Chapter 23 Lissa
For her first week at xTerra, Lissa remained in Cam’s bunker except to go for evening walks with him.
After the first few days, he returned to active duty with the Watch but was home for dinner each night and only worked day shifts.
She appreciated that he’d made this change to look out for her, and it filled her with warmth because he adjusted his life to make space for her.
Throughout her lifetime, few others had made her feel so important.
They picked up their previous easy rapport during this time together.
They played crib, read books, watched movies, and talked when they felt like it.
Her favorite part of the day was cuddling on the couch.
She loved filling her time and space again with Cam.
While he’d enjoyed being outdoors and had seemed in his element in Nebraska, this fit too.
This morning, when Cam left for his shift, it seemed different.
She couldn’t focus on anything, finding herself wandering around the bunker, unable to settle.
Lissa missed her cats and hoped they didn’t have to range too far for water if there wasn’t rain.
She missed the smell of rain in the air, and the first flowers of spring.
She ground her molars. The season was passing without her getting to enjoy her favorite things.
She wanted to go home. She and Cam were in a holding pattern, waiting for her arm to heal, waiting for the Slains to make a move. Lissa was tired of inaction.
Eventually, she curled up with a book she’d read twice before—a spicy romance.
She puffed out a breath when she reached a love scene.
Reading it reminded her she and Cam hadn’t had sex again.
Not since the night he’d left Crawford. He’d reminded her how satisfying and intimate sex could be with the right partner. But he was being careful.
Now, she couldn’t help but imagine being together like the characters in the book. The sexy cowboy had a bossy side, like Cam. Her cheeks heated while she read, squirming on her seat. Her libido seemed to be waking up, so she must be feeling better.
Startled to hear the beeping of the keypad outside, Lissa closed her book.
When Cam returned after work, was her favorite time.
She met him at the entrance of the hall by the kitchen, stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.
His arm wrapped around her and pulled her close as his kiss lingered. Her skin tingled everywhere.
“To what do I owe this welcome?” He stroked her cheek. “You’re flushed.”
“A cowboy romance,” she said with a smile tugging at her lips
“Ah. Now it makes sense.” His gaze sharpened to a point, his eyes dark. Her core tightened. She couldn’t wait much longer. His voice deepened, lowering as his eyes darkened, his pupils blown. “Would you like me to be your cowboy?”
She grinned. “You can be yourself.” She swallowed at the ravenous look in his eyes. “I think I’m better enough if you’d like to ride.”
“Good.” He growled, and pulled her close, his lips on hers.
Her knees weakened, and she fisted his T-shirt to hold herself up.
“Take everything off,” he whispered. His soft voice sent shivers racing through her.
She unbuckled her belt, letting her jeans fall to the floor.
Cam kicked off his boots, yanked his t-shirt over his head, and let his pants fall to the floor.
Wearing only his boxer briefs, Cam helped her remove her shirt, being gentle with her injured shoulder.
He unclasped her bra and stepped back while she removed the rest of her clothes.
Prowling closer, he traced her collarbones.
He pressed a series of kisses along each side.
“I can’t stop thinking about you.” He picked her up.
“Wrap your legs around me.” She hooked her legs around him, and he shifted his hold to her butt.
He backed her against the wall of the hallway.
“I’ve just been waiting for the word.” One of his hands slipped down into her core.
She trembled.
“You’re so needy, aren’t you? You’ve missed me too.” He stroked her wetness.
Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she rested it against the wall.
“Say the words.” He nibbled her neck, one hand behind her head, tangled in her hair as he tilted his head to deepen their kiss. Each pull and glide of their lips took her closer to the edge, her body alight with desire. She tipped her head back and moaned. “Cam.”
“What do you want?” Cam’s fingers stroked faster, and her pulse skyrocketed.
It felt like her heart was going to leap from her chest and like she was bursting into flame. “I need you,” she said, her voice breathless.
“I’ve been dreaming about this.” His husky voice made her shiver.
He shifted his mouth to her breasts, alternating from one to the other as she quivered. “Are you ready?”
“Please, Cam.” She didn’t seem able to speak more than a couple of words at a time.
Her mind was nearly blank, focused only on how his body felt.
Cam’s hands, his mouth, his cock. She couldn’t think beyond his touch.
He wound her tighter and tighter, and she shook as her vision darkened around the edges.
With a gasp, she shattered around him. While she was still in the throes of ecstasy, he entered her and she exploded again, gripping him as he thrust into her.
His kisses consumed her like fire, and each thrust brought her closer to the edge again.
“I love you,” he said. “Like nobody else in my life. You’re everything.”
She exploded again, fireworks shooting everywhere in her brain.
Cam called out her name, and they came together. He lowered his forehead to hers and rested it against her while he caught his breath.
“I love you, too.” She wrapped her uninjured arm around his neck and held him close, feeling his thundering heart. “Thank you.”
He chuckled, the sound skittering across her sensitive skin.
“No, thank you.” After a minute, he pressed another kiss to her lips.
“Let’s get cleaned up. I wanted to talk to you about dinner.
I got distracted by the welcoming committee.
” He smiled and took her hand and led her out of the hall and into their room.
Once clean, they lay together for a few minutes on their bed.
Lissa tipped her face upward, still basking in the afterglow. “When you come home is definitely my favorite time of day.”
“Mine too.” He kissed her again, slow and thorough. The kind that made her toes curl and long for more. Another dozen ways to work around her sore shoulder flashed through her mind.
“Would you like to go out for dinner?” he said, his voice breathless. One hand traced her collarbones and circled her breasts, as though he couldn’t stop touching her.
Her nipples tightened. Ignoring her unleashed desire, she snuggled into him, his scent reminding her of pine trees and fresh air.
“Out where?” She had gone nowhere except down the road on their evening walks and on one cart ride to her medical appointment.
“Like a dinner picnic? Is it warm today?” Her accommodations had been smaller, but she’d always had the ability to check the weather and be outside.
Here, the steel door seemed a barrier and xTerra daunting.
His hand stroked her back, sliding into a caress. “Someone mentioned that you might like to eat dinner at the cafe sometime, and then it occurred to me you haven’t left the bunker in days. I don’t want you to feel stuck or like you have to hide. This isn’t a prison.” He kissed her and got dressed.
She followed suit. “At first I didn’t have the energy and didn’t want to go anywhere.” Healing from her injury and catching up on sleep missed along her journey had taken time. As evidenced by her afternoon, she was feeling more like herself.
“How about tonight?” Cam’s eyes had resumed their usual gray-green.
She bit her lip, and his eyes tracked the movement. The energy between them simmered. He was no longer talking only about dinner. “That would be nice.”
“Grab your sweater,” he said. “The sooner we eat, the sooner we’re back. Let’s go.”
Reality hit. She glanced down at her faded jeans.
Once upon a time they’d fit. Now they were cinched in with a belt and hung loose.
“I have nothing to wear out for dinner.” Everything she owned was faded and comfortable, but she had nothing for dressing up.
Maybe this look was best described as apocalypse chic.
He scanned her up and down without his expression changing. Still, his heated glance made her press her legs together. “You look great. Plus, the cafe is casual. No need for fancy. The biggest draw is that it serves fresh food instead of dehydrated, which sounds like a pleasant change. For me too.”
Lissa shifted her weight. Few people knew the reason for her arrival, unless the medical staff had overheard.
Was xTerra small enough that she could be the subject of gossip?
She’d hated living at the refugee center, where rumors were rampant.
The name Rat Girl flashed through her mind.
Those had been tough days. She bit her lip.
What if the people here stared and whispered?
She swallowed. “Who will people think I am?”
Cam shrugged. “My girlfriend.” He took her hand with a slow smile.
“I don’t get out much either, but I’d like to show you more of xTerra than inside my bunker.
” He wasn’t saying anything about moving here, though if her house wasn’t safe to return to, it could be a possibility.
Maybe she should look around, so she’d know what to expect.
She nodded. “Okay.”
He smiled. “If you hate it, we can eat and leave. The cafe’s not my only plan for this evening.”
With her energy returning, his offer had perfect timing. She wasn’t terrific at socializing, but Cam was worth the effort. “Let’s go.” Her brain whirled, nervous about the noise and the people. She turned, planning to collect her sweater as suggested.