Beast: A Steele Riders MC Novel

by Steele, C. M.

  I enter the house and don’t hear anything. I set my keys and briefcase down in the front hall and then remove my suit jacket. I head toward my bedroom and start to drag my tie off when I freeze. Holy motherfucking hell. My houseguest is standing buck naked in the hallway between our rooms.

  Naked.

  Brain, work. Damn it, function.

  It’s short-circuited when all the blood pooled in my ten-inch cock. She’s short with killer curves: large, round breasts with dark pink nipples pebbled probably from the cool air. I can’t even hide the reaction in me. My cock comes to life like it’s never done before. I swallow hard, wondering why I’ve been tortured with this sweet felony like an untouchable, forbidden fruit.

  “Where the fuck are your clothes?” I growl out, thinking what if Boomer or Boss came to check on her and seeing her like that. Naked. Bared. Mine.

  An insane rush of jealousy turns me into a bigger prick than I can be. Spencer should have warned me that she’s a fucking goddess. Long black hair, bright blue eyes, and puffy pink lips that are parted so temptingly make her face unmistakably perfect. My dick is more than alive, he’s unbearably hard as I picture her on her knees with those pouty lips wrapped around my cock, pleasing me and thanking me for letting her stay.

  “Shit.” She dashes back into the guest room like a frightened kitten. She should be because I’m feeling dangerous.

  I don’t know if it’s my anger at the situation or my desire for her that has me worked up. Hell, I want to pick her up by her pert, round ass that bounces so deliciously, carry her off to my bed, and then her to the mattress until she comes with my name on her lips. I storm toward the door, knocking hard. Hell, I could have used my dick; it’s so damn stiff.

  I attempt to take a calming breath to rein in the overwhelming rush of lust. “Mary.”

  “I’m sorry. Oh God,” she sighs, pressing her naked form against the door. I can hear the shift on the wooden frame, doing nothing to slow down the desire.

  “I’m not God.” Although, I feel like I need to repent for my sins all of a sudden. Maybe if I’m good, I’ll be blessed with her sexy curves to explore. Right now, she’s a temptation I can’t have. I’m in hell.

  “Sorry. I was about to get in the shower, and there were no towels. I wanted to hurry so you wouldn’t know, but oh hell. This is terrible.” There should have been towels in there. At the very least, I had towels hanging on the towel racks. The rest should be in my room or in the laundry.

  “I’m sorry. I’ll grab some and leave them outside the door.” I rush off to my room and grab the only towel I have left. Shit, I have to do some laundry. It’s something I do every weekend. I knock on the door. “Sorry, this is the only one left. I’m supposed to do laundry tomorrow.”

  “Thank you,” she whispers, embarrassment clear in her voice. The gut-wrenching feelings of frustration and pleasure hit me because if I’d been up on my laundry or bought more towels, she wouldn’t have had this moment of mortification. I walk away to give her privacy, but the first thing I do is head into the laundry room and start a load of towels.

  Once I come back out, the smell of food hits my nose. I’d been so damn preoccupied with my sexy guest that I didn’t notice the food. I walk into the room and see that she was in the middle of cooking before I got home. Two towels are in the sink soaking. Ah, and that’s where my missing towels went. She had a mishap. “Fuck, it smells fantastic.” My dick twitches as I bring the spoon to my lips. Seriously, it’s delicious. The thought of stopping her in the shower and licking off any sauce she managed to get on herself hits me, and I let out a low groan. Grabbing my cock through my dress slacks, I give it a squeeze to warn my shaft to chill out.

  Getting ahold of myself, I roll up my sleeves and help with the food. I turn the stove back on and grab a pot of water to start the noodles. I wash the used dishes while I wait for the water to boil. Just as I turn off the water, she comes into the kitchen with a gasp.

  “Is everything okay?” I ask her, realizing that she had been staring at my ass and now has her eyes trained to my hard fucking cock.

  Her head immediately jerks up. “Oh yeah. Don’t mind me. It’s just…I’m sorry. I was going to clean up my mess,” she stumbles on her words, looking adorable in a pair of light grey joggers and a cute tank top. She’s wearing a thin bra that’s not helping hide those ridiculously stiff nipples that I want in my mouth.

  “It’s fine. I was just trying to help. I’m hungry.”

  “Thank you. For everything. I didn’t mean to totally flash you. It seems I have really bad timing.”

  “It would seem that you’re not that lucky in that area.” I am, though.

  She wobbles just a bit, planting her hand on the counter. Staring at where her hand lands, I can see it’s shaking.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I just didn’t eat today.”

  “Wow. You should have grabbed a snack.” I’m pissed that she’s not taking care of herself. It’s okay because I’m here to do it now.

  “I’m already freeloading off your generosity. I didn’t want to eat all your chips.” I shrug. I have tons of bags of chips. It’s one of my few vices. I love to have some beer with some chips after a long day at work.

  “Sweet felony, you’re welcome to it all.”

  I open the cabinet and pull out a bag of Lays and hand it to her. She snatches it and takes one like she’s starving. I knew it. “Sweet felony?”

  “Yes. Nothing like having a witness under my protection with a body that’s fucking criminal.” She blushes, and I know I’ve crossed the line. “Forgive me. It’s just well…it’s best that it was only me coming home.”

  “Why? Do you have a girlfriend or something?” Yes, her, but it’s too fucking soon. I have to wait until the trial to make a move. It’s unethical and an abuse of power even though I’m not on the case.

  “No, but if Boss or Boomer came to check on you, that would have ended badly.” I have to rein in this jealousy. She’s not mine even if I wanted. She’s under my protective custody.

  “Why? Well, I get why Boomer seeing me would be bad because Crystal would bury me.”

  “Wait, you met her?” I could see Crystal being fiery with her if she looked at Boomer wrong.

  “Yes, he wanted to pick her up before he brought me here. She’s really nice and really pregnant.” And you will be too, one day very soon. I never considered having babies until this very second, but that’s what I want as long as she’s the woman I put them in. My dick stiffens, and I close the gap between us.

  “Let me finish dinner. Sit down.” I do my best to control the need to kiss her, so I pull out the chair and wait for her to take it.

  “You don’t have to be so nice to me just because I showed you all my goodies.” She playfully teases to ease her own embarrassment.

  “I know that, but I didn’t get a great look, so although I saw most of your sexy silhouette, I didn’t get a full image. I still feel bad about it either way.”

  “You shouldn’t; it wasn’t your fault.”

  “But the next time you give me a show, just know I might not just watch.”

  She gasps, flushing from her chest up to her neck with mortification. I should be embarrassed about how I’m acting. I’ve never been this forward with a woman before. I never said more than a sentence at a time. Now I can’t stop letting her know how much trouble she’s in by staying here.

  My phone pings just at that moment. I pull it out and see a message from Boomer. I have a place for her to move in tomorrow.

  Immediately I’m stricken with the idea of her being around other men. Another bastard looking at her the way I am. Cock hard and ready to strike. I can’t have her, but that doesn’t mean I’m tossing her to the wolves. Never mind. She’s staying here.

  Are you sure?

  She’s staying. I wonder if he can feel the growl in my words because even though I just typed them from the look on her face, Mary certainly heard me growl like the
beast they call me.

  Understood.

  “Would you like something to drink?” I ask her, trying to maintain control of the beast inside of me. The nickname came from war and my size, but it has a new meaning now. I feel animalistic around this small little beauty.

  “I can get it for myself.” She moves to stand, but I give her a shake of my head.

  “I’ll get it. Sit,” I bark out.

  “Are you always so bossy?” She crosses her arms under her breasts with a humph, fucking driving me nuts.

  I bent down in front of her, cupping her chin. “Yes.” Unable to stop myself, I kiss her forehead. “Now, what would you like?”

  “Um…do you have a coke?” I try to not focus on the fact that she liked that invasion of her personal space.

  “Sure.” I open the fridge and pull out two kinds. “I’ll take the Sprite.”

  “Did you want garlic bread?”

  “Um…sure.” She takes a drink of her coke, and I watch, amazed and jealous at the damn can that touches her soft lips. “Do you like to cook?”

  “Not really, but it’s not like there’s a lot of food options here.”

  “Your kitchen’s gorgeous, though.” She looks around in awe. Her pretty face pleased with it all. It makes me want to attack her lips and tell her it all belongs to her now.

  Instead, I mutter, “Yeah, Morgan decorated it.”

  “Morgan? An ex.” A thump in my chest loves the hint of jealousy in her voice. It’s unmistakable, and she realizes it.

  I shake my head and then slide the garlic bread in the oven. “No, Boomer’s sister.”

  “Oh. She’s an interior designer?” It’s an innocent question, but I wonder if she’s still insecure. There’s no reason for her to be bothered by any woman in Steeleville.

  “No, I just figured she was the only one around with shit to do, so I asked her.”

  “She doesn’t work?”

  “Well, she’s starting to now. She’s going to open a cafe in town and is married to another Steele Rider,” I remark, straining the pot of noodles.

  “Are you a Steele Rider?” I nod.

  “Are you outlaws?”

  I turn and crack a smile. “I’m a lawyer, sweetheart.”

  “So that’s a yes.” The playfulness is back and even more of a turn on. Shit. I’m a lost soul.

  “You’re a brat.” A giggle escapes her lips, and she shrugs slightly before bringing that damn can to her lips.

  “Thanks.” She winks at me as she sets it down on the table, shamelessly flirting. I love it and hate it all at once. I go back to the stove and finish up the dinner without another word. I want to ask a million questions, but I can’t and shouldn’t be getting involved.

  The timer goes off on the oven, and I pull out the perfectly toasted garlic bread. “Dinner is done.”

  “Wonderful.” She stands to lend a hand with the dishes. We’re close enough that I used the closeness as an excuse to steal a simple touch. Her arm brushes against mine and my cock jerks in my pants like I’m a teenaged boy getting my first touch of a girl. Holy hell, I’m a fucking creep.

  We sit down in companionable silence for a few minutes as I watch her slide the fork past her lips. “So I want you to know that regardless of what happens, you’re safe here. I’m not going to let anyone get to you. Okay?”

  “Yes.” Disbelief crosses her face.

  I lean forward and sincerely say, “I promise you’re safe. I’d do anything to keep you safe.”

  “I don’t think I’m safe from you,” she confesses.

  I sit back, taking in what she said because she’s right and wrong. I don’t plan to give in to the lust-filled passion clouding my brain, but if she says the word, I’ll devour her. “You are. Until the day you tell me that you want me to strip you bare and lick you from head to toe.”

  “See. It’s talk like that. It’s…”

  “It’s what? Frightening you.” Shit, I don’t want to scare her away.

  She looks up at me, biting at the edge of her bottom lip, and then whispers, “No. It’s tempting.”

  “You’re a walking felony, Mary.”

  “I’m actually legal.”

  “I know.” I let out a disappointed sigh and then set down my fork. “I’m done eating. Are you?”

  “Yes.” She stands, taking her plate and reaching for mine, but I get up as well, no longer ashamed of the fact that my cock refuses to go down. “Wow,” she whispers.

  “Yeah, well, you know where I stand, and so does he, so we can just pretend that it’s not there.” Her existence is my own aphrodisiac.

  “It’s kind of really hard to miss.”

  “Tell me about it.” I set my plate in the sink and then adjust my bulge, so it’s not ripping through my zipper.

  “I’ll wash the dishes,” she offers, but she has no idea what little will power I have at the moment. She’s not opposed to the attraction between us. If she wasn’t under my protective custody, she’d be under me right now, crying out my name.

  “No, don’t do them. I’ll take care of it. Get some sleep. You’ve been through a lot today.”

  “Thank you,” she says, stepping up on her tippy toes, placing a kiss on my cheek. It takes all of my strength to not turn and drag her in for a real kiss. She leaves the room, and I feel like I can breathe again.

  I make quick work of the kitchen cleaning. It’s one of the many things I learned at boarding school, and I’ve always made sure things were clean to avoid punishment, now it’s just who I am, but at least I’m quick at it.

  Once it’s done, I turn off the light and remember the towels. I go in to change them only to find, Mary bent over, halfway inside the washer, digging out the towels. I let out a low growl. “I’m starting to think you’re intentionally trying to destroy my control.”

  She pops up to dump the towels into the dryer. “Sorry. I just thought I’d help.” She closes the dryer door and sets the machine. When she turns around to look at me, I see that I’ve upset her.

  “Goodnight,” she murmurs, but I can’t let her leave thinking that I’m upset.

  Hard as hell and hornier than I’ve ever been, but I never upset with her. I reach out and grab her wrist, dragging her to me. “I’m sorry I’m a dick.”

  I snake my hand around her jaw, my thumb rubbing across her chin.

  “I’ve been messing up your world, so I get it.” She softly attempts to pull away, but the fight really isn’t in her. I hold her close, looking down into her soft, light eyes.

  “You’re making it hard, but it’s insanely fucking better. Goodnight, beautiful.” I brush my lips across hers, gently before letting her go and walking away to my room.

  “Fuck,” I muttered to myself, taking off my clothes and heading to bed. I need a cold shower, but I don’t even have towels to dry off. Luckily I’m home for the day, but that doesn’t help the damn hard cock. Closing my eyes, I attempt to go to sleep, but it’s only eight. Shit. I slip on some joggers and head into the living room to watch a movie. This is going to be a long night.

  Chapter 4

  Mary

  I don’t have any idea how I made it through the night. I heard him leave his room shortly after I got in bed, but I never heard him come back. I wonder if he left the house or slept on the sofa, but I’d been too afraid to look. Damn it. I don’t know how I’m going to get to work, and I’m afraid to even see him. The man is so gorgeous and sweet. He has to be over six three at the very least with broad shoulders to match. I nearly keeled over, seeing him with sleeves rolled up, cooking. Everything from his thick almost-black hair down to his sexy thighs made me melt.

  I’ve found men attractive before. I even tried dating when I first got to college, but I couldn’t let myself go all the way. It’s not like I intentionally saved myself or anything, I just never found someone worthy, even temporarily, to give my virginity. Hell, so far every Steele Rider I’ve encountered was handsome. How that ratio is possible, I don’t know, but t
hen again, I’ve only met like four of them so far. Now, Beast, on the other hand, is sure as hell looking like hands down the winner, but that’s just the lusty way he looks at me. “It’s just pure lust,” I remind myself.

  A knock at the door startles me. “Mary, would you like some coffee?”

  “Yes, please. I’ll be there in one minute.” God, I swear I don’t know how I’m going to manage if he kisses me again. Better yet, how will I manage if he doesn’t? Damn that kiss. How could I forget something so perfect—panty-melting, soul claiming kiss. This is all confusing. For the first time since the incident, I completely forgot about the threat to me.

  Finally, I get myself under control and step out of the room. Beast isn’t in the hallway which gives me a brief moment to steel my emotions. When I reach the living room, he’s on the phone with someone so I move toward the kitchen to let him talk while I grab my coffee, but I turn to leave and steal a glance at his ass.

  “No, I need you to get this trial over with. I’m not a fucking babysitter, Spencer.” I gasp, doing my best to maintain my control because I want to cry. That’s what he thinks of me. I understand, and now I’m going to do my best to keep my distance. I can’t just go anywhere, but at least I can avoid him. Maybe I can get some books from Crystal like she offered. I walk into the kitchen and lean against the counter, trying to think of my next move.

  He comes into the kitchen a little tenser than earlier. “I’m going to drop you off at Panhandles,” he grumbles, moving past me to pull out two coffee mugs. I’d been so lost in his painful words that I forgot all about the coffee.

  “You don’t have to do that.” Apparently, I’m already a burden to him, so I need to just get on with making the break.

  “Actually, I have to do it because you don’t have a car and it’s not safe for you to go by yourself.” He’s more irritated by the second.

  “Sorry, I can ask Boomer if there’s a small apartment in town near the bar.” It would be easier if I could stay somewhere closer to the bar and away from Beast.