Lorren was the last thing he needed in his life right now.
But the last thing he had been prepared for were dreams of her. The sweet image of her curvy body had tortured him in sleep. In his dreams he had tasted her, soothed her, and gently destroyed her defenses. But his torment hadn’t stopped there. He’d also dreamed of holding her tightly in his arms as he made love to her, sinking deeper into her body, inhaling her fragrance as his body vibrated with a fever that…
There was a sudden knock on the door. He jumped at the sound. “Come in.”
Sandra Dickerson, a middle-aged woman who doubled as both his receptionist and secretary, peeked around the half-opened door. “Your mom’s on the line,” she said, smiling. “And I’m out of here until morning.”
“Have a good evening, Sandra. See you then.”
“Okay, see ya,” she said, waving and closing the door behind her.
Justin took a long steadying breath before picking up the phone on his desk. “Mom? When did you and Dad get back?” His parents, both college professors at a university in Houston, had been visiting friends in Atlanta for the past two weeks.
“We got back this morning and right in the nick of time. Dex called within twenty minutes after we returned.”
Justin’s smile widened at the mention of the brother he hadn’t seen in quite some time. Dex was working in Australia as a geologist with a major oil company.
“How is he?”
Marilyn Madaris released an excited breath. “You’ll find out soon enough. He’ll be here for Christy’s birthday party.”
“Wonderful! Is he coming home to stay?”
“Let’s hope so.”
Justin heard the deep longing in his mother’s voice. In his mind he could envision her, a Nancy Wilson look-alike, sitting at the kitchen table wearing a smile only mothers wore when they thought of their children returning home. He had seen that same motherly smile on Ms. Nora’s face when she’d told him that Lorren was his neighbor.
“And how have you been, Justin?”
“Fine, Mom.”
“Have you been seeing any nice girls lately, dear?”
Leave it to his mom not to beat around the bush at anything, he thought with a smile. That was Marilyn Madaris’s style. After a brief hesitation, he replied, absently fingering the medallion around his neck. “I do my share of dating.”
“Really? As far as I’m concerned, they’re all faceless women since your family hasn’t met any of them. It’s hard for a mother with three sons to accept the fact that none of them have marriage on their minds.”
Justin grinned. “I’m sure you can forgive Dex for his lack of enthusiasm. His divorce from Caitlin nearly tore him apart. And you can definitely forget Clayton. He claims the only men that aren’t fools are bachelors.”
“Humph,” she snorted. “And what about you?”
“I’d remarry in a heartbeat if the right woman came along, Mom, you know that,” he chuckled.
“Do I, Justin? I’m beginning to think this fate song you’ve been singing over the years is for the birds. A part of me can’t help but wonder if perhaps you’re only fooling yourself.”
“Fooling myself? About what?”
“About ever wanting to marry again.”
Justin raised his eyes to the ceiling. “Mom, if it’s meant for me to marry again, I will. Now tell me how the rest of the family is doing.”
Chapter 4
I must be out of my mind, Lorren thought as she drove through the residential streets of Ennis toward Mama Nora’s house. How could she have convinced herself to try and pull a fast one on Justin Madaris? Syneda was right. The man was no wimp. There was no doubt in Lorren’s mind that he was way out of her league. But it was too late to back out of it now. She would have to go through with it and pray that somehow her plan worked.
What do I have to lose if it doesn’t work? she asked herself as she pulled into Mama Nora’s driveway. She dredged up a wavering smile. Probably my peace of mind. Not to mention my
But the last thing he had been prepared for were dreams of her. The sweet image of her curvy body had tortured him in sleep. In his dreams he had tasted her, soothed her, and gently destroyed her defenses. But his torment hadn’t stopped there. He’d also dreamed of holding her tightly in his arms as he made love to her, sinking deeper into her body, inhaling her fragrance as his body vibrated with a fever that…
There was a sudden knock on the door. He jumped at the sound. “Come in.”
Sandra Dickerson, a middle-aged woman who doubled as both his receptionist and secretary, peeked around the half-opened door. “Your mom’s on the line,” she said, smiling. “And I’m out of here until morning.”
“Have a good evening, Sandra. See you then.”
“Okay, see ya,” she said, waving and closing the door behind her.
Justin took a long steadying breath before picking up the phone on his desk. “Mom? When did you and Dad get back?” His parents, both college professors at a university in Houston, had been visiting friends in Atlanta for the past two weeks.
“We got back this morning and right in the nick of time. Dex called within twenty minutes after we returned.”
Justin’s smile widened at the mention of the brother he hadn’t seen in quite some time. Dex was working in Australia as a geologist with a major oil company.
“How is he?”
Marilyn Madaris released an excited breath. “You’ll find out soon enough. He’ll be here for Christy’s birthday party.”
“Wonderful! Is he coming home to stay?”
“Let’s hope so.”
Justin heard the deep longing in his mother’s voice. In his mind he could envision her, a Nancy Wilson look-alike, sitting at the kitchen table wearing a smile only mothers wore when they thought of their children returning home. He had seen that same motherly smile on Ms. Nora’s face when she’d told him that Lorren was his neighbor.
“And how have you been, Justin?”
“Fine, Mom.”
“Have you been seeing any nice girls lately, dear?”
Leave it to his mom not to beat around the bush at anything, he thought with a smile. That was Marilyn Madaris’s style. After a brief hesitation, he replied, absently fingering the medallion around his neck. “I do my share of dating.”
“Really? As far as I’m concerned, they’re all faceless women since your family hasn’t met any of them. It’s hard for a mother with three sons to accept the fact that none of them have marriage on their minds.”
Justin grinned. “I’m sure you can forgive Dex for his lack of enthusiasm. His divorce from Caitlin nearly tore him apart. And you can definitely forget Clayton. He claims the only men that aren’t fools are bachelors.”
“Humph,” she snorted. “And what about you?”
“I’d remarry in a heartbeat if the right woman came along, Mom, you know that,” he chuckled.
“Do I, Justin? I’m beginning to think this fate song you’ve been singing over the years is for the birds. A part of me can’t help but wonder if perhaps you’re only fooling yourself.”
“Fooling myself? About what?”
“About ever wanting to marry again.”
Justin raised his eyes to the ceiling. “Mom, if it’s meant for me to marry again, I will. Now tell me how the rest of the family is doing.”
Chapter 4
I must be out of my mind, Lorren thought as she drove through the residential streets of Ennis toward Mama Nora’s house. How could she have convinced herself to try and pull a fast one on Justin Madaris? Syneda was right. The man was no wimp. There was no doubt in Lorren’s mind that he was way out of her league. But it was too late to back out of it now. She would have to go through with it and pray that somehow her plan worked.
What do I have to lose if it doesn’t work? she asked herself as she pulled into Mama Nora’s driveway. She dredged up a wavering smile. Probably my peace of mind. Not to mention my
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