everything. I have an excellent staff whose goal tonight was to make sure your dining experience at Peyton’s Place was first-class.”

“It was,” Rasheed said. “And that dessert...Pi-Sky it was called? It was simply superb. I’ve never tasted anything quite like it. It reminds me of Australia’s pavlova, but the meringue and whipped cream are different, somewhat lighter, with a different taste. And the crust—my goodness. You used King Arthur flour. It’s what the cooks use all the time at the palace in my country.”

Chef Blanchard continued to beam. “I can’t take any credit for the dessert. It was prepared by my pastry chef. It’s her own secret recipe. It’s quite delicious, and I asked her to prepare it just for tonight.”

“Thank you for having her do that,” Mitch Farrell said, grinning. Like Rasheed, he had eaten three slices. Lee figured he would have asked for a fourth if Gina hadn’t slid his plate away. Most likely all the men, including him, would be hitting the gym in the morning.

“Is she still here? Your pastry chef?” Diamond asked. “We would like to thank her personally.”

Chef Blanchard’s smile spread even more. “Yes, yes, most certainly. I think she would like that. She has only been with us for a little over a month.”

“As long as she keeps making desserts like this,” Lee said with a grin, “I can assure you that she’ll be here for a very long time.”

Chef Blanchard turned to one of the waiters. “Please ask Chef Briggs to step out here for a minute.”

* * *

Carly was wrapping up the leftover dessert. It would be served tomorrow morning at the poolside café as a midmorning treat. Not much remained and that was a sign that Pi-Sky had been a big hit tonight.

Several of the sous chefs had joined Jodie at the counter to get a taste of the dessert that Jodie was moaning over with each bite she slid into her mouth. “Thanks to you, I’ll have to get up and go walking in the morning,” Jodie said.

Since she didn’t sound too bothered by the prospect, Carly gave Jodie only a quick glance as she continued what she was doing. “No one is twisting your arm to eat that pie, you know.”

“Yes. I know,” Jodie said, inhaling deeply between each bite. “The only thing missing is a nice glass of wine. I think I will—”

“Excuse me.” Mickey, one of the waiters, interrupted them. “Chef Blanchard wants you out front, Chef Briggs. Everyone loved your dessert and wants to meet you personally.”

Carly noticed the kitchen got quiet. All the other chefs had stopped what they were doing to stare at her. And she knew why. Typically, when dinner guests had compliments for the cooks, thanking the executive chef would suffice since preparing a delicious meal was a collective effort. To be singled out was definitely a feather in her cap.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Jodie said with a huge grin on her face. “Get going. And smile prettily at the owner...the one that’s single. And if you can pull Diamond Swain aside, please tell her that I’ve seen every single movie she’s made but my favorite is still Black Butterfly. And that I would love for her and Sterling Hamilton to make another movie together, and that I am one of her biggest fans.”

Carly smiled at Jodie as she straightened the toque on her head and smoothed down her jacket, grateful there weren’t any chocolate stains on it tonight. “I wouldn’t know the owners from anyone else. Besides, I doubt I’ll get the chance to say anything and you know it,” Carly said.

She drew in a deep breath as she followed Mickey out of the kitchen. When they rounded the corner she saw that the guests were all standing around, chatting and shaking hands. She knew that meant the dinner party was ending. The women were dressed in outfits as beautiful as they were. Chef Blanchard was standing tall, but he wasn’t as tall as several of the other men.

Carly recognized Diamond Swain immediately. The woman was simply gorgeous. Carly tried not to stare too hard at the handsome man standing by the movie actress’s side with his arm around her waist.

Suddenly the crowd shifted and Carly’s breath caught. She almost stumbled. She could only see the man’s profile but she knew it was him. She would recognize those broad masculine shoulders anywhere.

What is Lee doing here?

Everyone must have heard her approach since they all turned around. Her gaze connected with Lee’s. And when it did, her heart pounded, a tingling sensation swirled around in her stomach and a rush of intense heat swept through her.

It was all she could do to continue walking toward the group knowing his eyes were on her every step.

Chapter 3

“Chef Briggs, I asked you to come out because our dinner guests were quite taken with the dessert you made.”

Lee watched the woman who’d been on his mind since he’d seen her two nights ago. She was a chef? Here? At his hotel? She hadn’t mentioned anything about it that night—in fact she’d claimed to be a guest at the Grand MD. Why had she lied?

Even dressed in her chef garb she looked beautiful. After making initial eye contact, she refused to look at him. But he was definitely looking at her. Her features were exquisite.

He heard Diamond, Jake, Rasheed and others give her compliment after compliment, and somehow he could tell that she wasn’t used to getting such praise. Since he knew the others expected him to say something complimentary as well, he extended his hand to her.

“I’m Lee Madaris. The dessert was delicious.” He made the introduction for the benefit of the others who had no idea of his and Carly’s prior encounter. It was better if no one knew until the two of them could talk.

Following his lead, she shook his hand. Immediately a surge of warmth filled him. “Thanks, Mr. Madaris.”

Had she actually placed emphasis on his name or had he just imagined it? With nothing more to be said, she returned to the kitchen. Lee watched her retreat. If she thought for one minute this was the end of things, then she was mistaken.

As far as he was concerned, Carly Briggs had a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

“Good night, Carly. See you tomorrow.”

“Good night, Jodie.” Carly watched as Jodie met up with her boyfriend, Jerome Mathis, who worked as a bellman for the hotel, before walking quickly to the elevator that would take her to the parking garage.

How she’d made it through the rest of the night, Carly wasn’t sure. She’d concentrated on cleaning the kitchen. Going home was her top priority. She just couldn’t get out of her mind the fact that the man she’d met a few nights ago was actually L. C. Madaris, one of the owners of the hotel. That meant that technically he was her boss.

And she had kissed him.

She waited for the elevator and when the door opened she barely glanced at the person getting on the elevator with her. When she did, she probably looked as thunderstruck as she felt. It was him...again. Where had he come from?

“We need to talk, don’t you think, Carly?”

Apparently, he thought so. She stepped back against the elevator wall. In the confines of the small space she became even more aware of his captivating presence.

“What do we need to talk about?”

His chuckle sounded like a low growl in his throat. “I think you know.”

Carly had a pretty good idea. He held a key card to the scanner and a new set of numbers appeared on the keypad. She watched as he punched one.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“To my suite.”

“Your suite?” Blood pounded in her temples.

“Yes, my suite.”

She tightened her grip on her purse. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Neither am I, but that’s the only place I know where we can have absolute privacy.”

She didn’t want privacy. She didn’t want to talk at all. Now that she knew who he was, she could make a promise that she would keep the other night to herself. Nothing like it would happen again. She liked working here. And more than anything, she needed her job.

She was about to speak when the back wall of the elevator slid open. She hadn’t expected it and would have tumbled out into a beautiful living room had Lee not reached out and caught her hand.

She wished he hadn’t done that. Immediately, a sensation she couldn’t describe flowed through her from his touch.

“You okay?” he asked with concern in his eyes.

She nodded. “Yes, I’m fine.”

She was in full control of her balance...although she was questioning her senses.... She stepped off the elevator, which had opened directly into his suite. The place was simply gorgeous. But she shouldn’t be surprised. He owned one of the most elegant hotels on the Vegas Strip; anything was possible.

“Make yourself at home. Would you care for something to drink?”

She watched him remove his jacket and toss it on the back of a chair before heading toward the kitchen. “No, thank you.”

“I hope you don’t mind if I do. A beer sounds pretty good right now.”

She watched him open the refrigerator before what he’d said sank in.

Make yourself at home.

There was no way she could do that. “You wanted to talk.”

“Yes,” he said, returning from the kitchen with his beer to find her still standing. “We are definitely going to talk. How about if we sit down first?”

She preferred standing, but she sat down on a plush sofa and he did too.

“That night on the balcony,” he began. “Did you know who I was?”

She met his gaze, surprised by his question. “Of course not. Had I known who you were, I would not have...” She swallowed. There was no need to remind him of what she had done that night.

“Initiated a kiss between us?”

Why had he gone there and done the very thing she hadn’t wanted him to do? Since he had reminded them both of what had happened, she said, “No, I would not have initiated it.”

He held her gaze for a long time, slowly sipping his beer right from the bottle. “Why did you tell me you were a guest here at the hotel when you’re an employee?”

Carly nervously gnawed her bottom lip. “Because that night I was a guest here. It was my birthday, and I wanted to do something special, so I booked a room in the hotel for one night.”

“So it was your birthday?”

Had he doubted her? “Yes. Would you like to see my driver’s license?”

He shook his head. “No, that won’t be necessary.”

She had a question of her own. “Why did you lead me to believe you were a businessman passing through?”

“Did I lead you to believe that?” he asked.

“Yes.”

He took another sip of his beer. When had watching a man drink beer from a bottle become so sensual? And why did he have to have such beautiful eyes? They were the same eyes that had haunted her dreams two nights in a row.

“I don’t recall misleading you,” he said, breaking into her close perusal of him. “I answered each of your inquiries truthfully. You asked where I came from and I told you my terrace. There was no need to explain that it was the terrace on the executive floor. You also commented about this being a beautiful hotel and I agreed.”

He stretched his legs out in front of him. “Now tell me, when did I mislead you?”

She shifted in her seat and noticed the way his gaze adjusted to the movement of her body. She drew in a deep breath when she saw heat in his eyes. “Okay, you didn’t mislead me per se, but you weren’t completely forthcoming either. You didn’t tell me you owned the hotel.”

He smiled. “That’s something I don’t share with a lot of people. Those who need to know already do.”