Breathless (Steel Brothers Saga #10)(5)

She sniffed back the tears and nodded. “I have to be strong for them. All of them.”

Strength. This woman had it in abundance. So much more than I possessed.

I wanted some of it.

Needed some of it.

Needed her.

Without thinking, I bent my head and pressed my lips to hers.





Chapter Three





Marjorie





Soft. So soft.

I’d dreamed of how Bryce’s lips might feel on mine ever since our “almost kiss.”

Now I knew. His gorgeous full pink lips were soft, the softest I’d ever kissed.

I parted my own.

Was I being too forward? Perhaps he just meant to give me a— He swept his tongue into my mouth.

Not too forward after all.

His tongue was warm and probing, and I met it with my own. It was a soft kiss, not urgent, though I could feel the potential. A soft hum vibrated from his throat, warming me all over.

Just as quickly, though, I pulled away, breaking the suction. My family would be trampling into the kitchen at any moment.

Bryce’s cheeks reddened. “Fuck. I’m sorry.”

“No. Don’t be. I… It’s just… They’re coming in for din—”

Donny clanked in, his older brother, Dale, behind him. “Dad’s coming,” he said.

I swallowed. The boys wouldn’t notice anything. But Talon…

“Hey, guys,” Bryce said. “Looks like I’m eating with you tonight.”

“Cool,” Donny said. “Are you going to make us eat salad again, Auntie?”

I smiled, gathering what was left of my composure, which wasn’t much. All I could think about was that kiss and how I ached to finish it.

“You bet I am. It’s Caesar salad. You like that.”

“Not with the fishies.”

“I left the fishies out this time, sweetie. Dale, you hungry?”

Dale nodded. As usual, he didn’t say much. At least he was eating, and he’d gained back most of the weight he’d lost while in captivity.

The boys sat down as Talon entered.

“Jade’s doing better,” he said. “I hate that she’s so sick.”

“And the doctor says it’s all okay?” Bryce asked.

“Yeah. Just really bad morning sickness. It might be another month before she gets any relief. I hate leaving her here all day, but the work has to get done. We all took so much time off with the case, so it’s crazy now. I’m really glad you’re here, Sis.”

“I’d do anything for her,” I said. “And you.”

“I know. We appreciate it more than you’ll ever know. Once Jade is feeling better, you can go on with your plans for Paris.”

Bryce stopped with a forkful of salad in midair. “Paris?”

“It was only a passing thought,” I said.

“Not a passing thought,” Talon said. “You’re going to study at Le Cordon Bleu. Joe, Ryan, and I are handling things here. We’ll take good care of your quarter. It’s time for you to do what you were meant to do. You’ll be a master chef someday.”

“Paris?” Bryce said again.

“Why not?” Talon said. “Julia Child herself studied there. One day you’ll be cooking circles around her.”

“Paris?” Bryce said for the third time.

“You hard of hearing?” Talon jibed him.

He let out what sounded like a forced laugh. “Paris sounds great. You’ll be a smash there, Marj.”

“Nothing is set in stone,” I said.

“The hell it’s not.” Talon took a bite of salad.

Donny and Dale said nothing, just shoveled food into their mouths. My heart broke just a little more. They were still so afraid their food would be taken away.

My brothers had been hounding me to take my cooking more seriously since Ryan and Ruby’s wedding. I’d taken a few classes in Grand Junction and had loved them, but right now, I truly felt my place was with my family. They’d all been through so much. I wanted—needed—to be here for them.

And then there was Bryce…

Lord, I wanted to finish that kiss.

He’s too old for you.

The voices of all three of my brothers chanted inside my head.

Of course, Talon was ten years older than Jade. Bryce was a mere three years older than Talon, making him thirteen years older than I was. Would they really balk at a measly three years?

I jarred myself back to reality. We’d had one tiny kiss, and already I had us walking down the aisle. Truth was, I wasn’t in any hurry for marriage, even though within the past year I’d witnessed all three of my brothers find love and tie the knot.

I had to get out of my own head first.

My father had left me when I was eighteen. At the time, I’d thought he’d died. Instead, he’d faked his own death once all his children were of age. I was the youngest and the only girl, seven years younger than my youngest brother, Ryan.

Then there was my mother…

I’d always been told she’d killed herself when I was a baby. I had no memories of her. Until recently. She lived in a fantasy world where I was still a baby and Talon and Jonah were still little boys. Ryan didn’t exist in her world…because he was not her biological child.