Page 73 of Stalked by His Ex
INFECTED
By
Jessica Gomez
Prologue
“Are you sure you won’t come with me?” Ryan pleads, recognizing my resolve.
Remembering the night before, a blush rises up my neck to my cheeks, causing me to briefly reconsider his offer. But I’m better on my own and don’t see any reason to change that now.
“I’m sure. Thank you.”
He doesn’t miss my reaction, or the small smile playing on my lips. His sky-blue eyes trap me as he advances, slowly sliding his arm around my waist. Muscles flex as his hard body presses against mine.
“After I finish the search for my brother, you could meet me. I could give you directions to our—”
“Shh…” I cut him off, placing my palm over his mouth. “We agreed to one night.”
We underestimated the force of our attraction. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I beg my brain to reevaluate the situation. Even if I wanted to go with him, find hope in this unforgiving world, I can’t set myself up for that kind of failure. People work to gain your trust, but always have a way of disappointing you. I couldn’t let that happen with him, preferring to keep the memory of our time together to one unforgettable night.
“Lil,” he breathes against my cheek, my name a plea of need and frustration.
“It’s the way it has to be. I’m sorry.” A lump forms in my throat. The emotion is silly, since we barely know each other, but it’s there. “You should get going.”
The verbal nudge is enough for him to tighten his grip once more before releasing his hold. “You’re stubborn.”
We laugh, dispensing with some of the tension.
One step back, then another. Soon, he’s dragging his fingers reluctantly through mine and turning to walk away.
“Be safe. I hope you find your brother,” I call out after him.
Over his shoulder, he gives me one last, longing look and calls back, “Don’t go changing, babe.”
~~~~~
Later that evening, I relive the passionate events of the previous night. Randomly running into him while collecting water was unexpected, even more so because he instantly put me at ease. In this deplorable world, trusting humans is a risk, one I’ve never taken. Not until him.
Instantly, his presence was relaxing, tickling goosebumps across my skin. I may have been young when the Flash occurred, but I wasn’t naïve. The sensation warming my fingers to my toes was attraction. Something completely foreign and unexpected.
After we gauged one another’s worthiness, concluding we could trust each other, we moved into socializing. Typically, I avoided any situation that involved another person for safety, but he instantly felt familiar.
The evening progressed as we traded stories about our time during the apocalypse, avoiding most subjects regarding thenormalworld. Before long, he was sitting next to me, warming my body as much as the small fire we’d built.
My body was trembling and aching by the time he set his hand on my thigh for the first time. The pace of my breathing increased to match the pounding of my heart when he leaned in.
“You’re beautiful.” His words tickled my ear as he slid his hand into my hair and turned my face toward his.
My lips brushed his. “So are you.” A cheesy line, but so true. His dark hair constantly falling into his eyes, teasing me with only glimpses of his striking blue eyes.
“Are you sure about this?” He punctuated his words by gliding his hand to the apex of my thighs and cupping my sex.
My breath hitched. “I’m not sure about a lot of things anymore, but I’m sure of this.” My lips slammed against his, eliciting a deep growl from his throat.
Fingers tightened in my hair, angling my mouth for deeper penetration, as if he was starving, devouring his next meal. Once his tongue caressed mine, euphoria erupted, sparking the best night of my life.
A night I’ll cherish and relive as I travel through this brutal world alone.