The Hungry (Book 3): At the End of the World by Steven Booth, Harry Shannon Read Free Book Online Page B

her nose then let the breath out. She put her hands on his butt, and gave his cheeks a gentle squeeze. Scratch got pretty wound up. Miller shook her head and sighed again. She put her palms on Scratch’s chest, and gently pushed him away.
    Scratch broke the kiss. He didn’t let go all the way. He nuzzled her neck. “I think we might be more comfortable upstairs.” He breathed into her ear and nibbled.
    “I was thinking the same thing.” Miller pulled back. She smiled at him. “However, we have company.”
    “I thought we talked about this, Penny.” The stern voice seemed to emerge from the stuffed black bear.
    Miller let go of Scratch. She stepped backwards a pace. She was in no mood to be lectured. Not again.
    “What is it, Karl?” Miller spoke with as much patience as she could muster. Which was very little.
    “You two can not be doing that kind of thing,” Sheppard said. He stepped out from behind the huge stuffed bear. His features were tight with disapproval. Miller pictured him as an angry nun. “You know perfectly well that the zombie virus can be transmitted through bodily fluids.”
    Miller groaned.
    Sheppard turned to Scratch. “So, my friend, unless you want to score the worst case of Zombie mononucleosis in history, I’d suggest you keep your distance, at least until I can get into a lab and figure out a complete cure. Remember, all we’ve done is put it in remission. If Gifford hadn’t double-crossed us after we double-crossed him and booby-trapped the laptop with all our research on it, I might have already had something.” Sheppard glanced back and forth between them. “In the meantime, I prescribe cold showers and hot phone sex—from opposite sides of the lodge—because that’s as close as you two should get to actual physical contact.”
    Miller shook her head. Her cheeks flushed. As angry as she was at the interruption, Sheppard was probably right, as usual. “I feel fine, Karl. In fact, I was feeling better than fine only a minute ago.”
    She smiled at Scratch. Scratch kept his eyes on the intruder, Sheppard.
    “Karl, we don’t need a chaperone.” Scratch said, sounding more than a bit pissed off.
    “Evidently you do,” Sheppard said. “I have enough trouble keeping Penny healthy as it is. Scratch, if you get infected, it could kill you. We’re going to need you for later, you know.”
    “We don’t even know that she’s still got the virus.”
    Sheppard glared at Scratch, disappointment on his face. “Nice try, but that’s wishful thinking. It may be dormant for right now but it is still very much in her system.”
    “Enough, okay,” said Miller. “We get it. Was there something you needed, Karl, or were you trying to avoid presiding over a shotgun wedding?”
    Sheppard scowled and brought himself to something like attention. “Terrill Lee and I have something to report.”
    Scratch smirked. “Okay, sergeant, report.”
    Sheppard ignored the sarcasm. “It’s better if you see for yourselves.” He did an about face and led them away.
    Miller walked behind Sheppard but stayed close to Scratch. She almost held his hand as they walked, but decided against that. Part of her couldn’t have cared less what Terrill Lee thought of Scratch and her getting together, not by this point, but her ex-husband had also become a friend again, especially since the zombie outbreak. It didn’t seem right to rub his nose in a new affair—especially with Sheppard doing everything but locking her in a chastity belt to prevent that. On the other hand, she had once caught Terrill Lee screwing his veterinary assistant right there in Miller’s home and Miller’s bed, so maybe he really didn’t rate much sympathy in that arena. The thought of that made still her blood boil.
    Aren’t we all grown up?
    Nope. Miller reached over and took Scratch’s hand.
    A part of her brain commented how petty it was to hold a grudge against Terrill Lee—it had been over two years since she’d caught