by Kris Norris
Gunner punched him on the shoulder. “We’re so going to have a talk with her once we’re safe.”
Then he grabbed Hamilton’s hand and all but tossed the man off. He turned to Wolfe next, but Wolfe just shook his head, wrapping one arm around Gunner as he took them both over the edge. The rush of wind howled past them before they hit the water full force, the cold temperature stealing Wolfe’s breath. He released Gunner, shoving him toward the light as he kicked against the icy grip, breaking the surface with a spray of water.
The other two men were already up, their faces drawn tight. Wolfe glanced at the ridge, motioning everyone to move as the first infected reached the edge, the frontrunners tumbling over the ledge from the continued movement of the bastards behind them. Their bodies bounced off the rocky protrusions lining the cliff before hitting the surface and sinking into the dark water.
Gunner cursed as he swam toward the shore. “Think they’ve figured out how to swim?”
Wolfe stared at where the creatures had disappeared. “I don’t think so, but I sure as hell don’t want to stick around to find out. Sharks are bad enough. I don’t need to imagine zombies rising out of the water to bite me.”
Gunner snorted. “Thanks. Now I’m imagining it.” He nodded at him. “You didn’t have to tackle me, you know. I would have jumped.”
Wolfe gave the man a smile as he kept swimming. “You always hated the jumping part of deployment. I just thought I’d save you the usual pep talk you always give yourself. Besides, Ham would have been pissed if I didn’t get you back for tossing him off.”
Gunner grinned. “I owed the man from that time over the Pacific.”
“Glad you’re not the kind of guy to hold a grudge.”
“Not a grudge. Just a good memory.”
“Right.” Wolfe neared the shore, finally able to walk the rest of the way out.
A swirl of air sent a rash of goose bumps prickling across his skin, and he couldn’t stop the sudden chatter of his teeth. Fuck, the breeze hadn’t been that cold while they’d been running. Now it felt as if they’d stepped into a freezer.
He trudged out, his focus fixed on Morgan. She was leaning against a large rock, arms wrapped around herself, her body visibly trembling. Hamilton stood beside her, his expression more than frustrated. Wolfe motioned to him when he got close enough, silently asking the man what the problem was.
Ham huffed, crossing his arms on his chest. “That little stunt just made Morgan’s ribs worse, but she’s too damn stubborn to admit it.” He glared at her. “I can see the pain written across your face, not to mention the way you’re holding your side, though I’m sure you’ll merely claim that you’re cold. Or don’t you feel that, either?” He released a weary breath. “I just don’t understand why you think telling us how you’re doing is such a big deal. Broken ribs are a damn bugger to heal. Especially when you’re hiking several hours a day. And this is hardly easy terrain. We climb and descend a mountain’s worth every few hours. It’s got to be taking a toll on you.”
Her bravado slipped for a moment before she firmed her chin. “I’ve slowed us down enough. We can’t afford to go even slower.”
Ham sighed. “We can if it means you might actually heal.”
Gunner moved in closer. “Ham’s right. We’ve all noticed that your side isn’t healing the way it should. But we’ve been trying to let you decide how far and fast we go. Apparently, you lack any form of common sense.”
“I have plenty of common sense. And it’s telling me that if you boys had been on your own, you’d be back at this compound of yours already. Shit, I can barely keep my legs moving and none of you look as if you’re even tired.” She palmed one hand on her hip before wincing and wrapping it around her ribs again. “Up there. I thought I was going to puke from the exertion. I’m fit, but I’m not SEAL fit.” She shook her head. “I still can’t believe you guys are all fucking SEALs. And that you didn’t tell me until a week ago.”
Wolfe joined the misshapen circle. “Sweetheart, it’s been the driving force in our lives for so long, we don’t even think about it. It’s just part of who we are.”
“Not part, Wolfe. It’s the whole damn thing.” She gawked at their expressions. “Oh, come on. Surely you see it? You boys exist completely as a team. There isn’t anything you do separately. Hell, you just have to look at each other and you’ve conveyed whatever you’re thinking. Being a SEAL defines you three in every aspect, even if that job ended with the apocalypse.”
Wolfe frowned. He’d never really taken the time to examine how close the three of them had become. How he simply assumed the other men would be there, day in, day out, watching his back, making sure he didn’t fuck up. But now that she’d mentioned it, he could see how they might come across as intimidating.
He stepped closer. “We don’t mean to come at you as a combined front. Not in the way you’re implying.”
She sighed. “I know. Which is probably the only reason I haven’t tried to ditch you. I realize it’s just your way. But I can’t help but feel like the damn black sheep here. That I’m endangering your lives by holding you back. That I’ll be the reason we don’t reach this sanctuary of yours. Which in itself blows my mind. I can’t even remember when I decided going there was a good idea. I’d planned on running off the first chance I got.”
“We’re glad you haven’t tried. We’d hate to have to hogtie you.”
She grinned at the obvious humor in his voice before her expression hardened and she kicked at the dirt. “I still don’t know why you’re doing this.”
“Doing what?”
“Risking your lives for me. I’m no one special.”
“Fuck that. You’re special to us.”
“Why?”
Wolfe reached out and brushed some of her wet hair off her forehead. “Because you give us hope. A reason to keep fighting, even if you don’t realize it.”
“Yeah, well that hope’s going to wear off pretty fast when you figure out I’m not worth the blood and sweat. That it was a mistake to convince me to accompany you.”
“Why the hell would you think that?”
“Because this isn’t some training mission you can afford to screw up. And these things are only getting faster. Smarter.” She waved at the water. “Shit. If we hadn’t been able to jump, you boys would have died because I couldn’t keep going. God, it feels as if my ribs are on fire. I can barely suck in enough oxygen walking, let alone running. And these bastards run. Like the damn wind.” Her body hunched in shame. “There’s more and more of this new breed the farther north we go. It’s only a matter time before I get one of you killed. And then what? The others will just resent me, more so when they realize that no matter how hard they try, how long they wait, I’ll still be broken.”
He snapped. Whether it was the defeated curve of her back or the guilty gleam in her eyes, he wasn’t sure, but seeing her standing there, apologizing for not being up to her perception of their standards, for being fucking human, crushed him. He moved, snagging her around the back and tugging her against his chest. She gasped, her hands flying to his shoulders as he lowered his mouth to hers, brushing his lips across the seam of her mouth. A hint of tangy sweetness tempted his senses and he couldn’t resist pressing harder as his tongue danced inside.
Morgan tensed then eased, kissing him back as he traced the inner contours of her velvety heat. He let his hands cup her flesh, careful to avoid the area where she’d been hurt. Morgan leaned against him, her body molding to his until he eased back, staring down at her as if seeing her in a new light. Those green eyes looked up at him, arousal shading them a deep forest color. She blinked several times before shying away slightly, and he used the opportunity to retreat, releasing his hold on her. Ham inched closer, obviously wanting to be there if her balance shifted. But Morgan held her ground, watching him without speaking.
Wolfe straightened, giving her a curt nod. “That was to adequately shut you up. Because if any of us hear one more
word about you being some kind of fucking weak link, we’ll put you over our lap, and it won’t be one of those romance novel spankings, sweetheart. You’re not weak and admitting your broken ribs are affecting your ability to push hard isn’t a burden.” He looked at Gunner, raising his brow.
Gunner nodded, moving over to Morgan. “Wolfe’s right. If it hadn’t been for the threat of Beau and his fucked-up camp, we would have stayed at the first cabin at least two weeks before even thinking about moving on. But we didn’t have that luxury. To be honest, none of us can believe you’ve made it as far as you have each day. You must be in fucking agony. We’d hoped you’d regulate your intensity. Tell us when it was getting too much. But you seem to be determined to run yourself to death rather than confide in us.”
Morgan huffed. “We’re still a world away from your compound. If I don’t push it—”
Gunner copied Wolfe’s approach, pulling Morgan close then plundering her mouth. It didn’t look gentle or sweet. It was a possession of her lips. A claiming that clearly stated Gunner was the one in control. And when he finally released her, Morgan swayed slightly on her feet.
Gunner gave her a shake of his finger. “Like Wolfe said. No more excuses. This has gone on long enough. Once we get to this cabin, we’re taking a break. End of story.”
“But…” She trailed off, looking at the men as if she was thought they might kiss her again if she protested. Then she turned to Hamilton, giving him a firm stare. “So I suppose you’re going to kiss me into submission next?”
Ham leaned in, placing a light peck on her mouth. “Nope. Looks like they got our point across. But at the risk of being the odd man out…”
He closed the distance again, taking her lips in a way that made Wolfe have to rearrange his dick. Fuck, watching the other men with her was hot. Something he hadn’t anticipated. Though he’d told Gunner he thoroughly believed they could share, he’d half considered that it was just desperation talking. That when the time came, if it ever did, they’d react like the testosterone junkies Gunner thought they were. But now—damn, he might just be able to get off simply being a spectator. Not that he’d stay that way for long. But any doubts he’d had of becoming an intimate partner with Morgan, Ham and Gunner vanished, leaving only burning desire in its wake.
Hamilton finally eased back, kissing her nose before retreating.
Morgan touched her mouth, glancing at each of them then refocusing on Ham. “I thought you weren’t going to kiss me to shut me up?”
“I didn’t. That was just for the sheer pleasure of it.” He gave her a smile that made the woman swallow noisily. “Now which way to the cabin because, girl, they’re right. It’s time to take a few days to catch our breath. And we could all use a break.”
Morgan furrowed her brow. “We’re running out of time, and good weather.”
“Don’t care.” Ham held up his hand. “Discussion’s over until we get where we’re headed. Your lips are turning blue, and I’m not ashamed to say my balls are about to crawl up into my body if we don’t get somewhere dry and warm soon. Now lead the way, but know this…” He managed to crowd her without looking threatening. “We’re not going anywhere. And we’re not leaving you behind. If that means we spend the winter on our own…just the four of us…so be it.” He took a step away then glanced back at her over his shoulder. “And for the record, you’re not broken, you’re cautious. Any man who can think past his own dick can tell the difference. After everything you’ve been through, you’d be crazy to be any other way. But seeing as we aren’t assholes like Beau, we’re willing to wait. Let you set the pace. Speaking of which…let’s move.”
Morgan stared at Ham, slowly making the rounds before breaking eye contact and striking off, her pace noticeably slower. Wolfe glanced at his buddies, smiling at their unspoken nod. None of them wanted to rush Morgan, but damn, kissing her had made his heart constrict and his dick swell. And he could tell by the way the other two men shook their hips a bit as they walked, she’d had the same effect on them. Hell, he’d half considered jumping back into the water just to freeze his erection away.
He sighed. While he knew Ham was right—that she just needed time to see they really were trustworthy. That they’d never hurt her—part of him was scared that it wasn’t her fear keeping her distance, but the simple fact that she just didn’t have feelings for them. Even after three weeks, she still jumped if they touched her, no matter how innocent the contact was. And he didn’t know how he or Ham and Gunner would keep going if they lost her before they’d even had a chance to see how deeply they could all fall in love.
“God, damn, I’m turning into a fucking pussy.”
The only saving grace was that Gunner and Hamilton seemed to be having equally pathetic thoughts. At least, that was the vibe he got from them. And he knew they were trying to mentally prepare themselves for the worst.
No surrender.
He was a SEAL god damn it. He and the guys didn’t believe in failure. It just meant they’d have to try harder. Dig deeper and be the men she needed them to be. And with charm times three, she didn’t stand a chance.
He chuckled at the thought, smiling when Gunner glanced back at him, giving him a puzzling look. They’d find a way to make this work. To earn her love. She was more than just a temptation. She was their own form of salvation. They just needed her to believe it.
Chapter Nine
Morgan stared at the ceiling, mentally counting the wooden tiles in the dark as she reclined in the bed, wondering if she might actually sleep tonight or if she’d spend another eight hours simply trying to stay sane.
They’d finally found the remote cabin, though not before having to hike another three hours after jumping off the cliff in order to escape the damn zombies. While the impulsive act had saved their lives, it’d cost them time and distance, and they’d had to reclaim all the elevation they’d lost in that single step. The trek, combined with the cold, had taken a toll, and not just on her. Even Wolfe had been shaking from the loss of core body heat by the time they’d finally crested a small hill and spotted the building just a few hundred yards off. Somehow she’d managed to walk the entire way unaided, but had virtually collapsed once they’d gotten inside. Ham had muttered under his breath as he’d picked her up and placed her on the bed, ordering her not to move until they’d gotten a fire going in the stove.
He’d disappeared only to return with a blanket he said he’d found on a shelf. Then he’d ordered her to strip as he’d turned around and headed back into the other room. She’d stuck her tongue out at him, inwardly flipping him off. She hadn’t spent a decade as a ranger not to recognize hypothermia when she saw it. And she knew what to do in order to stop if from progressing to the point of death. But obviously the boys thought she needed to be ordered around like one of their damn SEAL buddies.
She’d silently cursed them the entire time she’d undressed, the hushed words intermixing with groans as her ribs protested each movement. But she’d eventually peeled the still wet clothes off her body and wrapped herself in the scratchy wool blanket. Then she’d innocently opened the door to place her garments by the fire to dry and had stopped dead in her tracks.
All three men had stripped down to their skivvies—the tight black cotton briefs the only scrap of fabric still covering their bodies. And though she’d pictured a hundred times what they’d look like naked, nothing compared to seeing the endless expanse of flesh and muscle standing before her. Broad, bulging shoulders and arms filled the room, accompanied by equally muscled chests and abdomens. Veins pulsed beneath their skin as their bodies seemed to flex just breathing. They were the epitome of male perfection, and she hadn’t been able to tear her gaze away. Then they’d turned to stare at her, and she’d dropped the damn bundle of clothes in her arms. All three men had been sporting straining erections barely contained beneath the briefs, and her mouth had actually watered at the sight.
Ham had been the first to react, walking over to her to collect t
he heap of damp clothing. He’d seemed completely indifferent to the fact he was standing basically nude in front of her. He’d frowned and had placed a hand on her forehead as if checking for a fever before she’d pulled herself together enough to react. Her head had tilted back to meet his gaze, and she’d had the sudden urge to tiptoe up and kiss him. Feel his warm, wet tongue caress hers as it had by the water. Christ, she’d wanted to taste all of them again.
The intensity of her feelings had shocked her, and she’d stumbled backwards once he’d removed his hand. He’d given her a quizzical look, asking if she was okay. She’d simply nodded and disappeared back inside the room. That had been two days ago. Sure, she’d gathered her composure enough to face the men shortly after and had been a pillar of strength ever since, but knowing she’d been a heartbeat away from opening up to them had scared her. And not just a little. It’d torn away the edges of the shield she’d erected after all those long months alone and having to face one threat after another. At discovering that what was left of humanity wasn’t even worth fighting for. She’d almost talked herself into believing these guys weren’t any different, that all the kindness they’d shown her was merely a means to an end. But in that one moment of truth, she’d recognized that it’d all been a lie she’d been telling herself in order to stay distant. That it was the fear of actually wanting to get close that had been the basis of her beliefs.
“Fuck.”
She let the word pass her lips. Since that one, defining instant, she’d been floundering. Stumbling her way through each day, only to have her damn head nag away at her at night. And when she did manage to sleep, Beau’s face appeared, leering at her as if mocking her newfound feelings. She’d bolted awake, chest heaving, sweat beading her brow. Somehow she’d managed to keep from screaming, but she’d heard footsteps outside the door and had known the boys were more than aware how far gone she was.
