Page 36 of Steel

The warmth from his fingertips and the possessive hold was strangely calming. We were both taking deep breaths at this point. Even with his face being so close, he continued to dart hiseyes back and forth. I found myself caught up in the moment, tipping my head. My actions were silly.

No, they were flat out ridiculous.

Yet I was on my tiptoes, leaning in.

No. This would blow the entire calendar, a mistake I could not afford to make.

But he was so tempting, his lips so close. So… very… close.

We were caught in a frozen state of being, his chest heaving while I did everything to keep from clawing his shirt.

“Fuck me, Steel. Thrust your big, fat cock deep inside. My pussy aches for you.”

“Woman, that pussy belongs to me,” he growled before pulling my nipple into his mouth, biting down on my tender bud.

Desire tore through me, unbridled hunger, eager to surrender body and soul.

What in the hell was I thinking? Holy shit.

“How did you know I wasn’t choking?” Fighting to recover from my naughtiness, I asked the question with perfect intonation, barely recognizing my own voice. I wasn’t usually so completely unprofessional. I blamed it on lack of sleep and how we’d met.

He didn’t remove his hands, using his thumb and brushing the rough pad across my cheek. I was tingling all over, praying that there were no visible signs.

His eyes were hooded, his breathing nearly as labored. “Because you could talk. I was simply trying to take your mind off the tension.”

“It worked.” Although I could admit there was an entirely different kind of emotion. I gently pushed him away, turning my head enough he dropped his hand.

Everything about him was unexpected. With a wicked grin on his face, he stepped away, scratching his head. “Anyway. Now you know why I wanted to get the car back to your son.”

“I do and thank you very much. Damon doesn’t find many things to his approval and the car was a hit. Will it be any trouble bringing by the collection? He doesn’t get excited about much these days. Which is why finding the puppy is a nightmare, but I’ll deal with it.”

“Every boy needs a puppy. The scruffy mutt my parents allowed me to pick out at the pound saved my ass from jail.”

His ability to make fun of himself surprised me. “Should I ask?”

“Probably not. You’ll think even worse of me, but seriously, the puppy will help him mature.”

“Yeah, I guess.” I wasn’t about to tell him why it was such a bad idea. “It’s been a very long time since I had a dog and the pain of losing one might be too much.”

My God. Another memory. We’d had the puppy with us on the trip to Missoula. My mother had been missing the area. She’d grown up here. I’d forgotten all about that.

“So, um… Are you afraid your husband won’t like the pup?”

I held up my left hand, wiggling my fingers. “Never married. Don’t want to be. Ever.”

“Whoa. Well, we can agree on that. Marriage is nothing more than being sucked into a fantasy when reality is tough enough to deal with. You know?”

“Yes, I understand completely.” I guess we both had a backstory.

He cleared his throat. “Don’t worry. I won’t pry. Especially since you hate me.”

“I’m sorry about creating all those bruises and splitting your lip.” Maybe I was just being motherly, a trait that often annoyed me since I’d tried so hard to be tough, but I rubbed my finger gently across his lip. There was a little dried blood and I had a guilty twinge. Just a twinge.

The surprise move caught us both off guard. When air filled his lungs, I pulled my hand free, curling my fingers. His lips were soft and kissable and…

“Where I’m from, it’s not every day you’re faced with a man holding a gun on your child.” I was doing a terrible job hiding our electric connection.

“Where are you from?” Was his voice even deeper?