by Eric Vall
I could practically feel her eyes on me, though, and it accelerated my heart rate slightly. Eventually, I turned toward the wall and closed my eyes in an attempt to sleep.
I didn’t know how long I had been asleep, but when I woke up I felt a sense of urgency. I quickly glanced around to the room to see four sleeping figures. For a second that seemed right, but then I remembered that Kimmy was with us, and I checked again.
Bailey was missing.
Chapter 23
I quickly grabbed my pistol from under my pillow, slipped my feet into my boots, and made my way out into the hall. I saw no signs of open doors, and I didn’t hear any strange noises.
There was the possibility that she had gone to the bathroom, but I checked the restrooms in the building and didn’t see her at all. My heart began to beat faster as a strange sort of panic set in.
Where the hell was she?
Finally, I decided to head outside and check for her. I opened the door as quietly as possible, my pistol still raised, and scanned the area.
I spotted her instantly, her pale blonde hair reflected the moonlight as she sat in one of the chairs around the fire pit.
“Bailey,” I said as I rushed over to her.
“Hey,” she said softly.
“You scared the hell out of me,” I said as I pulled her to my chest and kissed her on the top of her head.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said into my chest. “I thought everyone was asleep.”
“We were,” I said. “But I woke up and you were missing. What’s going on, why are you out here?”
“Oh, I…” she started but trailed off, then she let out a large sigh. “I had a bad dream.”
“A nightmare?” I chuckled softly as I sat down next to her. “That’s why you’re out here all alone? Why didn’t you just wake me up?”
“I didn’t want to bother anyone,” she said, and she looked down. “It’s stupid.”
“Hey,” I said, and I lifted her chin so she had to look at me. “You’re no bother, and you’re certainly not stupid. Tell me about it, what happened.”
“I don’t know,” she said with a shake of her hand. “It was so weird. I was all alone in this dark place, and I kept hearing these voices, and they were begging for help, but no matter where I ran it was just darkness. I couldn’t find anybody.”
“That does sound scary,” I told her with a soft smile.
“I just got a really bad feeling,” she said, but she started to cry then, so I grabbed her and pulled her over to sit on my lap.
“You’re okay,” I told her as she snuggled into my neck. “I’m sorry you had a bad dream.”
“It felt so real,” she sighed.
“I’m sure it did,” I said. “The worst ones always do. You’re okay, though. I promise I won’t let anything hurt you.”
“I know,” she said, and she looked up at me with tear stains on her cheeks. “Thanks.”
“That’s my job,” I said as I wiped her cheeks off. “But don’t go wandering off at night anymore.”
“I won’t,” she said. “I didn’t realize that they didn’t have anyone on guard duty right now until I came out here, though.”
“I didn’t, either,” I said with pinched together eyebrows. “We’ll have to talk to Renee about that tomorrow.”
“Do we have to go in right away?” Bailey asked, and she looked up at me with a sweet little pout that stuck out her bottom lip.
“No,” I said with a soft smile, and I pushed her hair behind her ear. “We can go in whenever you’re ready.”
“Thanks,” she murmured and snuggled her face further into my neck.
I stared up at the moon that was high above us. It was nearly full, and the light that came off of it was incredibly bright. It was a beautiful evening, and the air was pleasantly cool as well. I realized then that I only had on my boxers and boots, no pants. I probably looked like a crazy person running around the refinery in the dead of night with striped boxer shorts on and a pistol at the ready.
Bailey sighed against my neck, and the feel of her warm breath sent shivers up my spine. I suddenly became aware of her body pressed against mine. She had on a thin tank top, and I could clearly see the outline of her small, pert nipples underneath it. She had her boots on, too, but instead of boxers, she had on a pair of gray pajama shorts which left most of her legs exposed. I couldn’t help but admire her pale skin in the moonlight and the feel of her sweet breath on me.
My heart began to speed up again, and I could feel her breaths grow uneven against me. She started to run her fingers up and down my chest, and the feel of her barely touching me was enough to drive me wild.
I opened my mouth and let out a heavy breath I hadn’t realized I had been holding, then I looked down to see Bailey staring at me with eyes that were all bright gray from the moonlight. She bit her plump bottom lip, and her chest rose and fell heavily with desire.
“Tav,” she said quietly, and she looked down, then back up at me through heavy lids. “I…”
“I want you,” I said, my voice gruff with desire.
“I want you, too,” she breathed, and she continued to stare at me with those beautiful gray eyes.
Bailey adjusted herself and leaned forward, which put pressure on the erection I hadn’t realized I had. It felt so good that my breath caught in my throat, and I let out a groan as I wrapped my arm around her waist.
The blonde looked at me again, her breath shallow as she began to move her hips back and forth over my cock. She wrapped her hands in my hair, then pulled her face right up to mine so our lips were nearly touching. I could feel her breath on my face, and the heat of her on my erection. I wanted her so bad, but what she was doing felt so good I couldn’t bring myself to stop her. Instead, I lifted her tank top to reveal her perfect pink nipples that were already hard and ready for me.
My hands moved up her smooth stomach to capture her breasts, and then rolled her nipples between my thumbs and forefingers. I pinched them lightly at first, but harder and harder until she threw her head back in pleasure.
“Oh, fuck,” she moaned. “That feels so good.”
I continued to pinch her nipple with one hand, but I slid the other one down her torso until I reached the waistband of her shorts.
“Don’t stop,” she gasped. I could feel her body quiver under my touch and the feel of her skin on mine made my cock twitch.
I slowly pushed my hand down the front of her waistband until I could feel her slick opening. My fingers were immediately covered in her sweet juices, and they slid inside her so easily.
Bailey began to grind against my hand, so I wiggled my fingers inside of her until she got a nice rhythm going. Her eyes were closed and her head was tilted back slightly so I could see her barely parted lips that sucked in ragged breaths. She was close, I could feel it, so I grabbed her hips and helped her keep rhythm.
“Tav,” she moaned. “I’m gonna come.”
“Come for me,” I whispered into her ear. “I want to feel you.”
A second later her body tensed up and I felt her pussy spasm around my fingers. She clenched them tightly, and I let her ride out her orgasm until she caught her breath and panted against my chest, then I slowly pulled my fingers out from her and brought them up to my mouth.
She tasted sweet and tangy, and she watched me as I sucked off every last bit of her from my fingers, her eyes heavy and hungry for more.
“You taste delicious,” I told her in a husky voice.
“I want you inside of me,” she whispered, and I felt my cock twitch at her words.
Bailey reached down and freed my erection from my boxers, then she stood up and slipped her shorts down and slid them off. I could see her glistening and ready for me, and my whole body ached with desire.
She climbed on top of me and hovered over me for a second, her pussy practically dripping on my cock as she held herself in place.
The anticipation had almost become too much, and I was about to grab
her by the hips when she plunged herself down on top of me, taking the whole of my erection all at once.
“Fuck,” I gasped as I reached around and grabbed her hair. I tugged on it slightly so her head tilted back and revealed her silky white neck for me, then I kissed and licked her while she bounced up and down.
I was almost afraid that the small lawn chair we were in couldn’t sustain us both with such rigorous activity, but at that point I didn’t care. I’d find them a new lawn chair if I had to, I just didn’t want Bailey to stop grinding against me. I slid in and out of her so easily, but she was so tight and sweet with each stroke that every time I re-entered her it felt as good as the first.
I could feel the blonde’s body tensing against my own, so I grabbed her by the hips and held her in place while I thrust in and out as hard as I could until I felt her body seize as she came again.
“Sooo gooooood. Tav, I’m going to… Ohhhh...” Her pussy twitched on my cock, and I could feel her spasm around me, but I kept going in and out until I became overwhelmed with the sensation of her.
“Yesss,” I growled as I released my load inside of her, and then we both spent the next ten seconds gasping as I filled her quaking tunnel to the brim with my seed.
We both went limp afterward, and I held her close to me as she breathed heavily against my chest.
A moment later she caught her breath, and she looked up at me with a lazy, satisfied smile on her face.
“You’re stunning,” I told her as I admired her blue-gray eyes in the moonlight.
Her small features were dainty and feminine, and though I knew her to be the most badass sniper around, at that moment she appeared so delicate that all I wanted to do was protect her and keep her safe.
“Thanks,” she said, but she didn’t blush like she normally would have, instead she smiled up at me with a look of confidence like she knew exactly how beautiful she was. It was hot as hell.
“I think it’s about time we head to bed,” I told her.
“If you say so,” she said with a small pout, and I felt my cock grow hard inside her once more.
“Is there something you’d rather do instead?” I growled as I began to push deeper into her soaking tunnel.
“I can think of a thing or two,” Bailey purred, and she pushed her hips further against me.
After another round of lovemaking, we finally made it to bed, though we only had a few hours left to sleep at that point. I didn’t care, though, I felt more energized than I had in days, and it didn’t matter to me whether I could sleep for ten hours or only one, I’d sleep well after what we’d just done.
The next morning I still managed to be the first one up. I went outside to see if anyone else was awake, and I found Renee, Jemma, and Conner around the fire pit.
“Hey,” Renee greeted me. “Wasn’t sure whether to expect you all up so early.”
“The girls are still sleeping,” I said. “I figured I’d make some coffee before I wake them up.”
It was still dark outside, the light had barely broken the horizon, and though we had a lot to do today, I thought the girls could use a little bit of extra sleep. They’d had not only a long day, but a long week, month, year, you name it. They worked hard every single day, and if I could give them just a little bit of extra time to sleep, I would.
“Did you say coffee?” Conner asked.
“I did,” I chuckled. “Do you all have a pot large enough to make some for everyone?”
“I’m sure we do,” Jemma said. “I was just making some breakfast.”
The dirty blonde haired girl lifted a lid from the pot that was on the fire, and I was overcome with the smell of oatmeal with spices.
“That smells amazing,” I said. “What’s in it?”
“It’s oatmeal,” she said. “But I put some canned apples and peaches in there, and a little bit of cinnamon and some other spices.”
“I’ll definitely trade you some coffee for some of that,” I laughed.
“It’s a deal,” she said. “I haven’t had coffee in far too long.”
I went to the jeep, then, and grabbed some supplies from the back, including the coffee that I knew the girls had packed for us. Tara didn’t go anywhere without a morning cup of java, and while I wasn’t trusted to be in charge of making the stuff, I thought maybe Jemma could help me out since she seemed to know what she was doing when it came to cooking.
“Alright,” I said as I walked back over to the fire pit. “I got the coffee, but there is something that I need help with.”
“I got the pot,” Conner said as he held up a large pot. “What do you need help with?”
“I need someone to help me make the coffee,” I said.
“You don’t know how to make it?” Jemma asked.
“It’s not that,” I said. “But the girls complain when I do it. You’re a great cook, though, I was hoping you could help me out.”
“Sure,” Jemma chuckled. “You must make a pretty bad pot of coffee if they’re willing to complain about it.”
“He does!” Tara hollered from the doorway of the barracks, and I turned to see her and the rest of the girls on their way over to us.
“Of course you all would show up right now,” I chuckled. “I was just asking Jemma for help.”
“Good,” Tara said. “You need all the help you can get when it comes to coffee. It’s honestly crazy to me, you’re so good at so many things, but coffee is the one thing you suck at.”
“Suck might be a bit harsh,” Bailey said.
“Harsh but true,” Anna said with a shrug.
“Anna,” I scoffed.
“Sorry,” the redhead said. “It’s true, though.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever had coffee made by Tav,” Kimmy said as she took a seat. “I’m sure it’s not too bad. Coffee can only be so bad, right?”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Jemma said.
“You’d think so,” Tara said with a shake of her head. “But it’s just so bad… it’s like how do you mess up a pot of coffee? But somehow he manages.”
“I’m an overachiever like that,” I said dryly.
“I’ll make the coffee,” Bailey offered with a chuckle. “Unless Jemma wants to do it.”
“No, that’s alright,” Jemma replied. “I’ll just be happy to get a cup. It’s been far too long.”
The girls continued to chat about coffee and their favorite drinks to get before the EMP hit, and I looked over and realized that Renee had been extremely quiet.
“Everything alright?” I asked her quietly.
“Fine,” she said with a shake of her head. “Sorry, I’m just thinking about everything we need to do today.”
“I understand,” I said. “It seems like a lot, but it will go by quickly, I promise.”
“I know,” she said, and she gave me a small smile. “Paige and I can get started with the map as soon as breakfast is done.”
“Sounds good,” I said. “While I have you out here, though, I wanted to talk to you about your patrols.”
“What about them?” Renee asked, her eyebrows pulled together in concern.
“I noticed that you didn’t have anybody on guard last night,” I said.
“No,” she said. “I guess I didn’t. Do you think we need someone on night watch?”
“I think it’s a good idea,” I said. “Especially with what’s going on now, but even still, travelers could come by at any time, and you’re incredibly vulnerable if you’re all in the building asleep.”
“That’s true,” she sighed.
“I watched your guards yesterday, too, when we got here,” I said. “I’d like to give you some pointers about their rounds that will make them more effective.”
“I’d appreciate any input you have to offer,” she said. “I’m good with the refinery, but the patrols and things, that’s a different story.”
“You’ll get used to it,” I told her with a smile. “It just takes time.”
“Oatmea
l is done,” Jemma announced. “I’m going to go wake up the group.”
“Thanks, Jemma,” Renee said.
The sun had just come up, and the morning was slightly foggy and cool, but the warmth of the fire eased the chill, and I knew once I got some oatmeal and coffee in me I’d feel better. Besides, I didn’t mind a chilly morning. The air was always so crisp and fresh, it felt like I was cleaning my lungs out.
I looked around at the girls while they smiled and chatted with one another. They were all exceptionally beautiful.
Anna’s red hair was pulled back in a long braid as usual, but a few loose strands hung around her face and framed her features in the best way. Her red lips were full and pouty, and the few freckles that sprinkled her nose and cheeks were absolutely adorable. She wore an athletic sweatshirt and long athletic pants along with her running sneakers. Every inch of her was toned, and I had to admire her dedication to staying in shape.
Bailey had on a gray beanie that brought out the gray in her eyes. She also wore a baggy sweatshirt and a pair of jean shorts in preparation for how hot the day would be. She looked like the flower child she was, her blonde hair loose around her face and neck, and the sleeves of her sweater pulled over her hands to keep them warm. She turned to me and flashed me a sweet smile, and I couldn’t help but smile back.
Paige had yet to put her hair up for the day, so her long chestnut locks draped around her shoulders and down her back. Her hair was so full and thick that it practically overpowered her whole body, and I just wanted to reach out and touch it. She wore her black, thick rimmed glasses on her small, upturned nose, and she had on a pair of jeans, a gray hoodie, and hiking boots.
Tara looked like a supermodel as always. Her platinum blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, except for a few strands around her face and ears that framed her sharp features perfectly. Her blue eyes were piercing under whatever makeup she managed to throw on every morning without me knowing, and she had on a pair of tan shorts, and a low cut shirt under a zip up hoodie.
Kimmy smiled and listened to the girls’ chat, but didn’t take too much part in the conversation. She was absolutely stunning, though, as she sat back in her chair with her feet kicked out toward the fire. She had on a pair of blue shorts, a white T-shirt, and a cardigan, along with a pair of moccasin type shoes. Her dark curls fell around her head perfectly, and her skin was so clear and perfect it almost didn’t look real. I admired her for a second more before I turned my gaze back to the fire because I didn’t want to get caught staring again.