“Let me?” I scoffed. “My boyfriend and my friendsaremy family. I’m not interested in breeding, ever. Brother Larry can kiss my ass with that nonsense.”
Donnie laughed. “You’re new around here, but you’ll learn. And Promised Land is a hell of a lot better than anywhere else I’ve been. Anyway, thanks for the smoke and good luck tomorrow.” I stared at him blankly and he said, “Your assessment?”
“Right. I’m not used to everyone knowing my business.”
He nodded. “Better get used to that too. It’s a small town. Gotta go make my rounds. Peace out, Brother Cipher.” He flashed me a deuces sign then ambled away, humming the same hymn the children had sung at dinner.
As I strolled back to our landscaped, tree-lined street, conspiracies bubbled up from the depths of my paranoia, from Promised Land being some research lab’s incubator for test-tube babies to Brother Larry secretly having ten wives. Were the denizens of Promised Land truly bought into this Fellowship propaganda, or were they just too afraid to strike out into Rabid Country alone?
Regardless, I needed to know more about the architect of this community, one humble, God-fearing carpenter by the name of Lawrence Young.
TWO
KITTEN
“Rise and shine, sleepy head,”I whispered to my handsome sleeping prince. A small wrinkle appeared in the middle of Cipher’s stern brow, but his eyes remained closed, black lashes fanning over the tops of his sharp cheekbones. Too bad I had to wake him because I liked watching him sleep–it was one of the only times that he looked almost peaceful.
He’d insisted on keeping watch last night and traded off with Artemis in the middle of the night, probably only getting a couple hours of rest in total, but we needed to get up and make ready for our placement appointments that morning, and I’d arranged something special for him as a treat.
Getting no response, I kissed the tip of his nose. His eyes blinked open, then he squinted at me and grumbled, “You’re so pretty and so mean.”
“I know, but it’s time to get up. I have a surprise for you.”
“Coffee?” he asked hopefully.
“Even better.”
Without saying anything more, he grabbed me in a big bear hug and dragged me on top of him like a thick winter blanket. “Five more minutes,” he said and buried his nose in my hair. Five more minutes could easily turn into an hour, but I relaxed on top of him, soaking up his heat and appreciating the hard contours of his body, which fit mine just right. I rubbed my erection against his muscular thigh and he answered me in kind, so I lined up my cock with his to get a nice bit of friction going.
“That’s a dirty trick, Kitten,” he murmured.
“I know. I’m terrible. Come on, tough guy, before the water gets cold.”
He groaned and sat up, still gripping me to him so that I straddled his lap. With his nose pressed against my neck, he inhaled deeply, and I let him burrow there before gently pinching his sides with my knees. Dragging his hands down my back, he grabbed both my butt cheeks and squeezed.
“Are you trying to juice me?” I said.
“Is it working?”
He definitely had me wanting to finish what we started. Then he kissed me, and I lost myself completely, pleasure unfurling in my groin and my gut like flower petals.
“What water?” he asked, finally pulling away. With my lips still humming, I remembered my mission.
“Come with me.”
He’d fallen asleep wearing his prosthesis, so I climbed off his lap and dragged him by the hand to the bathroom, shared between ours and Macon’s room. His door was shut to offer us some privacy–he already knew about my plans for the morning.
“What’s this?” Cipher asked when we met the wall of steam billowing up from the bathtub. It had taken me forever to heat the water on the wood-burning stove and several trips up the stairs, but I was able to make the bathwater piping hot, just the way he liked it.
“Happy Placement Day,” I said and gave him a great big hug.
He stood there, wide-eyed and still as a fawn, the same way he got when he was assessing our surroundings in Rabid Country for any hidden threats. Finally, a wisp of a smile graced his lips and he hugged me back. “Wow, Kitten, this was really thoughtful of you. Are those flower petals?”
“Yep and rosemary too. I know how much you like a good bath.”
“You did this for me?”
“Yeah. Now, let’s get you undressed.”
