Revolution (47 page)

             
"Danny, leave them alone!" Celeste chastised.

             
He shooed me. "Just go violate my sister and don't
ever
talk or hint at it again."

             
"What does violate mean?" Calvin asked as Sherry and I sprinted away laughing. Nothing mattered tonight except her and her skin and her breaths. Nothing.

             
I grabbed Sherry's hand and towed her to our 'tent'. Having no walls sucked, especially on nights like this when I wanted to spend hours devouring her, but we just had to make do.

             
I pushed the curtain to the side and
pulled my wife to me.
She was smiling in the dark and I couldn't help but smile, too. I pressed my mouth to her cheek so she could feel it and know that I was happy.

             
I hoisted her up and her short, but luscious legs wrapped around my waist. The
one
back wall held us both up and I let her feel everything. All my tremors of excitement and all my rough skin on her softness. I cupped her face. "I'm so proud of you."

             
"For what? Not jumping you in the hallway?" she joked and giggled. That giggle sent tingles everywhere.

             
"No
…well, yes, but no. I'm proud of you for what you did. You saved the day back there."

             
She shrugged. "I just figured it might make them not think about what we were
really
doing there. And it worked."

             
"Yeah, it worked." I nuzzled her neck. "Like I said, you saved the day."

             
She sighed in a breathless way. "Merrick." I groaned at that. "Will you stop trying to make my ego swell and kiss me instead?"

             
"If this works," I continued, pretending I hadn't heard her plea, "things are probably going to get bad
in town…well, everywhere. This is just the first step, but we haven't even seen the worst of it yet I don't think."

             
"I know," she sighed in defeat and sagged.

             
"All I'm saying is that things have to get worse before they get better. We did the right thing, though it may not seem like it soon. One day, everything will settle down. One day, Lily will play with Calvin in a real yard. One day, I'll ravage you in a real bed."

             
She laughed softly. "Right now, I'd do with a ravaging in a pallet."

             
"For now, this'll do," I heard myself growl before kissing under her chin. He
r
fingers knotted themselves into my hair and tugged.
             

             
"Ah, Merrick," she groaned, hitching up the heat in the room a notch. "Your lips are my favorite thing about you."

             
"Really?" I teased and leaned back. "Your favorite?"

             
She grinned before putting her hand behind my neck and pulling my mouth to hers.
The taste of her was
my
favorite thing. She was like sweetness that stayed with you long after the cookie was gone. She was every tart and sweet thing I've
ever loved rolled into one dessert that lasted forever. So I took my fill of her mouth for long minutes before moving on.

             
Her fingers let me know she was done with this part of the game and moved on to removing my shirt. I leaned back, keeping her pressed against me and up against the wall. We'd grown so good at this dance.
One
finishing the acts the other
one
started. Becoming bored wasn't a problem. Every time I unwrapped her, it was like the first time. Her smiles were always a little different, a little sweeter one day, then a little more sassy the next.

             
She the most delicious little puzzle and I couldn't wait to piece her together and then make her come apart.

             
She kissed the tattoo behind my ear, the one that defined me as a Keeper and damned me to the outside
world as a traitor. Her hand whisked
down the tattoo on my chest. The bull. I think it had grown on her as much as it had me. 

             
I disposed of her shirt and let my palm drift down her torso, from neck to belly. Then I was done. No more games, no more playing. We took care of the rest of the binding clothes
. Skin to skin was the best feeling in the world,
and for once she was the one who had to tell me to be quiet.

             
Once the world stopped spinning we lay there, breathing a crazy rhythm that brought back memories of flushed skin and lips and arms.

             
She rolled over and threw herself over my chest, her hair on my neck. I rubbed circles in her back, loving the way she sighed, so content. The smug feeling was welcome inside knowing that I was the one who could make her that way.

             
"What are you smiling about?" she asked, though she was facing away from me.

             
"How do you know I'm smiling?"

             
"Because I can feel it," she said and smiled. She was right, I could feel hers, too.

             
"I'm smiling because the most beautiful creature in the universe lets me-"

             
"Keep it PG, Keeper," she laughed.

             
"Now who's the perv?" I joked and laughed when she elbowed my ribs. "I was going to say the most beautiful creature lets me
try to make her happy."

             
"You don't try," she whispered. "You do make me happy."

             
I let m
y
finger
s
tangle in her hair. "
And you make me happy." I pulled on her arm. "Come here."

             
She came willingly and settled her chin on my chest as she looked up at me. I rubbed her arms and began
slowly and with the deep breath
that
I needed
, "
When the war comes, and it will, I won't stop you from being a part of it if that's what you want."

             
Her jaw dropped as much as it could with her chin resting on me. "What? Why?"

             
"You want me to change my mind?"

             
"No…" she shook her head, "I'm just confused."

             
"You've shown me over and over that you're capable. You're amazing and as much as it pains me to say, and frankly, pisses me off, I know that you're here with us for a reason other than to just be with me." Her smile was tentative. "So…if it comes down to it and we have to fight, I'll stand by your side the whole way."

             
She reached up and caressed my cheek and the stubble on my chin. "I love you, Merrick. And I appreciate that."

             
I gulped and nodded. "I love you, baby."

             
"
I know," she said and hoisted herself to sit on my stomach. "Whatever happens, Merrick, it was worth it. All of this was worth it."

             
I sat up to meet her. Even with her straddling me on my lap, her head was still lower than mine. I lifted her chin with my fingers and waited. Her face as she waited for me to devour her in the dark was priceless. I leaned forward and nipped her chin. She gasped the smallest amount, but it was still adorable.

             
She wrapped her arms around my neck and I knew what was coming. I
kissed her with intent. We had all night and if this was truly our last night on Earth, I was about to make it count.

The Day The World Ended

Sherry

             
We all gathered around. It was time. Morning had come and we'd all sogged through breakfast and paced and waited. Miguel clicked on the TV as we all stood or sat in huddles. Ev
eryone was present and
eager.

             
This was it. It was almost the time we marked for the broadcast. We would see if everything was for nothing.

             
Lillian sat beside me and told me she was going to look for Cain, but when I told her what had happened and what we were waiting for, she sat down just as eager
to watch our little nine inch TV
.

             
Right then was the normal broadcast that they played on a loop.
             
They mentioned the
reward, the rebels, the Keepers as they always did. The time we set came and Miguel pointed at the clock to tell everyone to wait. The minute ticked by slowly, a watched pot that refused to boil, and then it passed. I felt so deflated, I could barely breath
e
. Lily was in my lap and I was in Merrick's, and if it hadn't been for his presence pressing behind me, I'd have fallen over with disappointment.

             
I felt his arms encircled us both and he whispered, "It's ok," but before he could finish the picture changed and there I was, clearing my throat and beginning with, "You don't know me…"

             
The silence of the room was everywhere, as loud as a roar, as everyone waited. When the tape kept playing, Miguel let out a "Whoop!" and that started the cheers.  No one even heard what the rest of the tape said,
but
it didn't matter. The point was that
they
heard it. All those people glued to the TV at every opportunity so the Lighters could keep poisoning them with their compulsion.
Merrick squeezed me and kissed my hair and neck. Lily jumped up and down, though she didn't really understand what it was for. But hey, it was a party, right?
             
Miguel came and stole me from Merrick's lap and hugged me with my feet in the air. "You brilliant girl!"

             
"They made me
do it
," I defended.