BLUE IRIS
Chapter 14

Colt

Of course, she left!

SHE COULDN'T just wait until I woke up, could she?

How dumbass of me to believe she enjoyed what we shared last night? I thought it was amazing-like brain-plaguing-mind-blowing amazing.

Iris' warm body sprawled around me, her hair spread all over my pillow with her breath tickling my neck, and my arm wrapped over the curve of her waist-that was what I imagined waking up this morning-not a cold and an empty space beside me.

Her gun on my nightstand was gone. Nothing was left aside from the smell of post-sex on my bed and condom wrappers on the floor to remind me that last night was real, and I could still feel being inside her-how good she felt, how sweet she tasted, how her moan sounded like, the stung and bruises she left on my shoulders and back.

Frustratingly, I put my jeans on and sat back on the edge of the bed, picking up wrappers and tossing them onto the bin by the foot of my bed. I rubbed my beard, feeling the emptiness in my chest once again.

I thought we were on the same page. What changed her mind?

I was about to grab my gun when a knock came at the door. It was still early for anyone to come unless it was an emergency, then the knock turned to pound.

Groaning, I grabbed my gun and slid it to the waistband at my back. I was half-way when the door swung open, then, Iris appeared, carrying a plate of breakfast and a steaming tumbler on the other hand.

My heart started to pound. She then got in and kicked the door shut with her foot.

I let out a deep sigh of relief, and a small smile curved up my lips.

Iris paused, she must have noticed me. She looked at me with her wide blue eyes and glowing cheeks. "Hey! You're up?"

"And you left." It came out with a little bit of sarcasm.

Thankfully, she didn't give a shit. "To get us breakfast. I helped Anna prepare then I left once we were done."

"Hmm." I went back to bed, and Iris followed me.

"Baked beans, mushrooms, and pancakes without egg and milk." She placed the plate and the coffee down the nightstand.

"And you call it a pancake?" I inwardly chuckled to my idiocy.

"You okay?" she asked.

I felt the concern in her voice, so I lifted my chin. "I thought you left me."

"I didn't wanna wake you up, and I was just planning on bringing breakfast for us." She paused. "Wait a sec. What do you mean I left you? Like I left you, left you? Why would I do that?"

I held her hand and allowed her to sit on my lap. "I care about our group. They're like a family to me. I'm afraid of disappointing them or putting their lives in danger. I failed to protect my brother, and it made me helpless, weak, and hopeless at the same time. After his death, I was torn between staying and running away, but I held onto his last wish. And I couldn't leave Gael with his condition, and he still believed in me after what happened. Then I promised myself to focus on keeping them safe because I couldn't afford to fail twice. It was hard to see the sadness on their faces, Iris. Then the blue-eyed came along. There was something inside me stirred and told me to protect her, but my heart said I wanted to care about her too, and I care... more than I was supposed to do. I know it doesn't make any sen-"

"It does." Iris lifted my chin, then cupped my face. "I care about you, too, Colton." She smiled. "More than I wanted to, and I didn't regret any of it. I like you, I like kissing you and everything about you. Can't you see it? I made a move last night." She leaned down, pressing her lips against mine.

I kissed her back, grabbing the back of her neck in a firm and possessive way it was a kiss of comfort and reassurance.

She pulled her lips, kissing my forehead, my nose, and back to my lips again. "Does that kiss prove something to you?"

Nodding, I met her gaze. "Yes, but don't leave me again, please? I don't like the feeling of being left by someone without a proper goodbye. I don't wanna wake up alone again, twig. It scares me."

"You don't have to be scared anymore, Colton, because I'm not going anywhere." I could feel the sincerity in those words, and I felt relieved.

I grabbed the plate. "Let's have breakfast."

We ate, sharing with a light conversation.

"I wish we met before the plague. I want to take you to dinner with me."

The tumbler stopped midway to her lips. "What made you think I like to have dinner with you?"

"You seemed to be a type of woman who loved wine and candlelight." It was hard to think clearly when she was grinning and her eyes were gleaming wickedly. "Oh, is it because there were still a lot of men out there for you to choose from?" I chuckled and ran my thumb on her bottom lip.

Her tongue darted out to graze my skin, and by that-it sent ripples of pleasure right to my other head. I gripped her hips to press on my hardening cock. Her eyes quickly darkened. I took the tumbler from her hand and placed it down while keeping my gaze on her.

She hastily unbuttoned my jeans, slipping her hand inside I was already damn hard, it hurt. I kissed her hungrily, possessively, and wet. She tasted like coffee, and I love coffee. She mewled.

Iris freed my cock, palmed, and pumped a few strokes while I slipped my hand through the waistband of her cotton shorts.

Fuck! She was already soaking wet. I plunged my finger inside her hot sex, and her head fell back with her mouth dropped open. She looked beautiful as she rocked into my finger, stroked my length, and rubbed the pre-cum with her thumb. I thought I'd lost my mind. My tongue thrust into her mouth in tandem with my finger and her hand. I released my hand, wrapped my arms around her body, and pulled her on top of me.

"Condom, twig." My brain was in midway to euphoric lust, and thankfully, I still remembered to sheath my cock.

I heard an opening and closing of the drawer while I was busy fumbling to unhook her bra. "You have time to wear a bra when I'm just gonna throw it to the floor."

"I went to see Lois, and I can't just walk around with my nipples hard poking against my shirt."

I chucked and tossed her shirt and bra on the floor, and she rolled a condom down to my cock. Then she took her shorts off. In a split second, Iris was straddling me, burying my length inside her hot and slick pussy. "Fuck!" It nearly sent me to the edge.

And she cried out.

"Are you okay?" My facial muscles were taut.

"Got a little excited." She winced.

"Take your time to adjust." I cupped her breasts and massaged them. "Lean in, I want to taste that sweet tit."

She leaned down, offering it to me. I captured it with my mouth and sucked it. Hard.

She moaned and started rocking me in and out. I trailed my hands at her back. Goosebumps erupted her skin while I continued sucking her tits alternately. I tugged her nipple between my teeth and lightly bit it. "God!"

Tingles banked at the base of my spine, shooting right to my balls, and she clamped around me, building her own orgasm-to soar higher and higher.

"I'm right behind you, twig." I gripped her sweet ass, lifted my hips to meet her rhythm, and thrust into her. Faster. Harder.

"Colton, I'm close." Her chest was heaving. Her eyes were dark and wide as she bit her lip.

She was rocking me hard, grinding, and replaceing her own release. My thumb found her swollen clit, and she gasped in shock, shuddered, and slumped down against my chest in a matter of seconds.

I grunted and pushed deep into her, spurting my seed so powerful that I saw lights.

***

IRIS TURNED the page again, and that annoyed me. Her head rested on my arm. Our legs tangled together, and my free arm draped around her tiny naked body. She completely forgot my existence and was hooked with the book of Elizabeth Hand. I read it and I knew it was good. It was a story of a guy named James Cole who used a time machine to stop the virus from releasing.

"I need to go and see Gael."

She closed the book and turned to face me. "Are we going somewhere?"

"Me, and if he asks me to." I wore my jeans and put a shirt on, and she did the same.

"I need to change into jeans. I'll see you at Gael's."

"You're not coming with me if I need to go out for a run, Iris." I put my boots on and slipped my knife.

"I want to have just like that, too."

I lifted my head. "What do you want?"

"A knife."

"You need to learn how to use it. This is not for peeling some apple, twig." I smiled, pulling her into a hug. "I have to go. See you later, okay? Don't forget to lock the door behind you. There's a spare key inside the drawer and some protein bars. Help yourself, and use anything you want." I kissed the top of her head.

"I'm serious, Colton."

"I know." I closed the door behind me, and for the first time in months, I left smiling.

Gael had a map spread on his desk when I got in. "What do you have in mind?"

He lifted his gaze to me. "About time you showed up. I sent Templeton and Darick to get Iris' seeds, and I'm running out of dose."

"Why does nobody come knocking to my cabin? I could go with them." I looked down at the map he was encircled in red-the locations where we already went for scavenging.

"They said you were busy." He rubbed his chin.

"Busy?" My tone came out defensive.

"We have to go farther than these places. We need more gas, that's why I asked them to go, and it will take a day or two before we can come back." He tapped the location where he was planning for the next run.

"We? You're not coming with us, Gael." I knew he was already in good shape and the prosthetic helped him restore his normal gait, but it could kill him if he got another gunshot. Dr. Hull found out he was also suffering from Type II diabetes, and he was dependent on Insulin.

"It's not your call to make a decision, Colt." His voice was gone firm.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean it like that."

"I won't put you all at risk if I'm not even capable of protecting myself. I may have lost my leg, but I did not lose my sight and hands."

"Okay. So, where are we heading?"

"Greenebach."

"West?"

"And Iris is coming with us."

Shit! This is not going to be easy for me.

"Really?"

I half-turned to see Iris was already inside the office with a smile on her face. I locked my jaw to prevent overreacting in front of Gael. One thing I knew about him was not to question his decisions because I knew he'd been planning about this all night. My stomach recoiled, thinking of Iris coming with us.

"Sorry, the door is open. I'm here for Gael, but he seemed to have a plan for me already, so I'm in." She was so in. I could feel the excitement in her voice, but she might change her mind once she knew where we were heading.

"I was about to tell Gael that you can go hunting with Frost. We're taking Hamid and Darick with us instead." I couldn't put her life in danger. Not again. What if someone would recognize her and took her with them or put a bullet in her head?

The Greenebach surely was hostile territory, and I didn't have any idea what was in there.

"She's coming with us. That's my final decision." Gael stood up and holstered his gun. Of course, but we are talking about Iris, and I have a say over this. "We're leaving in an hour. You two, gather your weapons and bring enough ammo and some food for us. This trip would last a day or two."

"Gael, you know that place is near to where she escaped, right? What if "

"What? That territory is safe. People come in and out to trade every Friday that's why we will bring something we don't need to trade with food."

I wasn't entirely convinced about the safety of that place, and there was something that Gael was not telling me. I swallowed and looked down, feeling defeated.

"Where are we going?" Iris finally asked.

"Greenebach." I watched her mouth gaped.

But Iris managed to nod. "Okay."

I moved closer to Iris and whispered, "If something will happen to you out there, I'll make sure to put a bullet in my head as well." Grinding my teeth, I walked out of his office as heat flushed through my body with so much anger. I wanted to scream and punch Gael at the same time, but instead, I kicked the bucket-water splashed all over the ground, sending it in distant.