# Private Arrangements

Brenda Jackson

No man has ever tempted her like this…Nikki Cartwright can't believe Jonas Steele–the Jonas Steele–has chosen her for a high-profile marketing venture. It could make her career. But when she remembers the kiss they once shared, a kiss so intimate it sent their desire skyrocketing from simmering to blazing, Nikki knows she must guard her heart against the seductive Phoenix playboy as if her life depends on it.Jonas has no problem making their professional relationship personal. With the beautiful and talented photographer within his reach, he can erase her from his system once and for all. From a whirlwind Las Vegas affair to jet-setting across four continents, this Steele discovers getting Nikki out of his system is easier said than done, and now he wants her to belong to him heart and soul–as the woman of his most passionate fantasies.…

No man has ever tempted her like this...

Nikki Cartwright can’t believe Jonas Steele—the Jonas Steele—has chosen her for a high-profile marketing venture. It could make her career. But when she remembers the kiss they once shared, a kiss so intimate it sent their desire skyrocketing from simmering to blazing, Nikki knows she must guard her heart against the seductive Phoenix playboy as if her life depends on it.

Jonas has no problem making their professional relationship personal. With the beautiful and talented photographer within his reach, he can erase her from his system once and for all. From a whirlwind Las Vegas affair to jet-setting across four continents, this Steele discovers getting Nikki out of his system is easier said than done, and now he wants her to belong to him heart and soul—as the woman of his most passionate fantasies....

“Do you believe me now, Nikki?”

She glanced up and, like a magnet, her gaze automatically latched onto Jonas’s mouth. Seeing the shape of his damp lips made her lick her own when she remembered why his was wet. Yes, she believed him. After the way he had devoured her mouth, she had no choice but to do so. And the thought that he had enjoyed the kiss as much as she had, sent her into a head spin. He was fire and if she thought she could play with him without getting burned, then she was only fooling herself. And her mother hadn’t raised a fool. To keep her sanity, she needed to distance herself from him as soon as possible.

“You got the kiss, so now you can leave.” In reality, he’d gotten a lot more than that. He’d snatched her common sense right from her, which was why she needed to hurry him out the door.

“Okay, I’ll go, Nikki. But if you change your mind about coming on board for the Fulton project, let me know within the week.”

She stared at him. Did he honestly think she could work with him now? Whenever she saw him, she wouldn’t think of work; she would think of kisses.

BRENDA JACKSON

is a die “heart” romantic who married her childhood sweetheart and still proudly wears the “going steady” ring he gave her when she was fifteen. Because she’s always believed in the power of love, Brenda’s stories always have happy endings. In her real-life love story, Brenda and her husband of thirty-nine years live in Jacksonville, Florida, and have two sons.

A New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than eighty-five romance titles, Brenda is a retiree from a major insurance company and now divides her time between family, writing and traveling with Gerald. You may write to Brenda at P.O. Box 28267, Jacksonville, Florida 32226; by email at AuthorBrendaJackson@gmail.com or visit her website, www.brendajackson.net.

Private Arrangements

Brenda Jackson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dear Reader,

You have to love those “Bad News” Steeles!

When I introduced the Steeles with Chance’s story six years ago in Solid Soul, little did I know that I would be writing beyond Donovan’s story, Intimate Seduction. But the more I wrote about the Steeles, the more I knew I had to tell you about their cousins—those other Steeles who live in Phoenix. They are the ones known as the “Bad News Steeles.”

There are six brothers. So far you’ve been introduced to Galen and Eli and how they succumbed to love. Now in Private Arrangements, you’ll get to meet, up close and personal, another “Bad News Steele”—Jonas. Jonas is a man who thinks he has it all figured out. He loves being a notorious player and has no plans to change. But that love-them-and-leave-them attitude gets challenged when he finds that he can’t resist my heroine, Nikki Cartwright. I think you will enjoy seeing how far Jonas will go to keep from falling in love.

And there’s an added character you’ll want to meet if you haven’t done so already. His name is Quinton Hinton. Be sure to check out fellow author Adrianne Byrd’s Unforgettable and House of Kings series to get to know Quinton, and look for Quinton’s own story in 2012.

Thank you for making the Steeles a very special family, and I look forward to bringing you more books of endless love and red-hot passion.

Happy reading!

Brenda Jackson

To the man who is my first, my last, my everything, Gerald Jackson, Sr.

To my fellow author, Adrianne Byrd, the Queen of Plots. Thanks for letting me borrow Quinton Hinton and his Doll House for a spell.

You do not have because you do not ask.

—James 4:2

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Epilogue

Prologue

“So, Jonas, what do you think?” Nicole Cartwright asked as she handed the man standing in front of her desk another photograph she’d taken a few days before.

She watched as Jonas Steele studied the photograph and then his green eyes found hers. The smile that touched his lips made her heart pound like crazy in her chest. His company, Ideas of Steele, was on the upward move, getting a lot of attention, and she felt fortunate to be a freelance photographer working with him on this particular project.

“These are great, Nikki, and just the shots I wanted,” he said, handing the stack of photographs back to her. “I’m glad you agreed to help me out on such short notice. Three weeks wasn’t a lot of time,” he added.

“Thanks, and like I told you, I work better under pressure.”

He opened his mouth to say something, but at that moment his cell phone rang.

She inhaled deeply as he shifted his gaze from her to focus on his telephone call. She wondered why on earth she was drawn to him so much. She certainly wasn’t his type. Just last Sunday his face was plastered across the gossip pages; his name was linked to some former fashion model. And the week before, the papers had connected him to some senator’s daughter. It was obvious he much preferred the Barbie-doll type—sleek and sophisticated, without a strand of hair out of place.

She pushed an errant curl back from her face and thought that certainly wasn’t her. And there definitely wasn’t anything sleek and sophisticated about her. Jeesh. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d worn a dress.

She tried not to listen but couldn’t help overhearing his conversation. He was confirming a date for tonight. She tried to not let it bother her that the man she’d had a secret crush on for close to a year was making plans to spend his evening with someone else. Story of her life.

For the past twenty-seven years she had been living in a dreamworld and it was time for her to wake up and realize she’d been living a friggin’ fantasy. As much as she wanted to believe otherwise, she didn’t have a soul mate out there after all. There was no knight in shining armor who would come charging in and whisk her away to a place where the two of them would live happily ever after. It was time for her to accept that marriages like her parents’ and grandparents’ happened just once—maybe twice—in a lifetime. They weren’t the norm.

And, she thought as she glanced over at Jonas, a leopard couldn’t change his spots. So why had she fallen for a man who didn’t know the meaning of an exclusive affair with a woman? She looked down at her computer keyboard, trying to ignore the pain that sliced through her chest.

“Oh yeah, now where were we, Nikki?”

She glanced up, tempted to say, Nowhere. Instead she said, “I believe you needed me to print out more photos.”

“Yes, that’s right,” he said, smiling.

She wondered if his smile was for the photos or the phone call he’d just ended. Deciding it wasn’t any of her business, she stood and crossed the room to the printer. Her office was small but efficient. The one huge window had a beautiful view of Camelback Mountain.

At that moment he took another call and she figured it was probably another woman. But when he let out a loud whoop, she glanced over at him and saw the huge smile on his face.

When he hung up the phone, he was smiling from ear to ear. “That was my secretary. Gilbert Young’s assistant called. We got the Thompson account! They were impressed with those brochures we gave them last week and don’t need to see any more!”

She clapped her hands while grinning, not able to contain her own excitement. “That’s wonderful, Jonas.”

“Wonderful? That’s fantastic. Simply amazing. Do you know how many other marketing outfits wanted that account?” he asked, crossing the room to her.

Before she knew what he was about to do, he reached out and pulled her into his arms for a hug. “And I owe it all to you, Nikki.”

It was meant to be just a hug. She didn’t know what happened, but the next thing she knew Jonas Steele was lowering his head and slanting his mouth over hers in one hell of a kiss.

Chapter 1

Eighteen months later

Jonas Steele felt an argument coming on.

“I hear you, Mom, but I just don’t feel what you’re saying,” he spoke into his iPhone.

His lips tightened to a frown as he alighted from the shiny black BMW two-seater Roadster and glanced around while sliding his aviator-style sunglasses into the pocket of his jacket. Whoa! But I’d love to feel all over on those, he quickly thought when his gaze landed on the legs of a woman who was getting out of her car. And they were definitely a gorgeous pair. Long, smooth and shapely.

“You and I need to do lunch to discuss this further, Jonas.”

His attention was immediately pulled back to the conversation with his mother. He rolled his eyes heavenward. “I’d love to, Mom. Anytime. Any place. You are my number-one girl. But certain topics are off-limits.”

He glanced back to where he’d seen the pair of sexy legs just seconds earlier only to find the owner gone. Crap! Frustration seeped into his pores. He would have loved seeing the rest of her; certainly he would not have been disappointed.

His frown deepened when his mother said, “That’s utter nonsense, Jonas. You can’t restrict me from certain topics. I’m your mother.”

He shook his head as he made his way across the parking lot. He loved his mother to death, but lately, talking to the beautiful Eden Steele, former international fashion model and the woman who had captured his father’s heart close to forty years ago, was draining on his senses. “True. However, you leave me no choice. With Galen and Eli married off, now you want to give your remaining four single sons grief, but we won’t let you.”

“You won’t?”

“No. Although I can’t speak for the others, I can speak for myself, and like I’ve told you numerous times before, I intend to be a bachelor for life.”

Her soft chuckle flitted across the phone. “You sound so confident about that. Do I need to remind you that Galen and Eli used to tell me the same thing? And quite often, I might add. Now look what happened to them. Both got married in the last year.”

Jonas didn’t want to look. In fact, he didn’t want to spend a single moment analyzing what could have possibly made two intelligent, fun-loving, die-hard womanizers like his brothers Galen and Eli fall in love. Galen had gotten married ten months ago, and Eli had tied the knot on Christmas Day. Granted, Jonas would be the first to admit they had married gorgeous women, but still, look how many women they’d given up to be committed for the rest of their lives to just one. It made no sense. Bottom line, Galen and Eli were whipped and the sad thing about it was it didn’t seem to bother them.

And he was sure his mother had heard by now that another bachelor friend of theirs by the name of York Ellis, who lived in New York, was taking the plunge this weekend in time for Valentine’s Day. Again, Jonas was convinced that like Galen and Eli, York needed to have his head examined for giving up his bachelor status.

“You will be here for dinner Thursday night, right?”

Her words intruded on his thoughts. “Do I have a choice?”

“There are always choices, Jonas.”

Just like there are always consequences, he thought, remembering what had happened to his brother Mercury when he’d decided to skip one of their mother’s weekly Thursday-night dinners. Before Mercury could get out of bed the next morning, Eden Steele had arrived on his doorstep. She had informed her AWOL son that since he had missed such an important family function, she was duty-bound to spend the entire day with him. And then she had the nerve to invite the woman Mercury had spent the night with to tag along. Their mother had deliberately overlooked Mercury’s bed-them-but-never-wed-them policy when it came to women.

Since then, none of Eden’s sons had been brave enough to miss a Thursday night chow-down. The last thing any of them needed was an unexpected drop-in from Mommy Dearest.

“I’ll be there, Mom,” he said, deciding he needed to get her off the phone.

“I’ll hold you to that, and you’re welcome to bring a lady friend.”

He caught himself. He was about to tell her he didn’t have lady friends, just bed partners. “Thanks, but no thanks. As usual I’ll come alone.”

Then an idea popped into his head. “Since Galen and Brittany will mark their one-year anniversary in a couple of months, you might consider convincing them that you need a grandbaby or two. Heck, they might hit the jackpot and luck out with triplets like Cheyenne,” he said of his cousin living in Charlotte.

“Hmm, triplets. You might have something there,” his mother said thoughtfully.

He hoped so. Then maybe she could turn her attention away from him, Tyson, Mercury and Gannon. His brothers would owe him big-time if he could get her to do that. He smiled, deciding to go for the gusto and said, “You might not want to scare them with the multiple-births idea though. Just push for the single birth for now. Come to think of it, I’d love to have a little niece or nephew, and I know you and Dad would make the best grandparents any child could possibly have.”

He inwardly chuckled as he moved toward the revolving doors. He’d just laid it on rather thick and if word got back to Galen of the seed he’d planted inside their mother’s head, his oldest brother just might kill him. But then drastic times called for drastic measures.

“Personally, I would prefer a niece,” he added. “I can see her now, cute as a button dressed in lacey pink.” In all actuality, he couldn’t see a damn thing, but his mother didn’t have to know that.

“Yes, I can see her as well,” Eden replied in a voice filled with excitement. Apparently the idea was growing on her and fast.

Jonas breathed out a deep sigh of relief. “Good.”

“But I’m envisioning her dressed in lacey lavender instead of pink.”

Whatever. He glanced around hoping that he would run into the owner of the legs he’d spotted a while ago. Although he didn’t have a clue how the woman looked, with legs like hers she shouldn’t be hard to spot.

“Well, I’m at the hotel for my business meeting and—”

“Hotel? Business meeting? Really, Jonas, I think you can do better than that. I wasn’t born yesterday.”

He fought back a smile. It was pretty damn sad when your own mother didn’t trust your motives. “What I should have said is that I’m meeting someone for dinner at Timothy’s.” He was well aware that Timothy’s, the restaurant inside the five-star Royal Blue Hotel, was one of his parents’ favorite places in Phoenix.

“Oh. Nice choice. Are you still celebrating?”

He smiled. “Kind of.”

Had it been a week ago already since he’d gotten word that his company had been chosen to spearhead a marketing campaign of a lifetime? Over the years, his marketing group, Ideas of Steele, had made pretty decent profits, but with this new project there was no doubt in his mind that he was about to pull in the big bucks. Eighteen months ago the Thompson account had helped to get his company’s name out there, and now the Fulton account would blast it off the charts.

“Well, don’t celebrate too much tonight. I don’t want you to get sick. You know you can’t hold liquor well.”

He breathed out a deep sigh. “Thanks for reminding me. Now, I really have to go.”

“I’ll see you Thursday night.”

“Okay. Goodbye, Mom.” He clicked off the phone, both amused and curious, wondering which one of his brothers she would be calling to harass next.

He felt confident that whoever her next victim was, his single brothers would be able to keep Eden out of their business. Like him, when it came to the women they were involved with, they didn’t think any further ahead than the present.

He glanced around the luxurious, immense lobby of the Royal Blue Hotel, taking in the polished marble floors, high ceiling and rich mahogany crown moldings. He could remember the first time he’d come here as a boy of ten. It was to attend a fashion show raising money for charity, and his mother had been one of the models. On that day he’d realized Eden Steele might be just “Mom” at home, but to the rest of the world, she was Eden, a renowned international fashion model whose face graced the covers of such magazines as Vogue, Cosmo and Elle.

Jonas’s gaze shifted to the massive windows on one side of the lobby to take in the panoramic view of crimson-hued mountaintops. It had reached a high of seventy today, a beautiful day in February, which accounted for the picturesque sunset he was now seeing.

He checked his watch and saw that he was a good ten minutes early. He could use that extra time to get a drink at the bar, but he knew his mother was right. His system had very low tolerance for alcohol, and too much of the stuff made him sick. So to play it safe he kept within his limits and would usually end up being the designated driver.

Deciding against the drink, he slid his hands into his pockets and crossed the lobby to the restaurant. There was another reason he wished he could take that drink. Nikki Cartwright. The thought of meeting with her had him feeling tense. For any woman to have a Steele feeling that way was unheard of. But he knew the reason.

The kiss they had shared a year and a half ago.

He’d kissed plenty of women, but none had ever left any lingering effects like the one he’d shared with Nikki. And none had managed to haunt him like a drug even after all this time. It had been an innocent kiss, one neither of them had meant to happen, one that had caught her off guard as much as it had him.

He could clearly recall that day in her office. He had been so excited when he’d heard he’d gotten the Thompson account that he had pulled her into his arms to hug her, and the next thing he knew they were locking mouths. And it had been a kiss that had nearly knocked him off his feet. It had made him feel emotions he hadn’t known he was capable of feeling. And it had scared the shit out of him.

Jonas would be honest enough to admit he’d been attracted to her from the start and could vividly recall the day they’d met.

It had been raining all week and that particular day was the worst. She had burst into his office soaked to the skin with her blouse and jeans plastered to her in a way that should have been outlawed. He doubted he would ever forget how her jeans had hugged that tight and round bottom of hers.

He had rushed to get her a towel, but not before taking in everything about her, even the way her short curly hair had gotten plastered to her head. And he hadn’t missed how her nipples had shown through her wet blouse, or what a curvy body she had.

She had looked a total mess, but at the same time he thought she’d also looked simply gorgeous. He’d also fallen over backward when he’d gazed into her eyes. They were so dark they almost appeared navy blue. And her lips…with their seductive curve had tempted him to taste them on more than one occasion.

His attraction had been stronger than anything he’d ever encountered, and during the three weeks they had worked together it hadn’t diminished one iota. And the thought that any woman could have that kind of hold on him unsettled him immensely.

He hadn’t understood why the attraction was so intense. And at the time he definitely hadn’t wanted it and had done a good job of fighting it until that day. He doubted that she knew what he’d gone through those three weeks. Nikki Cartwright was a looker, no doubt about that. But then all the women he dated were. However, none had provoked the kind of strong reaction from him that she had with that kiss.

In all his thirty-three years, no woman had dared to invade his dreams or made him envision sexual positions he’d like trying out just with her. His taste in women often varied, but he usually was drawn to the slim and sleek. But it was just the opposite with Nikki. She had curves. The jeans she always wore showed off a perfectly proportioned body. A body that had been plastered against his while he’d drowned in the sweetness of her mouth.

The kiss had nearly knocked him to his knees, which was the reason, when he’d finally released her mouth, he had quickly left her office and intentionally put distance between them for eighteen months.

Then why was he now seeking out the very woman he had tried staying away from? The one whose single kiss had him longing for more.

Shivers ran down his spine, and for an instant, he thought about turning around and canceling the meeting. But there was no way he could do that. For this new marketing campaign he needed the best photographer in the business and as far as he was concerned, Nikki was it.

He would just have to steel his senses and hold his own against her. He had hoped with the passing of time his desire for her would lessen, but he found that wasn’t the case. When he’d seen her on Christmas day at his brother’s wedding, he had been drawn to her even more, which was why he’d left the reception early.

When Jonas reached the top step that led to the restaurant, he could feel lust beginning to stir his insides and anticipation invading his senses. It was happening again and it seemed he couldn’t do anything about it. No woman was supposed to have this sort of effect on him. Not Jonas Steele. The master of one-night stands. The man who had a revolving door in his bedroom and who was enjoying the single life and didn’t mind the reputation he and his brothers had acquired over the years.

He loved the opposite sex—all shapes, sizes and styles. Race, creed or color didn’t mean a damn thing to him, nor did religious affiliation.

He was the fourth-oldest of Drew Steele’s sons. Drew had been run out of Charlotte while in his twenties when his reputation as a womanizer had gotten the best of him. Fathers were threatening him with shotguns, and mothers were keeping their daughters locked behind closed doors. Jonas had heard the stories from family members many times over.

Luckily, Drew had finally met the woman he’d wanted, fallen in love, gotten married and had kept his wife pregnant for seven straight years, which accounted for he and his brothers being born within a year of one another.

Jonas didn’t know of a better-suited couple than his parents. Or a more loving one. But then, happily married or not, unfortunately, his father had passed his testosterone-driven genes on to his six sons.

He quickened his steps, thinking testosterone be damned, he was determined to stay in control. He was the womanizer the society tabloids pegged him to be and was making no apologies. He had a reputation and was proud of it and felt he was living a good life. And to top things off, last week he had been awarded the marketing deal of a lifetime and he didn’t intend to screw things up.

When he entered the restaurant he glanced around and saw Nikki sitting at a table across the room. She smiled when she saw him and he felt his stomach do a somersault. And as if on cue, his pulse began hammering away and air felt as if it were slowly being sucked out of his lungs. Holy hell.

He drew in a deep breath and tried purging the deep, unwanted attraction for her out of his system. He moved across the room toward her, thinking that no matter what, he was in full control. And this time he would make sure things stayed that way.

Nikki Cartwright watched the man approaching her table with a stroll that was so sexy it bordered on sinful. She tightened her grip on the glass of water while trying to downplay the sensations rolling around in her belly.

Her instinctive response to Jonas Steele was something she should have gotten out of her system by now. There was no reason why a warm rush of desire was invading her insides, almost making it difficult for her to breathe.

Then she quickly decided that yes, there was a reason. Walking toward her had to be one of the most gorgeous men she’d ever seen. Tall, powerfully built, with dark wavy hair flowing around his shoulders, he was pure masculine sex on two legs.

A quick glance around the room indicated she wasn’t the only female who thought so. There was nothing quite like a group of women taking the time to appreciate a good-looking man, and Jonas was definitely a looker. Eye candy of the most scrumptious kind.

She’d known working with him on that brochure wouldn’t be easy. After all, he and his brothers were the hottest bachelors in Phoenix. They weren’t known as the “Bad News” Steeles for nothing, and their reputations for being die-hard players were legendary. There was a joke around town that a woman hadn’t been bedded unless she’d been bedded by a Steele. From what Nikki had heard, their skills in the bedroom were off the charts.

The air seemed to shiver the closer he got with a stride that emitted the masculine power that all Steele men seemed to possess. Like his brothers, he had inherited his mother’s green eyes. Smokey Robinson eyes, she called them, as they were the same color of those of the legendary R & B soul singer. And then there were the rest of his prominent features—medium brown skin, strong chiseled jaw and one luscious looking pair of lips.

She’d heard that of all the Steele brothers, Jonas was the one everyone considered a rebel. He wore his hair longer than the others and owned a Harley. She understood he had several colorful tattoos on certain parts of his body. She definitely knew about the ones on both shoulders since she’d seen him a couple of times wearing muscle shirts.

Nikki wished she could look right past all six feet three inches of him, see beyond the well-toned muscles beneath the designer business suit that symbolized the growing success of his marketing company.

And more than anything, she wished she could look at his lips and not remember the kiss they’d shared that day.

Had it been a year and half ago when they had last worked together? When she’d constantly fought to control her attraction to him? An attraction that definitely had been one-sided.

Still, he had kissed her that day—she hadn’t imagined it. They’d both been caught off guard; however, when he should have ended it, he’d kept right on kissing her, even deepening the kiss. And of course, she’d let him. When he’d finally come to his senses and let her go, he had mumbled something about being late for an appointment and had hightailed it out the door without once looking back.

The memory of that day sent a warm rush of sensations flowing through her, and she sighed. The man was not husband material. He didn’t even believe in having a steady girl. She’d heard about his one-and-done policy. It had come as a surprise, a real shocker, when two of those “Bad News” Steeles had fallen in love and gotten married. In fact, Jonas’s older brother Galen had married her best friend Brittany.

That left four brothers still single and swearing up and down Bell Road that they’d never fall in love. And she had no reason not to believe them. And as if to make that point solid, she’d heard the four had stepped up their game and were chasing skirts more so than ever these days, especially Jonas.

To break eye contact she glanced around the room again and saw every single female eye was still on him. And then, as if of its own accord, her gaze returned to slide over him. She appreciated what she was seeing. Oh, mercy.

With the eye of a photographer, she thought Jonas’s features were picture perfect. She tried not to be one of those women who judged a man on looks, but his looks were so sharp, so compelling, so pinch-a-sister-in-the-butt gorgeous, it took everything she had not to start drooling.

“Hello, Nikki. Thanks for agreeing to meet with me.”

She jumped at the deep baritone of his voice, which sounded like Barry White reincarnated. She had been so deep into her “Jonas” thoughts that she hadn’t been aware he’d gotten close.

“Sorry if I scared you just now,” he said.

“You didn’t,” she replied simply, forcing a smile to her lips. “I’d gotten lost in a few thoughts, that’s all.”

“I see.”

Pulling herself together, Nikki watched as his body slid easily in the chair across from her. Sensations stirred in her tummy again. Unknowingly, he was playing havoc with her senses. Deciding there was no reason for her senses to suffer any more abuse, she spoke up. “When you called you said that you wanted to discuss something with me. A business proposition.” Like there could be any other reason for him calling and asking to meet with her. In a way she was surprised that he wanted to use her services again, considering how they’d parted eighteen months ago.

Nikki crossed her legs, hoping the action would tamp down the tingling vibrations she felt between them. The man emitted testosterone that was attacking her big-time.

“We’ll talk business later,” he said, smiling.

Later? She lifted her brow, a little surprised by his comment. If they didn’t talk business then what else were they supposed to talk about? Surely, he didn’t intend to bring up that kiss.

“We haven’t worked together in months. How have you been?” he asked her.

She stared at him. Evidently he had forgotten they had just seen each other at his brother’s wedding on Christmas day. If he’d really wanted to catch up on her life he could have inquired about her well-being then. Instead he’d been too busy checking out the single ladies, friends of the bride from Memphis. He had done the courteous thing and spoken to her, but that was about all. It was as if he’d been careful to avoid any lengthy contact with her.

“I’ve been doing well.”

He nodded. “That’s good. I saw Eli and Stacey’s wedding photos. As usual you did a great job.”

“Thank you.”

He was about to say something, but paused when the waiter approached with menus. Seriously, why all the small talk? she wondered. Why did he feel the need to lay on that lethal Steele charm in such a high dosage? Sharing a table with him had her nerves on edge. There was that usual degree of desire she always felt whenever she was near him, making a rush of heat flow through her body. She shifted in her chair.

“And what about you, Jonas? What are you up to these days?” she asked, like she didn’t know. Like she didn’t read those society tabloids.

“I’ve been staying busy. Just got back from a business trip to South Africa a few weeks ago. Enjoyed the trip.”

“That’s good,” she said, deciding to study the menu that had been handed to her. He did the same, and she couldn’t help taking a peek over the top of hers to do a close-up study of him.

Why was he smiling so much?

As if he read the inquiry in her gaze, he looked up and said, “Last week I received a very important call from Wesley Fulton.”

She nodded, very much aware of who Wesley Fulton was. Who wasn’t? The man was a self-made billionaire who was building a global financial empire.

“And I have reason to celebrate.”

His words cut through her thoughts. She could hear the excitement in his voice. “Do you?”

“Yes. You might have read in the papers that Fulton Enterprises expanded into the airline industry by introducing what they’re calling a luxury airship.”

She nodded. “Yes, I did hear something about that.”

There was no way she couldn’t have since it had dominated the media lately. Fulton had hired the best technological minds and engineers to build what everyone was saying was the largest airliner in the world. In fact she’d heard it was so large it made the Airbus A380 look small in comparison. She had seen photographs and it appeared to be an airplane and zeppelin rolled into one, with such amenities as individual sleeping quarters, a nightclub, a movie theater, a casino and a restaurant.

“Ideas of Steele was selected to head up marketing for this venture.”

Now Nikki understood why he was in such a cheerful mood. That was certainly good news for his firm. To be selected by Fulton was a feather in any business owner’s cap. “That’s wonderful, Jonas. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” He features turned serious when he met her gaze. “And the reason I wanted to meet with you, Nikki, is because I’ll need a good photographer and I want you as part of my team.”

Her chest tightened. To know he wanted to include her as part of his high-profile marketing project was almost overwhelming. Especially considering how their relationship had somehow crossed the line the last time they’d worked together. Being a part of something as significant as the project he was talking about could make her career. And it definitely needed a boost right now, especially financially. The economy had taken a toll on just about everybody and freelance photography assignments weren’t coming in as steadily as before. Lately she’d had to resort to doing weddings, anniversary parties and private photo shoots.

“I don’t know what to say, Jonas.”

He chuckled. “Say you’ll hear me out over dinner while I tell you about the project. Hopefully, I’ll be able to convince you to come on board.”

She drew in a deep breath. “Of course I want to hear about it,” she said. But then a voice out of nowhere whispered, Go ahead and hear him out, but you might also want to consider turning him down. Think about it. Will you be able to endure being around him constantly? How will you handle that intense and mind-boggling attraction that eradicated your common sense the last time? Do you honestly want to go through that sort of torture again?

Nikki inwardly sighed, thinking that no, she really didn’t. But she would be crazy to turn down his offer. She had bills to pay, a roof to keep over her head and a body that needed to be fed on occasion. But then, it was that body she wasn’t sure about when certain parts of it were so attuned to him. He could charm the panties off a woman without blinking, and that’s what bothered her more than anything. When it came to Jonas Steele she needed to keep her panties on. She had a weakness for him and it was quite obvious the kiss they’d shared that day in her office had meant more to her than it had to him.

His voice broke into her thoughts. “I hope my timing isn’t bad and you’re not involved in a project that I can’t pull you away from.”

She thought about the job offer she had received a few days ago. It was election year, and one of the candidates wanted her as part of his team. Following around a politician as his personal photographer for six months was something she’d prefer not doing. But she didn’t want to hang around Jonas and constantly drool, either.

She drew in a deep breath and said, “I do have a job offer that came in a few days ago, but I haven’t accepted it yet.”

“Oh, with whom?”

“Senator Waylon Joseph’s election campaign.”

He stared at her. “Whatever amount they’ve offered you as a salary, I’ll double it.”

She blinked, not believing what he’d just said. “You will?”

“Yes. My business has been doing well, but what Fulton is offering is a chance of a lifetime. It’ll take us to a whole other level and I want the best people on board to work with. And I consider you as one of the best. Your photography speaks for itself.”

She was definitely flattered. The Joseph campaign had offered her a decent salary and to think Jonas was willing to double it had thrown her in shock. She forced herself to regroup. She needed to weigh her options and think things through with a level head.

“I’ll cover the strategy plan I’ve come up with over dinner. I think you’ll like it.”

There was no doubt in her mind that she would like it. When it came to marketing strategies, Jonas was brilliant. His company was successful because he was picky about those he did business with. In the world of marketing, a stellar reputation was everything. And unlike some CEOs, who liked to delegate duties and play golf whenever they could, Jonas was very much hands-on.

She knew what coming on board as his photographer meant in the early stages of any project. They would work closely together again, just like that time before—sometimes way into the wee hours of the nights and on weekends. He would come in Monday through Friday dressed in his designer business suits, and then on the weekends, he would wear his T-shirts and jeans and ride around on his Harley. It was as if he were two different men, yet both were sexy as sin.

She would drool during the day and have salacious dreams of him at night. It had gotten harder and harder not to react to him when he was around. Hard to keep her nipples from pressing against her blouse and to keep her panties from getting wet each and every time he opened his mouth to release that deep, sexy baritone voice of his.

He kept looking at her now and she knew he was waiting for her response, so she said, “All right, Jonas, I’m curious to hear your plan.”

He smiled, winked and went back to studying his menu. Nikki drew in a deep breath as she turned her attention to her own. But she couldn’t ignore the play of emotions that spread through her. As usual, he was having that sort of effect on her and there was nothing she could do about it but sit there and suffer through it.

She wished there was a way after hearing him out that she could just thank him for considering her for the project and then graciously turn him down. But whether she wanted to admit it or not, she wanted the job.

She needed the job.

But what she needed even more was the use of her common sense when it came to Jonas. And she wasn’t sure that was possible.

Chapter 2

Being around Nikki was doing a number on him, Jonas thought, taking another sip of his wine. Wasn’t it just a short while ago he’d given himself a pep talk, confident that he would be the one in control during this meeting? But that was before he’d had to sit across from her for the past half hour or so. More than once he had to bite down on his tongue to keep from telling her how good she looked or how sweet she smelled. And her hair, that riotous mass of curls that she tossed about, made her features even more attractive.

Crap. When would this intense attraction for her end? And why was he feeling as if he was about to come out of his skin? And to make matters worse, he had a hard-on that was about to burst his zipper. Why was the thought of doing intimate things to Nikki so much in the forefront of his mind? Why hadn’t time away from her eradicated her from his thoughts? And why did he remember that kiss as if it were just yesterday?

He shifted in his seat again, feeling edgy. Horny. Lusty. Those were physical states he usually never found himself in. Never had a reason to. As a rule, he got laid whenever he wanted, which was usually all the time. But at the moment, he felt sexually deprived. Overheated.

Where was a Tootsie Pop when he needed one? Sucking on one of those usually took his mind off his problems. Eight years ago when he’d quit smoking, his brothers had given him a huge bag of the lollipops as a joke. They had told him to lick one every time he got the urge to smoke, and pretend he was licking a woman’s breast instead. It worked.

Now if he wouldn’t feel so friggin’ hot…

If there was any way he could remove his shirt and just sit there bare-chested, he would. His attraction to Nikki was overpowering his senses and he didn’t like it at all. No woman was supposed to have this sort of effect on him. But he knew no way to stop it. He took another drink and felt a bit queasy. Why was he drinking the stuff? He knew why, and the main reason was sitting across from him.

He glanced at Nikki again. She wasn’t what he would consider drop-dead gorgeous, but her beauty seemed to emit some sort of hypnotic appeal. Her eyes were dark, her nose the perfect size and shape for her face, and her lips were sensually full…and tasty, he remembered. Combined, the features on her medium-brown face were arresting, striking and expressive. For him a total turn-on.

He just didn’t know what there was about her that tempted him to clear the table and spread her out on it and take her for the entrée as well as for dessert. Then he would proceed to lick and lap a body he had yet to see or touch underneath those jeans and shirt she normally wore. But he had a feeling she was hiding a body that was ultra sexy. Her curves hinted as much. What color bra was she wearing? What color panties? Bikini cut, hip huggers or thong? He had a thing for sexy underwear on a woman.

He shifted in his chair, thinking he needed a Tootsie Pop and bad.

He put down his wineglass to cut into his steak. But each and every time he would glance up and stare at her lips, he would remember that kiss. And the memories were filling his head with more foolish thoughts…as well as questions he didn’t have any answers to.

One question that stood out in the forefront was that if he’d been so attracted to her when they’d first met, why hadn’t he hit on her long before that kiss? It wouldn’t have been the first time he’d broken his strictly business rule by making a professional relationship personal. Hell, he was one who believed in taking advantage of any opportunity, business or personal. Then why hadn’t he placed her on his “to-do” list long before their kiss that day?

He knew the answer without thinking hard about it. From the first, there had been something about his desire for Nikki Cartwright that wasn’t normal. He’d sensed it. Felt it. And it had scared him. He had never reacted so viscerally to a woman before. She had a seductive air about her that had come across as effortless as breathing, and he was sure it was something she wasn’t even aware she possessed.

Thoughts of her had begun taking up too much of his time, and he couldn’t shake them off like he did with other women. It was as if they occupied the deep recesses of his mind and intended to stay forever. And Jonas Steele didn’t do forever with any woman.

And there was also the fact that around her his active imagination was worse than ever. Some were so downright erotic they had startled even him. That much desire made him feel vulnerable, and it was a vulnerability he could and would not tolerate.

Things had gotten worse after the kiss. He had started comparing every single kiss after that with hers, and so far none could compare. And then at night, he would wake up in a sweat, alone in his bed, after dreaming of making love to her in positions that were probably outlawed in the United States and their territories.

At one time he’d thought the best thing to do was just to work her out of his system by sleeping with her. He figured that one good night of sex ought to do the trick. But then there was this inner fear that an all-nighter might not do anything but make him want some more. Then he would start begging.

And the thought of a Steele begging was unheard of. Totally out of the question. A damn mortal sin. Definitely something that wouldn’t be happening anytime soon. Never.

Then why was he freaking out about a kiss that happened eighteen months ago?

He figured one of the main reasons was that he had tasted something in that kiss he’d never tasted before—the type of passion that could ultimately be his downfall, his final hold on the world that he wanted for himself. The only world he could live in. A world filled with women, women and more women. He refused to let his body’s reaction to one particular woman end what he considered the good life.

He needed a Tootsie Pop.

“So what’s your marketing strategy for this project, Jonas?”

Her voice was low and seductive. He knew it wasn’t intentional. That’s the way it was. He glanced over at her. Was she wearing makeup? He couldn’t tell. She had what most women would call natural beauty. And this wasn’t the first time he’d noticed just how long her eyelashes were. Most women wore the fake ones to get that length, but he knew hers were the real deal.

His fingers tightened around the glass, and he took another sip before saying, “Fulton wants me to capitalize on the fact there hasn’t been an airship of this kind since the Hindenburg…while at the same time minimizing the similarities.” He breathed in her scent again, liking it even more, and getting more and more aroused by it.

Nikki nodded. She understood the reason Mr. Fulton would want that. It had been decades since the luxury airship exploded while attempting to dock. Of the ninety-seven passengers and crew on board, thirty-five people had lost their lives. If Fulton had built a similar airship, the last thing he would want people to remember was the fate of the original one.

“That tragedy was seventy-five years ago,” she said. “I’m surprised no one has attempted to build another luxury airship of that kind before now.”

“People have long memories,” he said, pushing his plate aside and leaning back in his chair since he’d finished his meal. “Fortunately, the ones who do remember are no longer around to tell the story of that fateful day in May 1937.”

He paused a moment and then added, “I remember reading about it in school. I had a history teacher who ranked the Hindenburg explosion right up there with the sinking of the Titanic.”

Nikki could believe that. Both had been major catastrophes. She had studied the Hindenburg in school as well, and was well aware that the disaster had effectively destroyed the public’s confidence in any type of giant, passenger-carrying air transportation of its kind, abruptly ending the era of the airship. But at the time they didn’t have the technological advances of today. She’d heard the airship that Fulton had built was in a class all by itself, definitely a breakthrough in the world of air travel.

“My ultimate plan is to rebuild people’s confidence in this type of air travel.” Jonas interrupted her thoughts. “After the Titanic, people were leery of cruise ships, but now they don’t give a thought to what happened with the Titanic years ago. I want the same mind-set in getting the public back interested in luxury air travel. Especially on the airship Velocity.”

She arched her brows. “Velocity?”

“Yes, that’s the name of Fulton’s airship, and when you think of the meaning I believe it will fit.”

He leaned back in his chair. “Velocity is being billed as the wave of the future in air travel, and is capable of moving at four times the speed of sound and uses biofuel made from seaweed with minimum emissions.”

“Seaweed?”

He chuckled. “Yes. Amazing, isn’t it? Fulton will bring a hypersonic zeppelin-design aircraft into the present age. It guarantees a smooth flight and will trim the time getting from one place to another by fifty percent. Ideas of Steele’s job is to tie everything together and present a package the public would want to buy into. When the Velocity is ready for its first series of air voyages in April, we want a sold-out airship. Fulton’s designers have created a beauty that will be unveiled at a red-carpeted launch party in a few weeks.”

Jonas paused a moment when the waiter returned to clear their table and give them a dessert menu. Jonas looked over at her and said, “Fulton is well aware the only people who will be passengers on his supersonic airship are the well-to-do, since a ticket won’t be cheap. My job is to pique everyone’s interest, restore their confidence in the safety of hypersonic travel and make sure those who can afford a ticket buy one. I will emphasize all the Velocity has to offer as a fun and exciting party airship.”

He paused a moment, then continued, “I’ll need photographs for the brochures, website, all the social networks I’ll be using, as well as the mass media. The launch party will be held in Las Vegas. Then the next day the Velocity will take a trial flight, leaving Los Angeles, traveling to China, Australia, Dubai and Paris on a fourteen-day excursion. That’s four continents. Fulton has invited certain members of the media, and a few celebrities. You will need to be on board for that too, to take as many marketing photos as you can.”

Jonas met her gaze. “As my photographer I’d like you to attend all events as well as travel with me. We’ll want to highlight the airship to its full advantage, to give it the best exposure.”

Nikki breathed in deeply in an attempt to downplay the racing of her heart at the thought of all the time they would spend together. Here he was, sitting across from her, all business. She drew in a deep breath. Evidently he had put the kiss they’d shared out of his mind and was not still dwelling on it like she was. Had she really thought he would?

Get real, girl. Do you honestly think that kiss had any sort of lasting effect on him like it had on you? You’re talking about a man who’s kissed countless women. In his book, one is probably just as good as another. No big deal. So why are you letting it be a big deal for you? If he can feel total indifference then why can’t you?

She knew the answer to that without much thought. As much as she boasted about no longer believing in fairy tales of love and forever-after, and as much as she told herself that she could play with the big boys, she knew she could not compete with the likes of Jonas Steele. Nor did she want to.

She had deep apprehensions when it came to him and they were apprehensions she couldn’t shake off. What if her attraction to him intensified? What if it moved to another level, one that could cause her heartbreak in the end? Could she handle being a Jonas Steele castoff?

“Um, this dessert menu looks delicious. What would you like?” he asked.

What would I like? Having him wasn’t such a bad idea. Deep, dark chocolate. The kind of delectable sweetness that you could wrap around your tongue, feast on for hours and still hunger for more. She wondered about those tattoos she’d heard he had. Where were they? How did they look? How would they taste under her tongue?

Suddenly she felt breathless and her heart was thumping like crazy in her chest. She should feel outright ashamed at the path her thoughts were taking. She needed to get a grip.

She took another sip of wine thinking any time spent around Jonas would drive her over the edge. Already she was imagining things she shouldn’t. Like how his lower lip would taste being sucked into her mouth. She shifted in her seat and forced the thoughts away. And he thought they could work closely together again. Boy, he was wrong.

At that moment, considering everything, she knew what her answer regarding his job offer would be. She would be giving up a golden opportunity, one any photographer would love to have. But she had to think about her sanity.

“Nikki?”

She met his gaze. “Yes?”

“Dessert?”

It was hard to keep her mind on anything but Jonas, and that wasn’t good. “Yes, the apple pie sounds delicious, but the slice is huge. That’s more than I can eat.”

He closed his menu. “No problem. We can share it.”

She swallowed deeply. He wanted to share a slice of pie with her? To him that might be no big deal, but to her that was the beginning of trouble. It was so sad that he didn’t see anything wrong with it.

“Nikki?”

If she kept skipping out on their conversations he would begin questioning her attention span. “Okay, we can share it,” she said and regretted the words the moment they left her lips. Sharing a slice of pie seemed too personal, and this was a business meeting. Wasn’t doing something like that considered unprofessional? Evidently he didn’t think so.

The waiter returned to take their dessert order. After he left, Jonas said, “I need to be up front with you. If you do take the job it will require long workdays, but I don’t see it as being as exhausting as the last project we worked on together.”

In a way Nikki wished that it would be. Then she would be too tired to do anything but collapse in bed each night. Too tired to replay over in her mind every nuance of feelings she’d encountered around him. And too tired to remember that one darn kiss that he’d already forgotten.

Jonas made it through dinner—barely. His gut had tightened each and every time he’d glanced up to see her mouth work while chewing her food. He imagined that same mouth working on him.

And sharing that slice of apple pie with her hadn’t helped matters. They’d had their own utensils, but more than once he had been tempted to feed her from his fork, hoping that she licked it so he could cop her taste again.

He’d meant what he said about doubling whatever salary Joseph’s campaign was offering her. One thing she didn’t know was that Jonas had kept up with her over the past few months. He knew no big accounts had been knocking on her door.

Like he’d told her more than once, she was the best and could handle a camera like nobody’s business. And from the way she was acting she probably didn’t even remember that kiss. She hadn’t even brought it up. In fact she was acting like it had never happened. He didn’t know whether he should be relieved or insulted. He wasn’t conceited, but to think one of his kisses hadn’t left a lasting effect on any woman was pretty damn annoying.

His thoughts drifted to what he’d told her about the job and the time they would spend together. She’d nodded and asked a few questions. Otherwise, she’d mainly listened while he had explained the marketing strategy to her. It was something he knew she could handle.

He only hoped and prayed he could handle it as well. That he would be able to keep his libido in check and his hands to himself. He had a voracious sexual appetite, and considering the fact he was already strongly attracted to Nikki, that meant he had to do whatever was necessary to stay in control at all times.

Control suddenly took a backseat when he looked at her chest. He really liked the shape of her breasts, which were pressing against her blouse. The tips of her nipples seemed like little hardened buds, as if she was aroused. That couldn’t be the case when she was sitting over there eating the last of her pie and not paying him any attention.

His stomach tightened when she finished it off by licking the fork. He again imagined all the things he’d like her to do with that tongue. And since he already knew how it tasted, he could feel sensations stirring in his gut.

Knowing he had to stop thinking such racy thoughts, he cleared his throat. “So, now that you know what the project will entail, do you have an answer for me now or do you need to sleep on it?” And how about sleeping with me in the process? He had to tighten his lips to keep from adding such a suggestion.

Before she could respond, the waiter came again to remove the last of their dishes and to leave him with the check.

It was then that she said, “Thanks for your consideration of me for the job, and I appreciate the offer. But I won’t be able to take it, Jonas.”

He blinked. Had he heard her right? Had she just turned him down? Shocked, he fought to keep the frown off his face. No woman had ever turned him down for anything. Business or pleasure.

There was a long pause and he knew she was waiting for him to say something, so he did. “Uh, all right. Would you like to order another cup of coffee?”

Hell, what else was he going to say? Tell her that it wasn’t all right?

“No, I’ll pass on the coffee. One cup was plenty for me. And thanks for being understanding about me not taking the job,” she said.

Was he being understanding? He doubted it but decided to let her think whatever she wanted. Shouldn’t he at least ask her why she had refused his offer? He quickly figured it wouldn’t matter. There was nothing left for him to do but to move to the number-two person on the list, George Keller. George was a good photographer but could get on his last nerve at times. The thought of spending two weeks with the man had his teeth grinding.

“Well, thanks for dinner. I need to leave now.”

And now on top of everything else, she was running out on him. Automatically, he stood as well. “You’re welcome. If not this time, then maybe we can work together again on another project in the future.”

She shrugged. “Possibly.”

Possibly? Was she for real? Just what was with this possibly crap? His lips curved into a forced smile. “I’m glad you’re willing to keep your options open,” he said, trying to keep the sarcasm from his voice.

At that moment she moved around the table getting ready to leave, and he felt a sucker punch deep in his gut. Nikki Cartwright was wearing something other than jeans. She had on a very short dress that showed all of her curves and legs he was seeing for the very first time. Long, gorgeous legs.

His gaze ran up and down her body and his breath caught in his throat when he realized that she was the same woman whose legs he’d seen in the parking lot earlier. Damn. Holy, hot damn.

Before he could stop himself, he looked up, met her gaze and said in an incredulous voice, “You’re wearing a dress.”

There was something about the look in Jonas’s eyes that gave Nikki pause. Was that heated lust in the dark depths staring at her like she was a slice of strawberry cheesecake with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream on top? He had never looked at her like this before. Not even after the time they’d kissed. She was more than certain that she would have remembered if he had.

She was definitely confused. Did seeing her in a dress finally make him aware that she was a woman in a way that kiss hadn’t? She would have worn a dress around him a long time ago if she’d known it would grab this much attention.

She drew in a deep breath, feeling sexy and seductive for the first time in years. “Yes, I usually wear jeans or slacks because they’re more comfortable for the work I do. But I decided to wear a dress tonight since I’m going to spend some time upstairs.”

He lifted his brow. “Upstairs?”

“Yes, at Mavericks. Tonight is jazz night.”

Jonas nodded. Mavericks was an upscale nightclub on the thirty-fifth floor that had a rooftop bar and a wraparound terrace that provided a panoramic view of the mountains and Phoenix’s skyline.

He stared at her and her outfit for a moment, wondering if perhaps she had a date. Of course if she did it was none of his business. But still, for some reason, he wanted to know.

“Sorry, I hope I didn’t detain you unnecessarily. I wouldn’t want you to be late for your date,” he heard himself saying.

She smiled. “I don’t have a date. I like jazz and thought I’d spend my evening doing something other than watching television.”

He lifted a brow. “You aren’t meeting anyone?”

She frowned. “No. I don’t need someone to take me out if I want to enjoy good music.”

He was well aware of that. However, a woman who was alone and looked like her would be inviting male attention whether she wanted it or not. There was no way he wouldn’t hit on her if he saw her sitting alone. Men made plays for attractive women with only one thing in mind. It was the way of life. He of all people should know.

Imagining her sitting alone in a club while listening to jazz didn’t sit well with him. He met her gaze. “I don’t have anything else to do tonight and I love jazz as well. Mind if I join you?”

Chapter 3

Nikki struggled to retain an expressionless face as she walked into Mavericks with Jonas by her side. She was determined that nothing would make her come unglued, even the feel of his hand in the center of her back as he led her toward an empty table.

“I think this is a good spot,” he said, pulling out her chair.

She had to hand it to him and his brothers when it came to manners. They were on top of their game, and she knew their mother could be thanked for that. Eden Steele had raised her sons to be gentlemen. Becoming notorious playboys was their own doing.

“There’s a nice crowd here tonight.”

She had noticed that as well. She had found out about the lounge’s jazz night from a woman in her aerobics class this morning. Like she’d told Jonas, she enjoyed jazz, mainly because her parents were huge fans and she and her brother had grown up listening to it.

“Would you like anything to drink?” he asked when a waiter materialized at their table.

Remembering what he’d told her over dessert about having to limit his drinks, she smiled and said, “Just a glass of water with lemon.”

Jonas gave her order to the waiter. “And I’ll have the same.”

He glanced toward the stage. The musicians were still setting things up. “Looks like we made it before the start of the show.”

“Yes, it looks that way.”

She had turned her head to look around the lounge, but Jonas got the distinct impression she’d done so to avoid eye contact with him. Did he make her uncomfortable? Nervous?

Then again, she could be avoiding his eyes because she was upset that he had invited himself to join her. The waiter returned with their waters and he watched as she took her lemon and gently squeezed it into the water before lifting the glass up to her lips and taking a sip. He sat there, transfixed and aroused, as he watched her part her lips.

She caught him staring, tilted her head and asked, “Is anything wrong?”

If only you knew, he thought when he shifted his gaze from her lips to her eyes. Her short, curly dark brown hair crowned her face like a cap and emphasized the darkness of her eyes and her high cheekbones.

Her question didn’t give him pause. His brothers claimed he could BS his way out of any question so he said, “No, nothing is wrong. I was thinking about your lemon.”

She lifted a brow. “My lemon?”

“Yes. Did you know there aren’t any in India? They use lime instead. I was disappointed when I visited there a few years ago and couldn’t get any lemonade.”

She smiled grimly and he figured she was probably thinking, Whatever.

“So what’s your favorite jazz group?” he asked her as he squeezed his own lemon into his water, still picking up on her nervousness.

She shrugged. “I basically love all of them, but I grew up on music by the Diz. My parents were huge Dizzy Gillespie fans. I also like Branford Marsalis.”

He nodded and smiled. “Same here. My parents enjoy listening to jazz as well, and my brothers and I grew up on the music. But nothing dominated our house like the Motown Sound.”

He chuckled and then added, “My parents are actually members of Motown Is Forever Association, which is a group of die-hard Motown fans who meet once a year to get their old-school, back-in-the-day groove on.”

Selecting another lemon off the tray he squeezed it into his drink. She had gotten quiet on him again. The conversations at the tables around them were low and steady, which made the quietness at their table all the more noticeable. He took a sip of his water and wondered what the heck he was doing here. Why was he determined not to let their time together end at Mavericks just yet?

He knew the answer. It was simple. He needed to know why the kiss they’d shared had done him in.

By the time the first artist hit the stage, Nikki’s brain cells were almost fried. She was certain Jonas was generating just that much heat. She could actually feel it all over her body, in some places more so than others, which was why she tightened her legs together.

What was his secret when it came to women? Not only did he have the looks but he also had the gift of gab. Although she had very little to say, it seemed he was determined to keep the conversation going. She had discovered there were no lemons in India, that Walt Disney’s body had not been put in cryonic storage and he was convinced a bar of soap between the bedsheets prevented your legs from cramping. She figured if anyone would know about the latter it would be him, considering the amount of time he probably spent in bed with women.

She tried shifting her focus off Jonas and onto the performer. He was killing his saxophone, emitting sensuous sound waves that floated in the room. She recognized the piece and always thought she liked it better with the words, but the sax player was giving her thought. Without the words of undying love, the music still had a message of its own. And the message was stroking her senses, stirring across her skin and caressing certain parts of her body.

“I don’t understand why you’d come here alone, Nikki.”

She glanced over at Jonas and saw he had tilted his head while studying her as if she was a complex object of some sort. Was she that hard to figure out? Evidently he was a man who thought a woman wasn’t complete without a man. She would be the first to admit she assumed a man and woman complemented each other, but only when they were on the same accord. When they wanted the same things in life and when there were no misunderstandings about their relationship.

“Why wouldn’t I come here alone?” she asked.

“Why would you feel the need to?” he countered.

At that moment she felt that she could respond to his questions several different ways since he evidently didn’t understand that some women preferred peace to drama, solitude to unnecessary commotion. But more importantly, a loving relationship to a purely sexual one.

She left his question hanging for a few moments before finally saying, “I don’t date much by choice. At the moment I don’t have time for the games men like to play.”

He met her gaze, held it while he took a sip of his water. “So you’re one of those women.”

He’d said it like “those” women were a dying breed. Probably were if he had anything to do with it. Since she knew exactly what he meant, she said proudly, “Not really. I stopped believing in forever-after a while ago. I don’t mind having a good time myself. But on my own time.”

Nikki was convinced when he curved his lips into a challenging smile that her already wet panties got even more soaked. “Your own time? An interesting concept. One you’d toss to the wind with the right man,” he said, as if he knew that for certain.

She knew his words were both a challenge and an invitation. He was one of those Steeles, those “Bad News” Steeles, so he would think that way. He was of the mind-set that everything would begin and end in the bedroom. And the end result would be hot, sweaty, sexually satisfied bodies.

Nikki noticed the sudden darkening of his eyes and flaring of his nostrils. If she didn’t know better she would think that the pure animal male in him had picked up an arousing element in her scent. She’d heard some men had the ability to do that. Men who were acutely in tune with a woman.

And she wished Jonas wouldn’t look at her the way he was doing now, like he could see more than normal people could with those green eyes of his. It was as if he could see right through her blouse, past her bra, directly to her nipples, which were responding to everything male about him. Certain things a woman couldn’t evade, and her response to a gorgeous man was one of them, no matter how wickedly sinful the man was. And he was wickedly sinful. From the crown of his wavy hair to the soles of the Salvatore Ferragamo shoes he was wearing.

Thinking too much quiet time had passed between them, she decided to address what he’d said. “By the ‘right man,’ you’re talking about a man like you, I presume.”

That sinfully sexy smile widened. “And what kind of man am I, Nikki?”

Why did he have to say her name with such passion, such sensuality? And why was he intent on engaging in what she considered wasteful conversation? He knew the kind of man he was; he certainly didn’t need her to spell it out for him. But if he wanted to hear it directly from her lips then…

“You’re a man who loves women. Not just one or two, but plenty. You’ll never settle down with just one, nor do you want to. Life is about women and sex, but mostly sex and more sex. You play safe. You play fair. But you play. And you will always play.”

Jonas shrugged. Yes, that pretty much sized him up and he had no shame. There would never be a single woman to capture his heart like they’d done to Galen and Eli. There would never be a woman to make him feel anything other than a tightening in his groin. And that’s what was so hard for his mother to understand and accept. But eventually she would. She had no choice.

Instead of responding to what Nikki had said, since her words really needed no response, he settled back in his chair to continue listening to the music. And to think some more about the woman sitting across from him. She might not want the hot sheets, sex and more sex, but something about being here with him was getting to her. He was a hunter and could pick up the scent of an aroused woman a mile off. And some part of his presence, and their conversation, had turned her on. He was certain of it.

He had no doubt she wanted to believe everything she’d said. Although she hadn’t admitted such, he had a feeling that deep down she did believe in that nonsense about forever-after. He’d bet at one time she’d been wrapped up in the notion of a house with the white picket fence, babies and the words of undying love from a man’s lips.

Who was the real Nikki Cartwright? his mind demanded to know. She’d peeled off a layer tonight by wearing a dress instead of jeans, and he liked what he saw. Who would have thought she had legs that looked like that? Legs that could probably wrap around a man real tight, grip him pretty damn good while they had nitty-gritty, between-the-sheets sex.

He took a sip of his water and appreciated how the cold liquid flowed down his throat to cool his insides. He knew the score with her and conceded he needed to leave her alone. Her turning down his job offer was probably a smart move. And to be quite honest, he really didn’t have any reason to be sitting here with her, sharing her table, and listening to jazz.

He had tried not to notice her at Eli’s wedding when she’d moved around the room snapping photographs. She had looked cute then…and busy. To keep his attention off her he had pretended interest in a couple of single women who’d flown in to attend. He’d eventually left the wedding reception with one of them.

And talk about leaving…Jonas knew he should go, tell her it was nice seeing her again and that he regretted they wouldn’t be working together again and that he understood. His jaw tightened knowing that was one lie he could not tell because he did not understand it. Why was she walking away from an opportunity that could ultimately boost her career?

“That was beautiful,” she said when the saxophonist ended the song. Like others, she stood to applaud, and Jonas’s gaze automatically lowered to her legs. What a pretty-damn-stunning pair of legs they were. He had never considered himself the leg man in the family—everyone knew that was Eli. His favorite part of a woman’s body usually was the middle. Specifically, what lay at the juncture of her legs. All the others parts—the legs, the breasts, the thighs, hips and backside—just whet his appetite. And as he continued to stare at Nikki’s legs he could feel not only his appetite being whet but also himself becoming fully aroused in one hell of a way.