"Not at all, Annika. I wasn't expecting to see you."

"Yeah...I...I wasn't really expecting to come here."

"Oh? Then what made you change your mind?"

I can tell by the sound of his voice that he's teasing me.

"I wanted to talk to you alone. I didn't know if I would ever have the chance again."

Steele takes a couple of steps closer to me. There is still some distance between us, but he's close enough to get my heart pumping faster again. God, he looks so dam good.

"Well, we're alone. What's on your mind?"

I take off my coat, in an attempt to stall while I try to recall what I had planned on saying. I look around for someplace to lay it down. Steele comes closer and holds his arm out. I place my coat over it and without moving away, he gently tosses it on the bed behind him. I'm finding it hard to think with his body so close to mine.

"Um...I just...I wanted to apologize for leaving you the way I did. It was such a shitty thing to do, especially before your show. I'm sorry," I blurt out, looking down at the floor, "and then for leaving again last night," I say much quieter.

"You should be sorry. I was really fucking pissed."

I look up, my eyes wide. That's not the answer I was expecting.

"I am sorry, Steele. I don't really know what else to say."

"You came all the way here just to tell me you're sorry?" he asks incredulously.

"Yes," I reply, looking down again. That's not what I had intended, but his reaction put a damper on the rest of my plan.

"Bullshit," he challenges me.

"Bullshit?" I repeat.

"Yeah. You're full of shit."

Ouch.

I feel like he's being a little vicious. I guess, after the way I left, I deserve it. I wish I could go back in time and tell myself not to come here. Maybe Jasmine set me up after all.

"Steele, I didn't come here to upset you any more than I already have."

"Then don't," he says in a husky voice looking directly into my eyes.

I gaze back at him, a look of confusion on my face.

"Tell me why you really came here."

I turn my eyes back to the floor, but Steele places his fingers under my chin. He gently tilts my head up so I have to look at him, "tell me, Annika."

I feel lost in his eyes. I feel safe, like I can freely say whatever is on my mind, but I'm having trouble forming the words. All I want to do is kiss him. That would tell him everything I don't want to say - but I can't. He wants me to speak.

"I made a mistake," I say quietly.

"Yes, we've already established that," he says with a smirk.

"No, not that mistake. I guess I've made a few."

"Nobody's perfect, baby."

Baby.

Hearing Steele call me 'baby' makes me want to melt. He's giving me such mixed signals - or am I imagining it?

"I shouldn't have left you on tour," Steele opens his mouth to speak, but I start before he can interrupt me, "because I didn't really want to. I wanted to stay."

"I don't think anyone made you leave," he says, raising his eyebrows, "I certainly didn't."

"I know," I say softly, "and then everything got so crazy. I never heard from you, and I was afraid to reach out to you. I thought you hated me," the words rush out of my mouth, "then Jasmine told me I was stupid, and my father told me I was being a coward, and I realized so many things."

"Wow, people have some really mean things to say to you," he kids, trying to make a joke.

I need to say it all though. I go on, "they were right. I was ALL of those things. Then last night - that song," I look up at him, "it was everything - like, just...everything."

Steele grins, "you know, I wrote that for you. It's always been my favorite."

Tears well up in my eyes, "I felt it Steele, I did," I confess, "but then I wondered if you were just playing it all up for the cameras, putting on a performance - you know - not just singing," I feel myself about to lose it completely. I sound like a crazy person, "I freaked out. I left again. I fucking left. I mean...I just..."

"You're really making this hard on yourself, babe, I don't bite."

I exhale and grin at his joke, tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Fine, that's a lie. I only bite when it's appropriate," he quips with an eye roll. "Come on, you've known me for years. Just say whatever it is you have to say. I hate seeing you struggle like this." He leans his head down to meet my eyes. "Actually, that's a lie too. You look really cute when you're all upset like this."

I can't help but let out a short laugh.

"Seriously, Annika. I'm the same guy who poured his heart out to you - twice - just to get let down. I don't think there's anything you can say that would surprise me," he says with a smile that shows just a little bit of weakness.

"I love you," I blurt out. My voice is loud and unwavering. I took everything I wanted to say and just put it into those three little words.

"What?" he replies in disbelief.

"I love you, Steele."

He stares at me, speechless for a minute.

"Say something," I say quietly again. I wasn't expecting an 'I love you' back, but something would be nice to break up this awkward silence.

"That was a surprise. I was not expecting that," he finally answers.

"I guess there was something I could say to surprise you." I grin nervously, but every minute I spend with him is another minute that I feel I've made a mistake.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Well, now that I got that off my chest, I guess I can go now," I say politely, not wanting this to get any more uncomfortable.

"What? Why?"

"Steele, I wasn't expecting you to tell me that you love me too. Hell, I didn't even expect those words to leave my mouth." It was stupid of me to think that after all I put you through, you would even want me around at all, let alone love me. It was crazy, I just...I felt like...I shouldn't have listened..." I have so much to say, but I find myself tongue tied.

"Stop," he says, soft but firm.

I stop rambling on and just look at him. His half smile assuring me that he was stopping me for my own good, not because he didn't want to hear what I had to say.

"I love you, Annika. I always have."

"But I hurt you - again. How could you love someone like me?"

"Someone like you?" he chuckles, "you're fucking amazing, and look at you," he adds, giving me a once over, "the question is, how could I not?"

"But I left you. I made so many excuses not to be with you. Why are you still here?"

I don't know what I'm arguing with him. The man said he loved me, I should be so happy. I've just been so torn about everything for so long.

Steele takes my hand in his, "I always hoped you would come around one day. I'm not going to lie, I wasn't really waiting with my dick in my hand," he jokes to lighten the mood, "but I always believed we were meant to be. I told you that years ago - the first time you left me."

I look down. I always had true love, I was just too blind to see it. I feel like an idiot.

"I'm sorry it took me so long. I'm sorry it took someone else to tell me what a fool I've been. I'm sorry for..."

"You can stop apologizing, baby." Steele smiles at me, then looks puzzled, "who told you that you were a fool?"

Oops.

"Jasmine," I say meekly.

"Jasmine?" he repeats, "but she hates you."

I chuckle, "yes, she clearly hates me. Maybe she just wants you to be happy."

"I guess sometimes we sacrifice our own feelings for those we love. That's why I let you leave the way you did. I couldn't force you to stay - especially not after that speech about your parents. I had to let you go and figure things out," he confesses.

"Yeah, about that," I start, "I don't want to get into all of it now, but I've been very wrong about my mom for a very long time."

"You'll have to tell me about it another time. What would you like to get into right now?"

I sense the meaning in what he's asking and my entire body tenses up. I wanted to jump his bones when he opened the door. Then, we started talking about all of these feelings. He brought me right back to the beginning.

"You're being way too easy on me, Steele."

"Would you prefer I be hard?" he gives me the most devilish smirk.

I blush, "you know what I mean."

"Listen, babe, you don't have to go crazy trying to explain everything to me today. We have a lifetime for that."

Hearing Steele say that makes my heart skip a beat.

"For now, let's just start making up for lost time."

Steele doesn't wait for me to answer. He crashes his lips onto mine and digs his hands into my hair. He's not forcing me to kiss him, but he's not letting me go either.

His shirtless body is pressed up against mine. It feels solid and strong and instantly warms me from head to toe. The sensation of his mouth moving with mine, the caress of his tongue, only makes me want him closer. I grasp his shoulders and pull him into me. We're already so close, but it's not close enough.

Now that I've confessed to Steele - and myself - that I really do love him, knowing that he feels the same feeds an intense need within me. The desire burning inside is like nothing I've ever felt.

I push myself against him, gently but with intention, forcing him to take steps back. I keep up so that our bodies don't lose contact, our mouths continue moving with one another until Steele is backed up to the bed.

Only breaking our kiss for a second, he pulls my shirt up over my head. He moves his hands down over the white lace bra that's covering my chest, then pulls the straps down over my shoulders. Steele moves his hands over my bare breasts, rubbing his thumbs over my nipples. They're already tight and firm with arousal, which only increases with his touch.

I reach down and place my hand over the soft denim covering his enormous bulge below. I run my hand over it, but I don't want anything between my skin and his. I unfasten his jeans and realize he's not wearing anything underneath. I work them down over his hips, my breath quickening when his cock is freed from the only thing holding it back. It's long and hard and makes my mouth water like unwrapping a lollipop.

Steele reaches around and unhooks my bra, letting it fall to the floor. The feel of his bare skin against mine is so hot - it's making me wet. I wrap both hands around his shaft, but I can't help myself, I just want to taste him. I slowly pull my mouth from his, giving him a couple of short kisses - gently biting his bottom lip as I do.

I give him an impish grin and get down onto my knees. Steele moves his hands, placing them on my head, and pulls my hair back. I hold his length in my hand and wrap my lips around the tip. I work my mouth up and down, matching the motion with my hand. Feeling him throb against my tongue only makes me move faster.

"Oh, fuck yeah, baby," Steele says. He tightens his grip on my hair and drives my head back and forth.

I run my tongue along the underside of his cock, my fervor inflamed by his hands in my hair. I stroke him faster with my hand, teasing the head of his shaft with my tongue and gently sucking with my lips.

I feel Steele come close to climax so I slow my movements. I'm in control right now and I'm not ready for him to cum yet. He tugs my hair back, showing he's not ready yet either.

I stand up and face him once again, licking my lips. He grabs both sides of my face and pulls me into him, slipping his tongue between my lips. We kiss again, but this time it's deeper and harder.

Steele's hands move from my face to my waist. He runs them around my bare skin until he reaches the zipper on my skirt. He unzips it and then yanks my skirt off, letting that fall to the floor too. I quickly step out of it. He runs his hands slowly down over my ass which is barely covered by my cheeky lace panties.

His strong hands pull me in closer. His cock is pushing into my hip. I arch my pelvis up into him. Steele doesn't take the time to admire my panties, he eagerly pulls them off, then slides one hand down over my crease.

"Mmm, you're so wet, baby."

"Mmhmm," I reply breathlessly.

"Let's see if I can make you wetter."

Steele inserts one thick finger inside me and begins to tweak my clit with his thumb. I groan as we kiss and rock my hips against his touch. Everything he does only makes me want him more. I feel like I've lost all of the control I had only moments ago.

He slips a second finger inside me. The way he's massaging me inside and out at the same time is too much. I dig my nails into his shoulders and curl one leg up around his thigh as I come undone. My body shudders as Steele continues to finger me, touching me in all the right places.

I reach around his back and he reaches his own hands under my ass and grabs the back of my thighs. I press into him and he deliberately falls back onto the bed, pulling me down on top of him.

Steele folds his arms around the small of my back and I encircle mine around his neck. I'm sitting on his lap, my knees on either side of him. He's always been the one to take control, so this is different, and right now it's exactly what I need. I want him inside of me, and I don't want to wait for it.