Page 18 of Deceptively Dead

“Damn it, Angie! You aremypatient and you will do as I tell you!” He had snapped, throwing up his hands in exasperation, but his eyes held a challenge that wouldn’t let me back down.

“Excuse the fuck out of me,Doctor, but I will do whatever the hell I damn well please! I am a grown ass adult! I can manage a freaking shower without getting my shoulder wet. As I have already promised you! Do you know how many bandages Ihave had throughout my life?! I grew up on a farm, I know how to take care of wounds, damn it! So, I will say this just ONE more time. I will be having a hot shower today. I have been perfectly reasonable and listened to your concerns. I’m tired. I still feel dirty from laying underneath a dead person and if I have to shoot you to get you out of my way, I will bloody well do it! Move your ass!”My response had taken a sharp turn towards violent at that point, that was completely out of my control and much closer to the prickly personality that I had been known for before the apocalypse. It couldn’t be helped. His stubborn set to his jaw and his whole ‘I know better than you’ attitude was something that needed to be pushed back against.

I used to be excellent at pushing back. I had inched my hand toward my knife.

Luckily, at that point Chase had keeled over, laughing in the corner he had relegated himself to after Nate had bit his head off for helping me argue my case. I had shot him an amused glare that soon turned into a genuine smile and then laughter as I watched him struggle with his guffawing. My laughter had dried up soon after that when I spied Hunter by the door, a strange sort of expression on his face and a fiercely proud look in his intense gaze. When I had turned back to Nate, I saw the expression mirrored in his eyes and a little smile playing around his luscious mouth.

“Unbelievable. Are you baiting me right now? Because that is not cool. Not cool at all.” But I had still been smiling, a foreign sense of pride oozing out from my soul and sitting awkwardly next to my heart.

“A little. Your fire is beautiful and I can honestly say riling you up has become my new favorite hobby.” I’d blushed like an idiot, a soft smile gracing my lips for him as my heart skipped a beat. “But you’re still not having a shower.” The smiledropped away, replaced with a scowl so fierce his hands came up placatingly. “But, maybe… a compromise?”

And that had been how I ended up in a partially full tub of blissfully warm water with a dumb smile on my face that wouldn’t leave.

They loved my fire.Nate had said it outright and I could see the agreement in each of the other’s eyes. Truth be told, I missed my fire. I missed being someone that could stand up for themselves and others without trembling in fear. I wanted to be that person again. But maybe, even better. Maybe instead of being broken, I was being forged into something new. Something stronger. I had just needed my guys to help me gather the pieces and give me a safe space to squish them all back together.

Huh, even in an apocalypse, the bath was still the best place for an epiphany.

Eventually the water chills and forces me to get out, the scented candles that lit the bathroom flickering mildly as I stir the air.Yeah, the candles were an apology from Nate. Any wrath I felt after his baiting had vanished the second I saw them.

I manage to dry myself with the big fluffy white towel, using only one hand, and wrap it haphazardly around my hips, seeing as my top portion is covered in bandages and my trusty bra.

Feeling more relaxed than I have in… a very long time, I wander out to the adjoining bedroom, my mind firmly back in the fairy tale library, thinking of the first book I’m going to snatch and read first thing in the morning.I bet there’s bound to be a couple of smutty novels. Maybe even a few reverse harems for… research purposes.

I’m barely two steps into the bedroom when my entire focus is stolen by the giant sprawled across the big bed. Chase has his eyes closed, with his arms resting behind his head, showing offhis incredible muscle under dark tan skin. He’s obviously had a shower because his facial hair is trimmed close to his strong jaw again and…Holy motherballs, he’s shirtless.I’m not ashamed to say I stare. The man is absolutely ripped, even relaxed as he is I can see the hard lines and dips of well used muscle beneath scarred, golden skin. I drink him in greedily from his impressive chest to his… is that an actualeight pack?Hot damn.All the way down to the dark hair of his happy trail and on to where his fresh jeans sit tantalizingly low on the vee of his hips.

“Enjoying yourself, Angel?” I jump at the sound of his voice, eyes flickering back up to his grey gaze guiltily. He’s wearing a self-satisfied smirk that makes me want to blush or smack it straight off his arrogant face. I end up blushing. With his gaze still holding mine I see his smile widen with what looks like victory and his eyes heat with predatory intent. I swallow nervously and a take a step back on instinct. Chase’s smile dims a bit, but then he’s sitting up, using only those glorious ab’s of his and gesturing for me to come closer, the predatory look in his eyes nowhere to be seen.

“Come over here Angel and I can take that bandage off for you. Nate wants it to air out for a bit.” I’m still a bit dazed by the way his muscles bunched and moved as he sat up, but I manage to get my feet moving in the right direction as Chase scoots over on the bed to make room for me to perch in front of him.

I sit cross legged in front of him as he produces a pair of scissors from his pocket and I realize I haven’t said anything to him yet. Not a damn word. All I’ve done is ogle him since I walked in the room. I quickly scan my brain for something flirty or witty to say to diffuse the awkwardness of the situation.

“Is it really safe to be carrying scissors so close to your dick?” Oh. My. God. Silence descends. Chase blinks at me. I die from embarrassment. Time stretches into eternity as all the blood in my body rushes to my face.

But then he starts to laugh, loudly, and I eventually descend into giggles right along with him, at least until I hear him purr “I like you thinking about my dick, Angel.” I immediately choke on my giggle as my eyes once more snap to his, watching his unusual grey irises darken to storm clouds as he watches me intently.

Before I can become uncomfortable again, he breaks our stare off and leans forward to pull at the bandage encasing my shoulder. He brings the scissors up but hesitates.

“Might be better to just unwrap this...” He murmurs to himself as he proceeds to do just that. His hands brushing past my breasts with each pass, the back of his knuckles dragging tantalizingly over my nipples and making my breath catch in my throat as they tighten and strain against the fabric of my bra. I realise I’ve been watching his hands and jump my eyes back to his face to see if he noticed my needy reaction. The breath that was caught in my throat explodes out of me as I see his gaze locked on me, his eyes dilated, the black of his pupil near eclipsing his storm cloud iris.

We sit locked in each other’s gaze for what feels like ages but is likely only a few seconds before he very deliberately reaches forward again and grazes the back of his hand over the same nipple, watching as I gasp from just that light contact. Need starts to pool between my legs, making me shift so I can rub my legs together. Chase watches me squirm, never taking his eyes from mine as he strokes his knuckles more firmly over my breast, causing a whimper to escape me. He makes a low noise in the back of his throat when he hears that and moves closer to take both my breasts in his hands, cupping them over my bra and pushing away the remaining bandage, he uses his thumbs to stroke circles over each of my nipples with firm sure movements that have me clenching my thighs and moaning quietly. A masculine rumble comes from Chase ending in a slight groan.

His hands move, releasing my nipples, and he holds the front clasp of my trusty bra between his large fingers, pausing to search my face. I manage a little squeak of need and an eager nod. That seems to be all he needs as he unclasps my bra and gently pushes it off my shoulders, again so very careful of my injury. He takes a moment to sit back and look at me and this time, it’shisbreath that catches. I sway toward him a little, wanting to feel his hands against me again and he responds to the invitation, closing the distance between us and claiming my lips with his as his hands run lightly over my naked skin, leaving goose bumps in their wake. His mouth moves over mine, deepening the kiss and making my head feel light. When his fingers pluck gently at my sensitive nipple another groan escapes me as the needy throbbing between my legs becomes undeniable. When he breaks our kiss and starts to trail his lips down the side of my neck, I wiggle closer to him on instinct, pushing my chest into his big hands.

He continues to play and flick my nipples with those talented fingers, moving his head tortuously slow, licking and sucking at the tender skin along my neck and under my jaw until eventually, finally, he slants his mouth across my sensitive buds, replacing his fingers with his hot tongue. He sucks first one and then the other into his mouth and rolls his tongue across their tightened peaks. My good arm comes up to fist a hand in his short blonde hair, trying to keep him locked against me as he sweeps me away with his talented hands and mouth.

Good gods, he hasn’t even touched me down there yet and I swear I could come just from the attention he’s giving my breasts.

As if he hears my thought Chase groans and lifts his head to search my eyes with a satisfied smirk on his face. “I bet I could make you come just from this, Angel, with only my hands and mouth on your gorgeous tits. Would you like that?”Holyexploding ovaries.His deep voice is husky and his dirty talk nearly sends me over the edge, my breaths coming in short sharp pants as I wait to see what he’s going to do next. His grey eyes watch my reaction and that satisfied smirk of his ratchets up a knot before he continues “But, I think I want to taste you first. I’ve been dreaming of your taste on my tongue, Sweetness.”

With those dirty words he pulls me forward, off balance, before tipping me backwards with a hand on my back making sure I don’t fall onto my bad shoulder. Once I’m laying stretched before him, he swoops in for another earth bending kiss, positioning himself above me and to the side as he trails his fingers lazily down my body, his big arms easily suspending him above me and the towel around my hips no barrier to him as it has already slipped away leaving me bare before him. His fingers skim lightly over my curls, causing me a brief spike of anxiety over the untamed wilderness that is my lady beard, before dipping into my wet heat, making my hips jerk as I break our kiss to pull in a sharp breath that comes out as a loud moan as his fingers circle over my clit, my anxiety disappearing instantly.

“So fucking beautiful, Angel.” Chase murmurs to me, reverence in his tone as he teases his fingers over my opening, only allowing his fingers to dip in shallowly before returning to play with my oversensitive clit.

He’s deliberately driving me insane and I need more, so I start to move, grinding my hips up and trying to chase the pressure of his hands as he expertly teases me, pulling me closer to the edge but not quite letting me fall yet. I make a demanding whimpering noise that I’m sure I will be ashamed of later and the bastard chuckles. “Hush, Angel, don’t be so impatient. I’m going to take care of you but not yet. No, you’re going to come on my tongue the first time, then again on my cock. So be patient.” The last part is delivered in a tone worthy of the doctor himself and I work hard to still my withering body. However, mycompliance lasts about two seconds when he starts to move his fingers again and with a huff of amused air Chase quickly lowers himself into a position between my legs, smiling wickedly up at me for a moment before he leans in and licks a long line up my slit making me cry out at the almost foreign stimulation. A slightly uncomfortable feeling overcomes me as I realise exactlywhythis feeling is so foreign but I try valiantly to shove aside all thoughts of the last few years. I’m surprised when I actually succeed, helped along by the talents of Chase’s tongue, I’m soon lost to pleasure again. When he slips one finger inside me as his tongue works my clit, I swear I see rainbows as I come without warning, clenching around his finger and crying out his name as he continues to play me through my orgasm.

When I finally come down, panting and flushed, Chase is leaning over me, eyes heated pools of smoke watching my every move as his hands move to his jeans button. He pauses there to arch an eyebrow at me, waiting for my nod of approval before flicking the button open and pulling down the zipper. I can see the outline of his huge dick pressed tightly against his jeans, but he doesn’t rush to pull it out, instead letting me get an eyeful of him as he kneels between my spread thighs, waiting for me to give him… something. I’m not sure what. When he sees my expression turn questioning, his eyes soften and he murmurs “Say yes, Angel. I need to hear you say it before we keep going. I won’t do anything unless you say yes. Always.”

I instantly feel my eyes fill up as what he says soaks in. And while I am so immensely grateful, I also wonder when I became so easily readable. I never told these guys about what happened to me, not in detail, but it seems like they know anyway, always checking in with me. That makes me feel all sorts of vulnerable so I drop my eyes away from Chase’s and try to swallow down the lump in my throat that tastes a lot like shame. Chase gives me a moment before grasping my chin in his large fingers andpulling my eyes back to his. “I mean it beautiful; we do this at your pace. Whatever you need. We stop right now if that’s what you want. You just say the word, ok?” his voice is still husky but his eyes are telling me he means every word. With my eyes locked on his I release a pent up breath, letting my tense muscles relax as well as I give him a small nod of understanding.

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