He laughed and leaned over to smack a kiss on my cheek. “I’ll let Jandro know what we need.”
I finished wolfing down my pastry and coffee, then returned my hand to Shadow’s shoulder as I stood. He was like a magnet, I just could not stop touching him. He watched me curiously, only slightly shorter than me standing even while he was sitting down.
“You guys have fun with the governor today.” My touch slid up his shoulder, fingertips brushing along his neck and cheek.
“We will.” His arm came around my waist in a gentle hug to his side. “Enjoy the hospital and riding lessons.”
“Will do.” I leaned down, only planning for a sweet, brief kiss, but all my lips wanted to do was linger on his.
Who was I kidding? All I wanted to do was crawl into his lap and shove my tongue in his mouth, to feel and explore this mountain of a man with every inch of my skin until I uncovered every mystery about him.
His arm tightened around me, soft sighs escaping him as I pressed kiss after kiss onto the mouth that had learned mine so thoroughly and quickly the night before. He returned every one, sipping lightly with just enough pressure and sensation for me to feel like I was floating.
Reaper and Gunner only looked amused when we finally separated. “Did you forget we were here?” the president chuckled.
“Not another word out of you,” I warned, rounding the table to kiss him full of teeth and rough scraping of lips, just how he liked it. My fingers speared through his hair, gripping the dark strands to hold his head in place. Reaper emitted a growl of satisfaction that lit up my core like a match. “Have a good day, love,” I whispered against his mouth.
“Yes fuckin’ ma’am.” He grinned in return. “And hey, listen.” His face turned hard, eyes sharp and jaw clenched. “Be careful, sugar. You hear me?”
I stroked my husband’s face, pushing his hair back and trying my best to soothe the worried lines etched into his forehead.
“I will,” I promised him with another long, lingering kiss.
Two
MARIPOSA
“Squeeze the brake lever nice and slow. Easy, easy…” Gunner’s hand guided mine with steady patience on the dirt bike as we pulled up to the hospital. My stop was abrupt, but not as hard as when I took my first spin around the block and nearly lurched over the handlebars.
“Good job, baby girl!” He patted my sides. “You’re getting the hang of it.”
“Thanks, Gun.” I swung a leg over to stand next to the dirt bike as Gunner scooted up the driver’s seat. Freyja popped out of the front of my jacket, shaking her fur out and sniffing the air. “You picking me up for lunch?”
“I can.” He leaned over the handlebars with a playful smile. “Unless you’d rather have Tall, Dark and Scarred pick you up? Since you’re in the early, getting-to-know each other stages.”
A familiar fluttering lit up inside me and I couldn’t fight the smile pulling at my lips. Having Shadow like this was new and exciting, sure. I wanted to shout yes instantly, but remembered how sensitive Gunner could be about feeling excluded. As wonderful as a budding new relationship felt, I couldn’t neglect any of them for a fresh high. Especially not him.
“No.” I grabbed the sides of his cut, bringing his mouth to crash against mine. “I want you.”
I tasted his smile, and melted into the arms that slid around me. “You sure?”
“Positive.”
My fingers extended, tracing the sharp angles of his jaw as I savored each of his slow, sensual kisses. The world outside my golden man’s arms ceased to exist for a few precious moments. Our lips barely separated when we parted, soft puffs of breath still mingling in the chilly air.
“Love you,” I whispered, dragging my fingers through a stray lock of blond hair.
“Love you more,” he sighed contentedly with a final kiss before reluctantly pulling away. “I’ll be rendezvousing with Reap and Shadow, see if I can meet this mysterious general soon before I come back to get you.”
“Okay.” I untangled from him, walking backward to watch him ride off. “I’ll be here.”
He shot me a heart-melting smile over his shoulder as he turned the bike around, then shot down the road at speeds much higher than he allowed me to drive.
I turned to the hospital doors and walked through, hoping the cool outside air had prevented my face from getting too red. Nothing could be done about my body temperature, though. My guys were just too hot.
The hospital lobby looked clean and well-maintained. Only a few small hints gave any indication that this place had been looted a few years ago. The freshly painted wall behind the front desk covered up some kind of graffiti that was just barely visible. One more coat should be enough. Some of the waiting area furniture looked beat up, as if someone had turned the couches over or thrown chairs across the room.
I approached the front desk, which was empty. Not a soul was in sight on this floor, so I opted to go exploring. Heading for the elevators, I pressed an UP button and was surprised to see it light up. The panel above the doors counted down from five floors, then the door slid smoothly open when it reached my floor. Freyja walked into the metallic box like she rode in elevators all the time.
I hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside, still in a state of awe. It had been years since I’d seen or been inside a working elevator. Luxuries like these ceased to be maintained once the Collapse hit. Now it just had to not get stuck on the way up.
I hit the button for the second floor, stepped back, and held my breath. The door slid closed with a soft ding and the sound made a giggle burst from my chest. Who knew an elevator would be such a luxury?
When the doors slid open again to another lobby, this time a woman’s head was visible behind the front desk.
“Hello,” I called, eagerly stepping out and heading toward her.
She jumped, looking at me with startled, wide eyes. “Goodness!” She brought a hand to her chest. “No one comes through this way, I didn’t expect to hear a voice.”
“Didn’t mean to scare you.” I stopped at the edge of the desk. “I’m Mariposa. I came into town last week.”
“That’s right.” The woman’s eyes narrowed in recognition at me, but more out of curiosity than suspicion. She was middle-aged and solidly built, with streaks of gray through her carefully curled dark hair that fell to her shoulders. “You’re the one who saved the governor’s daughter.”
“With the help of a few good men,” I laughed lightly. “But I’m trained as a medic and wanted to check out the hospital. So far, it seems a bit, ah…”
“Empty?” the woman chuckled. “That’s because it is. I’m Rhonda, by the way.”
“Well-met, Rhonda.” I shook her hand across the desk, noticing her pale blue scrubs were well-worn and carried various stains that lingered after probably hundreds of washings.
A memory hit me of some of the nurse instructors back in school. They wore their old tattered, stained scrubs with pride until they were threadbare. Every rip and stain was like a badge of honor, remnants of someone they once helped.
“If you’re looking for the doctor, he’s in surgery at the moment,” Rhonda said, straightening up.