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He nods but refuses to meet my eyes. “I’m good. Let’s get you home and then we’ll talk.”
I nod my head. “Okay.”
He hits the gas and he peels out of the parking lot, the momentum shoving me back in the seat. A tiny sliver of unease ripples down my spine. I’ve never seen Steele remotely out of control. He’s the most fun-loving, laid-back, easy-going guy I’ve ever met.
Off the ice. On the ice, he’s a one-man wrecking crew just looking for someone to land on. He skates like his life depends on it and he tears apart anyone that threatens his teammates. I’ve watched him on the ice for years now and can’t quite mesh the two men. It’s like they literally are not the same person.
But right now, he’s giving me chills just like the focused, goal-oriented player on the ice.
His hands are wrapped around the steering wheel with a grip so intense that his knuckles are white with tension.
“Are you okay?” I ask again, uncertain what happened. Whether I did something wrong.
He shoots me a dark look out of his glittering eyes and I freeze. My heartbeat picks up like I’m facing a predator. I can see it in his eyes. He’s dangerous right now.
So I turn and face out the window, willing my heart to slow down, my body to relax in the soft leather seat.
He says not one more word the whole way home. But he doesn’t go to my place. Instead he drives right on by to his place.
I sit up straight in the seat, gripping my hands tightly. I’ve been to his big house on the outskirts of town tons of times. But this just feels different.
The garage opens and he drives the car through it, letting it shut behind us, the dark enveloping the car. I sink my teeth into my lip, anxious in the dark and quiet of the garage.
“Steele?”
“Let’s go inside where we can talk,” he says roughly. I jump at the hoarse tone of his voice. He sounds like he’s on the edge but I don’t know why.
“Sure.” I step out of the car, surprised when he walks around and shuts the door, trapping me against the side of the car. My breath stalls as I look up and up into his fathomless, dark gaze. I feel like I’m on the edge of a cliff and just about ready to jump off into never-ending space.
My hands come up and rest on his chest and he grunts, his own big paws covering mine, holding me steady right there.
Then he shakes himself like a dog coming in out of the rain. He grasps my elbow gently and pulls me along behind him.
I stumble and try to keep my feet under me. Steele seems like he’s got an agenda. A mission.
When we walk in the door, he presses the alarm buttons and then resets everything. Then he waves his hand at me to guide me down the hallway to the great room. It’s my favorite room in his house. The view out the huge, floor to ceiling windows is stunning. It’s dark out but I know what it looks like. I’ve got it memorized from many visits.
There’s a mountain far away and the top of it is always covered by clouds. Like it’s hidden away in a magical world. There’s snow on the ground and miles of untamed forests. He butts up to the end of the forest and the two of us love to hike on the trails behind his house.
Steele moves up behind me where I’m facing the windows looking out into darkness. I can see his big hands come up to my shoulders in the window and I brace myself for his touch. But it never comes. He turns back and sits down on the couch.
“Sit down, firefly. I really need you to do me a favor.”
I nod my head and sit gingerly on one of the chairs, just so that he can’t sit next to me. I feel raw and emotional. His gaze heats up and zeroes in on me like he’s a heat-seeking missile instead of a man.
But he says nothing about that. Instead, he sighs. “I know this seems odd. But it’s better this way.”
“Okay, Steele. What kind of favor is it that you want?”
“Let me preface this with a story.” I nod, waiting with bated breath. “You know about the team’s charity auction?”
“Yeah.”
“They’re putting me in the damn thing even though I specifically said I don’t want to do it. I do stuff for charities all over the place but I don’t want to do that one. Ugh! I can’t stand the thought of this. You know I don’t really date.”
I nod my head, confused. I know that Steele went through something a few years ago and he doesn’t want to date. It’s mind-boggling to me. He’s such a great guy. Usually, anyway. He’s still acting kind of odd which I guess isn’t that surprising since he’s been ordered to do something so against everything he wants to do with his life.
“Anyway. There’s somebody and I don’t want to date when I’m already interested in someone else.”
