Page 20 of Shattered Love

I knew it wasn’t the same for Murphy. He wasn’t from the area, he couldn’t walk into the camp and hope his mom was there waiting for him. But for now, it was all I had.

Murphy reached up, cupping my cheeks in his hands. “I thought that everything would be okay. And then you were taken right from under my nose.” He swallowed roughly. “How can I possibly believe things will be okay when I witnessed you go through the worst?”

Covering his hands with my own, I pressed my forehead against his. “Because I survived. I’m okay. And if your mom is anything like you, then she’s a survivor.”

Murphy swallowed roughly once more and then his lips were on mine, taking the breath from my lungs. The touch was different than Warner’s, that was fire and desperation, whereas this was a languid caress, an emotional connection.

His mouth moved in tandem with mine, soft but pressing, and then his tongue slid across my lips, asking for entrance. Opening my mouth, our tongues tangled together, slow and sweet.

His hands skated down my face, sliding past my neck and down my hips. One hand reached for my thigh, bringing it up and wrapping it around his waist. His hips pressed into me, his hardness meeting my center.

I moaned into his mouth, his lips capturing the sound. His other hand slid around my hip, sliding up my stomach until he palmed my breast. Pressing into the touch, he kneaded my flesh, my hips grinding against him, begging for friction.

My mind was all Murphy, his woodsy scent, the feel of his new scruff under my fingers, the heat of his body mingling with mine. And yet, in the recess of my brain, I couldn’t help but think of another moment like this one. And how it was unfair to the man in front of me.

Breaking away from the kiss, we both breathed heavily. Before I could talk myself out of it, I blurted, “I kissed Warner.”

I waited for Murphy’s rejection, for him to push me away, but none of that came. Instead, he pulled me closer, rolling his hips against mine in a delicious rhythm, my head falling back on a groan.

“And you almost died. And we’re all going to die in a few months. None of it really matters.” He tipped my chin up until my eyes were locked with his. “All that matters is that a strong.” He kissed the underside of my jaw. “Beautiful.” He sucked on my neck. “And goddamn sexy woman is in my arms.” He rolled his hips against mine once more. “And as long as you’re okay with it, I’m going to take advantage of the fact that our hearts are still beating and mine’s telling me I’ve never felt this way before.”

Gripping the strands of his short hair between my fingers, his light hazel eyes searing into me, I ghosted my lips over his. “I am more than okay with it.” He leaned forward, ready to brush his lips against mine once more, but I backed away. Swallowing, I opened my heart to him, knowing he deserved the words. “And it’s because I know I’ve never felt this way before. And I’m going to chase that feeling for as long as I can.”

This time, I allowed Murphy’s lips to reach mine, falling deeper into his embrace. His hands caressed my sides, my hands running along the planes of his firm chest. His fingers trailed along my stomach, reaching the hem of my shirt and pulling. Lifting my arms over my head, he tugged the material off, baring me to him.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful,” he muttered, his hands reaching to cup my breasts.

He rolled my nipples between his fingers, my breaths coming faster and shorter as pleasure coursed through me. Leaning forward, his mouth captured one of my nipples, sucking and licking as his free hand skated down my stomach, flicking the button open on my pants.

“Please,” I whispered into the silent air.

And then the silence was no more. Shouts and yells filled the silence, my spine snapping straight and my head tilting around the tree. But the tree was too thick and I couldn’t see the others.

“Murphy!” A voice yelled.

“Alessia!” Another voice screamed.

Throwing my shirt on quickly, Murphy and I sprinted around the tree and back to the fire, but it was too late. At least ten masked men had each of our friends in their arms, their bodies limp. My legs never stopped, pumping toward the masked intruders, but my head was still dizzy from the drinks, my movements sluggish.

They were gone from my sight before I even reached the fire. Murphy halted next to me, his gaze straying to the darkness where our friends had just been taken.

“I’m so sorry,” a gruff voice whispered in the darkness and I whipped toward the noise.

Emmanuel stood on the porch, the fire lighting up his distraught features. Wringing his hands together, he stepped toward us, Murphy moving my body behind his.

“Sorry for what?” I croaked, unable to speak clearly around the lump in my throat. They were gone. They were taken. What would they do to them?

“I had to save my family. I had to make sure we got a spot in those bunkers.” He continued walking toward us, but Murphy held up a hand, stopping him in his tracks.

“What did you do?” Murphy asked, his voice filled with sorrow and hatred.

“I promised I’d take over your dad’s research if they saved my family. I had no other choice,” he begged us to understand, but I shook my head.

“And did you also tell them to kidnap us?” Oh god, Aiden. They were going to torture him again. Maybe even kill him.

“No, no.” Emmanuel shook his head adamantly. “I had no idea they were going to do that. I thought they’d just let you be.”

Murphy barked out a rough laugh. “You thought they’d leave us alone? After what they did to Alessia? You really thought they’d let us go, knowing you could leak information to us?”

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