to the side and glanced at the yellow sofa tucked behind him. One damn look loaded with suggestion.
“Shut up and listen to me.” She barely resisted the urge to stamp her foot.
“I am. It’s fun to watch your cheeks go pink.” He clapped a hand to his chest. “And by the way, my mother always told me it’s rude to tell people to shut up.” A sardonic smile played along his lips.
“Rude? Talking about sex in a business meeting is rude.” She scooped up a brass paperweight in the shape of a bear that had belonged to her father. Shifting it from hand to hand was an oddly comforting ritual. Or perhaps not so odd. When she was a small girl, her father had told her the statue gave people power, attributing his success to the brass bear. After the last two years of loss, Glenna needed every ounce of luck and power she could get. “I’m not in line to join the Alaskan female dating population ready to fawn over you.”
“I didn’t ask you to, and there’s no need to threaten me with your version of brass knuckles. You’re safe with me.” Humor left his face and his expression became all business. “But since you’re as bemused by this data as I am, come with me to speak to your mother.”
“Of course. Let’s do that. We’ll have this sorted out in no time.”
The sooner the better.
She wanted Broderick Steele out of her office and not a simple touch away.
* * *
Broderick was pushing his luck with Glenna, but this woman got to him in a way no one else ever had.
When they were in college, he’d told himself it was the warring-families, forbidden-fruit thing that had drawn them to each other. Except, he still craved her.
Usually he kept those feelings in check by staying as far away from this particular blonde bombshell as possible.
But today he’d received disturbing paperwork about stocks changing hands.
“Are you ready to speak to your mother about this now? We need to know who on your board, or on mine, is messing with our companies.”
She looked up, her blue eyes as crystal clear as the Alaska sky after a storm. “Yes, absolutely, the sooner the better. She’s here today. I met with her earlier this morning.” Glenna nodded, rose and stepped to the front of her desk.
Holy hell. He damn near swallowed his tongue.
Her pencil skirt hugged her curves and set his imagination on fire. The suit jacket plunged, and even though a white blouse covered almost all her skin, that V... He forced his eyes away out of respect.
And to preserve his sanity.
“After you,” he said.
He worked to keep himself in check, to stay steady even though proximity to her sent him reeling. He followed her past a sitting area in her office with that yellow sofa and two chairs clustered around a fireplace.
She glanced over her shoulder, blond hair swishing in a golden curtain. “Mother’s office is two floors up. We’ll settle this. Not to worry.”
Without another word, she charged through the door, boot heels muted against the plush carpet. The wall of windows along one side of the corridor provided an awe-inspiring view of the mountains. It might be spring everywhere else in America. But here in Alaska, snow still capped the peaks.
Sunshine streamed through the windows and over Glenna. To keep his eyes off her swaying hips and the killer leather boots, he checked out the art on the other wall. Yet again he was struck by the differences between the Mikkelson corporate offices and his family’s building on the other side of Anchorage’s business district. The Steele headquarters had a more modern look, sleek and tall in a way that reminded him of his home state, like an ice sculpture filled with coal and grit and gold.
The Mikkelson offices harkened back to old-school Alaska, with a rugged elegance denoted by pelt rugs and wooden furniture heavy enough to remind people nothing fragile lasted in this land. To make it here, you had to be born of sturdy stock.
The file crinkled in his grip as they walked, reminding him why he was here. What did his father know? Broderick hadn’t been able to find him this morning, and he’d tried hard. Damn hard.
Lately, his dad had been distracted and inaccessible. Unusually so, and at the worst possible time. Bids were going up for the major pipeline from Alaska to the Dakotas. This wasn’t just about money or energy independence. It was also about keeping projects ecologically friendly, making sure the land they loved and called home was protected.
They were a family of engineers and ecologists, working like hell to present a balanced plan.
Broderick knew his reputation for being a cold bastard, but he didn’t see the point in getting emotionally invested in anything—or anyone—outside of work.
Something had gone haywire in him when his sister died. He understood it intellectually, but that didn’t make it easier to get past. Maybe if he hadn’t lost his mother at the same time, she might have helped him find his way out of the maze where he sabotaged relationship after relationship. Now his dating life consisted of women who had no interest in anything more than being casual.
Glenna often stated—emphatically—that she was all about her job. He understood. He was married to his work, too.
That’s why this ridiculous rumor of a merger had to be squelched.
“You don’t act like most number crunchers.”
He cocked his head to one side. “Practical, you mean?”
“I guess. You’re just so...outrageous. Illogical. Unpredictable.” She picked up her pace.
“And you are very much a buttoned-up numbers gal.” Heat fired inside him as he thought of a time he’d unbuttoned her, very thoroughly.
She seemed to read his mind. “Keep your eyes forward, cowboy.”
“Do you think I brought a hidden camera to steal secret formulas from your office?”
He met her eyes full on and found those blue depths too alluring. Something about them made words slip out before he could stop them. “I would very much like to know your secret desires.”
Her breathing deepened, her chest rising and falling quickly. She licked her lips. “I prefer we keep things all business. Do you think you can respect my wishes for at least the next half hour? If not, we’ll be doing this meeting via videoconference.”
He nodded, backing up a step, knowing he was playing with fire. Still, she was right about him being unpredictable. Despite the complications, he found himself plotting to press for more from her. Later, of course. Timing was everything.
“Of course I’ll respect your wishes.”
“I wish I could trust that,” she said softly, before walking to the elevator and pushing the button.
Her words stung. Did she think so little of him? He joined her at the elevator, watching her, musing.
She felt for a hairpin, tucking it inside a sweep
