Page 97 of Steel

Damn it. I could feel the thin line positioned between us fraying.

This time I had the distinct feeling it would never be redrawn.

CHAPTER 21

Violet

How could I tell my son the dog he adored so much might not belong to him? The blows kept coming. Accepting the assignment had been a huge mistake.

I’d already thought about conceding failure. Between the fire with the Jeep, the incident with the puppy, and even the argument with Steel, I was running out of energy to fight with life the way I’d faced my entire adulthood. Who was I kidding? Since I was a little girl.

I settled against the side of the hot tub, hoping I could find some relaxation.

Even if my protector had fallen into silence, I could tell by the tightness of his jaw he remained bothered by something. Whether the reason for the argument or the interference with his space, I wasn’t certain and being so uncomfortable around him was unnerving.

Stars.

I couldn’t remember ever seeing them twinkling so beautifully.

“Have you ever noticed that there’s a stunning sheet of black velvet painting the sky, the perfect palette punctured by millions of tiny diamonds shimmering with promises of eternity?”

When Steel remained in the cloak of silence he’d been in since we’d slipped into the tub, I moved just enough from my way too comfy position to look at him.

“Maybe instead like secrets waiting to be discovered.” My words didn’t faze him the way I’d hoped. “What’s wrong, Steel? Have you changed your mind about us being here? I can leave.” Yes, I was testing the waters and my sanity with every action taken, every word out of my mouth.

The seductive slant was totally unlike me. The blowout from earlier was a clear, reliable indication this was just a blip in time. Why was I testing our strained relationship?

He remained with his head resting against the side, nearly violent bubbles hiding his gorgeous body as well as mine. Even in June, the air was brisk, which created a picture-perfect night.

“Now you’re ignoring me?” I moved a little closer, shocked how relaxed I’d become in only a few minutes. “Or you just don’t like stars in the sky?” His attempt at ignoring me was just another reminder that underneath the brooding persona was a very passionate man. In all aspects of his life. “Okay then. I think I’ve had enough.”

I moved closer to the edge, leaning over so I could grab the robe he’d given me to wear. The little voice inside my head reminded me that men like Steel didn’t like to lose. Plus, they required control over everything and everyone. So when I was surprisedat his grabbing hand, fingers wrapped around my elbow and yanking me back, I rolled my eyes.

There was no sense in trying to push away even if I wanted to. He was drunk on lust, easy to tell by the look in his eyes. When he continued his acts of silence after forcing me to straddle him, who was I to break the mood or the obvious intensity of his hunger?

With the stars twinkling overhead and the colorful ones buried in the bubbling depths of the water doing the same, his desire was highlighted. There was no doubt what he wanted and it had little to do with us being just friends.

He cupped the back of my head, pulling me closer while the full length and girth of his huge cock was pressed between my legs. My core was already on fire, the deep, intense throb more than I’d felt before when we’d shared an intimate moment. His extreme emotions were the reason, the fact he’d allowed me into one of the most painful moments of his life.

And in my case, opening up to him had been as if doing so with a friend I’d had for years. He brought our faces closer, his soft lips taunting me by being only centimeters away. We were both breathing rapidly and while the sound was drowned out by the rapid bubbles, our chests were heaving in time together.

I rolled my hands up his chest to his shoulders, licking drops of water off my lips. Very slowly he shook his head, his fingers tangling in my hair, the hold more possessive than before.

There was no chance I was going anywhere. “I’m going to fuck you, brat. And there’s nothing you can do to stop me.” His husky voice echoed in my ears with a whispered promise of all the things I craved.

“Why would I want to?”

His chuckle was even darker, dipping to a deep baritone I almost didn’t recognize. But there was no mistaking the way he held me or his determination that I surrender. When he finally pressed his lips against mine, holding our mouths in place, I instantly tensed.

There were questions racing through my mind, ugly snippets that this wasn’t the right thing to do, but the thoughts were pointless. He held our lips together while his dick throbbed, keeping my pussy tingling and on fire.

He slipped his other hand around my back, tugging me even closer. When he pushed his tongue inside my mouth, a moan escaped my throat, which he caught. Yet the sound also echoed in my ears. With my eyes closed, the moment seemed like sweet magic that I prayed would never end.

The taste of him was incredible, citrus-tinged whiskey while his scent was equally intoxicating. Cedar and a hint of smoke laced with unbridled desire. Could there be a better combination? I didn’t think so.

Now his lips were crushed against mine, pushing me into the kind of pleasure a woman never wanted to end. Just from a kiss, a gesture that could mean anything. Including friendship alone. Not tonight. And not with this man. Friendship would never be enough.

The hunger continued to build, moving dangerously close to a sweet frenzy. I shifted back and forth on his lap, enjoying the sensations as the water sloshed over us. I grabbed a handful of his hair, using it to tether me. With our tumultuous night, maybe I was fearful if I let go, he’d disappear.