Page 28

A week later, I’m leaning over Deck with a pair of scissors I borrowed from Burgundy. His eyes are on me as I carefully trim the coarse brown hairs of his beard.

He’s seated on a small bed, and when he shifts slightly, the springs creak. I step back. “If you keep moving, you’re going to get an eye poked out.” I try for a disapproving expression, but I’m in much too fond a mood at the moment to manage it successfully.

Deck grows still except for his eyes.

“And stop staring at my tits,” I add since his gaze has slipped lower to the neckline of the worn tank top I’m wearing. “I’m trying to work here.”

His mouth twitching just slightly, he uses both hands to make a gesture like he’s squeezing invisible boobs and then shifts to two thumbs-up signs.

I dissolve into giggles and can’t resist the urge to wrap my arms around his neck in a quick hug, being careful with the scissors I still hold.

He hugs me back, but when his hug starts transforming into something else, I step back with a shake of my head. “Nope. Haircut first. Sex later.”

He gives an exaggerated sigh and straightens up again, holding still so I can return to trimming his beard.

The hair on his head was easier since I mostly just chopped off the length of it and tried to shape the ends so it didn’t look too weird.

His hair is thick with a slight wave, so it’s never going to look particularly neat anyway.

But I’m more hesitant about the beard. It’s closer to his face and one wrong clip could really mess it up.

So I focus as I snip and snip and snip again until his beard is relatively short and not too ungainly. “There.” I step back. Get a good look at him. “Uh-oh.”

With a frown, he reaches for the hand mirror I also borrowed from Burgundy and peers at himself. Then he glances up at me in confusion.

“You’re way too good-looking now,” I tell him in a resigned tone. “Every available straight woman in the territory will be making a play for you.”

I surprise him. He gives a soft bark of laughter and then studies himself in the mirror again. He does look really good. I’ve always loved his appearance, but I never considered him traditionally handsome before. But it’s not just me who will like the looks of him right now.

When he sets down the mirror, he meets and holds my eyes. Gestures toward his chest. Me… only for you.

My smile melts. My heart melts. I step over and let him pull me into his lap so he can hold me. We kiss for a minute and then hug each other for a long time until he finally swings me over so I’m on my back on the bed.

We found this little place earlier today as we were scouting the area.

It’s a tiny, run-down hunting cabin, but the structure is sound, and it still has an intact bed and a table with chairs.

Everyone else is camped out in an abandoned commercial property, but Deck and I decided to spend the night here instead.

Might as well take advantage of the privacy while we can.

Logan found his daughter and ex-wife’s parents two days ago in a small settlement deep in a thick forest. It might have been pure luck, but I think he must have had an idea where they might be since we basically made a straight line here.

Maybe his ex described where her folks were from to him at some point.

Whatever the reason, he found them a lot sooner than I would have imagined, so we’ve been in this area for a couple of days.

Logan is a closed book. It’s impossible to know what he’s thinking. We don’t know how long we’ll be staying here or whether we’ll be circling back regularly so he can see his daughter or if he’ll take off and never think of her again.

Surely he’s not going to try to take a baby with us on our travels.

So we’ve been in limbo since we arrived, waiting to find out what comes next.

I’m happy to have a bed for the night, especially in a private space with Deck. He climbs over me, lining up his body with mine so we can kiss. He holds some of his weight on his forearms, but his lower body presses into mine. I love how it feels. Love how deeply and earnestly he’s kissing me.

Love everything about his man.

I still can’t believe that he’s mine.

Eventually he starts kissing his way down my body, taking off my tank top to spend time on my breasts before he drags off my leggings and nuzzles between my thighs. I’m already turned on from the kissing and foreplay, but my arousal goes into overdrive when he nudges me open and licks my pussy.

I arch up, clutching at his hair and making helpless little whimpers as he teases me with his lips and tongue.

When he slides two fingers inside me and sucks on my clit, I come apart completely, crying out loudly as the orgasm shudders through me.

Deck is smiling, his mouth and beard damp, as he straightens to gaze down at me.

I try to summon the spirit to give him a dry comment, but all I can manage is a hoarse “Wow.”

His big body shakes with warm amusement. He pulls his shirt off over his head, pulls off his boxers, and then leans over to kiss me again. I’m really getting into it when he suddenly flips us over so I’m on top. He helps me adjust my legs so I’m straddling his hips.

I rub his chest, saturated with pleasure from the awed, adoring expression on his face as he gazes up at me. “You shouldn’t look at me that way. ”

Why?

“Because… I don’t know. It makes me feel weird.”

Why?

“Because… I don’t think I deserve it.”

His face changes. He lifts both hands to cup my face.

“I love you too,” I whisper, suddenly emotional.

He nods. I know.

For some reason, that makes me giggle again.

Deck is smiling as he signs, Can we fuck now ?

“Yes, please.”

I lift my hips and together we line his cock up at my entrance so I can ease down, taking him inside my pussy. Then I brace myself and ride him steadily, finding a rhythm that works for both of us.

He holds on to my hips and gazes at me the whole time, his hot, ardent eyes moving from my face to my bare breasts to the place where we’re joined.

Those looks get me going as much as the friction of his cock moving inside me.

I accelerate so I’m bouncing above him and move one hand to rub my clit as the sensations build.

I’m making silly sobbing sounds as my orgasm crests, and he’s right behind me, pulling out just before he comes all over my belly and breasts.

I collapse on top of him. He wraps his arms around me. We both gasp and shake with little afterquakes.

Finally, I smile against his chest. “I like having our own place.”

He grunts softly, one big hand caressing my messy hair .

“And it’s barely dark out, so we have the rest of the night if we want to do it again.”

He laughs breathily. Signs, Need a minute .

“I wasn’t suggesting right now. Maybe we’ll wake up in the middle of the night and want to have sex again.”

Sounds good.

“You don’t think…” I hesitate, wondering if I should say it. Then I do. “You don’t think Logan will want to stay around here, do you? I mean, because his daughter is here. Elizabeth. Maybe he’ll want to stay close to her.”

Maybe.

“You don’t think so?”

I don’t know. It’s new. For Logan. No idea what he’ll do.

I sigh. “Me either. But it would be nice. We could fix this place up. Make it ours for real. Would you want that?”

Yes. We can do it. With or without Logan.

“I know. But I don’t want to leave him. Or the rest of them. They feel like… our people.”

I know. Me too. Let’s wait and see.

“Okay. That sounds good.” I’m still sprawled on top of Deck’s body, and I have no plans to move anytime soon. “Let’s just wait and see.”

A half hour later Deck and I are still naked in bed, not sleeping but lounging comfortably together, when there’s a loud knock on the door.

We both jump up. Deck grabs for his rifle, aiming it at the door while wearing no clothes .

“It’s me.” Logan’s voice is slightly muffled through the door. “Sorry to interrupt, but I need Deck.”

“He’s here,” I reply as Deck sets down his rifle and reaches for his clothes. “Just a minute.”

When we’re both dressed, Deck swings the door open to Logan, who looks as composed and matter-of-fact as ever.

He blinks slightly when he focuses on Deck—probably because of the difference the haircut makes—but he doesn’t mention it. “I need help gathering everyone to talk. Can you start rounding them up?”

Deck nods with a yes sign. I’m the only one who uses sign language with Deck, but the gesture is probably second nature to him now.

Logan knows exactly what he means. “Thanks. I’m going to stay here.”

Both Deck and I grow still. “What?” I ask. “For good, you mean?”

“Yes. I’m not going to leave Elizabeth, and I’m not going to take her away from her grandparents.

This area is as good as any. It’s isolated and protected by the forest, and I think we can set things up to defend ourselves here.

Pretty soon most of the scavengeable supplies will be used up, so we’d have to settle somewhere.

Might as well be here. We can work on growing produce.

Maybe trade with the folks around here. I think we can make a life for ourselves in this place, so I want to try.

But I’m not going to make anyone do it who doesn’t want to settle.

Anyone can leave if they want.” He pauses.

Glances at me and then over at Deck. “Would you want to stay? ”

Deck and I look at each other. A smile breaks on my mouth that matches his.

I’m speaking for both of us as I tell Logan, “Oh yeah. We definitely want to stay.”