Steel Lust (8 page)

Joy crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows. “You mean my
date
,
Leonardo?”

“Whatever.
Joy
. Bruce was pissed when you left him
standing there that way.”

“Well then he shouldn’t have shown up uninvited. Sunny, I
have no idea how he knew about the gallery opening so stop looking at me that
way. I didn’t tell him.”

“But you could have handled it a little more gracefully. He
could fuck up Love’s whole world and you know it.”

She saw red for a moment. “I knew telling you was a big
mistake.”

“No, not a mistake, because obviously you need a voice of
reason when it comes to dealing with this man. You cannot just blow him off
this way.”

“Well, I’m not going to become his mistress either.”

“He’s threatening to go public with what he has on her and
whether or not he does that is in your hands.” Sunny put her hands on her
shoulders, her eyes searching Joy’s. “Honey, he’ll crush her. We need to figure
out how to put a stop to this.”

Emotion prickled at the backs of Joy’s eyes.

She knew that. She’d spent countless hours worrying about
it. She’d also successfully managed to forget about it for almost two full
days, letting the gorgeous fling she’d had with Leonardo drag her away from the
gruesome decision she had to make—her self-worth or her family.

She wasn’t willing to part with either.

There was a light tap on the door. They both jumped, both of
them nearly clearing the floor, and let out matching surprised squeaks.

“Who is it?” Sunny asked impatiently.

“I’z Mama. Open the door.”

Sunny pressed a hand over her heart and drew in a steadying
breath before she unlocked the door.

“You’re not smoking in here without me, are you?” Mama
asked, poking her head through the door, her delicate nose wrinkling as she
tested the scents in the air.

“
Mama
,” Joy gasped. Her mother did not smoke
cigarettes.

“Not with the kids in the house,” Sunny answered, sitting on
top of the dryer. She wiggled her eyebrows at Joy. “Not while they’re still
awake anyway.”

“
Sunny
,” Joy squealed again, shocked but laughing
now.

Their mother waved her off as she came inside and shut the
door. “Then what are you the two of you talking about that you can’t say in
front of anyone else?”

“Leonardo,” Sunny said easily.

Joy had to look elsewhere so she didn’t give it away that
her sister had just boldly lied to their mother. No one could ever accuse her
of having a poker face.

“Leonardo,” Mama repeated, hand pressed to her bosom as she
looked at Joy. “You took him home with you Friday night, no?”

Suddenly her cuticles needed her attention. “I wasn’t
exactly going to ask him to spend money on a hotel after he drove me here all
the way from Ohio.”

“But you thanked him properly, yes?” her mother asked with a
grin.

She shrugged and muttered, “I offered him gas money, but he
turned it down.”

It was oddly comforting to know she was going to have her
sister with her when she went to hell for lying to her mother.

Mama crossed her arms and arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow
at her.

“Joy Ann,” she said. “You know what I meant.”

“You still have a bite mark on your shoulder, darling sister
of mine.” Sunny, who was sitting next to and kind of behind her, touched her
shoulder near the back of her neck, exposed by the wide collar of her sweater.
“You might as well spill it.”

Joy gave her sister a venomous look and adjusted the collar.
And then she spilled it.

“I’m not exactly sure what kind of stunt you were trying to
pull with that boy toy of yours the other night, Joy, but it won’t work.” Bruce
sat in the chair across from her desk, legs crossed gracefully at the knee,
elbows on armrests, fingertips touching.

There was nothing like the last man she wanted to see
showing up first thing in the morning to ruin her entire work day.

He was speaking low so Kelly, stationed at her desk by the
entrance in the opposite corner of Joy’s huge loft studio, wouldn’t hear. She
wanted to whip the enormous coffee cup in her hands at his big, arrogant head.

She raised her eyebrows and gave him what she hoped was a
cool look instead.

“I’m not exactly sure what you mean since you’re the one who
showed up at the gallery without an invitation. Not only that, but you and I
are not involved.”

“If you’d stop playing this ridiculous game of hard to get
with me we would be.”

She wanted to put her fist through his smirk.

“You’ve taken this a little far,” he added. “Don’t you
agree?”

“I’m not playing any kind of games with you. You offered and
I’ve made myself very clear that I’m not interested in your offer. Countless
times.”

“And I’ve made myself clear as to what’s at stake if you
don’t reconsider.”

An image became perfectly clear in her mind as she started
to seethe—one of her ripping his face off his head with her bare hands. Just
digging her nails in deep and peeling off the skin like a bad B-movie special
effect while he screamed in agony.

He spread his hands wide. “And really, is the idea of being
with me really that repulsive?” he asked, his face contorted with mock hurt and
confusion.

That was the thing. Bruce Allen was an extremely
good-looking man. If she still worked in fashion, she’d be begging him to model
for the suit company she used to subcontract for now and again. He was the
epitome of the ambitious, successful, ridiculously handsome business mogul—strong
jaw, chiseled mouth, perfect nose and piercing gray eyes. In his mid-fifties,
he still had a head of thick, wavy hair that was going gray in the most
sophisticated places.

At any other time in her life, especially during her younger
years when she hadn’t given a second thought to the men she’d slept with, she
would have been thrilled by his pursuit of her. But she wasn’t a careless
twentysomething anymore. Hell, she wasn’t even a careless thirtysomething
anymore, and she was wise enough to recognize that glint deep within those
steely eyes that meant danger.

Joy leaned forward, folding her hands together on her
desktop.

“Surely there must be plenty of other women willing to be
your mistress,” she told him, trying to keep her voice neutral. “Dozens, no
hundreds, in this city alone. Ambitious young wannabes willing to blow their
way to the top.”

“But I don’t want any of them.” He leaned forward, elbows on
knees. “I want you.”

The biting answer that might have cost her family everything
froze on the tip of her tongue as the studio’s entrance door opened. Joy’s eyes
went wide as a large bouquet of flowers on long, familiar, jeans-clad legs came
inside.

She couldn’t decide if his timing was perfect or perfectly
rotten as Leonardo peered around the flowers and said something to Kelly, who
carefully placed her hands flat on the surface of the desk—her keeping calm in
the face of panic gesture.

The loft was so big Joy could hear the tone of his voice but
not his words as he set the flowers in front of Kelly. And when Kelly glanced
over her shoulder Joy knew exactly what was happening.

The flowers were for Kelly, not her.

He was apologizing.

Sexy. Ass. Motherfucker.

Joy had told Kelly about Leonardo and the weekend they’d
spent together when they got to work on Monday. She’d even told her how he
hadn’t remembered meeting them after Rockfest that summer, but she couldn’t
have warned her assistant that he was going to show up. She hadn’t known.

His every gesture was contrite—shifting from one foot to
another, running a hand through his hair and then tucking his fingers into his
pockets. His shoulders hunched near his ears as he talked, uninterrupted by
Kelly, whose mouth was hanging open.

She was vaguely aware that Bruce had stopped talking and
turned to see what she was gawking at before he muttered, “You have got to be
kidding.”

“Bruce,” she hissed when he rose from his seat. When he
looked at her she said, “If you go over there now I will go to your wife myself
and tell her all about this sordid proposition of yours. Now
sit
,” she
ordered, biting down hard on the last word.

If he ruined this important moment for her friend on top of
the threat he continued to be to her family’s happiness…well, she thought she
just might have it in her to strangle the bastard dead.

She looked up into ice-cold eyes.

“You wouldn’t dare,” he sneered and headed across the loft
at a fast pace.

Joy launched herself out of her chair. She banged her thigh
on the corner of her desk and had to bite back a sharp cry as she hustled to
catch up with him.

“Oh, lookee here,” Bruce called out. “If it isn’t the flavor
of the week.”

The words were like a punch to the gut for Joy, but Leonardo
didn’t flinch. Kelly was standing with her hand in Leonardo’s, saying something
that was making him grin. It wasn’t until they’d shared a laugh that either of
them turned to look at Bruce.

“Mr. Allen,” Leonardo called out brightly, holding his arms
out wide as he came around Kelly’s desk. “It’s so great to see you again.”

“I’ll bet it is.” Bruce got so close to Leonardo Joy thought
he was going to kiss him for one hair-raising second. “What brings you back to
Chicago?” he asked through his teeth. She could see the muscle in his jaw had
started to tick.

The smile on Leonardo’s face was pure arrogance. “Isn’t it
obvious?”

Bruce crossed his arms. “Why don’t you make it very clear
for me.”

Leonardo looked at Joy. “Your car is fixed.”

Bruce put himself into Leonardo’s line of sight. “I was
talking to you.”

“Hmm, yes.” All his false pleasantry was suddenly gone. “You
asked why I was here, and now you know. I am here to take Joy to her car.
Which, as far as I can tell, doesn’t require your approval.” His eyes slid to
Joy and she caught the first glimpse of what might be anger—jealousy?—in their
rich blue depths. “Or does it?”

“No, Mr. Allen and I were finished for today.” She gave
Bruce the biggest smile she could fake when he turned to her, his eyes full of
malice.

“All right.” Bruce looked from her to Kelly to Leonardo and
back. “Maybe we’ve had enough for today, but the subject is far from over.”

“I’m sure it’s not,” she muttered, exhausted and torn
between weeping in defeat and throwing the biggest leave-me-the-fuck-alone
tantrum of her life.

Bruce gave Leonardo another cold look, and then there was
nothing but the sound of his heavy footsteps echoing in the open loft as he
stalked to the door.

“Jesus, that guy gives me the creeps,” Kelly muttered,
shivering. “I hate it when he comes here.”

“You and me both,” Joy assured her.

“So neither of you will miss him if I have him taken out?”
Leonardo’s tone was conversational, but she could see real anger in his eyes.

Kelly crossed her arms and grinned. “Yeah, you’re totally
forgiven,” she said to Leonardo. “But you’re too late if you think you’re
getting a second chance.” She raised her left hand and wiggled her fingers so
her engagement ring sparkled in the light.

He gave her a playfully regretful look. “Well, shit.”

Kelly’s smile morphed into a saucy smirk. “Indeed.”

Joy stood back, enjoying the fly-on-the-wall feeling as the
friend she loved deeply and the near-stranger she was unbelievably happy to see
exchanged a warm look.

“I could step out and give you two, what?” Joy checked her
watch. “Half an hour?”

Leo’s deep blue eyes swung her way, eyebrows raised.

“There’s plenty to go around,” she said to Kelly, who knew
Joy was kidding.

“Thanks, but I have my own man of plenty. I’m guessing today
has just become a work-from-home day?”

They’d only had work on the tattoo book scheduled for the
day. Kelly could have easily worked from home anyway, but they liked the
companionship of working in the studio together. It was so much easier to speak
up and ask a question or share an idea than it was to text or email back and
forth.

They’d only been working a short time when Bruce showed up
earlier. Now that Leonardo was there to take Joy back to her car, there was no
reason for Kelly to stay.

When Joy nodded, Kelly nodded back.

“Leo, you look amazing,” Kelly told him. “A far cry from the
last time we met. And the flowers?” The tip of her nose turned pink. “Nice
touch,” she said, and hugged him.

He wrapped his arms around her and murmured something in her
ear that Joy didn’t hear. Whatever it was made Kelly shake with silent laughter
and go up on her toes as she hugged him tighter.

“‘There’s plenty to go around’?” he asked after Kelly was
gone.

She tipped her head to one side. “What? The kids these days
don’t like to brag?”

His playfulness vanished as if she’d flipped a switch. “You
think I’m a kid?”

He might as well have dumped a bucket of shit on the last
smoldering ember of her mood. She threw her arms up in the air and let them
fall heavily, her hands slapping against her thighs. “Christ, Leo, it was just
an expression.”

She turned and headed across the studio toward her desk.

“Whoa.” She heard his hurried steps and then he caught her
arm. “I was kidding. Hey.” He drew her close when she burst into tears. “Okay,
no more teasing Joy today.”

He held her, one arm around her back and the other hand
cradling her head against his chest as she rode out the wave of unwanted
emotion. After a minute, the sobbing stopped just as quickly as it had started.
She sniffled and swiped at the tears streaming down her cheeks before she
looked up at him.

“Don’t take this the wrong way.” He took her face in his hands,
gently wiping the last of her tears away with his thumbs. “But what the hell
was that?”

“This has just been a crazy few days, starting with my car
breaking down.” She sighed, letting the feel of his hands on her face and his
scent work their way into her senses, soothing her. “How is it you keep being
in the right place at the right time? Are you my own personal angel or
something?”

“Harbinger of doom might be more like it,” he mused quietly.

She narrowed her eyes. “When you put it that way—”

He closed the short distance between their mouths and kissed
her—nothing fancy, just a warm press of his lips to hers—and the strength went
out of her legs.

He released her mouth and said, “I’ll learn to think before
I speak one of these days.”

“I tell myself the same thing all the time.” She wrapped her
arms around his waist and leaned into his body. “What you did for Kelly just
now? Amazing.”

“Really?” He looked unsure. “It seemed kind of lame after
what she did for me.”

She shook her head. “I promise. That was a very classy
move.” The next kiss was deeper, the thrill of it bringing her up onto her
toes. “Did you really drive all the way here to take me back to my car?” she
asked when she could bring herself to pull away.

“Yes I did.”

“You really didn’t need to do that,” she whispered.

Damn, she was really happy he had though.

He dipped his head and kissed her behind her ear and her
body reacted instantly in the tightening of her nipples and the wet heat that
filled her pussy.

“You said you didn’t know how or when you were going to get
back.” He pulled the cowl neck of her sweater aside. “To be honest, my
intentions are completely self-serving. I needed another fix of this.” He
skimmed his lips around the outside of her ear. “Mmm, and this too,” he added,
grazing his teeth down her neck.

“Well,” Joy sighed and let her head fall to the side. “Help
yourself then.”

He chuckled and stretched the loose collar over her
shoulder. “Enabler.”

“Of course you know I’m not going to get far without
my…woops.” Kelly stopped in front of her desk, eyes wide as she realized what
was happening.

Joy straightened slowly and stepped away from Leonardo, who
cleared his throat and ran his hands through his hair as he turned toward
Kelly.

Kelly clucked her tongue and shook her head as she went
around the desk for her keys. “Like hell you would have shared.” She found them
in the drawer and jingled them cheerfully. “Going to be in the office tomorrow
as well, boss lady?”

Oh, she was loving this just a little too much.

“Tell her no,” Leonardo stage-whispered out of the side of
his mouth.

“Probably not,” Joy said to Kelly.

“Sweet.” Kelly turned and punched a couple of buttons,
turning the answering machine to the message saying they were out of the office
for the day. “You two have fun. I’ll lock up behind myself.” She gave them a
wink and left.

“Was that strange for you?” she asked Leonardo as they heard
the lock turn.

“Again, you have no idea the strange situations I’ve found
myself in.” He looked around. “Great space you have here.”

He was looking at the unfinished brick wall that dominated
the back of the spacious room, then up at the motorized backdrops installed on
the ceiling. Her umbrella lights and tripod stood sentry on one wall, and all
her pricier equipment, her cameras and lenses, were locked in a semi-hidden
storage room.

The corner loft had two walls of windows. Joy’s desk sat in
front of one. The other was lined with pieces of furniture she often used for
props—elegant and unusual chairs, benches, a Victorian fainting couch upholstered
in a silvery lavender velvet, its scrolling frame painted a modern black. When
the light was right, the way it was at that moment, the city also made a
breathtaking backdrop.