Driven to Desire

pt, and neither di

as his tailored Tom Ford suits. Ruthless in the boardroom and coldly private outside of it, Steve was a man who

ot to

eep his schedule tight and his privacy tighter was out for medical leave. Steve hadn't ask

aybach opened and he heard high heels clic

into the dr

t a suit from d

bronze that caught the soft ambient light. Her dark brown hair was pulled bac

n the mirror bold,

oice clear but casual. "I'm Sandr

andra... Rober

again, hands on the wheel like she'd do

aware he

doesn't talk much. Gues

ked despit

daughter. But she drove differently than her father. Where Robert was smooth and cautious, Sandra

d confidence. As

mirror for a long mome

than I expected,

t back without hesitation, glancing at

. "You always talk to y

e diffic

cape in this car. She didn't seem impressed. Or intimidat

rig

rt. But she made

s questions. But there was something in the air some unspoken current

hey slowed at a red

ife to know when someone was sizing her up and didn't gi

eople, don't you?"

who try to cont

k, lips curvi

xpression cool, but he saw it the

at reflected the city like a blade. Sandra pulled up to the curb and shi

dn't

he rearview mirr

pness of his exit dulled by something el

" he asked, tilting his

lifted sli

r what it l

can guess. Glass, chrome

hed. "You'd be

etween them. Long

. "Good night,

te

gaze. "Good n

the car, but his m

back early. Waiting by t

o his ear, barking orders into it. But when he reached the car

slid into the back seat and gave her a

ndra said wit

re pr

rofess

her jaw, the steady way

be a driver?" he ask

op

n wh

construction. Bartended. Got into a little trouble." She

intrigued. "And work

pora

about you sa

hat was almost a laugh

. "You say 'I'm used to being underestim

d him a lo

le for a livin

hen I'm

You must be re

ton

ir last ride of the day

. His tie undone. He slipped into the back seat looking lik

andra asked wi

answer r

ing from me. A piece of me.

r a moment, then said,

ft

t doesn'

es them come

tood. "People think money m

r sharply. "You

live

le

rd slightly, voice soft

dn't a

was the most honest thing eit

n't want

t

ng windows of his 68th story office, watching the city bleed into dusk. Lights flickere

e buzzed

front when y

then typed b

r. He almost expect

eplied: W

gged at his mouth. Sh

, a soft knock on

looser, leather jacket zipped halfway over her dark fitted t

id to c

d

nbothered. No fake modesty. No pretenses. S

of a

nymore," Steve said,

her shoulder. "

ngry?"

not usually how billionai

uiet laugh. "I'm

N

and poured two glasses of

her, her fingers brushing his. Somethi

y drink with cl

ly invite driv

oth, slow. "So what

y. Instead, he studied her

I didn't want to

han he meant to

ake it awkward. She just nodde

ow, facing each other. The silence stretched bet

"You're not like oth

n't fawn over

se you don

her head. "Y

spect

r long

"So what do you pre

ow and tired.

etween them, heavie

in the roo

hed his. Not

on her knee, fingers

e met his gaze, fire dan

is a good ide

ven a

oo

in slowly, deliber

n't feel lik

t inev

hed her, deepening the kiss slowly, his hand sliding along her thigh. The

didn'

breathless, eyes dark

ove. "You t

sho

don

, quie

er hands smoothing over her jac

houl

too, slow

between them "changes every

"You think I'd fire

're the kind of man who doesn't let

der than it

the door, but he

," he said, voice lower now.

stil

idn't tur

was waiting in the c

e jacket. Same

thing had

t without a word. The air between them was thick w

ntil they were hal

last

o talk about it,

ed. "We prob

ce dangerously close to he

at him in the

Neither

le

ed, "So what

rive. We pretend. Un

they'd danced around t

ons that started professional and ended personal. He learned that her mother left when she

nion was his housekeeper. That he played piano in secre

pposites in

didn't

a long charity gala, it

bed into the car. Midnight had pa

im in the rearview

didn't

idn't

he said, "Co

ightened on the

eas

quietly, it wasn't a comm

ont of his building.

at in

ly, she st

d. Heart

the back seat and stood before

eached fo

he le

ed behind her, the city

alist, but lacking warmth. Not that he cared. Tonigh

the pulse thrumm

feeling the sharp inh

ower this time, tasting

f she'd been waiting for

her waist, the line of her neck. E

ngled in his shirt,

whispered aga

can't wai

eath h

hedding the walls they

d on the floo

on

mas

rete

liding in a moment

urs bl

ked in w

ts too raw f

ather was a hard man, distant and demanding,

r's absence, the silence

they found something

Steve held her close, the weight o

ircles on his chest.

forehead. "Now? W

u're my

u're my

felt meanin

ight had chang

sharp lines across Steve's penthouse, exposing

awn up, staring out the window. The silence

roke it. "You do

is. "I don't w

changes ev

e it changes everyt

d what I'm risking. My reputatio

owing smile. "Then yo

wed hard. Sh

something dangerous, something neither

room to him. "Whatever come

ds, feeling the wa

er," he

a long time, Steve Lancast