STEEL
I held her face, struggling to look at her. "I need to hear you, Angel. You're certain? You want this?"
She nodded, gasping for breath. "I want you."
Shit. That really did it for me.
I kissed her again, this time harder, tongue against hers as my hand moved down her side, slipping beneath the waistband of her jeans. She moaned into my mouth, her whole body tensing before relaxing against me.
You're shaking, I whispered against her lips.
Because of you, she breathed.
My heart squeezed. "Good. I want you to be shaking for me."
I unbuckled her jeans slowly, giving her the opportunity to stop me if she wanted. She didn't. She lifted her hips, and I pulled them off her legs. My breath caught when I revealed her in lace.
"Jesus, Sin." My voice was raw, stunned. "You're gonna kill me.".
She flushed, attempting to slip away, but I caught her wrists in a gentle hold. "No hiding. Not from me."
Her lips parted as I kissed down her belly, then lower, placing my mouth against the heat of her through the lace. She gasped, her back bending over the blanket.
"Steel-"
"Shh," I said, kissing her again, my teeth brushing softly. "Just feel me."
Her fingers entwined in my hair as I hooked my fingers around the lace and pulled it down her legs. My control snapped the minute I gazed at her-naked, soaked, waiting.
"Fuck, you're beautiful," I growled. "You have no idea how long I've dreamed of this."
Her eyes widened, but before she had a chance to get anything out, I lowered my mouth to her.
The half-gasp, half-moan noise she let out near drove me crazy there. I licked her slowly at first, teasing, tasting, as she threshed in my grip.
"Steel..." she complained.
I looked up at her, mouth wet. "Say my name like that again."
"Steel..."
I moaned into her, sucking her slowly, following my tongue until she was crying out, thighs constricting around my head. I pulled her apart, unyielding, until she shattered in my mouth, moaning so violently it barked off the trees.
As she at last lay back, gasping, I crawled up over her body, kissing her lips, letting her enjoy herself on me.
Her eyes were glassy, her face aflame. "That was..."
Just the start," I swore, fumbling with my belt. My dick was pulsating so hard that it hurt, and the instant I let it go, her eyes widened.
"Steel..." she gasped, wary.
I cupped her face again, making her meet my gaze. "Look at me. I'll go slow. I'll take care of you."
She nodded, swallowing. "I trust you."
That-those three words-were more important to me than anything.
I leaned in, the tip of my cock pressed against her entrance. She gasped, fingers digging into my shoulders.
"Easy," I breathed, kissing her forehead. "Breathe with me, Angel."
I eased in slowly, agonizingly. The hot tightness of her nearly destroyed me, but I stopped, gritting my teeth, giving her time to adjust.
"Hurts," she whimpered, eyes closed.
"I know, baby. I know." I kissed her softly. "Just wait a sec. I'll make it good for you. Promise."
Her breathing settled, her body relaxing beneath me. I kissed her once more, murmuring against her lips, "Ready?"
She nodded, and I moved-slow, easy strokes at first, coaxing moans from the back of her throat.
"Steel..."
"Yeah, Angel?"
"Don't stop."
I groaned, pushing deeper, the mixture of her moans and my own filling the air. The way she held on to me, the way her body tightened around me-it was all I ever wanted.
"Mine," I snarled against her neck, biting her gently. "You hear me? You're mine now."
"Yes," she gasped. "Yours."
That single word made me mad. I fucked her harder, still careful but no longer able to keep the raw hunger in check. Her moans rose, higher, until I felt her tighten around me.
"Steel-I-"
"That's it, Angel. Let go for me."
She came undone, screaming my name, and that was it for me. I plunged deep, groaning her name while I came, holding her like I'd never released her.
When I passed through, I collapsed against her, both of us panting, our sweat-soaked skin shivering.
She slid her fingers up my back, slowly. "Happy birthday to me," she breathed, giggling.
I laughed against her neck, biting her skin. "Best damn birthday I've ever given."
She was still trembling beneath me, her ribcage expanding and contracting so quickly I could almost feel every shuddering breath on my ribcage. She was red, her skin glistening with sweat, and for an instant I merely held her there, grounding myself in the way she enveloped herself around me as if I would disappear. I slid slowly, rolling us over so that she was on my chest. My hands combed through her hair, slicking it back, trying to keep both of us steady. "Are you all right?" I whispered, kissing her forehead. She nodded, more a shuddering brush against me. Her voice cracked out, nearly broken. "Yeah. Just... wow." A snort escaped me, half relief, half astonishment. "That's one way to put it." She tipped her head up after a beat, still flushing to the cheeks, eyes wide and stunned but desperately searching for mine. "Was I. was I okay?" "Angel." I took hold of her chin, insisting she meet my gaze when she tried to look away. "You were perfect. You're mine. There isn't any way wrong for you to be with me.". Her mouth fell open, protesting, but she caught herself. Instead, the edge of a weak, almost hesitant smile tugged at the corners of her mouth before she buried her face once more in my chest. We just lay there for a moment, the gentle lapping of the lake in the background. The blanket we were on was still warm from our body heat, the chill of the night air on wet skin. My hands traced languid patterns across her back, more instinct than thought. "You're thinking too much," I finally said. She breathed deeply. "I just... I never thought this would ever happen. Not with you." My brow furrowed. "Why not?" Her laughter was soft, but there was a weight to it that hurt my chest. "Because you're Steel. Everyone wants you. And me?" She shook her head. "I've been nothing but a distraction. A target. Sin." I came up enough to roll her head into view, to look at her. "Don't. Never call yourself that like it's something dirty. Do you hear me?" My voice was harder than I meant it to be, but I needed her to believe me. "You're not a distraction. You're the only thing in this fucked-up world that makes any damn sense to me." Her Adam's apple bobbed as she swallowed, her eyes sparkling before tears began to well up there. "Why me?" I leaned in, my mouth inches from hers, so close I could taste the salt of her tears on my lips as I whispered, "Because I saw you when no one else looked. I've wanted you since I saw you. And now that I have you, Angel? I'm not letting you go." Her tears spilled over, but she smiled through them, a fragile, beautiful thing. "You mean that?" I caught her face in my hands, wiping her cheeks with my thumbs like her tears were something sacred. "More than I've ever meant anything in my life." She kissed me afterwards-slow, sweet, nothing whatever like the passion of before. This kiss was firming, anchoring. The kind of kiss that made me think in ways I never thought I'd think. When we finally pulled away, I wrapped the blanket around her shoulders a little tighter. "Cold?" "A little." A smirk tugged at my mouth. "Guess I'll just have to keep you warm." She rolled her eyes, a soft laugh escaping. "You're impossible." "Yeah," I gasped, leaving a kiss to the tip of her nose. "But I'm yours." We lay tangled up, the stars scattered across the sky like they belonged to us. And in the quiet somewhere, I vowed something I knew I'd do. No matter who attempted to stand in our way-the gossips, the jealous idiots, even the sheriff who raised me-I wasn't going to let her ever slip away.
