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“Yeah, I think it’s sweet. But also a little sad. Five years is a long time…” My voice trailed off, and again I wondered if he’d been single even longer than that. “Um, have you always lived here by yourself? Since you inherited the place, I mean. No family or friends?”
“I had a girlfriend who lived with me for a few years, but she left a few months before the zombie outbreak, right about the time when the Murder Asteroid was discovered. She didn’t like living in such a rural location, and when I refused to sell the place, she ended things.”
I stared at him, utterly aghast. “She actually left you because she didn’t like this place? I haven’t even seen your bunker yet, and I think your homestead is awesome. The garden… the greenhouses… the farmhouse with the fancy, decorative pillows. Last night, I slept in a pile of leaves in the woods. I think this place is a dream.”
His visage softened and he cupped the side of my face. “I suppose if she’d known about the impending zombie outbreak, she would’ve stayed. But yes, she left because she didn’t like it here. Wasn’t modern enough for her tastes.” As he peered into my eyes, I imagined what it would be like to call this place my forever home. The prospect didn’t seem awful at all.
Daddy. If I stayed, he would be my daddy and I would be his babygirl. Heat quaked in my core, my clit pulsing faster. My heart also softened, my insides melting with longing.
“Are you sure you’re not crazy or defective in some big way?” I asked. “You’re gorgeous, you smell nice, you’ve got all your teeth, and you have one hell of a homestead. How is it you’re not already taken?” I lowered my voice to an ominous whisper. “Are you hiding bodies in that bunker of yours?”
He chuckled. “The truth is, not many women have come knocking over the years. And all those who did were part of a traveling group that tried to rob or cheat me somehow.” His gaze turned serious, and he suddenly regarded me with suspicion. “I haven’t seen any evidence of any travelers hereabouts lately, but if you’re part of a group, even a small one, I expect you to be honest and tell me right now.”
“I join groups now and then, but I’ve been traveling alone for about three months now. I swear it.” My heart broke as I considered all the times he must’ve gotten his hopes up when a woman came knocking, only to be betrayed.
“What happened to your last group?”
I sighed. “It got too big and things became complicated. When it started to feel dangerous, I slipped away in the night. I was hoping to find a safe place to stay during the upcoming zombie horde migration, and at first I’d thought Breaker’s Mill might work, but I couldn’t fathom marrying a stranger.”
“Well, you’re staying here,” Darrel said in a matter-of-fact tone. “You’re staying here with me where it’s safe. I’ll protect you. I’ll shelter you and feed you and take care of you.” He shifted closer, then lifted me effortlessly, placing me on his lap. He circled his huge arms around me and embraced me tightly as a shudder ran through his body.
Too stunned to speak, I simply allowed him to hold me. His dire need for companionship mirrored my own. Maybe meeting him was fate. Maybe I was always destined to find my way to his homestead.
Eventually, I laced my arms around his waist and hugged him back. A few minutes later, however, I started to have a difficult time remaining still on his lap. Because I was pretty sure I could feel his cock becoming hard. After I squirmed a few times, his breath caught, and he finally withdrew from the embrace. Holding me by the forearms, he peered down at me with a heated look. But it was also a look of such intense longing, it made my throat burn. I found myself blinking fast, overwhelmed by the moment.
“I think I’d like to see your bunker now. Daddy.”
Chapter 4
MEG
Mr. Sexy Green Thumb’s bunker was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. There were several rooms devoted to the storage of non-perishable food, and each one was meticulously organized. There was a huge bathroom, an eat-in kitchen, and a living room that contained two plush sofas. He had an entertainment center and a small library too.
In another room, surveillance screens took up an entire wall. The screens showed live video feeds from several locations on his property, as well as areas inside the nearby town he’d mentioned.
A bedroom. My eyes widened as he finally guided me into the bunker’s bedroom. It contained a large bed that was piled with pillows and soft blankets.
Longing surged through me as I imagined curling up in the warm, safe place while nestled in Darrel’s muscular arms. I thought about how I’d narrowly escaped the zombie horde during the last migration, and how many sleepless nights I’d spent in the trees, hoping no undead who were smart enough to climb would take notice of me clinging to the branches above.
“Not gonna lie, big guy, I’m seriously thinking about becoming your apocalypse ho. This place kicks ass.” I turned and shot him a playful smile as I stroked the soft bedcovers.
He pinched the bridge of his nose briefly and sighed. “Life partner,” he corrected. “More precisely, my babygirl. I’m not going to treat you like a pleasure slave in exchange for letting you live here, Meg.” A grin tugged at his lips. “Well, not unless we’re roleplaying.”
“Roleplaying? Now there’s an idea.” I aimed a playful smirk his way. Then, unable to resist testing the mattress, I kicked my shoes off and plopped down on the bed. “Oh my. This is comfy.” I couldn’t stop pushing against the firmness of the mattress and running my hands over the covers. Truth be told, I wasn’t just testing the mattress—I was stalling. My attraction to Darrel was a bit overwhelming, and the realization that I was probably going to stay here with him filled me with a lot of emotions I was having difficulty processing. Mainly, the utter relief that for the first time in forever, I might be safe. And the knowledge that I would no longer be alone. Nor would I risk starvation, disease, or attack while out on the road.
Darrel was a daddy. While I didn’t completely understand what that meant, I knew it meant he wanted to take care of me. He wanted to be in charge. Would he expect my submission? Would he give me rules? Would he punish me if I defied him? Heated pulses seized my center at the thought, and I also became increasingly breathless.
He sank down beside me and took my hand in his. He waited until I met his gaze, then said, “Would you like to spend the night with me, babygirl?”
“Just one night?” I whispered.
He cupped my face and placed another soft kiss to my nose, then pressed his lips to my forehead. Oh how I melted. How I yearned for him. Desire hummed through my blood, and I was fairly certain my panties were becoming damp with my growing arousal for the handsome, dominant stranger I’d just met. Darrel. Daddy.
Warmth filled his eyes. “Not just one night, babygirl. All of them.” He stroked my hair behind my ears, then leaned in to kiss me.
I wrapped my arms around him, reveling in the heat of his body and his delicious masculine scent. His tongue tangled with mine, and all my worries floated away as I became lost in the moment. Lost in him.
He burned a trail of kisses down my neck, occasionally scraping his teeth on my flesh. I placed my hand on his upper thigh and felt it. The huge hard evidence of his excitement. He growled and drew back to peer down at me, his dark eyes flaming with need.
