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FROM WHAT HE COULD see by the lantern Jude carried, and his flashlight, she had quite the setup. The living room boasted a huge fireplace and high, beamed ceilings. The rugs were soft underfoot, lining the hardwood floors that gleamed even in the dim light.
The basement was one large room, divided by the stairwell, its walls lined with metal shelves crowded with provisions. He counted at least ten cases of water stored in one corner and brown cardboard boxes labeled with various foodstuffs stacked against another. When Jude said she had plenty of supplies, she wasn’t kidding. There were enough supplies to sustain a family of four for at least a year, including washing powder, batteries, and what looked like a floor-to-ceiling pile of army blankets.
“This is all yours?” He swung the beam of his flashlight around, noting the shuttered basement windows. “I mean you got all these supplies?”
“Not exactly.” She didn’t elaborate, and he didn’t press. Let her keep her secrets.
He helped her move a couple of boxes of dehydrated food to the side so Jude, standing on a pile of two books, could open the basement window.
“Get your pack.”
The canvas scraped against the frame as he dragged it through the rectangular opening. She latched the small window, then secured the shutters. Sky hefted his pack on his back and followed her back up the basement stairs. His mind was full of questions, but he couldn’t ignore that generous behind of hers.
Back in the sitting room, Jude managed to create a pretty good-tasting meal from the dehydrated food, canned fruit, and a little camp stove she set up to vent next to a window.
Dinner was a quiet meal. They both had been alone for so long it was almost impossible to have a conversation. Even the questions he’d had for Jude faded away as he ate, his taste buds waking to the flavors in the lasagna with meat sauce. Dessert was warmed peaches with cinnamon crumble. Sky thought it was the best meal he’d had in weeks.
Jude filled her mouth with some water and swished around once before swallowing. As soon as she did so, she put her hand to her lips in embarrassment. “Force of habit,” she said. “I use the water to get the excess sugar off my teeth. There are no dentists around if I get a cavity.” She shrugged, a wry expression on her face. “Dental health is very important.”
After cleanup, which consisted of dropping paper plates and forks in a garbage bag, she brought out a little radio and cranked the handle, revving it up. She then began scanning the stations, turning the knob a millimeter at a time.
“Most of the radio went out weeks ago,” he said.
“This is shortwave, not regular radio.” She glanced up at him, her eyes luminous in the lantern’s glow. “It picks up ham radio broadcasts.”
“Like somebody broadcasting from their basement?”
“Yeah. Or a bunker.” She stopped talking as she turned the dial, her eyes focused on a point in the far distance, listening.
She tugged the rubber band out of her hair. No longer in the ponytail, her curls fell in tight cinnamon sprigs around her face. The lantern cast highlights on those spirals, brightening the brown to almost blonde. He watched as she chewed on her full bottom lip, grasping the soft flesh between her teeth and letting it slide almost out before biting down again. It was the sexiest thing he had ever seen a woman do.
After a few minutes of crackling static punctuated by pockets of blank silence, she turned off the radio and replaced it on the shelf. Resuming her seat across the low table from him, she smiled brightly. “Nothing tonight. Maybe tomorrow.”
“What are you listening for?”
Jude shrugged. “I don’t know. An official broadcast? Proof there are regular folks still living, hiding from zombies and creepy mob rapists? Maybe a place where we can all go?” She trailed off, her fingers tracing patterns on the table’s smooth, wood surface. “Doubtful, though.”
“There’s always hope.”
Jude heaved a huge sigh. “Maybe I should be more realistic. You’ve been out there, right? Am I just wishing on stars?”
“I don’t know, Jude, I really don’t.” He was unsure of what answer she wanted, so he gave her the honest one. “But I do know I haven’t seen any camps.”
Her next words came out in a rush. “I’m not sure how much longer I can live like this, but I won’t leave. It’s safe here. Believe me, I know. I traveled here by myself, from Philadelphia.” She drummed her fingers as she spoke in a hushed, intense whisper. ”Most of the way I made it by car, but I ran out of gas and had to walk the last ten or so miles. I had to kill those things with a crowbar. I didn’t have a gun.” She grimaced and grabbed a napkin, began tearing it. “The smell was the worst.
“I heard about how to make them stay dead before I left Philly. The involuntary nerve center.” She touched the back of her head and went back to tearing paper. He doubted she was even aware of what she was doing. “Most of the online videos said you needed to destroy that part. That somehow after they died, it was reactivated and made...made them get up and walk around. And you have to take that part out. So they stay down. So they stay dead.”
Out of napkin, she began tearing at the wrapper on the empty can of peaches. Her nervous fingers tore long thin strips as she talked about the people at her university, the scary walk home, how she’d killed seven zombies and hid from a group of camo-clad men who had guns and rabid eyes.
“They always tell you they want to help you.” She had run out of label, and her hands rested on the wooden surface of the table. She shook her head, her curls bouncing. “But they don’t. Not when there are a lot of them together. They go nuts.” She drew a deep shuddering breath. “It’s like they have to prove how powerful they are. It’s easy to stomp on the weak people who don’t have a chance against them. So you hide and stay away from them. Those fuckers, the ones chasing me today, jeez, they made me lose my pistol and my favorite crowbar.” Jude exhaled, scattering torn paper onto the floor. “The worst are the kids. I only had to kill one, but that was enough.”
He wanted to stop her but knew she needed to tell someone this, to let out the horror and despair.
“I killed a little kid.” She spoke in a soft monotone. “At first I thought he was fine. He just looked lost. I asked him if he was okay. Then he opened his mouth and started groaning. That’s a mind fuck right there, you know? Yeah, eventually a kid is going to get infected, but to see it right there in front of you isn’t easy.” She closed her eyes, took a deep breath. “I smashed his head, and it exploded like a rotten little egg. I wanted to help him. I didn’t know.”
“That wasn’t a kid, Jude. It wasn’t a kid anymore.”
“I know, but...it was still horrible. He looked so normal!” She wiped at her nose. “When I finally got home, my mother...my mother had shot my father and herself. I buried them in the backyard.” Jude put her face in her hands and burst into tears.
“Jesus Christ.” He went to Jude and slipped an arm around her shoulders. She sobbed against him, her arms circling his neck.
“Jude, relax, relax.” Her tears were scalding hot against his neck, and he rubbed her back in a soothing, circular motion. “Shhh. It’ll be okay.”
“It won’t. It won’t ever be okay again.”
He held her until her sobs resolved into quiet hitches and eventual silence. It was then he realized she had fallen asleep. He continued to sit, not wanting to disturb her slumber. Being here alone after burying her parents, she deserved it.
* * * *
JUDE HATED INTROSPECTION, the navel gazing that led people to philosophy, psychiatry, and mood elevators. She tried to be a realistic, practical type. She had done this so much she wondered if she could even access her emotions anymore, if there was still anything below the surface of zombie head bashing and dehydrated food.
But she had collapsed in the arms of a complete stranger who had come along at the right time. His presence brought her pain to the surface, allowing her to finally grieve for her parents, her missing brother, and the life she had before.
Now she was embarrassed because she had apparently also fallen asleep and drooled on the front of his shirt. Nice. Real nice.
Jude sat up abruptly. “I am so sorry,” she said, disentangling herself from him. Away from him, she felt chilled, even though the temperature inside the house must have been at least eighty degrees.
He touched her hair, his eyes sympathetic in the dim lantern light. “Jude, you were alone for a long time. It happens.”
“I guess.” Avoiding his glance, she got to her feet and grabbed the empty can of peaches, dropped it in a plastic bag. She wanted to change the subject. “May I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“It’s about the shower. I can’t make it work. Maybe you could help?”
He pushed himself to his feet. “What can I do?”
With a little laugh, she touched him on the arm, allowed her fingers to linger against his skin. “You can use those muscles of yours. Follow me.”
Downstairs, after unlocking the floor brace and the horizontal door bar, she led him out onto the wooden deck. She lit a lantern, and he could see that it was enclosed on two sides by huge wooden shutters. To the left, a set of three stairs led to a lower level of the deck.
The shower, which consisted of a bronze-colored bag of heavy-duty plastic, lay in the corner of the porch. A clear tube with a red showerhead connection snaked out of the bottom of the bag.
Jude pointed at the massive hook that was screwed into the side of the house. ”It’s supposed to go up there.” She lifted the hair at the back of her neck and fanned herself. “I thought it was such a cool idea, but once I filled the bag, it was too heavy for me to raise up there. I’ve been washing up in a bucket.” She crossed her arms. “If you can get it on the hook, you can take the first shower.”
Sky nudged the bag with his boot. It was pretty heavy. ”How much water?”
“About five gallons, it says. But it has a little grip bar at the top, see?” Grinning, she gave him the once-over. ”You look like you might have been the one to replace the jugs in the water cooler. Am I right?”
Sky returned her smile. ”Something like that.” He reached for the bag and looked surprised when he touched it. “You filled this with hot water?”
Jude shook her head. “No, it sits in the sun and warms up.” She put her hands on her hips. “The point is use solar power rather than fuel.”
“I see.” He grabbed the handle with one hand and placed the other hand underneath. Lifting with one hand and pushing with the other, he hooked the bar over the heavy-duty hook.
Jude bounced in place with glee. “That shower is finally beat.” She grabbed his hand and gave it a brief squeeze. “Thank you. You’re the best.” Her gaze rested on him for a moment. ”Enjoy your shower. Stuff’s over there.” She pointed at a plastic table, then entered the house, leaving him there alone.
* * * *
IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE how much a shower could change one’s outlook on life. And fresh, clean clothes too, courtesy of Jude’s brother Marcus. He dressed quickly, raked his hair back, and was considering a shave when Jude knocked on the bedroom door.
“Come—”
She opened the door before he could complete the invitation, then approached him. Jude stood so close he could smell the exotic tropical scent of her hair. He took a long, slow inhale, drawing the fragrance in.
“Everything okay?” She came up to his shoulder, so he would only have to bend a little to kiss her, and that was something he should probably stop thinking about. “I’m getting ready to try to sleep.”
“Thanks for everything,” he said, rubbing his chin. “I might want a shave in the morning before I go.”
Jude gazed at him for a long moment, her head tilted to the side. She raised her hand and trailed her fingers along his jaw. Her touch was firm, and he felt the heat of her fingertips through his facial hair.
He stopped breathing, focusing on the sensation. When she dropped her hand, he let the air out of his lungs in a controlled exhale. His shoulders ached with the effort of keeping his body still. Jumping on the woman who was allowing him to stay the night probably wasn’t a good idea, no matter how tempting she might be.
She scrutinized him for a moment as if judging his reaction. “I guess we could talk about that in the morning,” she said, breaking the silence.
He forced a laugh, glad that the tense interlude had passed. “Talk about me wanting a shave?”
She walked out without answering him, leaving the door open. He watched her walk down the dim hall and enter her room. The click of the latch snapped him out of his stupor, and he closed the door.
After the day he’d had, he should have been tired, but the encounter with Jude left him strangely restless. He kicked off his boots and paced the perimeter of the large room.
The bookshelves were overfilled. There were books on top of books, some double stacked, others stuck into any available crevice. He pulled a hardcover with no dust jacket off the shelf—a book that he had read some time ago but didn’t mind revisiting. He lay down on the bed and propped the opened book on his chest.
After the first few familiar sentences, his thoughts drifted back to Jude. His jaw was still warm from where she had touched him, and he imagined her floral scent still hovered. The window was open, but the room was hot. He wondered how Jude could stand it. It probably meant she slept in a minimum of clothes, and for a minute he pictured her in a tank top and panties, a sheen of perspiration across her upper chest. He could almost see the rise and fall of her breasts, the nipples poking at the thin cotton fabric.
He let the book fall against his chest and closed his eyes, recalling the memory of her crushed against him in that small closet. Remembering the soft weight of her breasts pressed against his arm, and her behind grinding in his lap. Her comment about practically giving him a lap dance came back to him. The image of her smooth arms around his neck, his hands on her body against her warm, fragrant skin popped into his head, giving him a sudden painful erection that pressed against his zipper.
Seeking relief, he unzipped his jeans, but a glance at the unlocked door brought him back from his feverish fantasies. Instead, he picked up the book and began reading again, hoping the words would take his mind off Jude.
* * * *
HER GUEST SETTLED, Jude went back to her room and sat on the edge of her rumpled bed. She removed her bra and her T-shirt, enjoyed the warm air against her skin. Her jeans followed. Wearing only her panties, she rummaged in her bureau for a nightshirt, which she shook out before pulling over her head. She sat cross-legged on her bed, smoothing her palms over her bare thighs. A light breeze ruffled the curtains but offered little relief from the summer heat.
The worn paperback book beckoned her from the bedside table. She reached for the book, then stopped. Her nerves were too jumpy to concentrate on a book she’d read countless times before.
The bed springs creaked when she got up. She wandered to the dresser, drew her finger through the thin layer of dust. Maybe one day she would take the time to clean. She smirked, brushing her hands together. Never having been much of a housekeeper, there was no need to start now.
Jude spotted her glass tobacco pipe lying next to the wooden jewelry box. There’s an idea. A little hit would relax her enough to go to sleep. She cleaned out the old ashes and started to repack it. When she realized the smoke would permeate the entire floor, she put the pipe back on the dresser.
Down the hall, Sky cleared his throat. There’s an idea. Maybe she should check on him, see how he was doing. At least that would give her something to do.
Jude opened her door, pressing upward on the knob so it wouldn’t squeak against the hinges. A feeling of naughtiness zipped through her, making her feel like a teenager who was sneaking out after hours. She shrugged it off. What harm was there in seeing if her guest was comfortable and maybe get a little comfort for herself? If he rejected her, she would slink back to her room and smoke until she was high enough to fall asleep.
She moved down the carpeted hallway and tapped on the door. Without waiting for an answer, she turned the knob and pushed it open.
“Hey.” She raised her hand in a little wave.
Sky was stretched out on the bed, shirtless, his zipper at half-mast. Jude couldn’t stop herself from staring. Whatever he had been eating on the road had been good to him. She fastened her gaze on the light fuzz of hair on his chest that narrowed into a line that trailed down his tight, flat abdomen to teasingly disappear into the gray waistband of his underwear. She took a deep breath.
“Hey.” He put the book he had been reading aside and pulled his zipper up. “What’s going on?”
The forced casualness in his voice made her want to laugh. Did she make him nervous? She ambled to the bookcase, pretending to peruse the stacks of books her brother left behind.
“I wanted to see if you were settled in, if you needed anything else.” Ignoring the little voice that screamed for her to exercise some restraint, she stretched out on the bed next to him. “I thought you might want a little company.” Jude let her fingers play around the waistband of his jeans, dawdled at the unfastened button. Inside, she was quaking like a leaf in a strong wind, barely hanging on to the illusion of cool. If he turned her down, she would be mortified.
At this close range, he was incredibly attractive, but that could be due to the hormones singing through her veins. Still, most guys were handsome from far away, but close-up there was the too-thin bottom lip or the cruel set of the jaw. Sky had none of that. His face was relaxed, open, and most of all, kind.
His sandy brown hair was still damp and was beginning to regain its slight curl where it was drying around the edges. She wanted to muss it, run her fingers through the strands, and make it stand up on his head. The lantern didn’t give her much light to see the true color of his eyes, but his lashes were long, and there was the hint of laugh lines at the corners. Jude lay there, barely breathing. Was he going to answer her or not?
Sky reached out and tugged at the hem of her shirt. “It always pays to ask for what you want.” He brushed his lips against her temple, then her cheek.
The soft brush of his beard against her skin gave her goose bumps. She shivered, thinking about what the silky hairs would feel like against the insides of her thighs. Angling her head upward, she cupped his face and brought her lips to his.
At the moment of contact, a bolt of hot pleasure flooded her body, and she moaned quietly. He didn’t force himself on her. Instead he seduced her with soft, teasing kisses, using the tip of his tongue to gradually ease her lips apart. He suckled her bottom lip, then darted his tongue into her mouth.
Jude had the feeling of being sampled like the first course of a meal. The idea heated her. A warm, syrupy feeling spread from her pussy to the rest of her body. She didn’t care if there were a hundred zombies banging down the door. She wanted this to last.
Sky eased her onto her back and lowered himself on her. She eagerly pressed herself against his half-naked body, running her hands over the bunched muscles of his shoulders. His skin was hot and smooth under her palms, and she was wickedly pleased that she was going to fuck him simply because it was fun.
”Do that again,” she whispered.
He lowered his lips to hers, and this time his kiss was more demanding, making her groan with greedy pleasure. He ravaged her mouth with his tongue, passionately sliding it against hers until the blood roared in her ears, and she couldn’t lie still beneath him. She only broke the kiss to come up for air, then dived back in, shamelessly meeting the ravenous thrusts of his tongue with her own. Electricity made her lower belly tingle, and she squeezed her legs around his thigh. Finding little satisfaction, she wriggled, shifting underneath him until the ridge of his erection rubbed where she wanted it, needed it. She rocked her hips, rubbing her pussy against his cock, frustrated with the layers of clothes that separated them.
Her constant companions, anxiety and fear, disappeared, leaving her carefree and aware of nothing but the heat of his body against hers. She sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, teasing it with the barest nibble while she eased the zipper down on his jeans. It stuck halfway down, and she yanked at it.
“Wait a second.” He pushed her hands away and finished the job, standing nude beside the bed.
She had half a second to take him in before she pulled her nightshirt over her head, but she was more than pleased. Lying back on the bed, she adjusted the pillow behind her to display her breasts at their best angle.
His eyes widened when he looked at her. He brought one hand up to touch her naked breast, then laid his body over hers.
“Ooo.” Jude sighed when his cock pressed against the front of her panties. She wanted them off. Feeling him exploring her body intensified her desire, and she didn’t want to move.
“Beautiful,” he said, then closed his lips around her nipple. With his tongue, he traced its outline, then sucked and nibbled at the taut flesh until she squirmed and wiggled underneath him. The feeling of his tongue swirling over the sensitive peak raised tingling heat between her legs, dampening the crotch of her panties. She hissed with longing and brought her hand to the back of his head.
“If you want to lick my pussy, you’ll have to take my panties off.” She blinked as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Who was this smutty-mouthed woman?
“Fair enough,” he said, kissing the valley between her breasts. He drew his hands in slow, teasing paths along her sides, her belly, and around her navel. Jude gave a muted squeal as he brushed his palm over the soft cotton fabric between her thighs. He ran his fingers inside the waistband, tugging the garment upward. She jerked at the sudden, quick pressure on her clit and reached down to complete the task herself.
Sky grasped her wandering hands. “Hands off.” He looked up at her. “Didn’t you say I would have to take your panties off?”
Jude squeezed eyes shut for a moment, then opened them, met his gaze, and laughed. “Be quick about it, then.”
He folded the waistband down, pulled her underwear down an inch. “Patience is a virtue,” he teased, exposing another inch of flesh.
She grinned even as she moaned with frustration, willing to play his game but aching to feel his lips sucking her pussy.
“Lift up, sweetheart.” He patted her hips.
She lifted her butt, and he pulled the restrictive garment down and off.
Sliding his mouth over her skin, he stopped the silken path of his lips when he reached the area right below her navel. His hot breath ruffled the curly patch of hair between her legs, and Jude tightened her fists in anticipation. Her body was taut with waiting, trembling with simmering desire.
Expecting and wanting the warmth of his mouth on her pussy, she was surprised when he pressed his cheek to her inner thighs, turning to kiss the supple flesh. His beard was soft against her skin, ticklish even, and she suppressed a delighted giggle, unable to keep her body from twitching.
Sliding his hands under her bottom, he steadied her and blew into the damp curls. Her nipples tightened, and she reached to grab a handful of his hair, to guide his mouth where she needed it most. Fuck patience.
Dodging her hand, he kissed the insides of her thighs, smoothing his lips over the skin repeatedly. Soon, the barest touch of his mouth sent tingles of delight through her pussy.
He slid his tongue into her cleft. The sensation was sharp and intense, seizing her in a dizzying spiral of pleasure. She gasped and cried out, a high-pitched mix between a squeak and a squeal. Using the rough flat of his tongue, he licked from her entrance to her clit, sucking gently at the soft folds of flesh in between. She writhed against the onslaught of pure carnal bliss, grabbing handfuls of the quilt to keep herself from leaping off the bed.
Sky gripped her hips and pulled her closer to his mouth. Making greedy, primitive noises, he swirled his tongue around her clit, the tiny circles of fire spreading feverish tension through her in increasing waves. She reached down again and slid her fingers into his hair, gripping the soft strands as she slid her swollen pussy against his mouth.
He slid two fingers into her tight channel, feeling for the sensitive spot at the very top. Each leisurely stroke into her tender flesh coaxed her higher until she was making wordless noises of want, thrashing under the dual assault of his fingers and his mouth. The pleasure mounted until it burst, filling her with a furious rush of delight.
“Come here.” Using the handful of his hair, she tugged him upward and put her lips to his ear. “I want you to fuck me, make me forget.” She kissed him and slid her tongue against his with passion-fueled aggression, tasting herself on his lips. “Okay?”
“Done.” He took hold of her behind and positioned himself between her legs.
She shamelessly worked her sex against the hard ridge of his erection, coating both of them with her cream. She couldn’t wait, had craved this very moment ever since she knocked on his door. The head of his cock nudged her entrance, and she arched up to take him when he stopped.
“Jude, what about—”
She brought his hand to her upper arm, pressed his fingers to the plastic ridge under her skin, “I’m fixed for two more years,” she explained in a rush. She dropped his hand and reached for his erection, wiggled her hips a little to get him back into place. “It’s go time.”
“Funny.” Sky pushed inside her eager flesh with a slow, deliberate slide. The invasion stretched her to a delightful fullness. She wrapped her legs around his waist and wriggled on the mattress to accommodate him. Instead of quenching her fierce desire, the feel of his cock inside of her, stretching her tight, worked her up more.
When she looked up at him, his brow was furrowed with concentration. He placed one hand under her hips, guiding her while he thrust in gentle nudges, each stroke increasing her pleasure. Jude breathed in harsh gasps, transported by the sweet tension gathering in her belly.
“Lift your knees more,” he murmured, sending a wave of fever over her body.
When she did as he asked, the head of his cock prodded the spot deep within her, and she moaned at the blaze of shivery delight that increased with each forward thrust. The pleasure continued to build and spread, pushing her closer to the edge until she cried out at her incredible climax. Shuddering with the intensity, Jude sank her teeth into Sky’s shoulder and clutched at his back. She nuzzled the base of his neck, licked at the moisture there. “Keep going,” she urged.
Sky grunted in reply. Holding her hips in an intense grip, he deepened his thrusts, pumping his hips faster. She squeezed her muscles around his cock and rocked beneath him, the whisper of a second release hovering just out of reach. Jude strained toward it, arching her back and crying out when her body seized with another explosive orgasm. She squeezed her arms around him and buried her face in the crook of his shoulder, her chest heaving.
He kissed the hollow below her ear and drove forward again, increasing his rhythm. Urging him on, she murmured in his ear and clenched her inner muscles until he moaned into her hair, shaking with his climax.
Jude lay still, letting her breath return to normal. She unwrapped her arms from the death grip she’d had around his neck. Flexing her cramped fingers, she hoped she didn’t yank out any hair.
Sky smiled down at her, kissed her on the cheek. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Jude wiggled from under him, found her T-shirt, and pulled it over her head. Sure, she didn’t want to get sentimental, but in the interest of making him feel less used, she leaned over and planted a kiss on his lips. “That was great,” she said brightly, a feeling of pure exhilaration overwhelming her.
“Glad you enjoyed,” he replied, locating his underwear and pulling them on.
Jude sat against the headboard, twisting the fingers of her left hand, unsure of whether to stay or to go back to her room. She certainly had no small talk, but she didn’t want to spend the rest of the night alone either. Be practical, Jude. You got what you wanted. Now you can go. This isn’t a date.
“Jude?” Sky yawned and patted the bed next to him. “Plenty of room.”
“Okay.” Feeling a little less insecure, a little more wanted, and a lot confused, she snuggled next to him, her back to his chest. It wasn’t long before he dozed off, his soft breathing settling into a slumbering rhythm, one arm around her waist. His hand warmed her skin where it pressed against her stomach.
Jude stayed awake and stared at the lantern sitting on the nightstand, trying not to think of the consequences of what she had done.
She waited until his muted snores tickled the back of her neck before she extricated herself from his embrace and went to her room.