Hard as Steel (11 page)

She watched the couple smile and whisper to each other. The red tint on Amy’s face was not hard to miss when Joker leaned in and started to whisper to her. They were a lovely couple and Eloise couldn’t help but wonder exactly what she and Steel were doing.

Eloise stared at
the Harley’s that drove down the street. Steel and the rest of the guys and their old ladies had just gone, and here she was, feeling content, but also itchy with need. Steel hadn’t been able to stay, saying they had club business to attend to. She didn’t know what it was about, didn’t want to know either, but she saw the look of violence on his face, in the way he held himself.

She knew that whatever he had to talk about concerning club business it had to do with his scuffed up knuckles and the blood on his shirt. It was a little frightening to think about what he did, where his club was going, and how they were associated with illegal activity. She’d asked herself if this is what she really wanted, if being with Steel was the right move. But the truth was he made her feel alive, made her desires not feel wrong. He took control, showed her that with pain came pleasure. She couldn’t think of herself without Steel in her life, and that was probably the scariest part of it all.

Going into her room, she shut the door, stared at the computer, and knew that one day soon she’d actually have to tell Steel what she liked. He knew, or at least he was good at giving her what she wanted, but what would he say if she actually told him she wanted pain with her pleasure, wanted to be spanked so hard welts showed up on her ass, on her back and thighs? What would he say if she told him she wanted to be restrained, her hands above her head, his hand prints, bruises on her body?

God, she was sick, or maybe she wasn’t really sick at all, she just hadn’t found the right man to show her that what she felt was okay? Maybe she’d finally found that one person to show her that pleasure and pain could be one? Yes, Steel had certainly opened her eyes, and she didn’t want it to end, didn’t want it to stop. She wanted more, so much more, and being with Steel made her feel okay to want all of that and more.

And that made her smile, and had her cheeks hurting because she was deliriously happy, and she hoped nothing took that away from her.

One month later

S
teel sipped at
his whiskey while watching Eloise work around the clubhouse. Deanna had taken her under her wing and the men adored her. She was a great little barmaid and since they’d been together, she’d blossomed. He noticed she smiled a hell of a lot more now than ever before. There was something that she was holding back from him. He sensed it and deep in his heart, he knew she was still afraid.

In the last month, he hadn’t held back from her, giving her most of what he could but he was holding back a little. Part of him was worried that if he was to let go and show her the true man he was, she’d run away screaming.

He’d spanked her ass to the point that she’d bruised, crying out for him to go harder. After she’d taken his hand and begged for more, he moved up to the flat edge of a brush. She’d been dripping wet. What really had her going was being held down, controlled as he fucked her, spilling filthy words into her ear. She didn’t fight him, at least not to get him to stop. No, Eloise kept trying to get him to go harder, deeper, to take her more forcefully.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Shakes asked, taking a seat.

“Nothing.” He didn’t look away from Eloise. She bent down showing off her ass that underneath the jeans she wore, was bruised from his play.

“Something’s going on in that head of yours; I know you.”

“Are you ready to tell me where you’ve spent the last month?” Steel asked.

Every other night Shakes would leave the clubhouse and not return for a day or two. Glancing at his friend, he saw Shakes’s lips pressed together.

“Until you’re ready to talk about that shit, stay out of my business.” Steel tipped his glass to his lips. He was buzzing, and there wasn’t a chance of getting Eloise home. His room wasn’t going anywhere at the clubhouse. He’d take her there.

“You know where I’ve been, Steel,” Shakes said, whispering the words.

He turned to look at his friend. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”

“One of us just killed her mother. Everyone around her has abandoned her. I’m not going to do that.”

“Out of all the women you could play with, why her? She’s going to cause you trouble. Her father will castrate you and laugh while he’s doing it.”

Shakes shrugged. “There’s something about her. She’s strong even after everything she’s been through. I’m not going to abandon her.”

“She’s not your responsibility.” Steel tapped his glass, waiting for Eloise to fill it up again. She smiled at him, her sweet smile that he adored. Grabbing her hand, he kissed the inside of her wrist. “Hey, beautiful.”

“Are you drunk?” she asked.

“No, I’m not drunk. I’m fine.” He winked at her, loving the way she rolled her eyes. Counting up all of her punishments, Steel had an idea for when he got her into bed that night. He was going to push her just a little further. Two things would happen, he’d either break her or find out what she was hiding. He had a feeling they were two of a kind, only she wanted pain while he wanted to give it out. She was his perfect match.

“I’ve got to go.”

He tugged her down, drawing her lips to his. “Miss me?”

“I do.”

Steel watched her walk into the back.

“What’s going on there?” Shakes asked.

“If Demon or Zeke finds out what you’re doing, you could be killed or lose your place in the club. I hope you’re prepared for that.”

“I’m not doing anything. Believe it or not, Steel, I’ve not touched her.” Shakes got up and stormed off.

“What’s his deal?” Demon asked, taking a seat.

“Nothing as far as I can tell,” Steel said, sipping at his drink once again.

“Eloise is a good woman. Deanna speaks highly of her.”

“She also allows us to crash at her place to order a shit load of pizza.” Steel laughed, hitting Demon’s arm. “You don’t need to go listing Eloise’s good points; I know them.”

“Have you made sure Hanson’s not getting any ideas?” Demon asked.

Steel paused with the glass against his lips. “What?”

“It has been over a month. He had the guts to attack his own employee. I’d go and just give him a little reminder of what happens when he messes with us.”

“You think he’s stupid enough to try something like that?”

“I don’t know what he’s stupid enough to do.” Demon shrugged. “Why you kept him alive is beyond me.”

“I couldn’t just kill him. He owns that fucking store. His death would come back to the club. I did what I had to do.” It didn’t mean he hadn’t thought about paying a special visit to the fucker, to give him a reminder of what it was like to have his ass kicked. “I’ve drunk too much. I can be an idiot, but I don’t have a fucking death wish.”

“Good for you, I don’t have anything on right now. Come on, I’ll drive you.”

He followed Demon out of the clubhouse, climbing into the car. There was no way he’d ride bitch for his Prez. The only one to ride at Demon’s back was going to be Deanna.

“What’s going on with Shakes?” Demon asked as they pulled out of the compound.

“I don’t know.”

“Zeke was clear in his instructions. Daniella is off limits. I’d hate to punish a brother because he’s not listening.”

“It’s not my business, Demon. You’ve got a problem with Shakes, take it up with him. My dick is sticking with Eloise. My woman knows exactly how I like my sex.” At least, he was going to step it up when he got back home. He only hoped she didn’t run screaming from him when he did.

They pulled up outside of Markam’s. Climbing out of the car, he made his way inside. A slender blonde was serving a customer at one of the counters. “You seen Hanson?” he asked.

“He’s in his office.”

“Between us, sweet thing, he behaving himself?”

“Yes.”

“Good. That’s what I like to hear.” He moved down the aisle toward the back office. Steel’s anger returned recalling Eloise’s terrified scream. She’d not wanted the bastard near her, yet he’d tried to touch her.

He couldn’t kill Hanson, but he could hurt him, hurt him a hell of a lot.

Opening the office door without knocking, he watched as Hanson jumped up from his seat the moment he clocked his gaze on him.

“Hey, fucker, long time no see.”

“What do you want?” Hanson asked.

“I’ve come to make sure we’re still clear on what we’d talked about?”

“I’ve not said anything to anyone.”

Steel advanced into the room, reminded of the pain this bastard tried to inflict on Eloise. Reaching out, he twisted his arm at an odd angle. The pressure was enough to make him uncomfortable but not enough to snap the bone. “I’m just giving you another friendly warning. You come near Eloise and you’re going to be dealing with something far worse than a beating, do you understand?”

“Yes.”

Satisfied he’d gotten his message across, he gave a friendly wink to the woman on the counter, walked out of the store, and went back toward his car. “Time for us to go home.” He hoped Eloise was waiting for him. His cock thickened at the thought.

Eloise sat on
the edge of Steel’s bed waiting for him to come back to the clubhouse. He was too far over the limit to take her home. She didn’t like driving late at night. He’d spoiled her the past month, driving her everywhere, getting her anything she needed or wanted. She’d never liked driving before and only did it because she had to.

I’m going to do it. I’m going to be open and honest with him.

Steel had given her more in the past month than anyone had ever tried throughout the whole of her life. He didn’t leave her feeling like a freak. She’d noticed he was getting harder in his hits to her ass and thighs. The way he held her down was getting tighter, more firm with the right kind of pain.

She could be honest with him about what she liked, the pain, the need to be consumed by him. They’d gotten close to each other, and he’d opened up about the club. Tucking some hair behind her ear, she finally came to a decision. She wasn’t going to bottle it in like she had done the last couple of times.

Open up.

He’d either send her packing or embrace this side of her. She’d tried to bury the need for pain for so long that she’d held everything in, afraid of feeling. That wasn’t going to happen again. She wouldn’t let it.

The door to his room opened and Steel walked in. “Hey, baby, I’m pleased you waited up for me.”

Her heart raced. Steel was wearing a belt looped through his jeans. Now was the time to tell him.

“Steel, there’s something I need to tell you.”