A Steele for Christmas

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.

Chapter 4

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.