But it was just a moment, and a weak one at that.
I pulled away, grabbing my freshly-made coffee and taking it back to the island where I'd put my bowl of cereal.
Steele released a frustrated sort of sigh, his toned shoulders deflating somewhat as I created physical distance between us without a word of explanation. He knew, though. He knew it hadn't changed the way I felt about them. They’d still fucked me over, and I still needed to make them pay.
"Don't suppose you made any more of that special coffee, did you?" he asked hopefully, arching a brow at me over his shoulder while grabbing a mug from the cupboard.
I just took a spoonful of my cereal and shook my head. Let them suffer with that awful drip shit they all drank.
Steele went to work setting up their machine, dropping in the filter and probably stale-as-fuck pre-ground beans. Gross. Still, it allowed me a couple of moments to admire the huge angel tattoo spread across his bare back. The fact that he was dressed in nothing but low-slung sweatpants was pushing my self control, that was for freaking sure.
I ate my breakfast in silence, watching Steele from under my lashes as he moved around the kitchen. By the time he’d dropped his plate and mug on the counter beside me, I'd given myself a sufficient mental pep talk, reminding myself that no matter how badly my body craved his... it didn't change the past.
"So, it's like that, huh?" he asked after sitting on the stool beside me. He didn't sound annoyed or pissed off, just resigned. It tweaked something painful inside me, but I ignored that weird reaction and gave him an impassive shrug.
"We all make mistakes, Steele," I replied in a cool tone.
He stiffened, finally showing an edge of anger through that calm, unruffled exterior. "Yeah, Hellcat, we do. You'd do well to remember that."
I sucked a breath in, grinding my teeth together in irritation. He wasn't even remotely subtle, implying that their framing me was a mistake. If it was such a fucking mistake, why had none of them come forward to clear my name?
I shoved back from my seat, grabbing my dishes and taking them over to the enormous sink. "Maybe we do," I said softly, not looking at him while I rinsed my bowl and cup out, "but it's how we deal with those mistakes after the fact that defines us."
A frustrated sound came from Steele, but before he could say anything more, the doorbell rang.
Thank the gods of good coffee, Bree and Dallas were early.
"Madison Kate," Steele called after me as I hurried out of the kitchen and went to answer the door. "Wait, don't just walk away like that."
"Sorry, Steele," I replied over my shoulder, sounding anything but, "would love to stay and chat, but I have plans today."
I reached the front door before the butler—a mostly silent, rarely seen older gentleman named Steinwick—and swung it open, ignoring the sudden rush of butterflies in my belly.
"You made it," I exhaled, my eyes taking in the blast from the past standing on my doorstep beside Bree.
My bestie smacked a kiss on my cheek, then breezed past me into the house. "I love when you're excited to see me, MK," she teased.
I rolled my eyes and couldn't fight the grin spreading over my face. "Hey, Dallas. Long time, no see."
The huge guy still standing on my doorstep gave me a lopsided smile, stuffing his tattooed hands into his pockets. "When Breezie told me you were back, I had to see it for myself. Damn, Kate. You look great."
I couldn't hold myself back any longer, launching myself at my old friend and wrapping my arms around his neck in a tight hug. When he hugged me back, he lifted me off the ground, thanks to the almost foot difference in our heights. He'd definitely gotten bigger since the last time I'd seen him, and I'd bet he would give Archer a run for his money in the tall, dark, and strong-as-shit department.
"Fuck, Dallas," I laughed. "You got huge. When the hell did that happen?"
His body rumbled under me, but he didn't put me back on the ground. "Probably sometime in the four years since you last saw me?"
"Uhh, has it been that long?" I did the math in my head, but he was right. The last time we'd seen each other had been the Christmas before I’d turned fifteen. After that, I'd become busy with my life as the perfect little private-school girl, and Dallas had gone to prison. He’d been released almost two years earlier, but I'd never worked up the courage to contact him again before the events of Riot Night, then Cambodia...
Dallas carried me into the house because I was still hugging him like I was a hungry squid, then set me back on my feet in the foyer.
"Oh, hey, man," he did one of those tough-dude head nods, and I peered over my shoulder to see Steele standing there with his arms folded and a face like thunder. "I'm Dallas. I didn't know Katie had a new boyfriend." He gave me a side-eye and I whacked him in the seriously hard abs.
"I don't," I snapped, giving Steele a glare. "Why are you still lurking?"
He glowered back at me, ignoring Dallas's introduction. "Because we were in the middle of a conversation, Madison Kate."
"No we weren't," I replied, my tone hard and final.
Bree let out a low whistle, looking between Steele and me with raised brows. "Well, I for one can smell the sexual tension from here."
I scowled at my friend, then spotted the tray of coffees in her hand and smiled once more. "Oh, you angel. Come on, let's go up to my room."
Just my fucking luck, before we could escape the foyer, the echo of footsteps and male voices came from the direction of the gym, and I groaned inwardly. I'd hoped to get a moment alone with my friends before dealing with Archer and Kody as well, but it wasn't to be.
The two of them emerged from the hallway behind the staircase and paused when they saw the four of us all standing there.
Dallas noticeably tensed beside me, and his eyes narrowed on the biggest, blue-eyed fuckwad of the house.
"Archer D'Ath," he ground out from clenched teeth, then shot a sneering look at Steele. "I knew you looked familiar."
Crap. I'd known Dallas being here would piss the guys off—Archer in particular—but I hadn't banked on them having crossed paths already.
"Okay cool, we've all met. See ya." I gave Dallas a shove to get him moving and tried to escape up the stairs to my room. Kody grabbed my hand as I passed him, though, and held me back.
"Madison Kate," he said quietly, "can we talk a minute?" He gave a pointed look at Bree and Dallas. "Alone?"
I wanted to jerk my hand free and tell him to stay out of my damn face. But there was something in his tone...
"Please?" he added, and I exhaled heavily.
"Go on up to my room," I said to Bree and Dallas. "I'll be two seconds."
Dallas looked like he wanted to argue, but Bree slapped him on the ass and hustled him up the stairs with her tray of coffees balanced on one hand.
When they were out of sight, I yanked my hand out of Kody's grip and folded my arms under my breasts. "What?"
He glanced over at his friends and nodded toward the kitchen. "Give us a moment."
Archer looked like he wanted to crush someone's skull between his hands, but stomped off anyway. Steele was considerably more reluctant to leave. His clenched jaw and folded arms radiated stubborn anger, and his gray eyes burned into me like lasers.