Page 131 of Steele

And I felt his touch like a tattoo, as if he’d marked me as his. Permanent, beautiful, and full of color.

I dressed in a summer skirt with big Hawaiian flowers, a billowy blouse, and strappy sandals. Quietly, I stepped out of the closet.

The bed was made. I checked in the bathroom for Brett, but he’d obviously left the room. I found him in the kitchen. The coffeemaker gurgled in the corner of the counter. He stood by the stove. Eggs popped and sizzled in the frying pan.

Holy shit. Even with the bruises, he was fire without a shirt, a sexy just-woke-up smile on his lips, and jeans, with the top button undone, hanging low on his hips. I came up behind him and pressed a kiss to the tattoo on his shoulder.

“Morning.” He leaned over and slanted his mouth over mine. He kissed me long and slow, stroking his tongue against mine.

I smiled when we parted. “You should be resting,” I said and grabbed two mugs from the cupboard.

He chuckled as he flipped the eggs and then turned off the burner. “I’m going to be on my ass all day. I’ll need to find shit to do to keep me busy.”

I paused in pouring the coffee. “I thought Vega was coming over today.”

Most of the Hellers had come over this past week. My neighbor had even stopped in when Bullet, Rogue, and Jazzy had brought Brett’s Harley to the house. They’d sat around the patio while I made lunch. I’d gone from being alone to having a house full of friends and a live-in boyfriend.

“He said he’d come by later this afternoon.” He dropped two slices of bread into the toaster. “We’ll find a little trouble.”

I propped a hand on my hip. “Brett, you don’t have your strength back yet. Promise you’ll follow the doctor’s orders.”

He smirked, disarming me with that dimple in his cheek. “I won’t make a promise I might not keep.” He turned, pressed my back against the counter, and nuzzled into my neck. “Fuck, baby, you smell good.” His palm trekked along my ribs, skated over my hip, and curved onto my ass.

The toast popped.

My head tipped back, giving him my neck. “This is definitely against doctor’s orders.”

“Can’t wait any longer.” His cock nudged against my belly. “I rubbed two out yesterday.” His voice seeped under my skin, warm and sticky, making me ache deep inside. “Once in the shower and again last night when I watched you sleep. Fuck, baby, I can’t lay in bed with you and not want to fuck you.”

I pulled back and stared into his eyes. “You should’ve woken me up.” I nipped his chin. “No sex, but we can do other stuff.”

“I wasn’t going to wake you up to suck my dick.” He reached down, grabbed the edge of my skirt, and lifted it. “I’ll be careful.”

I tucked my thumbs into my panties, pushed them down my thighs, then bent over to untangle them from the heel of my sandal. “I’ll be late.”

“I’ll be fast.” He unzipped his jeans, and his hard and heavy cock fell into his palm. He stroked the length.

“How do you want me?”

His jaw tightened as he gazed at me. Something shifted in the playfulness of the moment. He stroked my cheek. His fingers feathered over the column of my neck and sank lower. He curled them against his palm, and he grazed his knuckles over my hardened nipple. “I don’t want to scare you, but I want you just like this. Us. Together. Knowing what we got is worth whatever sacrifice we have to make.”

I swallowed the extra saliva in my mouth. “Brett,” I whispered.

He crashed his lips into mine, kissing me hard and filthy just the way I loved. Then he whispered in my ear as he slapped my ass.

“Turn around.”

***

I was so late. Okay, technically, I wasn’t late for school, I just missed the morning meeting, and my phone just pinged with a text. I didn’t take time to answer because, yes, I was coming in today, but I was also less than a block from the school.

The first bell rang as I exited my vehicle and hurried into the school. I weaved between laughing children and entered my classroom to a chorus of, “Miss Jaymi.”

I smiled and patted heads as I hurried to my desk and tossed my purse into my bottom drawer. God, it felt like forever since I’d been in the classroom.

“Miss Jaymi, Taco shed his shell.” Liam peered into the terrarium.

I glanced around the room. Where was Lili? “Caydee, have you seen Lili?” Because they were best friends outside of school.