A Madaris Bride for Christmas

Her aunt Ruthie was a very religious woman and she believed that one day Carly would get all the happiness that had ever been missing from her life. A part of Carly hoped her aunt was right.

A few hours later, Carly sat down to the computer at her desk and pulled up the online copy of the Miami Herald. She’d promised herself she’d forget about what she’d heard that night in the alley four months ago, but she hadn’t been able to stop checking periodically for any mention of what she thought had happened. So far, Carly hadn’t connected any reports of missing people to the events she’d heard. Heather was convinced Carly had dreamed the entire thing, and now a part of Carly wondered if perhaps Heather was right.

But she couldn’t eradicate the memory of that man’s deep, raspy voice. Even if she never saw the man she believed had pulled the trigger, she was convinced she would recognize his voice.

If she continued to check the internet for another month or so and nothing appeared in the online newspaper then maybe she could finally let it go.

* * *

Lee stepped out of his shower thinking that so far the day had gone just the way he’d planned. His five important guests had arrived and were checked into the guest suites on the seventieth floor, which had an exclusive elevator for privacy.

The sheikhs and their wives had flown into Texas, spending a few days at Jake’s Whispering Pines Ranch. The women had been left behind with Jake’s wife, Diamond, to fly to Los Angeles to shop. They would be joining their husbands in Vegas tomorrow. The three men had arrived this morning in Jake’s private plane. Kyle and his wife, Kimara, had been the first to arrive at eight that morning, and Mitch Farrell and his wife, Gina, had arrived within an hour or so of the Garwoods.

The Garwoods and Farrells had visited the hotel before, when they’d attended the Grand MD’s Vegas grand opening, but Lee could tell from the looks on their faces that they were still impressed with what they’d seen during this visit. Of course Jake had been to the hotel several times since they’d opened their doors, but it was the sheikhs’ first time at the Grand MD in Vegas. Although they had visited the hotel in Dubai, they had already commented several times on how beautiful the Vegas hotel was.

Both sheikhs had attended college in the United States and had been visitors to Vegas a number of times before, staying at several of the other hotels on the Strip. Lee had overheard Sheikh Yasir whisper to Jake just how magnificent he thought the Grand MD was. The design, different from the one in Dubai, was impressive.

So much so that Lee and Angelo owned private residences on the seventy-third floor of the hotel. Both were huge and provided all the comforts of home, including their own private pools and entertainment rooms for parties. Their balconies provided a panoramic view of the city and beyond.

Although Lee would always have a deep affinity for Houston and he still got homesick at times, he would be the first to admit that Las Vegas had grown on him. He loved the Strip and enjoyed mingling with the millions of people who visited the city every year with plenty of money to spend. His job was to make sure some of that spending cash came the way of the Grand MD.

He had entertainers lined up three years in advance, including stand-up comedians, musicians and magicians. All the shows were sold out until the middle of next year. Since the Grand MD was the new kid on the Strip and had something for everyone, the shows had helped the hotel receive record-breaking reservations.

Reservations from guests like the woman he’d met last night.

Not only had Carly been on his mind this morning but she had remained on his mind all last night...even while he slept. To think this much about a woman was unlike him. He didn’t have the reputation his cousins Blade and Clayton had acquired prior to getting married, but he had dated enough women to suit him. Beautiful women. Stunning women.

None had been as unforgettable as Carly.

Memories kept invading his mind. Their dance. Their kiss. Why had he been tempted to go down to the lobby and wait for her to check out today just to see her again? Doing so would have been a mistake and he’d talked himself out of it, but it hadn’t been easy. Why did the thought of their paths never crossing again bother him?

Slipping into a pair of sweats, Lee had just pulled a T-shirt over his head when the suite’s doorbell rang. He pushed a button to check the video camera and saw it was Angelo. He spoke into the speaker. “Enter your code and come on in.”

By the time Lee walked out of his bedroom Angelo was walking through the door.

He and DeAngelo Di Meglio had met years ago when a close Madaris friend, Colonel Ashton Sinclair, had introduced everyone to his cousin MacKenzie Standfield, an attorney living in Oklahoma. Mac, as she was often called, was partner in a law firm with two other women—Samari Di Meglio and Peyton Mahoney.

Mac had married Lee’s cousin Luke a few years back; Samari, who was Angelo’s sister, was married to Lee’s cousin Blade, and almost two years ago Angelo had married Peyton. Half American and half Italian, Angelo and Samari came from a family dynasty of attorneys in New York.

“Looks like everyone has settled in,” Angelo said, sitting down in a nearby chair. “That’s good. Tomorrow is going to be one hell of a busy day.”

Lee knew that to be true. Their breakfast meeting was scheduled for nine and would include an in-depth presentation and video. They would break for lunch at noon before resuming the meeting at one. Dinner would be a private gathering tomorrow night at the hotel’s most elegant restaurant.

“I understand you chose Peyton’s Place for our dinner party tomorrow night,” Angelo said, smiling.

“I figured you’d like that,” Lee said, grinning. Angelo had named the hotel’s elegant restaurant after his wife. “Diamond suggested it, and I agreed it would be perfect. By the way, did Peyton come with you?”

“Yes, and so did Sam,” he said of his sister. “Blade will join her here tomorrow. Sam and Peyton went shopping,” he said of his sister and wife. Angelo chuckled. “Let me rephrase that. Sam went shopping and dragged Peyton along.”

Lee nodded, smiling. Everyone knew how much Peyton hated going shopping, especially with Sam. He was glad to hear Blade would be making a visit to the hotel.

“Want something to drink?” he asked Angelo.

“Yes, I’ll take a beer if you have one.”

“I do,” Lee said, heading for the kitchen that he rarely used. There was no need to cook when there were eight restaurants and six cafés in the hotel. He would be the first to admit that room service was spoiling him. To counter all those calories, he worked out at the gym every morning and, in some instances, again at night. “Here you go.”

Angelo followed him and slid onto the stool at the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. “Thanks,” he said, twisting off the bottle cap at the same time as Lee twisted off his. Both men took a long drink. “Good stuff.”

Lee agreed. He leaned back against his refrigerator. “I need to ask you something.”

“What?”

“Have you ever met a woman you became attracted to immediately?”

Angelo smiled. “Yes. Peyton. When Sam brought her home from college for a visit. I wanted her bad.”

Lee laughed. “That’s too much information, man.”

“You asked.” Angelo took another sip of his beer. “Why do you want to know? Is there a woman you saw that you wanted?”

Had he wanted Carly or was he just intrigued by her? Lee knew the truth without really thinking about it. “Yes. I met a woman last night I was extremely attracted to. It was kind of scary, in a way.”

Angelo nodded. “I understand.”

Lee raised a brow. “Do you?”

“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.”

* * *