by L. A. Boruff
I released my finger, and the arrow sailed forward, impaling the mut into the hole. It was a kill shot.
But before I could nock another arrow ready to kill any more of its friends that were lurking around, strong arms wrapped around me yanking me backward. “What the hell was that?” Zephyr threw me in front of him, growling at me, his eyes set into deadly slits. “You could have gotten yourself killed.”
“Like this is any better.” I threw up my hands, yelling right in his face. “Look around, Zeph. If one of those things doesn’t kill us, lack of fresh water will. We still have over forty miles to go. Don’t tell me you haven’t considered the worst?” My chest heaved with the weight of my words.
“Of course, I’ve considered it,” his voice was low. “But we’ll make it. We have to make it. Or the last two years... everything, it was all for nothing.” His eyes shuttered, darting away from me.
“Hey, look at me.” I approached him, sliding my finger under his jaw, the roughness of his five o’clock shadow like sandpaper over my skin. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I just—”
Zephyr caught me by surprise, pulling me into his body, fitting us together like two pieces of a puzzle. He sealed his mouth over mine, his tongue plunging deep into my mouth, stealing all air from my lungs, and all rational thought from my mind.
“Zephyr,” I moaned. “What are—”
“Stop talking, Ky.” Kiss. “I really need you to stop talking and just let me have this.” Kiss. Kiss. Kiss.
Zephyr Dalton was kissing me.
He kissed me like I was the last source of oxygen on Earth, his fingers digging into the curve of my ass tight enough to leave marks. It was then I realized he wasn’t as calm and composed as he projected. Strong, brave Zephyr Dalton was just as scared as the rest of us. That settled something inside me, loosened the knot in my stomach I’d had ever since losing Marisol and Miles.
“I’m here,” I breathed between kisses. Hot, wet, clumsy kisses. My hands slid to either side of his face, yanking him closer, needing him closer.
“Fuck, Ky,” he rasped, sliding his hands around the backs of my thighs and hauling me up his body. I wrapped my legs around his waist, suppressing a moan the second I felt him hard at my core.
“Ride me,” he panted, grinding me on him. “Please, just—”
I rolled my hips, creating a delicious friction between us and we both moaned.
“Christ, I wish I could lay you down and lose myself in you, but this will have to do.” Zephyr thrust into me, holding me steady over his growing erection. We were both fully clothed. Hot and sticky from the burning sun. But it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except the firestorm he’d ignited deep inside me. Waves of pleasure built a slow momentum; a gentle ebb and flow that grew into a violent riptide with his jerky movements.
“Zeph, more...” I sucked his tongue into my mouth, letting him bounce me up and down on his fully-clothed dick, drunk on his kiss, lost in the feel of him.
I didn’t care we were out in the open with only a huge pile of rubble shielding us, or that Denver and Cavendish could probably hear us. The second Zephyr’s lips touched mine, everything else had paled into insignificance.
I thought I’d needed the kill, needed to see one of those things die at my hands. But I needed this.
I needed to feel alive.
“I’m going to… fuck, I’m going to come,” his voice was gravelly as his body began to buck wildly beneath me.
I gripped his jaw and pressed my head to his. “Don’t you dare finish without me.” I needed to come. Needed the release I’d only ever experienced with my own fingers.
Zephyr eased back slightly, his pupils dilated and jaw slack, but his lips... his lips spread into a knowing smirk as slowed his movements, the veins in his neck throbbing with concentration.
“Oh fuck…” I moaned, my head falling back as he guided my body down on his in slow torturous perfection. “I’m going to—”
“Damn right you are.” I heard the smirk in his voice as my world shattered into stars, my body quivering around him. Zephyr grunted, his body locking up and then sinking against me as he found his own release.
After a couple of seconds, Zephyr lowered me to the ground. “Ky, I—”
“Don’t.” I smiled sadly. I didn’t want to hear what a mistake it was or how he should have had better control. We were on a scorched planet searching for any sign of life for Christ’s sake.
“We should go find the others,” I said taking off toward the road. Of course, when I rounded the pile of rubble and found Denver and Cavendish looking all kinds of awkward, it shouldn’t have come as any surprise. Privacy was a luxury we didn’t have out here.
“I... uh... we...”
“Settled your differences?” Denver coughed out the words, a hint of a smile tugging at his mouth.
“Something like that.” My gaze slid from his to Cavendish, who looked right through me.
“Cav, I—”
“We should get moving.” He started down the barely visible track.
“Hey,” Denver came up to me, squeezing my shoulder. “If it’s any consolation, I’m glad to hear things between you and Zephyr are—”
I swatted his chest, shooting him a stern look. He chuckled before taking off after Cav. Zephyr appeared a couple of seconds later, his stone mask pulled back in place, a damp patch visible on his crotch.
“Problem?” He asked although I knew he’d heard my exchange with the guys.
“No problem. Let’s go.”
He gave me a curt nod, and we took off after our friends, speaking no word of what had just happened between us.
We managed another three miles before my legs refused to cooperate any longer.
“We’ll set up camp between those ruins.” Zephyr pointed to the decimated structure. It was impossible to say what it once had been, but my weary mind declared it a huge shopping mall; the ones that had a food court and the movies, maybe even a bowling alley. Whatever it had once been, tonight it was our safe haven.
At least, I hoped it was.
Denver and Zephyr set about erecting our tent, while I helped Cavendish prepare a fire to warm our cans of beans on. “You’ve been quiet,” I said glancing over my shoulder to make sure Zeph and Denver were distracted.
“Just thinking.”
“Penny for your thoughts?”
He sighed deeply. “I’m eighteen. I should have graduated this year.”
“Me too.” We were the same age. Zephyr was two years older and Denver one year. Miles had been the same age as Denver, and Mari was a year younger than me.
“But we always knew it was unlikely.” Even back in ninth grade—before school got cancelled—we knew it was unlikely we’d ever graduate. Our parents made a point of home-schooling us, but we didn’t just learn math and English; no, they introduced things like survival 101, and how to treat radiation burns to our lessons. There had been a time I’d thought they were being paranoid.
Now I knew they weren’t.
“I know, I just wish things could have been different,” he said the words, even though his eyes were saying another thing.
Swallowing over the lump in my throat, I croaked out, “Is this about earlier? About me and Zephyr?”
Cavendish had kissed me twice and now I’d kissed Zephyr. I knew I should feel guilty about it; girls weren’t supposed to go around kissing their best friends. We’d already been through so much though; I couldn’t find it in my bones to care. Not really. But I didn’t want things to be weird between us.
Cavendish was important to me.
They all were.
He blew out a shaky breath, running his hands through his dark-blond hair. “I thought...” His gaze fell to the ground. “It doesn’t matter.”
“We’re all set,” Zephyr’s deep voice rang out. “How’s that fire coming?”
“Yeah,” Cavendish replied, still not looking at me. “It’s all good.” He got up to leave, but I snagged his hand, silen
tly pleading with him to stay.
“It doesn’t change anything,” I whispered. He smiled sadly.
“It does though, Ky. It changes everything.” Pulling his hand free, he gave me one last lingering look before going over to the other guys.
And for the first time since losing Marisol and Miles, my heart ached for a different reason.
Chapter Four
Day 741
Sleep didn’t come easy last night. I lay wedged between Zephyr and Cavendish. I’d tried to sleep on Denver’s other side, so I could avoid any awkwardness, but he’d left no room beside him and simply smirked over his shoulder when I’d asked him to move. Bastard.
It was hardly any surprise Cavendish gave me his back. But I was surprised when Zephyr slung his arm over me and dragged me into his body, burying his face in my shoulder. After neither of us had talked about what had happened earlier that day, I’d half expected to receive his shoulder too. But no, he’d held me until I’d fallen asleep. And although my feelings towards him confused me, it was nice.
I hadn’t expected to wake tangled between the both of them though. Zephyr was still wrapped around me like a spider monkey, but in his sleep, Cavendish had turned into me. His face squished close to mine, our legs entwined.
I’d woken first and panicked. The air was humid; so thick I could barely breathe, and I’d tried to extract myself from the Zephyr/Cavendish sandwich I found myself in.
I failed.
So I lay there, waiting for them to wake up. It was sweet torture. Zephyr hard and ready, pressing into my ass. Cavendish’s long erection brushing my stomach. My thoughts became dirty. Inappropriate. Imagining what it would be like if they woke up to find me needy for them. I imagined Zephyr dipping his fingers into my panties and sliding through my wetness while Cavendish kissed and nibbled and sucked the soft skin along my neck.
I even contemplated touching myself. Just to ease the ache deep inside me.
But Denver had woken first, leaving the tent to take a leak; his gaze full of amusement as it fell over the three of us.
“Enjoying yourself?” he’d mouthed in that easy way of his, and I’d flipped him off, before waking Cavendish and Zephyr so I could do the same.
Before I did something that would definitely change everything.
Crap. Maybe I had a bad case of dehydration or the solar crazies. Because I couldn’t actually be contemplating being with both of them.
Could I?
Signing off
K.
The flame of the fire flicked higher into the air. “Is that really necessary?” I asked, pulling my tank top away from my slick skin. It had to be upward of one-hundred degrees, but Denver still insisted on making a fire to cook our basic meal on.
“What’s up with you tonight?” he asked. “You’re cranky.”
“I’m not cranky.” I tore off a piece of dry bread and stuffed it into my mouth. “What do you think it’s like there?”
“Where?” Cav joined us.
“Subterranea.”
“Hopefully, they have cold running water and toothbrushes. Fuck, I miss toothbrushes.”
“I didn’t like to mention it, mate, but—”
Cav leaned over and swatted Denver.
“What’s going on?” Zephyr came and sat beside me, a cup of warm water in his hand. He offered me it, but I declined. I was sick of the stuff.
“An ice cold can of soda. Fuck, I’d kill for one of those,” I groaned, imagining the cool liquid sliding down my throat. When I opened my eyes, I was met with three guys all gawking at me. “What?” I said.
“You have no fucking clue how sexy you are, do you?” Cavendish’s admission surprised me.
“I haven’t washed properly in days.” The packs of baby wipes we’d brought with us didn’t count. “I’m sweating as much, if not more, than the three of you combined, and my hair is three times the size it used to be.” Despite trying to wrestle a brush through it every morning and taming my white blond curls into a braid.
“Besides,” I added. “As far as we know I’m the last girl alive on the planet. You have to say that.”
“It’s probably why I shouldn’t say it.” His eyes darkened, making my tummy clench.
“He’s right, Ky. The whole Lara Croft thing you have going on; I wouldn’t say no.” Denver howled with laughter, but I wasn’t laughing.
Neither was Zephyr as our eyes locked on one another’s.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
What wasn’t I thinking?
“I just think it’s such a waste. We’re so young and we might never get to experience stuff.”
“Stuff?” His brow arched.
“Yeah, like sex and stuff.”
“Sex and stuff? Jesus, Ky.” Cav sprayed his water in the air, rubbing his chest as he choked on his words, and mine.
“Speak for yourself,” Denver declared. “I banged Cherrie Winston a couple of nights before our parents closed the hatch.”
“You did not?” I gasped. Cherrie was a girl on our block and despite Denver being Mr. All-American, I would never have guessed he liked Cherrie Winston. She was just such a... goody-two-shoes.
And now she was gone, like everyone else.
He gave an easy shrug. “No way was I going to be locked down there a virgin.” Silence fell over us. “Don’t tell me I’m the only one? Come on, Zeph, you’re the eldest; you must have—”
“Sarah Bradbury, the night my old man told me about their plan, and a couple other girls before…” His voice trailed off, his eyes dropping to the ground, and I swear I caught him blushing.
“Cavendish?” I asked, unsure I wanted to know the answer. But it was Cavendish. I’d know if he’d… done it. “Please tell me you didn’t run off to the first girl who would drop her panties?”
“Shit, Ky, you can’t ask me that.”
“You did?” Hurt cinched my chest. It shouldn’t have mattered that he’d had sex. But it did. Or maybe it was the fact he’d never told me. “Now I wish I’d have found some random guy to fuck.”
Zephyr cussed under his breath, and Denver and Cav visibly flinched at my harsh words.
“Ky, come on. You can hardly blame us—”
“No, you’re right,” I said, schooling my irritation. “You’re guys. Of course, you went out and had sex the second you found out the world might end.”
Standing up, I stormed off to the tent, confused about my irrational reaction to hearing them admit they’d all done it. Before the bunker, it wouldn’t have mattered who they stuck their dicks in. We were friends, yeah, but I didn’t think of them as anything else. But now? Now I was confused. I’d kissed Cavendish and got off dry-fucking Zephyr. And there had been moments with Denver where I’d thought he might kiss me.
When I’d wanted him to.
Anger simmered in my veins as I burst into the tent, pulling the damp tank top off my body. My fingers grappled with the waistband of my pants as I pushed them down off my hips.
“Ky, shit—”
“Cavendish!” I spun around coming face to face with him.
“Sorry, I was just... fuck, put some clothes on.” His eyes darted around me.
“Please, you’ve seen me like this before.” The bunker hadn’t exactly provided much privacy.
“Yeah, but, Christ.” He cupped the back of his neck, his eyes dark and hooded as they dragged up and down my body.
“See something you like?” I asked brazenly.
“Ky, come on,” he choked out.
“What, I’m not good enough? You’ll fuck some random girl but not me? Who was it? Jessica Kalen?” I’d always hated that bitch. She was everything I wasn’t; gorgeous with big doe eyes and shapely curves that all the boys in our neighborhood liked. “Or was it Talia Mendez?” She’d always had a thing for Cavendish, but he’d always been too busy with me and the guys to notice. At least, I’d assumed he had.
“Kyra, stop.” He closed the distance between us, sliding his hand against
my cheek. “What’s gotten into you? You can’t really be this upset over us losing our V-cards before the bunker?”
“It’s not just that,” I said, feeling the fight melt right out of me.
“So what then? What is it?” His eyes searched mine for answers I wanted to give him but wasn’t sure I could.
Because he was right. I was acting irrational. So what if they’d all had sex? People did it all the time.
But I hadn’t.
It hadn’t occurred to me to experience as much as I could before the bunker. I’d been too absorbed with honing my bow skills and preparation for life underground.
“We could die out here and I would never have known what it was like,” I admitted, my voice small.
“What it’s…? Oh.” His eyes flashed with something.
“Yeah, oh.” I dropped my gaze, unable to take his pity.
“Kyra.” Christ, the way my name sounded on his lips did all kinds of crazy things to me. Made me want all kinds of crazy things too. “Look at me.” His fingers drifted to my jaw, tilting my face up. “I wanted it to be you.”
“You did?”
Cav gave me a sad smile. “More than anything, but I never thought you wanted me like that. We were best friends.”
“And now?” I asked, “What are we now?”
He let out a heavy sigh, squeezing his eyes tight. “I don’t know. But I want to give you whatever you want. So tell me, Ky, what do you want?”
“I want to know what it’s like.” A violent shiver rolled through me; my stomach coiled tight.
Cavendish’s lips curved as his hands traced a path down my chest and over my bra. It wasn’t anything special; made for practicality rather than for sensuality. But that was our reality. I would never get to go to Prom or have a romantic first time.
This was it for me.
And it was enough.
It had to be.
Cav expertly unclasped my bra, making my brow raise. “Stop over-thinking and just feel,” he said in his deep gravelly way that made a shiver roll through me.
Feel.
I could do that.
