Page 21 of Crush's Fall

“What’s going on over here?” Trip’s arms were crossed over his chest as he approached them.

“Nothing.” Lucifer winked at her but shrugged. He couldn’t help himself. He liked the Howlers, but they needed to lighten up. They were too easy to tease. “We were just talking about what toys cats liked the most. There are so many options. Balls… of yarn. Feathers. Mice toys. Other balls. And do they like to eat sugar… treats? I bet they do.”

An ungraceful snort came out of her before April was howling with laughter.

“We’ll take a poll. We’ll start with… Pike, since Siren is busy.”

Trip must have caught on. He was grinning and shaking his head. “You’ve got balls. I’ll give you that.”

Crush

Crush was pacing in front of the diner when she saw the vans and bikes of the Howlers turn onto the street. She waited for them to turn into the clubhouse parking lot, then she bolted across the street toward them. First, she checked on Bullet and found him perfectly fine. Second, she tracked down Sugar, whose real name was April, and found her to have an injured foot, but she looked to be okay. Then she scanned the crowd and found Lucifer climbing off of Dragon’s bike.

She didn’t think. Crush just reacted, rushing over to him, and checking him over. As her hands ran over him, she didn’t pay attention to anything around her. She just needed to know he was okay. Crush ran her hands over his shoulders, his arms, his chest, and down his abdomen as her eyes scanned his body. “Do you have a damn death wish? Dragon will kill you for touching his damn bike,” she growled.

“He’s a little too worried about the hole in his gut right now.”

It wasn’t until her gaze flipped up to his face that she saw the grin and realized he was fine. Instantly, she yanked her hands back.

“Don’t stop now, Kitten. We were just getting to the good part,” he uttered through his grin.

“Kitten? Not Sugartits?” She watched as his eyes sparkled with humor.Fuck.“Who told you?”

“About you? Siren and April, but that was after I watched the club turn into multiple exhibits from the zoo.”

Crush crossed her arms over her chest, turned, and stomped back across the street. She wasn’t at all surprised when Lucifer fell into step next to her.

“So, a tiger?”

“Go away,” she mumbled.

“You don’t really want that.” He put his hand to her lower back, and she sidestepped to break the connection.

“I do want that.”

“I don’t know why you’re fighting it, Kitten. You and I both know you’ll be purring under me eventually,” he said with confidence in his voice.

“Or cutting your balls off with my claws.”

“I mean… I’m not usually into pain, but I’m willing to try everything once.”

Crush rounded the corner of the strip mall and tried to ignore him. Her tiger was pushing her to bring him upstairs, strip him naked, and double check that their mate was okay, before climbing on top of him and riding him for all he was worth. It took everything in her to fight the impulse. She had nothing left in her to spar with him.

As she reached the door to the stairway that led to her apartment, he reached out and put his hand to the metal panel, stopping her from opening it. She lifted her gaze to his face and saw that the humor was gone from his chocolate eyes.

His tone was serious when he told her, “I’m okay, Kitten. Really.”

“And Sugar?” Even though she saw her, Crush needed to hear him say it.

“She’s fine. Might need a stitch or two to her foot. Might have a headache. She’ll be fine.”

Crush let out a deep sigh of relief and nodded.

He just stared at her for a long moment before he cupped her face in his palms and leaned towards her. Pressing his lips to hers, he stepped forward, forcing their bodies together. Crush reached up and curled her fingers around sections of the front of the tee he was wearing. Opening her mouth to him, she moaned when his tongue tangled with her own, sending zaps of pleasure through her body.

The kisses quickly turned feral as they engaged their teeth, nipping lips and tongues. He was groaning into her mouth as she moaned into his. Their hands explored, grabbing onto anything they could reach. His hands were on her ass, and her hands moved to fist in his hair before he broke the kiss and moved his mouth to her neck.

Crush loved the way her skin seemed to sizzle everywhere he touched her. The chemistry between them was off the charts, and when they kissed, it was like someone poured gasoline on a fire.Explosive.Every time his lips moved up her neck, her breath caught in her throat. It was perfect, hot, consuming, until his mouth reached her ear, and he bit out, “Let’s go upstairs.”

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