Falling Together (All That Remains #2) (7 page)

“What
do you expect from your little clone?”

He
snorts. “As if I haven’t seen that mischievous grin on your face a hundred
times.” When Lane begins sniffing, trying to imitate Airen’s snort, we both
crack up.

“Yeah.”
I giggle. “He’s nothing like you.” Lane chortles, thrilled with his success.

“I’m
going to trade you in for a new one,” Airen teases, tucking the bib back around
his little belly.

Julie’s
impromptu dinner party is a success. Lexi and Emma are friendly and talkative. They’re
amazed to discover we have electricity, and Joseph assures them he can outfit
another house with solar power if they want to stay. Emma gazes at Joseph as if
the sun may shine out of his ass. Joseph seems oblivious, but Troy and Airen
glance at each other with amusement.

“What
did you do before the plague?” I ask Lexi, when a lull in the conversation
stretches into an uncomfortable silence.

“I
was a waitress,” she replies, like she’s confessing to a crime.

“I
tried that in college, and I was terrible. I couldn’t keep the orders straight,
and the customers were so rude,” I exclaim.

“Probably
because you kept bringing them the wrong food,” Joseph says, laughing.

“Shut
up. I only worked there a few days. I got fired when some jerk smacked my ass.”

“He
smacked you, but you were fired?” Lexi asks.

“I
may have kneed him in the nuts and suggested he perform a lewd act upon
himself.”

Laughter
fills the room, and Airen shakes his head, grinning at me. “Why aren’t I
surprised?”

“Because
you see through to my inner bitch,” I reply with a smile.

We
all retire to the living room for after dinner drinks, and Airen turns to the
two new women. “I don’t meant to interrogate you ladies, but would you mind if
I ask you about your families?” he asks, flashing that charming half smile he
knows women can’t resist.

“We’re
both the only survivors from our families,” Lexi volunteers.

“Did
you have any children before?”

Lexi
shakes her head. “No.”

“Did
your parents die of the sickness?” he persists.

“No,
my mother died when I was twelve and I’m not sure about my father. Last I heard,
he was living in Las Vegas. I was raised by my aunt. She died in the plague.”

“Are
you an only child?”

“Yes.”

Airen
turns to Emma. “How about you? Did you have children? Brothers or sisters?” he
demands. He could be a little more sympathetic. Emma regards Airen with
suspicion until Joseph intervenes.

“He
isn’t trying to be nosy or unkind,” he explains. “We’ve been trying to figure
out the role heredity plays in being immune.”

“I
apologize if I sounded rude,” Airen says diplomatically.

She
smiles at Joseph and directs her answer to him. “It’s okay. I didn’t have any
children. I was adopted at birth so I’m afraid I have no information about the
whereabouts of my biological parents. My adoptive parents and sister died of
the plague.”

Airen
nods, satisfied with their responses. We talk for another hour, trading
survival stories, before Joseph and Troy excuse themselves.

“We
really should get back to the kids,” I announce. After Airen and I say our
goodbyes and thank Julie for dinner, he pulls her aside.

“Keep
your radio close and call me if they cause you any problems,” he murmurs.

Julie
smiles, patting him on the shoulder. “I will. Don’t worry about me. They seem
to be perfectly nice young ladies.”

“They
always do at first,” he mumbles before taking my hand and leading me out the
door.

Airen’s
skepticism wanes after a few weeks. Lexi and Emma stay with Julie and she’s
happy to have them. Emma is upbeat and bubbly, and Jayla enjoys spending time
with her. Lexi is kind and quiet, but she can be witty and sarcastic when the
mood strikes her. She and I have become fast friends. After being surrounded by
these men for so long, it’s nice to have a girlfriend to talk to.

Airen

“Mmm…Airen.”
Warm breath wafts across my ear, raising goose bumps along my arms. Soft lips
press against my neck, trailing roughly over my skin. Teeth scrape over my jaw
before biting my earlobe, hard. I gasp, inhaling a spicy scent. It’s familiar,
but it slips away before I can recall what it is.
Who
it is.

I
want to touch. I have an overwhelming urge to caress and squeeze and taste, but
I can’t. All I can do is float and feel and moan as a warm tongue moves
leisurely across my chest. Thick lips tease my nipple before opening slightly
to draw it in. So good. It’s so fucking good. A hand wraps around me and
strokes firmly.

“So
hard for me.” Dark whispers emanate from every corner of my universe. “Always
so hard for me.” Suddenly, I’m buried to the root in a hot wet mouth—o
h fuck—
and
my hand moves to burrow under soft curly hair.

“Look
at me.” The rough hypnotic voice echoes through my brain, while smooth heated
walls tighten around me mercilessly.

“I
can’t,” I moan. So much pressure, drawing and pressing; push and pull.

“Look
at me,” the voice demands. It reverberates throughout my consciousness, and I
find that I can move my head. It takes an eternity for my eyes to travel down
and settle on the blond head bringing me such pleasure between my legs. So
familiar, though the face is obscured.

“Please,”
I groan. I’m uncertain what I’m pleading for. To stop. To move faster. To
reveal a face. My last request is granted as two bright green eyes peek up at me.
Dimples form alongside a mischievous smile.

“You
want me,” he declares, before dipping his head again and seizing me with his
mouth.

“Oh
Fuck!” I cry out, halfway between worlds. Joseph’s face dissolves as my eyes
spring open and attempt to adjust to the darkened bedroom.

“Air?
You okay?” Abby questions in a sleepy voice. I’m on top of the blankets,
dripping with sweat, and I can feel the wet spot spreading on my crotch, the
remains of my hard on wilting. What the hell was that? Christ, I haven’t had a wet
dream since I was a teenager.

“Airen?”
she repeats, running her hand down my back.

“I’m
fine. I just have to pee.” I can’t escape her gaze fast enough. The dream was
so vivid. It seemed so real. I can still see Joseph’s eyes staring at me while
his lips part and…whew. Shaking my head does nothing to dislodge the persistent
images. What’s wrong with me? My wife is in my bed just around the corner, and
I’m getting off on a dream about a man blowing me.

Abby’s
scrutinizing eyes follow me when I emerge naked from the bathroom and climb
back in bed. She snuggles against me, and I’m hopeful that she didn’t notice.
After a few moments, she kisses my jaw and slides her hand between my legs to
squeeze and caress.

“Did
you save some for me?” she murmurs. I can feel her smile against my neck.

Shit.
“You aren’t
funny.”

“It’s
a little funny.” I’m never going to hear the end of this.

“Abby,”
I warn.

“If
you’re going to mess up our sheets, we should both reap the benefits. That’s
all I’m saying,” she teases. Okay, I’ve had enough.

“I’ve
got your benefits,” I growl, pouncing on her and sucking on the spot below her
ear that drives her wild.

She
moans, “It must have been a good dream.” I feel my face heat, though I know
there’s no way she can know who I was dreaming about.

“One
more word from you, lady, and I’m going to bend you over this bed and fuck you
until you scream.” Pinning her arms to her sides as my tongue explores her
nipples, I wait for the inevitable while my words sink in. I know my stubborn
girl will say something, and she doesn’t disappoint.

In
a quivering voice, she asks, “Who…who were you dreaming about?” She squeals
when I stand, flip her onto her belly, and drag her legs over the edge of the
bed. “Airen!”

“I
warned you, sweetheart.” Her panties hit the floor as my hand strikes her ass.
She has such a great ass and I’m instantly hard again at the sight of it bent
over in front of me.

“Ow!”
she cries with a giggle.

“You
know you like it.” I run my hand down the smooth skin of her back and plant a
line of soft kisses down her spine, delighting in the way it makes her shiver.
“Are you going to let this go?” I ask while I press into her slowly, eliciting
a long drawn out moan. “Is that a yes?” I tease, moving faster.

“Yes,”
she cries. “Don’t stop.” My hands slide beneath her to caress her breasts while
I pound into her. A faint whimper tells me she’s getting close. God, I love
that sound. She cries out in surprise and pleasure when I plunge deeper, harder,
my forehead dropping against her spine, completely lost in her. Her entire body
stiffens as she climaxes, burying her face in the bed with an agonized moan
that travels straight to my groin, making me come for a second time.

Coconut
scented hair drapes my pillow, lying across my cheek like a ribbon of silk as we
spoon together. As I turn my head to feel it feather across my lips, my hands
caress the soft curve of her hip and waist. I could spend the remainder of my
life right here, wrapped around my girl, buried in the scent of her skin,
breathing her sweet breath, her warm flesh pressed to mine. I can never get
enough of her.

“Love
you,” she murmurs, already slipping back into sleep.

“I
love you, darlin’.” I do. I love her with every ounce of my being. My Abigail.
Still, as I drift off…those sea green eyes.

* * * *

“Airen,
I’m glad you’re here. You can help us talk Eric out of making a monumentally
stupid mistake,” Troy says, as he opens the door and invites me inside with a
grim expression. It appears I’ve walked in on a heated debate. Joseph, Troy,
and Eric are assembled in the living room, and none of them look particularly
happy. I’m tempted to retreat while I still have a chance.

“Grab
a drink and get your ass in here,” Joseph calls. Shit. Too late.

“All
right,” I relent, taking a seat next to Eric on the couch. “What did you do,
Eric? Leave the toilet seat down? Use the wrong toothbrush? Get busted watching
them shower?”

“He
plans to go to Indianapolis to search for his father,” Troy replies.

“And
you two don’t think it’s a good idea?” The identical looks of scorn I receive
are all the answer I need.

Joseph
looks like he’d like to pop me in the mouth again when he replies, “Our little
trips are always a disaster, and he plans to go alone, into a large city nearly
three hundred miles away. Please, tell him he’s an idiot. Eric stares at me
impassively. He has yet to say a word. I don’t know why they think he’d give
two shits about my opinion in the first place.

“Eric,
you’re an idiot,” I agree.

“Thank
you,” Troy exclaims, vindicated.

“It’s
too risky to go alone. I’ll go with you.” This idea has been knocking around in
my head for the past few days anyway. If Eric accompanies me, at least I’ll
have someone who knows their way around the city.

Eric’s
demeanor shifts and he regards me with no little amusement. “Why would you want
to do that?” he asks.

“Abby
has a brother there, and Carson has been wondering about his father. I’d like
to go for them. It would be a hell of a lot easier to go with someone who knows
the city. What do you say?”

Leaning
forward, he slaps the table in excitement, grinning ear to ear. “Fuck yeah, I
say we leave tomorrow.”

Troy
shakes his head. “Thanks for the fucking help, Airen.”

Joseph
glances at him with a knowing smile. “Don’t worry. There’s no way in hell he’s
getting this past Abby. She’ll handcuff him to a chair first.”

I
turn to face him and Troy. “First, stop fantasizing about me in handcuffs…both
of you.” Eric laughs while they both try to suppress a grin. “Second, Abby
doesn’t tell me what I can and can’t do.”

Joseph
snorts and props his feet on the table. “Whatever you say.” He slides his arm
around Troy’s waist, a smirk on his face. “Honey, they aren’t going anywhere.”

“Just
give me a couple of days, and I’m in,” I assure Eric.

Shit,
Abby’s going to freak.

* * * *

“Are
you out of your goddamn mind?” Abby glares at me over the goat pen.

“Didn’t
you just tell me you’re concerned about your brother? Don’t you think Carson
should know whether his father is dead or alive?”

“Jon
isn’t his father; he’s a sperm donor. And yes, I wonder about Brandon, but I
certainly didn’t mean for you to run off and search for him.”

“I
know you didn’t, but I want to do this for you and Carson.”

“And
what if you do find Jon? You want to tell him the son he never claimed is
alive? Maybe bring him back for a touching family reunion?” Her eyes blaze and
she glares at me. “I told you Brandon is a junky. Do you really want him around
your kids?”

The
chances of finding her brother or ex-boyfriend are slim to none, but somehow I
don’t think that’s the best argument. “Abby, what I tell them or if I talk to
them at all is up to you. I’d like to find Jon’s house and get a picture of him
for Carson. I can find out how Brandon is doing and set your mind at ease, one
way or another.”

“Air,”
she sighs in frustration. “I love you for what you’re trying to do for me, but
it’s not worth the risk of losing you.”

Stepping
carefully around a pile of goat shit, I reach for her hand. “Eric knows his way
around the city, darlin’. We’ll be in and out. Two, maybe three weeks at the most.”

“Your
mind’s made up. It doesn’t matter what I say. You’re leaving me alone to
worry,” she mumbles.

“Abby,
you won’t be alone. Joseph and Troy will help with Lane. The harvest is over
and you don’t need me to help care for the animals. This is the best time for
me to go.” I try to hug her, but she jerks away, averting her eyes. She’s upset
and fighting to hide it. I’ve never met another woman so ashamed to cry.

“I’m
not the least bit concerned about the work load and you know it. I’m not
discussing this anymore.” Dropping the rest of the feed she was distributing,
she nudges a goat out of her way, heading for the house. “You’re going to do
what you want anyway.”

“Abby,”
I plead, but she ignores me and walks away, her shoulders slumped. Maybe I
should give her some time to absorb the news. I understand her fear, and I feel
guilty for upsetting her, but we’ve discussed this before. We can’t hide at
home and hope nothing bad ever happens. We have to live our lives.

After
dinner, she pulls me into the bedroom, and I take a deep breath, dreading part
two of our argument. Instead of launching into a new lecture, she asks, “When
are you leaving?” The resignation and fear in her voice make me doubt my
decision.

“Abby,
I really want to do this, but if you tell me you can’t handle it, I won’t go.”
Eric’s going to be pissed, and Joseph will never let me hear the end of it, but
I can’t leave her knowing she’s so afraid.

Sighing,
she tugs my arm until I sit beside her on the love seat, leaning her head
against my shoulder. “I’ll be okay.” A lock of hair falls across her face, and I
tuck it behind her ear, trying to decide whether to just call off the trip.
Maybe I’m being selfish. Foggy brown eyes peek up at me as she continues, “I
don’t want you to go, but I understand. Sometimes I forget how different your
life was before. I have everything I’ve ever wanted here. Family, a home, and
people who care about me. You used to travel, meet new people, and see new
places. Naturally, you get restless when you’re trapped in one place too long,
so if taking an occasional trip like this is something you need to do to be
happy, I won’t stand in your way.”

It’s
simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating the way she knows how I feel when I
barely recognize it myself. I want to find Abby’s family. It wasn’t just an
excuse. But I’m excited to go, to break the humdrum routine of life on the
farm. I pull her into my lap, crushing her small body against my chest. “I’ll
be back soon, darlin’.”

I’m
relieved there are no tears in her eyes when she replies, “Joseph’s mad at you,
too.”

“I’m
aware.”

“He
isn’t going with you?”

“No,
just Eric.”

“Bring
me a dozen donuts from Long’s Bakery on Tremont Street,” she jokes. “They’re
the best in the world.”

“You
got it, sweetheart. Anything else?”

“Yes,
if you’re leaving me for three weeks, I expect a lot of orgasms before you go.”
Though her face is still hidden, I can hear the smile in her voice. How could
anyone not fall head over heels for this woman? I never had a chance.

“Then
I’d better get started,” I murmur, tasting her neck with a light flick of my
tongue.