Page 37 of Crush & Byte
I moved closer to her, my hand finding the small of her back, a gentle reminder of my presence.Crush mirrored me on her other side, his stance slightly wider, shoulders squared.The message was clear to everyone watching.River was ours.
A hush fell over the group, and I looked up to see Maggie standing in the clubhouse doorway.She’d traded her usual assisted-living facility clothing for jeans and a simple black top, her silver hair gleaming in the filtered sunlight.She moved with the fluid grace that had made her legendary in her CIA days.
“There she is,” Maggie said, her voice carrying across the yard.“My girl.”
River stiffened beside me, her eyes widening in recognition.“Mrs.Walsh?”
Maggie’s smile was the cat-who-got-the-canary grin I’d known my whole life.“I told you to call me Maggie, dear.”
“You’re their grandmother,” River said slowly, the pieces clicking together in her head.“The nursing home… all those conversations… you were sizing me up.”
“Smart girl,” Maggie replied, moving closer.“I knew you were perfect for my boys the moment I met you.That spark in your eye, kindness that can’t be faked.But I needed to be sure you were strong enough to handle them both.”She touched River’s cheek with gentle fingers.“I may have nudged things along, but what happened between you three?That was all you.Besides, I knew those boys wouldn’t keep you in the dark about what I’d done.They laid it all out for you and let you make the decision.Didn’t they?”
River nodded.“You knew they’d do that?”
“Of course, dear.The whole rigamarole was simply to get you on board.I knew you’d never turn down a chance to see new places and have your own adventure.”
River shook her head, but I could see the smile tugging at her lips.“I should be furious with you.”
“But you’re not,” Maggie said confidently.“Because you’re exactly where you want to be.”
The truth of those words settled over us, and I felt River relax against me.She reached out, taking both my hand and Crush’s, linking us together.“Yeah.I really am.”
She was home.We all were.And home was each other.
The gathering turned into a party.We stayed for a while, introducing River to everyone.I was anxious to get back to our rooms and let River get settled.Besides, I wanted River to ourselves.The sounds of laughter and conversation faded as Crush and I led River to the main clubhouse where our office doubled as our apartment.
“Where are we going?”River asked, her fingers intertwined with mine as Crush walked on her other side, his hand resting possessively at the small of her back.
“Our place.”I flashed her a grin.“Doubles as our office, but we’ve got plenty of room and both our bedrooms have king-size beds.”
“Oh.”River nodded her head and picked up the pace slightly.“Sounds like the very place to be right now.”
Crush snorted a laugh.“I couldn’t agree more.”
Once inside, I opened the door to let River enter first.The space reflected our dual nature.Clean lines and open space dominated the main room, with floor-to-ceiling monitors along one wall.The furniture was minimal but comfortable, and a few industrial-style lamps cast warm light across the hardwood floors.
“This is nice,” River said, turning slowly to take it all in.“It feels like you both.”
Crush moved behind her, close enough that she must have felt his heat against her back.River turned, finding herself caught between us.Her breath hitched, eyes dilating as she looked up at Crush.“Now that we’ve got you in our lair, you know you’re not gettin’ out for a long fuckin’ time.Right?”
I stepped closer so she was mashed pleasantly between us.My fingers found the edge of her shirt, and I slipped underneath the soft fabric to touch warm skin.
“Seems like I might need a tour,” she said, her eyes wide.“I’d like to start with the bedroom.”
“Bedroom’s that way.”I jerked my head over Crush’s shoulder.
“Don’t need to fuckin’ tell me twice.”
Crush spun her around and lifted her so River could wrap her legs around his waist while he carried her to his bedroom.I followed, chuckling at her playful nature.
Undressing her and ourselves took seconds.It was still too long to have a barrier between our skin and hers.
Once we were naked, I scooped River into my arms, her surprised laugh warming my chest as I laid her on the big bed, the dark sheets accenting her pale skin.
She reached for us, and we joined her on the bed, positioning ourselves on either side of her.I captured her mouth in a deep kiss, swallowing her soft cry as Crush’s lips found her neck, traveling down to the sensitive hollow of her throat.My hands explored her body, relearning every curve, every dip, every place that made her breath catch.
Crush moved lower, his mouth closing over her breast while he slid his hand between her thighs.I watched her face as he touched her, mesmerized by the way her eyes fluttered closed, the way her lips parted on a whimper.I trailed my fingers down her stomach to join his, both of us working in tandem to prepare her for what was coming.
