Page 37 of Steel

Shit. I’d put my foot into my mouth. What did it matter? I wasn’t moving here. “Los Angeles.”

“Ah, I get it. How can you stand the big city? Especially Los Angeles. I hate the place. Too crowded. Too expensive. Too many criminals.” He laughed as if I considered him one.

If there was one thing I could say about Steel, it was that he was honest. “You know what? I kind of hate it too, although my job keeps me there.”

“Oh, yeah? What do you do? You said you were out here for only a little while. Are you famous?”

“Me? Famous?” He pulled a grin and I wrinkled my nose in response. “Very funny.”

“I’m not kidding. You’re beautiful enough to be some famous actress.” I had a feeling if he wasn’t sporting the sexy beard, he’d have dimples.

“Does that line work on the women in Missoula?” I folded my arms in defense.

“Hell if I know. It’s not a line. I don’t know what kind of dudes you’re used to dealing with, but real men give real compliments. Especially to beautiful women, even if they are troublemakers.”

“Me? A troublemaker?”

“Oh, you bet. I can read that from a mile away.”

Was he actually puffing up his chest? Maybe.

Hold on. Had I hurt his feelings? “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” How many times was he going to get me with the ‘ah shucks’ and very fake demeanor? “You’re terrible. Just terrible.”

“I feel like it’s deserved since you bashed me in the head with a tree limb.” He touched his lip with his tongue and knew I was watching him, just as embarrassed as I’d been before.

“Deserved? Think again, buster. I’m sorry, but no one is ever going to hurt my son.”

I planted my hand on my hip, rising just an inch onto my toes so I could mostly look him square in the eyes. Damn, the man was tall. The way he peered down at me reminded of me a lion who’d just managed to capture his prey and was preparing to savor every morsel.

His nostrils flared and he finally relaxed.

“I can’t blame you. I’d kill any man who hurt my child. Not that I’m ever going to have a kid, but I know how I’d react. I apologize. You should know I honestly would never hurt him or a dog. My mama would kick my ass straight to hell herself.” He shoved his hands into his pockets.

“I might like your mom.”

He chuckled. “She’s a tough lady. She could easily take on any man.”

“So could I.” There was no comprehension of why I was enjoying the moment, but I was. Especially after I’d wanted to kill him and even more important since I’d need to tell him the reason I’d arrived almost smack on his doorstep, but bantering was enjoyable. Flirting was a welcome change. Perhaps the most fun I’d had in a long time.

“Have you ever been to Missoula before?”

“Once. A long time ago. I don’t remember much.” Thoughts of my mother drifted into my mind.

“Well, we’re known for the outdoors. That’ll be good for Damon too.”

“Um, are there bears and wolves in the woods?”

Steel’s deep breath was followed with a rough scrub of his jaw. “Yeah, lots of them. Truly vicious creatures who stalk the woods, hunting for the juiciest morsel.”

“Really?” Great. As a kid, I hadn’t been worried about beasts of the night. Now I had a child to worry about.

“Even tigers. It’s crazy how many there are.” He must have seen my look of horror because he started laughing. “We have wolves and bears, but they mostly keep to the mountains where there’s plenty of food. They don’t need to come scoping around garbage. Why do you ask?”

Shrugging, I tried my best to pass it off. “Just wondering.”

When he pressed his hand against his split lip, all I could think about was kissing the injury and making it better.

For heaven’s sake, Vi. What are you doing?