Page 16 of Bitten By Zombie

The second he closed the door, the silence was overwhelming. She couldn’t even hear his retreating steps. Nor any of the sounds of the guys just a few rooms away. There wasn’t a radio or TV or noise-making device in sight. She couldn’t sleep like that.

Hurrying to the door before thinking of the consequences, she flung it open and called Zombie’s name.

Instantly, his steps faltered.

“You can sleep in here.”

The Cheshire Cat grin that graced his face as his steps ate up the distance had her scrambling to add.

“But no touching or kissing or, or…any funny business. Just sleeping, okay?”

She expected the grin to fall, but it didn’t. “Scout’s honor. No funny business. And no touching until you ask kindly.”

“Pfft, that’s not happening, Romeo.” She stepped away and hopped into the bed. Fumbling to pull the covers from under her ass.

He removed his vest and hung it on the skull head by the door, flexing as he did so. She’d ignored his bare chest all day as much as she could, but now she lost that battle. The way the ink flowed over his skin intrigued her. It was as if the wolf on his chest was alive and ready to pounce. She’d never seen a tattooed chest up close before. Other than the occasional leg or arm tattoo standing in line for her coffee, she hadn’t really even seen a lot of tattoos up close at all.

“Romeo was a child, I prefer a more manly pet name, Rabbit, so try again.” He unbuttoned his jeans, exposing more of himself, and her eyes tracked the progress.

“Like Rabbit is oh so womanly?” she grumbled.

Intense brown eyes pinned her to the bed when her gaze rose. “So, you agree we’re at the pet name stage in our relationship. Excellent.”

She levered up. “I admit no such thing. I mean nicknames. Nicknames are not the same as pet names.”

“I know they’re not, Rabbit, but I clearly said pet, not nick. So, in that case…” He stalked to the bed and leaned over as if to kiss the top of her head before he stopped and made a beeline to the bathroom. “So, in that case, I’ll accept Romeo, even if it’s not manly.”

With that, he closed the bathroom door, and Heidi was left staring at it with her mouth hanging open…catching flies. She’d said no kissing, and he took her at her word.

The man was unnerving at best.

CHAPTERFIVE

ZOMBIE

After verbally sparring with Heidi, he was wound up. He stripped down, removing his prosthesis, and hopped in the shower.

“Fuck me. Outlaw’s right,” Zombie mused as he lathered his hair. He did like feisty women. Loved them. Weak or helpless did nothing for him, no matter how beautiful they were on the outside.

And…he liked Heidi. Kissing her hadn’t been on his to-do list, but it had felt natural to do so. It wasn’t contrived to get in her pants—although he would never turn her down—he‘d done it because he’d wanted to. Not for any other motive beyond that. When he almost kissed her on his bed, he remembered his promise and backed off before he’d broken his word.

When she’d been tucked into him watching a movie, it had felt like they’d done it a million times before. Like they belonged together. There was no other way to describe it. It was like the world had conspired to put them together because they were meant to be.

One reason he never tried to make a real go of it with the townie was she wasn’t tough. She was damn good in the sack, but she couldn’t even move her couch or pump her own gas.

He was certain that if Heidi hadn’t been drugged, she would’ve found a way out of that trunk without their help. No doubt in his mind. Even now, she only accepted their help because she had zero other options. As soon as one became available to her using more of her own resourcefulness, she’d take it.

That’s why his relationships as of late were simply physical. No substance beyond the bedroom, and he wanted more. He wanted…her.

She was most certainly under his skin. As he rubbed body wash into his overheated skin, he couldn’t miss howdeeplyshe’d gotten to him. Hell, she probably hadn’t missed it either.

After lingering a little too long, he saidfuck itand took himself in hand. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had to bring himself off. But he’d happily do so until Heidi decided funny business was on the table.

Balancing on his foot, he steadied his upper body with a hand on the tile as he stroked his cock. It wasn’t about prolonging pleasure. It was about getting some fucking relief so he could sleep next to her and not devour her.

His cock was screaming at him to get back in there and see if she felt the same. However, no matter how insistent his cock was, he would do no such thing.

Heidi was strong, no doubt about it, but even strong people had vulnerable times, and after that kiss, he realized it was one for her.

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