After the Crux

by Worth, Dani

  She should have joined them in the shower—probably had mud in her hair—but she didn’t care. They were happy. She hadn’t heard Ross laughing so much in years.

  Dorian chuckled as he swept her up and carried her in front of the fireplace.

  “We are so keeping this as the bedroom,” she said as she crawled into the big bed with her men.

  Chapter Eight

  Late that afternoon, Ross mulled over how much to share with the rest of the family as he backed the truck up to the front door so they could finally unload it. His leg was still pretty sore and he was sure the crazy amount of sex he’d been having wasn’t helping.

  But he sure as hell didn’t care, wasn’t about to stop.

  He’d imagined what sex was like, had come many times by his own hand, but nothing had prepared him for the reality. The incredible pleasure of another warm body—or two—the feel of slick skin and the kisses. The kisses were the best part. He could exist on them alone.

  Putting his hand on the handle of the door, he chuckled as his groin responded to his thoughts. Apparently, he was trying to make up for years of lost time.

  Gwen and Elijah came running around the corner of the house, followed slowly by Colin. Ross watched the boy, hoping that it wouldn’t take long for him to feel at home here. It had to be so hard coming into a pre-made family like theirs. But it could be so much worse for the kid. Gwen realized he wasn’t following and ran back to take his hand and tug him toward the back of the truck. “It’s like Christmas!” she yelled.

  It would be exactly like Christmas because he and Jake had found the aluminum sheets Jenna wanted and they’d stumbled upon a sewing shop with air-tight stored boxes of material, thread and sewing machines. Jake had talked about how much Georgia would love this stuff half the trip home.

  He climbed out of the cab of the truck and yelled, “Ho, ho, ho!”

  Jenna burst into laughter and sprinted across the snow, kicking up white stuff behind her boots. She started to leap at him from a good five feet away, then stopped and walked up close instead. “Your leg!”

  He’d thought she stopped because she remembered the others didn’t know about their new relationship. Not that she hadn’t crawled all over him before, but it would be different this time. But then, Jenna being Jenna, she opted for straight-out honesty and laid a wicked-hot kiss on his lips. Her lips were warm despite the cold air around them and her sweet tongue slid inside his mouth to caress as he tightened his arms around her. Silence fell around them.

  He pulled back and shook his head. He should have known Jenna would pick the most blatant of ways to show everyone things had changed. He pushed her back. “Go ahead. Have at it.”

  She whooped and ran around to climb into the truck. Of course he enjoyed doling out gifts. Jenna loved getting new things. She didn’t even pause to see everyone’s reaction to her kiss. Ross didn’t give a damn if anyone got upset by their threesome. They’d have to get used to it. Narrowing his eyes, he looked up and met the direct gaze of Jake who’d come to stand by him. Lynn was standing next to Jake. The both of them stared at him for a long time. He scowled.

  Jake’s grin stretched wide. “You dog! It’s about time you wised up.”

  Surprise chased away Ross’s scowl.

  Lynn sniffled and reached up to hug him tight. “I’m so glad,” she whispered. “I’ve been hoping you guys would get past whatever stupid thing was holding you back. I hated seeing you so alone all the time.”

  He hugged Lynn back. “I’m a stubborn fool.”

  “Told you Dorian would go for you being with Jenna. He loves you too.” Jake slapped him on the back. “Now I get why you didn’t come out of the bedroom for so long.”

  “And why Jenna sat in the hot tub so long,” Lynn added with a wry smile and a wink.

  Living in such close quarters could be hell sometimes. Ross shook his head and moved around to help unload. He’d have to explain the real nature of his new relationship at some point, but he’d let them warm up to this idea first. He did stop to look at Georgia. She didn’t tease or grin, but she didn’t look upset either, so he squeezed her shoulder gently and climbed into the back of the truck.

  “Woohoo! You found shoes!” Jenna squealed, rocking the truck as she pushed things aside. “And DVDs! Oh my god! Pretty Woman. I remember this was a classic when I was a little girl. I loved this movie!”

  Jake groaned as he held up his hands for the box of fabric Ross handed down. “Dammit, I’d planned to hide that one. Can you imagine Gwen getting a hold of that movie? It’ll be like The Lion King all over again.”

  Chuckling, Ross remembered having to push play on that movie three times a day for a good three months. “Where is Gwen? She was just here a second ago.”

  Georgia, who couldn’t stop her curiosity once she spotted the fabric, was trying to take the huge box from Jake. “She and Elijah dragged Colin off somewhere ‘real quick’ they said.”

  Ross hesitated before handing the next box to Jake. “How is he doing?”

  “Fine. He doesn’t know how old he is, but I’m guessing fourteen.” She looked around, saw the kids coming and whispered her next sentence. “He’s kind of small for his age, but all this food will help, I just know it.” She tugged on Jake’s arm. “I really can’t wait to see what’s in that box, so will you set it inside the door? Please?”

  Jake nodded and followed her inside.

  “See?” Jenna said from right beside Ross. “Told you she was perking up. I have a feeling we’ve only seen a small glimpse of the real Georgia.” Jenna beamed at him. “You found a boxed set of the Alien movies. You rock.”

  He had five seconds before everyone came back for more boxes, so he cornered her in the back of the truck, thrusting his tongue into her warm mouth, pressing his dick, which seemed permanently hard now, against her. When he pulled back, he looked at her swollen lips and flushed cheeks with pride. “Let’s get this unloaded so I can take you back to bed for even more rocking.”

  She burst into motion, hauling boxes so fast, Jake and Lynn didn’t get a break carrying them into the house. And Ross could swear he heard her mumbling something about being thankful for the bara-something-or-other.

  Gwen, Elijah and Colin appeared and lined up at the back of the truck. Elijah bounced on his feet, excitement lighting up his big, dark eyes. Ross hunted through the boxes and opened one before tilting it so Elijah could see. The box was full of construction toys. Elijah gasped.

  Colin stepped forward. “I can help with the boxes.”

  “Sure thing. Good to have another guy around to help.” Ross handed the teen a box and he didn’t insult the boy by giving him the lightest choice.

  “There’s more like this? More fabric?”

  Ross heard Georgia’s near yell before she darted out the front door to clamber into the truck and brush past him. He took a good look at her. She was rapidly changing, blooming actually. Her blonde hair looked wavy and healthy thanks to Dorian’s homemade shampoos and she’d filled out from the half-starved waif he’d brought home. She flung open a box and he heard an actual laugh right before she bent all the way over one box to get to another. He lifted an eyebrow. Who knew? The woman had a very fine backside.

  Ross turned and caught Jake’s gaze glued to that backside. Raw need flared and disappeared nearly too fast for Ross to catch. Jake met Ross’s look, the other man’s expression sad and sort of ashamed, before he moved out of sight.

  Ross knew Jake loved his wife, that he’d never be unfaithful. The look he’d given Georgia’s ass was something any red-blooded man would do. It was the need that had surprised Ross. Then he glanced at Jenna and thought about the three of them. Love came in many forms, it seemed. But this still worried him. He loved Jake, but he also loved Lynn and couldn’t help but wonder if they’d have a problem later. They all lived in such close quarters.

  “Yarn! Look at all of this beautiful yarn.” Georgia straightened, her hands spilling over with colorful balls of ya
rn as she grinned at Jenna. “I’ll teach you how to make things. You’ll see. It’s the best thing to keep your hands busy.” She turned and climbed over an open box to get to the others.

  Jenna shot Ross a wicked grin. He knew she was thinking about better ways to keep her hands busy.

  Ross groaned and closed his hands into fists so he didn’t throw Jenna over his shoulder and caveman it back to their room.

  The next morning, Ross ate early and dressed in heavy layers before striding back into the kitchen doorway. “Now that I’m healthy again, I want to check on the road. Make sure it’s properly camouflaged.” It had been bothering Ross for days, the fact he and Jake hadn’t covered their tracks like usual. More snow had fallen since they’d returned, but he couldn’t shake this cloying sense of unease.

  Jake swallowed his food. “I drove back down the road two days after we got home and it’s mostly in good shape, though I could use another hand in moving the heavy tree limb in place.”

  Ross nodded. They kept the limb over the road at the entrance.

  “Why didn’t you say anything?” Dorian asked.

  “The boss was really sick that day. You were needed here.” Jake shrugged. “No biggie. I’ll ride out with you now, Ross. Let me just run and put on warmer clothes.” He shoved the last of his toast into his mouth and jogged out of the room. Lynn snagged the rest of his orange juice. They’d had a low survival rate on their oranges the year before, so wasting any of the frozen stash was a no-no.

  “Juice hog. Maybe I wanted that,” Georgia said.

  Jenna choked on laughter and Ross grinned.

  “So,” Ross added slowly. “Looks like I’ll be out a long time. Maybe all day.” Ross didn’t make the announcement to anyone in particular. He was just hoping for a kiss goodbye. Maybe with tongue.

  Expecting Jenna to pick up on his attempt at telepathy, surprise and gut-wrenching desire hit him simultaneously when Dorian stood up from the breakfast table and strode across the room—which was suddenly quiet as the three other adults at that table stopped eating. The kids had finished breakfast long ago.

  Fluid grace moved those long limbs of Dorian’s, his jeans molding the sinewy flex of muscle in his thighs. The wicked smile that stretched his lips sent the temperature of Ross’s body soaring.

  “I thought we were waiting to spring this part of our relationship on them,” Ross murmured as Dorian stopped in front of him.

  “Fuck that,” the other man whispered before burrowing his talented hands under the hem of Ross’s shirt so he could cup his waist.

  Ross gasped, took the scent of the other man deep into his lungs, then grinned at him, knowing every wicked thought going through his mind was plain to everyone in the room. He speared his fingers into Dorian’s sleep-tousled, silky hair, then tugged his head close, whispering against his lips, “Make it good.”

  “Is there any other way?” Dorian slanted his lips over Ross’s before thrusting his tongue inside.

  Groaning, Ross kissed him back, stepping in to press his body to his. Passion ignited him and he felt the answering heat in Dorian’s body. He cupped his head and kissed him deeply, spearing his tongue inside the hot clasp of Dorian’s mouth.

  “Oh my.”

  He heard Lynn’s words, then stopped hearing anything but the rush of blood in his ears as Dorian gripped the bare skin of his waist and tongue-fucked him until he couldn’t think at all.

  Ross finally pulled away, staggered back. “Shit, Dorian,” he rasped, bending to try to catch his breath.

  Dark eyes glittered at him as Dorian shared a secret grin the others couldn’t see. That grin held wicked promises that made Ross want to ignore the trip altogether and drag the man and Jenna back to their room. “I’ll hurry,” he uttered before waving at everyone in the room. He nearly walked through the window next to the door. The sound of Dorian’s deep chuckle followed him outside into the frigid wind. Wind that didn’t do a thing to lessen the painful hard-on stretching his jeans.

  Jenna’s heart was in her throat and every nerve below her waist was on fire. She watched Dorian as he watched Ross drive away. He hadn’t moved from that spot in the entryway but she knew what he was feeling. She felt it too. She was pretty sure she’d never been this turned on her entire life. She lifted a shaky hand to sip her tea.

  “Well. Fuck me.” Lynn snatched up an empty plate and fanned herself with it.

  Jenna choked on her tea before bursting into laughter. “First I’ve heard that come out of your mouth.”

  “What?” she said, eyes wide. “I’m sorry, honey, but I’d never leave the bedroom if I got to watch that daily.”

  “Me neither,” Georgia whispered.

  “It is hard,” Jenna murmured, watching as Dorian turned to her. The raw need in his expression drove her to her feet. She held her breath and stared at him, knowing exactly what that glittery, narrow-eyed gaze meant. He turned and walked to their room.

  She followed, ignoring the laughter behind her.

  Chapter Nine

  Every nerve in Ross’s body felt raw and achy, every beat of his heart forced the fiery blood through his veins. He gripped the steering wheel with iron fists as he planned to get this road camouflage trip done fast so he could drag Dorian and Jenna to bed for a week. He’d loved them before, but now that love had intensified to the point he felt them under his skin, the connection so strong, he could draw a deep breath and take in their scents from memory alone. Dorian’s unashamedly passionate kiss had Ross gritting his teeth as he stared into the fall of thick snow in their path. He wanted, no needed, to imprint himself on them in a way that felt primal.

  It was probably a good thing he had to go out in the cold.

  “That was some kiss,” Jake said as he leaned over to turn the heater up. “I caught the tail end of the show.”

  Ross sent him a quick, hard look. It was all out in the open now. “Got a problem with it?”

  “Do you really need to ask? I’m the one who reminded you it’s a new world with new rules. Besides, some of the old rules were stupid and should never have been there in the first place.”

  “So me loving Dorian seems natural to you?”

  Ross glanced at Jake when he didn’t answer and found the man staring out the passenger window. It had fogged up for him to really see well, so Ross slowed the truck. “Jake? Is this going to be a problem then?”

  Jake shook his head. “Sorry, I was thinking of something else. Does it bother me that you’re with Dorian too? Not in the least. You three just go together. Always have. In fact, I thought you were being a moron for not jumping into this sort of relationship sooner.”

  Ross stopped the truck when he saw his hands were shaking. He held them to the heater. “Should have let this old truck warm up. So, I was being a moron? You’ve heard the story of how we found each other. Hell, they were only nine years old.”

  Jake held his hands to the heater, too. “And you were fourteen. If you guys had started up then, yeah, it would be wrong, but you’re thirty and they’re twenty-five, none of you are related and you know what? Love is love. This new world is damned harsh. We’ve managed to survive the worst it’s thrown at us and it could still get shittier. We have raiders to worry about, survivors to find and we don’t have the medicines we used to and any of us could get sick at any time. We should take love where and when we can get it and be damned thankful we have it.”

  Smiling, Ross crossed his arms. “Valid points, wise one. But for the record, it doesn’t feel like weird stuff. Not with either of them.” Ross suddenly frowned at the fogged windows, reached out and rubbed a spot but it didn’t help. “We’re going to have to go back. The snow is coming down too hard and at this rate, we’d just get stuck on the road.”

  Jake nodded. “This kind of snow will obliterate any signs anyway.”

  “Wait. Hear that?” Ross closed his eyes, concentrated on the noise that didn’t go with the usual sounds here. “Is that a truck?”

  Jake rolled
down his window, listened while snow pelted his face. “Shit, Ross. I think it is. I should have paid attention to my gut. They must have found our fuel stash.”

  Ross didn’t stop to wonder why they both assumed it was the guys from the stabbing. The hair on his arms was standing tall and the scraping sense of wrongness in his gut made him sick. He stared at Jake. “We can’t let them get to our house.”

  Jake, expression fierce, reached under the seat for the guns they kept in locked boxes.

  Cursing, Ross flipped off the lights to the truck, hoping the snow would help them blend, but it was too late. The first blast was loud in the woods. He and Jake ducked down as bullets sprayed their truck. They smashed through the windshield. Jake slapped a pistol in his hand and Ross fired through the broken window even as the snow coming into the cab nearly killed their line of sight. The truck suddenly tilted as the firing took out the tires on the driver’s side.

  The other vehicle roared past them and Ross caught a glimpse of the driver’s grin—the same man who’d clocked the older kid in Texas.

  “Are you hit?” he yelled at Jake.

  “No!”

  Ross jumped from the cab and began running through the woods. He heard the slam of a door behind him as Jake followed. His wounded leg started hurting immediately, but he didn’t slow. The strangers would beat them to the house because they were on wheels and weren’t trying to run through snow drifts. Logically, Ross knew they’d get there first, but every panicked instinct flooded his muscles with adrenaline even as he felt snow soak through his jeans. His lungs began to ache from the cold but he picked up the pace, knowing those men would hurt all the people he loved.

  They’d take Jenna.

  And they’d kill Dorian because the man would fight to his death.

  Fury lit fire to his screaming muscles. Ross strained, pushing himself to go faster, to fight the snow and to breathe through his nose to help with the chest pain. When his home was in sight, he dropped behind a boulder to assess the situation.