Page 111 of Steel Beauty

“I hope I didn’t hurt you. I was rougher than I meant to be.”

I shake my head, a small smile playing on my lips. “You didn’t hurt me. I liked it. A lot actually.”

His eyebrows raise slightly in surprise. “You did, huh?”

“Mm-hmm,” I hum, snuggling against him. “I liked the roughness, the urgency, knowing that I could be an outlet for your frustrations. It was incredibly…arousing.”

Alex is quiet for a moment, then cups my chin, tilting my face up to his. “You’re amazing, you know that? But you don’t have to do that. I don’t want to use you as some kind of stress relief.”

I reach up, tracing my fingers along his jaw. “But what if I want you to? What if I enjoy being that for you?”

“You’re serious?”

I nod, holding his gaze. “Completely. Alex, I care about you. I want to be there for you in every way possible. If this is something you need, something that helps you, I want to give that to you.”

He searches my face for a moment. “God, you have no idea what you do to me.”

I smile, nuzzling into the crook of his neck, pressing a soft kiss to his pulse point. “I think I have some idea.”

Alex pulls me close, wrapping his strong arms around me. For a while, we simply hold each other, basking in the afterglow. The world outside our little bubble seems distant and unimportant.

“Do you have any vacation days you can take?”

I glance up, curiosity sparking at the question. “Some. Why?”

“I need to go out of town the week after next. I want you to come with me.”

“Another surprise?”

“Maybe.” His grin deepens, his fingers brushing over mine. “Think you could work something out with Soul Sync and come with me?”

A thrill courses through me, excitement bubbling up as I nod. “I think I can make it happen.”

“Good.”

His arm tightens around me. His hand rests warmly on my back as we settle into the quiet intimacy of the ride.

As the car moves through the dark streets, I glance up at him, his profile softened by the glow of the city lights. For the first time tonight, the tension in his face seems to ease, and I feel it too—a sense of peace, fragile yet undeniable.

Whatever comes next, I know we’ll face it together. And in this moment, that’s all that matters.

Chapter27

Magnolia Steel

A whirlwindof excitement and doubt churns inside me, my stomach twisting with every mile that brings us closer to Alex’s childhood home. Meeting his parents feels monumental—too monumental for a relationship with an expiration date. Isn’t this the kind of step you take when you’re planning to stay, not when there’s a countdown hanging over you like a ticking clock?

Alex reaches over, his hand warm as it closes around mine, his thumb tracing slow, deliberate circles over my knuckles. It’s a small gesture, but it soothes me, his touch steady even as my thoughts spiral.

“Relax, Magnolia. My parents are going to love you.”

I force a smile, trying to let his confidence wash over me, but the pull of one single question tugs harder.Why are we doing this?

We’re living in a fantasy, pretending that three months can stretch forever, that meeting his family isn’t a milestone meant for a relationship we don’t have. I glance at him, his profile sharp and steady, his grip on my hand unwavering. He looks so certain, so unshaken by the reality we’re staring down.

But I’m not.

Because deep down, I know this is more than a visit. It’s a step forward in a relationship that isn’t supposed to move beyond the boundaries we’ve set. And yet, here we are—me about to step into his world, about to meet two of the most important people in his life.

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