Page 80 of Cruel Steps

“Thanks, Donovan. I’ll take the couch so Peanut can have a bed.”

I looked at the couch. It was only a loveseat. I glanced back at Cody. The dude was over six feet tall. There was no way he could sleep on the couch.

“Don’t be silly. I’m not sure even your legs would fit on that.”

He chuckled, his cheeks pink. “You sure?” he glanced between Colter and me.

“I’ll be fine. I already slept several hours after Cryfest.”

Cody walked forward and wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tight. “I’m so proud of you for speaking your truth, Peanut. I’m not going anywhere.”

Somehow, he’d known exactly what I needed to hear. He kissed my cheek, grabbed his bag, and headed to the door Colter pointed out, leaving us standing in the small living room.

I finally looked around the space, cataloging every little piece of information I could gather. “You sure you’ll be okay?” Colter asked once the bedroom door shut.

“Yeah.”

“Okay. I’m just in there if you need me.” I nodded, a thoughtful look on his face before he stepped closer. “Can I kiss you? I know you said earlier?—”

I pulled him to me, stopping his sentence. I’d said we were done, but I hadn’t meant it. I’d let fear of rejection talk for me. Seeing how much Colter cared and worried about me told me I’d been right about him.

His lips pressed tenderly into mine, the kiss soft and sweet. After a few beats, I opened my mouth and ran my tongue along the seam of his lips. It was the opening he needed, and his arms wrapped around me, pulling me flush to him. Running my hands through his hair, I surrendered to his kiss.

I’d always enjoyed kissing, but no one had ever kissed me like this. Colter was a combination of sweet and spicy. I never knew which version of him I’d get, and it kept me on my toes.

Deepening the kiss, I moaned as his tongue swept into my mouth and took control. We couldn’t seem to get enough of each other, and our hands roamed over one another. The need to touch and feel him was strong, and I slipped my hands beneath his shirt. Colter moaned into my mouth at my touch, his pelvis rocking forward and hitting my center.

“Fuck, Mer. You taste so good,” he cooed, peppering kisses down my neck. Pushing him to the couch, I crawled into his lap and straddled him. I forgot about Cody in the other room and all the other shit currently occurring in my life. I just focused on Colter and how he made me feel.

Cherished. Wanted. Enough.

Sliding my hands up his chest, I pushed his shirt over his head. This time, I dropped kisses to his chest, marking every inch of skin I could touch with my lips. “You’re so beautiful,” I whispered, sucking his nipple into my mouth.

“Ah! So good, Mer.”

His hands cupped my ass, and he rocked me forward and squeezed before traveling up, and lifted my shirt over my head to drop to the floor. I drew back and looked at him, watching him take me in. I had on a lace bralette, my nipples peeking out of the holes.

“You’re the beautiful one, Mer. God, these tits.” He reached up and flicked my nipples.

“Can’t we both be beautiful?” I rasped. Colter laughed, and I dropped my head backward. Colter took advantage and sucked my tit into his mouth. He moved the bralette up, and I lifted my head to watch his eyes rake over my exposed flesh. I vaguely remembered the marks Holden had left earlier, and I stiffened. Crap on a cracker. We hadn’t talked about anything.

“Fuck, these are hot,” he said, surprising me.

“You like seeing his marks?”

“Is it weird?” he asked, glancing up. I caught the hesitancy and worry in his gaze. I smoothed the line between his brows and he relaxed.

“No. I just expected you to be more, I dunno, mad.”

“If it were anyone but Holden, I would be jealous as hell, Merbear.”

“Oh.” I swallowed, squirming on his lap. “Do you, uh, like him?”

Colter’s brow furrowed. “What?”

“You know. Do you want to be with him?”

He barked out a laugh. “No. It’s not like that.” He blew out a breath and met my eyes. “I have a few kinks, Mer. I’ve never shared them with anyone before, but I’d like to with you. But if you’re not into them, it’s fine. I would never pressure you.”

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