The Beautiful Widow

‘Nothing? He’s dropping your children off and you say nothing?’ Poppy’s eyes sparkled. ‘Did he stay the night?’

‘He called by early this morning, that’s all, and offered me a lift, and Amelia and Daisy wanted a ride in his car. That’s all there is to it. And—and we’re probably going to have the odd date now and again, just as friends.’

Poppy stopped dead and then as Toni carried on walking hurried to catch her up. ‘Since when has all this happened? You didn’t say a word about it at the weekend.’

‘Since yesterday. We—we had a heart-to-heart.’

They had almost reached the car and as Steel leant across from the driver’s seat and thrust open the passenger door for Toni to climb in Poppy shamelessly stared. Toni couldn’t help smiling. She thought it was the first time she’d seen Poppy lost for words. But only for a moment. ‘Eye candy,‘ Poppy murmured, ‘doesn’t do him justice.’

‘Shh, he’ll hear you.’

‘Ring me,’ said Poppy as Toni slid into the car. ‘Soon.’

CHAPTER NINE

TONI WILLED STEEL TO start the car quickly; she wouldn’t put it past Poppy to open the door and ask for Steel’s autograph!

Poppy was still blatantly staring as they drew away, and it was a moment before Steel drawled, ‘Eye candy?’

‘You heard.’ She blushed a cherry red. ‘I’m so sorry.’

‘I didn’t know women spoke in those terms.’

‘Poppy does.’ And I’ll strangle her later.

‘And you? Do you think I’m eye candy?’

Toni nerved herself to look at him, but could read nothing from the expressionless profile. ‘I think you’re a good-looking man,’ she said primly.

‘Thank you very much, fair maiden. My ego remains intact.’ He grinned at her before pulling into the deserted car park of a builders’ merchant that wasn’t yet open. Cutting the engine, he reached across and turned her head towards him by a gentle hand on her chin. ‘Do you want to know what I think about you? You’re the most beautiful, fascinating, sexy, complete woman I’ve ever met. And the most puzzling and frustrating. But I’m getting to grips with the puzzle now.’

His voice had been deep and warm and very sensual, and she shivered, but not from the cold morning. And when he had completed the puzzle, what then? Was that when he grew bored and walked away? She had seen a photograph of his last girlfriend in the paper a few weeks ago, Barbara something or other. She had won a big court case and her gorgeous face had been splashed all across the tabloids. Someone in the office had thrust it under her nose and as she’d stared at the laughing woman in the photograph she’d felt her heart sink, although she hadn’t allowed herself to question why. Barbara had been stunning and acutely intelligent to boot, the epitome of the sort of wonder woman who might just manage to hang onto someone like Steel. Only she hadn’t. And so what chance would a mere mortal have?

‘Toni?’ Steel’s voice brought her out of her whirling thoughts. ‘What is it? What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing.’ She forced a smile. ‘I was just thinking none of those adjectives fit me, that’s all.’

‘If any other woman said that to me I’d think they were angling for more com

pliments, but you actually mean it, don’t you?’ He shook his head, his silver-blue eyes stroking over her face. ‘I’m going to build up that self-esteem until you’ll expect to bowl everyone over when you walk into a room, just like you do me.’

‘Oh, Steel.’ She couldn’t help smiling.

‘You’re delicious, woman.’ His voice was muffled as he leant across and nuzzled her throat, causing her pulse to pound in reaction. ‘And you wear the sexiest perfume. I catch a whiff of that in the office and I lose the plot entirely.’

‘Steel, you never lose the plot.’ Her voice was husky. He was dropping little burning kisses over her throat and chin as he worked up to her mouth.

He took her lips and kissed her long and hard before he said, ‘It’s a regular occurrence since you came to work for me. I see you sitting demurely at your desk working away and all I can think of is how you’d look spread out on it being ravaged. You’ll walk into my office for a minute or two and then it takes me an hour to get control again. I want to take you on the sofa in my office, on the floor, hell, anywhere. I’m obsessed with you, woman. Don’t you know that?’

She was entranced by his idea of her as a femme fatale, but still felt as though it were another woman he was talking about. Richard’s love-making had always been brief and perfunctory, an exercise to relieve himself of a bodily need. She’d often felt a blow-up doll would have served him just as well for all the interest he actually took in her, as a woman. His lack of interest had chipped away at her self-confidence in her femininity more than she’d realised.

‘You’re gorgeous, Toni, and all woman.’ It was as though he could read her mind. ‘I can’t get enough of you.’

Her soft sigh shuddered through her body as he pulled her into him, kissing her again, and then as he caught himself on part of the car he swore softly. ‘If anyone had told me a few months ago I’d be necking in the front seat of my car I’d have laughed at them. One day I’m going to have you exactly where I want you. You know that, don’t you?’

He slid fully into his seat as he spoke, starting the engine and pulling out of the car park as the first employee drove in.

They drove straight to Steel’s apartment. She hadn’t been there since her interview months ago, and it was as beautifully indifferent as she remembered, right down to the bowls of hothouse blooms arranged about the sitting room. She glanced round and then started as Steel put his arms round her middle, nuzzling the back of her neck as he said, ‘You were frowning—why?’