Maya Banks - Forged in Steele

She arched into him, wanting all of him, all he had to give. She wanted every inch of him inside her so that she surrounded him and took everything he had to offer.

She kissed him again, easing the lines of tension around his mouth, and then she pressed her forehead to his again just before he collapsed onto her, blanketing her with the heat of his body.

For the longest moment they lay there in silence, each breathing deeply as they recovered from the emotional intensity of the moment. She stroked his back, caressing up and down and over his shoulders, offering him her touch.

He buried his face in her neck and then kissed just below her ear.

“Never been this way with another woman, Maren. Only you. Always you. There’ll never be another.”

She smiled, soaking in the quiet vow.

“It’s a good damn thing,” she said lightly. “I’d hate to have to go kick someone’s ass for encroaching on my territory. I’m tempted to make you wear a sign that says ‘Taken. Hands Off.’”

He chuckled, his chest vibrating against hers. “And I think I’ll get you a shirt that says ‘Don’t mess with a pregnant woman.’”

“Very sound advice.”

He rolled, taking her with him so they remained connected, him still deeply embedded in her.

“I know I should get up and get a towel to clean us up, but I don’t want to move. I like it right here inside you. How ’bout we just change the sheets in the morning and sleep just like this.”

She kissed him, lingering just over his lips. “Works for me.”

STEELE was careful not to wake Maren the next morning when he slipped from the bed. They’d spent the night making slow, leisurely love. They’d made love until they’d both fallen into an exhausted, sated sleep, but even with the few hours of sleep, he felt completely rested. He couldn’t imagine another time when he’d wakened when the world around him felt right.

But it wasn’t, and he couldn’t allow himself to relax his guard even as he reveled in the newness and intensity of their rediscovery of one another. His team would be here soon, and they had a lot to discuss and a lot to do before he felt his home was as safe as he could make it for Maren.

He wasn’t sure how his team would react to being turned over to Donovan, even for a short period of time. It wasn’t a situation he or they had ever faced. It was nothing new for Donovan or even Garrett or Sam to participate in their missions, and there’d been plenty of times when the teams had worked the same mission together, but it had always been clear. Rio led his team. Steele led his. Rio and Steele might take their orders from KGI, but their teams took their orders from Rio and Steele alone.

Hell, he didn’t like giving up his command to another person, even though he had complete confidence in Donovan and knew his team was in good hands. But he and his team were a solid, unbreakable unit that had been greatly tested when the mission had gone horribly wrong for P.J. But they’d come through stronger than ever. They were more than a team. Before Maren, they had been the most important people in his life. Now Maren, and their child, took precedence above all else. Even his team.

They’d understand that. They’d support him absolutely. He knew they had his back no matter what his decisions were. But until he resumed command, it wouldn’t be the same. For any of them. Just as it hadn’t been the same when P.J. had left for a period of time.

They clicked. They worked in perfect accord. They had chemistry that often took years if ever to develop. He couldn’t give that up any more than Maren could give up her career. But they’d both have to make compromises going forward because they had more than themselves to consider.

They had a child. A tiny life dependent on them to love and protect and to place his or her needs above anything else in their lives. He knew with absolute certainty that he and Maren were on the same page when it came to their goals considering their child.

After taking a quick shower, he quietly dressed and glanced over to see Maren still sleeping soundly. She was curled up with her knees pulled toward her belly, and he wondered if it had become a habit during those weeks of uncertainty and fear, an unconscious measure to protect her child even while she slept.

It angered him that she’d lived in fear for so long, never knowing when or if Caldwell would force himself on her or even try to harm her baby. He wanted to kill the bastard for what he’d done. Fuck whatever Hancock was trying to accomplish. Steele wanted Caldwell’s blood.

After gazing at her a moment longer, he reluctantly turned away, checking his watch as he left the bedroom. He shut the door behind him so any noise wouldn’t wake her. She needed the rest and he was going to let her sleep for as long as she could.

After preparing a pot of coffee, he laid out an assortment of tea bags he’d bought for Maren the day before and filled a kettle with water so it would all be ready to go when she woke up. He also took a sleeve of saltine crackers from the box and put it on the bar. She could munch on those while she sipped her tea and if she felt capable of eating anything heavier, he’d cook her breakfast or at least make her some toast.

She’d lost weight since the time they’d spent together in Costa Rica. Even with her belly starting to round ever so slightly, she was thinner. She needed to be better taken care of, and that was precisely what he was going to do for the next five months—and beyond if he had any say in the matter.

By the time he finished his first cup of coffee, his team began arriving. Baker and Renshaw were first, arriving just minutes apart. P.J. and Cole arrived together next, and Dolphin strolled in last.

“How’s Maren doing?” P.J. asked when they’d all taken their seats.

“Still sleeping. I’m letting her rest as long as she’ll sleep,” Steele said.

“I’m going to ask what we’re all wondering, and you can tell me to fuck off if I’m getting too personal,” Dolphin said bluntly.

Steele lifted an eyebrow but regarded his team member in silence, waiting for what he had on his mind.

“Is this thing with you and Maren for real?” Dolphin asked.

At Steele’s immediate frown, Dolphin held up his hand.

“Let me rephrase this. Is her baby really yours or did that asshole force himself on her and you’ve stepped in to help her?”

Steele sighed. “Sam had the same question. He and Maren are close. He was worried. And he wanted to know whether to go kick Caldwell’s ass. Yes, the baby is mine. And yes, it’s really none of your damn business, but here’s the deal. For the next while, until the baby is born, I’m out of commission.”

There was a mixture of reactions from surprise to quick frowns.

“What does that mean exactly?” Cole asked in a low voice.

“It means that you’ll be working under Donovan until I’m back in action. For now you’re all taking downtime unless something comes up—and we all know how that goes—but Sam is letting Nathan and Joe’s team loose so they can pick up the slack. Donovan is taking you until I come back. For now my focus has to be on Maren and our child and making damn sure she’s safe. We have a lot to work out, including where we go after the baby is born. Neither of us wants to give up our careers, but as of now, those jobs take a backseat to the child.”

“I get it,” P.J. said. “It won’t be the same not working for you, Steele. I of all people know that most. But I agree, you have to do what you have to do. We’ve worked with Van enough that we’re comfortable with him in the lead. Just don’t get lazy while you’re out of action and expect us to pick up your slack when you come back to work.”

The others laughed at the ribbing P.J. gave him. Steele relaxed. He’d not been looking forward to having to tell his team this. They were a huge part of his life. His everyday existence. He spent more time with them than most married couples spent together.

“The other reason I brought you out here is so you could help me beef up security around here. I want to make sure that if anyone breaches the perimeter I’ll damn well know about it and be prepared.”

The others nodded.

“You’ll call us up if you need us,” P.J. said, not as a question but as a statement of fact. Then her voice lowered. “You fought for me. No way in hell I’m not going to fight for you when you need it. I won’t forget that, Steele. You need us, you say so. Don’t give a damn about downtime. If you have any concerns at all, we’ll be here, even if it’s to take watch shifts.”

Steele stared back at P.J., his chest tightening. “You know I will. There’s no one I trust more to protect my back than my team. There’s no one I trust more with Maren’s safety.”

“Okay, well, we got that all out of the way,” Dolphin said. “Now let’s get to work on making sure no one gets in or out without a huge fucking wake-up call.”

“Now we’re talking,” Renshaw said. “Tell us what you want, boss man, and we’ll make it happen.”

After outlining the things he wanted done, Steele rose and the others followed suit just as Maren walked into the living room, her hair damp from a shower, and she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt but had bare feet. It struck him that she looked utterly at home. In his house, as if it were the most natural thing in the world for her to walk out of his bedroom after taking a shower and dressing.

The sense of rightness hit him hard, and for a long moment all he could do was stare until he realized he was making her uncomfortable with his silent scrutiny.

“Uh, hi, everyone,” she said with a small wave. “I completely forgot you all were coming today. I sorta slept in.”