Forged in Steele

CHAPTER 24

THANKFULLY when they landed, they didn’t have a welcome party waiting. Maren knew she owed Sam an explanation, but Steele had assured her he’d cover things with Sam and the others. Sam had gone the extra mile and then some, using his organization’s resources and a considerable amount of manpower in his effort to locate her. But then the impression she got from Steele was that perhaps he and his team had been the ones who’d tirelessly worked on getting her back. Not that she was shortchanging Sam’s or even Rio and his team’s efforts. Not at all. But it gave her a warm glow to know that she meant something to Steele. He looked exhausted. There were lines in his face that hadn’t been there before she’d been abducted. He looked as though he’d made it his sole ambition to find her.

She owed them all a lot. It was something she could never hope to repay, and this wasn’t the first time they’d saved her hide. She just hoped like hell it would be the last.

When they disembarked, Rio told Steele he would report in to Sam and bring him up to date on the situation. He was better suited to tackle the issue of Armand or rather, Hancock, since it was Rio who’d taken Hancock’s call and Rio who’d gone in to retrieve Maren.

What Maren wanted most was quiet and time to come to terms with what she had to tell Steele. She would have liked to have been able to tell him the moment she found out, but fate and Caldwell had dictated otherwise. But it was time to tell him the news. And she was scared to death and ill prepared in her current state to handle the impending conversation with the father of her child.

She gave her thanks to Rio and his team and then to Steele’s team as they prepared to depart and go their separate ways. She sagged in relief when Steele led her to an SUV parked a short distance from the runway. She shed her jacket and stuffed it in the back before doing a quick survey of her body. She felt bare without the covering offered by the coat. It wasn’t as if she were showing yet, but she still smoothed her hand down her T-shirt to see if there was any evidence of her pregnancy.

Her belly was firmer now, not nearly as soft as it had been before. She imagined that she’d pooch out just any day now. But other than a barely discernible hardness to her abdomen, there was no evidence of a baby bump yet.

Relieved that Steele wouldn’t notice anything different about her with just a glance, she got into the vehicle and relaxed against the seat. Up close and personal, if they were making love, he’d very likely notice the differences to her body.

Her breasts had gotten slightly larger and were a lot more sensitive. Her nipples were darker and there was the fact that her belly wasn’t nearly as soft. But she was assuming a lot. There was certainly no guarantee they’d ever go to bed together again. Even if it was all she wanted at the moment. They didn’t even have to have sex. She just wanted to be in his arms, his body wrapped protectively around hers so she could sleep without the worries and anxiety that had haunted her for the last two months.

“You look wiped,” Steele said bluntly as they drove away from the small airfield.

“I am,” she said with a wan smile. “And there’s no reason. I slept on the plane. I’m mostly relieved. It’s only just setting in that I’m really free and don’t have to worry about Tristan anymore. But I could definitely sleep about a week, I think.”

“You’re going to do nothing but rest for the next while,” he said gruffly.

She turned her gaze to him. “I really am grateful for all you and your team did, Steele. You’ll never know just how much.”

To her surprise he reached over and caught her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“You’ve saved our asses enough times. There was no question of us returning the favor. Now sit back and relax. Try not to think about that bastard. My place isn’t too far and I think you’ll like it. Peaceful and most importantly, it’s completely private. It’ll be a good place for you to get back on your feet and decide what you’re going to do going forward. And Maren? There’s no hurry, okay? Don’t put any pressure on yourself. You’re welcome to stay as long as you need, and there’s no way in hell I’m letting you out of my sight until this situation with Caldwell is completely resolved.”

“Wow. I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard you say at one time.”

A smile quirked the corner of his mouth. “Glad to see you haven’t lost your smart-ass.”

She grinned cheekily, reveling in the sensation of being happy. Free from the fear and anxiety that had gripped her for so many weeks. She relaxed, settling into the seat as she watched the landscape fly by in her window.

She closed her eyes and let out a long breath. She had one more hurdle to overcome, and then maybe she could relax and focus on getting her feet underneath her again. She couldn’t very well make any plans for the future until she talked to Steele about the one part of their future they shared.

Their child.