by C. M. Steele
My bitch stepsister hissed and huffed when they took their time to leave, so she waited in the car. I’m not even sure where they were going, but they were gone by the time Brandon came in. Shutting my eyes closed tightly, I try to push that moment out of my head.
The doorbell rings, and I hear some noise, but the door shuts quickly so I don’t know who it is. I use it as my excuse to climb out of bed. I wanted to sleep, but now my thoughts aren’t good ones. I slowly open the door and step into the hallway. “Jules, are you okay?” He approaches the bottom step with a couple of bags in his hands.
“Yes. I just heard a noise.”
A grimace spreads across his face. “I’m sorry. I have to put away these groceries, but if you give me a couple of minutes, I’ll get you the antibiotics.”
“I’ll just come down there, if you don’t mind.”
“You’re free to go anywhere in this house, Jules.” I take the steps as quickly as I can, but I’m still very sore all over. The cut near my ribs burns with each stretch of that muscle it shredded. It’s one of the few spots where he got in a little deeper. I had no major bleeds or injuries, but healing’s going to take a while. Anthony patiently waits for me while still holding those bags because I have no idea where to go. “Come on, take my arm. You should be in bed, but I’m guessing your mind isn’t letting you.”
“You nailed it.”
“I’m sorry. If you want to talk, I’m here. Or you can call one of the girls.” Not his sister. I learned she doesn’t like me anymore, especially when it comes to Anthony. I suppose I did give her an awful impression of me the last time we spoke. We enter his kitchen, which is nicer than I expected for a man who works hard with his hands. It’s pristine.
“Your kitchen is beautiful,” I utter, rubbing the granite countertop of the breakfast bar. I can see he prefers the left chair because it has the most wear in the seat, including a couple of tears that I assume were from one of his knives catching the material.
“Our kitchen, and thanks. Roxie picked everything out when I bought the land off Boomer. It took a while to get everything set up, but I’ve lived here for the past five months.” Roxie. I’m afraid to speak to her. Goodness. She’s probably gonna tear me a new one.
“She’ll be down with her husband next week,” he says, turning as he fills a long cabinet with some cans.
“Oh, really?” I ask, trying to hide my apprehension.
He continues to put away the things without catching on, thankfully. I watch the way his large frame moves around so effortlessly, and I’m enjoying the flexing of his muscles through his tight black tee. I think that’s all the man owns. I’ve rarely seen him in anything else in all of our past encounters. “Yes. She’s going to come by to visit with my parents for my birthday.”
“Your birthday’s next week?” I’m learning lots of facts about the man who stole my heart.
He leans on the bar, sliding over the pharmacy bag, and says, “Yep. June fifteenth.”
“Wow. Our birthdays are really close together.”
“Yep. Here you go.” He hands me a glass of water. “Please take your meds, and I’ll order us a pizza.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you did the shopping yourself.”
“Frankly, I’m just tired and not that great of a cook. I’m not trying to send you running now that I’ve got you right where I want you.”
“I can barely walk. You won’t have any problem catching me,” I tease.
“That you are right about. Tell me what you want on your pizza, Jules.”
“A plain sausage is good for me.”
“That works. Take a seat.” I steal his chair on purpose, which he doesn’t fail to notice. He winks and then makes the call. I watch as he walks around the kitchen, stealing glances at me as he talks. Goodness, the man is gorgeous. It reminds me of all the times at the bakery where he’d sit and stare at me while pretending to actually watch for trouble.
When he ends the call, he tucks his phone away and takes the seat next to me. “Are you going to take them?”
“Oh yeah, of course.” I pull out the bottle and read the instructions. “Where is my phone? I need to put my alarm on it.”
“Sorry, beautiful, but your phone was destroyed when the guys went back for your things.”
“That’s weird. Why would that be? It was in my purse.”
“I don’t know. I’ll find out. Cyber’s going to bring you a new phone in the morning. He needed to try and save the memory on your old phone.”
“Dang. Did someone accidentally step on it?” I ask.
“I don’t know. None of the guys said so. They said they found your phone under the sofa, smashed.”
“Maybe my memory’s off.” I play it off, but I believe it was intentionally broken.
“Speaking of memory—the police want to take your official statement. They took the initial report, but they need a formal one now.” I’ve been dreading that. I know it has to happen, even though I wish it would magically all go away.
“Can we hold off a day or two? I’m not ready to say anything.”
“Of course. They have enough evidence to try and convict him. They just want a solid backing.”
“And his father’s going to stick his nose in it to make sure the media doesn’t get wind of this and do all he can to minimize his son’s actions.”
“I assume so.”
“Given that he was at the hospital trying to hush you and me up, I’m not certain how far he’s willing to go.”
“Don’t remind me. I want to strangle your parents for even daring to sweep this under the rug.” His hand squeezes into a fist until his knuckles whiten. I place my hand over his. “I don’t mean to frighten you, Jules.”
“You don’t scare me. Just the opposite. You left me because you thought it was in my best interest, despite you wanting me.”
“I just didn’t want you to suffer a lifetime of unhappiness.”
“See what I mean?”
“So have you completely forgiven me for pushing you away on your birthday?”
“Yes, Anthony. Although, as a woman, it’s my right to remind you often of anything that once displeased me.”
“How can I make you forget it?”
“I doubt I ever will, but a kiss would be a good start.” Like a flash of lightning, he’s on me, his hands grabbing onto the counter and the back of my chair and his mouth claiming mine. It’s fast, hard, but not demanding. His phone rings in his pocket, forcing us to stop kissing. With everything going on, all calls are important.
“Sorry, it’s my sister.”
“Can we watch a movie when the food comes?”
“Absolutely.” He answers the phone and says, “Hold on a second.” He leads me into the living room where a seventy-inch television is mounted to the wall. I take a seat, and then he hands me the remote after powering it on. “The channels should be all the same as in Dallas. I’ll be right back.” He kisses my temple and walks the other way.
“Shut up,” I hear him say as he heads in the other direction from the kitchen.
Ten minutes later, he’s back, but I don’t bring up the conversation because I don’t want to be nosy. His phone goes off again. This time, it’s my aunt. I’m surprised that she’s calling him, but then again, she probably has his number stored for safety reasons. He hands the phone to me.
“Sweetie, Penny’s in labor.”
“Oh my goodness,” I gasp. I’m so excited to hear they’re having their baby finally.
“They’re back in Dallas General.” The same hospital I just left. “Rest, darling. Don’t worry about coming down there. I’m sure they’ll be home in a couple of days and you’ll feel well enough to visit.”
“Thanks, Aunt. Tell her to call me when she feels up to it.” The doorbell rings, and Anthony pops up off the sofa to get it.
“I will. Rest well, sweetie, and when you feel better, make some cute babies with that handsome young man.”
“I will.” I’m so glad he wasn’t sitting here to hear that. I end the call just as he brings in the pizza. The thought of having his babies makes my ovaries burst with excitement. I can almost feel my womb getting ready. Either that, or I’m just really freaking horny.
“Here we are, madam. Your dinner is served.” They even included paper plates and napkins with the order. Perfect.
“I’m so happy Penny’s having the baby now.”
“I know. They’re all giving birth. There are going to be a lot of kids around the same age in town.”
“Who else? I haven’t been around, and Penny and I haven’t had much time to talk lately.”
“Well, there’s Doc and Sophie, or Sophia. People call her both. Beast and Mary are expecting. Then, there’s Ghost and Grace, and now Wrench has just gotten with Mackenzie.”
“Mackenzie? The girl who works at the grocery store?” I remember thinking I hoped Anthony didn’t like her.
“Yes. He’s going to laugh when I tell him that even you have met her. He’s like the last person in town to come face to face with her.”
“She wins the best game of hide and seek, I guess.”
“Yes, and soon I hope that we’ll be adding to that group of little ones.”
“We haven’t even…”
“We will.” His phone goes off again. “Son of a bitch,” he snarls. “Eat. I’ll be right back. It’s my parents. I’m going to kill Roxie.” He opens the pizza box first, though. “Yes, Pops, what’s going on?” He stands but doesn’t go far, so I can hear him but not his parents.
“She can’t keep her big mouth shut for a whole minute. I haven’t asked her yet. Look, I’ll talk to you later. We’re in the middle of dinner.” He hangs up on his parents and powers off his phone.
“Just want an hour of peace with you.”
“I’m glad I don’t have my phone, then.”
“I think that should be a rule. No phones during dinner.”
“That’s a good rule. They want you to ask your sister something?”
“No, baby. My mother was talking about planning the wedding.”
“Wedding?”
“Yeah. See, they’re crazier than me.” I take a bite out of my pizza to avoid the conversation and not give away that my heart aches to be his wife. “What do you want to watch?”
“Pick something. I’m terrible at picking television. I’m a reader.”
“How about a movie based on a book?”
“If it’s not Harry Potter or Pride & Prejudice, I’ll pass.”
“Harry Potter it is. Which one?”
“Can we start with the first?”
“Whatever you want.” He starts the movie with a quick search, and we eat our food in companionable peace.
I don’t remember when I fell asleep, but I wake with a scream. “Shh, it’s okay. You’re here with me,” Anthony whispers. I turn to him and press my head against his bare chest. I shouldn’t say bare, because he has a nice spattering of hair that is just enough to make him even sexier. This man is truly all man, and I’m so in love it’s ridiculous. He soothes me to sleep, and the rest of the night, I don’t wake again.
****
It’s been nearly a week since we arrived in Steeleville, and we’ve seen all the Harry Potter movies. I even convinced him to watch Pride & Prejudice, which he loved. Jackson and Penny came over to see us and to show us their little one. I fell in love and yet, I don’t think I’ll ever have a baby. Anthony hasn’t done more than kiss me again. It’s almost as if he’s scared to hurt me, but the way he pulls away hurts more than he can understand. His parents come tomorrow, and I’m sure that he’ll act like a complete gentleman, and I’ll be hornier than ever.
He wants me to think of this as my permanent home, but how can I when we’re just dating? Hell, we’re more like roommates. He hasn’t let me go into his forge. We share the same bed, but that’s it. He doesn’t even know if I’m terrible at sex. Maybe once he has me, that desire, hunger, might fade. I’ve seen it happen to people. Oh my goodness. What if he’s already regretting this? I’m probably nothing but a burden to him.
“Hey, beautiful. Where are you?”
“What?”
“You’re in that head of yours again.”
“Nothing much. I’m thinking about how you won’t let me into your forge.”
“It’s not that I don’t let you in there. I just figured you didn’t want to go.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s full of knives, Precious.”
“Well, so is the kitchen, but I find myself in there.”
“I suppose you make a great point. If you want to come in, just come in. I’ll keep it unlocked.”
“Fine. I’m not going to tell you when. I’m just going to pop in.”
“Okay. I just ask that you be careful. Everything in there can get really hot and dangerous.”
“I will. I’ll do my best to keep my distance.”
“What brings you in here?”
“I came for a drink. I finished all my water.” He kisses my cheek before walking into the kitchen to grab a cold drink.
“Well, I’m going to take a shower and then read a book.”
“That’s good.” He sets the cup in the sink. “Give me a kiss before you go.” I comply with a plan in mind. As soon as we break apart, I hurry to our bedroom for a nice shower.
An hour later, I’m ready to sneak in on him while he’s working. I make my way through the large backyard and to the massive, barn-like structure in the back. I pull the steel door and surprisingly, it’s unlocked. I step inside and become mesmerized by the scene before me.
He stands there in his forge, pounding on the steel to make a new blade. Sweat beads down his chest as he bends the metal to his will. My body aches in ways only he can relieve—to use those rough hands on me, hammering into me with such power. I moan and his eyes find mine; they darken, heated with the same lust that’s in me.
Chapter Nine
Blade
This is the first time Jules has come into my workspace, and fuck me, is it a sight. The heat is already building beads of sweat between her ample cleavage in that sexy dress she has on. It’s been a week of holding Jules close without being balls deep in her like I want to be.
The expression on her face is one of pure lust. I nearly send the steel to the ground, missing the hammer strike. She swallows hard, and her tongue peeks out from her lips. I never expected her to come out here, considering there are knives galore and she should be scared, but Jules is always surprising me.
"Baby, you can't look at a man like that." Fuck, she’s staring at me like she wants me to do bad things to her.
"Why? Are you tempted?"
"For you, always."
"It doesn't seem like it. I've been lonely, longing for you, and here you are pounding away on these things instead of giving me the pounding you promised."
"I didn't want to wear you out, but since you're saying I'm slacking in providing for your needs, I must make amends."
"Ooh, I guess Pride & Prejudice got to you."
"I want to see your color heightened from exercise too," I growl, reaching for the gas and turning off the forge. Leaving my tools right where they are and tossing my gloves onto my workbench, I stalk toward my woman. She takes a step outside the door, eyes daring, chest rising and falling as I shrink the distance between us. Turning on her heel, she takes off toward the house and through the back door. I rush inside, hoping she doesn't fall. I know most of her aches have passed, but I've neglected the one that keeps returning. My poor girl's horny as hell, and it's time I gave us both what we need.
"Jules, where are you, my sweet?" I ask with a smirk, seeing her shadow just in the hall. "Here, here, my pet. Where are you?" She lets out the cutest giggle that makes my heart tighten. I love this woman, and the more I learn about her, the more my obsession intensifies. She has no idea that while she sleeps, I slip out of bed and stroke my cock until I come on her panties, her b
ras, whatever I can get, jerking like a fucking sick animal when I really want to be balls deep inside her warmth, marking my territory repeatedly.
I reach around the hall and catch her before she can reach the bottom step. I'm careful to keep my hold light, but my brat wiggles right out of it, making sure to rub her ass on my cock before she breaks free. I give chase as she runs up the stairs and into our room. She's right where I want her. Hell, I'll take her anywhere, but for our first time, I want her to feel worshipped like she should be.
She slams the door shut just as I reach the top of the stairs, giggling the entire time. I shake my head, because she's only increasing my excitement. I need to be in my girl without a doubt. I grip the handle and twist, hearing the mechanism move and opening. I slide inside the room and watch as she sits on the bed, naked and panting from the exercise.
"You do look ravishing after exercise," I grunt, kicking off my shoes as I grip my belt and tug it free. "You see this? It should be on your pretty ass."
"Why?"
"Because you've been an awfully bad girl, running around and not being careful. You can't be hurting my greatest treasure, Jules."
"Well, damn it. Why are you so sweet? I'm horny. My pussy's throbbing, and you're gonna make me cry. I want you to bring that sweaty body over here and possess me."
"Fuck—you keep that talk up, and I'm going to nut in my pants."
"Then take them off. I want to see that massive cock you have pressed against my big ass every night." I grip the fucker, who jerks with every dirty thing that escapes her lips.
"You want to see it; I'll give you a close-up."
"Promises, promises." She teases, slipping her finger between her pouty lips where she gives it a good suck. I close my eyes and groan. Shucking my pants and briefs down, I let my needy girl see my big dick. She climbs off the bed and drops down in front of me. I'm going to come at least once tonight. She reaches for the heavy length; her long, red-painted nails stand out against my thickness.
"I can't get my hand around it. You're going to tear my pussy apart, aren't you?"