Page 52 of Crusher's Illusion

I should tell her we need to rest. That we’ve got a long night ahead, maybe our last if things go sideways. Instead, I cup her jaw, thumb dragging slowly over the curve of her cheek. Her skin’s warm, soft, and trembling under my touch. She exhales, slow and shaky, and it’s all the permission I need.

Her lips taste like smoke and adrenaline, like everything we’ve been holding back since the night she crashed into my world. The kiss starts slow, testing, then deepens until my restraint’s a hair from snapping. My hand fists in her hair, the other gripping her thigh, pulling her into my lap. She comeswillingly, straddling me, pressing close like she’s trying to fuse herself to me before the night takes us both.

Her fingers curl into my cut, tugging me closer. I groan into her mouth, sliding my hands under her shirt, fingers splaying over the smooth curve of her back, the delicate dip of her waist. Nevaeh gasps when I find bare skin, and that sound goes straight through my body, tightening every muscle low in my gut. Firelight paints her in gold and shadow. When she breathes my name, it’s not a plea, it’s a demand.

I give her everything she’s asking for. My mouth trails down her neck, tasting salt and heat, my teeth grazing just enough to make her nails dig into my shoulders. Her hips roll against me, and my restraint fractures, every grind of her body against mine fanning the burn in my veins.

After carefully removing my cut, Nevaeh tugs at my shirt, and I let her peel it over my head. Her hands splay across my chest, tracing scars like she’s memorizing them. I grip her hips hard, guiding her rhythm, feeling her warmth through denim that’s suddenly unbearable.

Nevaeh’s head tips back, eyes fluttering shut, a soft sound slipping from her throat as I push her shirt up and take her breast into my mouth, tongue circling until she shudders against me. The taste of her, the way her body arches, the fire popping behind us, it’s all raw, primal, and I’m drowning in it.

We lose ourselves there on the bench, the crackle of flames and the muffled hum of the clubhouse fading until there’s nothing but her, the press of her body, the heat between us. Every kiss, every gasp, every shiver is a promise. If this is the last night, I want her to remember every moment.

Nevaeh lingers against me, her breath warm and uneven against my neck, the scent of smoke and her skin tangled in the cool night air. I press my forehead to hers, feeling the soft brushof her lashes and the faint crackle of the fire wrapping around us while we find our breath.

“Whatever’s coming,” Nevaeh murmurs, voice still shaky, “I’m not running.”

“Good,” I say, my voice rough, my hands still cupping her hips. “Because we’re taking the fight to them.”

Nevaeh and I stay up late into the night, talking and getting to know each other. The more she reveals about herself and the things she’s been through, the more my gut tells me I’m doing the right thing by protecting her. It’s almost dawn before I carry her to my room and settle in.

Hours later, I’m tangled in her warmth when the pounding on my door rattles me awake. The knock on the door drags me from sleep like a hammer to the chest. Nevaeh shifts against me, half-buried in blankets, murmuring something soft and unintelligible. I tighten my arm around her for a second too long, reluctant to let go.

“Crusher! Quit cuddling your way to retirement!” City barks from the other side of the door.

I groan, pulling one eye open. “Go away, City. I’m busy.”

“Yeah, busy being a blanket burrito,” he shoots back. “You think the Syndicate’s gonna wait for you to finish spooning?”

“Shut up,” I mutter, burying my face in Nevaeh’s hair.

Nevaeh chuckles into my chest. “Persistent.”

“Annoying,” I mutter.

City’s smirk is practically audible. “You’re lucky she’s cute, man, otherwise I’d drag you out myself.”

“Try it,” I warn, but I’m already rolling out of bed. “I bite before coffee.”

“Yeah, well, I like a challenge,” he retorts, voice sliding into that annoying, teasing rhythm we’ve had since forever.

I flop back onto the pillow, grumbling, and Nevaeh nuzzles my side, “Good morning, Erik.”

“Morning,” I whisper, planting a quick kiss on her temple.

The minute I step into Church, City’s smirk is already cutting through the room. I’d like to think I can focus, but he’s got that look, the one that says he’s about to push every button he owns.

“Look who finally decided to join the living,” City says, leaning casually against the wall. “Did Nevaeh have to pry you out of bed with a crowbar?”

I grit my teeth. “She let me sleep. That’s more than you can say for your fashion sense.”

He snorts. “Fashion sense? Man, I look like a god compared to the bedhead you’re rocking. Speaking of gods… she even let you touch her all morning? I swear, you’re grinning like a kid who just stole candy.”

I flex my jaw, fighting the urge to laugh. “Shut up and sit down, City. We’ve got work to do.”

He leans over my shoulder, peeking at the laptop. “Work, right. Because we’re gonna strategize about maps and vans while I’m picturing my VP wrapped around his little lady. Cute.”

“City…” I warn, voice low and dangerous.