Page 46 of Crush's Fall

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Crush

Oncetheywerefinishedcarrying all of Ivy’s belongings up to the Tiger’s Claw church room, Lucifer helped her organize the stuff on the long, large table so it would be easier for her to wrap up. She appreciated his help. She also appreciated the fact that he didn’t push her on all the issues lying between them. That mountain was insurmountable in her estimation.

Okay, that wasn’t true. They only had one problem, and that problem was her. When her tiger started to return to her, the only feeling she got fromherwas annoyance, and Crush knew why. Their mate had been close for months, and the only reason he wasn’t claimed was Crush’s fear. And that was exactly what it was…fear. She was scared to let him see her vulnerable. It would give him power over her emotions. But if she was being honest with herself, he already had that power.

Lucifer already made her feel things that sent her spinning. All it took was a look, a smirk, or one of those fantastic fucking kisses, and she was fighting the urge to drop to her knees in front of him.

She was the president of her club, for fuck’s sake. She shouldn’t be that weak. Crush was supposed to be strong, confident, and powerful. With Lucifer around, she was a mess, stumbling through her life, desperately avoiding making any connection with him.

Crush had her reasons, but she knew they were all bullshit. Since the ultimatum he laid at her feet, she had come to realize that none of it had any real substance. It was fear and ego, plain and simple. But was she strong enough to get past that?

“What’s got your mind reeling, Sugartits?”

The nickname had her hackles raised in seconds. She turned and glared at him. “And why would that be any of your business?”

Lucifer’s eyebrow slid up. “It’s not. Doesn’t mean I won’t ask.” He shrugged and picked up a throw blanket from the pile of linens on the table.

Crush watched as Lucifer did the absolute worst job of trying to fold it. For a moment, she told herself she could just refold it later, but when he grabbed the fitted sheet and began to ball it up, she snapped. Reaching out, she yanked it from his hands and un-balled it.

Chuckling, Lucifer went to grab the next sheet in the pile, but Crush bit out, “Don’t fucking think about it.”

“I am capable of folding,” he told her, those fucking dark brows pulled together in a scowl.

“No, you are not.” She pointed to the blanket. “That is what I would call a hot mess.”

“You’re being ridiculous.” He scoffed and shook his head as he turned and moved further down the table.

Crush just stood there, staring at him, fuming about the fact that he thought her standards for folding were ridiculous. She was irritated and angry, but she was also turned on beyond belief. He didn’t shy away from her, even when she was angry. He didn’t get intimidated by her status in the club or the fact that she was capable of shifting into a large predatory animal and tearing him apart. Hell, he wasn’t even afraid of hurting her feelings. Lucifer was honest, up-front, and fearless. It only pissed her off more that those things are what made him perfect for her.

“Lucy,” she growled, ignoring the fact that a greenish-gold light was shining from her eyes, illuminating the side of his face.

“Yeah, Sugartits?” He said the words before he turned to look at her. When he did, he froze in place, but she didn’t miss the way his breathing picked up or the slight opening of his mouth.

She just stared at him for three beats. Her tiger was prowling inside of her, urging her, demanding that she claim their mate. She wanted to. So badly did she want to, but there was a lot they needed to discuss and boundaries they needed to work out before they could take that step. That didn’t mean she couldn’t take advantage of the lust in his gaze as he stared back at her.

Crush watched as he swallowed hard and turned his body to fully face her. The bulge in his jeans and the desire written on his face was more than she could take. Having to face the death of her friend only made her crave the feeling of beingalive. He was offering her that with every look, had been for months. All she had to do was reach out and accept it. Her tiger hissed at her to stop holding back, and that was it. Her control snapped, and she lunged.

Lucifer wasn’t a stupid man, so he didn’t turn and run. Instead, he opened his arms, braced his feet apart, and caught her. Her lips slammed against his, and the fight for control of the kiss began. As his hands slid down to her ass, his teeth took hold of her bottom lip and pulled just enough to elicit a groan from her.

“Does this mean you’ve made a decision?” The rough edge to his voice seeped into her veins and sent a ripple of pleasure through her.

“It means I’m willing to see if we can work through the issues and set boundaries.”

He kissed her long and deep, before he broke the kiss and asked, “What issues? The way I see it, the only issue is you giving up this game that you don’t want to have me in your bed.”

“Game?” She slid a hand up and grabbed a fistful of his hair, yanking back a bit.

A grin grew on his face as he maintained eye contact with her. His hands flexed on her ass, and she felt his cock growing against her abdomen. “Yeah, game.” Then he cursed under his breath. “Fucking hell, you’re so damn hot when you’re pissed.”

“Issue number one,” she retorted, and tightened her hold on his hair.

He chuckled. “Sugartits, you’re the only one who thinks that’s an issue.”

“You realize I could kill you with one swipe of a claw, right?”

Still chuckling, he shrugged. “I’ve always liked living on the edge. I’ve never really been into blood-play, though I’d be willing to give it a shot, if that’s what you need.”

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