Page 9 of Hard as Steel

Krystof’s head shot up. He looked horrified. “No, absolutely not. Do you have a different guard you could assign me?”

Steel tucked a stray lock of hair behind Krystof’s ear. “No. I’m not that big yet.”

“Can you afford to work as my bodyguard for free?”

Damn it. “No.”

“Would you be too distracted to keep me safe?”

The idea of anyone harming Krystof made Steel want to break shit. “I’d never let anything happen to you.” There was no missing the deadly note in his voice.

Krystof held his gaze. “Then let’s draw up a contract. There’s no reason this can’t be a professional, legally binding job. I won’t even touch you while you’re on the clock.”

The idea of Krystof not touching him was a punch to the chest. Steel rolled upward slightly, grabbed Krystof by the ass, and hauled him higher until they were nose to nose. “I want you touching me every second of the day. Forget my earlier objections. Whatever it takes to stick by your side, I’m in.” He kissed Krystof, pouring all the raging heat inside him into the way their tongues played. Even though Steel didn’t doubt this contract was a bad idea in every way, if ever he planned to risk everything for anyone, Krystof was the perfect choice. In fact, the guy was pretty perfect in every way, and the night was nowhere near over.

After a night of tossing and turning, Steel woke up with a raging headache. All his staring at the ceiling with a racing mind had brought Steel to one final conclusion: how fucking dare he? Steel had been the one wronged. He should get to decide when Krystof walked away. Steel decided when his punishment ended. Not Krystof. Krystof had spent two decades with a wife and child. What had Steel had beyond working his ass off to build a business?

Steel stood inside his room-sized closet and turned in a circle. He didn’t have any meetings today. In fact, he could work from home if he liked. In the end, Steel grabbed an old, comfortable pair of jeans and a worn t-shirt. He always tried to look as professional as possible with clients. Otherwise, he hated wearing business attire.

After going through his full morning routine and ensuring Buttercup was ready to take a ride, Steel climbed inside his truck. He shot off a few texts, waited for replies, and then put the truck in reverse. Steel rolled down the passenger window enough to let Buttercup stick her head out. She enjoyed snapping at the wind as if she could catch it. Steel tried keeping his mind on random thoughts like that one. Unfortunately, just as he had since Krystof reappeared in his life, his mind kept traveling back in time. They’d had two dogs together, a home, and an amazing life. The American dream. Bitterness welled up inside Steel. None of those things had ever truly been his. While Steel had known that back then, those things had felt like theirs. So much so, Steel had let his apartment go to live with Krystof. He had loved their life together. There hadn’t been one single warning sign. The only time they had been apart was when Steel would travel for business and Krystof visited his family in Greece. Not a single goddamn red flag. Wildly, none of that loss kept Steel from making his way up the steep driveway of Krystof’s house. The place was a rental. Steel knew the layout, the square footage, and how much Krystof paid monthly. No need to dwell on how he learned those details. Steel unbuckled Buttercup’s seatbelt and grabbed her leash. Together, they made their way to the front door. Steel walked with purpose and his head held high. This was a test of fate. If Krystof’s flight had left, he would know his leaving was for the best. If Krystof was still home, then he would have more to think about. He wasn’t sure which outcome he hoped he would face.

Steel squared his shoulders and rang the doorbell. He waited a few seconds and pushed the button again. Steel wouldn’t bother with a third try. Two was his limit on this test of what was meant to be. When no one answered the second ring, Steel turned to find Krystof behind him. He wore expensive dress pants with a tucked-in polo. His hands were stuffed into his pockets, as if he had been waiting for Steel to notice him. For a moment, they simply stared at each other.

Krystof broke first. “I passed you on my way out of the subdivision. So I turned around in case you were coming here. I know you wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important.”

Steel gave a sharp nod. “You made my dog sad.”

Krystof’s gaze slid toward Buttercup before returning to hold his stare. “I’m sorry. The last thing I want is to cause any more stress in your life.”

Now that Steel was here, he had no clue why. He didn’t know what to do or say. Steel didn’t want to beg Krystof to stay, but he also hated the idea of him leaving. “Do you have time to go to the park with us before you go?”

Krystof’s expression didn’t give any of his thoughts away. “No, not really. I’m already running behind.”

The answer was a punch in his throat. Why had Steel come here? Did he truly expect Krystof to spend the rest of his life groveling?

“Flights can be rescheduled,” Krystof said, surprising him.

They didn’t stop staring at each other.

“I think Buttercup would appreciate that.”

“I’d never want to disappoint her.” Krystof never broke eye contact as he made the claim. They both knew this had nothing to do with Steel’s dog.

“Maybe we could have dinner afterwards.”

Krystof’s eyes burned with need. “I’d love that.”

Steel made his way down the steps, allowing Buttercup to pull him toward Krystof. The moment they were close enough, Krystof petted Buttercup and gave her all the compliments.

“I’ve never seen her act like this with anyone other than me.”

Krystof kept his focus on the dog. “You know dogs are intuitive. She feels the way I love you every bit as much as she does.”

Steel’s throat swelled. He didn’t argue. The fight for this battle had left him a long time ago.

Krystof straightened. “Your truck or my car?”

As if Steel would give him a way to escape. “My truck. Her seatbelt system is in there.”