Best Laid Plans
Love wasn’t supposed to be a part of the deal…
Even a famed matchmaker like Nolan Madaris’s great-grandmother can’t get it right every time. Nolan, the notorious fun-loving ladies’ man, could never connect with someone as straitlaced as tech whiz Ivy Chapman. Yet the scheme Ivy proposes is tempting—they can pretend to be a couple, just long enough to satisfy their families.
But someone forgot to clue in their hearts
What happens, though, when Ivy’s plan to get her relatives off her back has an unexpected side effect: getting her into Nolan’s bed? Houston’s number one womanizer may have found the only one who can truly satisfy him, body and soul. But with a man from Ivy’s past determined to be part of her future, both she and Nolan will have to decide what’s fake, what’s real and what’s worth fighting for...
Also by Brenda Jackson
The Protectors
FORGED IN DESIRE
SEIZED BY SEDUCTION
LOCKED IN TEMPTATION
The Grangers
A BROTHER’S HONOR
A MAN’S PROMISE
A LOVER’S VOW
For additional books by
New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson,
visit her website, www.brendajackson.net.
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.
Best Laid Plans
Brenda Jackson
www.millsandboon.co.uk
ISBN: 978-1-474-08235-8
BEST LAID PLANS
© 2018 Brenda Streater Jackson
Published in Great Britain 2018
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
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www.millsandboon.co.uk
To the man who will always and forever
be the love of my life and the wind beneath
my wings, Gerald Jackson, Sr.
Special thanks to LaSonde Jones, Dana Ross, Aquanetta Powell and Samantha Miguez for naming the newborn Madaris twins—Landon and London.
Special thanks to Joyce Snipes for naming
Ivy Chapman’s perfume, Forever You.
To all my readers who waited patiently
for a new Madaris novel, this book is for you.
In memory of my fur baby Yorkie,
who passed away during the writing of this book. Mookie, you are deeply missed.
I have found the one whom my soul loves.
—Song of Solomon 3:4
Praise for
New York Times bestselling author
Brenda Jackson
“The only flaw of this first-rate, satisfyingly sexy tale is that it ends.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review,
on Forged in Desire
“[Jackson’s] signature is to create full-sensory romances that deliver on the heat, and she duly delivers…. [S]ure to make any reader swoon.”
—RT Book Reviews on Forged in Desire
“Leave it to Jackson to take sizzle and honor, wrap it in romance and come up with a first-rate tale.”
—RT Book Reviews on Temptation
“Brenda Jackson is the queen of newly discovered love… If there’s one thing Jackson knows how to do, it’s how to pluck those heartstrings and stir up some seriously saucy drama.”
—BookPage on Inseparable
“This deliciously sensual romance ramps up the emotional stakes and the action…. [S]exy and sizzling.”
—Library Journal on Intimate Seduction
“Jackson does not disappoint…first-class page-turner.”
—RT Book Reviews on A Silken Thread, 4½ stars,
Top Pick!
“Jackson is a master at writing.”
—Publishers Weekly on Sensual Confessions
Contents
Cover
Back Cover Text
Booklist
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Praise
PART ONE
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
PART TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
EPILOGUE
Extract
PART ONE
“You often meet your fate on the road you take to avoid it.”
—Jean de La Fontaine
PROLOGUE
Christmas Day
NOLAN MADARIS III took a sip of his beer while standing on the balcony of his condo. Leaning against the rail, he had a breathtaking view of the exclusive fifteen-story Madaris Building that was surrounded by a cluster of upscale shops, restaurants and a beautiful jogging park with a huge man-made pond. The condo where he lived was right across from the water.
The entire complex, including the condos, had been architecturally designed, engineered and constructed by the Madaris Construction Company that was owned by his cousins Blade and Slade. For the holidays the Madaris Building, surrounding shops, restaurants and jogging park were beautifully decorated with colorful, bright lights. It was hard to believe a new year was just a week away.
When Nolan had arrived home from his cousin Lee’s wedding, he hadn’t bothered to remove his tuxedo. Instead he’d headed straight for the refrigerator, grabbed a beer and proceeded to the balcony for a bit of mental relaxation. But all his mind could do was recall the moment his ninety-something-year-old great-grandmother, Felicia Laverne Madaris, had finally cornered him at the reception that evening. She was a notorious matchmaker, and he’d been avoiding her all night. Her success rate was too astounding to suit him—and she had calmly warned him that he was next.
He was just as determined not to be.
Nolan, his brother Corbin, and his cousins Reese and Lee had all been born within a fifteen-month period. They were as close as brothers and had been thick as thieves while growing up. Mama Laverne swore her goal was to marry them all off before she took her last breath. They all told her that wouldn’t happen, but then the next thing they knew, Reese had married Kenna and today Lee married Carly.
What bothered Nolan more than anything about his great-grandmother setting her schemes on him was that she of all people knew what he’d gone through with Andrea Dunmire. Specifically, the hurt, pain and humiliation she had caused him. Not to mention her cunning, scheming and underhanded manipulations. Yes, it had been years ago and he had got over it, but there were some things you didn’t forget. A woman ripping your heart out of your chest was one of them.
Andrea had meticulously plotted and carried out her plan while conspiring with her cousin to do so. He had learned a hard lesson he would never forget. As a result, he would not allow anyone—not even his great-grandmother—to manipulate him into doing anything he didn’t want to do. If he wasn’t on board, then to hell with it.
Nolan knew in his heart his great-grandmother’s intentions were good. He could even believe that she might have a golden thumb where matchmaking was concerned. But his feelings about being manipulated and controlled by anyone, including Felicia Laverne Madaris, wouldn’t change. He intended to resist, defy and oppose whatever trick, tactic or scheme her pretty little mind conjured up with every fiber of his being.
His cell phone rang. Recognizing the ringtone, he pulled it out of his pocket and answered, “Yes, Corbin?”
“Hey, man, I just wanted to check on you. We saw you tear out of here like the devil himself was after you. It’s Christmas and we thought you would stay the night at Whispering Pines and continue to party like the rest of us.”
Whispering Pines was their granduncle Jake’s ranch. Nolan took another sip of his beer before saying, “I couldn’t stay knowing Mama Laverne is already plotting my downfall. You wouldn’t believe what she told me.”
“We weren’t standing far away and heard.”
Nolan shook his head in frustration. “So now all of you know that Mama Laverne’s friend’s granddaughter is the woman she’s picked out for me.”
“Yes, and we got a name. Reese and I overheard Mama Laverne tell Grandaunt Marilyn that your future wife’s name is Ivy Chapman.”
“Like hell the woman is my future wife.” Nolan had never met her and didn’t intend to. “All this time I thought Mama Laverne was plotting to marry the woman’s granddaughter off to Lee. She set me up real good.”
Corbin didn’t say anything and Nolan was glad because for the moment he needed the silence. It didn’t matter to him one iota that so far, every one of his cousins whose wives had been selected by his great-grandmother was madly in love with their spouses and saw her actions as a blessing and not a curse. What mattered was that she should not have interfered in the process. And what bothered him more than anything was knowing that he was next on her list. He didn’t want her to find him a wife. When and if he was ready for marriage, he was certainly capable of finding one on his own.
“You’ve come up with a plan?” Corbin interrupted Nolan’s thoughts to ask.
Nolan thought of the diabolical plan which his cousin Lee had put in place to counteract their great-grandmother’s shenanigans and was guaranteed to outsmart Mama Laverne for sure. However, in the end, Lee’s plan had backfired.
“No, why waste my time planning anything? I simply refuse to play the games Mama Laverne is intent on playing. What I’m going to do is ignore her foolishness and enjoy my life as the newest eligible Madaris bachelor.”
He could say that since, at thirty-four, he was ten months older than Corbin, who would be next on their great-grandmother’s hit list. “By the time I make my rounds, there won’t be a single woman living in Houston who won’t know I’m not marriage material. Especially one Miss Ivy Chapman,” Nolan added.
Corbin chuckled. “That sounds like a plan to me.”
“Not a plan. Just stating my intentions. I refuse to let Mama Laverne shove a wife that I don’t want down my throat just because she thinks she can and that she should.”
After ending the call with his brother, Nolan swallowed the last of his beer. Like he’d told Corbin, he didn’t have a plan and wouldn’t waste time coming up with one. What he intended to do was to have fun, as much fun as any single man could possibly have.
A huge smile touched his lips as he left the balcony. Walking into his condo, he headed for his bedroom. Quickly removing the tux, he changed into a pair of slacks and a pullover sweater. The night was still young and there was no reason for him not to go out and celebrate the holiday.
As he moved toward his front door, he started humming “Jingle Bells.” Let the fun begin.
CHAPTER ONE
Fifteen months later...
NOLAN CLICKED OFF his mobile phone, satisfied with the call he’d just ended with Lee about his cousin’s newest hotel, the Grand MD Paris. Construction of the huge megastructure had begun three weeks ago. Already it was being touted by the media as the hotel of the future and Nolan would have to agree.
This would be the third hotel Lee and his business partner, DeAngelo Di Meglio, had built. And knowing Lee and DeAngelo like he did, Nolan expected the Grand MD Paris to open its doors on time in two years with fanfare and the likes of a presidential inauguration.
Nolan’s company, Madaris Innovations, would provide all the electronic and technology work for the Grand MD Paris; some would be the first of its kind anywhere. All high-tech and trend changing. It would be Nolan’s first project of this caliber and he appreciated Lee and DeAngelo for giving him the opportunity.
After getting a master’s degree at MIT, Nolan had begun working for Chenault Electronics at their Chicago office. Chenault Electronics was considered one of the top ten electronics companies in the world. The owner, Nicholas Chenault, was a family friend and had taken Nolan under his wing and had not only been his boss but his mentor as well. After eight years working for Chenault, Nolan had returned to Houston to start his own company.
Nolan leaned back in his chair. He had returned from spending two weeks in Paris just yesterday. In a way, he regretted being back in Houston. Before leaving, he had done everything in his power to become the life of every party, and his reputation as Houston’s number one playboy had been cemented. In some circles, he’d been pegged as Mr. One-Night Stand since most of his dates were one-night stands. Now that he was back, that role had to be revived.
It hadn’t taken him long to discover the life of a Casanova was pretty damn taxing and way too demanding. The nights of mindless, emotionless sex with women whose names he barely remembered wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be. He only hoped that Ivy Chapman’s grandmother and his great-grandmother were getting the message—he had no intentions of settling down anytime soon. At least not in the next twenty-five years or so.
Unfortunately, it seemed nothing was deterring Ivy Chapman.
Nolan picked up the envelope on top of the stack on his desk. He knew what it was and who it had come from. He recalled getting the first one three months ago and he had received several more since then. He wondered why Ivy Chapman was still sending him these little personal notes when he refused to acknowledge them. All of the notes said the same thing... Nolan, I would love to meet you. Call me so it can be arranged. Here is my number...
Nolan didn’t give a royal flip what her phone number was since he had no intentions of calling her. He would continue to ignore Miss Chapman and any correspondence she sent him. No matter what, he refused to give in to his great-grandmother’s matchmaking shenanigans. He refused to be manipulated.
Tossing the envelope aside, he picked up his cell phone to call his family and let them know he was back. He had slept off jet lag most of yesterday and hadn’t talked to anyone other than his cousin Reese and his brother Corbin. Reese and his wife, Kenna, were expecting their first baby in June and everyone was excited.
Nolan ended the call with his parents, stood and walked over to the window to look out. Like most of his relatives, he leased space in the Madaris Building. His electronics company was across the hall from Madaris Explorations, owned by his older cousin Dex.
He loved Houston in March, but it always brought out dicey weather. You had some warm days but there were days when winter refused to fade into the background while spring tried emerging. He was ready for warmer days and couldn’t wait to spend time at the cottage he’d purchased last year on Tiki Island, which was on the Galveston Bay. He’d hired Ron Seamore as the property manager to handle the leasing of the cottage whenever he wasn’t using it. So far it had turned out to be not only a great investment, but also a splendid getaway place whenever he needed a break from the demands of his job, life itself and yes, of course, the women who tried demanding his time.
The buzzer sounded and he walked back over to his desk. “Yes, Marlene?” Marlene was an older woman in her fifties who’d worked as his administrative assistant since he started the company three years ago.
“There’s a woman here to see you, Mr. Madaris. She doesn’t have an appointment and says it’s important.”
Nolan frowned, glancing at his watch. It wasn’t even ten in the morning. Who would show up at his office without an appointment and at this hour? “Who is she?”
“A Miss Ivy Chapman.”
He guessed she was tired of sending notes that went unanswered. Hadn’t she heard around town what a scoundrel he was? The last man any woman should be interested in? So what was she doing here?
There was only one way to find out.
“Send her in, Marlene.”
“Yes, Mr. Madaris.”
Nolan had eased into his jacket and straightened his tie before his office door swung open. The first thing he saw was a huge bouquet of flowers that was bigger than the person carrying them. Why was the woman bringing him flowers? Did she honestly think a huge bouquet of flowers would work when her cute little notes hadn’t?
He couldn’t see the woman’s face for the huge vase of flowers, and without saying a word, not even so much as a good morning, she plopped the monstrosity on his desk with a loud thump. It was a wonder the vase hadn’t cracked. Hell, maybe it had. He could just imagine water spilling all over his desk.
Nolan looked from the flowers that were taking up entirely too much space on his desk to the woman who’d unceremoniously placed them there. He was not prepared for the beauty of the soft brown eyes behind a pair of thick-rimmed glasses or the perfect roundness of her face and the creamy cocoa coloring of her complexion. And he couldn’t miss the fullness of her lips that were pursed tight in anger.
“I’m only going to warn you but this once, Nolan Madaris. Do not send me any more flowers. Doing so won’t change a thing. I’ve decided to come tell you personally—the same thing I’ve repeatedly told your great-grandmother and my grandmother—there is no way I’d ever become involved with you. Ever.”
Her words shocked him to the point that he could only stand there and stare at her. She’d crossed her arms over her chest and stared back. “Well?” she asked in a voice filled with annoyance when he continued to stare at her and say nothing. “Do I make myself clear?”
Finding his voice, Nolan said, “You most certainly do. However, there’s a problem and I consider it a major one.”
Those beautiful eyes were razor sharp and directed at him. “And just what problem is that?”
Now it was he who turned a cutting gaze on her. “I never sent you any flowers. Today or ever.”
* * *
IVY CHAPMAN STARED at the man who had the gall to make such an outlandish statement. Of course he’d been sending her flowers. His name had been signed on every card. She’d got one bouquet after another over the past three months. And the card always said the same thing. Ivy, I would love to meet you. Call me so it can be arranged. Here is my number...
“What do you mean you didn’t send me any flowers?”
Dark eyes filled with agitation bored into her. “Just what I said. I haven’t sent you any flowers.”
“Are you or are you not Nolan Madaris?” She asked the question, although she knew the answer. Over the past year his face had appeared often in the Houston newspapers as one of the city’s most eligible bachelors.
“Yes, I’m Nolan Madaris. At least one of them. I’m the third. My father is the second and my grandfather is the first. However, I can say with a degree of certainty that they didn’t send you any flowers either.”
Ivy frowned. “Look at the card. If it didn’t come from you, then who did it come from?”
The man had the nerve to scowl at her before snatching the envelope off the flowers and opening it. A frown spread across his lips before he glanced back at her. “Regardless of my name being on this card, I didn’t send these flowers or any others you might have received, Miss Chapman. However, I might know who did, and it’s probably the same person who’s been sending me little notes from you.”
Surprise lit her eyes. “What little notes? I haven’t been sending you any notes.”
“You haven’t?” he asked, retrieving a small envelope from his desk and handing it to her. “Is this not from you?”
She took the envelope, opened it and pulled out the note card inside and read it. Moments later, she shifted her gaze back to him. “Certainly not.”
He nodded. “I believe you. And just so you know, I’ve received several personal note cards over the past three months, supposedly from you. Just like you received those flowers, supposedly from me.”
Ivy paused to collect herself. It was crystal clear they’d been played. “Who on earth would...” She stopped midsentence, when a person immediately came to mind. “My grandmother.”