I couldn’t hold on any longer, finally groaning against her mouth as I let go.
Morning sunlight cut through the half-closed blinds, painting the sheets in gold. Sadie lay beside me, her arm draped acrossmy stomach. I yawned as memories from last night flooded in. We’d kept each other awake for hours before we finally crashed, neither of us eager to end what we’d started.
The touch of her skin, the feel of her mouth on me, I craved it now I’d had a taste.
I took in her closed eyes, her soft lashes, and the familiar ache built inside me again. I wanted to stay here with her—just one more day locked in my apartment—but we had a plan. By the end of the day, my dad would know her. Mia and Ruby, too.
I lifted strands of hair off her face and pressed my lips to her forehead. “Time to wake up,” I murmured.
Her eyes stayed closed. “Not yet,” she said, shifting against me in a sensual way that probably wasn’t intentional. “I like being here with you.”
I smiled and flicked a glance at the window. “Looks nice outside for once. Great day for a drive.”
“If you’re not mowing down zombies on the highway,” she mumbled.
Well, there was that. I’d spent the past fifteen minutes psyching myself up for the trip and ignoring the worry gnawing at me. “You can sleep in the car,” I said, “but we’ve gotta go. I bet my dad hasn’t stopped pacing since the phone lines went down.”
And that was days ago. The power was still out, too—permanently, would be my guess. Which meant no more hot showers. And the plumbing would be next.
Fuck. I didn’t want to think about the plumbing.
I cupped her face and kissed her slowly, groaning when her body responded in all the right ways. “We don’t have time for this…” I dragged in a breath that did nothing to calm me. “The others are leaving soon.”
“Are you sure we’re in a hurry?” Sadie rolled onto her side and faced away from me, nestling her butt against my groin.A seductive little temptress who knew exactly which buttons to push. “I bet it wouldn’t take long,” she said, rolling her hips.
“What are you saying about my staying power?” She was still naked, the memory of our last time together imprinted on my mind—the heat of her wrapped around me, the way it felt to bethisclose to her. I slipped my arm under hers and reached across her body, clasping her breast, teasing her nipple with my thumb.
“I’m talking about my staying power,” she said in a sultry tone.
I smiled and squeezed her breast, rewarded with a moan that stirred every part of me to life. My lips found the side of her neck, and I kissed her sweet-smelling skin. “I can’t resist you,” I said.
“So… stop trying then.” When I gave her nipple a gentle pinch, her back arched, and she rocked her butt against me in a rhythm my body instantly recognised. “Pleasestop trying.”
I slipped my hand between us and guided myself inside her, ending the torment for us both. As her warmth enveloped me, I closed my eyes in relief, smiling when she grabbed my hand and returned it straight to her breast. I cupped the weight of it, my stomach tensing against her lower back as I sank deeper.
Sadie hadn’t been wrong about staying power. What started out as sweet and sensual quickly spiralled. Minutes later, I had her flat on her stomach, my thighs bracketing hers as I gripped her hips and drove into her. She clutched the pillow on either side of her face, pushing her ass backward to meet my thrusts. The bedhead shook against the wall, her breaths came faster and faster, and several deep plunges later, we both lost it.
When it was over, silence rushed in, and we rolled onto our backs, legs tangled in the sheets.
I curled my hand around her thigh and stared at the ceiling, appreciating whatever force had brought us together. “I feel like I should thank you,” I said, still catching my breath.
Sadie turned her head on the pillow, her cheeks still pink, her eyes bright. “I think you should, too.”
With a surprised laugh, I raised myself on one elbow and leaned over her, pressing my lips to hers. “Thank you,” I said. Then I kissed her neck and thanked her again. Her collarbone came next, then the valley between her breasts. Each nipple. I kept thanking her until she fell into fits of laughter and pushed me off her.
While she was still smiling, I rolled out of bed and scooped up my pyjama pants, eyeing her as I pulled them on. She looked so good lying there, all soft and loved—but with a clearer head now, I could make the switch to the next step.
Something must have shown in my expression because her eyes searched mine, and a mixture of sadness and resolution crept in. “We’re saying goodbye to everyone,” she said.
I nodded and ran my hands through my hair, sighing. “It’s time.”
Thirty
sadie
“I’ve got this one.” An elderly woman shuffled across the foyer, pink slippers leaving faint streaks of blood on the tiles. For a split second, I wanted to protect her from the violence and guide her back to whatever cosy house she’d come from, but survival instinct took over. I planted my feet and took a swing at her head.
The axe struck with a crack, and I wrenched the blade free, stepping aside as she crumpled. Her body landed half draped over one that Theo had taken down.
