Hidden Pleasures - Brenda Jackson [53]
“Yes.”
“That’s those Steeles.”
“You’re close to them, as well?”
“Of course, they’re family.”
“Of course.”
He looked down into his coffee cup as he recalled that Brittany did not have a family, and he remembered what she’d said about never feeling a part of any of her foster families. He wished he could have changed that for her.
“So tell me about Galen Steele.”
He glanced up thinking he’d rather not. But he would, because talking was a lot safer—he wouldn’t be tempted to take her upstairs and communicate in a different way.
“What do you want to know?”
“Anything. Everything.”
He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of that. Either could get the both of them in trouble. “I like sex.” He thought the blush on her face was cute. Just as cute as the quivering of her lips when she got angry.
“I know that already. What else do you like?” she asked.
“You. I like you,” he said honestly, even though he knew such an admission would rattle her.
He watched her bite her lip. “Yes, I think you’ve said that already, too,” she said. “What else do you like besides sex and me?”
“I like auto racing. The Steele Manufacturing Company sponsors a car for NASCAR, so I travel to the races quite a bit.”
She nodded. “When our paths crossed in New York, you were there for a wedding, right?”
He chuckled. She’d made it seem like it had been a casual meeting when it had been anything but. He’d swiped her cab. “Yes, my cousin Donovan. There wasn’t supposed to be a wedding.”
She lifted a brow. “There wasn’t?”
“No, because Donovan wasn’t ever supposed to marry. He was supposed to be a bachelor for life.”
“Is that what he’d said?”
“Yes. Always.”
Galen stared back into his cup of coffee, which was almost empty. Donovan used to say it and was quite serious about it, but a woman had come along and changed his mind. Galen was certain that he would never let that happen to him, and to this day he didn’t understand how it happened to Donovan. His cousin had had everything going for him. Any woman he wanted. And then Natalie came along and whammo, he’d fallen in love and the next thing everyone knew, he was talking marriage.
Deciding they’d sat at the table and chitchatted long enough, he stood to clear his plate. “You sure you don’t need me to help do anything over at your place?”
“Yes, I’m positive. Today I plan to go through her things and see what I need to pack up and what I want to keep.”
“You don’t have to do everything in one day, you know.”
“Yes, I know. But I want to get it done.”
“Well, call me if you change your mind and need my help,” he said, taking his plate and cup to the sink.
“You have your own work to do.”
Galen was about to say that he didn’t care how much work he had to do; if she needed him, he wanted her to call. She came first. But he quickly clamped his mouth shut, wondering why on earth he’d think something like that. No woman came before his work…except his mother and most of the time that couldn’t be helped. His father had basically spoiled Eden. She’d been the only female in a houseful of males and she’d been treated like a queen. Unfortunately, she hadn’t pulled off her crown yet.
“Just call me if you decide you need me. And don’t wash the dishes. Just put everything in the sink. You cooked breakfast, so I’ll clean up on my next break.”
Growing frustrated over what seemed to be his mounting fascination with her—memories of their night together weren’t helping matters—he said, “I’ll see you later.” And then he left the kitchen.
Chapter 15
Brittany moved around her mother’s home. In a way she was glad Galen hadn’t come with her this time. She needed space from him to think. For some reason he’d appeared guarded this morning. Although he’d kissed her when he’d sat her up on the counter, from then on he seemed cool. Not cold but cool. She hoped he wasn’t thinking she wanted something beyond this week because she didn’t. All she wanted was full ownership of this house, fair and square, and then she would decide what she would do with it.
She moved toward