[Steel Brothers 01.0] Craving

by HELEN HARDT

  Should I say something? I had no idea. She was Marjorie’s friend, not mine. If only Ryan or Jonah had been able to pick her up. Twenty more minutes…

  “I’m really excited to see Marj,” she said.

  Clearly, she was making small talk. Had she forgotten that she just saw Marj last week at her aborted wedding? It was the second time she’d made that goof. I couldn’t help a small chuckle, but I managed to keep it silent. She was cute.

  “Yeah, she’s really excited about you coming out here to live.”

  “I really appreciate you guys letting me stay with you on the ranch until I get settled.”

  “Not a problem. If there’s one thing we’ve got, it’s room.”

  “Oh, yeah, I know. I visited Marj at the ranch sophomore year during spring break. You weren’t…uh…”

  “I was in Iraq.” For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why people were so loath to say the word “Iraq.” I was there. I saw a bunch of shit no human should ever have to see. But it was a fact, so why beat around the bush about it? It sure wasn’t the first time I’d seen nasty-ass shit.

  She cleared her throat. “Yeah.”

  Silence for a few beats. Then—

  “I think it’s really heroic what you did over there. I really respect our military.”

  “I didn’t do it to be a hero.”

  “Oh, I didn’t mean to imply—”

  “I’m no hero, blue eyes.” Had I just called her blue eyes? “In fact, I’m about as far from a hero as you’d get.”

  I didn’t know what I expected her to say to that, but I sure as hell didn’t expect what she said.

  “It really doesn’t matter what you think, does it? I think anyone who serves our country is a hero. That’s my personal definition, and I’m sticking with it.”

  I shook my head. Such naïveté. Had I ever been that naïve in my life? Not since my first decade on this earth, and even then I don’t think I was quite as innocent as she was now.

  She’d learn eventually. I hoped it would be a while. I wouldn’t mind seeing the innocence in those soft blue eyes a little longer.

  “I don’t know what to say to that.”

  “You could say ‘thank you.’ Isn’t that customary when someone gives you a compliment?”

  “You didn’t give me a compliment.”

  “Sure I did. I said you were hero. It’s a great compliment. I wish someone would call me a hero. I’m no one’s hero, and I never will be.”

  “And I told you, I’m no hero.”

  “I suppose heroism, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, then.”

  I looked straight ahead, resisting the urge to turn toward her. I was driving, after all. The road into Snow Creek was never busy. We had to drive through the small town to get to Steel Acres.

  “So where can I get a good deal on a used car? I need something to get around in.”

  “You’d be better off going into Grand Junction for something like that. But there’s no hurry. We have about five cars on the ranch that aren’t being used right now. You’re welcome to use one of them.”

  “Oh, no. I can’t impose.”

  “You’re already imposing, staying with us.” I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth. She didn’t deserve to be treated this way. I just wasn’t used to mincing words.

  “I…I’m sorry. You just said…you had plenty of room.” Her voice cracked a little.

  Shit, now I had upset her. Truth was, I didn’t know how to deal with people. Five years in Iraq didn’t teach me that, and God knew my life before then hadn’t taught me jack shit.

  But something about her raised my hackles. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. All I knew was that I had to keep her at arm’s length. Couldn’t let her in. Couldn’t let anyone in. Only problem was, up until now, I had never wanted to let anybody in. After less than an hour with this woman, my whole philosophy seemed to be shattering.

  Those damned blue eyes…

  “All I meant was that we have extra cars, and you’re welcome to use one.”

  “That’s not what you said.”

  I let out a heavy sigh and slowed the car down, stopping on the shoulder. I turned and looked into those amazing eyes, the color of tanzanite. My heart skipped. “Look, you’re Marjorie’s best friend in the world, and you are very welcome at our home. I didn’t mean to allude otherwise. I’m…” Why did I have such a hard time saying that one damned word? I breathed in and let the air out slowly. “Sorry.”

  Her smile lit up her face. Those cherry-red full lips, looking so kissable, gave way to big dimples on each side of her cheeks. Her blue-gray eyes sparkled. “There, was that so hard?”

  Brown hair fell across her shoulders in waves. I itched to touch the hair, the silkiness of her cheek, the moist scarlet of her lips.

  Damn it. I wanted her.

  And I had never wanted anything before in my life.

  “Jade!” My sister came running as soon as we got in the door.

  My mutt, Roger, panted at her heels.

  “Hey, boy.” I scratched him behind the ears.

  Jade fell to her knees. “How cute! Hi there, baby.”

  Roger took to her immediately, licking her face.

  Marjorie laughed. “I forgot how much you love dogs.” She turned to me. “Jade goes crazy whenever she sees a dog.” Back to Jade. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t come to the airport. Did Talon take care of you?”

  For a moment, my stomach dropped. Would she tell Marjorie how rude I had been?

  But Jade just smiled. “Oh, of course, everything went fine. Did you get the job?”

  Marjorie shook her head. “Nope. Somebody else beat me to it. So I’m back to learning the ropes here. I guess three years of travel while you went to law school was enough.” She laughed.

  I loved my sister, but she was a little spoiled. Okay, a lot spoiled. But she didn’t shy away from hard work. I’d give her that.

  “So how was the drive from the city?” Marjorie continued.

  “Just fine. Talon even treated me to a burger on the way home. I was starving.”

  “I’m so glad to hear that. Tal can come off a little abrupt sometimes. But he means well, don’t you, Tal?”

  Mean well? I’d do anything in the world for my baby sister, or either one of my brothers, for that matter. But did I ever mean well? That was a damned good question—one I’d probably never find the answer to.

  So I sidestepped it. Just like I’d been sidestepping for twenty-five years. “I assume she’s going to take the empty bedroom next to yours, right, Marj? I’ll take her stuff up.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to—” Jade began.

  “Oh, let him,” Marjorie said. “Might as well put all that good muscle to use.”

  Jade’s cheeks pinked. Goddamnit, did she get red over the rest of her body too? On her chest? On those amazing voluptuous breasts that I could see even under the shapeless top she wore? The girl was stacked. No doubt about it—a goddamned brick house.

  “So next to your room, Marj?”

  “Of course. It’s a great room, Jade. It has a private bathroom and everything.”

  “You guys really don’t have to go to all this trouble.”

  Marjorie laughed. “Trouble? The room is empty, for God’s sake. As are three others. Jonah lives in his own ranch house down the way, and Ryan lives in the guest house out back. Tal and I are the only ones who live here anymore.”

  Like I had a choice. When I got back from overseas, Jonah had already built himself a house, and Ryan had taken over the guest house. I was stuck in the main ranch house. I had the master suite, but still I felt closed in. And now, with Jade living here… I’d better get to drawing up some plans for my own house…far away from this one.

  I grabbed Jade’s suitcase and her carry-on and walked down the hallway toward Marjorie’s room. I deposited the luggage in the extra bedroom. My suite was on the other side of the house, thank God.

  I needed to stay a
s far away from Jade Roberts as possible.

  I just wasn’t sure any amount of distance would ease my craving.

  Chapter Three

  Jade

  I punched my pillow for what seemed like the hundredth time. The bed was comfortable enough, and so was the pillow, for that matter. It was just strange, and until I got used to a new bed, I often couldn’t sleep. Whenever I stayed at a hotel, I never slept the first night.

  Maybe a cup of tea would help. Caffeine or not, tea always relaxed me. And I’m talking tea, not an herbal infusion that people like to call “herb tea” when there’s not a speck of real tea in it. I got up and quietly stole out of my room, down the hallway, to the mammoth kitchen in this amazing ranch house. I turned on the light…and gasped.

  Talon sat at the kitchen table, a glass of water in front of him, Roger at his feet, tail wagging. Talon’s magnificent chest was bare, his dark nipples surrounded by black chest hair—just enough to make him deliciously masculine but not too hairy. His right arm sat on the table, his forearm beautifully corded, and his upper arm… Oh, God… The muscles bulged even while he was sitting in a relaxed position.

  Why hadn’t I bothered with a robe? My boobs were plainly visible beneath the tight white tank top I wore. A pair of Colin’s old boxers covered my lower half. I’d thrown out most of his stuff, but these were just so comfy. I crossed my arms over my chest quickly, hiding my hard nipples.

  “I…I’m sorry,” I stammered.

  He didn’t respond.

  “Why are you sitting here in the dark?” I asked.

  “Couldn’t sleep.”

  That didn’t really answer my question, but I decided not to push it. “Neither can I. I’m sorry to disturb you. I just thought I’d see if you guys had any tea. It relaxes me.”

  “The small canister on the counter.” He pointed.

  I wanted to go back and get a robe, but that would just make me look even more conspicuous, like I was trying to cover myself up. Which of course I was. I fumbled with the tea bag and started looking through cupboards for a mug.

  “Cupboard to the right of the oven,” Talon said, not turning his head.

  I opened the cupboard door, and indeed, coffee cups and mugs appeared. I grabbed one, filled it with water, and placed it in the microwave for a few minutes. As usual, the two minutes were the longest two minutes ever. Talon still sat, facing away from me, not drinking his water.

  When the microwave dinged, I grabbed my cup, added the tea bag, and set it on the counter. Should I sit down at the table and join him? That same wall encased him, and right now, it seemed to encompass the entire table. Only Roger’s wagging tail breached it. He stayed at Talon’s feet, and as much as I wanted to squat down and pet his soft head, I held back.

  I did not feel welcome.

  “Come on and sit down if you want,” he said.

  I grabbed my tea and sat down across from him. Sitting next to him didn’t seem right, but sitting across from him turned out to be a big mistake. He was right in my line of vision. I couldn’t not look at him.

  His hair was tousled and sexy, and he raked his fingers through it, mussing it further. His gorgeous brown eyes were sunken and rimmed with dark circles.

  “I…I’m sorry you can’t sleep,” I said.

  He cleared his throat. “Don’t be. I never sleep.”

  That couldn’t be possible. All humans had to sleep. But again, I wasn’t going to push it. “I don’t normally have any trouble,” I said, “but the first night in a new bed is always troublesome for me. I’m sure I’ll be fine tomorrow night.”

  “Yeah, you’ll be fine. The demons in this house can’t get to you.” Talon pursed his full dusky lips.

  Demons? What the hell was he talking about? He probably had nightmares from his time in the Marines. Perhaps he even had post-traumatic stress disorder. Was he getting any therapy? Certainly wasn’t my place to ask.

  “I don’t really have any demons. Except, of course, my ex-fiancé, who totally humiliated me a little over a week ago.”

  Talon raised his eyebrows. Had I actually piqued his interest?

  “I’m sure that was rough.”

  His tone unnerved me. While it seemed to hold sincerity, something bit through it. A touch of sarcasm? I wasn’t sure what he meant by the comment, so I decided to take it at face value.

  “Honestly, I’m more embarrassed than anything else. I really don’t think we were in love anymore. We were together all four years of college in Denver, and then I stayed and went to law school and he headed to New York to intern for his father’s company. Somehow we held it together, but long-distance relationships are hard. In retrospect, we shouldn’t have stayed together.”

  Talon stood. “I’m sure you’ll be just fine. Believe me, things could be a lot worse.”

  My skin warmed. How dare he belittle this? I wasn’t sitting in here asking for his pity. I had told him point-blank that the relationship had been a mistake and we should have called it off years ago. Of course things could have been a lot worse. Things could always be worse.

  I stood as well and looked him straight in his blazing black eyes. “You’re right. I will be fine. Did I ever say I wouldn’t be? I know there are a lot worse things in the world than being left at the altar. However, that doesn’t take away the fact that I was completely humiliated.”

  Talon shook his head, chuckling. “I get it. You’re fine.”

  His words crept under my skin, and my hackles rose. Why did everything he said cut through me like an ice pick?

  “You know, you hardly know me. Why are you being so judgmental?”

  “I know you more than you think, blue eyes. I know you’ve had a life so full of privilege that the worst thing in the world that has ever happened to you is you got humiliated on your wedding day.”

  “For your information, my life has not been full of privilege. I had a modest upbringing”—I did a one-eighty around his gourmet kitchen, Viking stove and all—“which clearly you did not.”

  He chuckled again, and goddamnit, my dander rose.

  “Blue eyes, there are some things money can’t buy. Modest upbringing or not, you had a college education. You had a law school education. Once you pass the bar, you’ll be able to get a job that pays decent money. And with your looks and that luscious body of yours, you’ll have no problem attracting another guy in no time. So don’t tell me you don’t have privilege.”

  I had to think to understand his last words. I was stuck on the “looks and luscious body” part. Was he attracted to me? This western god? Attracted to me?

  I opened my mouth to speak, but before any words came out, he grabbed my arm, pulled me toward him, and crushed his mouth to mine.

  The kiss was raw. He forced his tongue between my lips and took, just took.

  My legs quivered. Oh, God…

  Seven years of kissing Colin…and it had never been like this.

  He devoured me, and I melted into him. He grabbed the back of my hair and yanked on it as he continued to plunder my mouth. Electric jolts arrowed straight to my pussy. No man had ever yanked on my hair before, and oh my God… I returned his kiss with greed. Such a soothing salve for my shattered ego. This man…found me attractive… Was kissing me—

  He ripped his mouth from mine and sucked on my neck, trailing tiny kisses up to my earlobe.

  “God, blue eyes…”

  My legs nearly gave way, but he steadied me.

  “That guy you almost married,” he whispered into my ear. “Did he ever kiss you like this, blue eyes?”

  I opened my mouth, but all that came out was a sigh.

  Talon thrust his tongue into my ear canal. I nearly melted into a puddle right there. Take me to your bed, I said in my mind. Take me to your bed and fuck me silly.

  “Tell me,” he demanded again. “Did he ever kiss you like this?”

  “No.”

  And he clamped his mouth to mine once more. Again our tongues swirled together, and again my
legs threatened to give way. I slid my hands up his hard arms, relishing the muscle covered by smooth bronze skin. I gripped his shoulders and then wrapped my arms around his neck, trying to close whatever distance remained between us.

  Closer… Wanted to be closer—

  But he broke the kiss with a loud smack, releasing my hair so I nearly tumbled backward. I caught myself by grabbing the back of the chair. I whimpered at the loss of his lips, his arms, his need.

  He stood, staring at me. No…glaring at me, those black eyes burning two holes in my skin.

  Was he going to say anything? What was I supposed to do now? Should I apologize? But I hadn’t kissed him. He had kissed me. Would he apologize?

  No. No apology. He walked past me, out of the kitchen, and down the hallway toward his room, the blond mutt loping on his heels.

  I plunked down in the chair and wrapped my hands around my warm cup of tea.

  His full glass of water still sat, untouched.

  Rita’s Café was a cute little mom-and-pop diner on the main drag of Snow Creek, Colorado. I sat across the table from Marj. She had insisted on taking me out to breakfast my first full day in Snow Creek, treating me to what she called “the best coffee in the universe.” I was skeptical. I liked really strong coffee—really strong, as in it plops when it’s poured. Most restaurant coffee was hot brown water. I raised my cup to my lips and took a sip.

  Yup. Brown water. But I didn’t have the heart to say so to Marj.

  I drew in a deep breath, gathering my courage. I was going to ask Marj about her brother. I wouldn’t tell her about the stolen kiss last night, at least not yet. But something was up with Talon Steel, and Marj probably knew what it was.

  “After we’re done here,” Marjorie said, “I’ll show you around Snow Creek. It’s the most adorable little town. There’s one law firm in town where you might be able to find work. And there’s always the city attorney’s office too.”