This time it took me twice as long to come back to earth, and Steele seemed in no hurry as he kissed every inch of my available skin, ending at my lips.
"I don't think I can walk," I complained against his lips, tasting myself and finding it was only turning me on again.
He kissed the tip of my nose. "I'll carry you then."
I grinned and didn't complain as he scooped me up in his arms. He didn't bother covering either of us up with towels or robes, just carried me out of the pool room totally naked.
"Steele!" I hissed in shock as he passed through the double doors. "What if Steinwick is still here?"
Steele hesitated a moment, looking concerned. Then shook his head. "In that case, let's hurry."
He all but ran through the house with me in his arms, both of us totally naked, until we reached his room—thankfully, unseen. Not that it would have been so bad for me; all my bits were covered by the way he held me. They'd have had one hell of an eyeful of his studded cock, though.
"You're insane," I muttered with a smile as he dropped me down onto his bed, then covered me with his naked body. "But I think I like you anyway."
He arched a brow at me, running his hands down my bare sides possessively. "Like? Hmm, I think you more than like me, Hellcat." His eyes were pure mischief. "I just have to work harder to shake loose that mental filter."
I bit my lip, not disagreeing. Also, I really wanted to see what he considered working harder.
As Steele reached over to his bedside table for lube, then flipped me on my stomach, I made a mental note to thank Scott. If not for him, who knew when I'd have had this opportunity to reconnect with Steele.
And he was right. I did more than like him. But the trust wasn't fully rebuilt, yet. We were getting there, though. Every day it was getting easier, and every interaction showed he was one hundred percent on my team.
No matter what.
38
Archer's charity fight was on Saturday night, but the rest of the week disappeared quickly with the amount of training Kody put him through. The two of them left early Saturday morning to drive to the venue for weigh-in and press shit, so Steele and I planned to meet them at the fight.
It was a decent drive to the town where the event was being held. So, because the event was being held at a hotel, we had booked rooms for the night. I was all kinds of excited for it, too.
Steele eyed my outfit with amusement as I skipped down the steps to where he waited beside his car and handed him my overnight bag.
"What?" I asked, propping my hands on my hips when he kept staring.
"That's what you're wearing?" He laughed, dragging his thumb across his lower lip like he couldn't decide if he was annoyed or turned right the hell on.
I beamed, smug as hell. "What, you don't like it?" I twirled to give him the full effect. It was a hoodie I'd actually ordered before the fight on Riot Night, but it hadn't arrived in time for me to wear it. When I'd gotten back from Cambodia, I'd found it tucked into the back of my closet and this felt like the perfect time for it.
"He's going to fucking die," Steele muttered, running his fingertip across the text emblazoned across my breasts. "Are you even wearing any pants under that?"
The hoodie had been way too big for me, reaching halfway down my thighs, so I'd made a last-minute decision to ditch the skirt I'd planned on wearing.
I shot him a wink. "Nope." Just a pair of deadly, knee-high stiletto boots, not dissimilar to the ones I'd worn on Riot Night.
"Fuck," Steele groaned, shaking his head. "Alright, get in the car before I change my mind and drag you back into the house."
Leaning into him, I placed a teasing kiss on his jawline. "Archer won't mind if we're late..."
Steele barked a sharp laugh. "Are you kidding? He'll probably break my damn face if his good luck charm isn't there in plenty of time. What's the threat if he loses, anyway?"
I smirked, sliding into my seat as he stepped aside, then waited until he came around the hood and took his own place behind the steering wheel.
"What makes you think there's a threat? You know I took sex off the table