Tough as Steele (Steele Bros Book 1)

by Elizabeth Knox

  If I completely went out of the business, I’d be a dead man, I’d be a pretty stupid man to not realize that. Change is inevitable, but the mob bosses and crime lords don’t like change. The change of their routine, the change of having to trust someone else, hell, sometimes they don’t even like their wife changing her hair color.

  “Mr. Steele, you have a visitor.” One of my assistants spoke, but I wasn’t sure who. I didn’t really pay attention to them unless it was Esme.

  “Who is it?” I looked to the short brunette who was speaking to me.

  “I’m not sure, Esme knows. She said you wouldn’t be happy…” You would assume with how much I paid them they would at least take down a name, instead of not knowing. Some criminal could be asking to see me, and they’d just let them right on inside.

  “Where’s Esme?” The girl pointed to my office.

  “She’s with your uh, visitor…” I nodded, walking straight past her and into my office. Esme was sitting on the couch, and Tara was walking around my office.

  My ex-wife, Tara.

  “Why are you here?” She turned around, facing me as I asked. Tara was nothing but trouble. I couldn’t even think of a good reason of why I married her. She’d always been completely terrible. Maybe I thought I was in love with her. I was thirty-two, she was my girlfriend of two years, it felt like the right thing to do. It was what I had been taught to do all along. It lasted for only three years, and here she was, standing in my office. We had no children. Our marriage had consisted of our partnership, until the day she decided that she wanted out.

  I didn’t blame her for it, I never did. I would have wanted out too. But that didn’t mean I wanted to see her in my office now. It was over, and there was no need to rehash anything we went through.

  “Tara, why are you here?” Her deep brown eyes met mine as she walked towards me, I clenched my fists together and stood my ground.

  “I’m so sorry. I want you back. I made a huge mistake. I love you, Logan.” Her hands came towards me, and I lowered them back down to her sides. I wanted nothing to do with her. You can’t forgive someone when they betray you, and Tara, she did that. She slept around on me, which had hurt enough, but the worst part was her affecting my business dealings. I could forgive her for one, but not for the other.

  “Get. Out.” I was firm as her hands came back up towards me, and I pressed them against her sides once more.

  “Lo’, Please hear me out.” I knew she was trying to use the nickname in order to get in my head, but I wouldn't let her.

  “No. Get out of my office, and don’t come back.”

  “Logan-”

  “Get the fuck out, Tara. I’ve moved on. I’m in a relationship. I’m happy. Just leave.” Her face went white. I don’t think she thought that I might have moved on. It was the first time I’d admitted to anyone but myself that I was taken.

  Brooklyn and I hadn’t discussed our relationship specifically, but she was mine, and I was hers.

  Esme pressed her hand to Tara’s back, escorting her out of my office. I shut the door as they left, then buried myself in work for the next few hours until Brooklyn came into the office to start out her work for the day.

  My phone beeped, I turned to it, Brooklyn had texted me.

  From: Brooklyn

  Can’t wait for you to come home later. XO. ;)

  I would mess with her a bit; she didn’t know I had caught an earlier flight and was currently in the office.

  To: Brooklyn

  See you later, precious.

  Esme popped into my office, I was so glad to see her face instead of the other nameless woman. “She’s here, security just cleared her.”

  “Thanks Esme, let me know when she’s on the floor.” She nodded, exiting my office. I drowned myself through paperwork until she was on the floor. Her laugh was one of those that would always echo through the whole floor, and Esme opened the door, letting me know that Brook was up there. I instructed her to send Brook back, to distract her.

  I dug through some more paperwork regarding Brooklyn’s beauty line. So far, we’d made a bit of progress. She had a campaign this week where she’d received pre-approval to use her products, which would help us tremendously, especially when it came to boosting sales.

  She laughed as she opened my door talking to Esme, “What are we doing--”

  “Hello, Beautiful.” I smirked at her, her gaze meeting mine. I walked to the doorway as she approached me.

  Esme shut the door, grinning from ear to ear. “You, Mister, you told me you wouldn’t be back until tonight.” She punched me in the shoulder, wrapping her arms around my neck.

  I slid mine down around her waist, “This was a good surprise though, mmm,” her forehead lay against my chest, and I pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

  “I can’t believe you let me think you weren’t in town!” Her eyes met mine, her smile causing me to do the same. Brooklyn was infectious, she was the type of woman that would light up the whole room when she stepped inside.

  “I missed you,” she sighed as she said it, almost worried about my response.

  “I missed you too. Next time, you’re coming with me.” It came out of my mouth before I could even think about that statement. I would never bring Brooklyn on a business trip like that with me. Over my dead body would my precious little thing ever be in harm’s way.

  “You’re absolutely crazy,” she giggled. I cupped her jaw with my hand, running my thumb across her skin.

  “Only for you.” My hand slid up her back, holding the back of her neck. I moved closer, wanting her to see what she did to me as I pressed my erection into her thigh.

  “Ugh, two weeks without you was two weeks way too long,” she groaned. I agreed, meeting my lips with hers, tugging on her bottom lip with my teeth. Her hands moved from my neck to the front of my shirt, slowly unbuttoning it, until she slid it off, throwing it on the floor.

  My office door swung open. It slammed against the wall, the noise yanking Brooklyn away from our kiss. I craved her lips back on mine as soon as they pulled away. I grabbed my shirt, sliding it back on as Tara approached me. I told the bitch to leave and she didn’t. That pissed me off.

  “Is this bimbo your girlfriend?” she hissed, throwing her hands up in the air, motioning toward Brooklyn. “She looks like a plastic Barbie, I wonder if any of that is even real?!”

  “I told you to leave.” I was firm in my voice. I didn’t want her here. How had she even gotten back into my office? Tara had no reason to be here, I should’ve assumed she would try to get back in. She was a relentless woman. I buttoned my shirt back up as Tara continued to speak.

  “Our conversation wasn’t over.”

  “It was, Tara, now get the fuck out.” After I spoke, I turned to Brooklyn, her pale complexion worsened almost as pale as a sheet.

  “Who is she?” she whispered, trying to not let Tara hear the straining in her voice.

  “I’m his wife.”

  Chapter 8

  Brooklyn

  Wife.

  Logan has a wife. Oh my God, what have I done? I’m the other woman…I’m the mistress I never wanted to let myself become…

  “Ex-Wife,” Logan corrected her. His hand met my hip, trying to comfort me. “We’re divorced.” I wondered if he was lying…he could be lying, but why would he try to lie to me?

  “Ex-Wife,” I repeated, losing myself in my thoughts. This woman didn’t seem like much of an ex. I glanced over to her. She embodied everything that I wasn’t. She was the polar opposite of me. Where I was pale and blonde, she was dark haired with bronze skin.

  “What does she have that I don’t?” the woman screeched.

  “My trust.” I felt incredibly awkward being stuck in this situation between the two of them. There weren’t any red flags when we had started this…whatever the hell it currently was two weeks ago, but now, now there were red flags, and many of them.

  “Hmm. So, you must know about his businesses? All of t
hem?” What is that supposed to mean? This was the only business I thought he had. The question sat in my mind for a moment, Logan becoming irate with her brought me back to reality.

  “Get the fuck out now, Tara.”

  “Bingo. He hasn’t told you about his other businesses.” The woman, Tara, smiled as she said it. She knew she was getting somewhere. She wanted me to react. I believed that she wanted me to question him while she was here, in this room with us. I wouldn’t, I would ask what she meant later, and oh, I planned on doing that…even though I didn’t really have the right. I was not okay with secrets. Honesty was extremely important to me, and if this was going to go anywhere, Logan needed to know that. He didn’t tell me he was previously married. I didn’t think he was trying to keep it from me, but he did, and…I wasn’t trying to think about it too much. I know whatever we’re doing is new, fresh, but shouldn’t honesty always be there?

  “I think I’ll go.” I walked past Logan, his arm shot out, pulling me back against him, pressing my back against his chest.

  “You aren’t leaving, she is,” he growled. I’d never been afraid of Logan, and I wasn’t not sure I could call this fear, but I didn’t like it. He was consumed with anger. I could practically feel the heat bouncing off him from where I was pressed against his chest.

  “Get. Out.” He raised his voice, practically screaming it at her. The woman chuckled at him as I shuddered. I didn’t like this side of him.

  “Call me when you’re done with your plaything,” she giggled, staring at him for a moment, walking towards the door. Oh, no, not going to happen.

  “Plaything, that’s cute,” I scoffed. I was giving her that reaction that she wanted, but I couldn't even begin to care. I could handle being called a bimbo, I’ve been called much worse, but implying that I was just a toy…that pissed me off.

  Logan’s hand slid across my shoulder, applying a small amount of pressure as if he was trying to provide me with a little bit of comfort.

  The woman grinned. I was giving her exactly what she wanted, and she knew it. I was feeding the lion. “Get out, Tara.” His temper seized, his voice calm and collected.

  Tara smirked at him, “I’ll be back soon.”

  “Don’t fucking bother.” His gaze drifted to her, his tone full of promise. He didn’t want her here, and that made me feel better. She walked out of his office, out of our sights. Logan walked us over to the couch, pulling me close to him, his hand grazing my jaw, pulling me to look at him. “I’m sorry about that.”

  I was exhausted from the confrontation. “I don’t know who is crazier, her or Bryce.” He laughed at me, grinning wildly.

  “Her. Probably her.” I would disagree, saying it was Bryce. Bryce was unpredictable, and that made me completely terrified of him. He had done so much in the past, and I doubted that he’d changed now.

  “Brook.”

  “Hmmm?”

  “I lost you there for a minute.” There goes my over analytical mind again.

  “Yeah?”

  “I asked what you wanted to do tonight?”

  “I have to go to another event that Alfred has set up.”

  “That settles it, I’m your date, then, we can go out after.”

  “Can we just go back to your place or mine? I want to have you to myself, I’ll order a pizza, and I have some wine.” My attempt at a low-key night was either going to succeed or completely fail. It was really hard to get time to ourselves.

  “Okay. What time is the event?”

  “It starts in an hour.” I placed my hand on his thigh. “We don’t have to go that early, though.”

  His brow furrowed before chuckling “Sooner I get you there, the sooner we go back to your place?”

  “I guess you could view it that way,” I teased, bringing my hand further up his thigh.

  “If you keep doing that, we won’t make it to the event.”

  “Are you trying to tempt me, Logan?”

  “I don’t have to tempt you, my little minx.” He wasn’t wrong, Logan’s been gone on business for two weeks, and I’ve been one horny bitch. It was hard to keep it together now that he was back in my arms.

  “True.”

  ***

  “Can we stop by my apartment? I have to change.” Logan nodded, following the directions I gave him to my apartment.

  He walked in with me “Hey Marco!” I greeted the concierge who smiled at me in response. The elevator ride was quick, leading me to my apartment.

  “You said apartment, not penthouse,” he joked, walking in, looking at my décor.

  “Alfred, he gave it to my brother and I.” I needed to change the subject, not wanting to get stuck on Alfred for any longer.

  “Can you un-zip me?” Logan grinned as I turned around. He slowly took the zipper down my back. I let it slide down my back, down my body, and walked into my room. I didn't have to hide anything from Logan anymore. I had plenty of dresses to choose from, but I wanted something sexy. Part of me wanted to make Logan suffer since we hadn’t seen each other in almost two weeks, but the other part of me wanted to give in and just take him straight away.

  I pulled out a dark olive midi-dress. It had rushing in the front, giving the idea that I was curvier than I actually am. I slid it over my body, leaving my black heels on from earlier. They had so many straps that it was a bitch to get them off anyway.

  I walked back into the kitchen, living room combo, where Logan tapped away on his phone, reminding me how much he manages. Since he was gone, his facial hair has grown out a bit, giving him a thick stubble. I studied his face for a moment before speaking. “Ready?” His eyes peered up from his phone, almost dropping it when he saw me.

  “Do we really have to go?” He pulled my hand, pressing me against him. “Clothes don’t do you justice, you should just drop them.”

  “I’m sure you’re not biased or anything.” I rolled my eyes and laughed, tugging his hand with mine.

  We went downstairs, sliding in his car. The event was outside, which meant it was going to be miserable since it was so hot out. “I feel so bad for you.” I looked to Logan who pulled into the parking space.

  “Why’s that?”

  “It’s hotter than Hades out here, and you’re dressed in a three-piece suit.” It was probably ninety-five degrees out, plus humidity. I don’t know why I stayed in Atlanta. I had always complained about the weather growing up and how I would move, but I just couldn't unstick myself from the place. Logan didn’t say anything. He got out of the driver’s seat, walking around the car and opened the door for me.

  “It is hotter than Hades out here,” he whispered in my ear. “It’s nothing compared to how hot I am for you, though.” Ooo…he really is a panty dropper, what a keeper, holy crap. I was in way over my head with this one.

  Logan’s hand brought mine to his crotch, revealing his hard on.

  I’m going to hell, I thought to myself as I opened the backseat of his Range Rover. The windows were almost black, so I knew no one could see inside. He came in after me. I laid the seats down and grabbed a condom out of my purse before laying down. These days whenever we were going somewhere I knew I had to be prepared for the spur of the moment fuck. He took it from me, ripping it open with his teeth, which always managed to turn me on. His cock sprang free as he unzipped his pants, sliding the condom on.

  “Don’t smudge my makeup, we still have to go to the event,” I groaned.

  “No panties?” he chuckled, his cock at the base of my entrance, his thumb circled my clit, making my hips roll. He slid into me, at first going slow, then slamming into me. His hand pulled at my dress, exposing my breasts, giving each one attention with his mouth.

  “Logan, I’m going to come,” I moaned out, his hand went back to my clit, his teeth tugged on my nipple as he drove into me.

  “How much do you love my cock?” he growled, pulling my nipple.

  “So much, s-o much-h,” I moaned, the building orgasm sending tiny shock waves through my body. “Ha
rder, I want it harder.” He had a glimmer in his eye, slamming into me hard.

  “The first time I saw you, I imagined doing this, you under me, just like this,” he growled out, and he pressed against my clit.

  “Logan,” I groaned, my orgasm shocking through me. He came with me, grinding against me until my orgasm stopped. He slid out of me, disposing the condom, tucked his cock back in his pants, and laid next to me.

  “You have a magic dick; I’ve never come that quickly in my life.”

  “Just wait, precious, that was nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you later.” He slid the material of my dress back over my breasts, helped me out of the car, and I straightening my hair with my fingers.

  “How do I look?” I twirled around, smiling widely.

  “If I answer that, we’ll be back in my SUV, and you’ll never get to this event,” he admitted, pushing me against his Rover.

  “O-Okay, I’ll assume that I means I look really good.”

  “Better than good, you look smoking hot.”

  I laced my fingers with Logan’s as we walked to the front of the event. Yet again, the event Alfred invited me to was beautiful. They turned a downtown park into something you would see along the French Riviera. All of the attendees seemed to be dressed extravagantly, except the men weren’t in three-piece suits, they just had a dress shirt and pants on; a great decision for how hot and humid it was. The red carpet was just past the entrance. We could avoid it.

  “Are you walking the carpet?” He looked down to me, his grip tightening around my hand.

  “Do you want to?” I asked, not sure where he was getting at.

  “Sure.” He led the way, pausing every few steps for the photographers to get their shots. Everyone would recognize him, but only a few would know who I was. I was okay with that. I modeled, but I liked my privacy. Logan’s lips came to my ear.

  “Let’s give them something to talk about. “I looked up to him, puzzled, trying to see where he was getting at. But as soon as I turned my face, his lips were on mine. The media would eat this up. I think we both knew that. Winking at the paparazzi, he pulled away softly, leading us over to the entrance of the party.