Review
“Romance that sizzles.”—Lori Foster
“The beloved Madaris family... is one that fans will never tire of!”—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
"Steamy passion that burns up the pages." --Romance Junkies
"Sexy, sexy, sexy...You'll cheer on this strong woman and honorable man." --Fresh Fiction
Product Description
Attorney Mackenzie “Mac” Standfield swore off love when her heart was shattered into a million pieces. But there’s one man who has managed to tempt her beyond reason—rodeo star Luke Madaris. Although five years have passed, Mac discovers when she runs into Luke again that the sexual tension is just as charged as ever…
When Luke gets injured in a rodeo, he knows the only place where he can recuperate—without being smothered by his worried family—is at Mac’s place. After all, like Mac, he has no interest in any romantic entanglements….until being in such close quarters with Mac forces Luke to confront a desire he can no longer fight…
With each passing day, Mac and Luke come to realize that their smoldering attraction can be put out only if they surrender to it. But what Mac doesn’t realize is that once you give yourself to a Madaris man, there’s no turning back…
From the Back Cover
SOME LONGINGS
Attorney Mackenzie “Mac” Standfield swore off love when her heart was shattered into a million pieces. But there’s one man who has managed to tempt her beyond reason—rodeo star Luke Madaris. Although five years have passed, Mac discovers when she runs into Luke again that the sexual tension is just as charged as ever…
BURN MORE
When Luke gets injured in a rodeo, he knows the only place where he can recuperate—without being smothered by his worried family—is at Mac’s place. After all, like Mac, he has no interest in any romantic entanglements….until being in such close quarters with Mac forces Luke to confront a desire he can no longer fight…
WITH TIME
With each passing day, Mac and Luke come to realize that their smoldering attraction can be put out only if they surrender to it. But what Mac doesn’t realize is that once you give yourself to a Madaris man, there’s no turning back…
“Romance that sizzles.”—Lori Foster
About the Author
Brenda Jackson is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of numerous novels, including the Westmorelands series and, from St. Martin’s Press, Some Like It Hot and The Playa's Handbook, among others. She was the first African-American author to have a book published under the Harlequin/Silhouette Desire line of books and the first African-American romance author to make USA Today's Bestseller's List and the New York Times Bestseller's List for the series romance genre. Jackson has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Jacksonville University, and worked for thirty-seven years in management at a major insurance company. She now divides her time between family, writing and traveling. She has been married for thirty-seven years to her childhood sweetheart, Gerald, and they have two sons. She lives in the city where she was born, Jacksonville, Florida.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter One
Mackenzie Standfield took a deep breath when she saw Luke Madaris excuse himself from the group of men that he'd been talking to—other rodeo riders—and head over in her direction. Irritation washed through her, but she forced it away, thinking that it wasn't his fault he was such a good-looking man; one who oozed sex from the Stetson he wore on his head all the way down to the well-worn leather boots on his feet.
He was tall, probably at least six foot three, and from the fitness of his body it was easy to tell that he worked out regularly. He was too toned and had too many muscles not to. The front of his Stetson was worn low and nearly covered his dark piercing eyes, making him look the part of a renegade. A very handsome renegade.
As she watched him approach, she remembered the first time she had seen him. Had it been almost five years already? It was the night of the Brothers' Auction where the proceeds had gone to benefit the Children's Home Society. He had been one of the men auctioned off.
Nothing in her life could have prepared her for the man who had walked onstage after being introduced as championship rodeo rider Lucas Madaris. That night, even while dressed in a black tux and white shirt, he had exuded an air of ruggedness, arrogance, and maybe even something a bit untamed. He had looked across the audience and seemingly his penetrating gaze had latched on to hers.
At the time she couldn't bring herself to believe such a thing was possible. After all, Sisters, the upscale restaurant and nightclub where the benefit was held, had been packed that night with over three hundred people, and she had purposely taken a table in the back so as not to be seen until the appropriate time. She had been there on an assignment for her newly opened law firm's first client, who just happened to be her cousin Ashton Sinclair.
But still, Luke had proven her wrong when his gaze kept returning to hers time and time again. She had been tempted to bid on him and had almost given in to that temptation. The only thing that had kept her from doing so was the reminder that her presence at the auction had a purpose and that purpose was strictly business.
There had also been Lawrence Dixon, the man she had fancied herself in love with six years ago while living in Louisiana. The same man who had betrayed her trust. She had eventually left Louisiana and moved back home to Oklahoma to start her own law practice. And that was a decision she never regretted making.
Which brought her focus back to Luke . . . not that it had ever left him. That night after the auction she had gone out for drinks with him and his two cousins, twins by the name of Blade and Slade, who had also been auction participants. And since she was a relative of their family friend Ashton Sinclair, they considered her a close friend to their family as well. As she'd gotten to know the Madaris family—and there were a lot of them—she had discovered they were good people.
She basically got along with everyone in the family . . . except for Luke. They didn't consider themselves enemies, but for some reason they were always trying to avoid each other. The only reason she was here to night was because he had personally issued an invitation. At least some may have considered it an invitation, but she had seen it for what it truly was. A dare. He hadn't expected her to show up. And from the expression on his face she wasn't sure whether or not he was glad to see her.
It was a hot June night in Oklahoma. Everyone had come out to see the rodeo riders perform and the arena was filled to capacity. As far as she was concerned all of the riders had nerves of steel and a skill she couldn't help but admire. This wasn't her first rodeo but it was the first she had attended in a long time. She hadn't been to one since she was twelve and now in a few months she would be celebrating her twenty-eighth birthday.
She held her breath and forced a smile when Luke came to a stop in front of her. "Mac," he remarked, calling her by her nickname.
"Luke," was her reply.
"Thanks for coming," he said, taking his thumb to push his hat back on his head. And the grin that touched his face almost made her breathless. It showed dimples that usually were kept well hidden. "I didn't think that you would," he added.
She had figured as much. "I told you that the next time you were in my neck of the woods I'd come."
"Yes, so you did."
She glanced around and saw the group of men he had been talking to earlier were looking at her curiously. Then she saw the women staring, too, with both envy and dislike in their eyes. And she knew why. Not only was Luke Madaris a rodeo superstar, he was also a body magnet. He had the ability to draw women to him in droves. And from what she'd heard, he made no promises and preferred no-strings-attached flings. But to some women that didn't matter.
"Do you like your seat?"
She looked up and met his gaze. His eyes were dark, appeared almost chocolate, and she tried at that moment to forget how she was known to have cravings for chocolate on occasion. "Yes and thanks." He had reserved a seat for her toward the front.
"You were to sit with Blade, but he called earlier today and won't be making it. Something has come up."
"All right. When was the last time you talked to Slade?"
Another smile touched the corners of Luke's lips. "I talked to him earlier today as well. He and Skye were flying out to visit with her aunt in Maine."
"It doesn't seem like they've been married almost a year," she said.
"No, it doesn't but they have. I'm happy for them. They make a great couple."
She was happy for them as well. She liked Skye. Mackenzie had known that of the three cousins who were thick as thieves—Slade, Blade, and Luke—it would be Slade who would settle down first. Blade, she figured, wouldn't be settling down any time soon since he loved his bachelor status too much. Luke wasn't any closer to settling down than Blade, but for a different reason. Unlike Blade, who enjoyed chasing after women, Luke was chasing after his dream of another national championship. Over the years he had received numerous awards and had several titles under his belt, but she knew that what he wanted more than anything was to regain the national title he had lost last year.
"Hey, Luke, it's time to chute up, buddy," one of the men called out.
"Okay, I'm coming," he called back.
"I guess it's time for me to take my seat," Mackenzie said.
"Yes, I guess it is."
"Hey, Luke, you haven't been doing so hot lately, maybe you ought to kiss the lady for good luck," another man called out.
"Go to hell, Bobby Joe," Luke threw over his shoulder. But the look he was giving her made Mackenzie think he was considering the idea. She decided it was definitely time to leave. "Good luck to night, Luke," she said, and took a step back.
"For some reason I'm not feeling so lucky. Maybe Bobby Joe had the right idea after all," he said, recovering the distance separating them. And before she could utter a single word, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
This was not a good idea, Luke thought, feeling Mackenzie's mouth open beneath his. Then he quickly thought, when her tongue twined with his, that although the idea might not be a good one, her taste was the best he'd ever sampled.
He would be the first to admit he had wondered how she would taste from the first time he had laid eyes on her. He had anticipated and fought this moment ever taking place between them. Yet now, he couldn't resist this sampling even if he wanted to, which was just plain crazy. Luke Madaris never kissed a woman in public. Doing so would be like laying a claim, which was something he just didn't do when it came to women. However, here he was, standing in front of both friends and enemies alike, kissing Mackenzie as if his entire life depended on it.
Why?
Was he trying to convince himself that he could share a kiss with her without any undue hardship? Or that, contrary to what his great-grandmother Felicia Laverne thought, he did not have designs—of any kind—on Mackenzie. Hell, he would be the first to admit that he was attracted to her and had been from the first. But he would also be the first to admit that some things just weren't good for you, and he had decided five years ago that Mackenzie Standfield was not good for him. The last thing he needed in his life was a woman who could make him lose focus. A woman who could make him realize that at thirty-three he couldn't take bruises, scrapes, and broken bones forever, and that at some point in his career as a rodeo star, he needed to think about settling down and starting a family to continue the M...
