She was wearing a dress and with agile fingers and ready hands, he lifted her dress up to the waist while slowly walking her backward. He’d never been in her office before, but all offices had a desk and hers had to be somewhere. He knew he’d found it when she couldn’t go backward anymore.
That’s when he grabbed hold of her hips and lifted her up and placed her on the desk while widening her legs to stand between them. He broke off the kiss and his hands quickly went to his zipper.
“Let me,” she said, brushing his hands away.
It didn’t take her any time to get what she was after and the moment she had him in her hands, gripping her fingers around him, he threw his head back to growl in heated pleasure. He didn’t recall anything much after that until he felt the head of his shaft being placed right there at her wet entrance. Not able to hold back from something so tempting, he moved forward, thrusting hard and deep inside of her.
“Oh, hell.” He thrust hard again. Then again. And when he felt her legs tighten around his waist, locking him in, his control snapped. He kept thrusting inside of her, seemingly going deeper and deeper with each sensuous movement.
He tilted his head, studied her expression and saw the intense pleasure he was giving her with every stroke. He became mesmerized. The passion was undisguised, genuine and as heated as it could get. And he knew the look on his face probably mirrored hers. Only difference, he would throw openly possessive in the mix. At that moment he couldn’t imagine any other man making love to her this way. He refused to even consider it.
When she began screaming his name, he quickly bent low to capture her mouth. And then he soared with her, his body shattering hard in one soul-tantalizing orgasm. He kept coming and coming and coming. And her body took and took and took.
He continued to kiss her as he was dragged farther and farther into the aftermath of the most sensuous and delicious quickie he’d ever known.
Chapter 12
It’s only lust, Eli tried telling himself later that day, while standing at the window in his office and staring at downtown Phoenix. Nothing was holding his attention—not the fact that it was a beautiful day and he could see beyond Phoenix’s tall buildings to the mountains, or the numerous women in the fitness center that was directly across the street. Come to think of it, he hadn’t checked out the fitness center in months. At least not since Stacey had opened her shop in his building.
Stacey.
He rubbed his hands down his face and felt his erection throb as it always did whenever he thought about her. That’s why he was sure it was only lust. Hell, what else could it be for him to be this obsessed over a woman where he would seek her out before nine in the morning for a quickie? Somehow his mind had convinced him the moment he’d walked into her shop that he needed a part of her to make his day complete. And by the time he’d walked out of her shop, he’d been consumed with a burst of energy he would not have gotten from a vitamin pill or one of those energy drinks. It had come from Stacey. Even now he was anxious to make love to her again. And he didn’t want anything quick about it. He wanted to go slow and savor each and every hard thrust.
The sound of the buzzer on his desk got his attention, and he crossed the room. “Yes, Ms. Larson?”
“Your brother is here to see you.”
Eli rolled his eyes. “Which one?”
“Galen.”
Eli frowned. “I don’t recall seeing his name in my appointment book. Did he have one?” He wondered why he was wasting his time asking when he knew the answer.
“No.”
“Then tell him I’m busy.”
There was a pause. “He said he doesn’t care and will wait.”
Eli’s frown deepened. “Send him in.”
It didn’t take long for Steele brother number one to walk in, all smiles. The last time Galen had walked into his office smiling and Eli had asked him what the hell he had to smile about, Galen had answered, “My wife.” His brother had gone on to say that getting married was the best thing to happen to him. Evidently, he was still feeling that way.
Eli hoped there was a valid reason Galen had dropped by and not just to waste his time with foolishness. Inwardly, Eli was proud of Galen, who’d made his first million while still in college when Galen and his two roommates created video games that became a hit on campus. The three formed a million dollar company for which Eli was the attorney. That was the good thing. The only bad thing was that millionaire or not, Galen had way too much free time on his hands and didn’t know the meaning of structure since he’d never worked a nine-to-five job.
The only saving grace was that being married was keeping Galen busy somewhat. When he wasn’t in his garage tinkering with the next video game he planned to put on the market, he was helping his wife out by doing odds and ends at the Phoenix office of Etiquette Matters, the nationally known company that Brittany owned.
“What do you want Galen? I’m busy,” Eli said shortly, sitting behind his huge desk.
Galen grinned. “Boy, aren’t we in a bad mood. When was the last time you got laid, Eli?”
Thoughts of Stacey spread out on her desk with him pumping into her flashed through his mind. He felt a deep stirring in his gut from the memory. “None of your damn business. Now, what do you want?”
“Just checking on you. You’ve been missing in action a lot lately,” Galen said, dropping down in the chair across from Eli.
“I’ve been out of town.”
“Yes, but you came back this weekend. Brittany invited everyone to breakfast Saturday morning and all Drew’s sons were present but you. Gannon claims you had a late night.”
“And if I did?”
“Nothing. In fact, I think it’s great that you’re back in the saddle. I was worried after what Liz Baker tried doing, that you were sidelined for life. It’s good to know that you’ve dusted yourself off and you’re back to riding again. No pun intended.”
Eli narrowed his gaze. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell his oldest brother to watch his mouth. When Galen or anyone referred to his sexual escapades, they seemed to be cheapening the times he made love with Stacey and in his book, there was nothing cheap and sleazy about it.
He leaned back in his chair and studied his brother and then tapped his fingers against his lips a few times. Before getting married, Galen’s sexual exploits were worse than any of them. In other words, of the six, Galen was considered the one who was really bad news. Once he’d almost gotten run out of Phoenix the same way Drew had gotten run out of Charlotte. In fact, for a portion of his sophomore year in high school, he had been in Charlotte. Drew had to send him to live with their cousins there for a while. That was after Tess Jones, the principal’s daughter, had been caught under the bleachers with Galen with her panties down. Mr. Jones hadn’t liked that one iota and had kicked Galen out of school for the rest of the year.
“I need to ask you something, Galen, and I need you to give me a straight answer. No bullshitting.”
Galen lifted a brow and then said. “Okay.”
Eli paused a moment and then leaned forward to ask, “Have you ever met a woman who you were so attracted to you couldn’t think straight? You dreamed about her at night and then had naughty fantasies of her in the mornings? And you foolishly believed your day couldn’t start, you couldn’t function, until you had a piece of her? And that she could make you feel better than anything you thought possible in the bedroom? And you can’t wait to see her again? To be with her again?”
Galen held his gaze and nodded slowly. “Yes, I used to be involved with such a woman.”
Eli rushed out a relieved breath. Good, maybe he wasn’t losing his mind after all. “What happened? What did you do?”
A huge smile touched Galen’s lips. “I married her.”
It was a beautiful day and Stacey had decided to get out and walk during her lunch hour. She loved downtown Phoenix with its museums, performing art centers and historical sights. The sidewalks were crowded with a lot of pe
ople going to and fro. She noticed other shop owners had begun decorating for Christmas and the more she saw, the more she was put in a festive mood.
Now if only she could put into perspective her involvement with Eli Steele. Just thinking about what happened between them that morning sent luscious chills through her body. She had never considered herself a passionate woman until now. Thanks to the workings of Eli Steele she had morphed into someone she didn’t know at times.
The old Stacey Carlson would never have gotten physically involved with a man without the promise of everlasting love. But now that she knew such a thing didn’t exist, she had no qualms about having a good time with the likes of Eli. He had opened her to a world she hadn’t known existed until now.
And all without any emotional entanglements.
She was being introduced to pleasures and passion beyond her wildest dreams, and could only blush when she recalled what happened in her office this morning. He hadn’t dropped in a little before noon as usual, and she was glad since she needed the reprieve to think things through.
In all honesty, she didn’t see anything wrong with what they were doing. Eli was being Eli, the womanizer, and like she’d told him, what he did with his extra time was his business as long as it didn’t affect his health and hers. She was a grown woman and didn’t mind being his flavor for the hour since he was definitely hers. They had been up-front and honest with each other from the start so neither was operating on any false illusions. It was about sex and nothing more. She could deal with that. She wanted to deal with it because she was enjoying him so much.
And she didn’t have a problem being secretive about their affair. For one, Cohen wouldn’t understand and would be totally against her involvement with him. Fortunate for her in that aspect, Cohen would only be in the city less than a week. After the party she would be giving him on Saturday night, he would be leaving for Florida.
She had mailed out the invitations and Eli was on the guest list. Around each other they had the tendency to draw heat. She hoped no one else noticed that heat or how intense it was. And if they did…oh, well.
Stacey glanced down at her watch. It was time to head back to her shop. She was about to turn around when a holiday display in the window of an exclusive jewelry store caught her attention. There among the holiday decorations was a small Christmas tree adorned with sparkling gold ornaments and sitting on a blue tree skirt. Sitting beneath the decorated tree was a red box that was opened to showcase a beautiful diamond ring. Both the decorations and the ring nearly took her breath away.
She moved closer and all but pressed her nose to the glass to get a closer look at the diamond. She wasn’t surprised to see it was a Zion creation. Jewelry by Zion was the rave since Zion was the First Lady’s personal jeweler. Stacey bet the ring cost a pretty penny and could just imagine the woman who would wake up on Christmas morning to find such a rock underneath her tree. That would definitely be one lucky lady. Stacey wished it was her and laughed as she stepped back to move on. That was one wish she knew would never come true.
Eli signed off on the last document as he glanced up at the clock on the wall in his office. It was time to end his workday and he knew just where he was headed. He would go home, shower and then pay a visit to Stacey.
He smiled when he thought of her and then frowned when he recalled his conversation with Galen. Eli would never forget that day when Galen had announced to his five brothers that he had fallen in love with a woman they hadn’t met. A woman he had known less than a week. For a die-hard womanizer to make such a claim had been unthinkable.
But unthinkable as it might have seemed, Eli had been the one who had convinced Galen to tell Brittany how he felt before she could leave town and be lost to him forever. And he would be the first to say that Galen and Brittany made a beautiful couple and he knew without a doubt they were very much in love.
He sighed deeply as he thought about what Galen had said earlier that day and tried to force the conversation to the back of his mind. The last thing Eli had wanted to hear from his brother was that his love for Brittany had started from pure lust. And it was lust that had eventually transformed into love. He was happy for his brother but knew the same thing wouldn’t happen to him. He was smart enough not to get lust and love confused.
He stood and walked across the room to grab his jacket when the buzzer on his desk sounded. He frowned wondering what his secretary wanted. He went back to his desk to find out. “Yes, Ms. Larson?”
“Mr. Farmer is here to see you, Mr. Steele.”
Eli raised a brow and a smile touched his lips. Evidently, Harry Farmer had finally come to his senses and realized he was the best man for the presidency and wanted Eli to know he was pulling his support from Nesbitt and was backing him instead.
Suddenly feeling good, downright ecstatic about the older man’s visit, Eli slid into his jacket and said, “By all means please send him in.”
A few moments later, Harry Farmer walked in with an air of arrogance that Eli had always admired. Harry had made his millions as a young man in the retail business and owned a slew of retail stores all over the United States, but the corporate office was in Phoenix. The man’s loyalty to the city could not be questioned, but what could be was his reluctance to accept change. Some of Farmer’s recent ideas for Phoenix’s growth did not embrace a city that could become even more of a mover and shaker than it already was. Farmer lacked the very thing Eli had. Vision.
No one had been happier than Eli last year when Farmer announced that he would not seek another term as president of the business council, ending a near twenty-year term. Farmer wanted to spend more time with his grandkids and Eli could appreciate that.
“Mr. Farmer, this is a pleasant surprise,” he said, smiling brightly when Ms. Larson escorted the man into his office.
“Eli, I know it’s late but I felt the two of us should talk.”
Eli nodded. “Good idea. Please have a seat.”
The man sat in the guest chair and Eli sat behind his desk. “I think I know the reason you’re here, Mr. Farmer.”
The man’s bushy brows lifted. “You do?”
“Yes, and I totally agree with your way of thinking.”
Surprise flirted across the man’s face. “You do?”
“Why, of course. I figured sooner or later you would reach the conclusion that I am the right man for the presidency. The only man.”
Harry Farmer stared at him for a minute and then shook his head. “Sorry, Eli. That’s not why I’m here.”
Now it was Eli who looked surprised. “It’s not?”
“No, and I regret you assumed that.”
Eli regretted it as well. As an attorney he should have known better than to assume anything. “Then I must ask the nature of your visit,” he said, trying to keep his tone void of the disappointment he felt. He’d jumped the gun. Evidently, Farmer had sought him out for legal advice and nothing more.
Harry Farmer leaned forward in his chair and pinned Eli with his direct stare. “I’m here to ask you to drop out of the race.”
Chapter 13
Eli kept his mouth from dropping open as he stared at the man. “You want me to drop out of the race for president of the Phoenix Business Council?” he said in a stunned tone.
“Yes.”
“But why?” Eli asked, also leaning forward in his chair.
“For the betterment of the council. Don’t get me wrong, Eli. I think you’d make a fine president and you’d have Phoenix’s best interest at heart. But I don’t see you as someone who is ready to lead the council since you’re not focused.”
Eli frowned. “I’m not focused?”
“No. Although you may argue one has nothing to do with the other, I disagree. It seems you spend most of your time and efforts pursuing women and I really don’t know how dedicated and effective you’d be in the role of president.”
Eli drew in a deep breath and fought back the temptation to tell Farmer to go to hell and tak
e his opinions with him. But he of all people knew the weight the man carried within the council. Just like he knew it would be a waste of time trying to convince Farmer just how wrong his opinions of him were. As far as Eli was concerned, when it came to multitasking he was at the top of his game. He could run the council and still pursue women even with his eyes closed.
His mind began spinning and he had to think quickly. The one position he’d always wanted within the community, the one that could eventually propel the political career he intended to have, was slowly slipping away from him. He refused to let that happen.
“Is your only reason for not backing me as president that you consider me a notorious playboy and not settled and focused?”
“Yes. Even with all my conservative views, I would admit your ideas for leading Phoenix forward are good, even better than Nesbitt’s. But, unfortunately, several of us can’t get beyond your dating history.”
Eli nodded. And unfortunately, because of the weight the man carried, Eli needed his support. Knowing he was about to tell a little white lie, one he hoped wouldn’t come back and bite him on the ass, Eli said smoothly, “I’m glad to hear you say that because other than my family, no one knows what I’m about to tell you and I hope you can keep a secret.”
The older man looked intrigued. “Of course I can keep a secret. What is it?”
Eli once again considered the benefits of the lie he was about to tell. It was hard to believe he was about to fix his lips to say such a thing, but he had to do something. Drastic times called for drastic measures and quick-witted planning. “Like I said, no one other than my family knows.”
He paused, tried to control the tumbling in the pit of his stomach when he then said, “I’m engaged to be married.”
The man looked shocked as he simply stared at Eli. Then Farmer narrowed his eyes in disbelief, sputtered and said, “Engaged? You? Impossible!”
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