Only Love Survives (Love and Zombies) (10 page)

“Megan, isn’t it?”

Megan didn’t look up. “Yep.”

“I’m Vanessa.”

Of course she was. No way her name could be Pat, Mary or Jane
. Megan rounded up the most polite voice she could muster and forced a smile at the woman. “Nice to meet you.”

“So the man you are traveling with…”

Ah, straight to the point without all the trappings of civility.

Vanessa flipped her hair back over her shoulders. “Are you two together?”

Megan tipped her head and considered a myriad of responses, none very polite.

“Would it matter?” She suspected not.

The woman’s eyes widened for a second, the only tell that Megan’s candor had caught her off guard. Then her eyes narrowed, sizing Megan up. “It hasn’t in the past.”

“Then why ask?” The river went quiet as a praying congregation around them and Megan suspected the other women gave in to Vanessa’s whims. Megan knew a bully when she saw one, even one disguised in dangerous curves and long flowing hair.

Vanessa shrugged one shoulder then tossed her hair over the other one. “Courtesy?”

“Don’t bother. I have no claim on Sam.” Megan thought for a second then leveled her eyes on Vanessa, naked boobs and all. “Except for his front seat.”

Someone screamed and Megan’s heart leapt in her throat.

Chaos broke out as women scrambled to the shore. Megan smelled the corpse before she saw it moaning and staggering toward them along the shore. The way the women scattered made it impossible for anyone with a gun to take fire.

Megan found her footing and started to move, but Vanessa stood and screamed frozen in place. Megan turned back and grabbed Vanessa’s hand. It took a good tug before she came to life and fell into step, slipping and sliding on the rocks behind Megan. The zombie turned in their direction just as Megan feared it would since they were the closest snack. She shuddered and continued to tug the screaming woman behind her out of the river.

“Shut up.” Megan warned but the woman continued to scream at the top of her lungs.

The lumbering creature was foul in every sense of the word. His rotting flesh hung in places, exposing the bone and muscle beneath. His eyes held a milky white haze making it hard to believe he ever had a soul.

Once Megan cleared the guards towing the half-naked, hysterical woman past them, they opened fire. The corpse absorbed the first shot but kept staggering toward them. The next round connected with his head. He fell like a tree, stiff and emotionless.

Shouts rose from the direction of camp, and Megan heard the men crashing through the trees. She looked at Vanessa who didn’t have the sense God gave her to even cover up with her hands.

“See, this is why you never set anything down.” Megan unzipped her dripping cargo pants and peeled them off over her shoes, leaving her to stand and wait for the belated rescue in a T-shirt, black underwear and tennis shoes.

“Here.” Megan handed them to Vanessa who finally came to her senses enough to realize what was about to happen.

“Oh.” She held the pants to her chest just as a group of armed men broke through the surrounding brush.

“Everyone okay here?” Allan shouted as the men came to a halt.

“No bites,” one of the women answered.

Sam descended with the group and as soon as his gaze fell on Megan, he marched over unbuttoning his shirt with one hand while balancing the weight of his big gun in the other. He shrugged out of the blue chambray business shirt he’d been wearing the first day they met and handed it to her. Megan noticed he even stood between her and the view of the other men so she could slip it on.

“Thank you.” She stuffed her arms into it. Megan looked down at her bare legs. The hem fell at her thighs, but did the job of covering her bottom quite nicely. Good thing he was so tall.

“I leave you alone for one minute,” he teased. “Where are your pants?”

“I gave them to the shirtless wonder over there.” Megan pointed to Vanessa who stood surrounded by concerned friends and family.
Well, maybe just family
. Megan chuckled.

“Bet she didn’t even say thanks.” Sam found her hand amid the extra length of sleeve.

“Come to think of it, no she didn’t.” Megan allowed him to lead her back to camp.

“I don’t suppose you have an extra pair in that bag of yours.”

“Hey, where is my bag? You promised you wouldn’t leave it behind.”

“Somehow finding you seemed more important.” He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it.

His answer warmed her exposed flesh and she instantly forgave him. “I’m sure I’ll get my pants back once she retrieves her shirt.”

“Yeah, I don’t think she’s in any hurry.” Sam nodded in Vanessa’s direction.

They watched as she regaled her tale, clasping the sodden pants to her chest with all the drama one would expect from an award-winning actress.

“Really, how long can a woman run around shirtless in a family camp?” Megan wondered.

It turned out to be longer than she suspected. The men went back to tending the stew they’d prepared and Vanessa disappeared leaving Megan to eat dinner in Sam’s long shirt. She stood in line with everyone else and pretended it was a dress. A really, really short dress. At least ten people waited in line in front of her. At the head of the line, Sam passed each person a steaming bowl and a spoon. He wore his sweater and Megan felt a slight twinge of disappointment he’d put anything on at all. He had such nice abs. His eyes searched the crowd and Megan ducked behind the big guy in front of her, lest she be caught staring again.

When she made it to the front of the line Sam smiled as he handed her a bowl of stew.

“Hi, my name is Sam. I’ll be your server tonight.”

“Thanks.” She laughed and took the bowl. When he looked pointedly at her legs, she sighed and added, “Remind me never to give away my clothes again.”

“Nice legs.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

“Stop it and give me a spoon.”

“Ahem.” The hungry person in line behind Megan dropped a hint.

“I’ll come find you after I’m done here.” Sam picked up a bowl filled it for the next person.

Megan nodded and left the line to find a place to eat close to the fire, all the while looking for Vanessa or her pants. No sign of either, of course. Megan pushed the stew around trying to identify the meat for a good couple of minutes before she decided maybe it was best she didn’t know. At least she knew where the potatoes and carrots came from—probably picked them herself that very morning.

Tiny clusters of families ate together. Parents sat on logs while children sat in the dirt by their feet. The men who prepared the meal had joined their families, as well as those who were tasked with clean up later. Only the servers were still tied up at this point and would eat last.

Every time Megan moved, Sam’s musky scent engulfed her. She found herself wiggling around unnecessarily to feel close to him.

Even after she washed her bowl and put it with all the others in the dish bin, neither Sam nor her pants had turned up. As she searched the camp for some sign of either one, Megan couldn’t quite fathom why she’d bothered to hand Vanessa anything to hide behind in the first place. The woman obviously enjoyed putting on a show and had no qualms about people wandering the camp half-naked. Otherwise, she would have returned Megan’s pants by now. Dollars to doughnuts she hadn’t even bothered to go get her shirt, and the sun had set so it wasn’t gonna happen now. At this point, Megan would probably have to go the entire night without her pants. At least it wasn’t chilly, but that wasn’t the point.

Megan finally gave up the search and made her way back toward the fire. She turned around the nose of an RV and stumbled upon her darn pants. They hung from Sam’s shoulder while he stood like a rooster with his arms folded across his expansive chest, listening to Vanessa clamor on about her harrowing experience.

All the blood rushed to Megan’s’ ears in a ridiculous surge of jealousy. Vanessa reached out and put her hand on Sam’s arm and Megan wanted to rip her lovely locks out by the roots. Instead, she squared her shoulders and marched right up to the two of them.

“Can I have my pants?” She put her hand out, waiting.

Vanessa put on the appropriate show, acting flustered and guilty, as if Megan had caught them doing something unexpected.

“Oh relax. I just want my pants.”

Megan turned on Sam, who didn’t move or say a word. He just tilted his head and watched her without losing his cool.
Him and his damn…composure.

“Well?” Megan demanded.

He nodded at the harlot. “Goodnight.”

Then Sam took Megan by the elbow, none to gently, and marched her back to the Suburban, leaving a stammering Vanessa behind, alone in the dark. Megan fought to keep in step with him and she would have lost her balance if not for his iron grip to keep her upright.

Once they reached the car, he spun her round in front of him. “What was that?”

Megan yanked her arm out of his grasp.

“Nothing,” she lied. “I just want my pants.”

“Really?” His voice dripped with disbelief and he folded his arms.

Megan cut loose. “I can’t believe you stood around flirting with her while I am wandering the camp half-naked.”

“You have my shirt on and I told you, your legs look great.” He spoke as if that made everything okay.

“Just give me my damn pants back.”

“Oh, so now you swear?” He pointed back toward the fire over his shoulder. “Just what do you think you caught me doing back there?”

Megan felt tears building behind her eyes.
Not now, not in front of him
. “It doesn’t matter. Go do whatever you want with her, just give me my pants.”

A storm that spelled danger flashed across Sam’s face. He advanced on Megan so fast, she backed up against the side of the Suburban. He planted a hand firmly on each side of her, pinning her with his arms as well as his gaze.

“What I want? Are you so hard-headed you can’t tell what I want?” That said, he covered her mouth with his and crushed her clever comeback with a passionate assault on her senses. Megan pushed him, but he didn’t budge. Instead, he continued to kiss her with his soft, strong lips until her resistance melted away and she succumbed to his ministrations. Her arms wound around his neck of their own accord pulling him closer and her tongue sought out his in a passionate dance regardless of what her heart wanted.

When Sam finally broke away leaving her breathless and wanting more, he pressed his forehead to hers and watched her mouth like a drunk watches amber liquid being poured into a glass.

“You,” he rasped. “I’ve wanted you since I found you hanging from that damn roof and our little encounter in the river just stoked the fire.” He captured her mouth again and wrapped both arms around her. Sam pressed his warm body against every part of her.

Megan melted into him, savoring the contrast of his hard against her soft. When she sighed into his kiss, he responded with a guttural growl.

Sam pulled away and fished his keys out of his pocket, leaving Megan bereft from the loss of his touch. Without a word spoken between them, she followed Sam to the back of the car and climbed in when he opened the door. He knelt on his knees and pulled the door closed behind them. His large frame filled the tiny space and the warmth radiating from him gave off a charge that filled her senses. Sam reached up and cradled the back of her head, drawing her in to drink from his lips again. His fingers tangled in her hair and Megan’s world began to spin while his lips worked hers masterfully. She steadied herself with her hands on his strong thighs, which moved under the fabric of his jeans while he kept balance for both of them. His free arm wrapped around her middle and he tipped her back gently to rest on the blanket. He settled above her.

Megan gazed at him and he brushed his mouth across hers in a teasing caress…once, twice, then a third time, leaving her lips quivering in anticipation. She wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her mouth to capture his in a demanding kiss, then ventured even further to explore his mouth with her tongue. When Megan pulled away, her head spun with emotions too tender to name, and she put her free hand on his massive chest to steady herself.

Sam covered her hand, entwining his long fingers with hers while his gaze delved deep into her soul. There, under her palm, she felt the steady thumping of his heart. The pounding echoed through her and filled her senses, until her own heart matched the rhythm. He kissed her again, encouraging her lips open, and she complied granting him the access he sought. When he flicked her tongue with his own, warmth spread through her until it pooled deep in her core leaving her hungry for more
…for him
. He pulled back and pushed her loose hair out of the way with his free hand, then cradled her face softly as he continued to kiss her breathless.

The proof of his desire pressed into her hip, and she wiggled against him to get closer, to let him know she wanted the same thing. Sam growled in response, but when Megan reached down with the intention of freeing him from his pants, he captured her wrist.

“I don’t think so.” He lifted her hand up over her head and pinned it there. “This time we’re going to do it right. I’m going to set the pace, and drive you as crazy as you’ve been driving me.” He smoothed his hand down the length of her body, examining every curve with those long fingers and causing ripples of pleasure wherever he roamed. Megan closed her eyes and let the sensation wash over her.