“A vibrator?”
He nods.
“Absolutely. It used to be the only way I could get there. I had quite the collection. Mourned the loss of them when I hadto leave ‘em behind.” He gapes at her and she can’t resist teasing a little further, popping a piece of muffin in her mouth and shrugging matter-of-factly. “The purple one was my favorite. It did this curling thing.”
“Curling?”
“Sort of like…a deep, upward stroke.” She makes a come-hither motion with two fingers to drive the point home.
“You like that, huh?” he says, evenly.
She nods, and suddenly it’s not funny anymore because she can tell that he’s filed this away. The idea of him touching her like that already has her wound up.
Then, his hand works its way beneath her shirt, boldly popping open the single button holding it together before he pushes her back against the pillows. She’s used to being the one who takes control in every aspect of her life. It was the only way she could survive, both in the foster system and then out of it, when the world ended. She is a wrecking ball, someone once told her. If there is a decision to be made, she’s the one making it. That hard exterior protects all her softest, most vulnerable pieces that she’s never shown anyone else. Anyone except Wade.
She didn’t realize how badly she craved the option of letting someone else lead.
Instead of feeling the heavy stretch she expected, two fingers curl up inside her as he peppers a kiss to the pulse point in her neck, proving he’d been taking notes and is only too happy to put them to good use.
Is that how this works now? Can she just…say what she wants and somehow get it?
It’s easy to relax into the rhythm of that curling motion he’s perfecting until she’s soaked his hand, letting him know she’s ready for more. She’s left empty and wanting until he begins to fill her in a new way, nudging himself in place.
She knew he was big, but feeling him inside her, stretching her until her muscles ache, is a whole new experience that she hadn’t fully imagined. She shifts her hips, instinctively looking for relief, yet still wanting more. The pressure is exquisite and persistent. Just when she thinks it’s too much, he pulls back until only the tip rests inside her, teasing her entrance. She squirms, missing him already, trying to pull him back in.
The way he watches her face could be uncomfortable with anyone else, yet she feels no need to look away. Holds his stare as he carefully pushes into her again, ending with a swift thrust to make sure she’s taking every inch. Her sharp inhale prompts a satisfied glimmer in those soft eyes.
He makes love to her like she’s something precious, and much as she appreciates that, there’s also a red-hot desire to feel completely engulfed by him.
She pulls him down against her until he gets the idea. Then his weight is everywhere, leaving her protected and secure. Doesn’t feel smothered when she probably should, only wraps her legs around him and enjoys what she’s given. It’s like that hug in bed when he’d gathered her up and squeezed just past the point of being gentle, but so much better now when there’s no part of him she can’t feel.
It’s not until later, when she’s come a second time and he’s marked her as his all over again, both of them collapsed side by side trying to catch their breath in a haze, that she realizes this is the first time she’s felt as sated as the person she’s in bed with. Instead of grabbing her clothes or rolling away, she rolls toward him, tucking herself into his side with a yawn.
They have lost time to make up for. The best place to rest for that is right here in his arms.
* * *
The next morning, they wake early and aim the Range Rover for Zion.
They’ve left the bike behind this time. Not safe to take both modes of transportation when the roads to reach their destination are said to be rocky and steep, with few guardrails along the slopes. If they make a wrong move and tumble over the edge, they’ll need that bike if they manage to survive the fall.
Her brain is always in worst-case scenario mode. She’s a good driver, always has been, and there’s no chance she’ll steer them wrong.
She does, however, hit the brakes when an overlook along the road opens up to reveal a small town below. Kara can see the faint hint of movement, but her naked eye can only process so much. They exit the car to get closer, pulling out binoculars looted from the camping shop.
“Could be a shit ton of people down there,” he growls, clearly as unhappy about this as she is.
They already suspected a thriving community. She’s not ready in the slightest to deal with that. There’s plenty of activity down below when they peer through the glass, but it’s not people they see, it’s rotters. The town is completely overrun.
A plume of smoke coming from the mountains beyond is a clear sign they’re not alone.
Chapter 34
There’s a small horde of the dead down below tucked into the valley. Luckily, the walls are too steep, even if they create another climbing pile.
They’re good for now, so their sightseeing adventure isn’t canceled yet. They’ll steer clear of town, which shouldn’t be hard based on the map found in the cabin. Wade is more concerned about the smoke coming from another mountain house beyond that devastation.
Someone else is living directly across from them, easily accessible by an unblocked road.
