Page 59 of Steel

The expression on his face when I open my eyes sends more shivers over my body.

He uses his hold on my chin and throat to bring my mouth to meet his for a quick, heated kiss, then he drops me down gently with a soft sweep of his lips against my forehead.

Steel doesn’t let me go. Instead, he puts his hands on the door, caging me in as he gazes down at me. Fire still burns a bit in the depths, but it’s mostly been extinguished for now.

“You holdin’ up okay?” he asks.

I laugh softly and reach up to gently tug his beard. “Shouldn’t checking on me have been the first thing you did?”

“Fuck no. Needed to make sure your heart was still pumpin’, and feelin’ your hot cunt soak my jeans gave me all the reassurance I needed. Your blood needs to be rushin’ throughyour veins for you to get that kind of pleasure, baby girl. Know how to get your blood flowin’, fuckin’ love doin’ it, have the greatest time doin’ it, so that’s what I did.”

God, this stupid freaking man. All hope of not falling back in love with him—not that I’m sure I had ever fallen out—is lost when he pulls moves like this. This is the side of him that I used to get, the one that made it hard in the past too.

“You’ll hear no complaints from me.” I sigh and run my fingers through his beard. “Anyway, yeah, I’m holding up okay. There’s no way these threats aren’t meant for me. They obviously know I’m here, so why aren’t they coming for me? Why are they coming after everyone else?”

He shakes his head. “Still not sure they’re meant for you, Lee. Doesn’t feel like Killer’s style. Never known him to play with his food before.”

Steel brushes another kiss against my forehead before backing away from me and heading over to the desk to lean back against it. He stares at me, lifts a brow, and beckons me over with a crook of his index finger.

Folding my arms over my chest, I refuse his call and continue to use the door as a prop to hold myself up. “You know,” I muse, “it would be really nice if you didn’t assume I’m going to come to you every time you crook your finger.”

His beard moves as his lips curve into a wicked smirk. “Baby girl, we both know there’s no assumption to it. Already proven you come every time I crook my finger, just as my filthy good girl should.”

“You’re dangerous to a woman’s vagina.” I shake my head. “Mostly to my heart though,” I mutter low enough so he hopefully doesn’t hear and runs off like a coward.

“What?”

“Nothing.” I sigh and push away from the door, crossing over to where he’s at.

When I’m close enough, he grabs me by the hips and pulls me between his legs, smoothly sliding his hands into the back pockets of my jean shorts when I’m settled snugly against him.

Steel rests his chin on the top of my head when I lay mine on his chest. “Stayin’ tonight,” he rumbles.

The breath stutters in my chest at his declaration. It’s the first time, other than the night he had to come rescue me, that he’s chosen to stay over. I honestly don’t want to read too much into it, but all of this is getting to be too comfortable. It’s getting to be too much of something I’ve always craved from him. As much as I know in my head and in my heart that I should pull back and turn him away, I can’t move from my spot in his arms.

My head is warning me there’s heartbreak on the horizon. We live in two different cities, come from two completely different backgrounds, live two very different lives. Not only that, but sometimes I feel like I’m just a stand-in for Steel’s best friend, because there was a time when he had a thing for her and I honestly don’t know if that ever went away.

It freaking terrifies me to risk my heart for him when our relationship could end up as toxic as it was last time and I could be left broken on the floor all over again.

I’m stronger this time, though, and there’s no way in hell I’ll ever stick it out again for three years, hoping for him to toss bread crumbs my way so I can appease the gnawing ache in my gut.

Chapter seventeen

Life’s been fucking chaoticlately. With everything going on between Bailee’s shit and the club shit, we’ve barely had any time together.

My craving for her doesn’t lessen. It seems to get stronger the more time I go without her. The shit that fucking scares me is that it’s not just sexual. We satisfy that part over the phone together every night. Now, there’s a hunger in my gut to know things about her. Everything we’ve had in the past was surface-level shit because I couldn’t and wouldn’t let it be more. I cared about her a fuck-ton but wasn’t wanting to settle. Plus, when she had come into my life, I’d just been coming off the ridiculous crush I had on Emmy Lou. That shit was gone completely after the first couple times with Bailee. That woman stole my attention, and truth be told, I ain’t ever taken it away from her no matter who the fuck I’ve been with. Probably should have. Hell, I tried fucking hard to—with Heather, club whores, fender fluff, and other townies—but it was always her in my mind when I was getting off.

Shitty as fuck, but it is what it is. No use kicking myself in the nuts about it repeatedly.

What I’m feeling for this damn woman now rivals whatever the fuck I’d felt for her in the past. I guess that’s why it’s so fucking terrifying. I ain’t any more ready for her now than I was before, not with everything going on and not with Heather still trying to pull her bullshit. Bitch is lucky she’s the mother to my daughter. It’s the only reason she’s still around and the only reason she’s gotten away with so much more shit than I’d normally let anyone pull.

I’m about to head to Wraith and Nova’s to pick up Lyric when my phone rings and Wraith’s name flashes over the screen.

“All good, Pres?”

“Just got a call from Crow. We need to meet him at Trinity. Shit’s gone down at Sage’s work and it’s bad. Nova couldn’t get a hold of her. We’ve got Bozo on protection along with Pierce’s guys, but we haven’t heard much yet. Firecracker is coming so she can be there for her sister. Her mom is staying with the kids. You good with that, brother, or do you need to grab your girl?”

“All good. Meet you there.”

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