Page 16 of Tempting the President

“I’m analyzing,” she corrects, but there’s a hint of amusement in her eyes that tells me she is, in fact, enjoying my discomfort at least a little. “So what’s his name? This intimidating, attractive brother who’s gotten you so flustered.”

“Patrizio Steele.”

Elissa’s eyes widen slightly—the most dramatic reaction I’ve ever seen from her in our years of friendship. “Steele? As in, the Steeles?”

“I don’t know. Maybe? Does it matter?”

“It might.” She frowns thoughtfully. “There’s a Steele Industries that owns half the high-rises in Manhattan. Including this building, actually.”

I nearly choke on my coffee. “What?”

“Midnight Tower.” Elissa gestures around us. “It’s owned by Steele Industries. Top floors are residential penthouses, middle floors are luxury apartments, ground floor is commercial—hence this café.”

“How do you know that?”

“I represented a client in a lease dispute last year. Had to research the ownership structure.” She shrugs, like memorizing the real estate holdings of billionaires is perfectly normal. “If it’s the same Steele, then your student’s brother isn’t just some random guy; he’s seriously wealthy and powerful.”

This is not helping my anxiety levels.

“Great. So now I’ve not only had my secret romance novel addiction discovered by a gorgeous man, but he’s also a billionaire who literally owns the building we’re sitting in. This just keeps getting better.”

“You have to admit, it’s kind of like the setup of one of your books,” Elissa observes, and I can tell she’s fighting a smile. “Intimidating billionaire discovers professor’s secret desires, tension ensues.”

“It is nothing like my books,” I protest, but even to my own ears, the denial sounds weak. “Those are fiction. This is my actual professional reputation at stake.”

“Uh huh.” Elissa takes another sip of her coffee, watching me over the rim. “So what are you going to do about it?”

“What can I do? I’ve been avoiding him all week.”

“And how’s that working out for you?”

Not well, if I’m honest. Despite changing my routines and haunting different coffee shops, I keep seeing him everywhere. It’s like he’s deliberately placing himself in my path, watching my increasingly desperate attempts to avoid him with that knowing smile that makes my stomach flip.

“It’s...a work in progress.”

“You know what they say in those books you definitely don’t read for fun,” Elissa says, her voice taking on a mock-serious tone. “You can run, but you can’t hide from an alpha who’s set his sights on you.”

“That is not helpful!” I glare at her. “And I thought you didn’t read romance novels.”

“I don’t have to, not with you telling me about every book you’ve read, and come to think of it...don’t you think Patrizio Steele is exactly like all those heroes—”

“Mind your tongue! The guys in my books are, like, diamonds on the rough, while guys like Patrizio Steele are jerks and—”

Elissa is suddenly shaking her head and making throat slicing gestures that remind me about one thing. Didn’t she mention earlier that this building is owned by...oh no.

My stomach drops. “He’s right behind me, isn’t he?”

“Yes, the jerk is right behind you, darling Jayne.”

The deep voice sends a shiver down my spine that has nothing to do with the air conditioning and everything to do with the man who somehow materialized exactly when I was talking about him, like I’d conjured him through the power of obsessive thinking.

I turn slowly, hoping against hope that I’ve somehow misheard or hallucinated his voice.

But nope.

It truly is him, Patrizio Steele in all his intimidating glory, and looking even more devastatingly attractive than I care to remember.

“Mr. Steele.” I aim for cool professionalism and land somewhere closer to strangled embarrassment. “What a...surprise.”