A Steele for Christmas (6 page)

She had talked to Cohen earlier and she could still hear the excitement in his voice. He was working with a realtor in Florida who had found him what he hoped was the perfect place. It was right on the Atlantic Ocean. She couldn’t wait to see it and looked forward to her first visit after he got settled in.

She looked away from the menu for a moment and studied the other persons who’d come to this restaurant for lunch. She could tell some were holding business meetings, but most were couples who’d met to enjoy lunch together.

She tried ignoring the huge disappointment that touched her chest when she thought about the number of times she and Wallace had not dined together. They had done so in the beginning, but then he’d found every excuse for them not to go out. She should have recognized the signs then since, according to Dee, he was now wining and dining Gail like nobody’s business.

It wasn’t easy for a woman when a man lost interest in her. She knew she hadn’t been an expert in the bedroom, but still. What happened to the guys who were willing to teach their woman a thing or two instead of expecting them to be all experienced? Although Wallace had never told her she was a disappointment, the mere fact that he hadn’t slept with her during the last year they were together spoke volumes.

She was determined the next time she got serious about a man she would know a lot more about what a man enjoyed in the bedroom than she did now. But how was she supposed to learn all that stuff? It wasn’t like there was a Lovemaking 101 class being offered anywhere.

Her thoughts shifted back to Wallace and Gail. That she would be running into the couple at Dee’s parents’ anniversary party in a few weeks was a bitter pill to swallow. But she refused to let the couple steal her joy…even the little joy she did have.

She wouldn’t let Eli steal her joy, either. She didn’t have a clue what his problem was and she knew she shouldn’t really care. But she did. And for the life of her, she didn’t understand why. If a kiss from him could leave her pining, she didn’t want to think how things would be if they were to sleep together. It would be best to steer clear of him so she wouldn’t have to find out.

As she looked down again at her menu, she felt a presence standing by her table. Thinking it was her waitress coming back to take her order, she glanced up and her gaze collided with a pair of green eyes. So much for thinking she could steer clear of Eli.

Eli had convinced himself when he walked into Easterling’s and glanced around and saw Stacey sitting alone at a table, that seeing her again had nothing to do with the increase of his heart rate. Nor did it have anything to do with that quiet fluttering in his chest. But now that he was staring into the deep darkness of her eyes, eyes that reminded him of the sweetest chocolate, he wasn’t sure anymore.

He inhaled sharply when she put down the menu she’d been holding against her chest, and revealed a pair of firm breasts that were pressed tight against the blouse she was wearing. Nice. He’d always considered himself a leg man but her breasts had him thinking.

“Eli?”

Her voice all but stroked him, and he continued to hold her stare while trying to hide his intense reactions to her. “Stacey. How are you?” he asked, fighting off the way his heart rate had increased even more. What the hell was wrong with him?

“I’m fine, and you?”

“Great.” Eli recognized his response as a lie even before it had left his mouth. He wasn’t doing great. He had deliberately avoided her over the past few days. And now there was a campaign going on to knock down his bid as president of the business council. He had every reason to be in a bad mood but found he couldn’t. For some reason, seeing her was brightening up his day.

He glanced around and then back at her. “Will someone be joining you for lunch?”

“No.”

“Do you mind if I do?” he asked. He could tell by the look on her face, one she quickly tried to hide, that his request surprised her. He understood. He knew it was obvious he had been avoiding her lately so why was he seeking her company now?

“No, I don’t mind.”

“Thanks.” He pulled out a chair and sat down and immediately knew he’d missed her. Hell, he’d missed her a lot. Ever since their kiss, he couldn’t get the vision of her naked, her long gorgeous legs spread, waiting for his entry, out of his head. His erection stirred at the thought and he could actually imagine her moaning in his ear. He was certain he would receive the satisfaction of his life, and so would she.

He made a conscious effort to force such erotic thoughts from his mind. Why was it so difficult? Okay, it had been over six months since he’d made love to a woman. Liz had left such a sour taste in his mouth he’d placed a lock on his zipper for the first time in his life. But now, Stacey had him forgetting about how deceitful and manipulative some women could be.

Glancing across the table, he saw she was trying to avoid eye contact with him. “Have you been avoiding me, Stacey?” he asked, looking over at her and wondering if her skin was as soft as it looked and thinking he would love to find out.

She glanced over at him and he saw the fire in her eyes, fire he would just love to quench. “I could be asking you the same thing, Eli.”

He couldn’t help but smile. God he loved that fire. He also liked the way she’d tilted her head to glare at him and how an errant curl fell in her face. He was tempted to reach out and push it back. He didn’t want anything covering her eyes since he liked drowning in their dark depths.

“Well?” she asked in a voice dripping with mild sarcasm as she all but glared at him.

He didn’t see any reason to lie to her, so he leaned over the table and in a low tone admitted, “Yes, I’ve been avoiding you. However, it was either avoid you or seek you out for a repeat performance of what happened between us last week. Only thing, Stacey, I wouldn’t stop with just a kiss. I’d go further and take you against those boxes that had excited you that day. And I’d show you what real excitement is truly about.”

Stacey tightened her grip on her water glass while every part of her body began to ache. How could mere words from his lips do that when a touch from Wallace hadn’t come close to having the same effect?

What was there about Eli that could uncurl such turbulent emotions and desires within her? And why could something as innocent as his scent make her think about things that had no business flowing through her mind? She nervously licked her bottom lip and noticed how his gaze shifted from her eyes to her mouth.

“And I wouldn’t do that too many times if I were you. Or I’ll be tempted to kiss you here and now. If only you knew just how much I’ve thought about that tongue of yours lately.”

Stacey sat down her glass before it fell out of her hands. The man who before last week had very little to say was now sprouting a mouthful of lustful words that had her quivering inside. Her gaze narrowed. “I dare you to try it.”

Eli quirked a brow. Evidently, she didn’t know him. Apparently, no one had warned her that he was the one Steele who didn’t take dares easily. And the dare she’d placed on the table would not only be a piece of cake, it would be a whopping scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

“Fine,” he said, easing his chair back. “Let’s skip lunch and go back to your shop. I’ll give you a lunch treat you won’t forget. Ever.”

He watched her lips tighten and he smiled to himself. She would back down. There was no doubt in his mind that she would. What he’d suggested was outlandish, over the top, too far out there, but he’d meant every word. He waited, prepared for her to tell him just where he could go and how quick to get there. But then suddenly, he sensed something. A shift, a change, an emergence of edginess he knew well. However, it was a state he had a feeling she not only wasn’t accustomed to, but one she would find hard to handle.

Intrigued, he couldn’t help wondering what she was thinking. Was it the same thing he was? Would she take him up on his offer? But more important, not that he had any complaints, why she even considering doing so?

Stacey knew she had gone too far with this Steele, but she couldn’t help doing so. Maybe she could lay blame on the call she’d received from Dee. Whatever the reason, she felt the need to do something out of the norm for her. And taking up one of Phoenix’s most notorious players’ suggestion of a quickie for lunch was something she normally wouldn’t consider doing in a million years.

So why was she doing so now? Why did the thought of making love to him, having her body connected to his, have her head spinning in desire? And it was desire to a degree she’d only begun experiencing since meeting him.

He was watching her, waiting. What happened to the good girl her aunt Maggie had raised? It didn’t take long for her to remember that same good girl had gotten dumped by the man she thought would love her forever.

She looked over her shoulder and knew she had to make up her mind and quick. Their waitress would be returning to take their order at any moment. She blew a curl out of her eyes and returned her gaze to Eli. He was still watching her with an intensity that stirred everything inside of her and she felt herself succumbing even more to his sensual draw. He wasn’t saying anything. Instead, he was letting her decide on her own, although she was well aware of his preference.

She began nibbling on her bottom lip and again his gaze followed her actions. She suddenly stopped when she recalled what he’d said the last time. She also recalled something else. The kiss they’d shared last week and her nightly fantasies since then. They had been naughty fantasies about him before, but the kiss had sparked even more arousing ideas. Ideas she wanted to play out in reality.

She wanted him and had no illusions about love. Love had nothing to do with it. The man she’d once thought of as her Prince Charming had turned into a frog and she was convinced there wasn’t another prince out there for her. She wouldn’t waste her time waiting; instead, she’d become one of those women who went after what they desired.

She’d never been an aggressive woman when it came to men, but today she wanted to get what she wanted. She took another sip of water and met his gaze. Before she could change her mind she stood and said, “Okay, let’s go.”

Eli stared at her as he stood as well. He opened his mouth to ask her if she was sure of her decision and quickly shut it. He’d never questioned a woman’s decision about making love with him and wasn’t about to start now.

But he intended for them to have as much time together as possible. “I suggest we don’t go back to your shop. My place is closer.”

T
urning his car down the single lane leading to his home, Eli glanced over at the woman sitting beside him. He had suggested they take one car and later he would return her to Easterling’s to get her vehicle.

He thought Stacey was like a puzzle with all kinds of pieces he needed to put together to see what he would get in the end. There was no doubt in his mind that she wanted him as much as he wanted her, but he was getting vibes that maybe he needed to slow things down and find out what was really going on in that mind of hers. Initially, he’d convinced himself he didn’t give a damn, but honestly, he did. Why, he wasn’t sure, but he did.

He looked over at her when he brought the car to a stop after pulling into his driveway. She was wearing a skirt and as his gaze roamed over her he could tell she’d lost some of the brazenness from the restaurant and was now nervous at the prospect of spending intimate time with him. The way she was gnawing on her bottom lip was a sure sign.

Getting out of the car, he made his way to the other side to open the car door for her. The Steele brothers might be sexual hellions, but the one thing Eden Tyson Steele made sure of was that they had manners—although they might not display them all the time.

“Thanks,” Stacey said.

“You’re welcome.”

Other than discussing her brother’s move to Florida, they hadn’t done much talking on the drive over and that had been deliberate on his part. He had wanted her to really think about the decision she’d made. And there was no doubt in his mind that although she was having some misgivings about her decision, she had made one. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be here.

“This is a nice house, Eli.”

He smiled as they moved toward his front door, appreciating her compliment. “Thanks.”

He was proud of the house he had purchased a few years ago, which gave him a beautiful view of the mountains from his bedroom window each morning. They were the same mountains he used to ride his horse on every Saturday morning after finishing his chores. His parents lived on the other side of that same mountain. Not too close but close enough.

When they reached his front door, he turned to Stacey fully expecting her to tell him she’d changed her mind. But when she merely met his gaze, he was held immobile by the desire he saw in her eyes and suddenly couldn’t wait until he got her inside.

Already he could see himself doing a lot of things to her, and the first thing he would do would be to strip her naked. His hand trembled with need when he turned the lock and opened the door. Stepping aside, he let her enter first.

The moment the door closed behind them he didn’t waste any time pulling her into his arms, capturing her mouth with his and holding her solidly against him. He loved the feel of her body pressed to his. And when it came to her mouth he was hungry for it, literally starving, and he took it with a greediness that made his stomach ache with a need that was taking control of his senses.

This was the first woman he’d let invade his space in a while and this kiss was definitely making it worth it. The chemistry between them had been strong from the very beginning and now it was nearly burning out of control. It was pure animal lust. And he intended to take advantage of it.

Stacey was making such a thing real easy. Why? And why did he care that she was? Especially considering the fact his erection was throbbing mercilessly and practically dying to get inside of her. Still, he would tell her the same thing he told all the others, to make sure they were on the same page and there wouldn’t be any misunderstandings.

He broke off the kiss and whispered against her moist lips. “This has nothing to do with love Stacey, just sex.”

She blinked and he watched something akin to regret flash in her gaze. And then she met his eyes and murmured in a low tone, “I know what this is about, Eli.

I’m a big girl. I can handle a casual affair. No emotional entanglements. Trust me, I get it.”

He stared at her for a second, certain that she probably did, but…

Eli pushed the “but” to the back of his mind. He had given her every opportunity to change her mind and she hadn’t. So he would happily take whatever she offered and run to the nearest bedroom with it. It was the Steele way. But there was something about her entire acceptance of what they were about to do that bothered him. A part of him felt that maybe they should talk about it, but unfortunately, his body wanted to skip any closing arguments.

Instead, his total mind wanted to concentrate on the delectable-looking woman with the long, gorgeous legs standing in front of him. They had wasted enough time and now he was ready for action.

Stacey hadn’t known there were so many erogenous spots in the human body. At that very moment she was feeling each and every one of them inside of her come alive. They were actually shivering under the intensity of Eli’s gaze.

She was well aware he was having misgivings about sleeping with her and she was bothered by the notion that possibly he hadn’t found her attractive enough. Was that the reason Wallace had left her for Gail as well? Gail was perky, vibrant and wouldn’t hesitate going after what she wanted. She’d always told Stacey that she thought Wallace was a good catch. Too bad she’d decided to steal Stacey’s man. But then he hadn’t really been her man. If Wallace had been, he would still be with her and not Gail.

She drew in a deep breath, deciding she didn’t want to think about her ex-friend and her ex-fiancé any longer. She wanted to concentrate on the mass of masculinity standing in front of her. She was ready to peel that shirt off his body and touch all the corded muscles beneath. She was ready to do some things with him she’d never done with another man. She felt adventurous.

And now they had less than an hour.

But some things couldn’t be rushed and being here with him was her first official declaration of freedom. Eli would be the first man she would share a bed with since Wallace. Dee would be the first to say it was about time.

Even now she could feel the chemistry. It was strong and had been from the first. And there was no doubt in her mind that their coming together would be explosive. At least it would for her and she hoped she wasn’t a disappointment to him.

Suddenly, he bent down and brushed a kiss across her lips and whispered, “I can tell you’re beginning to think too much.”

She smiled. He was right. She was thinking too much. It was time for a little action. She took a step toward him and reached up to place her hands on his shoulders and eased her body closer to his. She tried not to react to the feel of his throbbing erection pressed against her. It was hard to believe he actually wanted her that much. Knowing that he did made her feel desired. Sexy. And it showed her how much her confidence as a woman had taken a beating with Wallace.

She let out a soft shriek when suddenly Eli scooped her up into his arms. He smiled when he glanced down at her and said, “We’re taking an extended lunch since we’re going to need more than just an hour.”

Eli walked through his house with Stacey in his arms liking the feel of her there. To some they were moving too fast, but as far as he was concerned they weren’t moving fast enough. They didn’t know everything about each other, but he felt they knew enough. After all, this wasn’t one of those forever sort of things. He intended to make it as casual as it could get. She’d called it nicely when she’d said
no emotional entanglements
. He didn’t do those types of entanglements. In the end they could get messy.

But he had no problem going after pleasure and he was anticipating it with every step he took. Hell, he couldn’t wait to get his clothes off and strip her as well.

Entering his bedroom, he swiftly crossed the room and placed her in the center of his bed. He watched as she glanced around and saw the smile that touched her lips when she returned her gaze to his.

“What a spacious bedroom you have, Eli, and this bed is humongous. But nothing beats the view outside the window. It’s gorgeous.”

“Thanks.”

He had the house built a few years ago and he’d paid extra attention to how he wanted his bedroom, making sure he could wake up each morning with the view of the mountains staring him in the face. His bed was a double king and had been custom made by the brother-in-law of his cousin, Sebastian Steele, who lived in North Carolina.

Eli’s brothers would often tease him about the number of women he could have in his bed at one time since it was so big. But he wasn’t into multiple bed partners. One woman with a lot of fire would do him just fine.

His gaze roamed all over her. The first thing he intended to do was strip her naked and the second was to savor her all over. He was determined to find out if she tasted as good as she looked. And he was known to have a sweet tooth and a ravenous tongue when it came to anything he enjoyed. And he had a feeling he would be adding her to his list.

“Now for your clothes,” he said, reaching out to unbutton her blouse while holding her gaze. Moments later, he gently pushed the blouse from her shoulders and smiled at the way her bra was holding her breasts hostage. He could tell by the way they were pressing against the thin material of her bra that the creamy brown twin globes wanted the freedom he intended to give them.

He reached behind her to release the clasp and his erection began throbbing when they spilled out of her bra that he quickly tossed aside. Never had he seen such perfectly made breasts. His stomach clenched when he thought of just how ripe the dark nipples were for his mouth.

“Now for your skirt,” he said, and eased back while she shifted her body. He took his time tugging the material down her hips and they were such a curvy pair. She wasn’t wearing a slip and the skimpy panties barely covering her below the waist left a lot to view.

“You might want to remove these yourself or I’m liable to tear them off of you,” he warned in a deep, rough voice, as his fingers caressed the silky material.

“You wouldn’t dare,” she murmured sultrily.

She shouldn’t have said that. Without missing a beat he reached down and ripped her panties.

Stacey gasped and scooted back from him.

“And where do you think you’re going?” he asked, catching hold of one of those legs he liked so much, and liking the feel of her warm skin beneath his fingers. “That’s the second time you dared me today, Stacey, and just in case you haven’t figured it out yet, I don’t take dares very well.”

He could see amusement lurking in the depths of her dark eyes. “You don’t?”

His response was given in a slow grin. “No, I don’t.”

Eli’s gaze then roamed up and down her body before returning back to the one leg he still held in his firm grip. He smiled at her ankle bracelet. It did something to enhance the look of her leg, made it appear even sexier. He caught one of his fingers in the thin gold chain and gently rubbed it back and forth against her skin. “Nice.”

He picked up on her ultra-soft moan and knew she was getting aroused from him rubbing her leg that way. She hadn’t seen anything yet and her response to what he was doing sent shivers all through his body, and caused a throbbing ache in his groin that was so intense, he knew he had to get out of his clothes now or suffer irreparable damage.

“Eli?”

“Hmm?”

“What are you doing to me?”

He held her gaze. “Something called foreplay. At least the start of it, anyway.”

“There’s more?” she asked.

“Definitely. As much as you can handle,” he managed to get out in a thick voice.

Seeing her naked on his bed did something to him and for a moment he felt it had more to do with just assuaging a physical need. He shook off such an absurd thought. The only reason Stacey was here was because of needs—all physical—and it seemed she had them as well as he. That thought had intense heat seeping into his bones, and he suddenly felt his erection get even harder.

When it came to Eli, Stacey wasn’t sure just how much she could handle. His mere touch on her leg was making it difficult to catch her breath. The pads of his long fingers were evoking arousal unlike anything she’d ever felt.

And then he left her ankles and his fingers traced slowly upward toward her thighs, caressing the muscles in her legs as he went. She’d never had a man pay so much attention to her legs before. And his warm hands on her sent shivers racing all through her body and sharpened her senses.

He was staring at her and the look in his eyes was filled with passion and the promise of things yet to come. The thought of her lying there naked for him should have embarrassed her but it didn’t. Instead, for the first time in her adult life she felt empowered as a woman.

“I could stand here and look at you this way all day,” he said, releasing her leg. “I’m a man who appreciates beauty and you have the most gorgeous pair of legs that I’ve ever seen.” His words stroked her all over, caressing her skin like a feather duster, and the voice saying them was as hot as the pads of his fingers on her skin.

Sensations stirred within her and as she watched, he slowly began removing his own clothes. She almost bolstered enough courage to tell him she would do it, then decided she much preferred stretching out on the bed to enjoy the strip show.

First off was the jacket that he carelessly tossed aside. Next was the Forzieri dress shirt which exposed what Stacey thought was the sexiest chest any man could possess. It was muscular, rock hard, hairy. As her gaze traveled lower she could see his erection pressing tightly against the zipper of his pants and immediately knew what that meant. He wanted her in a
big
way.

The thought that she could do that to him, or any man, to bring him to such an aroused state touched something deep within her. And it was a part of her that wanted to experience everything with him.

“Now for my slacks,” he said, reclaiming her attention. She drew in a deep breath, almost too overly anxious to watch this part. He would be exposing himself, and a part of her couldn’t wait. She inched closer, making sure she had a good view.