The Way to Steel

Paxton

I had to get out of this house. After what I’d said to Dad? Bringing up the ugly goddamn past all over again? It was too awkward to face him.

Barricaded alone in my room, I looked out the window at my car. I didn’t remember parking it there. Because...oh, right. I didn’t drive.

Ding, ding, ding—we got a winner.

Boy, I was slow this morning.

Why didn’t I drive home? Because a certain somebody drove for me, probably saving my drunk-ass life.

I owed him a thank-you at the very least, didn’t I? And as far as excuses went to escape this house, it was a good one.

But how to find the mysterious Connor Steel? He’d mentioned a job, I remember. Something manly as fuck, of course. Was it construction or carpentry?

No. Now it clicked, looking at my car.

Because Connor Steel was a mechanic. The type of guy I never thought I’d be into in a million years. But I never thought I’d come back to this podunk town, either... so I opened my laptop to start a Google search.

I scoffed at the bad reviews of Steel Mechanics. They just seemed so...basic. For lack of a better word.

So they were bikers, so what? That meant they probably knew how to fix these machines better than anyone.

It meant they were good with their hands.

For a second, I got goosebumps, just thinking about Connor’s hands on me.

I got to my feet, shaking off the idea, and tried to figure out what I was going to wear.

Deciding on black ankle boots, faded skinny jeans, a white tank, and a black leather jacket, I lightly added some makeup and brushed my fingers through my long brown locks.

I would go as far as to say I was looking fine and feeling determined.

Then I grabbed my purse, snuck down the stairs, jumped into the car, and I was off. My shades were on, the windows rolled down, and Def Leppard blasted from my car stereo… It was the pinnacle of cliché, but I couldn’t help it.

Did I want his attention? Of course I fucking did.

Pulling up in my Dodge Charger, I was surprised to see the number of bikers there.

Now I could see why the Google review had been so critical. From the outside, they did look...intimidating. My confidence faltered a little bit.

They were all eyeing my car with what I could only hope was appreciation. It was a magnificent vehicle, after all. I rolled up the windows and flicked off the engine.

Swallowing hard as I was visually investigated by these fierce-looking men, I shrugged off my black leather jacket, as I had begun to sweat under the vindictive Texas sun.

My arms bare, revealing my full sleeve tattoos, I got out of the car and strode toward the front office.

“And here I was thinking you wouldn’t remember me,” a husky voice called from the mass of bulky men, drawing my attention.

He stepped forward in blue overalls folded at the waist, a white greased-up wife-beater, and tattoos across his broad, muscular chest and down his sculpted arms.

His dark hair was slicked back, and those haunting eyes searched me up and down.

I couldn’t help but bite my lip in solid appreciation of all things holy that had created this divine man.

Sucking back a sharp breath, I moved forward to him. “I didn’t at first actually.”

“Snuck up on you, did I?” He laughed.

“Yeah, you must’ve made some kind of impression. Considering I was...”

“Wasted.”

“Exactly.”

His boys were watching us with remarkably intense scrutiny, as if we were the first man and woman they’d ever seen banter in their damn lives. I looked left and right warily before tucking my hair behind my ears.

“I wanted to thank you. I was in no state to be driving.”

“You’re welcome.”

His surprisingly white teeth sparkled as he smiled.

Of course you fucking sparkle, you enticing epitome of all things masculine and sexy.

One of these days, I was going to get caught talking outside of my head if I wasn’t careful.

“So,” I said, allowing my curiosity to take over, “tell me. What does ‘next time’ mean?”

“Oh, that?” Connor shrugged. “Nothing. I just said that so your father would get a sleepless night trying to figure it out.”

We both chuckled. So he liked to fuck with authority too, huh? Maybe we had a bit more in common than it seemed.

Before I could respond, though, I felt a buzzing in my purse. I pulled out my phone.

I’d agreed to go out on a date with Ollie? As in the bartender with the aw-shucks old-fashioned charm? Jesus. Connor Steel was right. I really had been wasted. I never go for nice guys.

Feeling his eyes on me, I knew my cheeks flushed and clicked off my phone.

“Somebody important?” he asked.

“Just...uh, Ollie. Actually.”

“Oleander? What did he want?”

“Apparently we made plans to, um…”

I didn’t want to say it. And I guess I didn’t need to. Because the next thing I knew, Connor was taking a step toward me.

We were so close, I could feel the heat from his muscular body radiating toward me. Standing at roughly six feet two, his body was overwhelmingly larger than my small frame.

I shuddered at his close proximity.

“Paxton,” he said, “I don’t think you should go anywhere with Oleander.”

“Why...not?”

My mouth suddenly felt dry.

“Because I’m going to take you out myself,” Connor said.

His words shot a bolt of excitement straight between my thighs. I had to bite my lip to stop from moaning as his husky whisper ignited my senses.

A sudden wave of lust hit so strongly I couldn't think straight. I struggled to concentrate on anything other than his hot breath fanning my scorched flesh.

Thankfully, my phone buzzed again.

Maybe Ollie was right. Sure, he was a bit old-fashioned for my taste, but after the past ten hellish years I’d gone through, the last thing I needed was...this.

A man like Connor Steel.

He was danger with a capital D, and I couldn’t afford to get lost in him.

Even if my body begged to differ.

I took a step back from Connor Steel, forcing myself to disengage. To regain some semblance of control. Finally, I could breathe.

His eyes narrowed. I could tell he didn’t like that, but I had no other choice.

“I only came here to...thank you,” I stammered. “For helping me.”

“And tonight? You gonna go out with...Ollie?”

He said the name as if it were a curse, spitting it out almost.

“Yes, I will be spending the evening with my friend Oleander.”

The gentle emphasis on “friend” I hoped he would understand.

“Paxton.” He sighed. “You and I both know that man is not after friendship.”

Did I know that? It was hard to say. Back in high school, I remembered that Ollie had liked me. That was ten years ago, though. Surely his schoolboy crush had subsided by now?

But hell, who knows?

Maybe I could learn to like him. Ollie was sweet and seemed sincere and definitely didn’t make me lose my mind just by standing next to me.

Sure he was a little derpy, but he had that gentleman vibe going on, too. Maybe it was time to give a nice guy a chance.

I looked up at the sexy ex-convict in front of me, bracing myself for what I was about to say.

“The truth is, Connor, he’s the safer choice…”

“So your dad spilled my history?”

“He mentioned it, but that’s not what I mean. I couldn’t care less about your history or your affiliations. He’s…practical. Maybe a little boring…”

“Like dry toast,” Connor interjected.

“Okay, sure. But he’s nice...and uncomplicated. You? I don’t know what you are...”

For a second, I didn’t know what Connor was going to do. Was I crazy to reject him on his home turf? Maybe. But then maybe that was what he liked in a woman. Someone who wasn’t afraid to say “hell no.”

“All right, Paxton,” he said, smiling. “You enjoy your little date with Oleander. Go out with him if you have to prove something to yourself, but tomorrow? Tomorrow you’re mine, understand?”

He didn’t frame it as a question. It was a demand. One I was powerless to turn down. If he took another step forward, I would be screwed.

But I so wanted to be screwed and screwed again into orgasmic oblivion.

“Fine,” I whispered. It was all I could manage.

Then, before I could stop him, Connor leaned forward and brushed his succulent, tender lips against the softness of my earlobe.

It made me shiver.

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow at nine. Have fun with dry toast.”

Then he bit my earlobe, sucking the delicate flesh, making me moan before I could help myself. Satisfied, he stepped back.

“If I can get that reaction from your ear, imagine what my tongue can do with your pussy.”

My mouth flew open as he kissed my cheek and turned to leave, all of his men smirking at me knowingly.

I watched that sonofabitch walk away from me as my mind was filled with overly detailed erotic thoughts.

I climbed back into my car with ragged breaths and headed home. To think I had to go get ready for a date with...Ollie. After that. After what I’d just experienced.

That was not at all how I’d thought today was going to go down, and yet here I was, rubbing my thighs together as my sex pulsed and salivated in need for some ruggedly handsome, bike-riding, ex-convict cock.

Stop!

I tried to control myself.

But I knew, now that Connor Steel had gotten a taste of me, I wouldn’t rest until I had a taste of him myself.

Lord Almighty was I in trouble.