Chapter 60: Chapter 60 - Departure and A Woman In Question
Iyisha woke to warmth pressed against her back, the solid weight of him curled around her like a furnace. His arm lay heavy across her waist, fingers spread in quiet possession. She barely breathed, unwilling to disturb the rare closeness. A smile tugged at her lips.
Then she felt it. His morning hardness pressed against her thigh, and heat rushed to her cheeks. She stayed still, biting back a laugh. So that explained the cozy position.
He shifted with a low grunt, his arm tightening for a heartbeat before he rolled away and sat up. Without a word, he crossed the cold floor to the bathroom.
Iyisha blinked after him, lips curving with mischief.
"I should wake up earlier if this is how we sleep," she murmured.
Stretching slowly, she let her fingers brush the empty space he left behind.
The room was freezing. Her feet hissed against the floor as the chill bit into her skin. She dressed quickly, wrapping herself in her thickest coat and scarf before following the scent of brewed tea and heated grain into the hall.
She stopped.
The snowstorm had ended.
The silence outside was uncanny. No howling wind. No rattling shutters. Only the low hum of voices gathered over food.
The absence of noise made everything sharper. A hollow ache settled in her chest as she realized what the clear sky meant. The storm had kept him here, kept them all inside and safe. Now that it had passed, there was nothing left to delay the dangerous trip outside.
She caught sight of people already moving through the compound, tightening straps on their packs, checking weapons, their faces drawn and serious. The sight made her throat tighten.
Slowly, she turned back toward the room. Malcolm was at the doorway, speaking in low tones to someone. After a moment, he nodded and stepped back inside.
She entered and sat down to watch him. He packed with quiet efficiency, sliding gear into his bag with practiced hands.
"Can we kiss before you go?" she asked.
He stilled, then turned. His gaze was unreadable. "I’m not dying out there."
"I know," she whispered. "I’ll just miss you."
But he did not move.
He slung the bag over his shoulder, adjusting the strap with one last glance toward the window. Iyisha stepped forward, tugging gently at the hem of his shirt.
"You’re not walking out without giving me a taste."
His lips twitched, almost a smile. Almost. Then he leaned in.
The kiss began slowly. His lips pressed against hers, firm and warm, holding the contact until she felt the full shape of his mouth against her own. He tilted his head slightly and kissed her again, deeper, his lips moving with hers in a steady rhythm.
Her breath caught when his tongue brushed her bottom lip. She parted for him and he entered, his tongue sliding against hers, exploring with a warmth that made her chest tighten.
Her hands moved up his chest, fingers gripping his shirt as if she needed something to hold on to. His hand settled on her back and pulled her close until her body pressed fully against his. Their mouths worked together, lips brushing, pressing, sucking lightly, each kiss flowing into the next.
She kissed him back with growing urgency, meeting him stroke for stroke, letting him taste and take while she gave. Her knees weakened until she leaned into him, her weight carried by his hold and the heat of his mouth.
When he finally broke the kiss, her lips were damp and swollen and her breath shaky.
Then he drew back.
"Was that enough?" he asked, voice low.
Iyisha could only nod, her lips tingling, her mind reeling. She stood there for a moment, cheeks burning, trying to catch her breath. They had kissed before, but never like that. This one had been deeper, slower, sweeter, the kind of kiss that left her weak and wanting more. Her face grew hot just thinking about it, and she pressed her fingers lightly to her mouth as if to hold on to the feeling.
She followed him outside, her steps unsteady from more than the cold.
At the gate, five others were already gathered, faces tense under their layers. The air bit at her cheeks, but she barely felt it.
"Be safe," she said quietly, still reeling from the kiss.
He glanced at her, gave a brief nod, and walked on with the others. She stood there until their silhouettes faded into the white distance.
The cold crept under her collar as she turned back toward the hospital. Better to be there than alone in the freezing room. The halls would warm soon, and there was always work to be done.
Most of the settlement was still quiet, windows dark, footsteps rare. Her boots crunched softly against the frosted ground.
Then she noticed movement.
A shadow slipped past the corner ahead, quick and low.
Iyisha stopped. Whoever it was did not walk like someone enjoying morning air. They ducked down at the edge of the path, glancing around as if afraid to be seen.
Her breath misted as she followed carefully, pulse quickening. Something was wrong.
She rounded the corner and halted.
A woman stood near the high fence, hood drawn tight. Iyisha did not recognize her at first. The figure was restless, shifting her weight, scanning the area as if waiting for something.
"What are you doing here?"
The woman startled and spun around. Her face flashed pale in the dim light. Young. Wide-eyed. Then Iyisha’s memory caught up. She had seen that face before. The newcomer. Clara.
Iyisha’s steps slowed, her instincts still sharp. Patrols never came this early, and this section of fence was unmanned until midday. The fact that Clara lingered here now set every alarm in her mind ringing.
"I don’t think you’re supposed to be here."
The woman lifted a cigarette, the tip glowing faintly in the cold air.
"I came to smoke," she said flatly.
Iyisha’s eyes flicked past her to the towering fence. It revealed nothing of what lay beyond, yet the woman stood far too close, like she was waiting for something or someone.
"You shouldn’t be out here this early," Iyisha said, her tone calm but firm. "It isn’t safe."
The woman rolled her eyes. "I can do whatever I want as long as I follow the rules. There’s no curfew."
Iyisha pursed her lips. Nothing solid to push on, not yet.
"Fine," she said quietly. "Then I’ll stay until you’re done."
The woman’s jaw clenched. She crushed the cigarette into the frost with her boot, then walked away without another word.
Iyisha lingered, eyes scanning the fence. The wind stirred the brush along the wall, but no shadows moved. Still, unease clung to her.
Eventually, she turned back toward the hospital, her boots crunching on the ice.
That woman was definitely hiding something.
