A Steele for Christmas (4 page)

“Why did you kiss me?” she asked, as she continued to regain her sanity, reclaim her common sense.

In a voice that was just as serious as his expression, he replied, “Why did you let me?”

She could not have answered his question even if her life depended on it.
Why did I let him?

“Come on, I’ll walk you to your car.”

His voice, along with his words, recaptured her attention. “It’s not dark outside,” she said.

“I know, but there’s no telling how much longer you’ll hang around here if I don’t make sure you leave.”

She would have laughed if he hadn’t looked so serious. Why did it matter to him how long she stayed at her shop? As long as he got his monthly lease payment, who cared? The man had barely said five words to her since meeting her months ago. And today he had almost kissed her mouth off. What was going on here?

She figured she needed to go home and ponder that question. She would definitely be thinking about it a lot. She was used to calling the shots and other than Cohen at times, she didn’t let men boss her around. But this time she would relent and do what he asked. The sooner they parted ways, the better.

“I’ll set the alarm and lock up for the night.” And this time when she said it, he took a step back.

She moved around him knowing he was watching her every move and feeling the heat of his gaze on certain parts of her. Her pants and blouse failed as a barrier against his intense perusal. However, she was determined not to let Eli unrattle her any more than he already had. So, they had kissed. Big deal. She tried playing it off as insignificant, but as much as she tried, it wasn’t working. She figured it wouldn’t, not as long as she could still taste him on her tongue.

With the alarm set, the only thing she needed to do, other than grab her purse, was to lock the door. She did both while trying to ignore Eli’s presence, which was hard to do. There was no doubt in her mind that women would pause when he walked into a room.

“Ready?” he asked when she slid her purse straps on her shoulder.

“Yes.”

He stepped closer to her side and automatically she trembled in response to his proximity. She needed to get herself together. She hadn’t responded to a man this way since… She couldn’t remember when or ever. But she did know she hadn’t responded to Wallace this way.

When they got to the door he reached behind her and flicked off the lights. He then walked ahead of her so she could lock the door. When they stepped into the lobby, she realized he’d been right in saying the building was almost empty. Most of the tenants had gone home. In a way, that was a good thing because if anyone were to see them walking out together they would assume they were an item. Lovers at least, especially with the Steeles’ reputation. Should that bother her? It didn’t because she couldn’t be held responsible for what people thought. But she could be held responsible for the way she carried herself. So to her way of thinking, the kiss was way out of line. But so darn enjoyable.

She glanced over at the man walking beside her. At first it had been hard to keep up with his pace and he’d eventually slowed down his stride to accommodate her. He wasn’t saying anything. It was as if he was in deep thought. Had he regretted his actions?

She had broached the subject before when she’d asked why he’d kissed her and he’d countered with a question of his own. One that she hadn’t answered because she couldn’t. Why had she let him kiss her? Considering her history with Wallace, why hadn’t she been able to resist the charms of Eli Steele when she knew exactly what kind of man he was? A man who wouldn’t know the meaning of commitment.

She stopped when they came to her car and she turned to him and quickly noticed the brooding expression on his face. He held her gaze for a long moment and she couldn’t help wondering what he was thinking.

She cleared her throat and said, “Thanks for walking me to my car. You really didn’t have to do it.”

“Yes, I did.”

She decided not to argue with him as she unlocked her door and quickly slid onto the seat. He stood there while she snapped her seat belt in place and then rolled down her car’s window. “Well, I’ll be seeing you, Eli.”

He simply nodded before taking a step back. She turned the car’s ignition and eased forward. When she got clear across the parking lot she glanced in her rear-view mirror. He was still standing there and it was apparent he was going to stand there and watch her car until it was no longer in sight.

She shivered inside, not knowing the reason for his actions. The only thing she could and would agree with was that Eli had had a profound effect on her. And she didn’t like it.

H
e should have heeded the warning signs, Eli thought, opening the door to his Mercedes sports car. He slid onto the seat not believing how he had lost control with Stacey. He, Eli Steele, the man his family thought was some kind of control freak, had royally lost it and kissed the one woman who should be off-limits to him.

There was no doubt in his mind that he had needed to pull back and regroup when he first saw the warning signs. But before he could do so, he was kissing her with a hunger he had felt in every muscle of his body. And he knew that even now, if given the chance, he wouldn’t hesitate to kiss her again.

And that was the root of his problem.

He had liked her taste. Too much. Had it been anyone else, the remedy would be a simple fix—he wouldn’t see her again. But given the fact she spent Monday through Friday, nine to five, inside the very building he owned, that was not possible. Still, he was determined to try.

First of all, he would take measures not to patronize her shop. It wasn’t like he had to go there. Although he passed by the place to get to the bank of elevators, he would make it a point to look straight ahead and keep walking. She wouldn’t be the first woman he’d kissed and then completely ignored afterwards.

He wasn’t concerned how she felt about the kiss. She would accept what happened as an attraction between them that had flared and fizzled. They had made a mistake in losing control and kissing. He had been wrong to kiss her and she was wrong to have let him.

Hell, it was so easy to try and place blame or to come up with excuses for what had happened a few moments ago between them. But there was no blame or excuses. Especially not now when his mind was drifting places and thinking things that he shouldn’t. Like how it would be to taste more than just her lips. He could envision himself dragging his mouth from hers to trace a path down her chest to capture a dark nipple into his mouth. Then he would proceed to wrap his tongue around it and begin sucking on it like he had every right to do so.

And he wouldn’t stop there.

He would completely strip her naked and then he would taste her all over. The thought of doing so was enough to make his erection press tight against his zipper.

He’d wanted women before but never like this. Definitely never with this intensity.

And that’s why he knew he had to take whatever steps necessary to make sure it stopped now. He drew in a calming breath, trying to force any and all thoughts of Stacey Carlson from his mind. Not even Liz had affected him like this. He couldn’t recall any one woman who ever had.

He was about to turn the corner toward the interstate to head home when his cell phone rang. He turned up his car’s speaker knowing it was probably one of his brothers. He just wasn’t sure which one. Besides his parents, they were the only ones who had his private number. “Yes?”

“Come join us. We’re celebrating.”

It was Tyson, the doctor in the family. “Celebrating what?”

“Cohen’s promotion to Chief Surgeon in a hospital in Florida.”

Eli pressed the brakes to keep from ramming into the back of the car in front of him. “What? Cohen’s leaving town?”

“Yes, in two weeks.”

Eli’s stomach dropped.
Two weeks?
With Cohen leaving town, that meant his sister would do the same. The only reason Stacey was even in Phoenix was because she had joined Cohen after her wedding had been called off. He should be elated if she left. Her leaving town definitely solved his problem. He wouldn’t have to ignore her since she wouldn’t be around.

So why wasn’t he smiling? Why wasn’t he eager to pull over and park just to do a happy dance? Mainly because he couldn’t get her or that kiss out of his mind, and the thought of not seeing her whenever he wanted, especially on his terms, was unacceptable. In his mind, Florida could just as well be on the other side of the world.

“Since he’s taking his sister with him, I guess I should be concerned about a broken lease,” he said, just in case Tyson started wondering why he hadn’t made a comment.

“Will you think of something other than the possibility of losing money, Eli? And for your information, Stacey is staying here. She’s not moving to Florida with Cohen.”

Eli hit his car’s brakes again. “What do you mean she’s not leaving?”

“Just what I said, she’s not leaving. She likes it here. So don’t worry about any loss of revenue. Are you joining us or not?”

Eli’s head felt like it was spinning. Stacey wasn’t moving away after all? She liked it here? Why was he releasing a deep sigh of relief? Why did he feel the need to wipe sweat from his brow?

He gathered himself enough to answer his brother. “Yes, I’m coming. Where’s the celebration being held?”

After getting the name of the sports bar from Tyson, he made a quick u-turn at the next corner. He wanted to know why the hell Cohen was leaving town and wasn’t taking his sister with him.

“Hey, Stace, where are you?”

Stacey heard the excitement in her brother’s voice through her cell phone. She could also hear a lot of noise in the background. “I’m on my way home.”

“You’re late, aren’t you?”

She smiled. “Yes. I got several late deliveries and I wanted to go through the boxes. They were new items for the holidays.”

“Well, how about coming here? I’m at Ireland Bar and Grill. My promotion has been announced and a couple of friends from the hospital are buying drinks. I want you here, but if you’re too tired then…”

“I’m on my way.”

She clicked off the phone and smiled. As far as family went, she and Cohen were all that was left after Aunt Maggie had died. And if he wanted her there then she would be there. Besides, what else did she have to do once she got home?

Other than continue to think about the kiss she had shared with Eli.

It was Friday evening and while most women were planning their weekend curled in a man’s arms, she was planning to spend hers curled up with a good book. Between the covers of a book was safer than between the bed covers with a man, she rationalized.

At least she had a Halloween party to go to this weekend. It was for charity and she was going solo. She had purchased the tickets from one of her customers and since it was for a good cause, she figured she would get out of the house and have some fun.

Stacey made a right at the next corner, grateful she wasn’t too far away from where Cohen and his hospital friends were celebrating. She could just imagine what Eli Steele was thinking about now. Was he assuming that kiss would be the first of many? Was he setting her up as his next conquest? There was no doubt in her mind he probably had big plans for the weekend. Womanizers always did.

The thought of Eli and his arrogance only made her get mad at herself for succumbing to his charms. So why had she done it? She knew the answer without much thought. Eli got next to her on a sensual level. He had the ability to make every single nerve ending in her body chime to the sound of his low and husky voice. The chemistry she’d always imagined she felt between them was very real. They had proven it that afternoon in her shop. And it hadn’t ended there. When he’d walked her to her car and she had glanced at him one last time before getting inside, she had seen the heated desire still simmering in the depths of his green eyes.

And her body had responded in kind.

She drew in a deep breath trying to remember the last time she had made love with a man. She and Wallace had decided a year before the wedding to stop sleeping together to make their special day that much more memorable. At least that’s what he’d suggested to her. At the time, she hadn’t known about him and Gail. He had stopped sleeping with her to start sharing a bed with a woman she’d considered a friend. Some friend.

She had heard from her friends in Memphis that the couple was talking about getting married in the spring. How ironic was that? The woman who had helped to ruin Stacey’s own spring wedding was now planning one of her own. In a way, Gail had done her a big favor. She now saw that marrying Wallace would have been a huge mistake.

Just like kissing Eli had been another mistake. She could handle the passion; in fact, she would even go so far and admit that she had enjoyed it tremendously. But sexual pleasure wasn’t worth the pain she’d one day experience from a man like Eli Steele. Unless… Unless she could play the game like him. Could she? Could she enjoy passion with a man like Eli and not let her emotions get involved? Men did it all the time so why couldn’t she? She’d tried the love-forever-after way of thinking and it hadn’t worked. So what was next for her?

She didn’t want to sound cynical, but Wallace had definitely opened her eyes. Men were not to be trusted when it came to a woman’s heart so why put it in their hands?

Then she thought about Eli Steele’s hands. She’d seen them numerous times when he would give her his credit card. They were big hands, strong hands. She could just imagine how those same hands would feel touching her body all over. The thought made heat thrum slowly through her, made her nipples strain tight against her blouse.

She forced all thoughts of Eli from her mind when she reached Ireland, a local hangout near the hospital. She was determined that no matter how sad she was about Cohen leaving, she would put a smile on. She had no choice.

Eli knew the moment Stacey entered the restaurant. It wasn’t just the scent of her perfume that gave her away. It was as if he had a built-in radar where she was concerned. He had been talking to his brother, Jonas, when he’d lifted his glass to take a sip of his drink and glanced across the room. Their gazes connected when they saw each other at the same time. He could tell she was surprised to see him there. He hadn’t expected to see her, either. He could tell by her expression that his presence was affecting her, just as hers was affecting him.

“I see Stacey has arrived,” Jonas said, recapturing his attention.

He glanced back over at his brother. “You knew she was coming?”

If Jonas thought the question odd, he didn’t let on. “Yes, I was with Cohen when he called her. She was on her way home.”

Jonas then looked at him and lifted a brow. “Is she behind in her lease payments or something?”

Eli frowned. “No.”

“They why do you have a problem with her being here?”

Eli thought Jonas was too perceptive for his own good. “What makes you think I have a problem with her being here?”

Jonas, the Steele brother who was barely a year younger than him and who had eyes that were shrewd and assessing, tossed him a sly grin. “Because I know you, Eli. I didn’t miss your reaction when you saw Stacey walk in. It was as if you’d preferred being somewhere else.”

In a way, Jonas was right. But what his brother didn’t know was that he really preferred being someplace else with Stacey. And that was the crux of his problem. “Well, you read me wrong. I don’t have a problem with her being here. Why would I?”

Jonas chuckled. “I don’t know how your mind works, Eli, and I truly don’t want to know. But all I have to say is that if Stacey is lodged anywhere in that brain of yours, get her out of it. I heard that Cohen asked Tyson to look out for her after he leaves town, and you know what that means. If Tyson even thinks you’re sniffing behind Cohen’s sister he will kick your you-know-what.”

There was no doubt in Eli’s mind what Jonas said was true. Tyson could get possessive when something was left in his protective custody. To change the subject, Eli got Jonas talking about the marketing firm he owned and the initiatives that Jonas’s firm was presently working on.

Eli and his brothers were successful and they had their parents to thank for that. His father had started a trucking company years ago—the same company his brother, Gannon, now ran. Tyson was the doctor in the family and Mercury was the former NFL quarterback turned sports agent. Galen had made his millions creating video games.

Although Eli was hearing what Jonas was saying, he really wasn’t listening. His attention was drawn to Stacey as she stood across the room talking to Roland Whiterspoon, another doctor at the hospital where Tyson and Cohen worked. He wondered what the hell that was about when everyone knew Whiterspoon’s reputation as a womanizer.

Eli refused to even consider that his opinion of the man’s exploits was like the pot calling the kettle black. It was the principle of the thing. He knew how far to take things with Stacey, whereas Roland wouldn’t care one iota. Then again, was kissing her like he’d done earlier today knowing how far to take things? Had he crossed the line? Was he any better than the likes of Whiterspoon?

Still…he’d never cared much for Whiterspoon and the thought of her spending any amount of time in the man’s presence annoyed the hell out of him.

“What’s this I hear about you wanting to run for president of Phoenix’s Business Council?”

Eli took a sip of his drink. He had been a member of Phoenix’s elite group of businessmen for years—right after opening his first law practice. He figured it was time to step up and do more than just sit on the sidelines. He had everything going for him. He was an astute businessman who owned a sky-rise in downtown Phoenix, he was on the board of several local companies and he was known to chair numerous charitable fundraisers each year. As far as he was concerned, that presidency position all but had his name stamped all over it. The other man who was interested, Samuel Nesbitt, didn’t have nearly as much going for him as Eli felt that he had.

“Yes, but running is just a formality since I feel certain I’ve got it in the bag. Over the years I’ve done everything I needed to do to stay in good standing with the other local businessmen. All you need to do is make plans to attend my inauguration party.”

“Pretty damn sure of yourself, aren’t you?” Jonas asked, rolling his eyes.

“And there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be,” Eli said smoothly. “Like I said, I’ve been eyeing that position for years. I’m the best person for the job and they all know it.”

Jonas laughed. “You don’t have a short supply of confidence, do you?”