Natalie knew that Farrah really didn"t. There was no way anyone could get the picture of what had gone on inside Donovan"s bedroom last night, and in a way that was a good thing. The picture would have been erotic, X-rated at best.
"So he was worth all those years of holding out?" Farrah asked.
She nodded. "Every single moment I spent with my head in a book, working on projects and trying hard to forget men existed. Yes, he was worth it."
Farrah smiled. "Then I"m happy you got the experience. When will you see him again?"
Natalie shook her head. "I might see him again but not that way. What we shared last night was a fling-a one-night fling. It won"t be repeated. That"s what we both agreed."
Farrah didn"t say anything for a moment and then said. "That might be easier said than done, Nat."
Natalie was glad the waitress appeared at that moment to take their order or she would have been forced to admit Farrah was right.
Donovan pulled his damp T-s.h.i.+rt over his head and tossed it in the dirty-clothes hamper. Today the basketball game between him and his brothers had been brutal. Evidently there had been a lot of frustrations to unleash. Still, he felt good. Not that he"d had to work off much masculine energy since he"d done so last night.
He left the laundry room and walked into the kitchen where he immediately headed for the refrigerator and opened it up. He pulled the beer from the six-pack Uri had left a few weeks ago, popped the tab and then took a long pleasurable gulp.
A satisfied smile touched his moist lips, which he wiped with the back of his hand. Life couldn"t be better. Then he glanced around the kitchen and thought that life couldn"t be lonelier.
He frowned, wondering where in the h.e.l.l that thought had come from. A lonely Steele? How could that be when he had brothers and cousins living in the same city? And he could always catch a flight to Phoenix, Chicago, Miami or Boston and visit his relatives there.
He went over to the window and glanced out. What would it be like to come home to a house he shared with someone? Not just someone, but the woman with whom he"d spent the night in bed. Could he even imagine building a life with one woman, building a family and having children, building his own dynasty like his brothers were doing?
It didn"t take a rocket scientist to see they were happy, had eased into the roles of husbands and family men without a hitch. He"d always figured he was different, didn"t want the things they did and totally enjoyed his freedom. So why was he even considering otherwise?
He took another gulp of beer, emptying the can. Moving away from the window, he placed the empty can on the counter. He"d promised Bron and the guys that he would drop by the cafe tonight since he hadn"t shown up last night, as was the norm. But he had no regrets. Last night he was here in bed with a woman that still had his heart pounding each time he thought about how his body had plummeted into multiple o.r.g.a.s.ms while inside of her.
Natalie had shown him, proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that no two women were the same. He had met his match, and even after making love to her last night, he wanted her again.
Chapter 12.
Natalie sat at the desk in her aunt"s office as she worked on the schedules for next week. It had been a week since she had made love to Donovan in his huge bed. She hadn"t heard from him, but she hadn"t really expected any contact. Like she had told Farrah, she and Donovan fully understood each other. He didn"t want anything beyond what they"d shared Friday night and neither did she.
She"d been keeping herself pretty busy. The agency had taken on three new employees, and she"d been busy working them into the schedule. Her aunt"s doctor visit this week indicated she was healing nicely, and Natalie was happy for that. So it was her opinion that life was good.
But that didn"t mean she didn"t have those dreams each night in which Donovan had a starring role. And now that she knew how it felt to make love with a man who was just as giving as he was taking, she knew he had tilted the scales and she doubted another man would ever affect her the way he had. She"d been dealing with elements of chemistry since she"d won her first science fair in the eighth grade, but Donovan had the ability to ignite a totally different kind of chemistry, the type she wasn"t accustomed to dealing with. And then there were those funny little feelings that would start fluttering around her heart whenever she thought of him. They were feelings that could grow into something more than she wanted them to be. They were feelings that had more to do with the human anatomy than with chemistry.
She"d gone to pull one of the client"s records from the file cabinet when her cell phone rang. She quickly picked it up. "Yes?"
"Dr. Ford, this is Dr. Stanley."
Natalie lifted her brow in surprise. Dr. Miriam Stanley headed the global study of the troposphere for NASA, and they had worked closely on various projects over the past two years. "Dr. Stanley, this is a pleasant surprise. Is anything wrong?"
"No, everything is fine. However, I was hoping I could request your a.s.sistance on short notice."
"In what way?" Natalie asked, leaning back on the desk. She was already reviewing formulas for NASA that could imply a continental pollution source for industrial emissions.
"We will be hosting a number of government officials on the Princeton campus next Friday, and we were wondering if you could be included on a panel for a discussion on global warming."
Next Friday? Natalie nibbled on her bottom lip trying to determine if it could work. Her aunt was doing fine so flying back to Princeton for a couple of days wouldn"t be so bad. She could fly out Thursday night and fly back Sat.u.r.day morning. "Yes, I"d love to partic.i.p.ate." Natalie nibbled on her bottom lip trying to determine if it could work. Her aunt was doing fine so flying back to Princeton for a couple of days wouldn"t be so bad. She could fly out Thursday night and fly back Sat.u.r.day morning. "Yes, I"d love to partic.i.p.ate."
"Thank you. I"ll e-mail you a number of the key discussion topics," Dr. Stanley said.
A few minutes later Natalie hung up the phone, still smiling. She knew her name had been tossed about as a possible person who could sit on the Global Warming Commission. To do so would be an outstanding accomplishment. She needed to start jotting down the key points she intended to discuss, and hopefully, doing so would keep her mind occupied for a while.
Donovan released a deep breath when he heard the sound of the front door opening. That meant Natalie had arrived for the weekly cleaning of his home. And again he"d taken a work-at-home day. He hated admitting that he"d been looking forward to this day all week long-and had even contemplated calling her during the week. But then he would remember their agreement. What they"d shared had been a one-night stand and nothing more.
Still, he couldn"t discount the fact that she had been on his mind every day and night. Since he had yet to change his bed linen, he drifted to sleep breathing in her scent and filled with pa.s.sionate memories of their one night together.
The thought that Natalie was downstairs had his shaft hard. He could, and he would now admit that he had it bad for her. The last seven days had been pure torture. More torturous than the agony she"d delivered that night. But in the end she had relieved his suffering in a way that could still make him tremble inside. She had delivered continuous pleasure over and over again-for someone not as experienced in the art of lovemaking like most women he"d encountered. He had surmised as much from the way her eyes lit up when they tried varied positions. He had introduced her to a lot of things in that one night and like a zealous and devoted student, she had been eager to learn.
And then there had been the way she had taken him into her mouth. What she"d lacked in skill she had made up in enthusiasm. Just thinking about what she did and how she"d done it made his shaft even more engorged and sent a rush of desire racing through his body.
Leaving his office he went into his bedroom and began stripping off his clothes deciding what he needed more than anything before coming face-to-face with Natalie was a cold shower. Otherwise, he wouldn"t have any control and would be tempted to try to seduce her for another day and night of pleasure as soon as he set eyes on her.
A short while later, he stepped out of the shower and grabbed a huge velour towel to dry off. He heard the sound of her moving around right outside his bedroom door and wondered what she would think if she were to see him just as he was. He wouldn"t shock her with his nakedness but would come close. With just a towel wrapped tightly around his middle, he crossed the room and flung the door open.
The woman let out a scream.
It wasn"t Natalie. Collecting his wits, he ducked behind his bedroom door, cracking it open with just enough s.p.a.ce to talk through it. She was still screaming and he knew he had to take hold of the situation by first calming the woman down. He could just imagine what she was thinking seeing a half-naked man suddenly appear.
"Would you please calm down, lady? I live here," he said with a little irritation in his voice. The woman appeared to be in her late fifties. Where the h.e.l.l was Natalie?
"You"re Mr. Steele?" she asked once she"d finally stopped screaming.
"Yes, I"m Mr. Steele."
"Sorry that I screamed like that but you scared me half to death. The agency said you would be at work."
Donovan knew that in all essence there was no reason for him not to be at work. He had worked at home last Friday with the clear intent of seducing Natalie. Now that he"d slept with her there was no reason for him not to have gone into the office today. But deep down he knew there was a reason. He had deliberately stayed home with the sheer purpose of seducing her again. Sleeping with her hadn"t gotten her out of his system.
"I decided to work at home today. And where is my regular cleaning lady?" he asked, annoyed.
"Ms. Darwin hurt her ankle, sir."
Out of respect for the woman"s age, he tried not rolling his eyes. She was old enough to be his mother. It was bad enough she"d seen him undressed, and now she was referring to him as sir. sir. Natalie was going to pay dearly for this little fiasco. "I"m aware of that," he said, trying to keep his voice calm. The woman had been frightened enough. "I"m talking about the woman who"s cleaned this place for the past two weeks. I believe she"s Ms. Darwin"s niece." Natalie was going to pay dearly for this little fiasco. "I"m aware of that," he said, trying to keep his voice calm. The woman had been frightened enough. "I"m talking about the woman who"s cleaned this place for the past two weeks. I believe she"s Ms. Darwin"s niece."
"I don"t know. I"m new. I was told to come here today. Is there a problem, sir?"
"No, there isn"t a problem." At least not with you. But I will deal with Natalie Ford. She will pay dearly for this, especially since I told her I didn"t want another housekeeper. At least not with you. But I will deal with Natalie Ford. She will pay dearly for this, especially since I told her I didn"t want another housekeeper.
"Please continue your cleaning," he said, plastering a smile on his face. "I"m going to get dressed, and I"ll be out of your way shortly."
"Yes, sir."
He closed the door. If Natalie thought she"d seen the last of him then she had another thought coming.
Placing a client"s file aside, Natalie reached out and answered the phone on the desk. "Special Touch Housekeeping Agency."
"You"ve underestimated me, Natalie."
Natalie pulled in a deep breath. She recognized the deep, husky voice and knew the ident.i.ty of the man on the other end of the call. And he didn"t sound like a happy camper. "Is there a problem, Mr. Steele?"
He didn"t say anything, but she swore she could hear his teeth gnas.h.i.+ng. And then. "What have I told you about calling me Mr. Steele? If I remember correctly, I was Donovan last Friday night."
He"d been a number of things last Friday night, she thought. He was also the best lover she"d ever had, granted she hadn"t had many to compare him with, but the one comparison she could make pushed him off the charts. "Mr. Steele, is there a reason you called?" From his tone she knew there was.
"Yes, there is a reason. I thought we understood that no one but you or your aunt would be responsible for the cleaning of my home."
Natalie smiled politely, although he couldn"t see it. She had received good news earlier from Dr. Stanley and had no intention of letting him ruin her day. "As you know, my aunt is recuperating, and considering our relations.h.i.+p-specifically what happened between us last Friday night-there was no way I could return to your home."
"Did I force you to have s.e.x with me, Natalie?"
His question came as a surprise. "No, of course not."
"So there"s no way you can claim there was any type of s.e.xual hara.s.sment involved, right?"
"Right, and neither am I trying to. But the key word is involved involved. We slept together, of our own free will, but we slept together nonetheless, and in doing so, we"ve taken our relations.h.i.+p from a professional one to a personal one," she tried pointing out.
"If I remember, we didn"t get much sleep that night. And one has nothing to do with the other. And you were forewarned what would happen if my requests weren"t followed. I enjoy my privacy and-"
"For crying out loud, Donovan," she said, annoyed enough at this point to forego professionalism. "Ms. Harris is old enough to be your mother. She has been married for over twenty years and is not aspiring to become a cougar. She"s harmless. And we did a thorough background check. The woman is trustworthy."
"Probably. But still, you defied my wishes. Meet with me at the Racetrack Cafe at seven tonight to discuss the situation."
Natalie frowned. "There"s nothing to discuss."
"I think there is. You"ve made me an unhappy client. If you check the files of several of your other clients-namely Jeremy Simpkins, Harrell Kelly, Uriel La.s.siter, Myles Joseph and Colin Ashford, they are clients based on my recommendations and referrals. All it would take is a phone call from me and they"ll drop the Special Touch Housekeeping Agency like a hot potato."
Natalie"s frown deepened, and she sat up straight in her chair. "You wouldn"t do that."
"I wouldn"t suggest that you try me. I"ll see you tonight at seven."
Natalie slammed down the phone.
Just who does he think he is? How dare he!
She began pacing the floor. He would ruin her aunt"s company just because he couldn"t have things his way? So, he wanted to meet with her to discuss things. Fine. She"d meet with him, and she"d give him a piece of her mind.
Donovan drew in a long breath as he hung up the phone. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and he"d just displayed a sign of a desperate man. Of course he wouldn"t do anything to hurt Natalie"s aunt"s business but she didn"t have to know that. Besides, he couldn"t think of any other way to get her to meet with him tonight. And because he didn"t want her to think it was all about s.e.x, he"d decided it would be best if they met someplace other than his home.
Now that was another mystery to be solved-that it wasn"t all about s.e.x. The intensity of their coming together had been as miraculous as it could get. Even when he hadn"t wanted to think about it, when he hadn"t wanted memories to invade his brain and acc.u.mulate in his mind, they had anyway.
But now he wanted to get to know the woman who had him biting at the bits. What was there about her that he found obsessive? Why had he denied himself the opportunity to bed Jean Carroll on more than one occasion because the thought of being inside any woman"s body other than Natalie"s, was a turnoff?
Admittedly, he was as intrigued as he was h.o.r.n.y, and tonight he was determined to place his highly s.e.xual state on the back burner to find out more about Natalie Ford.
Chapter 13.
Still furious, Natalie walked into the Racetrack Cafe and glanced around. It didn"t take her long to spot Donovan standing at the bar talking to another man. Her lips set in a frown, her eyes narrowed to a slit, she walked up to Donovan, got right in his face and snapped, "I"m here. Are you satisfied?"
"If he"s not, I most definitely can be."
Natalie turned to the man standing with Donovan at the same time his gaze traveled over her features. She inhaled deeply. Did all Donovan"s acquaintances have to look so breathtakingly handsome?
She opened her mouth to apologize for her brash manner when Donovan spoke up. "Get lost, Uri. She"s spoken for. But I guess I will introduce the two of you. Natalie, this is Uriel La.s.siter, a good friend of mine."
Natalie summoned a smile while extending her hand. "Sorry for being rude. Nice meeting you, Uriel."
"Apology accepted, and please call me Uri. And it"s nice meeting you, as well, Natalie. Now I guess I better get lost before Donovan forgets just what close friends we are." And then after giving her one last smile, Uriel walked off.
"Come on, let"s get a table," Donovan said, recapturing her thoughts while grabbing his beer off the counter.
"You may want to make it someplace private so others won"t overhear what I have to say to you," she warned.
He lifted a speculative brow. "Sounds serious."
She gave him an exasperated look. "And you didn"t think that it would be?"
"A man can hope. Come on, I know just the place."