Page 48

Zoey

T he sun dips low on the horizon, spilling golden light over the rolling hills beyond the dreg colony’s walls. There are no longer any dregs here, so I guess this is colony number two. The air is warm, filled with the scent of fresh earth, pine, and the lingering smoke of tonight’s cookfire.

I stand on the edge of the makeshift watchtower, looking out beyond the fence at the world that had once been my prison, but not anymore. I’m free, and so are they.

After sneaking off to the roof every single day since the day we overthrew Eugene, Avery tasked all the men with building me a watchtower.

He was afraid I might fall off the roof, especially after I told him the story about my first colony.

I tried to reassure him I don’t go running around rooftops while they’re on fire, but he was cautious anyway.

Now I have something much more sturdy to spend my time on.

It’s twice three stories high, with three different levels to look out from.

Down on the ground, the guys are bickering over something ridiculous, and Lola is chasing her own tail in excited circles. She insisted on joining me up here each day, until she almost fell off during an aggressive tail-chasing session, and now we keep her paws on the ground where she’s safe.

Growling reaches me and I look down below to see Damon on all fours having a growling contest with Lola. I laugh so hard I have to catch myself to keep from falling off the platform.

“Come on, Lola, put him to shame,” Benji cheers on.

After listening to their voice carry up here, I decide to go down and join them.

“I’m just saying, if we’re going to be living in a proper colony now, maybe we should act like civilized people,” Avery says, his arms crossing over his chest.

Benji snots. “Civilized? My guy, I just saw you gut a rotter this morning with a spoon.”

“Impressive. Bet it took skill,” Damon adds.

Cole scoffs. “It was a butter knife, actually.”

Avery shrugs. “I work with what I’ve got.”

I roll my eyes and step forward to join them. “Does it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, we don’t need to compete over who’s the most unhinged?”

Benji grins. “Oh, but that would be boring, golden girl.”

I shake my head with a laugh, then flinch when something cold and wet presses against my palm.

Startled, I look down to find Lola staring up at me, wagging her tail like she expects a reward for spooking me.

I scratch behind her ears, then watch her trot over to where Damon and Benji are standing near the edge of the firepit.

Benji hooks an arm around Damon’s shoulder and shakes him lightly. “You know, I was thinking…”

Damon sighs. “That’s dangerous.”

Benji ignored him. “We’ve all been in a lot of dark place, literal and metaphorical, but I gotta say, nothing beats the irony of our…what do you call her, Cole, sunshine? Our su nshine over here, still managing to blind us even while we were trapped in pitch black.”

I tilt my head. “Sunshine?”

Cole gives me a sheepish half-smile. “Yeah. That’s what you are?”

I raise a questioning brow. “And why, exactly?”

He walks over and faces me, wrapping his arms around the back of my waist. His expression softens and my heart flutters at the moment of sincerity in his usually gruff demeanor. “I was in the dark for so long. Then you came along, and suddenly, it wasn’t so dark anymore.”

I swallow hard, my throat tight. Then Benji ruins the moment. “Wow, Cole. That was disgustingly romantic. I’m actually a little nauseous.”

Cole flips him off while smiling at me. Then he cups my jaw and kisses me, slow and sensual. Butterflies erupt in my belly. He lets me go and then goes over to his seat to finish his dinner.

I step closer to Damon, curious. “What about you?” I ask, peering up at him. “Did I blind you with my brilliance, too?”

Damon’s lips twitch, and his fingers brush along the side of my jaw, tilting my face up toward his. His brown eyes pierce into my soul, and those butterflies start flapping again. “Something like that.”

His mouth claims mine, slow and unhurried, like we have all the time in the world. He cups the back of my head and pulls me flush against him, and for a moment, the world fades.

Then Benji groans dramatically. “Ugh. I take it back. Cole’s moment was bad, but this is actually worse. I’m not even a part of it.”

I break the kiss in time for Benji to grab my wrist and yank me toward him instead. His hazel eyes gleam with mischief as he dips me backward with one arm wrapped around my waist. “If I have to suffer through the romance, I might as well take part,” he teases.

My fingers tangle in his strawberry blond hair at the back of his head. “Is that what it’s like with me? Suffering?”

His eyes widen. “Oh, no golden girl, no. I?—”

I cut him off by pressing my mouth against his, and he relaxes into the kiss, still dipping me. It’s different from Damon’s. Playful, teasing, but deep, and filled with a kind of intensity that steals my breath all the same.

When he finally pulls away, he grins. “See? That’s how you do it.”

Damon rolls his eyes. “Jackass.”

Cole mutters something under his breath and shakes his head. Avery snorts in response. I press my fingers to my lips, my heart pounding, and Benji winks at me like he didn’t just steal my ability to think properly.

Cole shoots Benji a look. “If you’re gonna kiss the girl, at least leave her standing afterward. We don’t need her passing out from all the blood rushing to her head.”

Benji winks. “What can I say? I’m a showman. Also, all my blood is rushing to my head, too. Maybe we should do something about that.”

Lola, seemingly fed up with our antics, lets out an impatient bark and nudges my leg with her nose. I laugh and reach down to pet her head. “I know, girl. They’re exhausting.”

“Exhausting, huh? I’ll give you exhausting.” Benji lifts me up and my legs wrap around his waist before his mouth lands on mine in a searing kiss. “I’ve waited years for this, golden girl,” he whispers against my lips.

“What about two hours ago?” I ask with a slight laugh.

“That’s still too long since I was last inside you.”

“Sit.”

He carries me over to his chair. It’s large and wooden, with a cushion and wide handles. When he sits, I roll my hips over him, smiling when his breathing turns heady. His hips press up against my core. “Fuck. You have no idea what you do to me.”

I lift onto my knees and Avery helps me remove my shorts.

They’ve threatened to ban all women’s pants and shorts because of this exact scenario that’s happened too many times to count in the last two months since we got free.

Then I lower back down and lean over to kiss my favorite sensitive spot on the side of his neck. “I think I have an idea, Benjamin.”

He groans at my name for him. I’m the only person he’ll let call him that, and I take full advantage.

His fingers dig into my hips and he holds me down so I’m grinding against his cock that’s so hard, it’s got to be painful still being trapped in jeans like that.

I reach down between us, unsnap his jeans, and pull down the zipper until his cock springs free. When my fingers wrap around the warm flesh, I grin against his neck. “Going commando? That must have been painful.”

He groans and pulls my mouth to his. “You have no idea. I thought I would try it out to, you know, save us time in the moment, but not with jeans. I’m going to need to scavenge for some sweatpants.”

I laugh against his lips. “Why even wear any pants at all?”

He pulls back. “That’s a fantastic idea. No more pants for golden girl. I’m so glad you’re finally on board with this.”

“Wait, no, I—ah.”

Benji aligns himself at my core and thrusts up. My head rolls back while I stretch to accommodate his size. His fingers dent into my hips while he guides me, patiently waiting for me to take control, which doesn’t take me long. I lean forward with my palms against his chest and roll my hips.

His eyes slant, and his mouth slackens. Our breathing picks up while we bring each other to the brink. “Fuck, I’m going to…”

Benji reaches in between us to rub my clit. Stars erupt in my eyes and we fall over the cliff together.

When I start to come down from the high, another pair of arms wrap around me and Damon’s low voice whispers in my ear. “Up for another round, blondie?”

“Mmm.” I turn my head to face him and seal our lips together. “For any of you four? Always.”

He picks me up and lays me down on soft blankets, which doesn’t make any sense because we’re still outside by the fire.

My fingers grasp the soft fabric, and he chuckles.

“Thought I’d set up something a little more comfortable.

Piled all the softest blankets onto the table.

Cole is cleaning up, and Avery’s keeping watch.

Now it’s time for you to relax while I do all the work. ”

Damon kisses me and my lets fall over for him, but am surprised when I only feel his hard cock straining against jeans. “You know, I think I’m going to need to make it a law that you guys don’t wear anything but sweatpants from now on.”

He chuckles, and moves his mouth to pepper kisses along my jaw, my throat, then my collarbone. He lifts my shirt and kisses his way down my abdomen, stopping to press an extra soft kiss to the healed wound on my side. “I don’t know how someone so perfect puts up with us sometimes.”

“Well, it’s not easy, let me tell you that. In all seriousness, though, it’s so easy, because you’re one of the most amazing men I’ve ever known.”

He continues kissing his way down my body until he reaches the apex of my thighs. He presses down on my legs with his elbows against my inner thighs, and feasts on me, like he’s waited his whole life for this meal.

He drives me to the brink all over again with his fingers and his tongue, and before I know it, he’s drinking every last drop of me.

Once he’s done, he slides his arms beneath me and lifts me to his chest. He presses a kiss to my forehead, and I let out a tired sigh. “But wait, what about you?”

His lips curve into a smile against my skin. “I can wait. I have you in my arms, content and satisfied. That’s the most important thing in the world to me now.”