couldn’t see for shit, but wow, could she feel. What she felt was jumbled. Complicated. It trumped the fear hands down.
She was so tired of being afraid, tired of living the rabbit. But the rabbit had kept her alive.
There was no sight of him in the dark hallway.
Daniel was gone. She missed him. Missed the press of his arm against hers. Missed the warmth of him at her back, despite the stifling heat. Not a panic thing but more of an ache, a yearning. The man couldn’t go down a hallway without her getting clingy.
She usual y didn’t glom, no matter what certain asshole exes might have inferred for their own nefarious purposes.
Something had to be done.
She had been working herself up to taking some constructive steps in his direction, yet here she sat. Stalled, frustrated, and thinking about sex. Dwelling on sex since the “holy shit” of being far away from her hidey-hole had eased within her. It had eased because of him.
A moment later Daniel hauled the rolled-up swag out from one of the bedrooms, hustled it down the hall toward her. When he spoke his voice was lowered. “Open the sliding door, please. All the way. Remember, we need to be nice and quiet.”
She jumped to her feet, pulled the door open as ordered. Her dinner curdled. “Daniel, I don’t know …”
“Shhh, it’s okay. You can do this. I’m a true believer,” he said, pushing as was his wont. “Besides, we’ll be safer up there. Safe is good, right?”
“Yes, safe is good.” Ali studied his face to see if there was some dig in it but he smiled back, serene. Maybe a touch arrogant, but hey, that was him. “Alright.”
The roof didn’t extend far over the balcony. Daniel positioned a chair below the roof edge, put a foot up on it and tested it with his weight. Once satisfied, he motioned to her with a finger. “Slow and careful, got it?”
“Got it.”
His big hands settled on her hips, and she stepped up onto the chair, stretched her arms up, hands reaching, and – fuck-oh-my! She gasped and strangled a girly shriek as he lifted her high.
The roof was big and lined with a low rim of bricks. Ali scampered up and over, coming close to landing face-first. Her hands fumbled in the darkness before touching down on the gritty surface. Concrete, heated al day by the sun, warmed her palms.
The world was large up there, huge. Large and huge and open. On the other hand, she was very small and insecure. But he was right about being safe. No infected could manage a two-story climb any time soon. Knowledge that had sent her up into the safety of the attic from the start.
“Babe. You okay?”
“Yes.” Ali righted herself, hurried back to the edge and peered down into his face. His presence pepped her up immediately, bolstered her failing reserves. His unwavering smile. Her hands could shake al they liked. “No. Shit. Pass me the bedroll,” she said.
A quiet chuckle drifted up from below. “Repeat after me, there is nothing to fear but fear itself.”
“Shut up and gimme the swag.”
First he passed up the pack, then the bedroll. He eased it up with a hand to the bottom, taking most of the weight. “Move back.”
She did as told.
Big hands gripped the brickwork as he hauled himself up, muscles flexing and the sleeves of his t-shirt stretching. What a shame she only had moonlight to see him by. He was a whole display of delicious, packed full of win.
Shows of strength and daring had never really gotten to her previously. Not like this. Daniel made her stomach drop and swoop. He made her feel like she defied gravity. Every carnival ride she’d ever taken rolled up into one. She kept expecting the ground to give way beneath her feet, for his attention to wander and waver. But it didn’t happen.
At the end of the day, she couldn’t hope to live up to the hype. The truth of it stung. No, it throbbed like an old wound in damp weather.
The man in question put his feet on firm ground and started dealing with the bedding,
She was so tired of being afraid, tired of living the rabbit. But the rabbit had kept her alive.
There was no sight of him in the dark hallway.
Daniel was gone. She missed him. Missed the press of his arm against hers. Missed the warmth of him at her back, despite the stifling heat. Not a panic thing but more of an ache, a yearning. The man couldn’t go down a hallway without her getting clingy.
She usual y didn’t glom, no matter what certain asshole exes might have inferred for their own nefarious purposes.
Something had to be done.
She had been working herself up to taking some constructive steps in his direction, yet here she sat. Stalled, frustrated, and thinking about sex. Dwelling on sex since the “holy shit” of being far away from her hidey-hole had eased within her. It had eased because of him.
A moment later Daniel hauled the rolled-up swag out from one of the bedrooms, hustled it down the hall toward her. When he spoke his voice was lowered. “Open the sliding door, please. All the way. Remember, we need to be nice and quiet.”
She jumped to her feet, pulled the door open as ordered. Her dinner curdled. “Daniel, I don’t know …”
“Shhh, it’s okay. You can do this. I’m a true believer,” he said, pushing as was his wont. “Besides, we’ll be safer up there. Safe is good, right?”
“Yes, safe is good.” Ali studied his face to see if there was some dig in it but he smiled back, serene. Maybe a touch arrogant, but hey, that was him. “Alright.”
The roof didn’t extend far over the balcony. Daniel positioned a chair below the roof edge, put a foot up on it and tested it with his weight. Once satisfied, he motioned to her with a finger. “Slow and careful, got it?”
“Got it.”
His big hands settled on her hips, and she stepped up onto the chair, stretched her arms up, hands reaching, and – fuck-oh-my! She gasped and strangled a girly shriek as he lifted her high.
The roof was big and lined with a low rim of bricks. Ali scampered up and over, coming close to landing face-first. Her hands fumbled in the darkness before touching down on the gritty surface. Concrete, heated al day by the sun, warmed her palms.
The world was large up there, huge. Large and huge and open. On the other hand, she was very small and insecure. But he was right about being safe. No infected could manage a two-story climb any time soon. Knowledge that had sent her up into the safety of the attic from the start.
“Babe. You okay?”
“Yes.” Ali righted herself, hurried back to the edge and peered down into his face. His presence pepped her up immediately, bolstered her failing reserves. His unwavering smile. Her hands could shake al they liked. “No. Shit. Pass me the bedroll,” she said.
A quiet chuckle drifted up from below. “Repeat after me, there is nothing to fear but fear itself.”
“Shut up and gimme the swag.”
First he passed up the pack, then the bedroll. He eased it up with a hand to the bottom, taking most of the weight. “Move back.”
She did as told.
Big hands gripped the brickwork as he hauled himself up, muscles flexing and the sleeves of his t-shirt stretching. What a shame she only had moonlight to see him by. He was a whole display of delicious, packed full of win.
Shows of strength and daring had never really gotten to her previously. Not like this. Daniel made her stomach drop and swoop. He made her feel like she defied gravity. Every carnival ride she’d ever taken rolled up into one. She kept expecting the ground to give way beneath her feet, for his attention to wander and waver. But it didn’t happen.
At the end of the day, she couldn’t hope to live up to the hype. The truth of it stung. No, it throbbed like an old wound in damp weather.
The man in question put his feet on firm ground and started dealing with the bedding,
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