Heart of Steele (16 page)

His jaw dropped. That was the exact opposite
of what he was trying to tell her.

Tracy held Steele’s hand, trying to keep hers
from shaking. Having him loom over her the way he was, sitting on
the arm of his airplane seat, didn’t help.

It killed her to cut him off the way she had,
but she’d planned for this moment. Although, she thought it
wouldn’t come until after the concert the next night.

He wanted their relationship to continue. God
knew she did too, but it wasn’t what was best for her right
now.

The hum of the jet engines droned on in the
silence between them.

“What do you mean?” Steele released her hand
and slumped off the arm and into his seat. “Over?”

She released her seatbelt and turned to face
him. “We knew, going in, that this was just a convenient release
for both of us. Stuck up there in your cabin together gave us the
perfect chance to work out all the sexual tension between us.”

“So it was just sex for you?” His jaw
tightened and his eyes turned more gray than green.

She couldn’t lie. “It was more than that. It
became more than just sex. But I don’t have room in my life for
this right now.”

“Room for ‘this.’ If it’s more than just sex,
why—”

“Let me explain.” She took a deep breath. “I
have goals for my life, and I want to achieve them. Soon. I’m
getting older in a business that worships youth. I need to focus
all my efforts there. Dating you would be a distraction I can’t
afford.” She would love it, though. She’d discovered that she
craved his company, but she needed to cut herself off from it
before more of her heart became involved.

“I can help you.” He leaned forward, resting
his forearms on his legs. “I have connections.” He said it softly,
as if he knew she wouldn’t want to hear it.

She shook her head. “You know I don’t want
that. I don’t want to be hired because I’m the actress who’s dating
Steele McLairn.” Touching her fingers to her lips, she breathed
deeply to hold back her emotion. “Just look what happened at the
movie studio. Our lives became a circus when that video went
online.”

The scent of something delicious wafted from
the front of the plane. She stood and walked to the galley, opened
the microwave door, and carried the plates to the table. Tracy
stood in front of Steele. When he didn’t look up, she sat on the
chair facing him.

“I’ve wanted to be an actress since I was a
little thing. I’d always pretend...” Pretend she had a perfect
family, and wasn’t pushed around by her brother.

He lifted his head. His eyes showed his
confusion.

“I want to be noticed for my own talent, not
for being attached to someone who can make things happen for me.
You understand, right?”

He nodded. “What if we kept it secret? And
met once in a while?” He got to his feet and helped her to stand.
His beautiful eyes stared into hers. “Don’t end this just when
things are starting to get good.”

For such a proud man to ask that of her—it
made her rethink everything she’d just said. She needed time to
think. “Food’s getting cold. Let’s eat while we talk.” She sat and
gulped a swallow of champagne as Steele took his seat across the
table, facing her.

He watched her as he picked at an appetizer.
“You have more to say. Get it out, sugar.”

At least he was talking to her. “Don’t you
think this all happened too fast?” She bit into something creamy
with artichokes and garlic.

He set down his food. “You’re saying that the
newness is wearing off?”

“No, I’m saying that it’s all been wonderful,
but it wasn’t real life. Up there at the cabin, we had our own
world.” Their own slice of heaven. “It’ll be different once we get
back to real life in LA.”

“It doesn’t have to be.” He sat back, his
champagne flute in his hand. “How will you know if you don’t give
it a try?”

Selecting another morsel, she popped it into
her mouth to give her a moment. The champagne wasn’t helping her
keep a clear head. He made a good point. What would it hurt to meet
him secretly, only when her busy life, and his, permitted?

But then, there was the anger issue. When
he’d been on the phone with his PR people and his agent, he’d been
a different person. The sheer violence she’d felt pouring from him
had startled her. Was that how he was in his work life? Once they
returned to the city, would that be his normal demeanor?

He refilled their glasses then sat patiently,
waiting for her answer. Why wouldn’t she give it a try?

What if the man she’d fallen for in Big Bear
wasn’t the real Steele, though? It might just kill her. “I don’t
want to make a decision right this second.” She looked out the
window.

“I’ll give you all the time you want, all the
space you want, Tracy.” He set his glass on the table. “I feel
something.” His brow furrowed. “I’ve never known anyone like you
before, and I want to spend more time with you.”

His words cocooned her heart in tenderness,
and it hurt, physically, to think of a life without him.

He stood and held out his hand to her.

She took it and let him pull her up. “Steele.
Let’s keep things as they are for a little while longer. Until I
can think this through.”

“Anything you want, Tracy.” He ran his hand
over her hair and down her arm. “We’ll take this at your pace.”

The relief of not having to say goodbye right
here, of having the option to see him in the future, loosened the
ache in her chest. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her
face into his neck, nibbling on the corded muscles there. “You
said...anything I want, right?”

He kissed her temple. “Anything, sugarbeet.”
His voice was soft and slow.

“That couch back there?” She tipped her head
back and gave him a naughty smile. “Can I submit my membership to
the Mile High Club with you?”

He tossed his head back on a laugh, turned
her to face the back of the plane, and with his hands on her
shoulders, walked her in the direction she wanted to go.

“We’re taking new membership applications
today, Ms. Hartman. Please get completely naked and lay on the
couch.” He closed the door to the small room, cocooning them in
their own little world.

She giggled as she unbuttoned her pants. It
was a temporary fix for her confusion, but a nice way to ease her
heartache.

****

Late the next morning, Tracy stepped on stage
in front of the empty arena. Steele was there already doing a sound
check with his band. Three large film cameras sat at different
spots, pointing to a big blue screen to the far side of the stage.
It looked like the one they’d been filming in front of in LA.

The high-heeled red cowgirl boots Steele had
swiped for her carried her across the carpeted stage as she tied
her T-shirt under her breasts the way the costume department had
done for her back in LA. Her Daisy Duke shorts felt a little tight.
Too much good food and wine the last few days.

When they’d arrived in Tulsa the night
before, there were two limos to bring them separately to the hotel.
She had her own room, but Steele invited her to his suite for
supper and a long night of wrestling in bed. And on the couch. And
in the shower.

They’d taken separate limos to the arena
today, too. Steele’s manager, Jeff, had worked it all out so they
wouldn’t be seen together anywhere but on stage.

Tracy waved to Steele, who was singing one of
his hits into a microphone while playing intricate notes on his
guitar. He winked at her. She stopped and listened, amazed at his
talent. His band consisted of the top musicians in country music
today.

He ended the song abruptly. “Sound good to
everyone?”

“Good out here,” a voice came over the
speakers.

Steele turned and waited until all his band
members gave a thumbs-up. “We’re done. See you back here tonight.”
He pulled his guitar strap over his head as he walked
backstage.

It took a few minutes for everyone to clear
out and the camera crew to take their spots. The director from the
video shoot in LA walked out onto the stage, giving directions and
looking into one of the cameras. “Miss Hartman. Will you please
stand in front of the screen so we can get some lighting
levels?”

“Of course.” She hustled to the spot and
stood perfectly still while a young man she didn’t recognize held a
little gadget in the air around her. “Are you from Tulsa?”

He stopped and looked at her. “Yes, ma’am.
I’m Body. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Thank you. I’m Tracy. It’s my first time in
Oklahoma.”

“I recognize you, ma’am.” He stepped a little
closer. “If you need someone to show you around town, I’d be glad
to oblige.”

She looked at him. Kind of cute, blond, about
her height but very young. “Thank you, but I’ll be leaving
tonight.”

“If you change your mind...” He pulled out
his phone. “Want to give me your number, I’ll call and leave a
message, and you can get me if you need me?”

She laughed. “You’re very creative, but I
really can’t. Thank you.”

He pointed his gadget a few more times. “I
can get us into one of the hottest clubs in town. My cousin works
the door.”

He was persistent. “Thanks, but no. I’m not
available.”

“Just for dancing. A couple drinks. A night
out.”

“I really—”

“If you two are finished setting up your
date...” The producer’s voice carried across the stage. “Can we
finish the lighting check?”

Blond guy’s cheeks turned red but he winked
at her. “Think about it.” He walked away.

“He almost had you there.” Steele’s voice
came from behind her.

She swung around, her heart thudding as she
searched for the words to explain.

He grinned and adjusted his black cowboy hat.
“Tempting, wasn’t it? Drinks, dancing, and his cousin could get you
into the club.”

Relief flowed through her. He wasn’t jealous.
Hadn’t stepped in and told the light tech to get the hell away from
her. Didn’t seem upset at all. If Steele did have anger issues,
wouldn’t they surface at a time like this?

“I’ll admit, it was very tempting, but I
doubt he’s old enough to get into a club without a fake ID.”

Steele stood next to her as the soundtrack
from his single blasted from the speakers. “Looks like we’re
ready.”

“So, when do I get to punch you again?” She
batted her eyes at him.

“Probably not soon enough, huh?”

She sighed. “It still kills me every time I
think about—”

“No.” He lifted a hand as if to touch her
then let it drop. “Don’t let it bother you. I look at it as the
luckiest accident that ever happened to me.” He blinked a few
times. “If it hadn’t, we never would have had Big Bear.”

Her heart filled with a sweet ache. Nothing
he could have said would have affected her the way those words did.
She was falling for him, and God help her, she didn’t have the
strength to fight it.

“Steele.” The director stepped up to them.
“You have the phone?”

He pulled it out of his pocket. It looked the
same as his, but was obviously a prop.

“Before we let the media in and give a
statement, we’re going to rehearse and film. The filming we do
while the masses are in the audience will be purely for
exhibition.”

“How many of them showed up?” Steele didn’t
sound nervous at all, but Tracy had some major stage fright
happening.

“There are dozens, national and local.
Television crews, tabloids, and bloggers. It will be our finest
hour.”

He had a way of calming his actors by
overacting himself.

“Ms. Hartman.” He turned his dark gaze on
her. “We’re going to recreate our infamous punch scene first.”

Tracy felt her neck and face turning red.
Thank heaven for the stage makeup they’d caked on her.

“While we got in a fabulous hit in LA...” The
director gestured for her to move in front of the camera. “This
time, we’re going to pull our punches. Agreed?”

She nodded. “Yes, of course. I’m sorry.”

He tipped his head back dramatically and gave
one loud laugh. “Ms. Hartman, please don’t be sorry. Thanks to you,
when this video is released, it is going to be the most watched
music video in the history of the genre.”

She smiled. “I’m glad I could do something so
stupid, and have it turn out so well.”

Steele winked at her. “You have no idea how
happy I am that you’ve got good aim, Ms. Hartman. No idea at
all.”

****

That evening, the limo dropped Tracy off deep
in the bowels of the arena. One of Steele’s assistants, Sheri,
welcomed her and brought her to Steele’s dressing room door.

The guard knocked, and when Steele’s voice
called, “Come in,” the man opened the door for her.

“Thank you.” She smiled and strolled in,
wearing those red boots Steele loved, with jeans, a red tank top,
and a black sweater.

“Hey.” He stood from the couch where he’d
been reading some papers. “You look really hot.”

“Thanks.” She looked him up and down. “So do
you.”

His tight jeans showed off his perfectly
macho ass and muscled thighs. The snap-front white and blue plaid
shirt hugged every muscle of his chest, arms, and shoulders. He’d
rolled up the sleeves and his forearms bulged.

“Why have I never noticed how sexy you are?”
She licked her lips.

“Aw, sugarbeet, you just haven’t been lookin’
hard enough.” Pulling her in for a kiss, he tipped her back,
dizzying her as her blood raced through her, sexually charging her
body.

They’d gone straight back to the hotel after
the video shoot ended that afternoon and spent hours making love.
She still had a decision to make, but it felt right to at least try
to make it work with him. Even if it didn’t end up being forever,
she’d take all the happiness she could get for now.