by Reese Rivers
My eyes pop open and my hand comes up to rub at my sore nose when I see that the wall is made of muscle. I stumble back, hit the outside wall, and just stare at abs. Abs, so many, many abs. I try and count them but math is hard when … abs. My eyes move down the abs and look, there’s a V and it goes down into a VERY precariously tucked towel and the other side goes back up to … abs.
Tara shows up and she looks at me and then over to the abs and her eyes bug out like a cartoon character. She drops to her knees and frames those abs and says, “Abs, Kells, abs. We wants the preciouses,” and then proceeds to pretend to lick the abs.
When the hip under the abs move and the towel slips an inch, I choke on the saliva in my mouth because human-ing is apparently beyond me at this point but still … abs.
“If you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to take you back into your room and show you what’s under this towel,” an amused voice says.
It’s enough to break my abs-notized stare and look up into Grayson’s face. He steps closer to me and I press as flat against the wall as I can as he leans forward and places a kiss on my forehead.
“Good morning, Kells.”
He steps sideways and leaves me staring in bemusement at the empty bathroom door. When my bladder pings painfully I shake off my dazed state and go do my business.
When I’m done, I dart back into the safety of my room. Four, four, four, four men. How would that even work? Forget work, there would never be time for work with four men. Just sex, sex, nap, sex, nap, and sex again. Nothing would ever get done with four men. Not unless it was more than one at a time. Like if it was two at once or three. Three could work but four, four on me would be … My long unused, dusty lady bits wake up and clench as images of that scenario float through my mind. My hand slides into my robe and heads south as I picture Linc behind me thrusting, Devin on his knees in front of me with his face between my thighs. My hands wrapped around Oliver’s and Grayson’s …
“Hey Kells, you up? Breakfast is ready!” Linc calls up the stairs and I snatch my hand out of my shorts with a gasp. Fuck, these men are killing me!
I push away from the door and go to my window to check the outside temperature and see sheets of rain falling. It makes me smile in glee. There hasn’t been enough rain this season so my gardens are going to get a good long drink today and hopefully my rain barrels will fill back up. I hum happily to myself as I pull on a pair of soft leggings, thick cozy socks, and an oversized hoody. I stuff my phone in the pocket, find a scrunchie and leave the room, bundling my hair up as I go.
“Morning!” I chirp as I accept the coffee mug Oliver holds out to me with a smile of thanks and slide into a chair at the table.
They’ve pulled it out and extended it so all five of us can sit together. Linc sets a plate with eggs and toast in front of me and I go to work smearing peanut butter on my toast. I plow through my eggs while looking out at the rain pouring off the overhead tarp dreamily. When I’m done eating, I pick up my coffee and lean back to enjoy it, only to find all of them looking at me, again. Jeez, these guys need to stop doing that.
“What?” I ask them as I brush at my face thinking I must have food on it.
“Your plate is empty,” Oliver states with a small smile.
I look down at it and then roll my eyes. “I eat! I just usually can’t be bothered cooking for one or I’m too busy but I do eat.”
I catch a smug look on Dev’s face as he goes back to eating his meal.
“You know, some bacon would have been perfect with this,” I tell them and yup, there it is, Dev’s head pops back up with an annoyed, skeptical look.
“That’s not funny. Don’t joke about bacon. Never … joke about bacon,” he snarls.
I just grin cheekily at him and sip my coffee as he stares me down. When I don’t cave, he drops his fork and leans back, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Alright, Princess, spill it. Tell us about the magical bacon factory you stumbled upon with perfectly preserved cases of bacon that you brought back to your kingdom to hoard from the rest of the world’s poor, bacon starved survivors.”
My eyes narrow playfully at him as I reply. “First off - it’s an empire, not a kingdom. Second, it’s wild boar bacon, you jerk.”
“You probably didn’t see it because you came from the other way but after all the projects were completed here we used the extra fencing we had leftover to block off some wooded acres on the west side of us. We cut low openings in a few places so animals could go in but it would be harder for the dead to stumble into. It’s kind of like a sanctuary for them. We put a bunch of rain barrels and buckets scattered around to catch water for them to drink,” I sigh. “I haven’t checked on it in a long time but last time I was in there, I saw some deer. Anyway, wild pigs can be assholes and they were taking over the place so Ryan and Tara would knock back the population in there every now and then. So … bacon and other cuts. It’s all in the freezers in the cavern.”
Linc rubs his chin in thought. “Man, that’s smart. With the wildlife population being decimated by the dead, that will give them a small refuge to build some numbers back up. Your friends were amazing, Kelsey.”
I smile. “Yeah, they’re pretty special. Were – they were special, I mean.” I finish with my smile dimming slightly.
Oliver takes my free hand and threads his fingers through mine. “What do you have on your list for today? Work-wise?”
I give his fingers a squeeze. “Not much, it’s a rain day! I still have to collect the eggs and feed my girls and I want to grab a few things from storage but other than that there’s not much to do. I finished the canning last night.”
“We will go with you to help carry whatever you need back,” Grayson says. So I hit him with a demure look and flutter my lashes.
“All these big strong men to fetch and carry for me is starting to make me feel like the princess Dev keeps calling me.” I side-eye Dev. “He’s still a beast but I suppose no empire is perfect.”
He growls at me and pretends to bite, snapping his teeth in my direction. It’s such a playful thing for him to do and I haven’t seen this side of him before so I burst out laughing. I glance around the table and see grins staring back at me, even from Oliver. This is nice. This is all I ever wanted. I beam down into my coffee cup as I finish the last of it and then push back and stand reaching for plates. I see Linc’s look and shake my head.
“Nope, you guys cooked so this time I get to do dishes. Then we can go over to the cavern. I was thinking today would be a good day for you guys to look over the plan manuals if you want. The rain makes it an inside day so we could just hang out, read and maybe watch a movie or something. If you want to check out the DVDs they’re under the TV and there’s more in the other camper and motorhome.”
I fill the sink with hot water and start washing up. Oliver comes over and grabs a dish towel to dry. Mentioning the other camper has me thinking about Gavin.
“What did you guys do with …?”
It’s like he can read my mind sometimes because he cuts me off.
“We buried him outside the outer fence.”
“Oh, the alarm didn’t go off.”
“Grayson has already figured out the security app on the phones. He shut it off so we could go through without worrying you.”
I step closer to him and lean my head on his shoulder for a moment. “Thank you for taking care of him. I wish I could have done more.”
Oliver lifts my chin and slides his lips over mine in the softest kiss. “You did all you could. His death is not on your hands, Kelsey.” He straightens back up and picks up the next plate to dry so I nod and go back to washing.
After tending to the hens and gathering all I need, we dash back from the cavern with our hands full getting drenched from the heavy downpour. I grab a dish towel and dry off the slow cooker, cans of beans, and all the other ingredients we brought back so I can make chili for supper.
When I turn around there’s so
much man candy on display that I feel multiple cavities forming on my teeth. All four of them have stripped their wet t-shirts off and I have to hang onto the counter’s edge as my knees go weak from SO MUCH MAN CHEST. My eyes bounce from pecks to abs to tattoos so fast that I feel like I’m in a pinball machine. I can’t stop looking.
Of course, Tara shows up and somehow, she’s in a doctor’s coat with glasses and holding a clipboard. She bends over and examines each chest and ab pack like she is doing some kind of medical assessment, scribbles on her clipboard and turns to me with a serious nod.
“Ready to launch, Captain!”
I bite back a choked laugh and just keep looking as heat starts to bloom between my legs.
“Kells?”
Not an ounce of fat on any of them. Just lean, defined muscle.
“Kelsey?”
There should seriously be a law. Too much of all that can put a girl in a sex-starved coma.
“Earth to Kelsey!”
The sound finally breaks through and I lift my eyes as my inner monolog continues. Nope, back down to chest, fuck! Stop! Ok, you can do it. Lift your eyes up, up Kelsey! Look at his face. Fuck! That’s a beautiful face. Linc’s knowing smile and steamy green eyes are staring back at me.
“Huh?” I say eloquently.
He steps toward me and points to what I’m holding. “Need me to open that?”
I’m a wordsmith today so I hold it up and say, “Jar.”
He’s now grinning so hard I think his face might break as he plucks it from my hand and puts an extra flex into his bicep to open a simple jar of stewed, chili-spiced tomatoes and then holds it back out to me. I swallow, hard, and keep up the witty banter I’ve got going on.
“Muscle you very much,” I say as I take it from his hand. When I see Tara howling with laughter beside him I shake my head quickly. “No, thank … thank you very much. I’m, uh, er, I’m just gonna … ” I tell him and turn away, walk into the opposite counter, bounce off, turn again and manage to make my feet go in the right direction. As I step into my bedroom I realize I’m still holding the jar of tomatoes and my brain starts processing again.
“For fuck’s sake, Kelsey!” I say to my reflection in the closet mirrors across from me and when laughter roars from the living room I kick my door closed to silence it. Fuck!
Grayson
Itug her down to the couch between me and Linc as the movie gets started. She pulls the scrunchie from her hair and rubs at her scalp to ease the pull of it. She’s so fucking beautiful and sweet and all that sexy hair down and loose makes me want to slide my fingers into it, anchor her head and just destroy her with my mouth on hers. I’ve been walking around all day with half a woody ever since she caught me as I was coming out of the shower and set me on fire with the lust I could see, plain as day in her eyes. I’m the only one left who hasn’t had their hands or mouth on some part of her and I plan to change that, right fucking quick. Oliver is still at the table pouring over Tommy and Ryan’s plans and Dev is kicked back in the recliner beside me. It’s been a really nice, relaxing day so far. We went so long, running and fighting that I almost forgot what it felt like to just have a day off. Every time we’d find a place to settle and build up our supplies or try and grow some food something would go wrong. Either the dead would get too thick or other survivors would move in and fuck it all up. This place is a miracle for us but the best part will always be Kelsey. I can’t find a single flaw in her and I want her to be mine so bad it’s like an ache in my bones.
We’ve done this once before. All of us with the same woman but it was nothing like what’s happening with Kelsey. Mia came into our lives about a year after everything went to shit.
We found her trapped on top of a transport trailer roof, surrounded by the dead. It felt good to save someone after losing so many before. She showed her gratitude by offering her body to us. We aren’t assholes so we made it clear that wasn’t required but she wore us down after a few weeks of throwing herself at each one of us. We probably should have known better. Mia always had a hard, brittle edge to her but I won’t lie, it was nice to have a little bit of comfort and release in this shitty world. She made it so easy to lose ourselves in what she offered and she made it clear that she loved it best when we all came together to please and worship her body. Even though the sex was great none of us developed deep feelings for her. She always kept a wall up between us that stopped anything else from forming.
I think she got bored. It’s the only reasoning that I can think of that makes sense for what she did to us in the end. She started saying shit and making up lies behind our backs, trying to stir up drama. When she finally realized that we wouldn’t fight over her and that we were done with her shit, she stole most of the food we had left and took off in the middle of the night, leaving the gate and doors wide open for the dead to come in. We almost lost Oliver that night. After that, we promised never to let a woman jeopardize our lives or our friendship again.
Kelsey is nothing like Mia and how we all feel for her is not the same either. She’s so sweet and kind. She opened her home to us and gave us free rein to all that she has. There are no hard edges to her but there are cracks. Cracks we all want to fill with tending and care to make her whole again. And also, she’s fucking hot. Even under all her cracks from being alone for so long and losing her friends, she’s got this pillar of strength running deep inside. The way she handles weapons and her moves are pretty hard-core for learning them from action movies. Add that to the sheer amount of work she puts in every day and she’s fucking exceptional. I’m desperate to show her just how much I want her.
The camper is warm and filled with the smell of chili as it simmers away in her slow cooker. The rain hitting the tarp above the camper makes for a soothing low drum that can barely be heard over the sounds of the movie we’re watching. It’s not long before I see Kelsey’s head start to nod and droop as sleep tugs at her. When her head drops for the third time, I can’t stop myself from scooping her up, sliding a leg behind her, and settling her against my chest as I lean back. She blinks sleepily at me a few times so I just brush her hair back from her face and gently pull her down until her cheek is resting against my chest again. She snuggles in between my legs, rubbing all the right places and I close my eyes and just wallow in how damn good it feels to have her in my arms like this.
Linc reaches down and lifts her legs so her feet are in his lap and she’s spread out along the couch over both of us. He sighs in contentment and I think, “Me too, brother”. We watch the movie but I notice Dev, Linc and I keep looking at the sleeping woman in my arms more than the screen. When Oliver gets up from the table his eyes go straight to her and I see a rare wash of pleasure cross his usually expressionless face.
Kelsey moves in her sleep and her hand drops down to my thigh. All thoughts of watching the movie disappear at how close her little fingers are to my now hardening cock. Linc starts running his hand up and down her leg and she makes a little pleased-sounding noise as her hand tightens on my thigh and then begins to rub it a little. When Linc sweeps his hand up her leg further and moves around to the inside of her thigh she shifts slightly to open her legs a tiny bit wider. No one is watching the fucking movie now. Linc pushes his luck and moves his hand even higher and starts tracing little circles on her skin through the thin fabric of her leggings. She stretches slightly with a small moan, causing her hand to slide up my leg and her thumb rests alongside my aching cock.
I feel the exact moment she wakes up as she stiffens against me and her fingers lift and spread, frozen in place an inch from my leg. I don’t move a muscle except for my eyes and I see hers slowly open. They widen when she looks at her fingers and then she meets Dev’s eyes beside us. He smirks a little and then gives her a look of challenge like he’s daring her. They stare at each other for a few beats and then she slowly lowers her hand back onto my leg and leaves it there for a moment before using it to lever herself up and off the couch.
“Corn
bread!” She gasps out. “I was going to make cornbread to go with the chili.”
Kelsey almost dives into the kitchen in her haste to get away from us and Oliver nods at her.
“Sounds good,” he says in his calm, cool way like the fucker isn’t sporting serious wood just like the rest of us. Almost as one, Dev, Linc, and I turn our heads to watch the end of a movie none of us have been following as Kelsey bangs away in the kitchen.
Kelsey
I’m in a mood. Kinda pissy, kinda pouty. It’s been four days since it rained and not one of those fuckers has tried to kiss me or instigate something more. Oh, there’s been plenty of little casual touches and hot looks but since Dev told me I didn’t have to pick just one of them, that they don’t mind sharing … nothing. After the day it rained a heat wave moved in and ever since they’ve been spending the days in nothing but shorts. Every time I turn around there’s a man’s chest or rippling abs in my face. It’s not fucking fair … not at all! So today I decided to return the favor and I came out of my room in a pair of booty shorts and the tiniest bandeau. I’m barely covered for fuck’s sake and … nothing. If that’s not bad enough, now at night when I wake from one of my nightmares I don’t even have the chance to go outside. One of them slides into my bed and holds me until I fall asleep. I don’t know if they rock paper scissors who gets to climb in with me but it’s been a different one every night. They don’t touch me or kiss me, they just wrap me up and hold on to me and when I wake up in the morning I’m alone with the sheets smelling like them and a deep ache of need between my legs. Grrrr!
The heavy rain was fantastic for my crops but it also gave life to a lot of new weeds. Yesterday, we were all out pulling weeds and I got a little dizzy towards the end of the day from the heat and not drinking enough water so they decided to bench me for today. Where do they get off telling me what I can and can’t do? I was running this empire just fine on my own long before they showed up. They can’t tell me what to do! I stomp over to the next pot of flowers on the edge of the patio and hit them with a blast of water from the gun on the hose. I can make my own damn decisions on when and where I work. Screw them! I don’t live by their …
