Thoughts of Abigail and what might happen to her in the amount of time it might take him to find another opening into Madison’s life had his heart pounding hard in his chest. He clenched his fists. He would not let her down.
Reaching out, he righted the now-empty wine glass. The small amount of liquid that had been inside had already been absorbed by the tablecloth. Next to the stain lay the napkin with Madison’s sketch on it and a small lavender bag.
A bag? As the realization hit that it must be Madison’s, so did a renewed sense of purpose. A one-night stand might not be an option, but at least he could arrange a date? It would afford him a chance to impress her and possibly find another way into her house to do some digging.
Plunging into the crowd, Blake didn’t give himself time to think or plan. Halfway across the room he saw Madison and her friends near the door, speaking to the hosts as if they were about to leave. Adrenaline quickened his step as he realized his window of opportunity was closing.
The opportunity to find the diamond and save his sister. To understand more about the unusual woman with her emerald green eyes. To explore the strange feelings she called up inside of him.
Blake called out her name when she and her friends were just steps from vanishing through the door into the warm Southern night.
“Madison.”
She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes widening as she saw him. She turned back to her friends, but Blake wasn’t going to let that stop him. He stepped into the circle without an invitation.
“Madison, I believe this is yours.” He held out the lavender bag.
“Oh, yes.” She frowned as she looked at the offering. “Yes, I’m so sorry—”
“I thought you might need it,” he said, cutting off her words, which seemed to just compound her awkwardness.
“Thank you so much.”
He glanced at the couple standing with them, but the woman simply gave a composed smile. “We’ll meet you at the car, Madison,” she said and they turned to leave.
Madison took the bag from his outstretched hand, then fiddled with the strap for a moment. “I really do appreciate this,” she murmured.
Luckily, they were far enough away from the dance floor that he could hear her. “Look, Madison. I think maybe I came on too strong back there.”
“No. No, it wasn’t you. It’s me. I’m just not used to—” She waved her hand around them. “Please don’t think you did anything wrong.”
He could almost feel her need to leave as the feeling came over her. Something about her body language told him she was ready to run. He couldn’t let that happen.
“Tell you what, how about you make it up to me?”
Her gaze flicked up to his, and he gave her a teasing smile. “Or rather, how can I get a second chance…an opportunity to get to know you when I don’t have to yell to be heard?”
Her muscles relaxed and she smiled, just a little. Why did that smile feel like a big victory?
So let’s try this again… “Where can I pick you up?”
“Why in the world did I agree to this?”
Madison looked around at the array of clothes that she’d brought over to try on for Trinity. Never in her life had she done this. She’d never been the girl to worry over what she wore or what her makeup looked like or how other people perceived her outward physical appearance. Because her life didn’t have anything to do with that.
It was about helping others and doing what needed to be done for her daddy. Not clothes and shoes. Her daddy had never cared about any of those things. And neither had Trinity. It was easier to do their job in jeans or yoga pants.
Even her mother’s journals provided no blueprint for how to date. Madison had found them oddly lacking in information from before her marriage. There were a few comments about a happy childhood but nothing about dating or her engagement.
Right now, it was easier to focus on clothes than to wonder whether she could sit across from a man as suave and charismatic as Blake Boudreaux and be comfortable and happy and…have fun?
The women at Maison de Jardin were grateful for a helping hand and a friend. That was what made Madison feel fulfilled.
Wasn’t it? She had to admit to an unfamiliar restlessness since her daddy had died six months ago. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy helping people. But there was an aching need for something a little more. Something only hinted at on the nights she sang at a local nightclub—a hobby that she could indulge now that her father was gone. The pure enjoyment of losing herself in things that didn’t require her to meet someone else’s needs. That didn’t require her to work, to figure out how to fix things. She’d been doing that stuff all her life.
Maybe it was the extra space in her life now that her last living relative was gone. Maybe it was her age, and the realization that most young women were starting to settle down or already had by now. Maybe it was just a quirk of her overactive imagination. But for once, she simply needed enjoyment without any responsibility attached.
Would she find that with Blake? Everything about that man made her nervous and excited and tingly in ways she’d never felt before. He made her feel emotions that weren’t exactly comfortable enough to be called fun. He made her feel too much. Especially when he moved in close, smelling spicy and exuding heat.
Just thinking about it made her heart thud hard against her ribs.
She hadn’t imagined two people could have that much chemistry outside of a bedroom. He made her think of magic and sin and heat all mixed together in the air. Incredible.
Which only made her more awkward, more anxious than she’d ever felt. Her life was built on a definition of success that had become uniquely hers through the years. Not money or fancy cars or expensive clothes, but days and hours and moments of achievement through sheer determination, hard work and action. Not this uncertainty that made her feel paralyzed.
“What am I doing, Trinity?” she asked, unable to resist nibbling at the inside of her lower lip. “Why did I say yes to this?”
But she knew why. It had been a combination of that tingly excitement and the fact that he’d tracked her down and given her purse back. She’d hastily surrendered her phone number, then rushed out the door with burning cheeks and butterflies in her stomach.
“Everything will be fine,” her friend assured her. “Did he tell you what y’all were gonna do?”
“No,” Madison huffed. “He said he wanted it to be a surprise. All I have is an address and that’s about it.”
“Which I know is driving you crazy. You’re nothing if not prepared.”
Trinity knew her too well. “The mystery should be perfect. It should help me step out of my comfort zone. Instead—” Madison pressed her fist against her stomach.
“I know, love.” Trinity gave her a quick hug. “What’s the address?”
Madison picked up her phone to review Blake’s texts. “Looks like it’s somewhere down near the river.”
“Well, meeting him there is a smart move.” Trinity’s lips twisted in a small grimace, confirming Madison’s belief that she needed to keep her own vehicle nearby. Better to take precautions and be safe than sorry later. “I guess working in this place makes me extra cautious.”
Me, too. Madison had tried to be a modern woman—also something she didn’t have a lot of experience in—assuring Blake she could get herself where they were going. After all, what did she