Page 32 of Cross To Bear

Sometimes orgasms were all build up with a shitty finale, and that was what happened now. My body pulsed weakly, as if in defiance of my greed. I’d just had my world well and truly rocked by the two of them, so that had me flopping back against the pillow, eyes closing on automatic. But as I dropped into sleep, I heard their words.

“Anyone who gives the slightest fuck about you is going to want to lavish all of that pleasure on you with the same kind of abandon you give care for others, just because he loves to watch you fall into an abyss of ecstasy.”

“Yes,” I said here, emboldened when they weren’t around. “Yes, I want that.”

I woke with a start the next morning to the abrupt sound of my alarm going off, because while I felt like I’d cheated death yesterday on the side of the road, I slept curiously well. I got out of bed with a bang, not a whimper, getting ready for work in record time. Then I remembered the issue of getting there.

Bjorn and Razor said someone would come by and give me a lift. They didn’t have to, of course, but… My jaw tightened as I checked my phone and didn’t see any messages. I guessed then that fated mates could be just as flaky as regular guys. I shook my head as I cued up the Uber app and then headed for the door.

Only to find Hawk standing there, hand upraised, ready to knock. He blinked, I blinked, then we both just stared at each other, before he jerked his hand down hurriedly.

“You ready to go?” he said, taking in my work attire.

“Um… yeah, I was just about ready to call an Uber.”

“You’re not going in an Uber.” He shoved a tall insulated coffee mug at me. “Mocha with caramel syrup?”

“Oh, wow, thanks.” That was my coffee order, and I took a sip from it gratefully, something he watched all too closely. Those dark amber eyes caught the moment my eyebrows shot up, and then I jerked that cup back, staring at it. “Where the hell did you get this from?” I asked. “It’s amazing.”

The coffee was perfectly made, all rich and dark without a hint of bitterness. Then there were the chocolate and caramel flavours that were making delicious babies in my mouth. It was the best damn coffee I’d ever had in my life, and I’d drive half way across town for more.

“I made it.”

Did those lips twitch a little under that thick beard? Did I see the hint of a smile? Because something was happening in his eyes as they started to twinkle. I thought they seemed to warm several degrees, or perhaps that was just me.

“Oh…” I needed to say something, anything, but I was caught on the mental image of the massive Hawk bent over a coffee machine, making this confection and now I wanted to see that so badly. “Thank you. It’s the best I’ve ever had.”

“And this.” He handed me a paper wrapped bundle from which savoury smells wafted. It was kept in place with a single piece of string, tied in a bow, and the package was warm to the touch. “We better get going if you want to be at work on time. Peak hour’s a bitch.”

Right. I just stared as his hand went out, grabbing my keys from my hands before using them to lock my apartment and then he ushered me downstairs, towards a car that was all black paint and shiny chrome.

Each one of them drove beasts of cars, though this one was dead sexy. Born in an era where petrol was cheap, it was big, heavy, its long lines elegant, but as I walked over to the door, he was already there, having to unlock it with a key before opening it for me. As I slid onto the big leather seat, he leaned over, moving closer and closer and I clutched the cup tight, right before he grabbed my seatbelt and clicked it in place. That earned me a faintly amused nod, right before he walked around to the driver’s seat.

If I had any hopes of not alerting the whole apartment block that a bunch of biker bear shifters were giving me lifts in the morning, they were crushed the moment the car roared to life. I jumped as I heard the throb of the engine, something that had him smirking right as he turned the car towards the road.

“Eat,” he told me. “And if you don’t like sausage and cheese muffins, I’ve got some other stuff in the back.” He jerked his head towards the backseat, where a box of neatly packed food was sitting. “Help yourself.”

“Oh, I’m fine. I don’t usually have breakfast…”

My usual spiel trailed away as this earned me a dark stare.

“It’s the most important meal of the day.”

“Right, and looking at the road is important too,” I said with growing panic, as he watched me, not where we were going.

“You need something to get you going in the morning.”

“That’s what coffee… Look, fine.” I undid the string and unwrapped the paper then paused when I smelled what was inside. The yeast of bread, the salty umami of the sausage and then there was yellow cheese, all melty and hot. I took a bite to get him looking back at the road, though this was no punishment. “Oh my freaking god…”

The English muffin was pillow soft, which went perfectly with the melty cheese and the slight crunch of the sausage patty. I swallowed that bite and went back for another, then another, only coming up for air when I heard a low grunt from Hawk.

He was always the most aloof of the guys. A dark presence on the periphery of the group, he and I didn’t interact all that much. I was just aware he was there, catching him staring more than once, which made me think he didn’t like me. That amused look on his face now, a slight expression change for most men, but dramatic for him, it made clear that wasn’t the case.

“I’ll eat all of this if you keep your eyes on the road,” I bargained, waving the muffin around.

“You’ll eat every bite.”

He held my gaze for seconds that seemed to stretch on for hours, because his voice? It contained all of the command Razor’s had last night, and that had my mind racing.

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