Erin M. Leaf (6 page)

She nodded. Words failed her. Ben
’s fingers moved, teasing more and more pleasure into and out of her, until she thought she’d go crazy. When her orgasm crashed over her, unexpectedly, she scrunched her eyes closed and cried out, beyond caring that they were outside where anyone could see. Dillon groaned as she grabbed at his arms, and his cock jumped inside her body. When Ben leaned closer, she opened her eyes to find him watching the juncture of their bodies.
Jesus, so hot
, she thought, still hanging onto Dillon. His face tightened as he came. A long moment later, his whole body relaxed. Lark couldn’t hold herself up. She rested her forehead on him, trembling.

“
Come here,” he said.

She looked up, confused. She was already on top of him.
Oh. He’s talking to Ben.
The other man’s cock was still thick and hard against her back.

“
Dillon—” Ben said, but his friend cut him off.

“
If you really mean what you said before, you’ll let me touch you,” Dillon replied.

Ben stepped away and Lark shivered as the warmth of his body left, but he didn
’t go far. He moved up against her side, his cock bumping her hip. Dillon looked down at him, then slid a hand around it, pumping gently.

“
Aw, fuck,” Ben breathed, hips moving. “Yeah, just like that.”

Dillon smiled and sped up. Lark watched, hardly believing what was happening. Dillon was still inside her body, but his attention was on Ben. Hell,
her
attention was on Ben, too. He was sweaty and so gorgeous he took her breath away. She slid an arm around his shoulders, bringing him closer, and he leaned against her, breath coming faster.

“
Yeah, that’s it,” Dillon murmured. “Give it up to me, Ben.”

Ben
’s cock was slick and Lark realized it was from earlier, when he’d orgasmed inside her. The thought sent another twinge of arousal through her. She kissed his temple, watching as Dillon stroked him expertly, his strong hand firm and tight.

“
God, Dillon, I’m close.” Ben sounded wrecked.

Lark held on, wanting to feel his orgasm. When he stiffened, muscles going taut against her body, Lark watched, fascinated. He groaned, long and deep, and then his cock jerked in Dillon
’s hand. Dillon slowed down, massaging down under Ben’s balls. Ben shook under her arm. Dillon’s prick twitched inside her. She gasped, grinding down instinctively. Watching Ben climax had them both aroused again. When Ben finally slumped against her, Dillon huffed a laugh against her temple.

“
We’re never going to get to the campground at this rate,” he said, amusement threading through his voice.

Lark snickered.
“You didn’t even take your clothes off.” She paused, eyeing Ben. He was still catching his breath. “
Neither
of you took your clothes off.”

“
Yeah, well, we were in a hurry.” Dillon smiled against her lips, kissing her lightly.

“
What he said,” Ben added, straightening up.

Lark watched as he stretched. His jeans were halfway down his legs, but he didn
’t seem the least bit self-conscious. His cock hung limp and was suddenly so much smaller Lark couldn’t believe the difference. Dillon lifted her up off his lap and onto the ground. She winced as her bare feet hit the sharp pebbles on the side of the road.

“
I lost my virginity on the hood of a car,” she muttered disbelievingly, trying to find a spot to stand that wouldn’t hurt her feet. “And where the freaking hell are my shoes?”

Dillon snorted.
“You didn’t just lose your virginity, you had a threesome, outside where anyone could see. I’m impressed,” he teased.

“Are you calling me a slut?” she asked him, mock-frowning.

He shook his head. “No! No, would I do that?” He’d pulled up his pants, but left the top button open. He looked sexy. Messy. Delicious. Lark tried to glare at him, but he scooped her up, depositing her in the back seat of the car.

“
Not helping! And yes, you would totally do that,” she said as she scooted back. “My underwear is missing, too. Why do you think this is funny?” she asked, pointing at him. Dillon laughed, tugging at his pants.

Ben tossed her panties in, hitting her on the chin. She shifted her
ire to him, grabbing her underwear and wiggling them onto her hips. “Seriously? Don’t I even get a hug?” Inside she felt gleeful. Happy.

Ben stuck his head inside and kissed her quickly, smiling at her.
“I’ll hug you all night long when we reach the campground, Lark.” He ducked back out and gathered the rest of her clothes, shaking the dust out of them before handing them to her.

Lark watched him go. Disappointingly, he
’d managed to put himself back together a little better than Dillon.
Not that it matters,
Lark mused, eyeing him up and down.
Even completely dressed he’s gorgeous.
She found it hard to believe she’d had sex with him. Aside from the buzz in her muscles and the slight ache in her pussy, she didn’t feel any different. That lack of strangeness made her feel… strange. Abruptly, a pang of guilt shot through her. How could she be so happy when Olivia had just died?

She wondered if Ben or Dillon were feeling as ambivalent about what had just happened as she was.

Chapter Five

Dillon slouched in the front passenger’s seat, pretending to nap. They’d been driving for several hours since they’d stopped on the side of the road. He couldn’t believe he’d had sex with Lark, outside,
with
Ben. Lark was a gorgeous, intelligent woman.
And she’s young enough to be my daughter,
he told himself, not for the first time. Every time he thought about Ben, his best friend, the man he’d been in love with for two decades, his gut clenched. His mind kept replaying the way the three of them had made love, and then fear shot through him as he worried about what was going to happen next.

Will Ben freak out? Will Lark?
Dillon wished he could punch himself in the head and wake up from this mess. What did he think he was doing with Ben? And Lark, well… she deserved better than a quick fuck on the hood of his Range Rover.

“
Stop it,” Ben said quietly, startling him.

Dillon frowned, not opening
his eyes. “I’m trying to sleep here, in case you couldn’t tell.”

“
Shh, don’t wake Lark. She actually
is
sleeping.” Ben poked him. “Also, yeah, whatever. Trying to sleep, my ass. You think I can’t tell when you’re faking it by now?”

Dillon
opened his eyes and stared at Ben, an unwilling grin pulling at his lips. “Huh. You did
not
just say that.”

Ben gave him a rueful smile.
“You know what I mean.” He adjusted his hands on the steering wheel. “Anyway, stop it. Stop fretting. You’re going to give me a complex.”

“
Fretting? Who even uses that word anymore?” Dillon asked, trying to change the subject.

Ben poked him again.

Dillon dodged Ben’s surprisingly sharp finger. “I’m fine,” he insisted. He really didn’t want to have this conversation now.

Ben gave him a look.
“Aren’t I supposed to be the one having the freakout right now?”

Freakout? Was that what this was?
Dillon sighed and gave in. “All right. Fine. If you must know, I’m freaking out because I’m worried you’re going to freak out.”

“
Me? That’s stupid. We’ve been friends for over twenty years. What do you think I’m going to do? Punch you?” Ben made a disgusted sound.

Dillon rubbed his eyes. He was so damn tired.
“Oh please, like you’re not feeling kind of weird right now?” He knew Ben too well not to read all the discomfort beneath the surface.

Ben
’s shoulders hunched up. “Yeah, well, I’ve decided not to freak out.” He glanced over. “Or deck you.”

“
You can’t just decide not to freak out. You feel what you feel.” Dillon knew he sure as hell wasn’t having any luck being all Zen about the whole thing. “Besides, it’s not all about you. I’m also feeling bad about Lark,” Dillon explained, hoping Ben would understand what he meant without him having to elaborate.

“
Yeah, well, stop that too,” Ben said crossly.

Dillon laughed under his breath.
“Easier said than done.”

Ben grunted, not saying anything more.
That’s my Ben,
Dillon thought, relieved. He’d talk about things to a point, and then when it got just a bit uncomfortable, he’d clam up.
Which is fine with you, remember? So stop picking at it.

“
Hey, where are we?” Lark asked, yawning.

Dillon glanced over his shoulder just in time to see her stretch. Her shirt pulled over her breasts, making his mouth
go dry. Shit. He’d had those delectable nipples in his mouth just a few hours ago. When his dick twitched, rubbing against the seam of his jeans, he winced.
Down boy
, he told himself.

“
We’re about halfway to the campground where I’d like to stay tonight,” Ben said, poking Dillon in the thigh again. His expression said,
get it together, idiot,
and Dillon grimaced, adjusting himself.

“
Can we stop for lunch?” she asked, still looking adorable.

Dillon nodded.
“Yeah. Next rest stop.”

****

A few minutes later, Ben pulled off the interstate. The ramp led to a rest area with a lookout over the Appalachian Mountains. Lark got out the car and stretched, then walked to the railing. Jagged rocks tumbled down the ravine to the valley floor.

“
Careful. We don’t know if anyone else is around,” Ben said, grabbing his shotgun.

Dillon buckled his machete to his thigh and picked up Ben
’s from the back seat. “Here. Catch,” he said, then tossed it to his friend.

Ben caught it and strapped it on. Dillon watched him cinch the holster around his leg, admiring the way the nylon straps accentuated his thigh muscle. When Ben looked up and caught him staring, Dillon felt his ears go hot.

Ben grinned and walked over. “I don’t mind, Dillon.”

Dillon glanced away. His eyes landed on Lark. She had one foot up on the
fence. She looked young and fresh and so beautiful he wondered again what the hell he was doing.

“
We’re going to have to get over this,” Ben said, standing close. “She’s a grown-up, not a kid. She’d be angry if she knew we were freaking out over her age.”

Dillon sighed and slung an arm around Ben
’s waist. “Yeah. I know.” He’d hugged Ben before, but he’d never just stood with him in his arms like this. It was nice.

Ben stiffened slightly, then relaxed into his touch.
“I guess I have even more to get used to.” He smiled wryly at Dillon. “You’re going to have to be patient with me.”

“
Same here,” Dillon muttered, still uncomfortable about Lark. Still slightly aroused. “I never thought you’d feel the same way about me that I feel about you.”

Ben looked at him, his green eyes clear.
“I’ve felt… things. Over the years.” His face went pink. “I wasn’t sure what the hell I was going on with me, so I ignored it. Like usual.”

Dillon was surprised.
“For real?” The thought that Ben hadn’t suddenly turned bi on him made him feel a little bit better. Less like he was corrupting his best friend.

“
For real,” Ben said, smiling tentatively. His eyes dropped. “You have an amazing ass.”

Dillon
laughed. Just as he was about to lean in and kiss Ben, Lark called out.

“
Hey, guys, we’ve got problems. Come look at this!” Lark hissed urgently, waving them over.

Dillon looked at Ben who shrugged.
“Let’s go see what she wants.”

****

What motherfucking shitty luck,
she thought, staring down into the ravine. She swallowed hard against the nausea poking her gut.
They’re fucking eating each other.
She had a hand over her mouth, unable to believe what she was seeing. There were a lot of zombies in the ravine, and they were tearing at each other in a frenzy of blood, guts, and disappearing bodies. As soon as an eaten zombie reached a certain level of destruction, it vaporized. She watched one zombie tear the arm off another and stuff it in his mouth.
Is this how the world is going to end?

“
Oh my God,” Ben said, hands gripping the rail. “What the fuck?”

Lark looked past the mob of zombies and along the ridge. At one point, she could see where the railing along the interstate had been destroyed.
“I think a bus or something went over the side,” she said, pointing.

“
I think it was more than one bus,” Dillon said, voice hushed. “I see at least three over by the trees. They look like they rolled down the ravine.”

She looked at the crumpled metal half-covered with shrubbery and dirt. The thought of all those people inside, dying
, turning into zombies, made her ill. “I’m not really hungry anymore.” Lark stepped back. “I think we should go. Right the fuck now.”

“
She’s right.” Ben pushed off from the railing. “There’s no telling what will happen if they see us.”

“
I think we all know what would happen,” Dillon said tersely, grabbing Lark’s arm and tugging her back further. “We should hurry.” He shook his head. “They eat each other? How does that even work?”

“I wondered what happened to the zombies in Pittsburgh. We had a lot less trouble getting out of the city than I’d expected
to. God, that’s horrible,” she said.

“We can talk about it later. We need to get out of here,” Ben said, heading
for the car. Dillon followed him, still towing her. His hand on her arm felt warm. The opposite of what a zombie would feel like. She shuddered and let him pull her, even as she strained to hear over the sound of their feet on the gravel.

A moment later, she stiffened, heart pounding.
“Did you hear that?” She sped up a little. “I hear something in the brush.”

Dillon looked over his shoulder.
“Shit,” he said, starting to run. He dragged her with him and Lark struggled to stay upright. He was suddenly moving too fast for her shorter stride.

“
Ben, time to go. Like, right the fuck now,” Dillon said harshly.

Ben took a quick glance back and whatever he saw was enough to make him run, too.
“Get her in. I’ll drive.” He tossed his gun on the seat and dove inside.

Dillon
shoved Lark into the back. “Fuck.” He grabbed the shotgun Ben had tossed down and aimed it outside the passenger’s side window. He didn’t bother to latch the door, too intent on pointing the weapon.

Lark slammed her door shut, then leaned up and shut Dillon
’s door, careful not to jar his arm. “Go, go, go!” she shouted when the first zombie clawed its way over the side of the ravine. It turned its head their way, like a hyena scenting carrion. She shuddered.

Ben stomped on the gas,
peeling out as he swerved the car around. Dillon squeezed the trigger, cursing as he missed. His second shot hit the zombie in the head and it exploded into wet pieces before the zombie vaporized.

“
This sure as shit wasn’t what I was expecting to see at the overlook,” Lark muttered, grabbing the spare shotgun from the floor. “You mind if I load this?” she asked, spotting the box of shells on the seat.

“
Be my guest,” Ben answered, both hands on the wheel as he accelerated. “Hang on.”

She jammed her legs against the seat and loaded the gun, then passed it up to Dillon who immediately shot another zombie. Lark took the empty shotgun from him and loaded it, too, then handed it up. They
fell into a sort of groove, with her loading and Dillon shooting, until Ben got them on the interstate, accelerating faster than the zombies could run. Lark slumped against the seat, heart pounding.

“
Jesus, that was too fucking close,” Dillon said, rubbing his face with his hand.

Lark fumbled with her seatbelt, putting it on belatedly.
“Are you sure this campground is going to be safe?” she asked Ben skeptically.

He shrugged, letting Dillon buckle his seatbelt for him.
“We stayed there on the way down to Pittsburgh. It’s higher up in the mountains and the zombies don’t seem to like the cold at night.”

“
I thought you were coming from outside Philly?” Lark asked, confused. “This place is too far north. Why would you drive all the way upstate and then back down again?”

“
We had to detour. The interstate was completely trashed, so we ended up veering north. That’s why it took so long to get to you,” Ben explained. “I think it’ll still be okay to stay there.”

Lark tipped her head back, willing her heart rate to slow down. She wasn
’t sure why she felt so disappointed that he couldn’t just say:
yeah, it’s safe.
The world didn’t work that way, not in the past and especially not now. She
knew
that, better than anyone.

“
Okay. I guess we’ll just see what happens,” she finally said.

Ben glanced back at her and nodded at whatever he saw in her face.

“Don’t worry, we’ll keep you safe,” Dillon said, twisting in his seat to reassure her.

She smiled at him, but in the back of her head she thought,
Yeah, but who will keep
you
safe?