Heart of Steele Read online

  When Autumn looked up, Mike was grinning at her. "You're going to make me blush, Mike Connor."

  "You're even prettier when you blush." He said, still looking at her.

  Then she did actually blush, ducking her head to take a bite of her toast and a sip of her coffee.

  Mike grinned again. He was so sweet. She sighed. A little too sweet? Was that even possible? She'd noticed his hand as he picked up the toast, perfectly proportioned to his body, strong, with long, masculine fingers, but she noticed he had elegant movements. Manly grace. Like a lion or panther.

  A silver beaded bracelet and two braided leather straps, one with a silver clasp, hugged his wrist. Hmm. She wouldn't have pegged him for a bracelet guy.

  "Everything okay?" Something in his voice made her snap her eyes up, but there was only concern in his eyes.

  "Oh yeah." This time her face flamed. What was it about him that kept drawing her eye to different parts of his body? Maybe because she had had the best sex of her life and couldn't help comparing.

  Steele was gorgeous. Mike Connor was gorgeous. But where Steele's personality fit his hot body, Mike's didn't.

  It was a surprise to find another sexy part of Mike that didn't seem to match him. His eyes, his hands, his arms, his butt...she wondered what he'd look like with his clothes off, in the shower, water dripping off his hair and down his unclothed, aroused body.

  What the hell?

  Autumn shoved the toast in her mouth, grabbing her coffee and taking a gulp.

  She heard him clear his throat. When she looked up, he was only drinking his coffee, seemingly oblivious to her dilemma.

  "So...since you haven't mentioned it, I'm sorry about last night." He began.

  Autumn snapped her eyes up and held his gaze, her lips parting.

  His brows furrowed slightly. "I'm sorry I didn't make the party."

  "Oh, right." She said quickly. What did she think he meant?

  "I got caught up on the phone, trying to solve a problem at work." He continued. "I was kicking myself. Was it fun?"

  Sanity restored itself.

  "Yes, it was...it was nice although I'm sorry you weren't there." She finished lamely, ducking her head closer to the mug she held to her lips.

  "Yeah, me too." He made a cute puppy dog face and Autumn laughed shaking her head. "Will you be going tonight?"

  "Oh, is there another night?" She asked, feeling a surprising elation at the news.

  "The entire weekend."

  She nodded distractedly, her thoughts filled with flashes of Steele touching her as no other man had.

  "Are you going?" She asked.

  "Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it tonight either. My project manager on one of our sites called again this morning. There are problems needing my attention, I'm afraid. I'll have to wait until next year for the famous Steele party."

  He sighed and looked into his coffee, his lips rolling in disappointment. "Darn."

  "Sorry you won't be able to make it. I don't think I'll go either. One party night is enough for this girl." She announced over her cup. Autumn noticed a flash in his eyes. Disappointment? Why would he be disappointed if he wasn't going?

  "You have to go, at least for a little while. You can compare the first and second nights and tell me all about it." A smile brightened his eyes. "You'll need all the fun you can get before going back to essays and briefs."

  Autumn chuckled. "You're right." She shrugged and smiled brightly. "I guess I'm going."

  "Thata girl. I'll drop off another dress for you before I leave." He offered.

  Autumn tilted her head and gave him a sweet smile. "Thank you."

  "My pleasure." His voice was low and it suddenly sounded familiar. Autumn frowned.

  "I'd like to call you when we're back in town." He continued, waiting, a hopeful softness in his expression.

  Did she want to see him again? Yes. Of course she did. Nice guys didn't come around every day, and they didn't have to finish last. It wasn't a marriage proposal. She enjoyed his company.

  "I'd like that." She nodded, smiling, as guilt tugged at her conscience. If she went tonight, it would be for one reason only, for one man, and yet there she was making a date with another man. No, Mike was not a date, he was a friend.

  She sighed. That wasn't entirely true. She knew Mike wanted more. He wanted what she was giving to someone else. What would Mike think of her if he knew? She pulled a Scarlett O'Hara and pushed the ugly thought to the back of her mind to think about tomorrow.

  She had to see Steele again. It was the same feeling as wanting to jump out of an airplane. She wanted to feel the adrenaline rush, soar through nothingness, but at the same time, she knew there was danger, that at the end of this rush, she could fall hard and be left with a broken heart.

  She brought the dishes into the kitchen and started to clean up, but Mike put a hand on her arm to stop her. She felt a surprising warmth spread through her at his touch and she looked up to find him just a few inches away, her breasts practically against his chest.

  His gaze was searching. She felt the strong beat of her pulse speed up, her chest squeezing. Her eyes dropped to his mouth. What would it be like?

  "Let me get these." He said cheerfully, as if there hadn't just been a truckload of sexual tension between them.

  Autumn stared at him, then turned back to the sink, blowing out a breath. "Oh. Great. Yeah. Thanks." She walked out of the kitchen a little dazed.

  This was Mike, sweet, affable, nice Mike. She was getting him mixed up with another man, a much more dangerous man.

  Chapter Ten

  She shouldn't be there. She'd already decided not to go, even after Mike had dropped off another dress and kissed her on the cheek, telling her he'd see her in town.

  She'd been sitting by the fire, wrapped in a quilt, ready to stay in, but then she'd felt his pull on her. Steele. Memories flooded not just her mind, but her body. Memories of his skin warm and damp from exertion pressed along her side, his lips sinking into hers, tongue hungrily taking her mouth with a rhythm that even now made her belly tighten.

  Would she give herself to him again tonight? Wasn’t that why she had come? She looked around the already crowded room, tangling and untangling her fingers as nervous energy roared through her.

  Breathe.

  Stay calm.

  What about Mike? What about Mike?

  He was her friend, someone she hoped would continue to be her friend when they returned to town. Steele was a mystery.

  He had learned her body instantly like the Nash in A Beautiful Mind had deciphered the numbers flashing in front of him. Steele had absorbed every inch of her body and understood how to make her feel an unforgettable bliss she'd never felt before.

  Even so, she shouldn't be there. What if she saw him with another woman? What if he was done with her and embarrassed that she'd come back for more? Humiliation flooded her. She needed to leave. Now. Before he saw her. She turned to go.

  "Leaving so soon?" A low raspy voice sounded from behind her and she turned to see Steele leaning against the same doorframe as the night before. He must have just come down. Had he seen her from the balcony?

  He pushed off the wall, uncrossed his arms and walked directly toward her. He came so close, she could feel heat and masculine energy radiating from him. His hands came up to brush her arms with slow, gentle caresses.

  "You're cold, baby." He whispered, lowering his head to kiss the side of her mouth.

  She was mesmerized by his voice, his presence, and the fragrance of barely-there cologne or after-shave that mixed with the warm scent of his skin.

  He pulled back, his lips hitching into a smile that was direct and personal, only for her, as if there was no one else in the room. Through his mask, Autumn felt the heat of his appraisal. "Would you like to dance?"

  "Yes." She answered quickly, wanting to do something with these restless feelings.

  They strolled to the dance floor, his hand not on her back li
ke the night before but casually at the rise of her bottom. Intimate. Possessive. He was claiming her, but then hadn't he already done that?

  When they reached the crowded floor, he didn't let his arm fall but kept it around her, inching her closer as they began to dance until she was flush against him even though the music was fast.

  It didn't matter; they set their own rhythm. He kept her close, using his other hand to caress the contours of her cheek, the line of her chin, her lips. His eyes held hers with a heat that equaled her own. She didn't have to pretend, to repress her desires or be coy with him, and the thought was exhilarating.

  There were no rules. She had on the mask. He didn't know who she was, would never know. A small part of her conscience reared its head, but she pushed it down. Just this once, just this time, then she would go back to reality, back to school, to rules and family expectations. Now, she just wanted to feel free, the freedom of letting herself go. With this man.

  Lifting her chin with a gentle clasp of thumb and forefinger, Steele interrupted her thoughts, skimming his lips across hers, whispering endearments, murmurs of breath on her skin.

  Autumn slid her hands slowly over his chest, feeling the hard contours she had touched the night before. She wound her arms around his neck and let her fingers sift through his thick hair, bringing him closer.

  His hands squeezed her bottom and brought her against his erection. He always moved slowly, gradually to give her the chance to change her mind, and she only wanted him the more for that simple but important consideration.

  She opened her lips to him, and his tongue moved in, stroking the curves of her mouth even as he subtly rotated his hips, building sensations that demanded and consumed, spearing her in that sensitive place until she rocked against him in a sensual dance. Wisps of lust curled like fingers beckoning to that place of darkness where yearning would be fulfilled.

  She kissed him back, lips molded to his, tongue eager, inviting, stroking his until their bodies built a rhythm that could only be satisfied by him, filling her.

  Without a word, Steele pulled back a fraction so he could lead her from the floor, their fingers entwined in a tight clasp.

  He looked back at her once, just before he guided her upstairs, the same stairs they'd climbed the night before. This time the pace was faster and there was no pretense about a tour. They both wanted this.

  Autumn followed him with quick steps, hurrying along the balcony, through a new door until they stood in a hallway of dark wood, red oriental rugs and dim light.

  Turning to face her, Steele grazed his teeth along his bottom lip and let his finger drift along the outline of her face. "Do you want a drink?" He asked softly.

  Autumn shook her head. "No. Only you." She whispered.

  He stared at her as if stunned, then smiled, his expression one of wonder and tenderness. Autumn warmed, her own smile shy, yet boldly confirming her words.

  He brushed her lips and continued on, passing several doors before coming to a stop in front of one that looked like all the others. Steele pulled out a key, slipping it into the lock and opening the door into a smaller bedroom than the one the night before. This one also had a fire burning in the grate. The bed was covered with a quilt and a scattering of red and cream pillows.

  Steele gathered her in his arms. "I've thought about you all day." He murmured in her ear, his warm breath skittering across her cheek.

  "I thought about doing this." He whispered, his voice husky as his mouth, hot and yearning, met hers, shaping, molding, conforming her lips to his until they moved as one. His mouth was demanding, attacking hers with an urgency that made her breathless.

  "And that's not even the best part." He promised, flicking his tongue to the corner of her mouth.

  A trembling smile touched her lips. "Show me." She whispered.

  She heard the popping sound of her zipper and a second later, she felt the air on her back as her dress fell open, skidding to the floor.

  She was standing in her lace bra and panties with a man she did not know, and that man took a step back to look at her.

  She could barely see his eyes behind the mask, but there was a heat that seemed to radiate from his expression that curled in the pit of her stomach. Under his blazing scrutiny, she clasped her hands in front of her, suddenly self-conscious without the liquid protection of the night before.

  How did she compare to his other women? She wasn't a bombshell but she did have some curves, nothing she was normally ashamed of, but he wasn't saying anything and the insecurity grew, her eyes dropping to the floor.

  Taking her hands as he stepped closer, Steele slowly raising them above her head. He leaned in and licked her ear before whispering.

  "Don't hide from me. I love everything about you" His whispered words were honest, even bemused, as if she should have already known how he felt.

  He held her arms up in his gentle, strong clasp and kissed her again, circling his hips against her pelvis until he was hard and her breath released in a moan.

  He released her arms and she slipped them around his neck, caressing him, feeling a tender desire for this man she didn't know. She wanted to feel the heat of his body, the angular dip of muscles, the strength of his desire filling her.

  She wanted that and more. It was ridiculous, they were strangers, but she wanted to hear more of the words he'd just spoken, to believe that this was more than a meeting of their bodies, that he too had felt something beyond the physical.

  Autumn kissed him gently. She met the electricity of his eyes through the mask as he watched her intently, his expression softening from hard lust to sweet yearning. Her fingers trailed over the black leather, tracing the upper half of his face through the pliable material.

  His hands moved to the clasp of her bra, popping it with a deft flick of his fingers. The straps cascaded down her arms and joined the dress in a lovely, discarded heap.

  Autumn flushed as his burning gaze swept a path over her breasts "Beautiful." He rasped. He bent and his mouth covered one nipple, his hand sliding up her back to hold her as she jerked at his unexpected move.

  His caressing tongue swirled around the exquisitely sensitive peak, building pressure until desire throbbed in her lower belly, her hips involuntarily moving against him. She slid her hand into the opening of his shirt, feeling smooth skin over powerful muscles. He gently bit her nipple and she moaned, her hand stuttering in her exploration.

  Her fingers fumbled to unlatch more of his buttons while Steele kissed his way to her other breast.

  Autumn tried slipping his jacket and shirt off, but as he sucked her other nipple, everything stopped except the sweet pleasures of his mouth.

  He stopped and grinned. "Am I distracting you?" He asked in his low, gravelly voice.

  "Ah...Yes." Her breath stuttered, smiling lips trembling.

  Steele kissed her while he peeled off his jacket and shirt and tossed them on a chair. She couldn't help staring. He was perfection. Beautiful, sculpted, flawless.

  Her eyes darted to his face. His lips curved in a half smile, a tempting invitation. Her hands trembled when her cool tips met his warmth. She traced the line between his pecs, trailing her fingers over the concrete ripples of his abs until she came to the button of his pants. She lifted her eyes to meet his dark gaze, sliding a finger seductively, teasingly along the waist band.

  "What are you waiting for, baby?" He breathed. "It's yours...Whatever you want." His words were meant to tease, attributing to the sexy lift of his lips, but the quick rise and fall of his chest, the husky tone of his voice, said something different, that this was a surrender, no holding back, completely, without restraint.

  She unlatched the button, taking a deep breath, and pulled the zipper, the metallic sound mixing with their shallow breathing and the pounding of her heart.

  She stared. The opened flap framed inky black hair and she could see the bulging ridge of his erection pushing at his pants. The scent of male arousal drifted in the air, and lust s
peared her lower belly. She quickly clasped her thumbs along the edge of his pants and slid them easily off his hips, following them down. Looking up, she saw the thick, long shaft of his erection. Her eyes traveled up until she was caught in his scorching gaze.

  He took her hands and brought her to her feet, suddenly sweeping her into his arms.

  Her heels dangled from her toes, then fell to the floor with a clunk as he strode with her to the bed. His mouth was on hers as he lay her down, his tongue already stroking into her mouth, tangling with her eager tongue.

  "I want to explore every part of you, then I want to bury myself deep inside you, so fucking deep, you will never, ever forget me." He murmured, his eyes intent as he gazed at her.

  Autumn felt her breath catch and her belly clench with anticipation. She reached up to touch his cheek, her fingers drifting over the rough stubble of his jaw, the pliable flesh of his lips. He lowered himself, those lips flexing hungrily into hers.

  Steele groaned, pushing past her lips, sucking on her tongue. His hands came around her head, holding her, as he delved deep, as if he couldn't reach far enough.

  She let him in, opening, surrendering. He cupped the curve of her breast, tearing his mouth away from hers to lick the pointed peak that jutted eagerly against his tongue. His palms slid along her sides, hooking his thumbs into her panties and slipping them off.

  She gazed at him standing at the foot of the bed, his tanned skin gleaming in the soft light of the fire, every part of him radiating need and desire. He lifted her legs, placing her feet flat on the bed and leaned one knee on the bed.

  His fingers brushed the slit of her sex, stroking her. "So sexy." He murmured. His eyes locked onto hers as he lowered himself, his tongue replacing his finger. He pushed her legs apart and caressed her with his tongue, sliding in exquisite, lazy circles. She pushed her hands into his hair, arching into him. He bit her slightly, then sucked hard, ripping a cry from her.

  She bucked against him, and he held her down while he teased her with his touch.