Page 13 of Creepy (The Zombiepidemic #1)

I gave him what he wanted. I spoke into his chest, “Will you help me, Troy? At least until I get a boot on this.” I thought I saw one while raiding Mr. Winslow’s drugstore.

“You forgot the magic word.”

“Please.”

“My pleasure, baby. I like to hear my women beg.”

Embraced by him, his words rang sexual. I swallowed, and Miss Mary let out an inaudible please, too.

Feeling safe inside the diner, with my gun in hand, I let Troy leave to get the Camaro.

I smiled a proper smile, thinking about him.

He was forward, yes, calling me baby and such, but in a funny, charming way like that was just part of his personality, not scary at all.

He wanted to help. I remembered him wanting to be part of my group when I first met him.

He’d been all too correct that he could’ve done anything he wanted to me already.

I didn’t get any Ted Bundy vibes from him either like he had more evil plans.

Worrying about the people Arlo said were coming this way, I knew I needed all the friends I could get.

I could use a good man, a strong, big, and built like a brick shit house man like Troy in my corner.

As much as I’d been falling for the calm sexiness of Arlo, I wasn’t sure anything would come of it.

It’s not that I’d wanted Arlo to take advantage of me, but for fuck’s sake, it was the end of the world.

We were consenting adults, and I didn’t have the patience to wait and see what would happen.

Troy’s forwardness was refreshing. I felt like I could ask him to fuck me and he’d ask how hard.

He was back before dark, just like he promised. Once he helped me inside the sleek machine, I told him if he planned to stick around and help, we might need to go to his place. “Dillon knows where I live.”

“I’m not scared. What do you want to do?”

“I want to go home. But not tonight. You can meet Arlo tomorrow.”

“Who?”

“Prime truck. He’s staying at my neighbor’s house.” I’d let my irritation with Arlo come through in my voice.

“You don’t sound thrilled about that.”

“Well,” I started, wanting to be honest. I needed someone in my corner. “I’ve stockpiled supplies there. That was before he showed up. He said, his friends are coming soon, too.”

“You should have told him to move on.”

“I am just a woman living alone, you know. I can’t make anyone do anything.”

“Bullshit. Just ask me. I’ll make sure they don’t take your things.”

“You do have water at your place, right?”

“Yes, don’t worry. I got you.”

After he carried me inside, Troy switched on a battery-powered lantern.

His place had water, gallons, and gallons of it stocked up all over the living room.

He explained he’d been getting it and running it through Brita, Pur, and Zero Water Pitchers, any he could find and storing it in anything he could.

Taking me up the stairs to an enormous bathroom, he sat me on the side of a huge Jacuzzi tub.

He lit some candles and disappeared with the lantern to retrieve the water.

Waiting in the low flickering light, I longed for a bath.

I knew I’d have to lose my disgusting clothes.

Someone would get to see all of my new body, after all.

Trying not to be nervous about Troy seeing me naked, I attempted to sit up straight and failed.

I slumped and almost fell into the tub. Yipping, I caught myself on my elbow.

“I can’t leave you alone,” Troy commented. He filled the tub a gallon at a time until it was a few inches deep.

“I think we should try to get as much off as possible before I get in the tub.” I was talking about the zombie filth on me. I didn’t want to sit in a stew of it.

“Okay. You’re going to have to take off these clothes.”

If it were just my ankle, I’d stand on one foot and do it myself. As it was, I was sore all over. I wasn’t entirely sure nothing else was broken. My knee ached, and I’d probably bruised a rib or two, falling. I held my arms over my head. “Help me, please,” I laughed out.

Troy laughed too. “That’s what I like to hear.

” Getting on his knees, he carefully helped me out of my tank top.

His enormous hands fell to my waistband and his face leaned in close to mine.

“A little help,” he suggested, and I got his drift.

I put my arms around him to rise, and he dragged down my leggings.

He threw the nasty clothes into a garbage bag.

I didn’t think he would go any further, half expected to bathe in my underwear, but I was wrong.

“These are going too,” he said as a matter of fact, returning face to face with me.

He snatched the sides of my drawers. Quivering, I set my arms around his neck again and let him take my panties clear away.

My bare butt returned to the cold porcelain, making his skin feel even warmer against mine.

His breath tickled my ear as he went after my bra’s clasp, undoing it.

Unmoving, he slipped the bra away and ran his hands down my clean, bare back.

“You’re trembling,” he remarked, as he rubbed my back and then my arms, drawing himself away. “Are you okay? The water will be cold.”

“I’m okay,” I breathed out, not cold at all. Too hot, more like it. I wondered for a moment if I had a fever. Well, I had a fever, but it wasn’t for more cowbell. My fever was for Troy.

“I think you can probably save these if you want them.” He spoke of my undies which he held while I sat completely nude before him.

He didn’t divert his gaze. He was drinking me all in.

Covered in goo, I tried to forget I was exposed, and cool down, but it was hard.

Speaking of hard, my eyes fell to Troy’s shorts.

Even in the low light, I could see the bulge.

Noticing me staring, Troy’s eyes dripped heavily with desire.

He sighed. “You’re going to have to get in. ”

He dipped down to take the bandage off my ankle.

Then leaned in again, and I hugged him, wrapping my arms around him as far as they would go.

I pressed my breasts into him, wishing he’d lost his shirt.

He settled me down in the cold bath like I was nothing.

Right off he poured another gallon over my head, while I ran my fingers through my hair.

The resulting red water dampened my libido.

With his help, I shampooed and washed the blood and guts away.

He seemed just as determined to get me clean, focusing on the task.

We drained the tub, rinsed away the sludge, and he filled it again.

Although it wasn’t much water, it was finally clean.

Free of zombie as well, I relaxed in it, naked as a jaybird.

Troy sat on the edge of the tub regarding me, his lust-filled eyes still intense. “You want a drink?” He asked like he needed one.

“Sure.”

“Wine or Tequila?”

“Um... Tequila makes me crazy.”

“So, wine.”

On second thought, getting hammered sounded nice. “Tequila.”

“Mind if I join you?”

Made for two at least, the tub was huge. There was room, but I wasn’t sure if I should. Letting him into the tub with me naked was a clear indication I was willing to go all the way. I was seriously attracted to him, but I didn’t know if I was able, physically, after the day I had.

When I didn’t answer, he added, “For a drink... Did you think I was talking about getting in the tub?”

“For a minute.”

“That’s a good idea, too.”

“I’m not sure...”

“So, you’re thinking about it?”

“Ah...” I blushed. “Maybe.”

Troy came back with a bottle and one shot glass.

“Aren’t you having any?”

He realized why I was asking. “Oh, I’ll drink from the bottle.”

“Maybe I should get out of the tub. I’m going to prune up.”

Troy produced a towel and laid it against him so he could both help me up and wrap me into it.

He bent down and palmed my waist. I held onto his neck yet again so as to not put any pressure on my leg as he lifted me from the tub.

I didn’t need to step out once he raised.

He’d pulled me clear out. Weakly patting me with the ends of the towel, he covered my backside.

It’d worked sort of only with Troy getting soaked by my dripping hair in the process.

He maneuvered me into a honeymoon pose with ease and carried me down a short dark hall.

The lantern from earlier already sat on the nightstand, illuminating the immense bed.

He placed me down with great care right in the middle of it.

“Was this your room?” I asked.

“When I came home to visit. This isn’t the house I lived in growing up. I bought this place for my parents a few years ago. Don’t worry, they have a big master bedroom, too, only downstairs. My mom can’t climb stairs anymore.”

“Sweet of you to buy them a place.”

“I’d rather they’d moved to Florida, but hey, they may have survived this shit because they refused to... I don’t want to think about it.” He shook his head. “Thankfully, you’ll be okay. I mean... you have survived the virus before, right?”

I touched my bandaged neck. “Yeah, this isn’t my first time...” I paused, thinking of the double entendre as I sat naked in his bed. “Thanks for saving me, though. Another minute and I’d be dead. And thanks for the bath. And...”

He put a finger to my lips. “My pleasure.”

“You’re soaked.”

At my words, he stood up and boosted his shirt over his head, flooring me. Troy’s fucking, honest to God, ten-pack abs were marvelous.

Why hadn’t I ever watched basketball? Oh, the men weren’t topless.