Page 9 of Crushed By the Cruiser

“No,” I hiss.

Cringing in expectation of pain, my head spins when he rolls me onto my back with careful hands and tilts my chin with a gentle finger.

After a quick study of my face, he decimates everything I thought I knew about him with a single syllable.

“Why?”

My lip curls in frustration.

“The smell,” I snarl.

He quirks a brow and lifts a random blanket.

“This smell?” he asks.

I crinkle my nose and shake my head. Despite the hint of soap wafting from the fabric, it lacks the enticing aroma I crave. His attention flicks over my face before he lifts his pillow.

“This?”

Greed snaps through me. I reach for the wonderfully scented cushion and snarl when he pulls it out of reach. He leans forward until his collarbone fills my vision. I chew on my bottom lip as delicious pheromones fill my nostrils.

“This?” he asks.

I moan and nod, too worked up to speak. Every cell in my body aches for him.

His purr drops an octave, taking my stomach with it. I lie in a boneless heap as he rises onto his knees, rubs the pillow over his chest, tosses it onto my belly, and reaches for another item.

In a state of disbelief, I hug the pillow and watch as he marks several other blankets. When he pinches the corner of the pillow, threatening to take it, I snarl and jump into motion.

I rebuild our nest from bottom to top, sinking so deep into instincts I forget where I am, how I got here, and what comes next. Nothing matters beyond stacking, fluffing, and kneading, except for the goliath alpha hovering along my periphery and permeating from every bit of fabric.

When I settle on my side between the layers, I relax for the first time in ages. I’ve never felt such comfort. My exhaustion tugs me toward the abyss of sleep, but before I slip away, a deep voice calls to me.

“Invite me in, sprite.”

I hum and use the last of my energy to extend my fingers beyond the edge of my nest. Without a word, my giant alpha cups my hand and crawls between the sheets.

An emotion too big to contain barrels through me and a tear slips across the bridge of my nose as he lifts my head and shoulders. The errant salty drop lands on his chest as he lowers me onto my new pillow. Despite his rock-hard muscles, or maybe because of them, I slip into slumber before my next breath.

Even with my mind in turmoil, my soul recognizes the protection he offers. With him around, no one else would dare hurt me.

The only thing to fear is the alpha himself.

In my delusional state, I correct myself.

I have two things to fear. My alpha andthe weapon between his legs.

With that thought echoing in my mind, I drop into a sleep so deep my worries fade away. Peace permeates through my soul as I bask in comfort.

I wake in gentle waves, my senses slowly returning to the world around me. Warm and dry in a sea of comfort, I open my eyes and stroke the soft fabric under my face.

My smile falters as a sense of wrongness rises. I swallow a lump of disappointment as I realize I’m alone in my nest.

He ruined me without hurting me. I should be happy to wake unmolested, but instead I miss his hard presence and deep purr.

A sound jolts me fully awake. I sit up, destroying the top half of my nest, and take in my surroundings.

My captor closes the hatch behind him and strides across the room. Without a glance toward me, he stalks to the table. My mouth waters as I watch the play of his muscles under his trousers and my insides clench at the view of his bare upper half.

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