Excerpt of Claimed by a Steel by Brenda Jackson
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I am so excited to bring you content from Brenda Jackson and Harlequin! Claimed by a Steel is the 13th book in her Forged by a Steel series and it’s a passionate filled contemporary romance!
“Mr. Steele has arrived, Ms. Ryland, and he’s ready to see you.”
Delphine smiled over at Gannon’s secretary, not sure if she was ready to see him. “Thanks.”
In reality, she’d already seen him. From where she sat in the lobby, she had a good view of the parking lot. She had known the exact moment Gannon had parked his car in his designated CEO spot, and later entered the building through a side door.
She had sat there fascinated by seeing him wearing a dark suit and could barely keep her heart from racing. The man looked good no matter what he wore. Drawing in a deep breath, she stood and headed down the long corridor to his office. When she reached the closed door bearing his name in huge print, she in-haled and then exhaled before knocking.
“Come in, Ms. Ryland.”
He’d called her “Ms. Ryland” instead of “Delphine.” Did that mean they were back to being for-mal again? Was that how it was supposed to work when he was in more businesslike attire? she wondered. She would find out soon enough and decided to follow his lead.
When she opened the door, their gazes connected.
For a second, Delphine felt weak in the knees. He stood when she walked in and she immediately noticed that he had removed his jacket and loosened the tie around his neck. And, of course, she didn’t miss the one button at the top of his white dress shirt that was undone. Why did seeing him so relaxed have an effect on her?
But then, she could say the same for him. He was staring at her the same way she was staring at him. She knew she was fully dressed and the last time she checked her hair was in place. What was going on here?
She knew the answer. Lust. Something she definitely wasn’t used to. It was kicking both their butts. Lustful vibes had been strong yesterday, but they were even stronger today.
‘Claimed by a Steel’ by Brenda Jackson
That wasn’t good. Whenever he looked at her, she got overheated. Today his look was almost setting her on fire. This was her last day and she needed to take control of the situation or burn to a crisp right in front of him.
Clearing her throat, she said, “I hope things went well at the meeting you had this morning with your shipper.”
As if the sound of her voice broke whatever spell he’d been in, he blinked and then said, “Yes, they did.” Then, shoving his hands into his pockets, he added, “However, there’s a matter I need to handle.”
She nodded. “I understand. I can come back—” “No. Let’s wrap things up with the interview now because I’ll be busy for the rest of the day.”
Was that his way of letting her know he was tired of this process? Tired of her doing the interview? More than anything, she wanted to believe his change in attitude had nothing to do with her, but was connected somehow to that meeting he’d had earlier.
“I’ll be quick,” she said, taking the chair in front of his desk. The same one she’d sat in yesterday. “I just have a few more questions.”
“Fine,” he said, moving to sit down at his desk. “Ask away.”
About Brenda Jackson
Brenda Jackson, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of over 100 novels and novellas, was born in Jacksonville, Florida. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Jacksonville University. She married her high school sweetheart, Gerald, and they have two sons, Gerald Jr. and Brandon, ages thirty-six and thirty-four, respectively. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Her professional writing career began in 1995 with the release of her first book, Tonight and Forever. Since then she has written over 100 titles, which includes a made-for-television movie by BET, One Special Moment as well as the movie, Truly Everlasting. She was a 2012 NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Literary Fiction for her book, A Silken Thread; and was named Romance Writers of America's Nora Robert's Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for 2012.
