Veronica sits naked between my legs as I lean against the headboard, her head tucked under my chin, her back against my chest. She's holding my left hand up in front of her, her index finger lazily tracing the lines on my palm, and it's so soft and comforting that I just want to close my eyes and fall asleep.
I got back from the gym tonight, and she attacked me at the door, proclaiming that the sun went down hours ago; therefore, our deal about sex during daylight hours during the week was still valid. Three orgasms (two for her, one for me) and two positions later, we ended up like this, quietly enjoying being naked together before getting ready to sleep.
She places her left hand in mine, lining up our union rings. For a moment, we both focus on the glint of our gold bands as they catch the light.
"What are you thinking about?" I venture, dipping my head to kiss her bare shoulder, lingering to brush my lips across her salty skin.
"Duncan."
I blink in shock, my head jerking back away from her. "What?"
Her fingers thread between mine and she brings our joined hands to her breast and lets out a soft sigh. "I was thinking about how grateful I am that I wasn't matched with him."
"Oh, well, then. Let me add how very grateful I am that you weren't matched with him either," I chuckle and kiss the side of her head. "What prompted that thought?"
She shivers, and I begin to gather the duvet over our bodies, still glistening with sweat. We're both quiet as I cover us, and I know that her silence means she's thinking because her tell-tale frown is across her forehead. When we are all tucked in together, she lets out a heavy sigh.
"What prompted that thought was how easily Duncan was led astray by Piz and this C.H.A.D. group," she states. "I always thought he was an intelligent, critical thinker—someone who analyzed the sources and came up with a thoughtful and well-rounded argument. But really, he's emotionally stunted. It's like he's completely rejected everything we've learned over our lives."
As I slide my hands around Veronica's waist under the covers, her hands land on my forearm, squeezing me tightly.
"Did you talk to Parker about C.H.A.D. today?"
"Yes, and not only has she heard of them, but she also got an invitation to some party they're having on Friday at a warehouse somewhere in the city."
"Wait. What kind of party?"
"The flyer said that it was an 'old school dance party'—and Piz happens to be the D.J. for that too."
"Is she going?"
"Yes. And she's taking Mac and me with her."
"Veronica! You can't go...and neither can Parker or Mac."
"What? Why?" She cocks her head from below me to look up, and I frown down at her.
"Because I talked to a single friend of Wallace's today—Jeff Ratner—and I think your guess about there being something more sinister happening with this group may be correct. Jeff told us that three girls were basically there at the meeting to choose someone to 'date,' and he got the distinct impression that at least one of them did not want to be there."
"Logan...then it's even more important that we find out what's going on so we can get Duncan out of the group and report it to the regional Safety System."
"Veronica, you shouldn't be anywhere near this party. This Gory character seems like bad news. Let me and Wallace deal with it from here."
She rises away from me, scooting herself towards the end of the bed, taking the blankets with her. I shiver and pull on one end, trying to keep a bit of warmth from escaping. But the icy stare Veronica's now throwing me does nothing to help the chill in the room.
"I can handle myself, Logan. My dad is head of the Neptune Regional Safety System. I know what I'm doing." She pulls one section of the duvet around her, and now it's not only becoming a verbal fight, it's about to become a fight for the covers as well.
"That's like saying my parents are actors, so I know how to handle a camera, Veronica. It doesn't work that way." I scoff and yank a section of the duvet back towards me, pulling away from the headboard to sit closer to her.
"Well, in this case, it has to work that way. There could be someone's life at stake," she snaps back.
"Yes. Yours...and Parker's...and Mac's if you go to this thing." I wave my hand at her, and her eyes narrow in anger. "What do you think you're going to do? Just waltz in there, take a look around, figure out what's happening and magically save these women?"
"As a matter of fact, yes, I do."
"Veronica…" I huff, rolling my eyes at her stubbornness.
"Would you please stop saying my name that way?" She growls back at me in the same tone she used with Duncan.
"What way?"
"Like I'm a child."
"I'm not talking to you that way."
"Yes. You are. Now stop it." Crossing her arms, she puffs up her chest and straightens her shoulders, physically steadying herself for a fight.
I'm about to snark back, but instead, I pause, biting my lip. This is spiralling out of control, fast. It's time to defuse this before it gets ugly. I take a deep breath and pause, steadying myself.
"Fine. Fine, Veronica. I will check my tone. I do agree with you that something needs to be done, but maybe, if you tell me your plan, we can figure out a way to do this safely, together. One that saves Duncan from himself and makes sure that Gory and his gang face the consequences of their actions within the justice system."
Her response is to take a cleansing breath as well, her hard features softening ever so slightly—going from looking like she's going to tear me apart to only wanting to maul me a bit.
"My plan was to take off my ring and go to the party with Parker and Mac. We can talk to the other girls there and find out if Gory convinced them to join or if they found out about it like Parker did, through another person inviting them. When I get the information, we can talk to Duncan and convince him to leave before things get ugly. That's all. And then we'll talk to someone in the Safety System. But Logan, someone has to do something, especially if what Duncan said was true, and this is happening all over the country."
"That sounds like a solid idea; however, I would like to say that I think I should go too, in case there's some trouble. I'll take off my ring as well that night, and maybe I can convince Ratner to come with me. He's attended one of their meetings already so if he shows up, no one would question it."
"That would help. Do you think Piz and Duncan would be suspicious if we were there but not together?"
"I'll just convince them it's all part of some kinky role-playing thing we're doing." I wiggle my eyebrows at her playfully, and a smile finally cracks her lips. "You can shamelessly flirt with me all night, and then it will look real when you go home with me at the end, to those who don't know us."
"Oooohh. I like that thinking…" Veronica leans forward, arching her eyebrow at me as a lascivious grin spreads across her face. Crawling back to me, she tosses the blanket off us both so she can straddle my lap, her nose touching the tip of mine. "Let's add some role-playing to our repertoire, shall we?"
I chuckle as her lips brush mine, my hands sliding down to cradle her ass cheeks in my lap. "Why not. All part of getting to know each other."
"And I have very much been enjoying getting to know you…" she whispers as her lips finally settle on mine, warming me with a deep, long kiss.
And just like that, I'm up and ready for round three.
That is until the banging on the door shocks us to pull away from our kiss.
"Building evacuation! Everyone out of the room, now!" A voice carries through the door.
"Oh my God…" Veronica's hand covers her mouth, her eyes wide in shock.
"Get dressed! Quick!"
I spin us towards the edge of the bed, my hands grasping Veronica under her arms and as I stand, I pull her off my lap and plant her on the floor. For a split second, she looks up at me, slightly dazed by the sudden shift in perspective. I drop to the floor at her feet and begin to gather our clothes off the floor as fast as I can. A moment later, she follows, grabbing her things from the ground and pulling them on.
Socks. Pants. Sweaters. Forget the rest. My heart is racing as I grab both of our jackets from the chair and toss Veronica's to her, followed by her hat and her gloves. I grab her purse and jump into my boots and start pulling on my hat and gloves. When she catches up, I hand her the bag and turn towards the door, pressing my palm to the wood with one hand and grasping the knob with the other. There's no heat on the other side, so I pull the door open and glance down the hallway at the mass of people scampering for exits.
"I don't smell any smoke. I don't see any smoke either." Stepping out into the hall, I offer Veronica my hand, and she takes it as the door closes behind her.
Adrenaline pumps through my veins, my brain firmly set to flight as we push open the emergency exit door next to our room and quickly descend the stairs, joining other students in various states of dress and undress as we proceed all the way to the bottom. The cold from the outside door hits my face, and I realize how hot my face is when the frigid air stings my cheeks.
Still gripping Veronica's hand, we race out of the building and through the tall drifts of snow towards the group of other students now standing on the cleared path. Stopping under the lamp-light, I turn and look up at the building in shock, safe but confused.
Veronica
Standing next to Logan, I stare at the building, watching others stream out into the night in the same flustered state as us.
"What do you think is going on?" I ask, trying to look for signs of what could be happening.
Campus Security is setting up a perimeter with yellow caution tape around the building, holding everyone back. People in bright orange pinnies are handing out thick wool blankets in the crowd to those who didn't take the time to put on jackets or boots. Everyone has the same shocked and bewildered faces.
"I don't know. I don't see any smoke…." He pulls gently on my hand and walks over to our neighbours, standing near a path light, both wrapped in grey blankets. "Hey, do you guys know why we're being evacuated?"
"No clue," Leslie, the tall blond woman, responds, jerking her head towards her partner. "Kecia and I were studying in bed when they knocked on the door." She looks down at her red flannel plaid pants and warm winter boots and chuckles. "Good thing we were already in our pyjamas. Too bad, we panicked and forgot our jackets."
"Maybe something structural or electrical?" Kecia pulls the blanket over her thick afro as a makeshift hood and moves closer to her partner. "I'm second-year engineering and let me tell you, when they built these dorms twenty years ago, they did a terrible job. Supplies were limited after the war, and sometimes they cobbled together wires from different places and spliced them together. Wouldn't surprise me if a small electrical fire broke out on one of the floors."
"Logan, look…." I point to an unmarked black van as driving up off the road and through the snow. We watch as it slowly moves past the students and stops on the side of the building. The side doors open, and four giant Belgian Malinois dogs come out with Security personnel holding their leashes. "Those are bomb-sniffing dogs. I recognize the breed. Dad once tried to convince Mom to take one into our house when it was retired from service."
"A bomb?" Leslie grips her partner's arm, and they step away from us, eyes wide as they back just a little further from the building. "There may be a bomb in there?"
"Probably not?" I shrug, watching as the officers and dogs file one by one through the emergency door we just exited from a few minutes prior. "My father is with the regional Security Service back home. These things get called in, but it's often just a prank."
"Yeah. When it's real, they don't warn you," Logan mutters beside me, his arm reaching around my shoulders to hold me close.
"Leslie, we should go and grab something warm to drink while we wait to get back in. These blankets will only keep us warm for so long," Kecia states and pulls on Leslie's hand, her eyes darting back to the building. "Let's walk over to the commissary and grab something."
I can see the fear in her eyes. She's worried that the building is going to blow up. That's probably why we weren't told when we evacuated.
"Sure. We'll do that, baby." Leslie kisses Kecia's temple and wraps her arm around her shoulder. "Would you neighbours like to join us? It'll be a lot warmer than standing out here in the snow. Maybe we can get to know each other better than just a hello in the morning?"
"We're fine, but thanks for the offer," I state before Logan can respond for us. "Raincheck?"
"No problem. See you guys later," Kecia says, and the women smile and nod at us as they retreat quickly, obviously eager to get away from the building and the cold.
Left alone, Logan pulls me into an embrace, my cheek pressed against the chill of his jacket, and I feel him kiss the top of my head through my hood. I close my eyes, and for a second, I savour the warmth of being in his arms.
"Logan! Veronica!"
I pull away from him and turn towards the sound of the voice behind me. There, trudging through the snow are Duncan and Piz, bundled against the cold.
Duncan waves, and I instinctively wave back. We were civil enough to each other today during classes, but him showing up on our doorstep again was definitely not expected.
Coming to a halt a few feet from us, Duncan frowns with concern. "Are you guys okay?"
"Yeah, we're fine," Logan responds. "Thanks for checking in on us."
"No problem," Piz states with a nod. "We were walking across campus from the radio station and saw the commotion. When we saw you guys standing here, Duncan wanted to come and check on you both."
My heart warms a bit. Maybe Duncan does care about us a little more than we thought.
"That's nice of you to be concerned. Thanks, Duncan," I reply.
"Of course, I'm concerned. You and Logan were...are...my friends," he says, glancing between us.
"Well, we appreciate it." Logan kisses my temple, giving my shoulder a squeeze.
"We still care about you, Duncan, and I hope that we can all work together to move past any hurt feelings," I add.
Duncan purses his lips, his head bowing to look down at the fresh snow beneath our feet. "Yeah. I think we can."
Piz slaps Duncan on the back, and Duncan raises his eyes to us both. There's something in Duncan's expression that I can't place. It's not sadness. Regret? Longing? Whatever it is, I can't put my finger on it, but I know it's something I haven't seen before.
"Like I said to Duncan...it's ridiculous to throw away a friendship over a woman." Piz grins, and something in me wishes Logan would punch him in the teeth. "Especially when that woman belongs to another man."
"Okay, first, Veronica doesn't belong to me…" Logan raises his index finger and takes a step towards Piz, and for a split second, I think my secret wish may come true.
Slipping between Logan and Piz, I hold up my hands to Logan and shake my head. "Nope. Let it go, Logan. Not the place or the time."
I look over my shoulder to see Duncan pull Piz back slightly as if Piz would actually have the guts to advance on Logan and throw the first punch. There's a definite look of fear on Piz's face that Logan may mess him up, but when he gets a safe distance from us, it disappears back to his usual smug self.
"Veronica's right. A bomb scare isn't the place to get into a fight, Logan," Duncan affirms. "Let's let things go."
And suddenly, my brain freezes.
Bomb scare.
I didn't say anything about the bomb scare.
Turning on my heels towards Duncan again, I step towards him. "How do you know about the bomb?"
Duncan's eyes widen for a split second before his face sets stone still, his eyes hard and cold as they stare down at me.
"I heard someone say something when we were walking here."
Stepping closer to him, he stands taller, and I wish for the ability to grow taller in an instant so I can look him dead in the eye.
"No. No one told us. I know because I recognize what a bomb-detecting crew looks like. But how do you know, Duncan?"
Piz grabs Duncan by the back of the jacket and gives him a tug back as Duncan continues to stare at me, his eyes narrowing as he steps backwards.
"Because bomb scares happen all the time on campuses," Piz states. "They happened before the war, and they happen after. Nothing has changed."
Nothing has changed.
The words stick in my brain and I watch the roommates exchange a mysterious glance as they retreat down the sidewalk. At the last second, Duncan shifts his gaze between Logan and me once more before turning away as he mutters, "See you around."
Watching the two quickly walk down the path towards their dorms, I shiver, not from the cold, but from fear. Logan's hand wraps around my waist, and I jump slightly at the contact.
"Hey, it's okay," he says, his lips lowering to my ear as he whispers. "Do you think they had something to do with this?"
Exhaling my fear, I watch the white cloud of condensation rise from my mouth, coming between my view of Duncan walking away.
"I hope not. I really, really hope not."
I step out of the bathroom and glance at the clock. It's almost midnight. The hot shower helped warm me up from standing outside for over an hour, but it hasn't settled my nerves. I still have that anxious, twitchy feeling that comes with being over tired and coming down from the adrenaline rush from all the excitement tonight. Logan is lying in bed, textbook open on his lap, and I can't believe he has the brainpower to comprehend anything tonight. When he sees me, he slips in a bookmark and closes it, placing the book on his bedside table.
Raising the blanket in invitation, I can see he's naked underneath. "Are you coming to get warmed up?"
Unfurling my towel from my body, I toss it towards the laundry hamper and reach for the lights. In the darkness, I cross the cold room, shivering as I slip under the covers. He immediately drops the duvet over me and pulls me close to him, my damp skin pressing against his smooth, dry body.
"I've come to steal all your body heat," I murmur as I plant a quick kiss on his lips.
"You're welcome to it."
When he deepens our kiss, his lips opening, his tongue brushing across mine, any cold in my bones miraculously leaves, replaced by the automatic warmth that comes with being kissed by Logan. For a moment, I'm blissfully content to try and forget about everything we just went through as his fingers stroke my skin, sending little electric tingles of sensation through my naked body.
As he pulls away, I hum with contentment, closing my eyes as we snuggle close together on his pillow. His fingers trace a languid path up and down my back, and my muscles relax from the tension of the evening.
"Do you really think Duncan had something to do with the bomb threat?"
My eyes spring open to see his eyes filled with concern staring back at me, the whites of his eyes catching the minimal light from between the blinds.
"Yes. I do. I thought you did too?"
His body tenses against mine as he sucks in a deep breath, slowly exhaling as he answers. "I don't know. I want to believe he didn't have anything to do with it, but given his track record lately, I don't know. I mean, what motive would he have?"
"I don't know…" I begin slowly as I gather my thoughts. "Maybe to mess with us after what happened on Sunday morning? Maybe to prove something to Piz? Maybe just to show off that he can?"
"So then you think he could have done this specifically against us too? Because that thought had crossed my mind."
"I don't think he wants to hurt us, if that's what you mean," I state. "But this may be his perverse way of getting back at us for flaunting our compatibility."
"That's demented," Logan murmurs, kissing my forehead. "And terrifying that Duncan may be capable of these antics."
A ripple of fear passes through me. He's right. It is demented. And not at all in character. Or maybe it is. Who am I to say what could be going on in the mind of someone else. Perhaps this is entirely in character for the Duncan who kept his true nature hidden from us all his life? Or maybe the appeal of being in control of other people's lives in completely toxic ways has taken over?
"I guess we'll find out more on Friday," I whisper. "Once and for all."
His hand stops, flattening against the small of my back.
"I'm sorry for how I spoke to you earlier. Please don't get me wrong…I do want to help the people who may be caught up in this group, but I don't want to sacrifice your safety to do it."
"I'll be safe, Logan." I plant a soft kiss on his lips, my palm moving to his cheek. "I promise."
"I know that life isn't turning out exactly how you had planned…" he begins, and I stop him with another deep, long kiss.
"No, it's not," I whisper on my retreat. "It's turning out so much better than I imagined."
I slide away from his body to make room for my hand, slipping away from his cheek, along his neck, and down under the blankets, my fingers lightly caressing his skin as I make my way lower and lower. When I reach the tuft of his pubic hair, I stop, pressing my hand to his clenched pelvic muscles.
"It's just you and I now, Logan. The rest of the world doesn't matter. That's why we were partnered because together, we're strong enough to take on this life. Because whenever we're together now, I feel invincible."
His breath hitches when my hand moves to grasp his hardening cock, fingers clenching around the shaft. Logan's eyes flutter closed as I begin stroking him slowly, and his hand glides over my buttocks, sending little sparks of pleasure through my skin.
What I said is true. Here, in the safety and security of our room, I feel invincible. Logan has relinquished all power in our bed. He waits for my consent for everything we've tried. If I show the slightest resistance, he stops and checks in on me and waits until I'm comfortable to continue. And it makes me feel powerful in a way I could never have imagined. To be completely trusting of someone. To experience such pleasure with the person I love. To feel wholly and fully connected with Logan is a strange sense of being bonded and simultaneously free.
Logan's fingers continue their path along my body, and I toss my leg over his hip, opening myself to him as his fingers spread my folds. Just the thought of making love to him again makes me wet. So wet that when his fingers penetrate me, there is no resistance.
"Again," I gasp, my lips hovering near his. "Make love to me again, Logan."
I pump his cock in rhythm to the thrust of his fingers inside me, and we moan in unison before his lips meet mine. There's a gentleness to our kiss, deep and long as we continue to pleasure each other with our hands, slowly making our way towards each other. When I attacked him after the gym, it was for purely unbridled and selfish reasons, craving the endorphin rush that came with the excitement of bold seduction. Now it's different. The twinge in the back of my mind that this bomb could have been real, and we could have died, is pushing me to live in this moment like it could be our last. And if it was our last moment, there is no place I'd rather be than right here, like this, making love to Logan.
Letting out a deep groan, he shifts his hands to my back, pulling me close as he rolls, so I'm now straddling him, still locked in our kiss. Arching away from him, I rise on my knees, shifting his cock in my hand to align with my wet core. My eyes have adjusted in the darkness now, and I watch his face contort with pleasure as I lower myself down onto him, slowly taking him deeper.
Leaning forward, I kiss him again as my body rolls against him, his hands now gripping my hips.
"Take your time," he murmurs in between kisses. "I want this to go on forever."
And so I slow my movements, enjoying every glorious inch of him in my body, keeping us both in a delicious state of pleasure for as long as I can, into the night.
Writer's Note: this is my last weekly update until the fall, as life is getting in the way of writing. Please subscribe to get a notice when I start up again.