Seduction of Steel: The Complete Series Read online

  I'm exhausted right now. What I really need is to go home and get some rest.

  Still, the thought of spending some extra time with Ryan was pretty appealing.

  When will I see him again? Will I seem him again, ever?

  Even as her plane landed, Jessica wasn't sure she'd done the right thing by returning home right away.

  -------------------------------------------

  Jessica arrived home without incident, and she and Amber quickly got caught up on each other's news. She spent a few days catching up on sleep, mail, and laundry.

  A few days later, she sat down with her laptop and began typing:

  The Sea Thief

  Chapter 1

  To look at Bryan Robbins, you'd never suspect that he was an international spy. Sure, he had good looks, standing six feet tall with wavy brown hair and piercing hazel eyes, but he also had this disarming quality that suggested that there was nothing dangerous about him...

  Jessica beamed. She was a writer again.

  The End of Seduction of Steel

  Vegas Encounter

  Chapter 1

  ...Bryan looked into Jennifer's eyes. “I love you...but I don't know when I'll see you again.”

  Jennifer brushed away a tear. “It's OK. I understand. If I have to wait ten years or more, I will. I love you, too, Bryan.”

  Bryan kissed her once more and then he was gone. With the authorities just one step behind, it was only a matter of time before they caught up with him.

  But Jennifer knew in her heart that he was a good man and that she'd see him again. Perhaps soon...

  End of The Sea Thief, Part One.

  -------------------------------------------

  Jessica Steel hit the “save” key on her laptop with a self-satisfied smile on her face. After suffering months of agony from writer's block, she finally was able to finish her next book. Granted, she had to spend months on a cruise ship to find the inspiration she was looking for, but the time spent in the Caribbean was entertaining, she met some interesting people, and she was able to take huge volumes of notes that she might be able to use later for other books.

  She had also met Ryan Stevens.

  Jessica smiled again as she thought of Ryan. She'd met him on the ship and thought he was just a mechanic. Not that she cared. He was gorgeous, strong, and had a pair of piercing hazel eyes that made her weak in the knees.

  They met for a couple of dates and had engaged in some sex that was so steamy that just thinking about it had Jessica squirming in her chair. Yes, Ryan was quite the lover.

  He was also, as it turned out, an industrial spy who was on board the ship to steal some software from the ship as evidence for a lawsuit. For a short time, Ryan's legal problems became Jessica's legal problems, but the authorities eventually sorted all of that out.

  Jessica finished her time on the ship, and Ryan kissed her goodbye at the Miami airport, promising that she'd hear from him again.

  That was a month ago, and she'd returned home to Denver. She hadn't yet heard from him. Not by email. Not by text. Not by phone call.

  She wasn't too concerned about it. After all of that time away from home, Jessica had a lot of catching up to do. Her residual income from her previously published books had helped pay the rent at the apartment she shared with Amber Mitchell, so that wasn't a problem. But she had months of mail to catch up to. She had friends and family she hadn't seen in quite a while.

  She also had quite a bit of writing to do. The whole adventure with Ryan and the spying and the dreamy Caribbean settings gave her just the inspiration she needed to get writing again, and Jessica was confident that The Sea Thief would once again put her at the top of the best seller lists. With luck, she could create an entire series of books based upon her adventures with Ryan, thus ensuring a steady income as well as helping her avoid another run of writer's block.

  Jessica could submit the book for publication tomorrow. For now, she wanted to spend some time with her roommate and celebrate the completion of her book.

  Amber came in the door of their apartment just a few minutes later, fresh from her job at a local coffee shop. She'd been working there for about two years and loved it, as she was quite outgoing and it gave her a great opportunity to meet people. She'd met her boyfriend Jason there, and they'd had a steady relationship for some time now.

  “Hi, Amber. Good day at work?” Jessica asked.

  “Typical. Sold a lot of coffee. Had a few guys flirt with me. Fortunately, none of them were creepy today,” she said with a laugh. “How was your day?”

  “I just finished my new book, and I'm ready to celebrate. Wanna go out for a drink?”

  “Sure. Just give me a few minutes to clean up, OK?”

  A half an hour later, they grabbed a table at The Light House, a local bar. They each ordered a drink and got to chatting. Jessica had been home for a month, but as Amber was often working and Jessica had been busy writing, they'd yet to really spend much time talking.

  Amber and Jessica had a lot of catching up to do.

  “So, how are you and Jason doing?” Jessica asked.

  “We're doing great. He's been promoted at the auto parts store. I'm hoping that he'll propose before too long.” She pointed to her left hand. “I'm ready for this finger to have a ring.”

  “That would be nice. I think you two make a cute couple. It would be great to see you married.”

  “I keep dreaming... anyway, tell me more about Ryan. Is he really a spy? Kind of like James Bond?”

  “Yes, he apparently is a real spy and his work usually involves industrial secrets of some sort. I don't think he's like James Bond, though. I don't think there's a lot of danger involved.”

  “Isn't all spy work dangerous?”

  “Well, yes and no. It's not as though Ryan goes around sabotaging factories or anything. He told me that most of his work was actually kind of dull. Sure, he has to go sneaking about, but most of his work ends up being resolved by lawyers.”

  “Still, it sounds more interesting than a boyfriend who works at an auto parts store. It might be worth keeping in touch with him just to get more story ideas. Have you heard from him since you got back?”

  Jessica sighed. “No. I'm beginning to think he was just leading me on. I had hoped that we had something special between us, but it's looking like I was just another woman he met while on the job.” She took a slow sip of her drink and smiled. “The sex was nice, though...but I'd hoped for something more.”

  “Don't sell good sex short, Jess. Good sex is hard to find.”

  “Oh, the sex was amazing. I just want sex and a relationship.”

  “It'll be OK, Jess. Even if you don't hear from him again. You had some great experiences on that ship, and got some good ideas for your books. And you're still hot. You could probably pick up a guy here tonight if you wanted to.”

  “Please...Look around. They're all looking at you, Amber.”

  Jessica was pretty enough, with shoulder-length blond hair, a cute button nose, and a shapely derrière that rarely went unnoticed. But Amber was a striking redhead with a nearly perfect figure who simply stopped traffic wherever she went. Not that she paid much attention, as she was happy with her boyfriend, Jason.

  “Don't sell yourself short, Jess. There are a half a dozen guys in here tonight who'd be happy to buy you a drink...or take you home, if you'd let them.”

  “You're sweet. But I'm just not in the mood right now.”

  “You've been spoiled by that spy. Regular guys with normal jobs aren't good enough for you anymore, are they?” Amber winked at her.

  “I don't know that I'd put it that way. Let's just say I'm not ready to start dating right now,” Jessica replied. She sighed. “I'm still hoping to hear from Ryan again.”

  Amber is right, Jessica thought. Somehow, a one night stand with an accountant or a bartender just didn't seem all that appealing after having hot sex on a tropical beach with a spy. It wasn't just that Ryan was a spy, ei
ther, though that part of him was sexy. Ryan was hot, and knew exactly how and where to touch Jessica in ways that simply made her quiver.

  Being involved with a spy was good. Being involved with a spy who was also a brilliant, attentive lover was better.

  She might meet a lot of guys before she met someone like that again. In the meantime, she'd just have to spend a lot of time getting reacquainted with her vibrator. Masturbation was OK, but it was nothing compared to the orgasms that Ryan had given her. Jessica found herself getting aroused just thinking about that day on the beach. She wasn't sure she'd ever have sex like that ever again.

  “You OK, Jess? You seem a bit lost.”

  “Sorry. I was just thinking about a day I spent on the beach with Ryan.” She sighed again.

  “Was he that good?”

  Jessica just smiled.

  They had another drink, and chatted some more about the rent, new neighbors and other trivial matters, and went back to the apartment.

  -------------------------------------------

  Jessica walked into her bedroom and began to get ready for bed. She'd brushed her teeth, changed into her favorite pink nightie and was getting ready to do a bit of reading on her Kindle. One of the things she really liked about being a writer of erotic literature was that it was actually necessary to read a lot of erotica in order to “keep up” with the genre.

  That was fine with her; Jessica loved reading erotica. The fact that she needed to read all of the currently popular authors' works in order to stay trendy was a bonus as far as she was concerned. She liked both reading and writing, and if she had to read a lot of steamy sex books as part of her job, she was more than willing to do her part.

  Jessica had just crawled into bed and was about to start reading a book called His Every Whim when her cell phone rang.

  “Hello?”

  “Jessica? This is Ryan.”

  “Ryan! It's good to hear from you!”

  But why didn't I hear from you sooner? she thought.

  “Jess, I'm sorry that I haven't been in touch. I've been in and out of the country, and I've had a skirmish or two with the police here and there. It's a bit complicated.”

  “Isn't it always complicated with you? Where are you now? Some dungeon or jail somewhere?”

  “Actually, I'm in Nashville. I'm just wrapping up a job here and then I'm free for a couple of days. I thought I'd see if you were interested in having me pay you a visit.”

  “I'd love to see you!” Jessica could barely contain herself. “When will you be here?”

  “I should be there tomorrow afternoon. I'll give you a call from the airport and then we can meet for dinner. Is that OK with you?”

  “That would be great. Talk to you tomorrow.” Jessica was positively giddy, and ran out into the hall to tell Amber.

  Amber was already in bed.

  “I'm so happy for you, Jess,” Amber said. “Can I go back to sleep now?”

  “Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you.”

  Jessica couldn't sleep, so she went back to reading her love story. Or at least she tried. She couldn't stop thinking about Ryan and now good it was going to feel to be in his arms again.

  Eventually, she managed to doze off, falling asleep with her Kindle in her hands.

  Chapter 2

  The following day, Ryan called as promised at about 4 PM.

  “Hi, Jessica. I'm at the airport. Are you still up for dinner?”

  “I'm up for anything. Where shall we eat?”

  “I'm staying at the Ritz-Carlton. I understand that they've got a nice steak place there. Is that OK with you?”

  “That will be great. Is six o'clock a good time?”

  “That will be perfect. I'll meet you at the restaurant. See you then.”

  Jessica spent quite a bit of time worrying about what to wear, but finally settled on a spaghetti strap little black dress and some matching Jimmy Choo pumps. She wanted to make her reunion with Ryan a memorable one, and she was determined to look her best for him.

  Just to be safe, she got a second opinion from her roommate.

  “Amber, how do I look?”

  “Jess, with that dress, you could get any man you want. You look awesome.”

  “Thanks.”

  Jessica spent some time fidgeting with her hair and makeup. She changed earrings three times. Finally, she decided that she'd done all that she could with her appearance. She grabbed her purse and keys and went to her car.

  She nervously drove to the hotel, adjusting her hair the whole way. She really wanted to look good and she just wasn't sure her hair was cooperating today.

  Why couldn't I have hair like Amber's? Her hair is always perfect.

  Jessica pulled into the parking lot, gave her car keys to the valet and walked into the hotel. She'd never been in such a nice hotel before, and the Ritz-Carlton was simply beautiful. It was tastefully elegant, with brown décor that looked comfortable, rather than imposing. The hotel also appeared to be very expensive.

  Apparently, being a spy does pay well after all, she thought.

  Ryan met her at the door, and Jessica nearly melted when she saw him. He looked great in his Polo shirt and matching slacks. He had a day or two of stubble, just as he had on the beach that day in the Caymans.

  She thought that little bit of stubble made him look so sexy. He also looked incredibly fit.

  How does he find time to work out? Where does he work out?

  It didn't matter, really. He looked great, and Jessica was tickled to see him again.

  “Jessica. You look beautiful. I love that dress,” he said as he gave her a quick kiss.

  “It's nice to see you again, Ryan. I was wondering if I was going to hear from you again.”

  “Like I said, I've been busy. I'll fill you in over dinner.”

  The maître d' showed them to their table, which sat in a corner of the dimly lit restaurant. Jessica's black dress really stood out against the white linen tablecloth.

  The restaurant was decorated in brown leather, with a floor-to-ceiling wraparound wine display. They ordered steaks and a bottle of wine and got caught up with each other's lives.

  “Did you say that you wrote a book about me?” Ryan asked.

  “Well, I wrote a book that was inspired by you. The hero is a guy who's like you, but he's not exactly you. I did take a bit of artistic license, especially since I still don't really know all that much about you. I know even less about your work or how you go about it.”

  Ryan looked a bit embarrassed. “Why me? I'm not that interesting, really. Neither is my job.”

  “You don't think being a spy is interesting work?”

  “I think people misunderstand what I do. I'm not like James Bond or anything. I don't topple governments or blow up top secret facilities.”

  “No? That's what I thought spies do. Well, the spy in my book leads a pretty exciting life.”

  “Not me. Most of what I do is pretty boring. You want to know what I've been doing recently? Retrieving a stolen chicken recipe.” He took a bite of his steak and let her ponder that last statement while he chewed slowly.

  “A chicken recipe? Who would care about a chicken recipe?”

  “I'm sure you're familiar with Cousin Tom's Tennessee chicken, right?”

  “Sure. The one with the dozen secret spices or something?”

  “That's the one. A big part of the company's marketing involves this 'secret recipe.' Supposedly, only two people know the recipe, and it's written down on a piece of paper that's locked up in a vault. Well, somebody managed to steal it, and they were going to sell it to a company in Europe.”

  “If two people already know the recipe, then why is the stolen one such a big deal? Can't one of those people write it down?”

  “It's a little more complicated than that, Jess. The company isn't trying to get the list of ingredients back; they want the original, handwritten document back.”

  “What's so special about it?”

 
“Well, a recipe is really just a list of ingredients, and you can't copyright that. If the recipe is out, anyone can make it or sell it. The thing that makes Cousin Tom's chicken so popular is the lore about the recipe being a secret. Once word gets out that the secret isn't a secret anymore, anybody can make that chicken and it will taste just the same.”

  “So the secret is the secret?” she asked with a giggle.

  “Sort of like that. The company knew who took it, and they knew who was likely to be the buyer. I just needed to intercept the recipe before the sale took place. It wasn't really that big of a deal.”