Folsom (End of Men, #1)(18)
“Will it hurt?” she asks, looking at me with innocent eyes.
“Yes,” I say. “But not much.”
She nods, her expression determined. I unbuckle my belt and lower my pants while still spread out on the bed. My dick springs free and I pull her on top of me.
“Lower yourself onto it,” I tell her.
She straddles me, doing as she’s told, slipping the robe off her shoulders. She makes a tiny noise as I break through her and settle inside her warmth. Moving her hips, I lean back and close my eyes as she rocks on top of me. Her hands press into my chest and she starts moving on her own. It doesn’t take me long. I pull her down hard on my dick and explode inside of her.
Afterward, I tell her to lie on her back while I get up to take a piss. It’s when I’m in front of the toilet, dick in hand, that the pain shoots through my chest. I groan and lean my forearm against the wall, rubbing the spot. It’s unbearable. I bend lower, squeezing my eyes closed. And then everything goes black.
TEN
GWEN
When Folsom invited me to come, it never crossed my mind that he’d be gone most of the time having sex with one of the lottery winners. I don’t know what I thought—maybe that he’d find me after the formalities were out of the way and we could resume the push and pull that I’ve quickly become addicted to, or maybe I was holding out hope that he’d finish the blaze of his hands across my body that he’d started in the car. Both are so far-fetched it isn’t even funny. I’ve been listening to too many stories at work, getting my head filled with romantic notions that died along with the last batch of men. I look around at the crazed women of all ages, all eagerly awaiting another glimpse of Folsom. He’ll probably have sex with someone else before the night is over and it won’t be me. I had my chance.
I find my mother in the crowd, standing next to Governor Petite. I make my way to her, barely avoiding getting doused with wine by one of Sophia’s friends. I narrow my eyes at the girls surrounding Sophia. They’re the last people I want to see right now.
I put my hand on my mom’s elbow.
“Are you okay, love?” she asks, leaning into my ear.
“I’m not feeling so well. Do you think I could take your car?”
She feels my face, checking to see if I’m fevered, but her eyes center on mine. I look away when I see the flash of pity there.
“Oh sweetheart,” she says, arms going around me.
“Mother, please, don’t.” I pull away. I’ll never hold it together if she hugs me right now.
“I’ll walk you out.”
She reaches into her clutch and gives me the chip for the car. She leads the way and when we get to the parking lot, I see Folsom’s driver standing by the car near the entrance. She tips her head at me as I hurry past.
“Will you be okay to drive?” My mother fusses over my dress as the chip hovers by our car. The door opens and I get in quickly.
“Of course I will,” I tell her. “Don’t worry.”
As soon as she backs up, I shut the door and get the hell out of there. Once home, I can’t get out of my dress fast enough. I’ll keep him on my skin a little longer. Tomorrow I’ll have to wash all of him away. I crawl into my bed and lay on the pillow he used. That’s when the tears come.
It’s still dark when I get up early the next morning, taking something for my headache and showering quickly. By some sort of miracle, I make it out of the house without seeing anyone, not even Phoebe, who usually seems to sense when I’m awake before I make a peep. I make the twenty-minute drive to work on autopilot, my thoughts still full of the day before. I wonder how long the party went. I heard my mom come in but never heard Sophia. I try to avoid thinking about Folsom, but he’s all my mind sees.
Genome Y is located near the lighthouse at Fort Story, once a beautiful naval base that overlooks the Chesapeake Bay. A few of the original buildings are left and have been lovingly tended to and restored. Genome Y is the only new building and of the same design favored for the past thirty years, only bigger; six small glass domes connect to one larger dome that hangs over the water.
The sun is just coming up as I make the final approach to the gate and see a long line of cars. Reporters are camped out near the gate. Officers are standing guard and one of them directs me through the women. Another guard lets me in the gate. One reporter tries to get through the gate and the officers swarm around her.
My heart is pumping with adrenaline as I hurriedly park. I groan. I should’ve had coffee before I got here. I can’t imagine what has caused all this commotion. All was quiet yesterday and we’re not that close to a breakthrough that it would happen overnight, not without me anyway.
Two of the guards I normally only see outside the gate are stationed by the door.
Our central receptionists, Jade and Himari, are both facing their screens, buzzing excitedly. Himari’s eyes widen and she waves when she sees me.
“Can you believe this?” she mouths.
I hold my hand out and shake my head.
“We’ll be holding a press conference when we hear more from the medical team,” she says, and the Silverbook moves to the dock. “It took you long enough to get here!” She stands up and walks toward me, her long, black hair swishing in time with her steps. “Corinne has been checking every ten minutes for the last hour and a half to see if you’re here yet.”