Night Heat (Forged of Steele 2)

“Sorry about that, Bas. That was a call I was waiting on from the Evans Group.”

Bas lifted a brow. The Evans Group was currently in a bitter labor dispute with the Teamsters union     regarding a number of their employees who had been laid off. “Something going on I need to know about?”

“No, not now, but I’ll keep you posted.”

“Yeah, you do that. I know you’re busy so I won’t hold you. I just want to know if things are still on for Donovan’s birthday party.”

“Yes, Vanessa and Kylie are taking care of all the arrangements, but as far as I know they’re on track. I talked to Taylor and Cheyenne and they’re both flying in. Should be nice. You are coming home for it, aren’t you?”

“Yes, and I might be bringing somebody with me.”

“Oh, who?”

“Jocelyn Mason. I haven’t asked her yet, but it’ll be my turn to come up with some fun activity for us to do.”

“Fun activity? Bas, what are you talking about?”

Bas chuckled, knowing his brother was confused. “I’ll explain things the next time we talk. Just let Kylie and Vanessa know that I might be bringing a guest. I’ll know for certain after this weekend.”

“Okay, I’ll pass on the word. Take care, Bas.”

“You do the same.”

After putting his cell phone away, Bas glanced at his watch. It was five o’clock on the dot. He bade Noreen a good afternoon when he passed her office, and walked out of the building while it was still daylight. Amazing.

The September evening was rather chilly and he pulled his leather jacket tighter around his body. He hadn’t seen Jocelyn that day and had avoided dropping by the job site. It would be hard seeing her and not wanting a repeat performance of the kiss they’d shared last night. The art of kissing had always interested him, and depending on his partner, he usually varied his technique. Cassandra had gotten put off by the use of too much tongue. She liked her kisses the same way she wanted everything else they did that was connected to sex—in moderation. According to her, a true lady didn’t get carried away with passion, especially with a kiss. It was just unthinkable.

He chuckled, glad not all true ladies thought that way. And Jocelyn was a true lady, hard hat, jeans, work boots and all. There was that gracefulness about her even when she was wielding a hammer. She was soft but not mushy. Regal but not overly so and she definitely wasn’t a snob. But what he enjoyed most was how much she liked kissing—just as much as he did. And because she did, he’d never enjoyed kissing any woman as much as he enjoyed kissing her. One aspect of that realization disturbed him, while another kept constant heat drumming through his body.

Smiling, he couldn’t help but look forward to the coming weekend.

Chapter 11

“If I didn’t know better I’d think you were trying to avoid me this week.”

A slow smile curved Jocelyn’s lips as she snapped her seat belt in place. She glanced over at Bas and squinted her eyes against the glare of the sun peeking over the mountains. “Now why would you think that?”

Bas stared out of the windshield of his car for a second before tilting his head to meet her gaze. “Because this is the first time I’ve seen you since Sunday night.”

“But we talked on the phone Wednesday,” she reminded him.

“Yes, all of five minutes,” he murmured, backing the car out of her driveway. “And that was to tell me this would be an overnight trip and you had made reservations for us at a hotel. With separate sleeping arrangements.”

Jocelyn grinned and leaned over and tweaked his cheek. “Didn’t want you to get any ideas, Steele.”

An innocent look flashed across Bas’s face before he gave her a warm smile. “You think I’d do something like that?”

“I’m not sure and I decided not to take any chances. This is supposed to be a fun weekend. Our definitions of fun might be vastly different.”

His smile widened as he recalled the kisses that had flooded his mind all week. He just couldn’t shake the memory of how her lips had felt beneath his, the taste of her, how their tongues had mingled, chased each other back and forth. “Oh, I think our definitions might be the same.”