Page 111 of Steel

I straighten from my perch and prowl toward her, letting her read the intent in my eyes. Her face flushes as she grabs the spatula and wields it in front of her like a weapon.

“Oh, no, sir. Nope. No way. We are eating dinner like a normal couple, mister. So, stop those delicious, wicked thoughts I see in your eyes and put them away for later. You can make good on them then,” she snarks, waving the spatula at me.

Decisions must reflect in my eyes because her posture suddenly deflates, and she peers at me with a somber expression.

“Please, Jericho,” she whispers. “As much as I love you fucking me, I just want to be with you right now. Can we do that? I promise I’ll give you what you need, just . . . I want to feel normal for a little bit.”

Ah, fuck.

I close the distance between us and grasp her chin in my hand, tilting her face toward mine. “You need it, you get it. Understood? Fuckin’ love bein’ buried inside that sweet little cunt, Hummingbird, but enjoy just bein’ with you too. You want dinner and a movie?”

“Please?”

“Whatever you want.”

I tighten my hold so she stays in place while I drop my mouth to hers and lock ours together when my tongue steals inside. It’s quick, full of heat, and whispers all the promises of later while also reassuring her that it’s more than just that for me.

When I pull away, I run the pad of my thumb across the plumpness of her bottom lip. “Need help with dinner?”

Bailee smiles and lifts her hand to my neck, settling where the pulsing beat flutters under my skin. It’s something she’s done for as long as we’ve been together. Even during our casual shit in the past, I would catch her doing it. I don’t think it’s something she even realizes she does. I’ve never said anything about it and don’t plan to because the move makes my heart stutter a little in my chest when she does it, and not in a bad way. It’s a move I’ve seen Wraith do to Nova when he needs reassurance she’s breathing, and it’s something I’ve caught Crow doing to Sage, though I don’t think my brother realizes he’s doing it either.

“No. Go relax. It won’t be much longer. I’ll bring it in when it’s finished. You want a beer?”

“With dinner. Goin’ to change.” I let my eyes wander over her face, soaking her in, knowing yet still not quite accepting that this woman is making me feel shit I don’t really know if I’m ready to feel. “Goin’ to fuck this up. You know that. Don’t know what the fuck I’m doin’ with this shit.”

Her jaw clenches under my fingers, and her eyes harden. She pulls her chin away from me, and I let her. “Yeah, well, I suppose it’s a good thing I don’t really expect much then, huh?”

Don’t have anything to say to that, so I let her be when she turns back to the stove, and I head out to change.

By the time I take a piss, wash my hands, and change my clothes, Bailee has our plates sitting on the coffee table in the living room with a glass of wine in front of hers and a bottle of beer next to mine. The smile she gives me washes away the dark that tried encroaching when I figured I’d already fucked up again.

“Come on, bossman,” she says softly, holding out a hand. “Let’s eat.”

The smells wafting from the bowl in my hand is mouthwatering, and when I take my first bite, something ridiculous happens. My eyes prick, my heart pinches, and I want to toss the bowl down and run crying from the room. Bailee’s made shit for me before, but there’s something about this one that has me falling for her a little deeper, and it’s got my feet itching to carry me the fuck away from her.

My heart is begging me to stay where I’m at while my mind is screaming, “Danger! Danger!”

I don’t do it, though. My ass stays parked while I listen to my woman tell me about stupid shit customers got up to while I eat. At least, that’s what I do until she makes me participate in the conversation.

“I’m enjoying this,” she says, waving her spoon between us, “but I’m worried about you missing your weekend with Lyric. I know you’ve had her until you were sure Heather was doing okay and Lyric would be safe, but do you think this is something Heather will use against you?” She tucks her bottom lip between her teeth. “I don’t know her enough, and I don’t want you losing any time with Lyric because of me.”

I take the last bite of the soup, set the bowl on the coffee table, and lift the beer to my mouth to wash it down. “Don’t know what the fuck you call that shit, babe, but it was fuckin’ delicious.”

“Creamy chicken tortilla soup. It’s one of my favorite things to make. Our chef,” she rolls her eyes and grimaces when she says it, “growing up, he taught me how to make it after he found out it was my favorite. It’s one of the very few fond memories I have growing up in that house despite my brother thinking otherwise.”

I know that her father wasn’t the greatest. Anyone who pays attention to the fucking news would know the Sterling name. It’s been notorious in the media and over the damn internet. He and his childhood friends were found to be serial killers. They’d gotten away with it for so fucking long because they lived in a small town and were goddamn billionaires who had the fortune to buy off anyone they needed to. It wasn’t until Emmy Lou’s dad died in prison after being framed by them that the truth came out. Emmy Lou wasn’t going to let it stand any longer and made her way back to her hometown in Bourbon Falls to start digging for the truth. Once their secrets couldn’t stay hidden any longer, they came after Emmy Lou, which ended up being their downfall.

“You never answered me about Heather using this against you, you giving up your time with Lyric for her,” she says, changing the subject.

“Don’t see how she’s goin’ to use it against me. Not when I got all kinds of shit on her stupid ass. She knows what happens if she pulls a stupid move like that.”

“Are you really okay with that after everything that’s happened?” she asks quietly, her tone telling me she’s only trying to understand.

I sigh, grab my beer, and lean back against the cushions as I turn my head to look at her. “The way you talk about love, only ever felt that for one person outside of my parents.”

“Lyric.”

“My little girl. There’s a lot of shit I’ll eat to make sure she’s happy. That includes dealin’ with all the bullshit that comes from the woman who gave birth to her. Want to see the good in her for Lyric’s sake. Gotta believe my girl sees something in her that I don’t. Hell, won’t lie, Lee, there were times when it wasn’t all bad with Heather. She does have some good in her, but drugs tend to strip that from someone after a while. ‘Specially when they refuse to get clean.”

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