hadn’t had two pennies to rub together. It was ironic, now that he was one of the wealthiest men in the world, that she eyed him like a bug that needed to squashed, a rodent that needed to be exterminated.
You’ll see her again. She’ll be forced to talk to you for Simon and Kara’s wedding. The wedding was being held in his home, so Maddie wouldn’t have a choice. He was the best man and she was the maid of honor. Maddie would have to at least be civil, and Sam knew she would. She was considerate and loyal to anyone she considered a friend. Her own feelings would take a back seat to making sure Kara had a happy wedding, one with no hassles or ugliness.
And no matter how Maddie treats me, no matter how she looks at me, I won’t be a dick to her.
Sam sat back in his seat with a heavy sigh and put his car in gear, wondering if that were even possible anymore. Truth was, the years had changed him, made him into a man that he wasn’t at all certain he liked anymore.
Find a woman, someone to take your mind off Maddie.
Snapping his seatbelt on as he backed out of the parking space, Sam took a deep breath and ran through a mental list of willing females…until he caught a tantalizing smell, an elusive scent that clung tenaciously to his sweater. Her fragrance. A reminder of what had just occurred in her office.
“Fuck! I can’t do it. I can’t be with another woman. Not now,” he whispered to himself, pissed off that he had kissed her, felt her lush curves against his body. Now, thinking about spending the night in the bed of any other woman but Maddie left him cold.
Sam braked his vehicle at the exit of the parking lot, glancing quickly at his watch, grinning as he turned left instead of right, headed toward Simon’s condo.
It was time.
Simon had called him earlier, informing Sam that he was going to be an uncle, and asking for a favor, which was a complete rarity for Simon. Honestly, there was nothing Sam wouldn’t do for his little brother. He had failed to protect Simon once, and it wasn’t happening ever again. Whatever Simon needed, he’d be there for him.
Thank God Simon had found Kara. Sam adored his brother’s fiancée, wanting to kiss the ground she walked on because she loved his little brother unconditionally, made Simon happier than Sam had ever seen him. And Simon deserved that happiness, that kind of devotion from a woman. Unfortunately, watching Simon and Kara together made Sam realize just how empty his own life was, how desolate and superficial his existence had become.
Kissing Maddie, holding her again after all those years, had made things even worse. It was like something was awakening deep inside of him, a sensation that was familiar, yet not. Certainly, it wasn’t comfortable.
Forget her. Forget what it felt like to lose yourself in Maddie’s softness, her scent, the feel of her lush curves and deliciously eager mouth.
Sam cursed, knowing he’d be sleeping alone tonight, taking himself in hand as he fantasized about Maddie. And this time, those memories would be much more vivid, newer, more real than ever before.
Fuck! He was so completely screwed…and definitely not in a good way.
Chapter 5
“Yes!”
Kara punched her fist in the air, ecstatic that she had finally conquered the first level of Simon’s new game. Actually, her new game, the computer game Simon had designed especially for her, named after her. The Adventures Of Kara was awesome, not that she was surprised. Her fiancé was a freaking genius, and every game that he designed was unique. It was no wonder that she was completely addicted to anything Simon created.
Running a hand over the computer screen, she sighed. What man would spend countless hours on a game designed especially for her, a game that he never intended to reveal to the world?
Only Simon.
Kara swung the computer chair slightly, glancing at the clock. Oops. She had spent more time than she had intended in the computer lab once she had gotten