Steele Trap (Heart of Steele) Read Free Page B

swinging overhead. Assured of no emergency, she pouted
again.
    "Fine. Where
should I park?"
    "That depends on
what you're doing here. Your dad isn't here."
    "I know, I came to
see you."
    "Me? Why?"
    That wasn't very
flattering, Ashley thought. But, what should she expect from a roughneck, or
whatever they called these workers.
    "To apologize for
Dirk."
    Jake pulled the
bandanna from his hair, revealing a rat's nest of sweaty curls. Shaking his
head, he told her he couldn't be long, but would talk to her for a minute. He
pointed to a safer parking place, and walked along with her as she slowly
rolled over to it.
    When she stopped,
Ashley opened the passenger door for him and wordlessly invited him to enter. As
Jake folded his lanky frame into the passenger seat, he took the opportunity to
stroke the leather. I could get used to this .
    "Nice car."
    "Thanks," she
said. "Daddy gave it to me for my birthday."
    "Does he always
give you such extravagant birthday gifts?"
    "No, silly. It was
my twenty-first birthday."
    "Ah." Jake
understood that Wally was loaded, but a car that cost north of 100 grand? Wow.
    They sat for a minute,
out of easy things to say. Then, at the same time, he turned to her and cleared
his throat, while she said, "I'm sorry Dirk was such an asshat. And I'm
sorry I didn't tell him to get lost. I enjoyed dancing with you."
    "Is he your fiancé
or something?"
    "Well, he thinks
he is. Our families want us to get married, but I'm not going to marry him.
He's a spoiled brat."
    Pot calling the kettle
black , Jake said below his breath.
    "Anyway,"
Ashley continued, "I wanted to say I'm sorry that happened, and ask if you
go to Howl often?"
    "Not often, no,
but once in a while."
    "Would you meet me
there sometime? I won't tell Dirk, so he won't interrupt our evening
again."
    "I don't know if
that's a good idea, Miss Steele."
    "When did I become
Miss Steele? It's Ashley."
    "Okay, Ashley, I
don't think that's such a good idea."
    "Why not?"
Ashley pouted again.
    "Well, for one
thing, I work for your dad. For another, you're out of my league."
    "Shouldn't I be
the judge of that?"
    It was tempting. She
was a looker, and over twenty-one. But, with everything going on, especially
the mission Wally asked him to carry out, she was likely to be trouble. He didn’t
think he should pursue becoming better acquainted.
    "Maybe
sometime," he temporized. "I'm pretty busy for the rest of the
week."
    "Give me your
number. I'll call you Friday."
    Faced with the choice
between complying and causing a scene by refusing, Jake recited his number
while Ashley punched it into her cell phone. He worried that his peaceful life
was about to get turned upside down.

Chapter Four
     
    Dirk didn’t call for
several days. Ashley was still mad at him, but she was used to his constant
attention, so it miffed her when he didn't call. He was probably still pouting
because she wouldn't let him stay at the hotel with her the other night. But,
what would she have done with Becky? Sooner or later, her dad would see the
credit card bill, and he might be paying enough attention to wonder why the
girls needed two double rooms. It was a good excuse, anyway. The real reason
was that she didn't want to sleep with Dirk that night, punishing him for the
lips around his cock remark. That would happen on her terms, not his, if
at all.
    By Thursday, Ashley grew
concerned enough to make the first move. She took out her cell phone and gave
him a call, but instead of Dirk's answer, she got his voice mail.
    "I'm sorry I'm not
available to take your call right now. I'll be away until Monday, but leave a
message and I'll get back to you when I can."
    Weird .
In the first place, why didn't he tell her he was going somewhere? In the
second place, where would he be going that she couldn't reach him on his cell phone?
At dinner, she asked her dad if he would give her Dane's phone number.
    "Why? Didn't you
ask Dirk?"
    "No, Dirk's not
answering his phone. There's this weird