Steel Read online

  “What about your temple?”

  “I’ll rebuild it when I get back to Pennsylvania.”

  She doubted eating steak was going to destroy his physique. Or that he’d even let it go to shit in the first place. Especially when she spent a minimum of two hours a day, five days a week at the gym. Sometimes up to four hours or more when a fight was coming up.

  If the man was going to stick to her like “glue,” he’d get in plenty of gym time while she did. And his body did nothing but scream that the man loved working out.

  She had said yesterday he wasn’t hard to look at. She hadn’t been lying. He might be an asshole, but he was one hell of a hot one.

  He sat back after scarfing down his steak and sucked at his teeth, drawing her out of her thoughts. “You don’t have any toothpicks.”

  “I don’t use toothpicks.”

  “We need to grab some when we go wherever we’re going today.”

  “The gym.”

  “Okay, on our way to the gym, we need to stop.”

  “If you have shit stuck in your teeth, I’d suggest flossing them.”

  “Still need to pick some up.”

  She lifted and dropped one shoulder and concentrated on her plate. She didn’t look up when he pushed away from the table.

  Good. She’d get to finish eating in peace.

  But no, just a few seconds later, he was back, putting a full mug of coffee in front of himself but also in front of her.

  She hadn’t even seen him swipe her mug.

  Son of a bitch. He was making nice. He must want something.

  Which was probably why he was staring at her while she tried to eat. She struggled to swallow a bite of steak.

  “What time are we leaving?”

  She poked at the egg on her plate with the fork. “We need to be there at ten.”

  “How long will we be there?”

  Kat lifted her gaze to his. “You have a date?”

  “Just trying to have conversation.”

  “Why?”

  “Because we’re going to be living together for who knows how long.”

  “Hopefully, not long,” she said under her breath.

  “You have a problem with men?”

  “Just assholes,” she said louder and shoved a piece of egg into her mouth.

  “You don’t think this stalker is anyone you know, right? Not some man you called an asshole?”

  “I call it as I see it.” She sucked in a breath to continue, but thought better of it and sighed instead. She was being an asshole, too, and she hated that he made her act that way. “No, I don’t think it’s anyone I know.”

  “An old boyfriend? Girlfriend? Someone whose heart you broke?”

  “No.”

  “Anyone you’ve crossed paths with who seemed a little ‘off?’ Someone who stood out to you before this all began?”

  She placed her fork on the plate and sat back. “I meet a lot of people. I’ve trained in many different gyms. I’ve traveled to competitions and bouts. I’ve done speeches at schools and martial arts schools, community centers. No one stood out to me.”

  “Do you have enemies?”

  She shrugged one shoulder. “Maybe opponents who’ve lost to me? But it’s rare I run across anyone who is pissed they’ve lost to the point of acting out like this. And we know it’s not a woman.”

  “Because of the cum he’s left.”

  “I mean, I guess it’s possible a woman could collect it and... leave it in places.”

  “Like your bed.”

  “But I doubt it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I had photos texted to me.”

  He shifted in his chair, his attention going from casual to intense. “What kind of photos?”

  “The time he broke into my apartment and left that bounty of creamy goodness? He also texted me a picture of him while he did the act itself. Of course, there was nothing identifiable in the photo.” Just a gloved hand and a hard dick. Average sized and circumcised.

  “How come I didn’t see that photo?”

  “Because I deleted it.”

  “The cops didn’t even see it?”

  “No. I didn’t think, I just...” She pulled a long breath in through her nose and slowly released it. “I just got rid of it.” She knew now that was stupid, but at the time she was too disturbed to keep it. It had been instinct to delete it immediately.

  “It creeped you out.”

  “Of course.”

  “Did you tell the detective?”

  “Yes. They said they were going to contact the cell phone company and see if they could retrieve it as evidence.” She kept imagining a police lineup of men with erections so she could identify her stalker. She took a sip of her coffee, but this conversation and the memory was turning her stomach sour. “Whoever it is just wants me to be running scared.”

  “Why does he want you running scared?”

  “Maybe so I have to back out of fights. It’s probably just a bunch of bullshit to intimidate me.”

  “It’s not bullshit if you’re getting threats and had to fucking move.”

  “That was on Berg. Better be safe than sorry is his bullshit mantra. I make him too much money for him to lose me.”

  “Your competition is women and you just said you didn’t think it was a woman. We know it’s not if you had the photo proof.”

  “But a lot of us have men trainers, managers, brothers, fathers... whatever. You know, people who have dicks.”

  “So, you do think it’s someone you know.”

  Jesus. He was annoying her with all his questions. And making her head hurt. She pushed her plate away. “No. I don’t know who the fuck it is.”

  “This bothers you more than you’d like.”

  “No shit.”

  “That’s why you’re not sleeping.”

  He was way too observant and if she lied, he’d most likely know. “I hate that it’s controlling my life. I hate running scared.”

  “Kat, never underestimate a threat. You wouldn’t in the ring, so why do it outside of it?”

  “Because like I said, I hate that it’s controlling my life.”

  “And you like control.”

  “Don’t you?”

  “Yeah, I like control,” he murmured.

  There was something about the way he said it that sent a shiver sliding down her spine. She quickly pushed away from the table and stood.

  She did not want to explore how him saying that made her feel.

  No fucking way.

  If he knew her thoughts right now, he’d know she was definitely not a lesbian.

  Chapter Five

  The whole time Kat was doing her thing with Berger in the other room, Steel did a bunch of cardio in between sets to work his back, arms and chest just to burn off some tension. Working up a good sweat would do that for him.

  Usually.

  He had his earbuds in as he listened to one of his numerous workout playlists. The current list was all 80’s heavy metal. Even though he couldn’t hear Kat sparring or doing whatever drills Berger was making her run through, he always made sure he could keep his eye on not only the entrance to the gym but the open doorway to the area where she was training.

  But once again, the gym was dead, and any movement would catch his eye. Like the blonde college chick at the front desk pushing out her chest, flipping her hair around and chewing her gum like a fucking cow as she watched him work out.

  She had even went as far as “accidentally” knocking something off the rear counter of the circular desk area and going out around to pick it up. Then bending over with excruciating slowness to make sure Steel did not miss that display.

  While she had a nice ass, it wasn’t Kat’s ass. And even if it was, he wasn’t touching a college girl with even the thought of going there.

  Fuck no, his thoughts were on the woman—not girl—inside that room. Her shorts and sports bra this morning didn’t leave much to the imagination. Even th
ough the sports bra flattened her tits to her chest, her nipples pressing against the stretchy cotton were hard to miss. And while her slight V of muscle that ran inside her hip bones—what was called an Adonis Belt on a man—might not turn on men in general, it had flipped all kinds of switches within him. He found it hard to swallow steak when all he could think of was running his tongue along the ridge that led to something even better below it.

  He almost fell off the treadmill when he tried to picture her naked in his bed. That gave his heart a better workout than his cardio routine.

  It also sent the blood running south. And while he wore long shorts, they were silky and clingy enough to advertise the result of his fantasy. The last thing he wanted was the gum-snapping co-ed thinking it was for her.

  Something was certainly snapping, and it wasn’t gum when Kat exited the room, a sheen of sweat making her tan skin shine. Her hair was once again soaked, but rose in spikes, like she’d run her fingers through it to unstick it from her noggin.

  Without a glance in his direction, she moved to the other side of the gym, threw her towel on the seat of a rowing machine and, after a few adjustments, began to row. She kept her attention forward and concentrated on her form.

  Which looked good.

  Steel was mesmerized by her smooth movements, her legs pushing powerfully as the seat slid back and forth on the track, her arms bending and flexing with each pull. She had to have set the tension high on the machine for her to be working that hard.

  After watching her for a good ten minutes, she got off, wiped the machine down and then moved over to the free weights.

  And fuck him, if she didn’t pick up two ten-pound dumbbells and start doing squats. Not only that, she was doing it right in front of a mirror. He got an almost three-sixty view of her going down low and pushing back up.

  Going down low...

  Pushing back up.

  Fuck. Going down...

  He closed his eyes and pictured her squatting over his cock.

  The clearing of a throat had him lurching so hard he had to catch the treadmill’s handrails to keep from falling backwards and landing on the floor on his ass.

  He frowned at Berger for interrupting his live-action fantasy. He also hoped his compass wasn’t pointing north.

  He shut the machine down and stepped off. Though maybe he should’ve stayed on since Kat’s manager was a good inch taller than him. Staying on the treadmill would’ve given Steel the upper hand.

  “She done soon?” Steel asked as if he hadn’t just imagined the man’s client naked and riding his cock.

  “I’m done with her for the day. I’m sure she’ll let you know when she’s ready to go. But that’s not why I need to talk to you.”

  Steel’s attention flipped from Kat’s ass of steel...

  Fuck, he liked that. His name on her ass.

  Berger cleared his throat again.

  Damn it.

  “Let’s hear it,” Steel muttered, preparing for Berger to rip him a new one, figuring Kat aired her grievances about him to her manager.

  What Berger said next surprised him, even though it shouldn’t have. “The website got another email last night from our friend, H.”

  Fuck. Persistent motherfucker, wasn’t he? “You have it on your phone?”

  “No.”

  “Is it bad?”

  “No worse than the rest. Though, he’s frustrated he has no idea where she is.”

  Well, that was good to know. That bought the detective a little more time to find the bastard.

  “But he also made it clear he was determined to find her again. And soon.”

  Of course. “Forward it to the detective and me ASAP.”

  “Right.” Berger mumbled, then turned to walk away.

  “Hey, Berger.”

  Kat’s manager stopped and glanced back over his shoulder.

  “Does she have any fights coming up soon?”

  “One. A big one.”

  “How soon?”

  “In two weeks.”

  “Where?”

  “Luckily, Vegas. That’s why I moved her in this direction. Close but not too close.”

  And, of course, a big sponsor happened to have a house locally. Steel was sure that helped influence Berger’s decision.

  “Is it a championship fight?”

  Berger turned around and shook his blond head. “No. But she’s fighting Jayne Edwards.”

  Hell, even Steel had heard of her. “Calamity Jayne.”

  “Yes.”

  “Isn’t she undefeated?”

  “She is. That’s why Kat wants to fight her.”

  Steel’s eyebrows pinned together. “Are they in the same class?”

  “No, and not even in the same organization. Jayne’s a featherweight in the UFC, but she challenged Kat publicly and Kat accepted it, even though she’s a weight class lower.”

  Why would Kat want to fight a woman who was bigger than her and undefeated in her own class? What did she have to prove? “Do you think she can win?”

  “It’s possible, but win or lose, she’s going to make a lot money on this fight. It's not only in Vegas, it’s pay-per-view.”

  Win or lose, she’s going to make a lot money on this fight.

  Kat didn’t seem to be all about the prize money, but maybe Berger was. He’d make a good chunk of change either way. What bugged Steel was that Berger wasn’t positive she could win the fight. “And this is only two weeks away?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you doing anything different with her training?”

  “As you saw yesterday and today, she’s sparring with men.”

  “Are these men she’s sparring with holding back?” Of course, they were. If he said otherwise, he was lying.

  “I told them not to.”

  Which meant they were. “I’m going to be her partner starting tomorrow until the fight.”

  Berger frowned. “That’s unnecessary.”

  “That wasn’t a suggestion.”

  “It sure sounded like a suggestion, since I’m not only her manager but her trainer.”

  “And I’m her bodyguard. I’m capable of being a good sparring partner and I won’t baby her.”

  “What’s your weight?”

  “Two-oh-two.”

  “Steel, she’s a buck thirty.”

  “And I’ll take that into consideration when we spar.”

  “I don’t want her risking injury with full contact sparring.”

  “You’d rather have her ass kicked in the cage? In front of millions of people? What’s she gonna make if she wins?”

  “They’re the main event so she’s not only getting paid to enter the cage, but she’s getting a ‘fight of the night’ bonus.”

  “And if she wins?”

  “Add another fifty on top of that.”

  Steel whistled. Kat could walk away with a hundred and fifty big ones in one night. If she won.

  “Is it normally that much?” Maybe he was in the wrong line of work and he needed to fight professionally.

  “No. Again, this is a special event. Though, with her championship fights, she rakes in that and sometimes more if she wins. Plus, winning the belt ensures her endorsements and good sponsors.”

  “Which means you’re making good scratch off her.”

  Berger tilted his head and studied Steel before answering, “I earn my salary.”

  “I’m sure you do, Berger,” he muttered.

  “I’ll forward you that email,” Berger threw over his shoulder as he turned and strode away.

  “You do that.”

  Steel barely heard, “And you keep her safe,” as Berger pushed out of the door into the Nevada afternoon heat.

  “And that’s why you pay me the big bucks,” Steel muttered under his breath. He turned to see where Kat was. She was standing in the same spot but was no longer doing squats.

  No, she was standing there and had most likely watched the whole exchange between her manager and her bo
dyguard in the mirror. She might have even overheard some of the conversation.

  Kat jerked into motion when their eyes met in the mirror and she beelined toward the women’s locker room.

  Steel moved to stand guard outside of it until she was done. Because that was why he was getting paid the big bucks.

  He hadn’t showered at the gym because he didn’t want to leave Kat alone and he doubted she wanted to accompany him into the men’s locker room. Or have him join her in the women’s.

  So, he waited.

  Now it was late afternoon and after spending an extraordinary long time in the shower—for reasons no one else needed to know—he headed downstairs to see where she was. He had checked her room on his way down, thinking she’d be holed up in there, but she wasn’t. Both her room and balcony—her so-called “sanctuary” away from him—were empty.

  Maybe she was making him a late afternoon snack.

  He snorted as he jogged down the curved stairway, thinking she’d be the perfect woman if she was not only a master in the kitchen but one in bed.

  And she grew out her hair.

  Though, he had to admit, two days in and her short hair was growing on him. He still preferred long hair so he could fist it while he was taking a woman from behind. Or while she was sucking his cock.

  He adjusted himself before he hit the landing and headed straight for the kitchen, disappointed he didn’t smell anything cooking.

  The kitchen was empty, too.

  He cruised through the living room, the library and the entertainment room, which were all deserted. Now his temper was rising and his feet were moving faster. “Kat!”

  He paused, turned his head slightly and listened.

  Nothing.

  His heart began to thump, and he mentally took a tour through the large home to figure out what room she might be apt to hang out in. If not her bedroom or the entertainment room where the TV was, then where?

  Had she left in the rental? Or one of the expensive sports cars?

  He rushed to the garage and was relieved to see all three vehicles still tucked in their spots where they belonged.

  Kat was the only occupant not where she belonged.

  Which was in the house.

  Especially after he instructed her not to go outside without him. His fingers twitched with the urge to teach her a lesson about disobeying his direct orders. Though, he’d probably enjoy that “lesson” more than she’d learn anything by it.