Page 36

I press my hands against the shower walls as the cold water hits my flesh like a thousand needles at high speed.

It’s a welcome feeling.

A stark difference from the molten flesh Amos turned me into just a couple of hours ago.

As we drove in silence toward Lancaster and The Manor House community, my skin burned for him.

Every minute was torture not having his hands on me.

But with the threat of a zombie horde and possible ambush by the Praetorian Guard, we needed to focus on getting to a secure place for the night.

And Amos needed to check on The Manor House to see if it had been attacked by Doctore’s men.

It took longer than usual to arrive at our destination, according to Amos.

As we drove through Lancaster, it was obvious that it had been ransacked recently.

The make-shift walls around the community had been blown up and a few houses near the perimeter were still smoking from a fire.

Dread filled my veins again at the thought of Doctore and his men being so close to me.

They were here. They had swept through like they were on a mission of vengeance and destroyed this survivor community.

A community that worked in tandem with The Valley to keep as many people alive and safe from the many dangers of our new world.

My thoughts immediately turned to The Valley.

What if Doctore was heading there next?

Would our people be safe?

After seeing all the destruction and finding no survivors, Amos drove us outside the ruins of the community walls and found a house still intact for us to spend the night since the sun had begun to set.

Driving at night is never a good idea, as the lights of the car would attract unwanted attention from both the living and the dead.

After confirming the house was empty, we grabbed all our gear from the car and barricaded ourselves inside the abandoned house, taking turns to eat and shower.

I turn off the nozzle, instantly shivering from the cold water, chilling me to my bones.

Amos had left a towel on the sink for me.

I grab it, wrapping it tightly around my body.

But it’s frayed and fragile, likely from years of disuse.

All it’s really good for is dusting.

So I throw it off and search for my clothes, but they’re nowhere in sight.

“Amos!” I shout. “Where are my clothes?”

No answer.

“Amos!”

Goddamn him.

If he’s playing a game with me, I’m not letting him win.

But I really don’t want to walk around this house naked.

I pick up the raggedy towel, attempting to cover myself up enough, then stalk out the bathroom door in search of my clothes.

Amos steals my attention in the bedroom across from the bathroom.

He’s sprawled on the bed, completely naked.

My towel slips from my grasp and I fumble to put it back in place, which makes Amos laugh.

A deep, sultry laugh that has my skin melting again.

How I want him to touch my skin with that laugh.

With that mouth. With that tongue.

As if sensing my thoughts, Amos rolls over on his side and gives me a look I can’t say no to.

My feet walk on their own, called to him like he’s a goddamn siren or something.

“Do you still want your clothes, Copperhead?” Amos smiles at me as I approach the edge of the bed.

I shake my head and let him tear the towel from my grasp.

Getting on his knees, he towers over me on the bed as he takes in every inch of my nakedness.

Before I can cover myself up with my hands, Amos grabs my waist and throws me around him on the bed.

A breath later, his head is in between my thighs, his tongue licking and sucking every sensitive fold of skin.

I shiver, not from the cold, but because my nerves are on fire.

I have never felt so alive.

Amos takes his time devouring me, sliding a finger in to stretch me open for him.

When his tongue flicks my clit at the same time a second finger slams into my core, I lose focus.

Everything around me stills.

Time itself is non-existent.

There is only Amos. His fingers.

His tongue. His moans of delight at tasting the most intimate part of my body.

The orgasm he gives me from his fingers and tongue is like nothing I have ever experienced.

It leaves me panting and hungry for more.

Hungry for him. I try to squirm away from him, my overstimulated body battling for more relief.

Amos grabs the sides of my sex-hungry body and pulls me closer to his mouth.

His hands tighten around my hips as he lifts me up with him so I’m hanging upside down, my legs wrapped around his neck.

Not for one second does he loosen his hold on me or take a breath away from my body.

I need him inside me.

Not just his fingers and tongue, I need his dick.

I try to turn myself in a way where I can access any part of him, but he holds me firmly against his chest, unwilling to detach his mouth from devouring me.

“Amos,” I moan. “Amos, please. I need to touch you. I need more of you.”

His answer is to push his two fingers back inside me, pumping harder and deeper this time until I scream his name.

“Amos!”

“If you want something more, you’ll have to fight for it, Copperhead,” Amos says with his lips against my clit.

Before he can coax another orgasm from me.

I shift my legs, lying my feet on his shoulders.

I test my balance, placing my hands on the bed and pushing myself harder against his mouth, which causes a delightful moan to fall into my entrance.

The movement also causes Amos to loosen his grip enough for me to push out of his arms. He falls backward on the bed as I flip around, quickly mounting myself over his hips.

A wicked smile etches into the corner of his lips and he grabs my hands before I can make my next move.

All I can do is roll my hips, pinning his hard length between his stomach and my soaked thighs.

“Fuck, Lori. You are so wet.” Amos’ eyes roll into the back of his head as I coat every inch of his dick with my wetness.

He lets go, placing his arms behind his head so I can guide him inside me with my hands.

The most intoxicating sound escapes his throat as I push myself down his entire length.

“Fuck.”

“Does that mean I win? Do you concede defeat?” I knew that would set him off, the competitive soldier I know him to be waking up to play.

“Never,” Amos whispers.

He grabs my hips, pushing me down until there is no end to where our bodies join.

Then he flips us over, taking back the power.

“How will you get out of this one, my Copperhead?”

“I won’t. I’m right where I want to be.” I smile up into his golden eyes, which are aflame with desire.

His hands spread my thighs wider as he positions himself over my supine body and begins pounding into me.

Pain and pleasure thread my skin together, reminding me how alive I am.

I didn’t know how much I yearned to feel.

Amos’ thrusts become erratic as he gets close to his release.

I focus on him. His face.

The sweat dripping down his shoulders.

The line of his muscles as they contract with every thrust. The sound of his flesh pounding against mine.

Every beat of our love making brings me closer to my own release and I relish every delicious second of it.

With one more thrust deep inside me, we lose ourselves in the pleasure of our joined bodies.

As Amos collapses onto the bed, he moves me safely out of the way, then lays me on top of his damp chest. Minutes pass as we catch our breath and bring our minds back to the present.

Back to reality.

“I hope I didn’t make too much noise,” I say, now realizing how being loud can get us killed.

A soft chuckle tickles the top of my head.

“I wanted to make you scream louder.”

The thrilling trickle crawling up my spine isn’t dread this time, it’s excitement.

A satisfying fulfillment washes over me as Amos snuggles me closer to him.

I thought I knew what love is with Jonah.

But this? This is different.

Maybe it’s love. It’s also a mutual relationship filled with need and want.

I used to think Amos saw me as an obligation.

It tore at me to think I was a burden.

This torn and broken woman in need of a safe haven.

Amos has become more than the man who saved my life.

He brought me home and gave me a place to find the person I am meant to be.

Though I’m still on that journey, I know I’m walking the right path.

The lightness in my chest brings me peace I never thought I would see again.

“When we get back to The Valley,” Amos whispers against my hair.

“Would you like to move into one of the couples’ housing dorms?”

“Couples’ housing?” I repeat.

I remember my mom talking about the different housing options on campus.

Most of the dorms are for single people, mainly the younger ones without a family.

The houses on campus are for families—young, growing families and those who survived the outbreak together.

I hadn’t heard about the couple’s housing though.

Amos clears his throat.

“One of the dorm buildings is meant for couples on campus. We’d share a room together. It’s nothing serious, but will give us a chance to see where this goes. We’d also have more privacy than in the quad dorm. If you want.”

“Is that what you want, Amos?” My heart pounds loudly in my chest as my nerves stop working for a moment.

“Yes. But only if you want to.” Amos speaks so quickly I can tell he’s losing his nerves too.

I roll out of his embrace, kneeling over him as I take his face in between my hands and kiss his soft lips.

“I would like to try that.”

Amos’ arms encircle my waist and he sits up to deepen the kiss.

When I feel his dick nudging my thigh, I gasp in delight and straddle myself around his hips.

I slide down his length effortlessly, as if my body was made for him.

We make love slowly this time, savoring each morsel of pleasure we give to each other.

In the morning, I roll out of bed feeling pleasantly sore in all the right spots, as if my body refused to repair itself after a night of lovemaking.

Beside me, Amos groans in frustration, not ready to start the new day.

He grabs for me, but I swat his hand away.

“We need to get going, take advantage of the light.”

Grabbing the bag Anna packed with extra clothes, I make my way to the bathroom to clean up a bit.

After pulling my clothes on, Amos slides in to get ready for the day but doesn’t let me leave until I give him a kiss.

A generous one that leaves me winded.

Before heading downstairs, I grab the other bags filled with weapons, food, and water.

A few minutes later, Amos finds me in the living room at the front of the house.

He looks at me with a hunger that has me ready for another round or five.

“Stop it. Don’t look at me like that. We have to go,” I say, not at all convincing.

“Just one more time. I’ll make it quick.” Amos suddenly has me locked in his arms.

“What makes you think I want you to make it quick?” I say darkly, locking his golden eyes to mine.

His mouth is on me, licking and sucking every inch of exposed flesh until I give in, melting in his arms. I don’t realize until a moment too late that someone has kicked open the door to our temporary sanctuary.

Amos and I were too lost in the moment to react.

By the time we catch our bearings and reach for our weapons, five men surround us.