Chapter 7 #3
The handsome man lingered in the doorway while my son turned dramatically and sauntered off as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Another awkward moment settled in, yet the air shifting between us crackled.
“So, were you serious? Is the little car he owns worth something?”
The snort Steel issued was exactly like the one my son did when he thought one of my jokes was ridiculous or refused for the fifteenth time to eat spinach. “Hell, yes.” He was both enthusiastic and loud enough his brows shot up. “I’m sorry. I forgot you have a kid.”
“He’s heard worse.” Which was sadly true.
Steel’s smile was the exact one I could see on the cover of the calendar, picture perfect. Wow. I was a little too flustered around him. “I have a caustic mouth. It comes from having brothers and where I work. But yeah, that car is rare and worth four. Maybe a little bit more.”
“Four dollars?” Oh, wow. I think I spent a buck. A good investment.
“Uh, no.”
“Four hundred?”
“Try four thousand.”
My turn to choke for real. I was obviously convincing enough Steel closed the distance between us, crowding my space in a way that turned the cough into wheezing.
“Just breathe. Relax and breathe.” I don’t know what he thought he was doing, but he cupped both sides of my face, lowering his almost as if he was going to kiss me.
From there, he studied my eyes, continuing to tell me to relax.
“I’m fine.”
“I have some medical training if you need it.”
Oh, the images that floated through my mind. Filthy images. “No, I’m honestly… fine.”
My wheezing stopped for a couple of reasons, including that I was close to being drunk on his incredible aftershave. Had he slapped some on after our rough and tumble meeting? If I wasn’t mistaken, sandalwood with a hint of vanilla, a twist of spices and lime with a solid dose of well-worn leather.
My, wasn’t I creative? It must be the time spent on the calendar. But it was true.
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 his eyes 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?
Shit. I’d put my foot into my mouth. What did it matter? I wasn’t moving here. “Los Angeles.”
“Ah, I get it. How can you stand the big city? Especially Los Angeles. I hate the place. Too crowded. Too expensive. Too many criminals.” He laughed as if I considered him one.
If there was one thing I could say about Steel, it was that he was honest. “You know what? I kind of hate it too, although my job keeps me there.”
“Oh, yeah? What do you do? You said you were out here for only a little while. Are you famous?”
“Me? Famous?” He pulled a grin and I wrinkled my nose in response. “Very funny.”
“I’m not kidding. You’re beautiful enough to be some famous actress.” I had a feeling if he wasn’t sporting the sexy beard, he’d have dimples.
“Does that line work on the women in Missoula?” I folded my arms in defense.
“Hell if I know. It’s not a line. I don’t know what kind of dudes you’re used to dealing with, but real men give real compliments. Especially to beautiful women, even if they are troublemakers.”
“Me? A troublemaker?”
“Oh, you bet. I can read that from a mile away.”
Was he actually puffing up his chest? Maybe.
Hold on. Had I hurt his feelings? “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” How many times was he going to get me with the ‘ah shucks’ and very fake demeanor? “You’re terrible. Just terrible.”
“I feel like it’s deserved since you bashed me in the head with a tree limb.” He touched his lip with his tongue and knew I was watching him, just as embarrassed as I’d been before.
“Deserved? Think again, buster. I’m sorry, but no one is ever going to hurt my son.”
I planted my hand on my hip, rising just an inch onto my toes so I could mostly look him square in the eyes. Damn, the man was tall. The way he peered down at me reminded of me a lion who’d just managed to capture his prey and was preparing to savor every morsel.
His nostrils flared and he finally relaxed.
“I can’t blame you. I’d kill any man who hurt my child. Not that I’m ever going to have a kid, but I know how I’d react. I apologize. You should know I honestly would never hurt him or a dog. My mama would kick my ass straight to hell herself.” He shoved his hands into his pockets.
“I might like your mom.”
He chuckled. “She’s a tough lady. She could easily take on any man.”