The Last Woman (All That Remains #1)

by S. M. Shade

  “You want me to say if someone better comes along, I’ll replace you?” he asks, his voice hardening.

  “I want you to promise you won’t let me hold you back. I don’t want you to feel like you’re stuck with me because you happened to meet me first, when I was the only one available.”

  He shakes his head. “You have some real self-esteem issues, Abby. Has anyone ever told you that?”

  “Yes, but I don’t think that’s the case. I know there are good things about me, but I’m also realistic.”

  “I promise I love you, and there’s no one better for me than you.” Soft lips press against my temple. “I promise if that should change—and it won’t—I’ll be honest with you about it, but you have to promise me something also.”

  “What?”

  “If you meet another man you’re attracted to, you have to tell me—immediately—so I can throw him down the dry well and put the cap on.”

  I giggle and rake my fingers through his hair. Oh, I’ve always wanted to play with that soft, dark hair. “There’s no one as beautiful as you,” I whisper.

  “Do you have to use the word beautiful? You’re undermining my manhood a little,” he jokes.

  “Sorry, but you are beautiful. I suppose I could add gorgeous, sexy, kind, caring, and well, I could go on all night.”

  “I’m not stopping you.”

  “Let’s not forget arrogant and brooding,” I add, rolling my eyes.

  “Brooding?”

  “Yes.”

  “I brood?”

  “On a daily basis.”

  “Maybe I’m just thinking about you,” he replies, pulling me into his lap and taking my mouth with a long, slow, searching kiss, setting me on fire.

  “They’re kissing!” Walker yells, running back down the hall to Jayla’s room.

  “We’re busted.” Airen smiles, and I chuckle, burying my face in his sweet smelling neck.

  “Walker! Stay out of there and hush!” Joseph scolds, trying to hide the amusement in his voice.

  We’re still cuddled together on the couch an hour later when the kids finally go to bed. Joseph says good night with “I told you so” written all over his face.

  “Are you tired?” Airen asks.

  “Depends.”

  “On?”

  “Are you coming to bed with me?”

  He studies my face and strokes my cheek. “Are you sure?”

  “Do you want to?”

  “More than anything,” he replies.

  He kisses the corner of my mouth and stands up, offering his hand. His fingers curl around mine, and he leads me to my bedroom. Oh, this is really going to happen. Once we’re behind the closed door, I fight the urge to attack him and rip his clothes from his body. It’s been so long, and he’s so fucking sexy standing there with his shirt un-tucked and his hair a mess.

  When he turns on the lantern, I suddenly feel self-conscious. I’m going to be naked in front of this Greek god of a man. Sensing my anxiety, he reaches around me and gently grasps my hair, tilts my head back, and kisses me tenderly. A long, slow kiss makes my whole body quiver and sing. Oh, he can kiss.

  “You have no idea how many times I’ve pictured this,” he murmurs.

  Kissing again, my hand slides down to cup his perfect ass, squeezing it, and his breath hitches in response. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.” I reply, and he chuckles. I unbutton his shirt and run my hands across his chest, my fingers trailing through the dark curls, sliding over his nipples as they harden. I love the way he tenses under my fingers, the small moan he tries to smother against my neck.

  He unzips my dress and peels it off, leaving it in a pool at my feet. I’m standing there in my bra and panties as he gazes at me, up and down, a look of pure carnal satisfaction on his face. He scoops me up and lays me on the bed, covering my body with his. The feel of him on top of me, his bare chest and stomach pressed to mine is sublime. He has barely touched me, and I’m already out of my mind with desire for him.

  I reach between us to unfasten his pants, and he makes short work of removing them, tossing them aside along with his shirt. He trails soft kisses across my face and down my neck, sucking gently, and I moan, tilting my head to give him better access. It feels so good. His fingers run over my breasts while my hands explore every muscle on his back, tracing the lines, and savoring the feel of him. His lips scorch a trail of kisses down my stomach as he slips my panties off of me and tosses them aside.

  “Airen,” I whimper, breathless as he moves lower.

  “Shh. Let me take care of you.” My muscles clench as his dark head slides below my waist to press wet sucking kisses on the inside of my thighs. I gaze down at him as he looks up at me, his eyes smoky and intense. Oh, it’s so intimate, so heavenly, and so damn hot. I look away as he glides his tongue up my trembling thigh until his breath is hot between my legs. I can’t watch this. I’ll explode.

  “Ah!” I cry out at the warm wet pressure of his tongue against me.

  “Mmm,” he hums in response, continuing to lick in slow tight spirals. Oh God, Airen’s going down on me. When he presses a finger inside of me, and then another, I stifle a moan.

  “Let me hear you, sweetheart,” he murmurs.

  He pushes up with his fingers, rubbing firm circles over the most sensitive spot inside of me. His tongue is relentless, alternately licking and applying pressure as his fingers keep massaging. I’m going to come already!

  “Airen,” I whimper again. The feeling building is so strong. Fuck, he’s good at this. I cry out as my orgasm rushes through me in scorching waves. My hands are in his hair, tugging at the soft strands while my body trembles and shudders. He lays his head on my stomach while I find my way back to reality. I run my fingers through his hair, scratching at his scalp, and he peeks up at me with a boyish grin.

  “Do I have a bald spot?”

  Okay, so maybe I pulled his hair a little hard. “Sorry.” I giggle, gazing down at him.

  He stretches out between my legs and lavishes my breasts with wet kisses, drawing on my nipple and sending spikes of pleasure through my core. I can feel how hard he is through his boxer briefs, and I can’t get them off him fast enough. I finally have unfettered access to his luscious ass, and I can’t keep my hands off it as I kiss his neck, his chest, everywhere I can reach. He enters me slowly and oh, he’s big! He moves gently, only pressing forward a few inches. I’m moving with him, trying to get more, to push him deeper.

  “Slow,” he whispers. “I want to feel you.”

  It’s driving me wild. I want every inch of him and he’s holding back. “Airen.”

  “Mmm.”

  “All of you, please,” I beg, shameless in my urgent need. His hooded eyes lock on mine as he pulls all the way out and then buries himself. “Yes!” I cry out, feeling the pinch as he stretches me past my limits. He keeps a slow rhythm, out and in, and I’m already building again. His hips rotate, grinding against me. “Oh Airen...so good...” My words are mumbled and incoherent.

  “Abby,” he moans. “Fuck, you feel amazing. So tight.” His eyes are closed, his sculpted lips parted, his brows furrowed. He’s grinding, around and back. Damn, he can move! I hide my face against his chest and clutch his back hard as I come again. I feel him surrender with a low groan, coming hard and hot inside of me. His kisses are tender on my mouth, my cheek, my neck.

  We cuddle up and fall asleep in each other’s arms.

  Abraham

  “Please, leave me for a moment, Brother Cole. I need to speak to our Lord and give my thanks.”

  “Of course, Abraham.”

  I drop to my knees as he closes the door behind him. “Oh Lord, please hear my prayer. Thank you for bringing us all together so we may preach your word and save the sinners from eternal damnation. Everything is coming together as you promised. There are eight of us now, and we’ll save the girl, Jennifer, as well. She’s resistant to your word, and I regret the methods we may have to resort to in o
rder to lead her down the path of righteousness. I know the alternative is far worse, however, and someday she’ll thank me. Please continue to watch over us and guide us in our struggle. Amen.”

  Jennifer is a struggle. I’ve had to lock her in a bedroom and place a guard on her door. This place God has led us to find is perfect for our needs. The house is very spacious and has many rooms. It overlooks a stable that will serve as quarters for the men and women God sends us to save.

  Cole and Katie have proven themselves to be devout followers, despite my initial reservations. We’ve also been blessed to find Steve, Phil, Tabitha, and Diane, who are all obedient and enthusiastic. Eric, however, has some issues that need to be addressed. He has trouble controlling his emotions, and it affects his ability to carry out his orders. He feels sympathy for Jennifer and argues against our methods of rehabilitation. I must do a better job of explaining our purpose here on Earth. He must understand a little pain or discomfort now is nothing compared to an eternity of hellfire.

  He needs to learn now for there are two men who need our help. I’ve been observing them, and I haven’t seen an ounce of piousness. The smaller of the two is called Troy, and I have a suspicion he may be a homosexual. The man named Micah may be his lover, although I have not seen evidence of such behavior yet. If they are so inclined, we’ll correct it.

  We will save them.

  Troy

  “Remind me again why we’re freezing our asses off in an RV instead of sleeping in a warm bed?” Micah grouches.

  “Because I enjoy the sound of your teeth chattering. Don’t be a pussy. Aren’t you tired of being closed up in a room, sitting and waiting for spring? I’m exhausted from staring at your ugly face day in and day out. I want to meet some new people.”

  “I’d tell you to kiss my ass, but I’m afraid you’d accept.”

  “Just think, any day we could run into a group of women just pining for an oversized, slow witted ex-construction worker,” I taunt with a grin.

  “Go fuck yourself. I’m going to that liquor store across the street. If I have to keep listening to your mouth, I’ll need some whiskey.” Micah climbs out of the RV and starts toward the strip mall on the opposite side of the road.

  All joking aside, this little trip may have been a mistake. We haven’t strayed too far from home, such as it is, but what we’ve seen hasn’t been encouraging. This is the fourth small town we’ve visited, and we haven’t seen one sign of life. Perhaps we should go back and try again when the weather isn’t so unforgiving.

  I drive the RV to the middle of the parking lot and unload a few large chunks of firewood. By the time Micah returns I have a huge, roaring fire burning and a large pan of beef stew bubbling on the propane stove. He’s carrying a fifth of whiskey and a six pack of wine coolers. At least his sense of humor has returned. He’s been such a grouch lately.

  “Here you go, precious. I thought you might be thirsty,” he says, tossing the wine coolers to me.

  “Asshole.”

  “It always comes back to that with you, doesn’t it?”

  I have to laugh. We pass the bottle of whiskey back and forth a few times before I suggest we make this little town our last stop on our Giant Waste of Time Tour.

  “Do you want to start back to Vermilion tomorrow?” I ask.

  “Let’s give it one more week.” He unfolds the map, and we plan out where we want to continue our fruitless search for survivors. Damn, do I miss GPS.

  “One more week,” I agree. “The next town is called Herrin.”

  “Fantastic.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Airen is still asleep beside me, and I can’t stop staring at him. He looks so young and so goddamned handsome. His eyes pop open, and I’m busted.

  “Good morning.” I smile, and he grabs me, cuddling me close. We’re quiet, just holding each other, caressing and enjoying the feel of one another, but I can’t refrain from asking, “Do you regret it?”

  His fingers run down my spine and back up, giving me goose bumps. “Have you been staring at me, waiting for me to wake up so you could ask that question?” he asks, staring at me in exasperation.

  “Possibly.”

  “What am I going to do with you, Abby?” I’m pulled against his chest as he sighs in amusement. “Of course I don’t regret anything we did. Nothing has changed since last night. Did you really think it would? It’s not like we got drunk and had a one night stand.”

  “Do you mean we get to do it again?” I grin, kissing his ear.

  “And again, and again, and again,” he murmurs with a wicked smile, resting his hand against my hip. “But right now I have to pee.” He squeezes my leg and bounds out of bed. I snort and start to pull on my panties. Hmm, the kids won’t be up for another hour.

  Airen comes out of the bathroom naked, and oh, I could just stare at this man forever. Just sit down and stare at him until I die of old age. Instead, I put my hands on his hips and kiss him hard, delving in with my tongue to revel in the taste of him.

  “Don’t start something you aren’t prepared to finish,” he murmurs.

  “We’ll finish,” I promise, backing him toward the small love seat in the corner of my room. The back of his knees touch, forcing him to sit, and the blazing stare I’m met with sends goosebumps across my skin. He took charge and showed me how he could move last night, made me come harder and faster than I thought I could. Now it’s my turn. I straddle him and slide my lips along the stubble on his jaw. He smells so damn good. His hands move around to caress my behind.

  “You have a great ass, Abby,” he murmurs, his lips nibbling my earlobe. His erection grows against my thigh, and I take hold of him, squeezing firmly. I’m rewarded with a gasp as he lays his head back and closes his eyes.

  “Slow,” he moans.

  “Sorry, you aren’t in control this time,” I whisper against his ear.

  His eyes fly open, and he inhales through clenched teeth as I impale myself on him. I spread my legs and press my knees down and out, driving him deeper inside me. It feels so good, so full. He’s so thick. He licks into my mouth as I move slowly up and down.

  “Abby…God, Abby,” he groans. His fingers move between my legs, stroking, teasing, sending spikes of pleasure racing through me, burning me from the inside out. I try to focus on what I want to do to him and not on the growing sensations threatening to engulf me. Breathing deep, I shift and rotate my hips slowly. We both moan, and my hand grasps his hair, my other digging into his bicep as he grips my behind and moves with me. When his thumb slips down to find my spot, I come instantly, exploding on top of him.

  “Yes, darlin’,” he moans, staring up at me while I fall to pieces in his arms. The intimacy of being face to face, of being watched at such a vulnerable moment is overwhelming, and I have to look away.

  Regaining my senses, I plant my hands on the back of the sofa and thrust my hips downward, forcing him into me as deep as I can.

  “Fuck,” he growls, his hands tightening on my ass.

  I can’t take my eyes off of him as I ride him faster. He’s coming apart beneath me, his head tilted back, lips parted, eyes squeezed shut. It’s hot as hell to watch him lose control. He grasps my hips hard and slams into me as he reaches his climax, panting and sweating. I collapse against him with my head on his chest, his arms around me.

  Oh, what a fabulous way to wake up.

  * * * *

  “We need to talk to everyone about a few things,” Airen announces at breakfast.

  “You’re a man trapped in a woman’s body?” Carson guesses, making Joseph choke on his coffee.

  Jayla giggles. “I think you have that backward.”

  “Not at all. Look at those child bearing hips.”

  Carson laughs as Airen puts him in a choke hold. “I’m going to have to show this boy who’s boss around here,” Airen threatens, grinning.

  “Mom?” Jayla suggests, and everyone chuckles.

  “That’s right,” I brag. “Now stop ganging u
p on Airen.”

  “Aw, that’s so sweet, protecting your boyfriend,” Carson teases.

  I can’t help but laugh, mainly because Airen blushes a bright red and looks away.

  “Knock it off,” I admonish, smiling. “That’s actually what we want to talk to you about.”

  “When’s the wedding?” Carson asks.

  “I don’t think you want to be Jayla’s brother,” I reply, raising my eyebrows at him. I’ve seen the looks between them lately, and I know at thirteen it’s only puppy love, but they bear watching.

  It’s Carson’s turn to blush. “I’m done,” he mutters.

  “I want to be Jayla’s brother!” Walker cries. Jayla scoops him onto her lap and kisses his cheek.

  “You are my brother.”

  I stare at Airen who has suddenly clammed up and left the announcements to me. “We aren’t getting married, but we are going to be...um...together.” I really don’t know how to describe it. “Airen is going to move into my room, and we thought Walker might like to have his own room.”

  “Really? I can have my own room?” He dances around the table.

  “Do you want to take Airen’s room?” I ask Joseph. “I don’t think you want Walker in there since there’s an outside exit.”

  “Sounds good.” On his way out of the room, Joseph slaps Airen on the back and murmurs something that makes him laugh.

  “Can we do it today?” Walker asks, bouncing in his seat.

  Airen shrugs at me. “I don’t see why not.”

  When the kids leave the room, I’m on it. “What did Joseph say to you?”

  A wicked smile raises his lips, and his hand slides down the back of my shorts to squeeze my bare ass. “He said, ‘Take care of her, and don’t keep me up all night fucking’.”

  “You liar!” I laugh, slapping his chest.

  I’m lifted and pinned against the kitchen wall in half a second, his hot hands under my ass as his tongue runs down the side of my neck. “I could only promise the first one.”