Page 21 of Crush & Byte (Grim Road MC #9)

River

I woke to warmth surrounding me, nestled against something solid and comforting.

Opening my eyes, I found myself curled against Crush’s chest, his arm draped possessively around me.

The steady rhythm of his breathing told me he was still asleep, yet he held me tightly as if afraid I’d slip away from him.

Memories of last night flooded back. The storm, our confessions, Byte’s mouth on me, Crush exploring every inch of my body with his hands and mouth.

Heat rushed to my cheeks even as a smile tugged at my lips.

Looking back, I wasn’t even certain how the stupid storm factored into the whole situation, but if I was in this position with these two incredible men because the Pacific decided to throw the coast a dick punch, I’d never complain.

In fact, I could smell how clean the air was after all the wind and rain.

Literally and figuratively a brand-new day. A fresh start.

Maybe my feelings made me a fool, but waking up this morning in Crush’s arms after the explosive night before, after sleeping with both men in an intimate embrace, everything combined to give me hope for a future I’d never even dreamt could have been possible for someone like me.

A nomad. Damaged and unable to form personal attachments for as many intentional reasons as unintentional.

I protected myself with solitude. If I didn’t care about anyone, my heart couldn’t be hurt.

Crush’s arm tightened around my midsection when I shifted.

The grip was secure, proprietary even, but so gentle compared to the overwhelming force he could wield.

His hand splayed across my bare stomach just below my ribs, fingers hooked loosely so I could have wiggled away if I wanted.

I didn’t want to. If anything, I wanted to burrow deeper against him, let him hide me from the rest of the world for as long as possible. With Byte here with us.

Yep. I was likely going to hell. But I was taking these men and this opportunity with both hands and defending it to the death.

Or until they decided they no longer wanted me with them.

I’d deal with the fallout when it happened, but I wasn’t missing out on these feelings and sensations because I was afraid.

I was many things, but I wasn’t a coward.

I reached for Byte, but was met only by cool sheets. Byte must have been up for some time.

I could hear faint noises from downstairs -- cabinet doors opening, the soft clatter of a pan being set on the stovetop, a low hum of what I realized was Byte singing quietly to himself.

The song was unrecognizable, but the sound made my chest go warm and fluttery.

I wasn’t used to people being near when I woke up, and the idea of someone making me breakfast instead of grabbing a protein bar on my way out the door made me a little dizzy with happiness.

Sunlight streamed in through the windows above the loft, golden and filtered through a lingering haze of moisture left by the storm.

In its glow, the tangle of messy sheets and the man next to me took on a storybook quality.

My arms and legs felt heavy, sore in the best way.

For once, I didn’t mind the lingering ache.

Crush’s breathing shifted. I could sense him waking up and turned slightly so I was on my back so I could see him.

His fingers flexed against my belly, the scrape of his chin rough against my neck as he nuzzled the sensitive skin just below my jaw.

He made a noise low in his chest, not quite a word.

I rolled onto my back, pushing my hair out of my eyes, and found him blinking at me with a soft, lazy smile that didn’t fit the man’s usual hard-ass exterior at all.

“Good morning,” I whispered, afraid to break the spell.

His eyes, still heavy with sleep, slid over my face and down to my bare shoulders.

The corner of his mouth ticked up. “Mornin’, baby.

” God, his voice husky from sleep was the sexiest thing I’d ever heard.

He said the words like I belonged to him.

It should have terrified me, but it sent a pleasant, tingly ripple of happiness through my insides.

“You gonna let me go?” I teased him, trying to wiggle away just to see if he’d let me go.

“Never,” he rumbled. But he loosened his grip and propped himself on one elbow, surveying me like he’d just found a hundred-dollar bill in a parking lot and couldn’t believe his luck.

We stared at each other for a long moment, the kind that would have felt awkward with anyone else. With Crush, it felt content. We didn’t need to fill the silence or fall on each other and fuck like rabbits. We simply enjoyed the few moments alone together.

Finally, he reached over and trailed the back of his knuckles down my cheek. His hands were large and sure, but he touched me like I was the finest spun glass. “How you feelin’?”

I stretched, feeling every sweet, lingering ache in my body. “Sore and exhausted. In the best way.” I knew my smile was wide and excited. “After the most wonderful night. I don’t want to miss a second of whatever happens today.”

He stroked my cheek before leaning in to kiss me gently. God, I loved kissing! I never had before but with these two men the sensations were overwhelmingly delightful. “Not a chance, baby. You won’t miss a second because we won’t let you. We don’t want to miss a thing either.”

“We should probably go down and see what your brother’s cooking up,” I said, though I made no move to actually get out of bed. “It smells amazing.”

Crush ran his hand down my side, fingers tracing the curve of my hip. “He’s showing off for you. Byte’s scrambled eggs are legendary, but he usually can’t be bothered to cook them for anyone but himself.”

I giggled softly. “Good to know I rate high enough for Byte’s legendary eggs.”

With obvious reluctance, Crush pulled away and sat up, the sheet pooling around his waist before he swung his legs over the side.

When he stood, the sight of his deliciously rounded ass with muscled hollows at the sides when he moved, made my mouth water.

The morning light highlighted the contours of his back, the intricate tattoos spanning his shoulders shifting as he reached for his discarded boxer briefs.

I couldn’t help but stare, admiring the raw power contained in his body.

“Enjoying the view?” he asked without turning around, somehow sensing my gaze on him.

“Very much,” I admitted, feeling my cheeks warm but not willing to play coy. “Nice ass.” I scrambled up and crawled to him before he could get his boxers on and smacked his ass.

He laughed. “So you want to play it that way, huh?” Then he lunged toward me, tickling my sides mercilessly. I shrieked and fought back weakly, but, honestly, how does one fight back in a tickle war when they’re ticklish?

The playing ended with Crush’s solid weight firmly on top of me with his hips between my legs. He kissed me with slow, languid thrusts of his tongue. When he finally ended the kiss I was moaning beneath him, eager for more of what we’d shared the night before.

“Better get dressed before I change my mind about letting you out of this bed.” His wicked grin did nothing to quell the building lust, but it did make me smile.

He pushed off me before tossing me one of Byte’s shirts.

I slipped the shirt over my head and found my underwear tucked half under the pillow.

As I pulled them on, I caught Crush watching me with a heat in his eyes that made my stomach flip.

If we didn’t get downstairs soon, we definitely weren’t getting breakfast.

“You two get your asses down here. No hanky-panky before breakfast. Our girl needs her strength.” Byte’s voice rang clear and happy from below us in the kitchen.

“You heard the man.” Crush reached for my hand. “Food before hanky-panky.”

The cabin floor was cool against my bare feet as we descended the narrow stairs to the main level.

Byte stood at the gas stove, his back to us, flipping something in a cast iron skillet.

He wore only sweatpants hanging low on his hips, his hair still mussed from sleep.

He turned at the sound of our footsteps, a smile spreading across his face when he saw me.

“Morning, sleepyheads,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “Thought you might sleep through breakfast.”

“Not a chance,” I replied, crossing to him and rising on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. The casual intimacy of the gesture surprised even me, but Byte just grinned wider and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me against his side to kiss my temple.

“Gonna have to deal with instant coffee,” he said, nodding toward the water kettle on the back burner seconds before it started screaming. Byte let me go to turn off the burner and the shrill whistle faded to nothing. “Figured we could all use the caffeine.”

Crush moved to the cabinets, retrieving three mugs and the jar of instant coffee. “What’re you making?” he asked his brother as he dropped the grounds in each mug before adding the boiling water.

“Omelets,” Byte replied, returning his attention to the skillet. “Found some ham, peppers, and cheese in the supplies. Almost done.”

I leaned against the counter, cradling my coffee mug between my palms, watching the brothers move around the small kitchen.

They’d clearly shared countless meals together, developed rhythms and patterns that spoke of their deep connection.

Rather than feeling excluded, I found myself drawn into their orbit, Crush handing me silverware to set the table, Byte telling me where to find the juice.

By the time we sat down to eat, the three of us had fallen into an easy rhythm that felt almost…normal. Domestic. Like we’d been doing this for years rather than hours. It should have scared me how quickly I’d slotted into their lives, but instead, it felt right. Like coming home.