The Beautiful Widow (13 page)

They sidled over to him, Amelia leading the way as normal, and stared wide-eyed at the pictures he showed them.

‘She’s very tiny.’ Amelia studied the camera with intense concentration. ‘And her face is all screwed up.’

‘And she hasn’t got any hair,’ Daisy put in. ‘Not even a bit.’

‘Not yet, but that will come.’ Steel smiled at the girls. ‘One day she’ll be as pretty as you.’

The twins looked doubtful. ‘Has she got a mummy and a daddy?’ Amelia asked after a moment or two.

Steel nodded. ‘A very nice mummy and daddy.’

‘We’ve just got a mummy,’ Daisy informed him. ‘Our daddy’s in heaven and he’s not coming back.’

Toni had just browned some more toast and now she froze, not knowing what to say to help Steel.

‘I think your mummy’s terrific,’ Steel said quietly, ‘better than any other mummy I know, which makes you very lucky, and I think she’s probably got some toast for you right now.’

‘Yes! Yes!’ Hot buttered toast was the twins’ favourite.

It was Daisy who said—once the girls had a slice of toast each—'Can we sit with you?’ as she stood in front of Steel, all brown-eyed entreaty.

‘I don’t see why not.’ Steel made room for the girls on each knee, careless of his designer suit and the dripping butter.

Toni looked into the chiselled male face and knew she would love him for ever. Which was terrifying.

By the time Toni’s parents made an appearance the
twins had already been upstairs to inform their grandparents the steel man was in the kitchen having breakfast. Consequently Vivienne and William were remarkably matter-of-fact, congratulating Steel on becoming an uncle when he showed them the pictures of Miranda and acting as though it were commonplace to have a multimillionaire eating breakfast in their tiny kitchen.

Every moment was bittersweet for Toni. It was impossible not to imagine how it would be if the twins were Steel’s children, his flesh and blood, because he was so good with them and they seemed to have taken to him big time. For such a masculine man he definitely had a way with children, and she found this surprising, although she reflected she shouldn’t have. He had brought Annie up, hadn’t he? And she’d noticed he had a compassion for anything small and defenceless, even going to the bother of catching a spider and putting it outside when one had found its way into his office a few weeks back. On the other hand he was ruthless and uncompromising in business, annihilating the competition without any remorse and showing no weakness.

An enigma. She nodded mentally to the thought as she and the girls disappeared upstairs to wash and get dressed. Steel had suggested he give her a lift. He just needed to visit his apartment to change his clothes and have a shave first, he’d said blandly, as though the two of them arriving at the office together would provoke no comment.

Once the girls were ready for school they disappeared downstairs again leaving her to finish getting ready. By the time she came down they were jumping with
excitement owing to the fact Steel had suggested he take them to the school’s breakfast club in his car.

‘It’s called a Rapide,’ Amelia informed Toni very
seriously. ‘Because it goes fast. An’ it goes really,
really
fast, doesn’t it?’ she added, turning to Steel.

‘Like the wind,’ he assured the little girl gravely.

‘But not when it’s taking you two to school,’ Toni cautioned. ‘Then it goes nice and safely.’

‘Oh,
Mummy.’
She was clearly the spoilsport this morning.

Toni could just feel the neighbours’ eyes boring into her back when she and Steel and the girls climbed into the car a few minutes later. Curtains were twitching and no doubt speculation would be rife. And this was just the beginning of it. Steel was larger than life in every respect and consequently people took a healthy—and not so healthy—interest in what he did. Mind, she supposed she bought the celebrity gossip mags now and again, which perhaps wasn’t so very different.

As luck would have it—bad luck—the first person Toni saw when she got out of the car with the girls was Poppy with Nathan. Poppy’s husband usually dropped Nathan off every morning on his way to work to save Poppy having to try and get the other three children dressed and out of the house so early—no mean feat since the new baby had arrived.

‘Graham’s taken a couple of days’ holiday so I can get on with some Christmas shopping without the kids,’ Poppy said as Toni reached her, talking to Toni but with her eyes fixed on the Aston Martin. ‘Is that him? Steel Landry?’

‘Uh-huh.’ Toni continued walking to the school gate but once the children had gone in Poppy caught hold of her arm. ‘You sly old fox, you. What’s going on?’

‘Nothing.’ She didn’t feel ready to discuss Steel this morning.

‘Nothing? He’s dropping your children off and you
say nothing?’ Poppy’s eyes sparkled. ‘Did he stay the night?’

‘He called by early this morning, that’s all, and offered me a lift, and Amelia and Daisy wanted a ride in his car. That’s all there is to it. And—and we’re probably going to have the odd date now and again, just as friends.’

Poppy stopped dead and then as Toni carried on walking hurried to catch her up. ‘Since when has all this happened? You didn’t say a word about it at the weekend.’

‘Since yesterday. We—we had a heart-to-heart.’

They had almost reached the car and as Steel leant across from the driver’s seat and thrust open the passenger door for Toni to climb in Poppy shamelessly stared. Toni couldn’t help smiling. She thought it was the first time she’d seen Poppy lost for words. But only for a moment.
‘Eye candy,
‘ Poppy murmured, ‘doesn’t do him justice.’

‘Shh, he’ll hear you.’

‘Ring me,’ said Poppy as Toni slid into the car. ‘Soon.’

T
ONI WILLED STEEL TO
start the car quickly; she wouldn’t put it past Poppy to open the door and ask for Steel’s autograph!

Poppy was still blatantly staring as they drew away, and it was a moment before Steel drawled, ‘Eye candy?’

‘You heard.’ She blushed a cherry red. ‘I’m so sorry.’

‘I didn’t know women spoke in those terms.’

‘Poppy does.’ And I’ll strangle her later.

‘And you? Do you think I’m eye candy?’

Toni nerved herself to look at him, but could read nothing from the expressionless profile. ‘I think you’re a good-looking man,’ she said primly.

‘Thank you very much, fair maiden. My ego remains intact.’ He grinned at her before pulling into the deserted car park of a builders’ merchant that wasn’t yet open. Cutting the engine, he reached across and turned her head towards him by a gentle hand on her chin. ‘Do you want to know what I think about you? You’re the most beautiful, fascinating, sexy, complete woman I’ve ever met. And the most puzzling and frustrating. But I’m getting to grips with the puzzle now.’

His voice had been deep and warm and very sensual,
and she shivered, but not from the cold morning. And when he had completed the puzzle, what then? Was that when he grew bored and walked away? She had seen a photograph of his last girlfriend in the paper a few weeks ago, Barbara something or other. She had won a big court case and her gorgeous face had been splashed all across the tabloids. Someone in the office had thrust it under her nose and as she’d stared at the laughing woman in the photograph she’d felt her heart sink, although she hadn’t allowed herself to question why. Barbara had been stunning and acutely intelligent to boot, the epitome of the sort of wonder woman who might just manage to hang onto someone like Steel. Only she hadn’t. And so what chance would a mere mortal have?

‘Toni?’ Steel’s voice brought her out of her whirling thoughts. ‘What is it? What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing.’ She forced a smile. ‘I was just thinking none of those adjectives fit me, that’s all.’

‘If any other woman said that to me I’d think they were angling for more compliments, but you actually mean it, don’t you?’ He shook his head, his silver-blue eyes stroking over her face. ‘I’m going to build up that self-esteem until you’ll expect to bowl everyone over when you walk into a room, just like you do me.’

‘Oh, Steel.’ She couldn’t help smiling.

‘You’re delicious, woman.’ His voice was muffled as he leant across and nuzzled her throat, causing her pulse to pound in reaction. ‘And you wear the sexiest perfume. I catch a whiff of that in the office and I lose the plot entirely.’

‘Steel, you
never
lose the plot.’ Her voice was husky. He was dropping little burning kisses over her throat and chin as he worked up to her mouth.

He took her lips and kissed her long and hard before he said, ‘It’s a regular occurrence since you came to work for me. I see you sitting demurely at your desk working away and all I can think of is how you’d look spread out on it being ravaged. You’ll walk into my office for a minute or two and then it takes me an hour to get control again. I want to take you on the sofa in my office, on the floor, hell, anywhere. I’m obsessed with you, woman. Don’t you know that?’

She was entranced by his idea of her as a femme fatale, but still felt as though it were another woman he was talking about. Richard’s love-making had always been brief and perfunctory, an exercise to relieve himself of a bodily need. She’d often felt a blow-up doll would have served him just as well for all the interest he actually took in her, as a woman. His lack of interest had chipped away at her self-confidence in her femininity more than she’d realised.

‘You’re gorgeous, Toni, and all woman.’ It was as though he could read her mind. ‘I can’t get enough of you.’

Her soft sigh shuddered through her body as he pulled her into him, kissing her again, and then as he caught himself on part of the car he swore softly. ‘If anyone had told me a few months ago I’d be necking in the front seat of my car I’d have laughed at them. One day I’m going to have you exactly where I want you. You know that, don’t you?’

He slid fully into his seat as he spoke, starting the engine and pulling out of the car park as the first employee drove in.

They drove straight to Steel’s apartment. She hadn’t been there since her interview months ago, and it was as beautifully indifferent as she remembered, right down
to the bowls of hothouse blooms arranged about the sitting room. She glanced round and then started as Steel put his arms round her middle, nuzzling the back of her neck as he said, ‘You were frowning—why?’

She spoke the truth. ‘The plans I’ve got for that lovely old house are nothing like this. You do realise that, don’t you? Are you sure you want me to have a free hand?’

‘Never been so sure of anything in my life.’ He turned her round to face him, his eyes glowing a deep silver made all the more striking by his thick lashes and the black stubble coating the lower part of his face. ‘And I told you, the house is to be a home. This place is convenient but it’s never really been that.’

It was slowly dawning on her that she had the right to touch him, to act like a girlfriend, and now she placed her palms along either side of his face. This man had swept away all the rules she’d made for herself when Richard had died and she knew she was playing with fire, but she couldn’t help herself.

His day-old beard was sandpapery against the soft skin of her fingers, and he smiled as she grimaced. ‘I know, I’m rough.’

She touched the odd grey hair in the jet black; he was greying slightly at his temples too and it suited him, adding a devastating maturity to his sexiness. ‘Silver threads,’ she murmured. ‘And very distinguished too.’

‘I’m thirty-eight years old, Toni. Thirty-nine in the New Year. Does that worry you?’ He was suddenly very serious.

‘Worry me?’ She didn’t understand. ‘Why would it worry me?’

‘I’m eight years older than you.’

‘My father is ten years older than my mother, as it
happens. They used to laugh about it when I was growing up. My mother’s always called him her sugar daddy.’

He grinned the grin that had the power to make her weak at the knees as he released her. ‘I’ll go and freshen up. Make some coffee, would you? You’ll find everything somewhere in the kitchen.’ He waved a vague hand.

She took off her coat and left it with her handbag on one of the sofas, wandering through to the kitchen as Steel disappeared. The kitchen was amazing, all stainless steel, pale maple wood and glittering black granite worktops, with an Italian porcelain floor Toni knew would have cost an arm and a leg. Here, though, Maggie’s touch was evident. A pile of cookery books next to the fabulous stove, an apron slung over the back of a chair and a row of fresh herbs in little glass containers on the window sill. Homely touches to soften the show-room perfection.

She dug and delved and managed to have the coffee poured out and waiting when Steel strolled into the kitchen a few minutes later, shaved and hair still damp from the shower. He was wearing a brilliant white shirt, unbuttoned, and tailored black trousers, and he was barefoot.

Toni took one look and knew she was lost. The next stage of their relationship was going to progress as fast as wildfire and right now, she thought as she walked straight into his open arms. He didn’t kiss her at once, simply holding her against him as he looked deeply into her eyes. ‘I’ve missed you while I’ve been gone,’ he murmured lazily, his eyes smiling into hers.

She giggled, wrapping her arms round his lean waist. ‘You’ve only been gone five minutes.’

‘Five minutes is five lifetimes if I can’t see you,
touch you, taste you. What have you done to me? I’m a wreck.’

‘Not you, Steel Landry.’

‘Yes, me. You’ve got me tied up in knots.’ His voice was rueful and she realised with a bolt of breathtaking amazement he was speaking the truth. For the first time she took the initiative, standing on tiptoe and covering his lips with hers.

His response was immediate. He kissed her with such hunger, such explosive warmth that Toni was instantly swept away on a tide of desire. She gave herself up to the sheer delight of sliding her hands over the rippling muscles beneath the silk of his shirt, tangling her fingers in the covering of black body hair on his chest and luxuriating in the breadth and power in the big male body holding her. Steel pulled her closer, so close their bodies were practically fusing together, curves melting into hard, angular planes. It was intoxicating, thrilling and what she had been born for.

Toni inhaled the clean smell of lemon on his skin from the soap he’d used during his shower; it mingled with the musky scent that was all his to produce an intoxicating aphrodisiac she was powerless to resist, and when he moved her against him so she could feel every inch of his arousal she moaned softly in her throat.

Her body heat released her own perfume. The magnolia and summer fruits, coupled with her own personal fragrance, aroused Steel still more if that was possible, and he was almost devouring her. The soft wool dress she was wearing clung to her body like a second skin as he ran his hands over her breasts, her tiny waist, the firm smooth line of her hips.

Toni’s eyes were closed and she felt a tight congestion in her belly as the pleasure mounted, and even though
she knew where this was leading, where it would end, she made no effort to stop him. She didn’t want to. She wanted him to undress her, to make love to her. She wanted to feel him inside her, possessing her. She wanted . . . everything.

It came as a drenching shock when he tore his mouth from hers a moment later, steadying her swaying body with his hands on her arms before taking a step backwards. She opened dazed eyes, her pupils dilated with the raw passion that still showed in her face, unable to believe that he had stopped.

Steel was breathing hard, his breath ragged as he muttered, ‘Maggie,’ tucking his shirt into his trousers as he spoke.

‘What?’ She stared at him uncomprehendingly, and then she heard the sound of a tune being hummed seconds before Steel’s daily appeared in the kitchen doorway.

Steel had had the presence of mind to start pouring coffee and now he turned, his voice remarkably controlled as he said, ‘Morning, Maggie.’

Maggie appeared as flustered as Toni felt, stopping a step into the room and looking from one to the other. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said quickly. ‘I didn’t expect—I mean, you’re never here at this time of the morning.’

‘I’ve been at the hospital all night.’ Steel handed a cup of coffee to both women as he spoke, completely his normal, urbane self. ‘Annie had a daughter in the early hours and I called in Toni’s to tell her and then offered her a lift into work once I’d washed and shaved.’

‘A daughter? There, didn’t I tell you it would be a little girl? I’m never wrong about these things.’ Maggie smiled at Toni. ‘Never got one wrong in my life.’

‘Who needs scans when they’ve got you, Maggie?’

Steel took a long pull at his own coffee and Toni was gratified to see he wasn’t as in control as he’d like them to believe. His hand was shaking just the slightest.

For herself she couldn’t believe how close she had come to making love with him right there on the kitchen floor. The way it had been she doubted if they would have made it to the bedroom. And Maggie knew. In spite of how tactful the little woman was being, bustling over to the stove as she asked Steel if they’d like a cooked breakfast, Toni had seen the speculative gleam in Maggie’s eyes.

Excusing herself, she made her way into the little cloakroom off the hall and shut the door before looking at herself in the mirror. She groaned softly. Of course Maggie knew. The woman staring back at her out of the mirror looked as though she had been ravished. Her lips were red and swollen, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes bright, and her hair.

After splashing cold water on her face she smoothed her hair into order with her hands, having left her bag, which held her brush, in the sitting room. She stood for a few moments with her eyes shut and her forehead pressed against the cold glass as she pulled herself together. Only twenty-four hours ago she had started the day thinking Steel was driving her to a new project he wanted her to oversee. Well, he had, in a way, but so much had happened since then she felt that Toni had been a different person and bore no resemblance to the woman she was now.

When she walked back to the kitchen Maggie was busy dishing up a full English breakfast. In spite of having had two pieces of toast with Steel and the girls, Toni found she was suddenly ravenously hungry. The three of them ate at the kitchen table, the winter sunlight
pouring in the window picking up blue lights in Steel’s jet-black hair. Out of nowhere, Toni found herself saying, ‘Your colouring is very unusual, the black hair and light eyes. Is Annie’s the same?’

‘See for yourself later. I thought we’d call in the hospital for a few minutes when we leave here. I’d like to take her some flowers and it will give you a chance to meet her and see the baby.’

Toni saw Maggie’s eyes flash over their faces but the small woman made no comment, gathering up the dirty plates and stacking them in the dishwasher, before asking if they’d like more coffee. Steel took his with him into the bedroom where he continued getting ready and Toni sat with Maggie in the kitchen, listening to her chatter about the preparations for Christmas and a hundred and one other things besides. Maggie was one of those folk who could talk for England and rarely required a comment on what she was saying, and it was surprisingly restful in the circumstances.

As they left the apartment building it was bitterly cold after the centrally heated warmth within and Toni shivered. Steel pulled her into him, wrapping his arm round her waist and kissing the top of her head as they walked to the car.

Somehow, after all the passionate embraces they’d exchanged, it was more intimate than anything that had gone before. Intimate and poignant. This closeness was a transitory thing. One day it would be another woman on his arm and she must remember that. Must try to protect herself from giving too much emotionally.