Page 33 of Made of Steele
“I can see you’re hesitant. This isn’t a typical mom fix-up for an unfortunate-looking son. My Ollie is very attractive, and the only reason he’s not married yet is because he devotes all of his time to the business.” Lauralee jerked her hand free, picked up her phone from the table, and tapped it to reveal a picture of a man with sleeked-back dark hair, a toned body, and Lauralee’s gorgeous smile.
“Heisquite good looking,” Teagan said, though he did nothing for her. Not like Drew.
“So give me your number. It’s only one date. Or maybe a cup of coffee.” Lauralee held out her phone. “Go ahead. Put your number in. What do you have to lose?”
Only my life.
Drew’s blood boiled as he pushed past a shocked Teagan and into her house.
“What are you doing here?” she whispered, her tone frantic.
“We need to talk. In private.” He made sure his tone removed any question she might have that he would talk to her right now, no matter what she wanted.
“Follow me.” She marched down the hall in a saucy walk that captured his imagination and tried to interrupt his anger from their earlier phone call.
She’d been so excited to tell him she had a lunch date with Oliver Rossi tomorrow. Not Drew. He’d seen red. Bright bull-fighting, blistering red that lingered, and he rushed right over here.
He kept up with her quick strides, vaguely aware of people sitting in the family room and the smell of onions and beef roasting. His mouth had the good sense to water at the tempting aroma, but he ignored how his stomach rumbled in response.
She turned. “Go ahead and have a seat.”
Bookshelves loaded with law enforcement books covered two walls, and they’d located two comfy-looking leather club chairs that held the marks of being well-used nearby.
He took a seat in one of them and took a hearty breath to come across calmer. “Why on earth would you try to make contact with anyone in the Rossi family?”
She closed the door. “I was trying to help.”
“One of the first rules of law enforcement, as I know you know, is always make sure someone knows where you are. You could’ve been putting yourself in danger.”
“Um, Drew.” A smile flickered on her face as she sat next to him. “I was in a nail salon. What could Lauralee do to me there? Slit my throat with a nail file?”
“Don’t make light of this.” He fisted his hands but held his tongue, but it was hard. She’d gone rogue, scheduled a date with Oliver Rossi, and Drew didn’t like it. Not only from his UC point of view, but as a man who was seriously interested in her. He didn’t want another man to sit across the table and flirt with her. He didn’t want another man even considering flirting with her.
She crossed her long legs. She’d changed into black leggings and an oversized T-shirt that hid all of her curves, and she still looked amazing. What would she wear tomorrow to the lunch date? A lunch date with another man. He could barely keep from demanding to know.
She let her foot encased in camo slippers swing. “I won’t go if you don’t want me to, but I might be able to get Oliver to brag about himself and find out what they’ve bought. It could be the thing Sal Conti needs three mil for.”
Her point was valid. If Drew shared this information with his supervisor, Harris would be all over encouraging Teagan to attend this lunch date. He should be too. He was letting his personal feelings get in the way when he had limited time to put his op to bed.
He had to control his emotions. He had no claim on her. Would never have a claim on her. Despite his feelings. He would fight them. He could never get involved only to walk away and hurt her.
But at all costs—he had to be sure she was safe. “If I let you go, you’ll have to be careful. Not only because we don’t know what kind of guy Oliver Rossi is, but because you can’t be seen by the Contis or that could blow up my op. “
She eyed him. “First off, you won’tletme go. It’s my decision. And second, lots of women date two men at a time.”
“Sure, but no way the Contis would think it was a coincidence that you’re dating me and the son of their supplier too.”
Her gaze softened. “I suppose you’re right.”
“Did you give Mrs. Rossi your real name?”
She shook her head. “I told her I was Meg Jacobs.”
A small victory. “And how did that name come to you?”
“It’s the main character’s name in a book I’m reading. And I didn’t give her my phone number either. Made up a story about my phone being stolen and was getting a new one after the manicure. So I got her and Oliver’s numbers and said I would text him when I had the new phone. Figured that would give me a chance to get a prepaid phone issued.”
“And she bought the story?”
