Gasoline | Ben Parish

53: EPILOGUE

"ARE you cold?" 

"No," I lie as I scoot closer to him, the scratchy sheets shuffling over me.

"Bullshit. I can feel you shaking," Zombie says. "Why don't you put your clothes back on? I want you to be comfortable."

I shake my head, pressing a soft kiss to his collarbone. "I like the way this feels." My bare skin slides against his as I press myself to his side.

His next breath is shaky. I think I've rendered him speechless because he doesn't say anything for a while, just lets his cautious fingertips trail up and down my hip.

"I didn't know it would feel like that," he finally says. "Would feel so..."

"Good?" I ask teasingly. "Yeah, sex tends to feel that way."

He rolls his eyes. "I know that... I just meant... I don't know. It's different this time. It's different with you."

My hand slides up and down his chest. "Why do you think that is?"

Zombie shrugs against the mattress. "I don't know. I'm not complaining."

"I didn't think you were. You seemed to really enjoy yourself."

"Oh my God." He's laughing lightly, thin cheeks turning pink and gaze avoiding mine shyly. "Please shut up."

I grin. "Maybe you should make me..." I whisper as I move to straddle him, the covers falling to sit around my waist. My palms come to rest on his chest to keep me steady.

Zombie's eyes struggle to stay on my face. I feel his warm hands slowly drift up the backs of my thighs to rest on my ass, pressing me a little closer to him. "Maybe I should," he murmurs back, a smile playing at his lips.

My hair tickles my neck when I lean down, kissing him softly. He inhales sharply, one hand coming to hold the back of my head. The other now grips my hip so tight I think it might bruise. I moan softly, and suddenly he's flipping me over, climbing on top of me. His mouth moves aggressively at my throat, licking and sucking.

I nearly get lost in the sensation, but then something touches my hip.

It feels warm and wet, and it drips down the curve of my body.

In the back of my mind, I know that there's a couple of different things this could be, so I let it go at first. Then more droplets hit me.

I bite my lower lip, trying to keep my voice level. He happens to be really good at this. "Zombie?" I call softly, struggling to keep my eyes open.

He grunts, lips trailing to my collarbone.

My voice comes out slightly shaky. "Hey..."

His mouth finds the top of my breast and, involuntarily, I arch into him. "Mm..." My every word is breathy. His large hands are everywhere and it fogs my brain. "You're... you're bleeding."

That certainly gets his attention. He pulls away, eyes blown wide and cheeks flushed. "What?"

I take a deep breath, finally able to speak and think clearly. "You're bleeding. I think you ripped your stitches or something." My fingers cautiously descend on the tender flesh at his hip, and he hisses at the contact. When my hand comes away red, I know that I'm right. "See?"

He stares at the evidence blankly. "Okay..." he eventually says. "Can we worry about that later?"

"No, you idiot," I laugh.

"...but I'm kind of busy right now."

I shake my head, smiling. "Roll over. Let me get you a fresh bandage."