The highway is clear of cars. It’s the Dead that gives us problems as we make our way into Missouri.

“Watch out!” Noah yells.

I swerve, narrowly missing a very tiny walker. Poor thing looks young. Too young for that kind of fate.

“Thanks.”

My eyes are itching, but I don’t want to pull over. We still don’t know if the group from Joanie’s block are following us. We haven’t seen any sign of them, but I don’t want to stop and give them the chance to catch us.

Another hour passes. Nikki leans forward and says, “Dave, I really need to pee.”

I hold back a groan. The guys can take a piss in a bottle if needed, but it’s a lot harder for a woman. Plus, I’d never ask Nikki to do such a thing.

I say, “We’ll stop once we pass this town.”

Harper adds, “And add some gas to the tank.”

“How many cans were you able to get from the garage?”

He frowns. “Not enough.”

I curse. Sure, we lucked out by finding a vehicle, but how long is it going to last? I glance at the atlas sitting on the dash. Hopefully we’ll have enough gas to get to-

Jeff looks behind us and says, “I think we’re good. Let’s pull over by those trees.”

I nod and slow down, pulling off the paved road. Jeff is right. The trees make a nice little barrier for us so we’re hidden. Nikki is out of the truck, running for a tree before I’ve put the truck in park.

Rocco says, “I’m going to check the area. She didn’t even do a scan before dropping her pants.”

That makes me feel bad. Nikki is usually very aware of her surroundings.

Rocco and Jeff pull their knives out and take off. Harper grabs another can of beans, opening it.

He says, “I’ll try to whip up something fancy tonight.”

I shake my head. “Don’t waste the food. We should probably start to ration what we have.”

“Done.”

Nikki comes back and says, “I feel so much better.”

“Sorry you had to wait so long.”

She replies, “Not your fault. I should have said something sooner, but I know you wanted to put some distance between us and that town.”

Jeff and Rocco come back. They killed a few biters, but didn’t see anything that puts us in danger.

I say, “I’m going to gather some firewood. Everyone stay close to the truck.”

I’m only partly lying as I leave. I need a moment to gather my thoughts because I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve somehow fucked our group over by leaving that tiny town.

The guys set up the area as if we’re going to stay overnight. I sit on the tailgate of the truck, trying to stay out of the way. When Dave comes back, he scans the road before meeting my gaze. I motion him over and he surprises me by sitting next to me.

“Do you think we’re being followed?”

He blinks and shakes his head. “Hard to say. I just can’t shake the feeling that something bad is coming.”

“Get those feelings often?” I tease.

His lips lift into a half smile. “You laugh, but my gut feeling has saved my ass more than once.”

I touch his arm. “I’m not laughing. My mom used to get feelings about things and my dad swore she was gifted.”

I don’t tell him that the night they died, my mom begged my dad to stay home because something bad was going to happen to them. They were hit by a drunk driver when they left the party they were attending.

He pulls me from my thoughts by saying, “Being in Special Ops trains you to listen to what’s not being said. At face value we know we got out of that town before the group knew what we were doing. We also managed to travel without a hitch.”

“But?”

He meets my gaze. “That’s where the feeling comes in. My gut is saying we’re either missing something or about to run into trouble.”

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to face it together, whatever it is.”

He’s silent for a moment. “You know how you asked this morning if I wanted our date?”

I nod.

He goes on, “What about making this our date?”

I point. “But we’re just sitting on the tailgate of a truck.”

He grins and my stomach flutters.

“In my opinion, that’s the best kind of date. Growing up, I used to take girls out of the city limits to an overlook. We’d sit under the stars and just talk. Best way to get to know someone.”

“Where did you grow up?”

“In Oklahoma.”

I look up. The stars twinkle above us like little lanterns in the sky. An occasional breeze makes the air cool, so I lean in closer to him and the warmth his body puts off.

“Yeah. I’d like to make this our date.”

The other guys are sitting by the campfire, but don’t seem to pay us any attention. I wonder if it’s because he told them not to.

“What did you like to do? Before all this began.”

I smile. “My best friend and I used to hang out in her dress shop. I wasn’t as talented as her, but I knew my way around a sewing machine. It was a fun and helped keep me stress-free.”

“Did you make the wedding dress you had on that day I found you?”

A snort leaves my mouth before I can stop it. Soon, I’m laughing until tears stream down my face.

“God, no! That monstrosity was purchased by my fiancé’s mother. She didn’t like me very much. And that dress was proof” Another giggle escapes. “I kind of looked like a sad, off-brand Big Bird in it.”

It feels good to finally admit how much I hated the dress to another person.

He laughs, too. “Yeah, it was pretty bad. I didn’t know what was happening when I burst into that church. Thought maybe it was some kind of low-budget production.”

“Why did you come in that day? To the church.”

I’d always wondered what had led him to my wedding.

He shrugs. “Heard a scream and saw people running. With everything that was happening outside I figured it was something bad.” He pauses. “The man I shot. That was your fiancé, right?”

I nod. “His name was Steve.”

“Is that why you hated me?”

I’m surprised by his question. “I didn’t hate you, Dave.”

“Could have fooled me.”

I choose my words carefully. “Steve and I never had a good relationship, not really. He cheated on me with the woman who ended up biting his mother at the wedding. But, when he died, I felt lost.” I pause. “I’ve never really belonged and then I was put into another situation where I didn’t fit in.”

He looks down at me. “I’m sorry I made you feel that way.”

“It’s my fault, too. I put up a wall to protect myself. My friend, Skeeter, used to get so mad at me for doing it, but it was because I’ve been hurt before. I guess it was easier to keep my guard up than to get to know you guys.” I grin. “Plus, you could have been murderers for all I knew.”

“I get that. I’ve known Jeff and Harper for a long time. They say I come off as a dick.”

I snort. “That’s putting it mildly. I call it your Doomsday Dave mode.”

“My what?” He’s grinning, so I know he’s not mad.

“After being around you for a few weeks you reminded me of one of those doomsday preppers, you know, like the ones that used to be on television. You were super intense and had a solution for everything that came our way. And you didn’t listen to what anyone else had to say.”

He laughs. “I don’t know if should be offended or say thank you.”

“It’s not a bad thing, but it’s a lot to handle, especially when I had no idea what you were about.”

“Want to know something funny? Growing up, my brother used to tease me about being apocalypse ready. Got even worse when I joined the military. Guess it was something that always fascinated me.”

I reply, “Well, some of your tricks have come in handy. Others can be quite annoying.”

“Sadly the apocalypse doesn’t make it easy to get to know strangers.”

I nod. “That’s no joke. We lucked out meeting Avery, Joey, and Joseph. But I’m not sure I could let another group in like that.”

Mostly because it was too hard when we lost them. Their deaths will haunt me for the rest of my life.

He says, “I feel the same way. Even today when we were looking at that sweet lady I was unsure if we could trust her.” He sighs. “My one regret in Boston is that we weren’t able to find out where Avery, Joey, and Joseph’s other other brother lived.”

“I know. They used to talk about him so fondly.” I think. “What was his name again?”

“Juan.”

“Well, I’m sure Juan was as kind as his brothers.”

Dave asks, “Were you an only child?”

“Yes. My parents wanted more kids, but it just wasn’t in the cards for them.”

He says, “It was just my brother and me. Our old man had his hands full.”

“Did your brother live in Boston?”

Dave’s expression becomes sad. “No. He didn’t. He stayed in Oklahoma, but I lost touch with him when I joined the military.”

“Was he older or younger?”

“Older. He was a fancy orthopedic surgeon. Drove our dad nuts that he didn’t become an attorney.”

I ask, “Was your dad mad that you joined the Army?”

“Surprisingly not. Guess he could support a man serving his country, but not a man who helped people in other ways.” He shrugs. “Our dad was a dick. That’s probably where I get it from.”

I bump my shoulder against his. “You’re not a dick all of the time.”

He puts his hand over his heart. “That might be the kindest thing you’ve ever said to me, Nikki.”

He looks at me, smiling, and I’m taken aback at how handsome he is. The look on his face changes, too, and I know he’s about to kiss me.

He surprises me by asking, “Can I kiss you, Nikki?”

I nod. His large hand cups my face as he presses his lips against mine. I’m super conscious as to where he touches me, feeling hyperalert. His tongue traces the fullness of my lips. I part my mouth allowing him further access. When our tongues touch, we both moan.

He says against my mouth, “Nikki, this is the best date I’ve had.”

I smile and kiss him again. This time his lips are more demanding in what they seek. When we pull apart he grins at me.

“Damn. Where do I sign up for a second date?”

I smile back at him. “I’ll have to check my schedule.”

Rocco calls out, “I call dibs on the next date.”

Dave shakes his head, but doesn’t seem angry. I allow him to gather me into his arms.

“Is this too weird?”

He asks, “What do you mean?”

“I’m basically dating all of you.”

He says, “As long as you’re happy. That’s all that matters, Nikki.”

The smile he gives me sends my pulse racing. I know that by letting these men into my life that things are going to be different. And the idea excites me.

The next few weeks go by in a blur. We travel each day, getting closer to the state line. Each night I go on a date with one of the guys. They’re each charming in their own ways and I feel myself falling for them.

After a close encounter with a horde, I decide life is too short. I know I need to talk to them as a group before things go any further.

We’re sitting in front of the fire. Dave has his arm around my shoulder and I’m leaning against him. Jeff is on my other side, holding my hand.

Sighing, I stand. “We need to talk.”

All five men groan and I bite back a grin.

Harper says, “Nothing good ever comes after those words, Nikki.”

“It’s not bad.” I frown. “Not to me, at least. You all might have opinions, which is why we need to talk.”

There are more groans.

Harper shakes his head. “Well, spit it out. You’ve decided on who you want to date, haven’t you?”

Rocco says, “I told you she would eventually only want to date one of us. You just didn’t believe me.”

“Well, it’s obvious you’re out,” Jeff says to Rocco.

Noah asks, “Was it something I did?”

Dave stands and says, “For fuck’s sake, let Nikki talk. Damn. No wonder she wants to break up with all of you.”

He winks at me as he sits back down and I do laugh this time.

“It’s not bad, I promise.” I look them each in the eyes. “I’ve enjoyed getting to know you all.”

“But?” Jeff asks.

“But I want more.”

There’s a stunned silence.

I’m not sure if they know what I mean, so I say, “I want to have sex. With all of you.”

Noah asks, “Like… at the same time?”

His entire face is pink and I feel myself blushing, too.

“No! Not at the same time.”

A flash of Jeff and Rocco taking me at the same time crosses my mind. Okay. Might have to amend that one.

I go on, “I want to make sure we’re all on the same page. I like all of you. I want to have sex with all of you. But, I don’t want this to affect your friendships with each other. I don’t want anyone to feel left out or like I don’t spend enough time with them.”

I won’t be the reason this group of men stops being friends. That’s why we all need to be on the same page.

Harper grins. “I’m liking what I’m hearing. Do you want to make a sleeping schedule or something?”

My face flames. “I’m not sure, really. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

Rocco says, “Well, as I’ve told everyone, I have enough rubbers for everyone to use.”

“Thank you, baby.” The term leaves my lips without a second thought.

Dave meets my gaze and I feel so hot that I want to fan myself.

“So… you want to have sex with all of us. Soon?”

I nod.

He asks, “Anyone have any objections to the lady’s wishes?”

Each guy shakes his head.

Dave grins. “Good. It’s settled then. Nikki, we are at your beck and call.”

Right then and there I knew that I had done the right thing by getting to know these men. They’ve changed my life for the better.

And now it’s time to have some fun.

The sexy kind.

Rule 9: The best kind of fun is the adult kind.

Rocco’s note: As long as you use protection! Put a raincoat on it, folks! Even in the apocalypse!