Shattered (Steel Brothers Saga 7)

Well, she was a cop. She was probably required to stay in shape.

Jonah and Talon smiled.

“You ladies all look beautiful,” Talon said.

Ruby twisted her lips and looked down.

“Let’s see,” Marjorie was saying. “Where shall we all sit? Boy, girl, boy, girl, of course. Let’s go Bryce, me, Talon, Melanie, Jonah, Jade, Ryan, Ruby. How does that sound?”

Sounded great to me. I wouldn’t mind looking at Ruby Lee during dinner. Boy, she sure cleaned up nice.

Chapter Five

Ruby

My skin tightened around me. I felt like I was wrapped in cellophane. I knew I was turning twelve shades of red. Why did Marjorie seat me next to Ryan? Granted, we had shared a little conversation on the plane, but he was just being nice.

While the other guys were all wearing shorts and flashy print shirts, Ryan looked dashing in plain black dress pants and a white shirt with the top few buttons undone. A tiny bit of black chest hair peeked out, and again I looked down.

I had never been so attracted to a man.

I had never let myself be so attracted to a man. I had no intention of letting myself right now, but something about him made it difficult to resist. He wasn’t just a beautiful creature. He was also a nice man. A generous one. I had no idea how much money he had shelled out for my first class seat on the plane, but I did know the Steels were loaded. Melanie had made that clear, and it was common knowledge, anyway.

Ryan would have no interest in me. He was simply a nice person.

My skin heated as he touched my forearm.

I turned toward him abruptly. “What?” I asked a little too loudly.

“You are miles away. I was asking if you want wine.”

“Oh.” I cleared my throat. “Yes. That would be nice. Thank you.”

The waiter filled my glass.

“Did you order this wine?” I asked.

“Yeah. Their selection isn’t great, but it’s a little better than on the plane.” He smiled.

Even his teeth were perfect. Not too big, not too small, and no doubt straightened by the best orthodontia Steel money could buy. Yet something told me he hadn’t worn braces. No. Ryan Steel had been born perfect.

I looked over at his brothers. Steel brother number one, Jonah, the oldest, had hair a little longer and darker than Ryan’s. It was graying at the temples and in his few days’ worth of stubble. His eyes were dark, nearly black. We were sitting at the moment, but when standing he was tall. Around six-four.

Steel brother number two, Talon, the middle brother, stood about six-three. He had lived the most difficult life of the three. He looked a lot like number one and had the same coloring, though his hair was a little wavier with less gray. His jawline was a slightly different shape, and he had a barely noticeable crook in his nose. It had most likely been broken, probably when he was in captivity. I suppressed a shudder. What my father had put this man through…

I tried not to think about it as I concentrated on the man sitting next to me. The youngest Steel brother.

Ryan’s eyes were slightly lighter than his brothers’—a chestnut brown rather than espresso. His hair was a little bit shorter and a little better groomed. Not in quite as much disarray as his brothers’. His eyebrows were dark brown and sculpted. Had he had them shaped? I had to stop myself from chuckling. No Steel man would have his brows threaded. They were perfect on their own.

I shook my head slightly. Was I really waxing poetic about Ryan’s eyebrows when I’d just assessed his brothers as though they were suspects in a lineup?

The most amazing feature on Ryan Steel was his mouth. All the Steel brothers had gorgeous lips, but Ryan’s were the pinkest and fullest.

Something in me surged at that moment. Something I hadn’t let myself feel in over well over a decade. For a second I didn’t recognize it.

Then it hit me.

Desire. Sexual desire.