Holy crap on a cracker, the man was seriously trying to kill her. Although, Abby could think of a lot worse ways to go than dying by pleasure at the hands of Adam Steele. Not that she could actually summon the energy to think of them at the moment. Her brain, along with her body, had turned to mush. It was all she could do to pull steady steams of air into her lungs as she tried to slow her pounding heart.

"Sweet Jesus," Adam groaned in her ear before he pulled back and glanced down at her. A small stream of sweat rolled down his chiseled jaw and dripped onto her chest.

Sitting up slightly, he rolled on his back, taking her with him. The feeling of his cock slipping out of her made her body shudder and she gasped. Sliding his hands over her shoulders and down her arms, he pulled her across his body until she was resting with her head on his chest. His ribcage heaved in and out in rhythm with hers and she grinned, knowing he had been just as taken away by their lovemaking as she had.

Lifting her head, she placed a kiss on his sternum. The sweat coated her lips and she licked the salty sweet taste from them. The flavor of him on her tongue had her wishing she had the strength to move down and give him the same remarkable pleasure he had given her. In his arms, she wanted to give like she never had before, with anyone. She wanted to bring him to his knees, but right now, she was barely able to hold her head up.

Sinking back against him with a sated sigh, she would have to wait until she didn't feel like her limbs where made out of rubber bands. Even though it was hard to move, Abby managed to wrap her arms around his shoulders and hold on tight as their breathing returned to normal. The slow, methodical stroking of him brushing his hand over her head and down her back over and over again, sent a wave of emotions cascading through her as she absorbed each touch.

Closing her eyes, she wished once again time would come to a stop and the world would simply go away. She had so little physical contact over the years. Never letting anyone get close enough and keeping everyone at arms-length. Even poor Rodger hadn't been able to penetrate her walls, not completely. But, here and now, with Adam, reminded her how comforting cuddling with someone could be. How much she had missed human contact and how truly exhausted she was. Abby desperately wanted this part of her life back, but more than that, she wanted it with him.

You are the only fucking thing that matters. His words still echoed in her mind. Had he really meant them? Or were they only something he had blurted out in the heat of the moment? She wanted to believe him. In fact, it was surprising how much she wanted his words to be true. How much she wanted to be his. Abby felt more like a women in the short time she had known Adam than in all her 24 years of life. It was a powerful and addicting feeling knowing he wanted her. But, it was also dangerous.

Opening her eyes, she looked out into the dark New York skyline through the floor to ceiling windows. Dangerous because she was starting to need him too and there was no guarantee she would be able to keep him. Sure, he wanted her...sexually...he had never made no qualms about that. He'd been shockingly straight forward in his pursuit of her. But...was that enough when her heart was on the line? What Abby wanted most, went deeper than sex. She wanted his heart too.

A soft sigh escaped her lips. The only way she would be able to even think of getting what she wanted was to put an end to the man who was keeping her from it. Dean Swanson. In order to gain anything, she would have to defeat him. A trickle of fear ran up her spine. Snuggling deeper into Adam's arms, she let his strength seep in and fortify her resolve. She would win. No matter what. To save what she found in his arms, she would do anything. Even leave the best thing that ever happened to her if she had to. But dammit, she prayed it wouldn't come to that. Not now. Not when she might have actually found the one man she could possibly love the rest of her life.

The insistent ringing of a phone broke through the spell they were sharing wrapped up in each other.

"Shouldn't you get that?" Abby mumbled, still not willing to move.

Adam let out an annoyed grunt. "Let it ring." His arms tightened around her and she felt the brush of his lips against the top of head.

"What if it's something important?" A smile broke across her lips. It was small, but the fact he didn't want to let her go any more than she wanted him to, filled her with happiness and...hope.

A chuckle ruffled her hair. "I'm the Big Bad Wolf, baby. It's always important." He lifted her higher until she met his dark gaze. "But it can keep," he said softly, his lips covering hers in a tender kiss.

"That's really sweet and romantic. Who would have thought you could ever be so impractical, Mr. Steele?" she breathed when he finally let go of her mouth.

"It shocks the shit out of me too." A boyish grin lifted the corner of his lips. "I'd say you're a bad influence on me, Abigail."

To hide her pleasure at his words, she turned her face and rested her cheek back against his chest. But she couldn't stop the rapid beating of her heart and she was certain he could feel it. Gently, she let her fingers play over his chest. Up and down, around his pecs and lower over his abdomen. His arms tightening around her the lower her fingertips explored.

A low rumbling sound vibrated under her palm on his stomach and reverberated up to where she lay with her ear pressed against him.

Giggling, she lifted her head. "I'd say we need to feed the beast."

Adam threw his head back and laughed. A sound which always managed to start the butterflies fluttering in her tummy.

"I guess we had better eat," he said, still smiling. His white teeth flashing in the dim light. "After all, I have a feeling I am going to need my strength around you, baby." And to prove it, he rolled her underneath him and proceeded to show her exactly what he was going to need that strength for.

Much later, sitting cross-legged on the floor in Adam's silken pajama top and him next to her in the matching bottoms, Abby leaned against the couch and watched him open one to-go container after another. A virtual smorgasbord of Chinese food spread out on the glass coffee table of every possible concoction imaginable.

"How many people were you expecting?" she asked, her eyes opening wide as she tried to take it all in.

Adam shrugged his shoulders. "I wasn't certain what you would like." He handed her a set of chopsticks. "So I took the liberty of ordering everything on the menu."

"I'm supposed to eat with these?" Abby held up the two wooden sticks and stared doubtfully at them. The only time she'd ever touched a chopstick was when Jo Jo had used a set of fancy ones in an elaborate up do with one of the many wigs she had worn.

"It's the only way to eat Chinese food," he said as he poured himself a glass of wine and emptied a soda into a glass of ice for her.

"Oh...I don't know. A fork works pretty well," she muttered.

Shaking his head, he pulled the chopsticks out of her hand and dragged her closer to him until she was sitting snug between his opened thighs.

"The best part of chopsticks," he said, his breath ruffling the hair next to her ear, "is the free lessons which accompanies them." His graceful hands wrapped around her smaller one as he showed her how to hold them. His fingers caressing and coaxing as he manipulated her hand so the tips opened and closed. "See? Just like that," he said, brushing a soft kiss against her jawline.

The only problem...Abby was too caught up in the feeling of him pressed against her, the smell of his skin, the touch of his fingers and the sound of his deep tenor voice next to her ear to pay attention. Her stomach tumbled as each word passed his lips. She craved him. Craved to touch him...to kiss him. Right now, the mechanics of how to get the food from the end of the wooden tips to her mouth, didn't seem to matter.

"Do you think you can manage?" he asked.

Abby simply nodded her head, trying and failing to control her out of control pulse. Dammit, the effect he had on her was both a wonder and a curse.

"Good girl." He leaned forward and snagged a container of Moo Goo Gai Pan. Digging into it, he deftly pulled a piece of chicken and snow pea out and popped it into his mouth.

Frowning, she reached for one of the many white boxes and looked into it. Fried rice. There was no way she was going to be able to eat that with the contraption she held in her hand. Hell, she was lucky to manage it with a fork. Putting it back, she snatched another one, hoping it was something she could simply stab. She sighed in relief when she discovered it was spicy Kung Pao Shrimp and vegetables.

Lifting her chopsticks, Abby tried to copy the same motion he had shown her, but the slippery shrimp kept falling back into the container.

"Are you aware your tongue protrudes out when you are concentrating extremely hard on something?"

Abby could feel a blush start to burn her cheeks. Peeking up at him, she met his amused gaze as he lifted his wine glass to lips and took a sip. Though she tried to maintain some semblance of dignity by coming up with something to banter back at him, she couldn't think of a damn thing to say. It seemed her brain stopped functioning in favor of watching him swallow.

"Here, allow me," he coaxed in a soft whisper as he set his glass on the table.

She was about to tell him he could help by getting her a fork, when her eyes slammed into his imploring ones. Between those tawny depths and the small smile playing on his full lips, her refusal fell off her tongue with a thud. The man was lethal and she was helpless to deny him as he gently pried the useless chopsticks out of her clenched hand.

His eyes left hers for brief moment while he studied the container and selected a succulent piece of shrimp. Bringing it out with graceful ease, he held the bite in front of Abby's mouth. When she opened, his eyes dropped down to her lips and he watched her wrap them around the shrimp. Slowly, she brought it into her mouth and when it disappeared, his eyes jumped back to hers. Only this time, instead of amusement, they were blazing. A low moan of pleasure escaped her lips. Not from the food, though it was fine, but from the flush of heat flooding her core from his stare.

"Good?" he asked.

"Delicious."

He cocked his head to the side and chuckled, but remained silent as he continued to feed her and himself. A companionable silence filled the room until a very loud and boisterous orange tabby came striding up to them.

Plopping himself in Abby's lap, he pawed at one of the boxes on the table then turned to her and mewed. His large, green, pleading eyes melted her heart and she reached over to grab a box of chicken with broccoli. Picking out a piece of chicken, she fed it to him and scratched his ears as he purred and gobbled it down.

"He is now your willing slave," Adam said with a laugh, popping a piece of Szechuan pork into his mouth.

"I don't mind," Abby said, smiling down as she fed JC another bite of chicken.

"I have a feeling your opinions will change when he wakes you up again with his toxic fumes."

Abby grimaced and laughed, but fed him another piece anyway. "We'll just make sure you stay on Adam's side of the bed, won't we?" she whispered to the cat as he greedily wolfed down more chicken.

And so the rest of the meal went with Abby feeding JC and Adam feeding her until she couldn't take another bite.

Abby put the last of the left-overs in the fridge and closed the door, thinking there was enough Chinese food to last them for days. That is if Jo Jo didn't find it first. Laughing to herself, she turned to find Adam had disappeared. Frowning, she walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. She discovered him lounging on the end of the couch. The fireplace was burning low and enticing music played through the surround system.

"Come here, baby," he rumbled softly, holding his arms in an open invitation.

The image of him sitting there with the flame of the fireplace illuminating his bare skin to a golden glow and those black silk pajama bottoms laying low on his hips was too tempting to resist.

"My...what big muscles you have," Abby said with a smile as she slowly made her way over to him.

"All the better to hold you with, my dear."

Laughing at the seductive growl of his voice and the lecherous look on his handsome face, she dropped into his waiting embrace, loving the feel of his arms wrapping around her. Running her palm down one of his biceps, she squeezed the hard muscle gently. Nothing made her feel safer than when she was in the cage of his arms and she nuzzled closer.

Not to be left behind, JC leaped up and settled himself once again in her lap.

"I think somebody has been feeling neglected lately," she said, turning to him with a raised eyebrow.

Adam removed a hand from holding her to pet the cat who started to purr so loudly, he vibrated.

"Hmmm...I think he takes after me," he said, kissing the edge of her ear and making her shiver.

"How's that?" She managed to stutter.

"He loves to be between your legs." The hand that had been innocently stroking the cat, slowly moved up her thigh. Sneaking under the pajama top, he gently ran the tips of his fingers over the edge of her panties.

Heat bowled through her in rolling waves, bringing her to life and making her clench. The moan leaving her mouth was captured by his kiss as he cradled her in his arms. The whole time his lips mastered hers, his hand was busy skillfully driving her wild, readying her for anything. When he suddenly stopped, she couldn't help but whimper.

"Dammit," he said, breathing out a frustrated breath as he jerked his hand away from between her thighs.

"What?"

"I didn't...," he scrubbed a hand over his face before running it through his hair. Turning towards her, he gave her a sheepish grin that melted her heart. "I didn't intend to seduce you on the couch. I swear. I thought we could have a conversation, but every time I touch you..." his voice trailed off.

"You...you want to talk?" Abby stuttered out, having a difficult time trying to calm her raging hormones enough to speak.

He shrugged a shoulder. "I assumed it would be a nice change of pace since we either seem to be fighting or..."

"Fucking." The word slipped off her tongue before she could catch herself. Judging by the way his eyes narrowed at her, he didn't appreciate her filling in the blank for him. Shame at her outburst had her tucking her head to her chest and mumbling out an apology.

His finger pushed under her chin and lifted it up until she looked at him.

"This is more than fucking, Abigail. Surly you know that by now."

"I do," she whispered, but a small part of her couldn't help but wonder if he did.

"Good girl." He leaned in to place a kiss on her lips, but she pushed him back against the cushions of the couch.

Giggling at his shocked expression, she shook her head. "First, stop saying 'good girl'. I don't like it. I feel as if I should be fetching your slippers or something. Second, if you kiss me, then we won't be able to talk." She reminded him, tilting her chin up in a silent challenge.

"Good point," he muttered, unwinding one of his arms from around her to reach for his wine glass. He took a small sip and set it back down. "I will work on removing the phrase from my repertoire."

"Good boy," she teased.

"Don't get cheeky, Abigail." He leaned forward and drew her closer to his mouth until he was but a sigh away from hers and she could almost taste the sweetness of the wine. "I have ways of dealing with your sass which will put an end to you being able to talk." His voice dropped to that seductive tone that made her shiver. "And walk."

"Talking is overrated," she moaned, her eyes never leaving those hypnotizing lips as she pictured them covering hers again.

The warm air of his breath landed on her face as he chuckled. "No. You won't dissuade me this time."

With a light peck, he rearranged her back onto his lap, only this time she noticed something very thick and hard digging into her bottom. A smile creeped across her face knowing he was suffering as much, if not more, than she was .

Wiggling her backside as if she was getting comfortable, she held back the giggle bubbling up her throat at his pained groan.

"What would you like to talk about?" she asked innocently. As far as she was concerned they had talked enough tonight.

"Whatever you choose," came the growled response.

"Okay..." Abby bit her lip to keep from laughing as JC reorganized himself back in her lap with a soft grunt after being disturbed. Her mind raced for something to talk about, but the truth was...she was severely out of practice of having a normal conversation with a man. Other than the ones she worked with and most of them were more feminine in their way of thinking than she was. Suddenly, something Jo Jo had said jumped into her mind.

"Why are there condoms hidden everywhere?" Abby felt his whole body stiffen behind her at the question and for a moment, she worried he either wasn't going to answer...or she wasn't going to like the answer.

"Fuck," he muttered under his breath. His head fell back against the sofa as he closed his eyes. After what seemed an age, he finally opened them back up. "I was hopeful our first date would lead to...well...what it did, but I wasn't positive where it would happen and I wanted to be...," he paused and sighed, "prepared."

Abby's face froze in shock for a second as his words soaked in. Soon her lips began to twitch and before she knew it, a howl of laughter burst out of her mouth.

"I'm glad you find my embarrassment so amusing," he grumbled, reaching for his wine.

Doubling over, she continued to laugh. "I'm sorry," she breathed in between fits of giggling.

"Undoubtedly." He raised an eyebrow at her, but there was no heat in his words and she could see the grin he was hiding behind his glass.

"That's why you had one in the bathroom...

"The shower, kitchen, living room, den...every room in this house." He placed the glass back and wrapped his arm back around her. "I was optimistic things would work out in my favor."

"Undoubtedly," she mimicked around a snicker.

"Can we please change the subject?"

Turning, she eased up and placed a kiss on the stubble of his chin. "That was very sweet of you," she told him with a smile to ease his discomfort. Having been jostled, JC looked up at her with annoyance. Reaching down, she scratched him gently behind the ears until he settled back down, his purr rolling in a steady tempo. "How did you come to own a cat?"

Reaching across her, he also gave the contented tabby a scratch. "I was leaving the office one evening. It was pouring rain and I found this little ball of orange curled up under my car. He was skinny, soaking wet and shivering." Adam pulled back his hand and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear before continuing. "I picked him up and wrapped him in my jacket, intending to only take him home long enough to feed him and dry him out. I presumed the next morning, I would have Erich take him to the local shelter, but...one night turned into two...and before I was aware of it, I was a cat owner."

Abby forgot to breathe few seconds as she imagined the big, tough talking CEO scooping up a tiny, helpless kitten and bringing it home with him. Caring for it...the same way he had cared for her. Granted, he didn't run the cat over, but the similarity was there. Her heart pounded wondering if he would decide to keep her the same way he had kept JC. Absentmindedly, she stroked his soft fur.

"How did you come up with the name JC?"

Adam grimaced. "You will only laugh again," he muttered.

Turning to him, she shook her head. "I promise not to laugh." How could she when she was close to breaking into tears over the amount of tenderness this man, who worked so hard to hide it, possessed. And because he was good at what he did...nobody did notice.

He exhaled heavily. "When I was younger..." he ran a hand through his hair, stirring it into an unruly mess. "God, I can't believe I am about to admit this. But...when I was younger I had a thing for the movie Dirty Dancing. Jennifer Grey was hot and...yeah...I liked the dancing." He gave a small grimace at the admittance. "So, since the cat was male, I decided to name him Johnny Castle which ultimately got shortened to JC." He shook his head and grinned. "I don't even know why I thought of it, but there you go. The hidden story behind my cat's name, finally revealed."

Abby's whole body stilled. Her hand suspended in mid-stroke, hovered above JC's head. Her eyes blinked down at the cat. He name him after Johnny Castle? Her heart thudded in her chest as disbelief turned into something more. Slowly, she turned to face him, her eyes colliding with his. It was right then and there, Abby knew for sure...she was helplessly in love with Adam Steele.

Looking him straight in the eye, she hooked her arm around his neck and kissed him senseless.

Author's Note:

I hope you enjoyed this latest installment of Bending Steele and if you liked it, you will consider giving it a vote. I love hearing from you and comments are always appreciated. If you don't see any updates here, feel free to check out one of my other stories When Roses Collide, Steal You Away or FANGED.

The next scheduled update for this book is July 7th.

As always, thank you for reading!

Sincerely,

K