plastered a smile on her face and tried to tell herself that it was only for one day.
~~~
Steele was worried. She looked beautiful, of course, but she really was pale, and she was too thin. When they’d had sex in the limo, he had put his hands around her waist and they’d touched. He was sure he’d never been able to do that before. All he could think about was what Stanley had said to him…that she would die without his attention.
Instead of going up to their suite, he led her to the dining room. Mrs. Smyth had told him before he left that she’d whip them up a meal, it was her pleasure. Upon entering, he could smell the roast beef and gravy, and he realized how hungry he was. Pulling out the chair for Kari, he smiled at her when she looked up at him.
“I’m not sure what to do.” He was confused, and it must have shown on his face. “When you’re nice to me like this. I mean, it’s not like you have to make me happy to have sex with me. I will. Willingly. I don’t need all this other stuff.”
He sat down and tried to reason with his heart. The pain there was more than he’d experienced in a long time. Rubbing it slightly, he realized it was beating. It was silly to think that it hadn’t been all along, but it had been a while since he’d thought of the thing and was surprised to think of it working. He’d considered it dead to him since Aster was killed.
“I just thought you’d enjoy a nice dinner out. I should have taken you out before now.” She only shook her head and played with the water glass. “We’re not just in this for the sex either.”
“Aren’t we?” She looked at him, and he could see her eyes fill with tears. He wanted to tell her he was sorry for making her cry, but she spoke before he could figure out why he thought he was the one who had brought them to her. “We don’t like each other. We barely speak. The only time we’re together is for sex, and even then it’s done quickly and without much to it.”
“I think it’s pretty fucking fantastic.” He remembered then that she’d not climaxed. “You might enjoy it more if we had waited to get to the room. I’m sorry we were so rushed.”
Mrs. Smyth brought them their salads and told them what they were having. She was gushing over how lovely Kari looked, and Steele looked at her again. She was lovely. Her eyes were the most beautiful shade of brown he’d ever seen, and her dark hair hung down to her shoulders in a straight line. He realized then that it was the first time he’d seen her with her hair down. Usually she kept it pulled back in a ponytail.
She moved the lettuce around on the plate and took tiny bites. He wanted to shove her hands out of the way and feed it to her; not because he was pissed at her, but because he was really worried. He asked her if she wanted something different.
“I’m a cat.” He frowned. “Cats do not eat veggies, Steele. We are meat eaters. Predators that chase down their food and eat it raw.”
Steele stared at her for several seconds as what she said sunk in. She was a panther. And while he’d seen her as one, he really never thought of her as being one. When Mrs. Smyth brought them a bowl of soup, he realized then that maybe that was her problem. She wasn’t getting enough red meat. Satisfied that he’d figured it out, he decided to call Izzy and let her know to put more red meat on the menu.
He enjoyed talking to her. She was smart and funny, and even if she was a little distant from him, he liked telling her about his day. As he finished up the story about the Carters, leaving out the part about the warning, he realized that he’d finished his entire meal while she’d only eaten a few bites. Steele wasn’t as worried, but he still was enough to have him ask her again if she was all right.
“Please don’t ask me again, Steele. I’m fine. I’ve lost some weight, so what? It’s not that big of a deal. Once I start working and being by myself again, things will
~~~
Steele was worried. She looked beautiful, of course, but she really was pale, and she was too thin. When they’d had sex in the limo, he had put his hands around her waist and they’d touched. He was sure he’d never been able to do that before. All he could think about was what Stanley had said to him…that she would die without his attention.
Instead of going up to their suite, he led her to the dining room. Mrs. Smyth had told him before he left that she’d whip them up a meal, it was her pleasure. Upon entering, he could smell the roast beef and gravy, and he realized how hungry he was. Pulling out the chair for Kari, he smiled at her when she looked up at him.
“I’m not sure what to do.” He was confused, and it must have shown on his face. “When you’re nice to me like this. I mean, it’s not like you have to make me happy to have sex with me. I will. Willingly. I don’t need all this other stuff.”
He sat down and tried to reason with his heart. The pain there was more than he’d experienced in a long time. Rubbing it slightly, he realized it was beating. It was silly to think that it hadn’t been all along, but it had been a while since he’d thought of the thing and was surprised to think of it working. He’d considered it dead to him since Aster was killed.
“I just thought you’d enjoy a nice dinner out. I should have taken you out before now.” She only shook her head and played with the water glass. “We’re not just in this for the sex either.”
“Aren’t we?” She looked at him, and he could see her eyes fill with tears. He wanted to tell her he was sorry for making her cry, but she spoke before he could figure out why he thought he was the one who had brought them to her. “We don’t like each other. We barely speak. The only time we’re together is for sex, and even then it’s done quickly and without much to it.”
“I think it’s pretty fucking fantastic.” He remembered then that she’d not climaxed. “You might enjoy it more if we had waited to get to the room. I’m sorry we were so rushed.”
Mrs. Smyth brought them their salads and told them what they were having. She was gushing over how lovely Kari looked, and Steele looked at her again. She was lovely. Her eyes were the most beautiful shade of brown he’d ever seen, and her dark hair hung down to her shoulders in a straight line. He realized then that it was the first time he’d seen her with her hair down. Usually she kept it pulled back in a ponytail.
She moved the lettuce around on the plate and took tiny bites. He wanted to shove her hands out of the way and feed it to her; not because he was pissed at her, but because he was really worried. He asked her if she wanted something different.
“I’m a cat.” He frowned. “Cats do not eat veggies, Steele. We are meat eaters. Predators that chase down their food and eat it raw.”
Steele stared at her for several seconds as what she said sunk in. She was a panther. And while he’d seen her as one, he really never thought of her as being one. When Mrs. Smyth brought them a bowl of soup, he realized then that maybe that was her problem. She wasn’t getting enough red meat. Satisfied that he’d figured it out, he decided to call Izzy and let her know to put more red meat on the menu.
He enjoyed talking to her. She was smart and funny, and even if she was a little distant from him, he liked telling her about his day. As he finished up the story about the Carters, leaving out the part about the warning, he realized that he’d finished his entire meal while she’d only eaten a few bites. Steele wasn’t as worried, but he still was enough to have him ask her again if she was all right.
“Please don’t ask me again, Steele. I’m fine. I’ve lost some weight, so what? It’s not that big of a deal. Once I start working and being by myself again, things will
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