unconcerned by the taste of his own arousal as he kissed me stupid.
"I fucking love you, Hellcat," he muttered when he let me go.
I swiped my tongue over my swollen lips, giving him a knowing grin as Kody collapsed on the bench beside me.
"That... is exactly how all training sessions should end," he commented, and I snickered. My legs were like jelly, so I needed to move slowly to sit down. Then I winced. Yeah, I'd be feeling that one for the rest of the day.
"Did you fucks high five while I was coming?" I asked, giving Kody a suspicious glare.
He just grinned. Fucker. "Hey, babe, you know if Arch had been here, I wouldn't have needed to use my fingers." His brows waggled suggestively, and my goddamn pussy fluttered in agreement.
I just rolled my eyes, though. "Aren't you late for your client, Kodiak Jones?"
His smile slipped. "Fuck. Uh, whatever, this was totally worth it." He grabbed my face with one hand, bringing my lips to his for a possessive, dominating kiss that left me panting all over again. "Think about it, though. I bet it'd be fun."
With that, he took off out of the steam room and left Steele and I alone.
Tipping my head back to rest on the higher bench, I looked up at him with total adoration. "I love you too, Max."
His grin spread wide. "I know."
10
"Miss?" Steinwick called out as I was finishing off my coffee at the kitchen island. I'd been on my phone, chatting with Bree and randomly browsing wedding pinterest boards. Don't ask me why; I had no idea.
"Yes?" I looked up from my phone to see him coming closer with the house phone in his hand.
Steinwick gave me a brittle smile. "A call for you, miss." He held the phone out for me to take, but didn't release it immediately. "It's your father."
Oh.
My stomach churned, and Steinwick gave me a sympathetic look as he let me take the phone from his hand. "Perhaps you're indisposed, miss?" His voice was pitched low enough that it was unlikely my father had heard, but still... I shook my head.
"No, it's fine. After all, there's not much he can do to hurt me now." I said that, but I didn't wholly believe it. Was there something he could still do? Why was he still hanging around playing the role of father when he'd already sold me? He already had his money.
I waited until Steinwick left the kitchen, then drew a deep breath and brought the phone to my ear.
"Hello, Father."
"Madison Kate," he replied, his voice clipped with anger. "Where's D'Ath? I asked to speak with him."
I rolled my eyes. Of course he had. Steinwick was clearly not a fan of my father and had decided to bring the phone to me instead.
"He's busy," I told him, keeping my tone just as curt as his was. "What do you need? I'm sure I can help."
My father scoffed a laugh. "I seriously doubt it, Madison Kate." His tone practically dripped with scorn, and I was utterly dumbfounded that I hadn't noticed it sooner. Why had I needed the guys to shove my face in it for me to realize that my father didn't love me? He'd never loved me.
Why had I been so totally blind to that fact until now?
"Just tell your fiancé that I'll call back some other time." My father must have seen our engagement announcement. He clearly had no idea I was already aware of the marriage contract.
I stifled an irritated sigh. "Sure thing, Dad." But also, I hope you choke on a chicken bone and fucking die, you pathetic excuse for a human.
"Great," Samuel Danvers snapped back. "I'll see you at the wedding then."
I spluttered. "Wh-what?"
"You don't think I'd miss my only child's wedding, do you?" The sneer in his tone spoke volumes. Yeah, fuck-face, I know perfectly well that you were in full attendance at your child's wedding. What a shame she wasn't there. "Cherry and I will be back at the end of the month."
On that ominous threat, the call ended, and I had to resist the urge to throw the fucking phone through the window. It wasn't the phone's fault that my father was a slug on the cabbage of life.
"Hey," Archer said, coming into the kitchen all sweaty and delicious, straight from the gym. Kody was still out on client sessions, so Archer was working out alone. He had another big-ticket fight booked for the week after our wedding, and