Forged of Steele Bundle (Books 1-4) - Brenda Jackson [63]
“No, Busch Gardens in Virginia.”
Thank goodness. “Oh.”
“Why did you think they were going to Disney World?”
“Because that’s where Tiffany is headed this weekend.”
“Ahh. And you thought that perhaps they had manipulated their grandparents so the two of them could be in the same place and at the same time.”
“It’s been known to happen.”
“I’m sure it has but I doubt they would go that far.”
“Hey, you never know,” Kylie said.
There was another pause and then Chance said, “We’re going to have to start trusting them at some point, Kylie.”
Tucking a braid behind her ear, she took a deep, frustrating breath. “I know but for me it’s hard, Chance, because I remember all the tricks I used to pull to be with Sam.”
“Yes, but is it fair to judge them by what you did?”
“No.”
“All right, then.”
Kylie tilted her lips in a smile. Even if he were bringing a date to the ball, she still enjoyed her nightly talks with him. Although she had decided that they could never be lovers, it seemed that he had made up his mind that they would be friends. And deep down she didn’t have a problem with that.
She’d always had Lena as another female to bounce her ideas and thoughts off of, but there had never been a guy she felt close enough with to do the same. Lately she had asked Chance’s opinions about a lot things, including how she should handle situations that had arisen at work. Being the savvy businessman that he was, he had always given her good, sound advice.
“So, how are things going at the Steele Corporation?” she asked.
“There was a development today that I wished could have been avoided.”
“Oh? What?”
“We had to let a man go who’s been with us for over ten years.”
She heard disappointment, as well as regret, in his voice. “Why?”
“We found out he’d been stealing from the company. He was padding figures and having the products delivered elsewhere. Bas had suspected him for a while but we only got the proof we needed today to do anything about it.”
They talked for the next thirty minutes or so and that night Kylie slept with an inner peace that she hadn’t known in a long time.
“So you think they will have their first date this weekend?” Marcus asked before biting into his sandwich.
Tiffany smiled. “Yes. They’re going to that ball although they aren’t going with each other. I can’t see how it won’t turn into a date with the both of us gone for the weekend. Didn’t you see how they were looking at each other last weekend when they thought no one was noticing? I think we did the right thing by contacting our grandparents.”
Marcus nodded. “I hope you’re right.”
Tiffany took another sip of her soda, smiled and said, “Just think, Marcus, if we actually pull this off, you’ll be the big brother I’ve always wanted.”
Marcus grinned. “Yeah, and then I can give Rhonda Denton my full attention. I think she likes me.”
Chapter 10
He wanted her.
That thought rammed through Chance’s mind the moment he saw Kylie enter the ballroom. His heart began hammering in his chest and he actually felt his pulse rate spike drastically. And if that wasn’t bad enough, his body got hard as a rock.
At that moment he was grateful he was standing behind a waist-high plant that could shield the physical evidence of just how much he desired her. That, coupled with the knowledge of how much he loved her, was setting his loins on fire.
The minidress she was wearing was definitely a shocker he could sum up in three words—short, sassy and sexy. It fit her body to perfection, showing off all her curves and the luscious length of her long, shapely legs. And if the dress wasn’t jaw-droppingly seductive enough, then there was the way she had her hair piled atop her head with a few swirling braids crowning her face.
“Who are they?” Morgan leaned over and whispered, while raising an impressive eyebrow. “I don’t know either of them,” he said as if it were his God-given right to be acquainted with every beautiful woman in Charlotte.
Chance studied his brother’s face for a second and noted his gaze wasn’t as glued to Kylie