Part 10 (1/2)
One of the people around the fire coughed, sounding as if they had a chest cold.
She shook her head. Not worth the risk until they knew something for sure. A cough could be a symptom of living outdoors for too long. The nights got pretty cold. Or the cough could be a symptom of the virus they knew little to nothing about.
”What's on the menu tonight?” the man in the blue s.h.i.+rt asked.
”Soup. I'll add it to the pot once the water boils,” a girl said, reaching into a bag Sara hadn't noticed. It looked at least half empty. She couldn't be carrying much in it. Sara wondered if it had been full when the woman had started out into the woods. How long had they been there, and how much longer were they planning on staying in the area?
”Again? I'm sick of soup.” The girl who'd coughed earlier sniffled and wiped a filthy hand across her nose.
”It's soup or nothing.”
”It doesn't have to be. Let's head to the city. I'm sure we can get in.”
”The military won't have the city out of quarantine yet. If we're going anywhere, let's head away from civilization.”
The girl with the cough stayed quiet while the others spoke.
The man who'd fetched the water took a swig out of a bottle of some amber-colored liquor. ”I'm not going to any city until they get a vaccine or a cure, or at the very least, a treatment. I don't feel like dying anytime soon.”
The girl tending their meal dumped a package of freeze-dried soup mix into the pot, and stirred. ”I think we should go to the emergency station they set up at the border. They said no one is sick in Canada yet since the s.h.i.+ps hadn't come into port there. We could get to the station, do our two weeks in quarantine then go across the border.”
The man with the bottle took another long pull of his drink. ”I don't want to live under someone else's house rules for two weeks. Listening to them tell me what I can and can't do and when. Nope. I'm going to take my chances out here, where I'm free.”
”Well, I'm not. We'll starve out here once this food runs out, which won't be much longer. So unless you come up with a better plan, I'm heading north tomorrow. Anyone who wants to join me can.”
”Why would I submit to their rules when even the CDC says you only have to be careful if someone with the virus bleeds or gets other bodily fluids on you? As long as we don't meet anyone else on our travels, there's no reason any of us should have to sit around in quarantine.”
”It's for everyone's protection, not your comfort.”
”Exactly. I'm staying far away. It might not be luxurious out here, but at least I'm still my own man, and I'll do what I want when I want.” As if to prove his point, he tipped his bottle again, draining it.
The other two people didn't make their intentions clear either way, leaving Sara to wonder whether or not they'd still be out here in a few days if she and Dane came to hunt again. Maybe they'd have to find some other area to hunt in so they could keep their distance from the others.
Dane nudged her arm and signaled to return the way they'd come. When they were far enough away not to be heard, Dane spoke. ”Best not to stick around here, with the amount of whiskey he downed.”
”Did you hear them? The city is quarantined? How is it possible to quarantine New York City?”
”Manhattan is an island, so it would be rather easy to contain everyone.” Dane pulled his bow off his shoulders and readied an arrow, scanning the area while they walked.
”What if my family didn't make it out of the city? They could still be stuck in there with a bunch of sick people.”
Dane's voice was gentle and kind. ”They might be the sick people.”
Sara shook her head and bit her bottom lip, fighting against tears of the unknown pooling in her eyes. No. Her family was not sick. They were not in the city. They couldn't be.
Dane raised his bow, taking sight on something Sara couldn't even see. She waited, standing as still as possible so as not to scare their dinner away. A moment later, he let the arrow fly, and a scurry in the underbrush a few yards away came to an abrupt silence. Dane strode off to collect his kill, and she fell into her thoughts again.
Maybe her family hadn't made it all the way to the bunker, but the first thing on their list of plans was to get out of the city. No way were they in the quarantine zone, which meant they were somewhere between home and the bunker.
It seemed more probable than ever they'd made it to their Plan B location.
And if her family was there, then she wanted to be there, too. But could she convince Dane to come with her?
Dane took his last bite and set the bowl aside, leaning against the semi-comfortable futon in what they considered a living room. He'd managed to score a rabbit on the way to the bunker and added a few cans of veggies and stock to the pot to cook. A rich, savory stew resulted. It tasted like the home-cooked comfort meal they both needed.
Sara finished hers and took both bowls to the makes.h.i.+ft sink for a quick wash. When she returned to sit beside him on the futon, he pulled her onto his lap instead. She shrieked and giggled as she feigned protest. He could already see her nipples beading in antic.i.p.ation beneath her thin tank top and knew he had the green light to continue.
She didn't protest long. Instead, she pressed her mouth to his, her tongue slipping past his lips, finding his, and tangling with it. Sara tasted amazing. It was almost as if he could smell the sunlight on her skin even though she'd worn her protective suit. She reminded him of a lazy summer day, and he longed for those times again.
He kissed a trail down her neck as she groaned and let her head fall to the side. When he reached the hollow between her collarbone and her shoulder, he licked her skin, and she squirmed against the sensation.
If she would let him explore her body for the rest of eternity, he'd never want for anything again. He was pretty d.a.m.ned satisfied already. What more could he ask for in life than a full stomach and Sara in his lap?
”I think the fresh red meat went straight to your brain,” she teased, slipping her hand between their bodies to rub the length of hardness still trapped in his jeans.
”That's not my brain, darlin'.”
”True, but it is the part of your body doing the thinking at the moment.” She laughed, and the vibration made him strain against his pants even more.
”Maybe you need an anatomy lesson.” He'd be happy to give her one. In explicit detail.
”Only if it's a hands-on cla.s.s.”
He laughed with her this time. ”Is there any other kind?” Pulling off her tank top, he took in the sight of her full b.r.e.a.s.t.s. ”You are more irresistible every time I see you.”
”Unlikely.”
Dane had known Sara for a month, and in that time, she'd changed his life in immeasurable ways-one of which was ruining him for any other woman. He couldn't imagine being with anyone else since he'd been with her. They moved in unison like they were pieces of the same ent.i.ty.
Sara went up on her knees, allowing him better access to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. He palmed one, caressing the bud while his mouth went to work on the other, suckling and licking until she quivered. She raked her fingers through his hair then down his back and shoulders.
Having had enough chitchat for one night, he twisted, taking Sara with him until she lay on the futon. He hovered over her, taking in the sight he'd never tire of. She looked so beautiful lying there, her hair sprawled out behind her, her eyes half-lidded, her mouth parted and tempting him with the thought of more kisses.
He stood long enough to pull off her cargo pants as well as his clothes and grabbed a condom from his pocket. He'd gotten used to carrying a few with him at all times. If she hadn't mentioned being in the middle of her cycle, he would have skipped one altogether and h.o.a.rded it along with the rest of their limited supply. This time, the threat of a baby was bigger than the threat of running out of condoms.
The bunker offered little entertainment. A man could only read so many spy thrillers. Luckily, Sara tended to be as bored as he was-and willing to do whatever it took to pa.s.s the time. They'd cured their boredom in every square inch of this bunker over the course of the last two weeks.
”Come down here to me.” She reached for him.
The look in her eye, the gentleness of her voice, the silkiness of her skin-he'd miss all of it if she ever left him, for any reason. When they'd ventured outside the bunker earlier, he'd been worried something bad would happen. Fear had almost paralyzed him when they'd spied on the strangers around the fire. He couldn't lose her. No matter what else they had to deal with, he'd manage, as long as he had Sara.
Dane pulled her across the futon so her legs were wrapped around his waist. She tugged on his shoulders, lowering him, but he paused. He traced the outline of her lips, nose, ear, and jaw before letting his hand dip down to her breast.
”I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you.” His voice softened more than he'd expected. But she had that effect on him sometimes. She made him feel things so intense, he could barely force the words out of his mouth.
”You're not going to lose me.” She whispered the words, as if they had to fear being overheard even though they were alone in the bunker.