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  “I like to ration just in case. Especially now with three mouths to feed.” Monarch hooked a finger toward Cabernet, who was snoring.

  “Who do you miss the most? You know, from before the outbreak?”

  His personal question got her full attention. He’d never really pried before, she’d assumed because he either didn’t care or didn’t want her to pry back. Or both. Her fear of eye contact was forgotten as she met his gaze. It was earnest.

  “Oh, that’s a hard one. I’d have to say it’s my niece.” She couldn’t help but smile before continuing. “Jordan and I always had a special bond. We were close in age, only eight years apart. I was as much a big sister as an aunt. Once, when she was four and I was twelve, I recorded one of our conversations. I asked her a bunch of silly questions just to see what would come from her four-year-old mind. I love that tape, I watch it from time to time. I love listening to her carefree giggles and my questions that I thought were so grown up and reporter like. Her creativity was so impressive, kids that young have no restraints, no filters. They just say what pops in.”

  Monarch’s chin quivered at the fond memory. Not wanting to go down that road she turned the tables on Corbin. “What about you? Who do you miss the most?”

  “Nobody.”

  “Come on, Corbin. I answered.”

  He turned and looked at Cabernet. “I had a dog once that I really loved, named Spike. He died when I was sixteen.”

  Monarch’s heart clenched. Was he for real? Had his life been that sad? Or did he just not give a shit about people? “Corbin, you really don’t have anyone you miss?”

  He waved a hand dismissively. “I had a couple friends I think about sometimes. And I had an employee at the shop. He was a nice guy, had a wife and kid. Hope he made it through the virus. But we weren’t real tight and we lost touch when shit went down and I got locked up.”

  Shit, he’d said. Monarch wished she knew what “shit” was. A word with the meaning of a thousand. “I hope he made it through, too.”

  Corbin suddenly grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

  Monarch raised her head in confusion, her belly clenching at his touch. “What?”

  “I’m sorry I scared you that first night. I wasn’t myself after the wreck, I was desperate and my leg hurt like hell. Thinking back now I know how scared you must have been.”

  There went her insides melting again. “Thank you. I…I was scared. But I understand why you did it. This is the only house for miles and you were hurt.”

  “I’m nothing like Byron.” Corbin was no longer meeting her gaze, instead staring at the fire.

  “I know. I wouldn’t be eating dinner with you if you were.”

  “I mean it.”

  She put her elbow on the coffee table, leaning toward him. “Corbin, I know. Do you think I would be…living with you if I thought that?”

  “Then why did you spend most of the day barricaded in the bedroom?” He pinned her with one of his trademark stares.

  “I was not barricaded, you’re being ridiculous.” She lied.

  “Yeah, yeah, a headache, that was it?”

  The intensity of his question made Monarch squirm but she said nothing and looked away.

  Transition back to junior high mode complete.

  Corbin got up to take the dog for a walk outside, effectively ending the conversation. As Monarch watched him retreat, she thought about the expression “still waters run deep”.

  Those words fit her roommate perfectly.

  ****

  Lick. Lick. Lick.

  Monarch awoke the next morning, sputtering. Cabernet was on the bed, licking her face.

  “Good morning to you to.” Monarch said giggling, trying to dodge the dog’s enthusiastic kisses. “I take it you are trying to tell me you need to go outside?”

  Cabernet seemed to understand her and leapt off the bed in the direction of the front door, tail wagging. Monarch laid there for a moment, stretching and luxuriating. She felt better than she had in a long time, relaxed and rested.

  She wondered where Corbin was this morning, and then remembered she should pretend she didn’t care. After letting the dog out, she got up and went to the bathroom. She took extra time with her appearance, using extra water when she bathed to wash her hair since it had been a couple days.

  It’s just the usual time. It has nothing to do with wanting to look nice for Corbin.

  Like it or not, the football player at the next locker had morphed into the escaped convict out in the tool shed.

  Once she was dressed, in her tightest jeans and a long sleeved thermal shirt, her damp hair laying in curls down her back, she went to search out Corbin. As conflicted as Monarch felt about being near him, she wanted to let him know she was going to run to the convenience store to get dog food for Cabernet.

  “I’ll go with you,” he said when she told him. He stood out back, a sheen of sweat covering him despite the cool day. When she found him he was chopping firewood, his shirt unbuttoned, exposing his perfect chest and abs while his sleeves were rolled all the way up to expose his bulging biceps.

  Are you frigging kidding me?

  This is so not fair, Monarch’s inner voice screeched in frustration. She couldn’t catch a break. All she was trying to do was NOT imagine doing dirty things with him and here he was looking like he stepped off the cover of a romance novel. This was getting way out of hand. She needed to focus on what mattered. “Don’t you think that’s too far for you to walk yet?”

  “No, we aren’t in a hurry right? I’ll bring my tools and I can get the fuel filter out of that car while we’re there. Besides, it’s not safe for you to be venturing off on foot all the time by yourself.”

  The protective, possessive tone in his voice sent her libido soaring. Monarch felt a sudden and distinct urge to keep him from going. “It’s a long walk, Corbin. Why don’t you rest for a few more days? The car isn’t going anywhere.”

  He narrowed his eyes, studying her face for a moment before shrugging. “Okay, Doc.”

  Corbin’s easy demeanor was in direct contrast to obvious irritation with her the night before. Now in the light of day he seemed in higher spirits, acting as if nothing had happened. His mercurial behavior made her feel off-balance.

  Her uncertainty made her voice sound much too waspish when she asked, “Should you really be chopping wood? You’re supposed to be taking it easy.”

  “I’m fine,” he replied, wiping his brow.

  Monarch fought the urge to wipe it for him, with her tongue. “Are you sure?”

  “Don’t I look fine?”

  Better than fine.

  “You look hot.” Monarch blushed immediately and tried to cover up her slip, “I mean you look sweaty…you shouldn’t over do it.”

  Corbin’s expression was beyond smug. “You look a little warm yourself,” he said, taking in her reddened cheeks and fighting off a smile. “Are you okay?”

  She wanted to strangle him. “I’m fine. Is there anything you need from the store?”

  “An ice-cold beer and a medium rare steak.”

  Monarch almost smiled but she was too mortified. “I’m going to the store, not stepping in my time machine. I’ll be back soon.”

  She turned to leave but not before he called, “Can’t wait.”

  Chapter 5

  That night, they were sitting in front of the fire, drinking wine, and looking through a stack of CDs, deciding what music to play next. Cabernet had gone to sleep on the couch, though not before Corbin taught her to sit using far too many of the treats Monarch raided from the pet section of the corner store.

  Corbin was very polite and pleasant all through dinner. Monarch figured he still felt bad about yelling at her the day before. Perhaps he felt bad about a lot of things. Monarch only hoped he didn’t regret their kiss, because she certainly didn’t.

  “I vote for Kelly Clarkson,” she said, almost giddy at the musical bounty before them. It provided a good distract
ion from the life-changing kiss that hadn’t been far from her mind. Plus listening to music after all this time was awesome!

  Corbin gave a thumbs down sign. “Hell no. How about Lynyrd Skynyrd?”

  “Who’s your favorite band?” Monarch asked him casually, wondering how much intel she could get out of him in his current relaxed state.

  “Hmmm, hard to say. Maybe Alice in Chains. You?”

  “I love Muse. But I love anything really. Top forty, country, hip-hop, dance.”

  Corbin smirked. “I can picture you at a dance club, one of those that plays the really loud, bad dance music while you shake your ass with all your girlfriends.”

  “Oh really?” Monarch said and then laughed. “Guilty. Though I usually preferred quieter bars where I could grab a drink and actually hear myself talk. I liked catching up with my friends.”

  “Me too. I’m a pub guy.”

  Their gazes met across the pile of CDs and Monarch felt her stomach flutter. For some reason, the completely common connection of liking the same type of bar felt like more. Like they were on a date that was going really well and Corbin was telling her I like you….

  “Oh, I almost forgot. I have something for you,” Corbin said, getting up and opening the coat closet by the front door.

  Monarch’s mouth was agape. “Wh-what?”

  “It’s nothing really so don’t get all weird,” Corbin replied simply as he sat back down across from her, this time holding a wrapped package. Now he seemed uncomfortable with the gesture, shrugging it off. “I just figured…you know, since tomorrow’s Christmas.”

  She gasped. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d acknowledged what day of the week it was, much less what date. It was Christmas? Her relaxed buzz from a moment ago was gone. Melancholy filled her. Christmas would never be the same again. Never would she walk through a mall filled with music and decorations of the season, bustling with people, or rush to her mailbox, excited to get Christmas cards from family and friends.

  But the one consolation was that she wasn’t alone. She was with a man who’d thought enough about her to come up with a gift. She was starting to crush on Corbin in a big way. “Corbin, I-I…don’t know what to say.”

  “Don’t say anything. Just open it,” He ordered gruffly, shoving the poorly wrapped object toward her.

  There’s the Corbin I know….

  Monarch brushed the scrap of birthday wrapping paper covering the present, something Corbin obviously found in a closet. Just the image of him gift wrapping it made something in the vicinity of her heart clench tight. She almost hated to rip it off. She pulled at the paper with shaking fingers until the item underneath was revealed. Monarch gasped again, her eyes filling with tears.

  “It’s a picture frame,” Corbin stated the obvious, while he pretended to look through CDs. “I found some pressed tin in the shed, must have been extra left over from the backsplash in the kitchen. And I’ve seen that picture of your family that you keep by the bed, figured you could use something to put it in.”

  A tear slipped down Monarch’s cheek as she looked up at him. “This might be the most thoughtful Christmas present I’ve ever gotten. Thank you, truly.”

  Corbin continued to plow through the CD cases so fast there was no way he was seeing the covers. “You’re welcome. I didn’t think you’d cry. Just wanted to repay you for letting me stay here and—”

  “Corbin?” Monarch interrupted.

  “Yeah?”

  “Merry Christmas.”

  He met her gaze then, held it. “Merry Christmas.”

  After Monarch recovered she smiled and picked up another CD. “How about Britney Spears?”

  “The Doors?” Corbin countered, playing along.

  It went on like this for several minutes, each of them shooting down the other’s ideas.

  “Maybe we should play rock-paper-scissors to decide,” Monarch joked, feeling tipsy once again from the wine. As she looked at Cabernet and then at Corbin, for the first time in a long time, Monarch acknowledged she was feeling happy. In her stupor, she let her eyes linger on Corbin’s lips a little too long. He was so handsome. And thoughtful too.

  “You have a deal,” he said.

  What? Oh yes, the game! Monarch quickly decided on paper, having a hunch that Corbin would go with rock. She sat on her knees and prepared to win, already filled with glee at the thought of Corbin’s pained face while she forced him to listen to Kelly Clarkson on repeat. “Ok, ready?”

  “Yeah.”

  “One, two, three!”

  And there went Monarch’s wine mug, spilled all over her front. She was a tad too enthusiastic with her paper hand gesture and managed to karate-chop her mug in the process. “Dammit! I can’t believe I did that! What a waste of wine!”

  Corbin chuckled. “Nice moves.”

  “Shut up,” she said as she got up, pulling off the shirt to reveal her tank top underneath. “I still won. I saw you go with rock. Why don’t you be a pal and put Kelly on while I go take care of this shirt real quick? I just don’t want it to stain.”

  “I am second guessing the discovery of the stereo,” Corbin called behind her.

  Monarch went into the bathroom, using a battery powered lantern, and after blotting for a moment, determined the shirt was a loss. The stain was permanent. Luckily it wasn’t one of her favorites and fashion wasn’t high on her list of concerns. After throwing it in the wash pile, she decided to go ahead and get comfortable, and peeled her tank top, bra, and jeans off too. She would just grab a baggy shirt and leggings from the closet, so she could be comfy while she listened to Kelly and gloated.

  “I thought you might want a fresh towel—”

  Monarch turned at his voice to see Corbin standing in the doorway of the bathroom watching her, a towel dangling from his hand, his lips parted. She gasped, covering her breasts with her arms as she turned to block herself from his view.

  “Uh, sorry, I didn’t expect—” Corbin took a step toward her, his expression pained. “Christ, please don’t cover yourself, I’ve imagined you naked a thousand times. Just like this.”

  Monarch hesitated, still holding her arms over her breasts, though his hoarse plea caused her stomach to do somersaults. “You have?”

  Corbin took another step toward her. “Yes. About every damn second since we met.”

  His blunt admission didn’t upset her. In fact, it turned her on. Monarch surprised herself and removed her arms, exposing her breasts to his gaze. “Did I look like this?”

  Corbin took yet another step. His brow was creased, as if he was concentrating really hard, restraining himself. “You look so much better in reality. You’re amazing.”

  Monarch laughed nervously and looked down at her chest. She was a B cup at best, her pale nipples hardened to tight points. “They’re a little small.”

  Corbin rubbed a hand across his mouth. “They’re perfect. You’re perfect. I…I want to…” He trailed off and took another step. He was so close now.

  “Do you want to touch them, Corbin?” Monarch whispered.

  His eyes were practically burning holes into her. “God, yes. But…I can’t just stop there.”

  “What do you want to do?” Monarch turned more fully toward him, wondering if he could see how wet she was through her panties in the glow of the lantern light.

  “I want to do every dirty thing to you I can possibly think of. I want to see you on your knees with your mouth on me. I want to taste your hot little nipples.” He motioned toward her breasts. “But mostly, I want to ride you so hard and so long we forget our names. I want to see you come for me.”

  God, she loved the way he talked dirty. She was panting now. “Corbin?”

  Another small step closer. “Yeah?”

  She dropped to her knees. “Come here.” She didn’t even stop to wonder who had inhabited her body, because certainly the old Monarch would never behave like this. She didn’t stop, because she’d never been more turned on in her life. An
d right now she felt like she had to taste this man or she would die.

  Corbin closed the remaining distance between them in one stride, ripping his shirt off. His thick muscles clenching, the tattoos on his arms rippling with the movement. He unbuttoned his jeans and unzipped the fly, his erection springing forward. Monarch took just a moment to admire it, the shaft large and veined, the crown dark. Then she gripped the base of it, using her other hand to reach inside his open fly and cup his sac. She leaned forward, her red hair falling over her shoulders as she took it into her mouth.

  “Jesus,” Corbin rasped, intently watching as she sucked on him. “Is this really happenin’? Your…mouth feels…incredible.” He was practically slurring in ecstasy as he reached down to grip her head, guiding himself into her mouth in rhythmic thrusts.

  Monarch had never felt sexier in her life. Or more alive. She kept her eyes up on his face as she sucked him in and out of her mouth, intent on blowing his mind.

  After a few moments, Corbin cursed, and pulled back from her. “You better stop, I’m about to come. It’s been so long, I can’t…help it.”

  He sounded ashamed which made Monarch want to please him even more, to banish those feelings. He made her feel heady, like she was so sexually irresistible he couldn’t help himself. She moved forward and licked his shaft from base to crown. “That’s good. I want you to.” Then she enveloped him in her mouth once more.

  Corbin groaned, seeming lost, his eyes squeezed shut but then he opened them again to look down at her. “I don’t want to miss a second…”

  Monarch sucked him as deep as she could, until her lips touched her fisted hand which massaged the base. She kept a quick rhythm, feeling him throbbing with her mouth. She knew he was close and she wanted, no needed, to make him come. At that moment, he obliged her. He tensed and let out a guttural yell, “Oh shit! I’m coming!”

  Monarch felt faint as she tasted the first hot burst of his ejaculation against her tongue. She continued to suck until he was spent, thrusting in her mouth reflexively.

  Once she released him from her lips Corbin lifted her and pressed her against the wall. “Jesus, woman, you are somethin’ else,” He said before he pressed his lips to hers.