Page 7 of Dusk & Desire

I jump at Axel’s voice, seeing as I forgot he was even there. It’s like I was in a bubble with Noa. His words register and I take a step back, my naked back pressing against the side of the car. The older girl scoffs and rolls her eyes, pressing closer to clean my face. I’m hypnotized by her silver gaze. I try to look at the tiny diamond piercing on her nose instead, finding it equally mesmerizing.

“Why does he hate me?” I ask in a murmur, feeling ashamed even though I didn’t do anything wrong. Maybe I’m feeling bad merely over my stray thoughts about his sister?

“He doesn’t hate you,” she answers with a grin. “He’s just fucking with you because you’re so skittish.”

I turn my face toward Axel and she clicks her tongue, firmly grabbing my chin to hold me still. Sparks spread from the point of contact and my breathing increases.

“I really don’t, Pooh,” Axel says from somewhere to the side. “You’re actually not so bad. Maybe it’s the whole apocalypse thing, but I’m starting to see what she sees in you.”

As he laughs, Noa takes her lower lip into her mouth, just inches from my own. The sides of her lips are curled up mischievously.

“You’re lying,” I grumble, trying to avert my gaze. Noa’s hand keeps me from doing so.

“Why do you think he’s lying, pretty girl?” she asks softly.

I can’t help the tears that gather in my eyes. Why did I even bring this up?

“It’s just…” I trail off.

“Just what?” she encourages.

“Just that I gained all this weight,” I admit, my throat closing up. “I don’t know how anyone would think I’m beautiful.”

Noa throws the cotton ball into the car, still refusing to litter. Once both hands are free, she takes my face into them, using her thumbs to wipe away the tears that spilled over. She comes impossibly closer.

“You’re perfect, my beautiful girl,” she murmurs, her eyessoftened with apparent earnestness. A sob catches in my throat at how sincere she sounds. Her eyes lower to my mouth, then back to mine, an unspoken question in them. I don’t move. Instead, I look at her lips and run my tongue over my own.

A soft rumble vibrates in her chest as she leans in, ever so slowly, giving me every chance to turn my face away. Her lips touch mine, so softly, light as a feather. I part them instinctively and she takes advantage, taking my bottom lip between both of hers, kissing it, then moving up an infinitesimal amount. I tilt my head, dizzy from the butterflies taking flight in my stomach. As I gasp for air, her tongue touches mine, the ball piercing in it providing an interesting, unusual sensation. One of her hands slides to the back of my head, the other drifting down to my waist. When she pulls me against her and our pelvises touch, a spark of lust snaps through me, making me pull back instinctively.

Holy heck, what just happened?

“Sorry,” I squeak, and I don’t know what I’m apologizing for. Letting her kiss me? Stopping the kiss?

She winks at me before busying herself with putting everything in the first aid kit back in its place. “It’s all good, precious. To be continued.”

A gagging noise to my other side draws my attention to Axel.

Shitty shit, I completely forgot he’s here again!

He’s leaning against the open car door, sticking out his tongue.

“So gross,” he says.

But no… I don’t think it was gross at all.

Chapter 5

Linda

The whole bridge situation caused a delay, just like Noa predicted. Instead of being at the base in a couple of hours, we spent that time trying to find a feasible way over the river. The first bridge we came up to was destroyed, I don’t know how or why. The second and third had blockades as well. It’s like every thug on this side of Florida had the same idea – create bottlenecks on the way to every traveler’s destination.

Now Axel is cranky because we’re running out of gas and the last few abandoned cars we passed had already been siphoned. “It’s gonna take us weeks to walk there,” he grouses, his fingers tapping against the steering wheel.

“Don’t worry, Ax, we’d die in a matter of days, not weeks,” Noa replies with a cynical tone. I gape at her dark humor. I’m just not used to people talking like this. It makes me wonder what kind of household they grew up in.

“Do you guys have any other siblings?” I ask.

Noa betrays her surprise at my question by slightly lifting an eyebrow, something I see because she’s always facing me instead of the road. How she’s not feeling nauseous is beyond me.

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