Possessed By Passion

“Only in his book, not mine.”

Kat tilted her head. “And this from a woman who’s gone without sex for two years now.”

“Actually four. If you recall, Carter and I slept in separate bedrooms for two years before our divorce. You can’t miss what you never got on a regular basis anyway. I haven’t had an orgasm in so long I’ve honestly forgotten how it feels.”

“Then you’re in luck,” Mo said with a huge smile on her face. “There are quite a few women around town who claim the orgasms those Bad News Steeles give a girl can blow her mind to smithereens and have her begging for more. Rumor has it that you haven’t truly been made love to unless it’s been by a Steele. They’re supposed to be just that good in the bedroom.”

Hunter rolled her eyes. “I’m sure it’s nothing more than a lot of hype.”

“But what if it’s not?” Kat asked seriously. “And just think. One of those Bad News Steeles has plans to seduce you. If Tyson succeeds then you’ll never forget how an orgasm feels again.”

“Whatever,” Hunter said as they resumed walking. By the time they reached the car, Hunter decided whatever plan Tyson thought he had for her was no big deal, since she doubted their paths would cross again anyway. And even if they did, she was certain it was just like she’d told Mo and Kat. All those rumors about the Steeles were probably nothing more than a lot of hype.

* * *

“Is there a reason you’re visiting me this time of night, Tyson?” Eli Steele asked gruffly, moving aside for his brother to enter his home. “And why aren’t you at the basketball game with Mercury and Gannon?”

“I had better things to do.”

Eli rolled his eyes. “In other words, your team didn’t make it to the finals. Everyone knows what a sore loser you are.”

Tyson frowned. “I’m not a sore loser.” He then glanced around. “Where’s Stacey?”

His once die-hard bachelor brother had defected and married, just like his brothers Galen and Jonas. The only thing redeeming about that was he’d married Stacey Carlson. She was the sister of a good friend and former colleague of Tyson’s by the name of Cohen.

“Stacey’s in bed, where most people with good sense are by now,” Eli said, dropping down on the sofa. “I hear Brittany and the babies might be going home tomorrow.”

Tyson nodded. “So I heard.”

“Word also has it that Mom has volunteered to help out for a few days. I hope she doesn’t get on Galen’s nerves.”

Tyson chuckled. “I doubt that she will. He’s been in her good graces ever since he was the first to get married. Besides, helping out with the babies will keep her busy.”

“And the busier she is the less chance she has to get into your business—and Mercury’s and Gannon’s—right?”

“Right,” Tyson said, knowing Eli understood. Before he married, he’d gotten the Eden Tyson Steele’s “sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong” treatment, just like the rest of them. Now, with three sons married, she was relentless on the other three, prodding them along to get them to the altar. Tyson vowed it wouldn’t work on him. “So who do you think the babies look like?”

Eli chuckled. “With those green eyes, forehead and lips, they favor Galen all the way. I haven’t heard their decisions on names, have you?”

“Nope, but rumor has it they’re allowing Mom to do the honors.”

Eli shook his head. “No wonder she’s blowing up the newspapers. She’s up there on cloud nine.”

“Fine. She can stay there for a while,” Tyson said. “Just as long as she’s not into my business while she’s up there.”

“You and Mercury and Gannon will get a slight reprieve, but don’t think she’ll let you guys off the hook for good.” Eli didn’t say anything for a minute as he stared across the room at his brother and then he said, “Okay, get it out. There’s a reason you dropped by so late.”

Tyson sat down in the wingback chair across from the sofa. “There is. Hunter McKay’s back in town.”

Eli’s forehead bunched. “Who’s Hunter McKay?”

Tyson rolled his eyes. “I can’t believe you don’t remember Hunter. But I shouldn’t be surprised. Back in the day, the old Eli remembered bodies and not names.”

A smile curved Eli’s lips. “True. So was she one of those bodies?”

“Hell, no! She was my girl.”

“You never had a girl, Tyson.”

His brother was right and for the life of him Tyson wasn’t sure why he’d said what he had just now. “Sorry, saying that was a huge mistake.”

“I hope there’s not a reason why you made it. And lower your voice or you’ll wake up my wife and she needs her rest.”

Tyson didn’t need to ask why. It seemed that all his married brothers had wedded women they enjoyed spending time with in and out of the bedroom. “There’s not a reason.”

Eli stared at him for a long moment and then asked, “So what’s the big deal about this Hunter McKay being back in town?”

“It just is.”

“Hey, wait a minute,” Eli said, sitting straight up on the sofa. “That name is coming back to me. Isn’t Hunter McKay the girl who dumped you in your senior year of high school?”

“She didn’t dump me.”

“That’s not the way I remember it. And why are you interested in Hunter McKay? Didn’t I hear something about her getting married some years back?”

“She’s a divorcée now. I saw her tonight at Notorious and got that much out of her. And it was a nasty divorce.”

“How do you know?”

Tyson stretched his long legs out in front of him. “She called her ex a bastard.”

“Okay, her ex was a bastard. That doesn’t explain why you’re here at midnight.”

Without hesitation Tyson said, “I want you to find out information on her.”

Eli rolled his eyes. “Do I look like a friggin’ detective?”

“No, but she’s an architect and as president of Phoenix’s business council, you would know if she’s set up her own business in town or was hired by an established firm.”

“And you want to know that for what reason?”

Tyson’s lips curved into a smile. “Because I plan to seduce her. And before you conveniently forget your own reputation before marrying Stacey and start acting holier-than-thou, just for your information, I gave Hunter McKay fair warning of my intentions tonight.”

“You actually told her that you plan to seduce her?”

“Yes. You know how I operate, Eli. I don’t play games and divorcées are my specialty. I’ll be doing her a favor, especially if her ex was the bastard she claims he was.”

Eli frowned. “You claim you gave her fair warning, so now I’m going to give you the same, Tyson. I had a plan for Stacey, although my plan was different from yours. My plan backfired. In my case it was for the best. My advice to you is to tread lightly and with caution, or you’re liable to get possessed by passion. Once that happens, it will be all over for you.”