Page 6 of Hard as Steel

A tiny burst of unexpected laughter popped out. “Yes, I am. I invited you. Therefore, I pay.”

Steel set the menu aside again to give Krystof his full attention. “You’re incredibly beautiful and I’m sure you’re used to getting your way, but no. I’m paying.”

“You’re very sexy as well, and that has nothing to do with this. I chose a place without considering the prices. You can let me have this one and you can get the next.”

One eyebrow cocked at him. “The next?”

“Yes. The next.” Krystof kept the words firm. He had no intention of budging on this.

“Agreed, but when it comes to paying, we’re obviously at an impasse. As bad of a taste as it leaves in my mouth, we could split the check.”

Krystof scoffed. “Absolutely not. But I see your offer and extend another: let’s leave.”

Steel’s bargaining face didn’t twitch. “Skipping dinner or finding a new restaurant?”

“My place.”

Steel stood and held out his hand to help Krystof to his feet. “Bargain accepted.”

Krystof hadn’t texted Steel the day after the wedding or the day after that, nor the day after that. Steel had heard from Krystof every day at the same time for six months after Anastasia passed. Steel had started his business with this phone number and refused to change it because of Krystof. He was aware that he could have blocked Krystof. Letting him continue to reach Steel had nothing to do with what was possible and everything to do with Steel being incapable. His love hadn’t died; his heart had. By the fourth day, the truth hit Steel. Krystof had called it quits.

Steel stared at the spot where the wall met the ceiling in his office and saw nothing. Realizing they were finally over for good made him feel some sort of way. His mind kept drifting back to that dance and the snippets of Krystof's life Diesel had given him. He refused to allow those instances to sway him. Steel might know a little more now about why they had ended without warning, but the destruction had been the same. Still, he couldn’t shake the emotions weighing him down. Did he want Krystof back in his life? Had he just gotten accustomed to those daily messages and missed them?

A soft knock startled him. Steel pulled his brain from the edge. Buttercup jumped to her feet and growled.

Steel motioned for her to chill, and she settled back down on her doggie bed. He rearranged some papers on his desk and clicked around on his laptop.

“Come in.”

The door opened and Krystof’s head popped in. “Do you have a moment?”

Steel’s heart jumped into his throat, but he waved for Krystof to enter. “You caught me at the right time.”

As Krystof stepped into the room, his gaze shot to Buttercup. “Oh, my goodness! Who is this?”

“Buttercup. I rescued her from a dogfighting ring. She’s not friendly.”

Krystof’s sweet smile moved back his way. “You were always the kind-hearted one.”

He wasn’t. Krystof had held that title until he didn’t.

Krystof sat. The moment his ass hit the chair, the beat-up Rottweiler shot around him before Steel could catch her. The idiot set her fat head right on Krystof’s lap, making a liar of Steel.

Krystof gave her all the pets. “Hello, beautiful. It’s very nice to meet you.” Buttercup tried climbing into Krystof’s lap. Krystof easily plucked her one-hundred-and-twenty-pound ass from the floor and somehow gave her the perfect seat. He kissed her cheeks several times while Buttercup wore a big doggy grin, as if seeing her best friend for the first time in a long time.

Steel fought the urge to roll his eyes. The traitor. “What brings you by today?”

Krystof kept his gaze on the dog as he answered. “I came to say goodbye. A team is currently working to pack up my household. I’ll be back in Seattle by tomorrow night.” His chin lifted and his gorgeous eyes focused on Steel. “You won’t have to worry about me popping by any longer.”

A rock dropped in his stomach. It got a little harder to breathe. “Oh.” Steel cleared his throat. “Does SoCal not sit well with you?”

Krystof didn’t look away. “It’s lovely here. My son and son-in-law are there.” He visibly swallowed. “It’s simply time for me to accept there’s nothing for me here.” He set Buttercup on the floor with a final kiss. “I couldn’t leave without saying my goodbyes.”

Steel panicked. He didn’t know why. The fear struck from left field and shook him to his core. “Would you at least like to get lunch before you go?”

Even though Krystof smiled, Steel saw the pain in him. His eyes spoke a million desperate words. “Thank you for the offer, but I can’t.”

“Oh. Are you leaving that soon?”