“There,” he murmurs as I collapse on him, gasping wetly against his shoulder. “That’s what you needed, isn’t it?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“You came real hard that second time. Was it too much for you?”
“No,” I manage to rasp out. With one of my hands, I’m gripping the back of his neck like I can’t let go. “No. I needed it. Oh fuck, it feels like the top of my head blew off.”
“I’d kinda like to see that, so we can try it again sometime soon.”
“The blow job or the hand job?”
“Both. Honestly can’t decide which I loved more.”
15
We get goingafter a few more minutes, and I’m really dragging.
Maybe it’s the release from having sex with Ben after going so many years without. Maybe it’s the emotional drain of my mother’s death. Maybe it’s just from two days straight of rigorous walking.
But after another hour I feel so heavy it takes colossal effort to keep trudging.
Ben doesn’t look particularly spry either, so I wonder if he’s feeling the same. I’ve spent my life avoiding revealing weakness to anyone, so I don’t actually put it into words.
I don’t have to.
“My offer to carry you on my back is still good,” he says, his eyes glinting.
That makes me laugh. “I’ll manage. It just feels like I’m hauling around a giant anvil on my shoulders.”
“I kinda feel that way too. But we’re more than halfway there. Few more hours and we’ll be back. We can always rest again if we need to.”
“It’s nice of you to say we as if you need an extra rest too, but I’ll be okay.” I sigh and straighten my shoulders, which have fallen into a slump. “I hope.”
He’s reaching over to give the hair of my wig a tweak when the sound of a motor behind us makes us stiffen and move off the road quickly.
I’m not worried. It’s probably another transport truck or a hired motor driving someone with credits enough to pay, just like we’ve seen throughout today and yesterday.
But walkers shouldn’t stay on the road when a vehicle approaches because sometimes the drivers aren’t paying attention or don’t even slow down.
As soon as we’ve moved to the gravel on the edge of the road, I glance back to see what’s coming.
“Shit,” I breathe out, grabbing for Ben’s arm.
It’s one of the mini-trucks Central Cities guards drive around when they’re on their own. I know who it is even before he slows down and pulls even with us.
That same damn guard from the village.
The one who kept leering at me.
Ben is trying to act casual, but he’s got his right hand at his side near his gun. It’s currently covered by his shirttails, but he’s ready to grab it in less than two seconds. Hemoves intentionally so he’s partly in front of me without looking like he’s doing it on purpose.
“We meet again,” he says in a jovial voice that’s not at all like him. “Can we do anything for you, sir?”
Thesirdefinitely grates on him, but he keeps it from his voice.
“Thought I might catch up with you,” the man says, craning his neck to see me around Ben’s big body. “I wanted to give the lady a ride to save her from such a long walk.”
“Oh, thank you,” I say, putting a hand on Ben’s shirt to keep him from acting too hastily. Maybe we can still talk our way out of this, despite the persistence of my obnoxious suitor. “That’s so good of you. But we’re enjoying the stroll, and I don’t want to leave my man behind.”
