Seduced By A Steele (Forged of Steele #12) - Brenda Jackson Page 0,39

drawing board and start over, make new decisions, find new solutions.”

She studied him for a minute. “Was there ever a very important problem you had to find a solution for?” For some reason she had a feeling there was.

He broke eye contact with her to look out a single French door that led outside to his mother’s courtyard. Moments later, he glanced back at her. “Yes, there was. Finding the solution was difficult, but I did it and I’m glad I did. Taking ownership of the problem fell on me and I’m glad I made the decision that I did.”

She nodded, wondering what had been the problem and the solution. It wasn’t any of her business and he wasn’t sharing any details. “What if my decision is impulsive?”

He chuckled smoothly. “It can happen that way. I call them temporary fixers. But even coming up with something temporary is better than not doing anything. Never let anyone know how intimidated you might be. No matter who they are. Stand your ground. Let them see you as a strong individual, even when your knees might be shaking. Have confidence in yourself even in the face of not feeling confident. Fake it. Who’s to know?”

She tilted her head up and looked at him, studied his features. Handsome? Yes, but there was something else she was seeing. That realization made her smile. “You mentor a lot, don’t you?”

She could tell by his expression that her question surprised him, caught him off guard. “What makes you say that?” he asked, leaning back against his mother’s desk.

In a way, she wished he hadn’t done that. His stance made his jeans stretch tight across a pair of muscular thighs. The same thighs that had rubbed against her today when they’d kissed. Both times. Deep feminine appreciation flowed through her. Her attraction to Mercury was becoming so intense that he could and would be placed on her problematic list. He’d become a distraction as well as a temptation. She didn’t need either. As one of her problems, she would have to find a solution to deal with him, as well.

Now she wished several hot, passionate solutions weren’t flowing through her mind.

Knowing he was waiting for a response to his question, she shrugged her shoulders. “Not sure. I guess it’s not only what you’re saying but how you’re saying it. Like you’ve given this sort of advice before.”

He gave her a look that made her think he wasn’t at all happy that she’d been able to read him. But she had.

“My occupation requires it,” he finally said. “I represent a lot of sports figures and sign them up for million-dollar contracts. Some have never seen that much money or dreamed of having it. It can pose problems. People they know and are better off not knowing come out of the woodwork. Most of the guys and women are young, inexperienced and not able to handle the vultures, the opportunists, the problems. I periodically give them pep talks, and when a problem arises, I am there for them. Not to solve it but to help them solve it themselves. They have to come up with their own solutions.”

“And if it’s the wrong one?” she asked.

“I tell them to never come up with a solution that’s not reversible.”

A slight frown burrowed between her brows. “So, in other words, no solution should be permanent,” she said, trying to follow him.

“Remember permanent means permanent. Ask yourself if that’s what you want. And if the solution you come up with seems unconventional, but it will work at the time, there is nothing wrong with doing it to give yourself time to come up with a bigger, more conventional and better plan.”

She nodded. He’d certainly given her food for thought. “Thanks, Mercury. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me.”

“No problem.” He moved away from the desk and slowly walked toward her. She met his gaze and could see the same look he normally had right before he would kiss her. And she had a feeling that was his intent now.

They hadn’t argued, nor were they at odds with each other like all those other times. If he kissed her, it