Free CRASH (A Stone Kings Motorcycle Club Romance) by Daphne Loveling

relief that the kitchen was deserted at this hour. I found some pre-ground coffee and some filters in a cupboard above an automatic drip coffee maker. I loved the smell of coffee, but members of our community weren’t allowed to drink caffeine. I hesitated, almost closing the cupboard door, and then reminded myself that I didn’t belong to the WFZ Ranch anymore. It was almost dizzying, all of the small new freedoms this new life had. Half-giddy, I put some water in the drip maker for about half a pot, and tried to estimate how much ground coffee I needed to put in the maker. Luckily, the package had directions so I didn’t mess it up too badly.
    Next, I looked in the refrigerator, and was surprised to see eggs, milk, and even a couple of packets of sausage. My stomach rumbled again, growing more impatient. I found a bowl, and cracked two eggs into it for scrambling. I located two skillets, a small and a medium, in another cabinet next to the stove, put the eggs into one, and a couple of the sausages in the other. I turned on the stove and stood there waiting for things to cook, something about the repetitive nature of these domestic tasks, which I had done so many times before, helping to dissipate the lingering unsettledness I had been feeling since waking up.
    A couple of minutes later, one of the men from the bar wandered into the room. He looked to be about my age, with brown, wavy hair that curled around his ears and a square, handsome jaw. Like the other men I had seen, he had tattoos, but fewer than most, and certainly fewer than Levi. He was wearing a clean white T-shirt and loose jeans over motorcycle boots.
    “Mmm, smells good,” he said, grinning. “You sharing?”
    Even though he was much taller than I was and I knew he was a club member, there was something about him that made him feel a little less intimidating than the other men I had seen. Maybe it was because of his apparent proximity to my age. I smiled back at him shyly and said, “I can. Scrambled eggs and sausage, if you want.”
    “I want,” he nodded. Pulling out a chair from the square fake wood and metal kitchen table, he flipped it around and sat so that his arms were resting on the back. I walked back to the refrigerator and pulled the eggs back out along with the sausage. “These are just about done,” I told him, and smiled. “My name’s Cherish.”
    “Cal,” he replied, raising his chin in a sort of half-nod. “Nice to meet you.”
    “You, too.”
    “You don’t seem like the typical girl we see around here,” he continued in an amused voice. “How’d you end up at an MC clubhouse?”
    I reddened. “Uh… I’m just here until later today. I… just needed a place to stay.”
    “Who brought you here?” he asked. I could tell he was not going to be the type to let this go easily, but I tried to give him as little as I could.
    “Um… no one brought me here. But my brother knew Levi when we were kids, so I took a chance that he might help me out.”
    “Levi?” he said, one eyebrow shooting up quizzically. “You know Levi? Man, I can’t even really imagine him as a kid. What was he like?”
    “I don’t know,” I said honestly. “He left… uh, left town when I was really young, so I don’t really remember him.”
    “Huh,” Cal murmured. He nodded slowly, considering. By then, the first batch of eggs and sausage was ready, and I grabbed a plate and set them before him. The food seemed to distract him from any more conversation about Levi. I watched him eat for a moment, smiling as he made appreciative noises and gave me a thumbs up. Then I put some more eggs and sausage on for myself.
    The coffee maker beeped, startling me, and I realized it must be ready. I took a mug down from the cupboard, poured myself half a cup, and took an experimental sip. It was hot, so hot it almost burned my lips, and bitter. I wasn’t sure what I thought of it yet. It certainly tasted different than it smelled. I raised the cup to take