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When Harper lifted her head, her eyes were bright with tears. He held her gaze, then lowered his head to capture her lush mouth with his.
Kissing her the way he’d only dreamed about.
CHAPTERTEN
Harper lost herself in the wonder of Steele’s kiss. It seemed like so long since she’d felt cherished. And his kiss was better than anything she’d experienced in her life. But when her baby kicked him in the stomach, he broke off their embrace, glancing down at her belly as if embarrassed.
“I—uh,” he faltered, raked his hand through his hair, then said, “I hope I didn’t make you feel uncomfortable.”
“No, you didn’t.” She’d moved beyond what Jake had done. Focusing instead on the baby she loved more than anything.
Watching Steele flounder almost made her smile. She wondered what he would do if she kissed him again. Then the reality of her situation crashed over her. What was she thinking kissing Steele? Any minute now, the ATF agents would issue a warrant for her arrest.
This—was nothing more than a brief interlude. A very nice, wonderful interlude.
But temporary just the same.
“Come sit down.” He took a step backward, seeming to look everywhere but at her. “How are your feet holding up?”
“Fine.” Her blistered feet were the least of her worries. She reminded herself that Steele could have any woman he wanted. He was tall, dark, and handsome. There was no reason to believe he’d be interested in a pregnant woman like her or a ready-made family.
“Let me know when you’d like to eat lunch,” he said.
“Food can wait. What did Banner say?” She’d only heard Steele’s side of the conversation. The way he’d vehemently supported her had been sweet. Maybe she’d been too hard on him during the apartment search. He had obviously been as surprised by their finding the gun as she was.
“I think you heard most of it.” He dropped into the chair adjacent to the sofa. “The SIG was used to kill Ellis Starkey. But there were no fingerprints on the gun, indicating the shooter wiped it clean or used gloves.”
“There is no reason for me to kill Ellis.” She found it hard to believe she was even saying it. “I told you he was nice to me.” She remembered what he’d said about how any normal shooter would toss the gun into Lake Michigan. “The only reason the gun was found in my apartment was because someone put it there.”
“I agree.” He smiled. “Try not to worry about it.”
Impossible, but she nodded. She’d hoped her shower would make her feel better, but it was Steele’s kiss that had brought a hint of peace. “You know, I still think it’s odd that the gun was in my dresser drawer.”
“Because that’s not where you would have hidden it?” Steele asked.
“No, but since the goal was to frame me, why not put it in the blue vase?”
Steele frowned. “They looked inside the blue vase. There was nothing but the plastic flowers.”
“I know that, but it’s the vase Ellis gave me.” She sighed. “The one he claimed was from the warehouse. It has a small chip, so he said they couldn’t sell it. I just set it near the wall, where the chip wasn’t visible.”
“Wait a minute, Starkey gave you a vase?” Steele looked surprised.
“It wasn’t some big romantic gesture or anything,” she quickly explained. “Ellis wasn’t a flirt. I truly believe he thought I’d like to have it.”
“Was this after you moved into the apartment?” Steele frowned. “I thought you hadn’t seen him for a few weeks before you left Feldman.”
“No, I took the vase with me when I moved.” She remembered feeling a little foolish for bringing it along. “I didn’t want anything Jake gave me, but the vase added a little color to the place.” Really, it was the flowers that she’d enjoyed the most.
“You’re sure Starkey was never in your apartment?” He pressed. “Maybe you mixed up your dates.”
She clenched her jaw. “I’m sure. I have never lied to you, Steele. Not once. Just because Ellis was nice to me didn’t make him my close confidant. Just the opposite. I figured anything I told him would end up going straight to Jake. Ellis was loyal to him. Why? I have no idea.”
“Okay, okay.” He held up his hand. “It’s just that you never mentioned the blue vase before.”
Hadn’t she? Maybe not. “I was only saying that if Jake was behind this, he probably would have mentioned the vase as a good hiding spot.”
“Yeah, maybe.” He appeared lost in thought as if trying to envision the vase.
