Page 21

She wiped her hands off on an old, discarded towel she found in the kitchen, feeling content now that she’d eaten. Probably wouldn’t eat again until after the horde was finished eating each other. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought. She wasn’t even sure she’d be brave enough to run. She glanced at the plywood that covered a window. The cabin must’ve been built before the downfall of man.

She padded out of the kitchen area and wondered when he’d leave and lock her in. Her fingers touched her lips, remembering how he’d greeted her. Her chest tightened at how he was the one who’d made them stop and told her to eat. Renee retrieved a bottle of water but made herself drink it slowly. He had more water waiting when she got there, but because things were going to be crazy, she figured it was better to ration it out.

Frustrated, and a bit repelled by her own reaction to him, she maintained her distance and plopped down on the couch. He watched her from the one armchair in the room. Did he like sitting in those because it made him feel more like a king?

“How old are you?”

Renee was startled at the sound of his voice. Not because she was scared, but because it made a twinge of excitement shoot through her. “Twenty-two, or three. It’s hard to keep track. Why? How old are you?”

“That isn’t an easy question to answer.”

Mesmerized again watching his lips as he spoke. She blinked to break the trance. “Why?”

He rubbed his jaw and averted his eyes. After a painfully long period of silence, he spoke, “Around twenty-eight, give or take.”

The king of the dead wasn’t even thirty. She peered at his face. He appeared young. Didn’t have the weather-worn skin like everyone else did that aged them so much. Well, humans, anyway. Despite the fact that he was dead, his face was wrinkle-free and smooth. It appeared soft. Who would’ve thought being dead would make you more attractive than people with heartbeats? But that wasn’t right, anyway. He had a heartbeat. She felt it every time he pressed against her. Not sure if Brie had one or not. She should check. Did zombies have heartbeats? Did their hearts somehow change into something decrepit and evil at the core? Renee continued to find her mind spinning with curiosity, confusion and fatigue.

“You should rest tonight. Tomorrow, it might be hard to sleep through the noise.”

“Is tomorrow the start of the culling?”

“Yes. I’ll begin it at dawn.”

“You start it?”

“Not always, but I will this time.”

“Why?” She pitched forward.

“Because of you.” He stood and approached the couch putting out his hand.

Hesitantly, she closed her fingers around his and stood. He led her to the loft and motioned for her to climb the ladder. When she got to the top, she was thrilled to find a proper bed, and it wasn’t rotten. She fell back with her arms spread and closed her eyes. If she weren’t with an army of zombies, it would have been blissful.

Renee stiffened when the nameless king climbed in beside her. Shit. He probably thought that was an invitation. She cracked her eyes open and found he was on his side, gazing at her. When he caught her looking at him, he lifted his hand and smoothed down her hair before his fingers traced her lips. Her chest moved up and down with rapid breaths as his hand slid to her neck and then down her chest, between her breasts, to her stomach near her scar, and stopped. The palm of his hand rested over the scar.

“Why am I yours?” she whispered.

“Because I chose you. Because,” he stopped and positioned his body next to hers. He was almost on top of her. “Renee,” he said her name like it was both a prayer and a torment all at once before slanting his mouth over hers.

She had wanted to push him away, but she didn’t. Renee suspected she might never be able to push him away again. Their kiss ignited, and they devoured each other’s lips. He rolled on top of her, and she discovered something else she hadn’t known about the undead. The length of him pressed against her heated center and made her breathless. Aside from his skin, irises, gait, and clear dominion over the horde of zombies, he felt… human.

Her hands drifted into his hair as desire clouded her thoughts. He tried to pull back, but she wouldn’t let him go, couldn’t. She’d gone too far now. She would truly hate herself after, so she had to make it worth it. He tried to lift his hips from hers, but she wrapped her legs around his waist and yanked him to her, making him groan into her mouth. His mouth moved to her chin and neck before it dipped down to her breasts. She unlocked her legs from his waist as he lifted her shirt for access and tugged her bra aside from her breasts. She arched her back as he licked and sucked on her nipples, wanting him to continue even though she knew she shouldn’t. Maybe if he continued, she would stay in that perfect moment where nothing existed but them. She’d have no reason to run if they could stay in intimate bliss forever.

Suddenly, he stopped and cleared his throat before he moved off her. She pinched her brows. He appeared pained as he drew several ragged breaths. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean...” His eyes flicked to her breasts, still on display. His tongue darted out, licking his lips.

God, that was sexy. Her nipples pebbled. “It’s fine. You said you’d give me what I want if I listened to you.”

His eyebrows lifted. “You don’t want me to stop?”

“If I did, I would’ve said something.” She rolled closer to him.

His eyes shifted and were almost loving. “Zane.”

“What?”

“You asked my name.”

“Zane,” she repeated, trying it out. Her fingers touched his chest as her eyes roamed over his face. Dead things weren’t supposed to be so gorgeous. “I like it. Kiss me, Zane.” She brought her mouth to his, determined to keep up her charade.

He growled and kissed her until she thought she’d die without air. When they pulled apart, gasping for breath, he looked feral. His features caught between the monster he kept on display and the sweet, human-like side he only showed her. It was intoxicating.

“Touch me, Zane, and make me forget about everything but you,” she breathed.

He leapt on her and almost ripped off her clothes. Renee wasn’t sure when he shed his own clothing, but they were both naked, exploring each other before she knew it. In the midst of his hands and lips roving her body, she tried to glance some sort of injury on his body, to prove to her mind that he was in fact, one of the undead. Zane kept switching between ravaging her and touching her like she was the most cherished thing in the world. It shattered her defenses and made her feel vulnerable in a way she didn’t know she was capable of.

Several times, she attempted to rush to get him inside her, but he would simply distract her or move just out of her reach. There was no going back after this and she had to know what it would be like with him. Fooling around with the king was positively the most intense experience of her life. She wasn’t trading her soul for anything less than the whole package.

“Renee, my heart, there’s no reason to rush,” he said and peeled her fingers off his shaft.

She froze. My heart.

The lump in her throat made her eyes moisten as she averted them. It had gone too far. The deception. She was only doing this so he wouldn’t suspect when she snuck out later - right? He couldn’t say things like that. It ruined everything. He was the zombie king and the murderous bastard who thought his horde was better than any human. Shit. What was she doing?

“What’s wrong?” his tone shifted, suspicious.

She couldn’t tell him the truth, but she doubted she could pull off a lie either. “I’m nervous.” That was partially true. He had been too sweet and made it too real. They were supposed to have really sinful, hot sex, and he’d made it weird.

His fingers traced the side of her body. “I won’t hurt you.”

Shit. Did he have any idea how much worse he’d made it? The uncaring, undead king who found his horde useful tried to reassure her.

“Won’t your queen be pissed off you’re doing this? Or can you screw anyone because you’re the king?” It was a cheap shot, but she couldn’t take any more of his kindness. It was paining her in ways she might not recover from.

He stopped touching her and moved aside. “Why would you say that?”

Zane sounded hurt. That was stupid. No way could she hurt the king’s feelings. “Because I don’t want Brie to attack me when she finds out. She’s the queen, right?”

His jaw tightened. “Again, with the titles!”

Renee scooted away from him and searched for her discarded clothes. The realization of her actions was seeping in swiftly. She had to make him leave before she lost it. She tugged her underwear toward her. The underwear he had his creatures get for her. So messed up. His fingers wrapped around her wrist and stopped her from pulling them on. When she turned to face him, she was not surprised to find anger brightening his irises.

“She is not my queen. Don’t say that again.”

“Let go of my wrist.”

He narrowed his eyes and yanked her body to his. She pushed on his chest while his other hand grabbed the back of her neck and he slammed his mouth on hers. She meant to bite him or fight him, but ended up melting further against him. When her back touched the bed, she lifted her hips, aching to be filled. His manhood brushed her core, but he didn’t enter. Growling in frustration, she reached for him again to line them up herself. Zane inhaled when she gripped him but shifted his body to the side to keep him from her entrance.

“Are you so eager for me? Didn’t you want me to touch you?” he teased, sliding his fingers over her slick folds.

Her eyes rolled back in her head as he continued stroking her. Why hadn’t anyone else touched her like that before? When she had sex previously, it’d been mostly bent over something and rushed. She couldn’t risk getting attacked in the middle of the night and didn’t want an audience, either. Sure, men had touched her, but not like this, not so perfectly. It was like Zane somehow knew exactly where and how to move. She couldn’t catch her breath given how well he worked her body.

Panting, she realized she wasn’t touching him, and she was supposed to be the one in charge. Everywhere tingled. Goosebumps covered her skin, and flashes of pleasure and heat kept flaring up between her legs. She tried to focus, to move her hand.

“My sweet, Renee. Come for me.”

She moaned at his words. Never in her life had she been so turned on, or felt like this. It was surreal and dreamlike, it reminded her of a scene from one of her books. Too magical to be real.

Something was wrong. Her legs trembled, and her face was too hot. Something was building inside her and threatened to tear her apart. Her fingers dug into his skin. He had to stop before it was too late. He was going to kill her. A scream tore from her lips as her core clenched his fingers over and over.

She tried to speak but only managed his name, “Zane.”

His lips brushed hers, then her cheek, and then her temple. Her legs kept twitching.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered in her ear.

No. He couldn’t be like this. It had to stop.

“You need to sleep now.”

“No,” she mumbled but didn’t open her eyes.

“Let me help you. You told me you wouldn’t fight me.” His tongue traced the shell of her ear. “Sleep so I can make you come again.”

Renee wanted to ask if that’s what had happened but drifted off in Zane’s arms.