Page 15 of Hard as Steel

Steel smiled against Krystof’s shoulder. “Never. I miss you when you walk out of the room.”

Steel felt Krystof relax even deeper into his hold. If their tub didn’t keep the water at a set temperature, their bubble bath would have gone ice cold by now. He had been spoiled by so much luxury since falling in love with Krystof. Nothing Krystof had given him compared to his heart. That had been priceless.

“I love you.”

Sometimes it felt like Krystof read his mind. “I love you too.”

“Every time I think about going to Greece without you, my chest aches. I’m not sure I’ll make it three weeks without rushing home, but my dad, you know.”

Steel urged Krystof to get out of the bathtub. “Let’s go. I’ll kiss that chest until you only feel my lips on your skin when you think about me.”

Krystof let Steel dry his body. “It hurts in my stomach too.”

He watched Krystof harden and knew exactly where this was going. “Mhm. I’m willing to bet it hurts a little lower too.”

Krystof chuckled. “Well, yeah. I’ll never let anyone else touch me there. That part of me will definitely ache without you.”

Steel hauled Krystof against him. He felt his expression harden. “Damn right no one else will touch. I’d go insane.”

Blue eyes stared at him with so much love that Steel couldn’t see anything else. “That’s the one thing I can absolutely swear to you. I belong to you. That’s just the way it is.”

Yeah. They were solid.

No other sound besides Steel’s playlist had filled the truck on the drive home. They had eaten in silence in the truck outside the restaurant. Krystof still looked defeated. Steel couldn’t stop picturing that meltdown. Krystof claimed his first attack hit the day Steel left. Why had their lives been so shaken by each other? Obviously, Steel had always known Krystof was the only one for him. But even knowing that, they should have found some peace. It had been years since they had set eyes on each other again. Why hadn’t those years softened the past? Logically, he shouldn’t care about any of this anymore. Krystof should be nothing more than faded memories, but no. Steel recalled every moment of them with vivid clarity. The emotions attached to those days still lived every bit as deeply as if no time had passed at all. Why?

Krystof stared at nothing while sitting on Steel’s couch, as if he was nowhere in the vicinity. He had taken a pill of some kind and simply spaced out.

“My chest hurts seeing you like this.”

Krystof blinked and met Steel’s gaze. “Oh. I’m sorry. I’ll do better.” He tried to smile. “Did we ever find any safe topics?”

“Wow,” Steel dragged out. “You’re really not willing to do things for me that I would do for you in a heartbeat.”

He watched life stir inside Krystof. “I’d give you anything. Just name it.”

Steel shook his head. “Not this time, I guess. I tell you my chest hurts, and you want to find a safe topic. You were never treated so coldly.”

For a moment, Krystof stared at him in obvious confusion. Then his confusion turned to open nervousness. He visibly swallowed. His gaze never wavered. “If you’re in pain, I’ll kiss your chest until you never hurt again when you think of me.”

Steel’s throat swelled. Krystof remembered too.

“My stomach kind of hurts too.”

“Then I’ll kiss that too.”

Steel stood and moved to stand over Krystof. He held out his hand. Maybe this was wrong of him. It was entirely possible Steel would hate himself for this later. Being in Krystof’s company had awakened a sleeping dragon inside him. The part of him where Steel would do anything to protect Krystof was on full alert. That kiss had made him willing to do anything. That panic attack had broken through his defenses. Krystof genuinely still loved him. Steel needed to know if he would feel the same beneath him.

Krystof took his hand and let Steel help him to his feet. Without a word, Steel made his way down the hallway to the bedroom where he had suffered his breakdown this morning. He hadn’t even given Krystof the full tour. Everything hurt too badly. He genuinely needed Krystof to kiss him and heal him. Maybe then his soul would stop screaming, and he would be free.

Steel sat on the edge of the bed and towed Krystof between his spread knees. He snagged the hem of Krystof’s shirt.

Krystof set his hand over Steel’s, stopping him. “I’m a lot older.”

Steel nodded. He got it. “I am too.”

A smile exploded across Krystof’s face. “Not only am I still five years older than you, but the only change I see in you is you’ve bulked up even more.”

“Did you just call me fat?”