Chapter 11
Eleven
Riley
I wake up with a crick in my neck and rub at the tense muscles.
Someone wiggles beside me. Gareth. He’s sleeping.
I’ve never seen him do that while being this new undead version of himself.
He looks like he used to, restful with mussed hair and sleep lines on his cheek.
My heart wrenches at him reaching for me with his eyes closed, and I lie back down and snuggle against him.
“Hi,” he says groggily.
“Hi.” I scoot closer, putting our faces only inches apart. “I woke up before you for once.”
“I stayed up for a while after you passed out.”
I look behind me and all the candles are gone. The wine glasses and empty bottle are missing too.
“You cleaned.”
“Amongst other things.” He kisses my lips and he tastes sour.
I turn up my nose. “There’s morning breath and then there’s zombie breath.”
Laughter trickles out of him and he cups my cheek. “Except, I’m not a zombie.”
“You sure about that?” I dead stare him.
“I’m sure.” His nose brushes over mine.
“Hmm.” I tap my chin. “Why do you fit the description so perfectly, then?”
“Says who?” He gives me a downturned stare.
“All the movies.” Lifting my hand again, I list them off on my fingers. “Warm Bodies, Dawn of The Dead, Twenty-Eight Days Later and Pet Sematary. I could go on.”
His forehead dips. “That last one doesn’t have zombies. They come back because of the ancient burial ground and don’t eat people or need to.”
I force out a short laugh. “That’s all you have to say in response?”
“That and the fact that I’m a lot sexier than the zombies in every film you just listed.”
“Are you, though?” My tone turns more playful. “R from Warm Bodies is pretty cute, though.”
“Oh, is he?” He tickles my side and shifts himself on top of me, kissing my neck.
My laughter turns to high-pitched moans when he grinds his erection against mine.
“This is what I didn’t want to live without,” I say, licking at his bottom lip, ignoring the metal taste from the other thing I’m sure he did aside from cleaning.
“And you don’t have to. Not ever again.” He seals his mouth over mine, taking my next breath away and tangling his tongue with mine. He tastes foul but also like the best thing in the world. I hold him tighter to me, intensifying the kiss.
“Is it bad that I feel like I’m going to disintegrate into nothing if I don’t get inside you soon?”
“My words are saying no, but my ass is in full disagreement.”
He barks out a laugh. “Okay. What about that pretty mouth? I need more of you . . . I just need more.” His breath ghosts against my lips.
“Okay,” I say half breathless, and he shoves me back down when I try to sit up, positioning me more on my back.
“What are you—”
“Stay as you are. I’ll come to you. Let me use that mouth how I want to.”
I swallow hard, nodding, and he crawls up my body.
Those dark eyes pierce mine as he crouches over my chest, guiding his cock to my lips.
He breaks them apart with his fat head, the salty taste of his already leaking tip bursting on my tongue.
He slides up and down, the underside so soft but his thrusts growing punishing as he fucks closer to my throat.
I gag, tears springing from my eyes as I widen my mouth to make room for more of him.
Inch by inch, he works his way down my throat until he’s nearly all the way in.
I tighten around him and he moans, smiling above me.
Fuck, he’s sexy. His eyes are soulless and terrifying but looking at him still makes my heart leap.
“Fuck, this throat. It’s almost as good as that perfect ass of yours.
Almost. Nothing compares to that slutty hole.
” He hisses between his teeth, pulling out before slamming back in, and my muscles go rigid.
My throat cries out in agony as he wrecks it but also begs for more.
My cock takes interest and I reach for it.
All it takes is a few tugs and him coming down my throat for me to reach my own orgasm.
My legs flail, my fingers losing their grip on my cock as I continue to milk myself.
He goes still in my mouth, slowly dragging his twitching dick over my tongue as he climbs off me.
The blankets move beside me and I hear him shuffle away.
He takes off to the kitchen and returns with water, helping me sit up against the couch to bring it to my lips. “You did so good, baby. So damn good.”
The cool liquid trickles down my throat, offering me some relief. I drink some more and before I know it the bottle is empty. He slides a thumb over my bottom lip, his eyes beaming at me. “Damn, you’re the most beautiful after you please me and yourself at the same time. You know that?”
I smile lazily. “Come down here.” My voice is hoarse. “Come hold me.”
Without another word, he drops to the floor and drags me into his lap. I turn to my side, laying my head on his shoulder and he strokes my back. “He was always meant to come back to you with me. I was always meant to be where he is, giving him to you before showing you there’s so much better.”
Gareth didn’t care to cuddle for long after sex.
He got fidgety and had to move. Or was bored and needed his phone or to go play one of his computer games.
It was an almost fight we always had, but I let it go because I didn’t think it was worth it.
The man with me now keeps caressing me and kissing my face as I sit in his lap for what feels like hours.
I doze off as he’s carrying me to the bedroom.
I wait for him to leave after tucking me in, but he crawls in behind me instead, tossing a leg over mine, and he wraps himself tightly around me.
It feels like he’s close to cutting off my circulation every time I move a little, so I stay still, exactly where I am and let sleep take me again.
“Dinner is ready, sweetheart. You missed lunch again. I tried to wake you but you wouldn’t budge.”
I rub at my eyes and stretch out in bed, looking up at him. He’s leaning over the bed, eyes round and lips in a tight smile.
“What time is it?”
“Six. Your friend Leo called. He left you a text after you didn’t answer, reminding you of the pumpkin patch this Saturday. He said he’d be here around noon.”
I roll onto my back, extending my legs outward. “Yeah, I’ll message him after I eat. What are we having?”
“Pizza. I cheated and ordered it.” He lowers himself to the edge of the bed. “I used my card. I found my wallet near my phone earlier. I bought us some more decorations too when we were at the Halloween store.”
“You mean when you followed me there?”
“Yeah,” he says cheekily. “You didn’t cancel my cards.”
I rub a hand over my hair. “It was too final.”
“It’s a good thing you didn’t. They’ll come in handy.”
“Don’t go too crazy. Only one of us works now, remember?”
“I remember. And I don’t require too much these days, so it shouldn’t be a problem. When do you go back?”
“Monday. Gabe sent me an email saying he was looking forward to my return. That I’m the best dental hygienist they have.”
“I believe it. You always did a great job on my teeth.” He shoots me a toothy smile.
“You remember?”
“Yeah. I do.” He strokes my hand. “The body I have in the freezer isn’t going to last me much longer.”
“And the pizza we’re about to have won’t delay the inevitable some more?” I perch myself up on my elbows.
“Afraid not. What I get from you helps, but I still need more. I don’t want to take it from the wrong place by accident.”
My heart stops. “No. I don’t want that either.”
The doorbell rings and I shoot up higher, looking at my phone. Leo didn’t say anything about stopping by. Who could that be?
“Expecting company?”
“No. I don’t think so.” I scoot halfway off the bed, my feet searching for my house shoes.
He looks down at the floor and bends to slide them on for me. “You sure you don’t want me to get it?”
“I’m sure.” I lower my eyes down his body. “You’re not even fully dressed.”
“And you’re not dressed at all. Except for the cute, fluffy purple shoes.”
I slam my palm to my head, laughing. “I haven’t slept naked in a while. I’m used to at least having pajamas on.”
“I like you naked.” He cocks a brow.
“I know.” I smile and press a chaste kiss to his lips as I get all the way off the bed.
Rushing to my dresser, I grab the first shirt and pants I find, not bothering with underwear.
Knowing my husband, I won’t be wearing them for long anyway.
I rub at one of my bandages and wave a finger at him.
“Stay here,” I say, tugging my shirt down.
Two knocks come and I pick up speed, my feet nearly stumbling over each other. “Anyone home?” someone calls through the door. Stretching out my arm, I pull it open, and the officer from almost a week ago is standing in front of me.
“Hey, Mr. Vega.”
“Hi. Oh, it’s Riley.”
“Right. Riley. I’m Jeff. I was in the neighborhood sooner than expected and thought I’d see about that window. I got my own tools with me too.” He tugs at his belt, straightening his back.
“Oh. Sure. Yeah. Now is probably a better time than any. I’ve got the rest of the week off.”
“What is it you do anyway?” He looks around me.
I step in front of the door, closing it more behind me. Did he see Gareth? Did he not stay put like I told him to? I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t. “I’m a dental hygienist.”
“Oh, cool. I don’t meet many of those every day. Not sure I’ve ever met one outside of their workplace actually.”
“I guess now’s your chance.”
“Yeah, it looks like it.” He strokes the underside of his chin. “So, should I come in? It’s a little hard for me to work on the window from outside with the bushes in the way.
“Um . . .” I look behind me. “Yeah, sure. Hold on a few minutes. Let me tidy up real quick. I wasn’t expecting anyone over.”
“Yeah, sure, whatever makes you feel more comfortable.” He turns down his radio, which is sounding from his belt. “I’m not on duty yet, but sometimes I turn it on earlier than I need to.”