Seduced by a Steele--A Sexy Dramatic Billionaire Romance Read online

  Mercury thought it took Sherman longer than necessary to switch his gaze from the woman to the papers. He then said in a too-apologetic voice, “Sorry, ma’am, but these papers are fake.”

  Shock flew to her face. “Fake? But that’s not possible. A nice gentleman sold the car to me.”

  “That ‘nice’ man conned you into buying a stolen car,” Mercury said, ignoring Sherman’s narrowed gaze as well as the woman’s thunderstruck expression.

  Switching her gaze from Mercury to Sherman, she said, “Please tell me that’s not true, Officer. I gave him three hundred dollars.”

  “Three hundred dollars?” Mercury asked, not believing what she’d said.

  Lifting her chin, she added, “Yes, I knew the car wasn’t worth that much, but the man looked a little down on his luck and needed the money.”

  Mercury shook his head. “You got that car for a steal, no pun intended. Do you not know the value of that car? It’s worth over two hundred thousand dollars easily.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  Ridiculous? She had bought a stolen car from someone who she thought was a nice man, and she thought he was being ridiculous? He was about to give her a scathing reply, but Sherman’s look warned him not to do so.

  “Yes, ma’am, unfortunately that man did run a scam on you,” Sherman said. “I hate you lost all that money. I need you to come down to police headquarters and give us a statement, including a description of the man who sold you the car. We will be on the lookout for him.”

  “Like you guys were on the lookout for my car?” Mercury said under his breath, but when Sherman shot him a disapproving glare, he knew he’d been heard regardless.

  Sherman turned to him. “We’re going to have to impound the car. You and Miss Donahue need to come down to police headquarters to give statements.”

  “But I’m on my way to a job interview,” the woman said, suddenly looking distressed.

  Mercury refused to feel an ounce of sympathy for her since he too would be late for an interview with a potential new client. Now he would have to reschedule. Every sports agent alive would want to sign on Norris Eastwood, but the parents of the high school senior with plans to go straight into the NBA had sought out Mercury. He hoped being a no-show this morning wouldn’t be a negative against him. If it was, then he had this woman to blame.

  “Are you okay with that, Mercury?”

  When he heard his name, he glanced up. “Am I okay with what?” He saw the other officer had pulled the woman off to the side to take down some information.

  “Giving Miss Donahue a ride to the police station,” Sherman said.

  “Don’t you have room in the police car? That’s the normal way you transport criminals, isn’t it? For all we know, she could be in cahoots with the person who stole my car.”

  Sherman rolled his eyes. “You don’t believe that any more than I do, Mercury. It’s obvious she’s an innocent victim who doesn’t belong in the back of a patrol car. She’s no more a thief than we are. Look at her.”

  Mercury didn’t want to look at her, but he did anyway. He immediately thought the same thing he had when he’d first seen her. She was a very beautiful woman. Her features were just that striking. And then there was that delectable-looking figure in a navy blue pencil skirt and white blouse. Sexy as hell. But still...

  “Unlike you, Sherman, I refuse to get taken in by a beautiful face and a nice body. Need I remind you, the woman was caught with a stolen car, and I refuse to be that gullible.” Again. He quickly pushed to the back of his mind the one time he had been and the lasting damage it had caused him.

  “Look on the bright side, Mercury. At least you got your car back. You can’t blame her for being too trusting.”

  He could blame her and was in just the rotten mood to do it. “Whatever.”

  “So, will you give her a ride to police headquarters? The sooner we can get there and plow through all the paperwork, the sooner you can get your car released to you. Then you can forget you’ve ever seen Sloan Donahue.”

  * * *

  “So, where are you from?”

  Sloan hadn’t wanted to glance over at the man whose name was Mercury Steele, but with his question she felt compelled to do so. She had been satisfied with pretending to view all the sights outside the car’s window but now that had to come to an end. It wasn’t that she was ignoring him, because to ignore a man who looked like him would be nearly impossible. However, she did have a lot to think about.

  Because of her naivete in trusting that man who’d sold her that car, she could have been thrown in jail. She could just imagine her parents’ reactions if she’d been forced to call and ask them for bail money. Their accusations that she couldn’t fend for herself would have been proved right.

  Shifting in her seat, she glanced over to Mercury Steele and asked a question of her own. “How do you know I’m not from here?”

  “Trust me. I know.”

  She raised a brow. “How? My accent?” She honestly didn’t think she had one.

  “No, it wasn’t your accent. It’s your looks. I know every beautiful woman in this town. If you were from here, we would have met already.”

  Was he serious? Sloan studied his profile as he maneuvered the car in traffic and figured that, yes, he was serious. “I’m from Cincinnati, Ohio.”

  “I represented a kid from there once.”

  “You’re an attorney?”

  “No, a sports agent.”

  She nodded. Although she didn’t know a lot about that occupation, other than they brokered deals for athletes wanting to play certain sports for a living, she thought he fit the part. First off, he was a sharp dresser. She was convinced the suit he was wearing was the same designer brand her father and Harold often wore. And then there was this car he was driving. A Tesla, like hers. It was obvious he was a successful man. Why hadn’t she noticed that before accusing him of trying to steal her car? A car it seemed was rightfully his.

  Sloan released a long sigh and inwardly admitted that, considering the circumstances of how they’d met, she appreciated him giving her a lift to the police station. It was time she told him that and apologized for her earlier accusations.

  “Mr. Steele?” They’d come to a traffic light and he glanced over at her. In a way, she wished he hadn’t. There was something about his green eyes that unsettled her.

  “Yes?”

  “I want to apologize for everything. I honestly didn’t know the car was stolen.”

  He didn’t say anything and for a minute she wondered if he would. Instead he stared at her. Finally, before turning back to the road, he said, “Apology accepted.”

  That made her feel better, although to her way of thinking, he’d said it almost grudgingly. “And I want to thank you for giving me a lift to the police station.”

  “Don’t mention it.” A few moments later, he asked, “How old are you, Ms. Donahue?”

  “Twenty-five.”

  He didn’t say anything, nor did he glance back over at her. Since he’d asked hers, she could ask his. “And how old are you, Mr. Steele?”

  They’d come to another traffic light and he did glance over at her when he said, “Thirty-four.”

  He kept staring at her as if he expected her to say something, and when she didn’t, he said, “When you refer to me as Mr. Steele that makes me feel even older. I prefer being called Mercury.”

  She lifted a brow. “Like the planet?”

  He chuckled. “Yes, like the planet, and also like the chemical element. However, I was named after one of my father’s favorite football players.”

  She nodded. “I understand about being named after someone.”

  He turned back to the road and asked, “Do you?”

  “Yes. I was named after my grandfather. I’m Sloan Elizabeth.” She missed
her grandfather and often wondered how different things would have been had he lived. He’d died of cancer six years ago. She would never forget when her parents had shown up on her college campus to deliver the news to her. At least they’d had the insight to know that receiving such news over the phone would have devastated her.

  She snapped out of her reverie and saw they’d arrived at their destination.

  “Here we are,” Mercury said.

  Three

  “In case you haven’t noticed, Mercury, Sloan Donahue is a beautiful woman.”

  Mercury glared over at his oldest brother, Galen. The woman’s looks were the last thing Mercury was concerned with. He had called Galen because he lived close by, and his wife, Brittany, had dropped him off. Once his car was released to him, Mercury would need someone to drive it to his place.

  “If she hadn’t bought a stolen car I wouldn’t be here.”

  “True,” Galen said. “Instead you could have been at the junkyard looking at what was left after thieves dismantled it, so the way I see it, her buying it was a blessing in disguise for you. Once you get off your indignant high horse, you will realize that, as well.”

  Galen paused briefly then added, “And another thing. Evidently you’ve been so into getting your car back that you failed to notice that everything about Sloan screams money. I don’t know her story now, but I’d bet in her past she lived a life of wealth. That’s obvious from her manicured nails all the way to those designer shoes. And if you took the time to talk to her instead of glaring at her, you would notice her refined voice. She spells high-class any way you want to look at it.”

  Mercury didn’t want to look at it in any way. Galen was too damn observant to suit him. “Whatever,” he said, glancing at his watch.

  He wondered what was taking so long. He’d given his statement and now Sloan Donahue was behind closed doors giving hers. It had taken him less than ten minutes, but she’d been in there for nearly thirty.

  No sooner had he wondered at that than the closed door opened, and she walked out, followed by a smiling detective. Mercury immediately noticed the man wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. He would bet the detective had been in that room flirting with Sloan instead of doing his job. Or it could be the other way around. Sloan might have been deliberately flirting with the man for a lighter sentence. Regardless of the circumstances, possession of stolen property was a serious crime.

  “Like I said, she’s a beautiful woman,” Galen leaned over to whisper.

  He turned to his brother and frowned. “Need I remind you that you’re a married man and the father of twins.”

  Galen chuckled. “I was making the observation for you, not for me. I am happy being Brittany’s husband and father to Ethan and Elyse. In fact, I’m looking out for their best interests. It’s about time Brittany got a new sister-in-law and the twins a new aunt, don’t you think?”

  Mercury’s frown deepened. “Go to hell.”

  Galen laughed but Mercury ignored his brother when the detective and Sloan approached. “Now can I get my car?” he asked the man who was still smiling.

  “Yes. I’ll complete the release now.” The detective then turned to Sloan. “You have my business card. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to give me a call.”

  “I will.”

  The detective walked off and then Mercury heard Galen ask Sloan, “Are you okay?”

  It was then that Mercury noticed the worried expression bunching her forehead. “Well, I do have a slight problem,” she said.

  Mercury didn’t like the sound of that. “What?”

  “I don’t have a way home.”

  When she looked at him expectantly, Mercury said, “And?”

  “I was wondering if you could drop me off there.”

  Personally, Mercury was wondering if she’d considered calling Uber, a cab or a friend. He was about to put such a thought into her head when Galen spoke up and said, “Don’t consider it a problem. Mercury will be glad to drop you off.”

  Mercury gave his brother a look that could have turned him to stone, but Galen ignored it and said, “My five brothers and I were raised to treat all females with the utmost respect. If one is ever in need, we are there for the rescue.”

  Mercury fought to keep a straight face. Respect? Rescue? Of the six of them, Galen had been the most notorious womanizer. His reputation had extended from Phoenix all the way to Charlotte, North Carolina, where their Steele cousins lived. Hell, Galen had gotten expelled from school once after the principal found him under the bleachers making out with the man’s daughter. And now he wanted to stand here and say he respected women like he’d always done so.

  “Our mother wouldn’t have it any other way, right, Mercury?”

  Mercury rubbed a hand down his face. Galen would have to bring Eden Tyson Steele up at a time like this. “Yes, right, Galen.” Mercury would give his brother hell when he saw him alone later.

  At that moment the detective came back with Mercury’s keys and said to him, “Here you are.”

  The man then turned to Sloan, smiled broadly and said, “Again, I regret what happened to you and wish you the best in the future.”

  “Thanks, Detective Fulton.”

  “And I meant what I said earlier—if you need anything else, just call the precinct and ask for me,” the detective added.

  Mercury fought not to begin fuming again inside. Why was everyone treating her like the victim when it had been his car that had been stolen?

  “You’re ready to go now?” he asked Sloan, deciding to break up the little chitchat. It wouldn’t surprise him if the detective asked her for a date right then and there. The man could do whatever he liked, but not on Mercury’s time.

  “Yes. Mercury, I’m ready.”

  That was the first time she’d referred to him by name and he didn’t appreciate that he liked the way she said it. He then turned to Galen and handed him the key. “Take my baby home and park her in the garage.”

  “Okay, and there’s no reason to rush to your place. Jonas will pick me up from there. He’s treating me to lunch.”

  There was no reason for Mercury to ask why. Those two brothers were always betting against something.

  Galen then extended his hand out to Sloan. “It was nice meeting you, Sloan.”

  “Same here, Galen, and again, you have a beautiful wife and twins.”

  Mercury lifted a brow. “You know about his wife and kids?”

  Sloan smiled. “Yes. He showed me photos.”

  Galen grinned. “I was keeping her company while you were giving your statement.”

  “I see.” Without saying anything else to Galen, Mercury escorted Sloan out of police headquarters.

  * * *

  Sloan glanced over at the man walking beside her. The man who was too good-looking and she had a feeling he knew it. Otherwise, why would he assume he’d know every single woman he thought beautiful in Phoenix?

  But she had a feeling every single woman in Phoenix probably knew him, as well. He was a man a woman couldn’t easily forget. Tall with medium brown skin, a strong chiseled jaw and a pair of lips that looked so delicious, it would tempt you to take a lick to test their sweetness. And she couldn’t forget those gorgeous green eyes.

  When she had used the restroom earlier, two women were talking between stalls after having seen Mercury and Galen. They were familiar with those green-eyed Steele brothers. Just from eavesdropping on the women’s conversation, she found out that at one time Mercury and his five brothers had been pegged the hottest bachelors in Phoenix. Some even called them the “Bad News” Steeles. Their reputations as die-hard players were legendary. Then real shockers happened when they started getting married, one at a time, leaving only Mercury and his younger brother, Gannon, to fire up women’s beds.

  She figured there was truth in everything the women had said,
especially about the Steele brothers being hot. Although she didn’t like Mercury very much and thought his attitude could handle some improvement, his looks were downright gorgeous.

  Sloan wished there was a wall somewhere to knock her head against. At this point in her life, being attracted to a man, especially to this one, was ludicrous. She had enough problems on her plate without adding Mercury Steele to the menu.

  Walking beside him wasn’t easy. His walk was brisk, and she could barely keep up with him, but she refused to let him leave her. He had to be wondering why she hadn’t called a taxi or used Uber to get home. He would probably be shocked to know she’d never used either in her entire life. While growing up, her parents had always provided private transportation for her. Then for her sixteenth birthday, they’d purchased her first car and she’d gotten a new one every year since.

  It was only after arriving in Phoenix and taking stock of her predicament that it dawned on her that over the past twenty-five years, her parents had played her right into their hands. They had taken care of her every need, given in to her every whim. She hadn’t wanted for anything.

  There had been more cash in her bank account than she’d known what to do with and credit cards in her name with unlimited balances. All that had made her completely dependent on them, and shamefully she would admit that for years she hadn’t questioned it.

  Just because she’d never used other modes of transportation didn’t mean she thought she was too good to do so. Today just wasn’t a good day to try something new. Especially after what had happened this morning in that dress store.

  Her credit card had been declined. A credit card that had been issued through her parents’ bank, so she knew who was behind that denial. Her parents were determined to put a squeeze on her so she’d be forced to run back home and be their puppet again. Luckily, after telling the nice saleslady about her job interview, the older woman had helped her get the stain out of her blouse.

  With her credit cards canceled and unable to get funds from the ATM, that meant she was low on funds. She’d lost three hundred dollars buying that car and had only less than a hundred in cash on her. When she’d tried calling to reschedule her interview, she was told she would have to reapply. She tried not to feel too sad about that.