She'd been devastated when he'd told her that instead of going to Cancun like they'd planned for a June vacation, he was getting married that very weekend.
Good Lord, she'd actually shown up at David's house and begged him to take her back. She'd stood on his doorstep and cried like a brokenhearted teenager. The next day, she'd overheard him laughing about it in the office with another coworker, who had quickly bandied that around the water cooler. That was yet another reason she was more than happy to be away from the FBI. At least while working for BAD, she wouldn't have to worry about running into David and that pompous smirk of his.
She would never again trust herself into the hands of a careless man so that he could toy with her. She intended to be her own person from now on, not some man's backup girlfriend.
"Don't play with me, Steele. The last time I slept with a guy I worked with, he wasn't serious about it. I found out the hard way that he had a fiancee back home that he'd forgotten to mention."
"You know in my case that that's not true. I assure you, I didn't leave a fiancee in prison. And I don't have anyone else in the world."
"Yeah, but I'm not doe-eyed enough to think for a minute that in less than twenty-four hours you have developed some lasting bond with me either."
Still, those dark brown eyes tempted her. "My grandfather proposed to my grandmother two hours after he met her on a bus. They married three weeks after that and were in love until the day he died, fifty-three years later."
She arched a brow. "Are you proposing to me?"
He gave her a hopeful look. "Will it get me laid?"
She screwed her face up at him. "You almost had me going there--almost."
She started past him. Steele took her arm gently and pulled her to a stop. "I'm only teasing, Syd."
"About what part?" She dipped her gaze down to where she could see how swollen he was.
"Obviously not about that. But you're the only woman I'm dying for a taste of."
She wasn't buying that either. "With the exception of Tee, who would shoot you if you even tried it, I'm the only woman you've seen in the last two years."
"Not true. I was out and about today, and all I could think of was you...you, and not Tee or that bombshell who got into the elevator when Carlos and I were leaving or the cute brunette who passed her number to me when I stopped in her shop to ask what time it was."
Surely he didn't think telling her about those other women was the way into her bed?
The man really had no finesse. "You are so not helping your cause."
He leaned his head back as if he were totally frustrated. "Fine. Get me back to Carlos's so that I can have a nice, long, cold shower."
Syd snatched up her purse and keys, but as she left her cube, she realized that Mark and Andre had heard every word of their exchange.
Her face flamed at the sight of them.
Mark stepped forward and handed Steele his card. "Give me a call tomorrow, and I can hook you up with some very talented women."
Syd glared at him. "What are you? A pimp?"
"No. I'm just trying to help the man out."
Andre laughed. "I don't know, brother, you keep that up and Syd looks like she's going to give you some of what she gave to Hunter last time she was in town."
Mark cringed as if in extreme pain just from the thought of it.
"What did she do?" Steele asked.
"Racked him so hard, she drove his balls up through his nostrils," Mark said. "Hunter still flinches and cups himself anytime she gets near him."
Steele scowled at her. "Why did you do that?"
"He pissed me off, and if we don't change this topic, I know a couple of other men who will learn to fear me and my killer knee." She passed a meaningful glare at both Mark and Andre.
Steele gave her a devilish grin. "I'll take the pain if you promise to kiss the boo-boo afterward."
She made a face at him. "You're disgusting!"
"No, he's desperate," Andre said in sympathy. "You women just don't understand. Dayam. Even I feel sorry for him, and I generally don't pity any man."
"I'm out of here." Syd headed for the door.
Andre laughed as Steele followed after her. "She's hasn't racked you yet," he called. "I'd take that as an encouraging sign from Syd Vicious."
"Thanks."
Ignoring them, Syd left the office and went to the elevators to press the button.
Steele came up behind her.
She turned to glare at him. "I could have done without that embarrassment. You know I really don't like being the office laughingstock."
"No one's laughing at you, Syd."
"Yes, they are." And she hated it. She hated him! She entered the elevator, then turned around to glare at him.
"So why did you rack the guy? Really?"
"He offended me."
"How?"
Before she could stop herself, the truth came pouring out. God, she really was tired and overworked. "He called me frigid and uptight, okay? Are you happy now? He was friends with the guy I used to date. The one who spent two years jerking me around. So the last thing I wanted to hear after all this time was that I was the one with a problem."
"What an asshole."
His indignation on her behalf startled her. "Excuse me?"
"I hope you knocked some sense into him. Any man who thinks you're frigid is an idiot."
She felt a little better at his words, even though if anyone should think her frigid, he was probably the one. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Feeling awkward again--which seemed to be her natural state around Steele--Syd didn't speak until they reached the parking garage.
She led the way to her car.
But as she unlocked the door, his words kept haunting her. And like a needy little puppy, she couldn't stop herself from asking, "Do you really think I'm not frigid?"
He paused to stare sincerely at her. "No woman who's frigid kisses the way you do. Trust me."
In spite of her common sense, she was thrilled with his response. She wasn't sure why, but she needed that reassurance. "Really?"
"Really."
She smiled. "Thanks, Steele."
He inclined his head to her before he got into the car. Syd joined him, and instantly felt a wave of desire coil through her. No man had ever stood up for her like this, and it felt good. Real good.
Don't, Syd.
She couldn't let herself get all fawning and stupid where he was concerned. This was a professional relationship. That was all it would ever be.
As she drove out of the lot, she couldn't stop herself from glancing over at him. The streetlights cut angles across the planes of his handsome face. Even so, she could see how tired he was.
But not even that detracted from the perfect masculine picture he made. If anyone was kissable, it was Steele. And deep inside she was a lot more attracted to him than she wanted to admit to anyone, even herself.
Like him, it had been way too long since she last had sex. But then, she'd never had much luck in that area. She didn't know why. Maybe she was too intense for most men.
Or maybe Hunter had been right, and she was frigid. Fear of it being true was what had caused her to attack him so ferociously.
Yet for a frigid woman, she found herself aching to reach across the seat and cup the part of Steele that was still swollen. She was actually amazed at how long he'd been that way and stunned by the fact that he was able to control himself so completely. It had to be excruciating for him, and yet he said nothing the few minutes it took her to drive over to Church Street.
She pulled up to the front of Carlos's building and stopped. She glanced back at the bulge that seemed to draw her gaze like a magnet.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have a one-night stand--maybe that would end the whole "frigid" debate and doubts.
"You know, Steele, I...um...I--"
"It's okay, Syd," he said quietly, as if he understood what she was attempting to spit out. "I don't real
ly want a pity fuck. I'm willing to wait."
Before she could respond, he leaned over, kissed her cheek, and was out of the car so fast that she barely had time to draw a breath.
Stunned by his actions, she watched as he made his way toward the dark building.
Her heart hammering, she strained for a glimpse of him, but he'd completely vanished into the darkness.
She still couldn't believe he'd left her when she'd been about to offer to take him home.
"You are a strange bird, Steele," she whispered before she locked her doors and took off.
Steele stood in the shadows he knew concealed him and watched as Syd left. You are such an idiot. She was right there, and you let her go. Have you lost your friggin' mind?
No, he'd meant what he said. He didn't want her in his bed because she felt sorry for him.
There was nothing worse than lackluster sex.
Well, okay, that was a lie. There were a lot of things worse. But he'd gone this long with nothing, what was a few more days...
Weeks...
Months...
Damn, he was a first-rate idiot. He should have taken her invitation. But then she'd probably hate him in the morning. Women could be so unpredictable that way. She already hated him enough. The last thing he needed was to give her even more reasons.
And even as that thought ended, he could envision what Syd would look like without those glasses. What she would look like with her hair free of that braid, draped over her shoulders as she straddled him...
Whimpering, he headed for the elevator. He froze as he reached for the button and caught the lingering scent of Sydney on his clothes. He closed his eyes and savored the sweet, feminine scent.
What he really wanted was that scent on his bare skin.
Grinding his teeth at the image of her naked and under him, he pressed the button and waited. He'd been dealing with this in prison. He could certainly deal with it out of prison.
But as he rode up the elevator, he was tormented by thoughts of Sydney. Thoughts of her breasts in his hands...of her legs wrapped around his waist.
Or better yet, his neck.
He hissed as his cock jerked. Yeah, this was what he needed--walking into another man's apartment with the hard-on from hell. There was truly no justice in the world.
He'd barely opened the door before he was grabbed and flung into the wall. Acting on impulse, he turned and attacked. Unable to see his opponent, he grabbed the gun that was aimed at him and twisted it out of the man's hand.
The man backhanded him and said something in Spanish. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth as he registered the voice.
"Carlos?"
The man went still. "Steele?"
"Yeah," he said sarcastically. "Who else would it be?"
Carlos turned on the lights.
Steele glared at him as he wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his hand. Carlos's hair was tousled from sleep. He had on a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a black T-shirt.
"Have you lost your friggin' mind?" Steele snarled.
"No, man, I'm sorry. I was sound asleep, and all I heard was someone coming in."
"With a key?"
"I know. I was on autopilot and asleep. I'm really sorry." He pointed to the gun in Steele's hand. "Can I have my weapon back?"
"Hell, no. You might shoot me."
Carlos gave an evil laugh. "I intended to. But you're quick, culebro. I'm impressed. I've never had a man disarm me before."
"There's always a first time, and you're lucky I didn't pistol-whip you with it," Steele said as Carlos wiped at the blood on his brow, where he'd caught him in the fight.
"True enough." He reached for the gun.
Steele hesitated. He unloaded the clip before he returned it to Carlos.
Carlos grimaced. "Now what good is this?"
"It's the best you're going to get for the time being. Jeez. What if I have to get up in the middle of the night and piss? I don't want you to shoot me while I'm doing my business, comprende?"
Carlos held his hands up in surrender before he returned the gun to Steele. "In case someone else comes in here other than you and I, I'd rather at least one of us be armed."
"That's not comforting."
"I know. But as I said, I have those who would love to find me asleep."
Okay...it was nice to know that someone wanting Carlos dead could break in here while he slept. What had Joe been thinking when he offered him this place to rest?
Without another word, Carlos headed to the bedroom in back.
Sighing, Steele returned the clip to the gun and set it on the coffee table. Well, one good thing had come out of it. He was no longer hard. The attack had effectively curbed his desire.
Grateful for that one small comfort, he went to the couch, where Carlos had left a blanket and pillow. He moved the coffee table aside, pulled out the bed, then turned out the lights and undressed. After he lay down and covered himself up with the blanket, he reached for the weapon.
It was a Glock 18, a full automatic pistol. Yep, Carlos had meant business with this. Grateful that his reaction time hadn't slowed during his prison stint, he slid it under his pillow and settled down to sleep. But no sooner had he closed his eyes than images of Sydney tormented him again.
And as he drifted off to sleep, he wondered what she'd look like in a black lace teddy....
"I hear you, Andre," Syd said into the mic of her cell phone as she navigated the light morning traffic from the Bat Tower to Church Street. Carlos had shown up an hour ago at the office without Steele in tow.
"I didn't know you wanted me to bring him in. No one told me that."
She adored Carlos, but there were times when the man didn't think things through. He'd warned her that he'd left Steele asleep on the pull-out couch. Since Carlos didn't have a land line, she had no way to even call Steele to see if he was ready to get started.
Andre was on the other end of the phone, headed for the stadium where the chopper would land so that they could all head out to D.C.
"I'm thinking he should be up and ready to go when I get there." At least, she hoped so.
"I don't know, Syd. I think the man likes to harass you. He might still be sleeping just to piss you off. Or maybe he is up and ready, and he ventured out to relieve his pain. For all you know, he's off in flagrante delicto with some hot babe he found on the street when he went for coffee."
For some unknown reason, that thought really pissed her off. "You're not funny, Andre."
"Oooh, someone's cranky this morning."
"Just have that damn helicopter ready to go when we get there."
"Yes, ma'am, Miz Scarlett. You got any more orders for me?"
She let out an exasperated breath at his words. "I didn't mean it that way, and you know it."
"I know. Gather our boy up, and I'll see you shortly."
"All right. I'll see you in a few." Syd hung up the phone as she stopped in front of the building and parked. She pulled her headset off and left it in the passenger seat before she got out and headed for the door. She clipped the cell phone to her purse as she made her way up the sidewalk.
The building was completely silent as she made her way to Carlos's apartment. As soon as she reached it, she knocked on the door.
No one answered.
Andre's words about Steele having found a willing woman haunted her. Angry that he might be right, Syd leaned closer to the door and listened carefully. She held her breath as she waited for the telltale sounds of sex. But there was no sound inside. Everything seemed completely quiet. More relieved than she wanted to admit, Syd knocked again.
Again there was no response.
Now her anger gave way to fear that something might be wrong. She pulled her weapon out and reached for the spare key Carlos had given her. She opened the door slowly and did a quick sweep of the perimeter, only to find Steele still sleeping on the couch.
Steele was curled on his side, facing the wall. His blan
ket was twisted around long, tanned limbs that were lightly dusted with dark hairs. But what held her attention was the sight of his bared back and chest.
Holy cripes, the man had a body that was made for sinning. Her mouth was literally watering for a taste of that.
Get a grip.
The problem was, the only thing she wanted to grip was some of that luscious bare skin.
Her heart hammering, she shook her head in disgust at her wayward thoughts. It figured he would still be asleep. Irritated at him for not being up, she put her weapon back in the holster and shut the door.
She crossed the room. "Steele?" she said, reaching out to shake him.
The instant her hand made contact with his skin, he opened his eyes and grabbed her, pulling her completely over him.
"Steele!" she shouted.
"Relax, Sydney," he purred in her ear. "I knew it was you the minute you opened the door and I smelled your Ralph Lauren perfume. I just wanted to have you close to me."
Steele leaned his head back. She felt him relax until she started to pull away. His arms tightened around her as he buried his face in her hair and inhaled.
"You smell like heaven," he said gruffly in her ear.
Syd swallowed as she felt his hard body underneath her hip. There was something strangely erotic about his embrace. She lay completely on top of him with her back to his front.
He lifted one hand up to brush the hair back from her cheek. She knew she should get up, but some part of her was enjoying this way too much.
It'd been too long since a man had held her.
He fingered her cheek a moment before he brushed his lips against her ear. Syd squirmed as unexpected pleasure rushed through her. She'd always been a sucker for anyone who played with her ears. She didn't know why, but that one thing made her instantly hot and needy.
Steele laughed playfully. "Like that, do you?"
She couldn't answer as her body turned molten.
He slid his arms around her to hold her in a gentle hug as he began to tease her ear with his tongue. Syd arched her back as chills swept over her. She could feel his erection pulsing against her as he slowly pressed himself closer to her.
His whiskers scraped against her neck as he moved his hands lower to gently rub against her thighs while he lifted up the hem of her skirt. She licked her lips as desire pounded painfully at the center of her body, begging for a much more intimate touch.
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