A Steele for Christmas. Brenda Jackson
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said, he quickly asked, “So, where’s your next stop?”
She glanced at her watch and then back at him. The glare was still in her eyes. “I think I’ll pay Mercury a visit.”
A slow smile touched Eli’s lips. He didn’t envy his brother one bit.
Chapter 3
S tacey glanced at her watch. It was seven o’clock already. How had time gotten away from her so fast? When she had reopened her shop after having lunch with Cohen, things had gotten busy, which helped keep her mind off the fact that her brother would be moving away to Florida.
Their father had gotten killed in a work-related accident a week before her tenth birthday and her mother never remarried. The insurance policy due to the accident had helped financially, although it hadn’t replaced James Carlson in their lives. She’d loved her father but his death had affected Cohen the most since the two had been so close.
Her mother had tried being both the father and mother they needed and both she and Cohen appreciated that. They had started getting their lives back together when two years later, their mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. Five years after that, she was gone. By then Cohen had left for college and she was sent to live with an aunt in Memphis. Aunt Maggie had forbidden Cohen from dropping out of college to help take care of Stacey. Instead, she’d convinced him to go on and become the doctor his parents always wanted him to be.
And he had.
Stacey sighed deeply thinking of her aunt Maggie who’d died two years ago. Stacey had tried staying in Memphis after her aunt’s death and had been content until Wallace had messed things up for her. When it seemed she would run into him and Gail just about everywhere she went, she’d known putting distance between her and Memphis was the best thing.
Refusing to think about her heartbreak in Memphis, she glanced down at the boxes that had been delivered a few hours ago. Excitement raced up her spine knowing her Christmas merchandise had arrived. She looked forward to putting the items up on display next week.
“You’re still open?”
Stacey swirled around and threw her hand to her chest. She thought she’d locked the door when she’d closed up at five. Evidently not since Eli Steele was standing in the middle of her shop and looking good enough to eat.
Keep those lusty thoughts out of your head, Stacey Carlson.
Only God and she had to know how she usually failed to do that whenever she saw him. Eli Steele wasn’t the friendliest of people and was nothing like Tyson, the first Steele she’d gotten to know since he was Cohen’s best friend. And all the other brothers seemed pretty friendly as well. Why did this one have to be so uptight and unfriendly?
“I closed a couple of hours ago. I just forgot to put out the sign and lock the door. Was there something you wanted?” she asked.
She suddenly began nibbling on her bottom lip wondering why on earth she’d asked that. But then why shouldn’t she when he was in her shop? She’d merely asked if he wanted to purchase something and was not inquiring about anything else. Then why did his eyes darken? It had to be a figment of her imagination. Of all the women in Phoenix, she would be the last one he’d want.
He proved her right when he said, “No, I just noticed the open sign still up when I know you’re usually closed by the time I leave each day.”
She knew exactly when he left each day since she would watch him pass by her shop. Usually he didn’t as much as glance her way. He’d look straight ahead with that masculine “turn-a-girl-on” strut of his. She’d overheard a conversation between Tyson and her brother once, and Tyson joked about how Eli spent a lot of time in his office eyeing the penthouse fitness center across the street. He’d pick out the woman who could kick her legs up the farthest and she would be the one he hit on for the week.
“I got kind of excited about the delivery that came a while ago. It’s my Christmas merchandise,” she said as a way of explanation.
When he didn’t say anything or acknowledge her in any way, she smiled and added, “I guess you’re thinking that it doesn’t take much to get me excited.”
If she wasn’t sure about the darkening of his gaze before, she was definitely certain about it now. She could kick herself. Why did she say such outrageous things around him? Words that could easily be taken out of context?
And then when she saw his lips quirk into a smile, she almost lost her balance. The man was actually smiling. Gracious. This was the first time she’d ever seen him do so and thought he should do it more often.
Then she quickly decided that no, he should not. A stern-faced Eli Steele was sexy enough. A smiling one was too hot to handle.
He surprised her even more when a low, husky rumble that she figured to be a chuckle eased from his lungs. She felt her stomach quivering when he said, “I’m sure there are other things that could get you a lot more excited, Stacey.”
His green eyes locked with hers and she could feel air get trapped in her lungs. That was the first time she’d heard him say her name and the word off his lips sounded almost sinful. Definitely erotic. How had he managed that?
“Do you need any help?”
She blinked. He’d said something else. Actually asked her a question. This was the most he’d ever said to her. “Need any help with what?” she asked, afraid he might tell her.
“The boxes.”
“The boxes?” For some reason she couldn’t follow him. She was too overcome with the nearness of him—and that wasn’t good. Especially when his gaze was zeroing in on her with such intensity. No man had affected her this way since Wallace. And if she was completely honest with herself, she would admit Wallace had never given her this degree of a sensual high.
His smile widened. “Yes, the boxes. Unless there’s something else I can assist you with?”
That question had been more than a subtle come-on. Was he flirting with her? No, he wouldn’t dare, especially knowing Cohen was her brother. She figured that was why those “Bad News” Steeles always handled her with kid gloves. They worked in the same building so she saw him more than any of the others. He would drop by, make a purchase and keep on moving right out the door without a backward glance. Now he was holding a conversation with her. He was smiling. And he was looking at her like he wanted to get with her. And this time she was sure she wasn’t imagining it.
“No, I don’t need help with anything,” she said.
He nodded slowly. “You sure?”
“Positive.”
He stood there and his gaze slowly ran down the length of her body. It was as if he had X-ray vision and could see what she was wearing beneath her slacks and blouse.
She lifted her brow and figured two could play his game. Returning his stare with the same boldness, she checked him out. Boy, did she check him out. Her gaze roamed up and down his hard, muscular frame, appreciating every part of him her eyes touched. He looked good. So good that blood was rushing fast and furious through her veins. The man had such a perfect physique. Definitely impressive. She wasn’t aware that many muscles made up a masculine body. And he was still fully clothed.
She knew she should pull back, accept the fact that the man was way out of her league. But for some reason she couldn’t do that. She’d never acted so outright naughty with a man before and she was playing with fire doing so with this one. But she refused to back down.
Dazedly, her mind registered that he was slowly walking toward her. Something warned her that she should back up, escape behind her counter, but she couldn’t move. Her feet seemed glued to the spot. Moments later he came to a stop in front of her. She tilted her head back. She’d known he was tall but she hadn’t realized how tall until he was there, right in front of her without the counter between them.
“Why were you looking at me