But she is alive, and more alive than ever!
“Shannon, are you all right?” Lucien gets up. A sheen of sweat covers his body.
Kirk collapses himself beside her. His chest is rising and heaving.
“Yes,” she says. And then in a louder voice to assure herself, “Yes!”
Together, they all laugh and embrace one another. There is no shame in what they have just done, Shannon thinks. She loves both Lucien and Kirk equivocally, she is sure of it, and she loves Jared as much as anyone could love an adopted brother. She is alive. Magnificently so. And now she understands the depth of their commitment to her, just as she is committed to keeping them alive and well.
So all is right in her world.
For now.
THE ARRANGEMENT
They are making love on his new, wide super king-sized bed. She is straddling him and bouncing on his hips. His hands are on her breasts, tweaking her nipples. Her back is arched and her head thrown back.
She reaches her orgasm soon enough, as does he. Once satiated, she collapses on top of his lean body. Both are panting and spent.
“I love you,” he says.
“I love you too.”
She creeps up to kiss his mouth.
“I have to go,” she says.
He grins uneasily. She knows he would rather prefer she spend the night with him, but they have an arrangement and she intends to stick to it, even though he is reluctant.
“I’d ask you to stay, but I know you won’t,” he says.
“I’ll stay tomorrow night.”
“Sure. Leave me when I’m penniless.”
“You’re far from penniless.” She laughs.
Lucien stretches out on his bed. He has moved out of the Chatterly and into a small rented house. He has forgone his considerable inheritance, but he is striking out on his own now. He is in the midst of registering his own real estate agency.
“Starting from scratch,” he says.
Though she knows it is not quite from scratch because he is using his own savings. He has sold his Mustang and the Mercedes and bought a second hand Lincoln instead.
“The only thing stopping me from leaving this place is you,” he tells her. Although his tone is cavalier, the look in his eyes is wistful.
“I know. And I’m really grateful to you for staying.”
She doesn’t want to leave. Her brother is happy here . . . so far. And she has Lucien.
And someone else.
That someone else’s car revs up Lucien’s driveway now.
“Uh oh. Someone’s here to steal you away from me,” Lucien says.
He says it jokingly, but Shannon knows that his heart is heavy about it. But he accepts that this is what she wants and he would not begrudge her this.
The doorbell rings.
“See you tomorrow.” Shannon parks a kiss on Lucien’s forehead before scampering out of bed and pulling on a robe.
She goes to the front door and opens it. Kirk stands there, smiling – as beautiful as the heavens themselves.
“You ready for our hot date?” he asks.
She kisses him lovingly.
“Had a rough day?”
“The worst. Bad crush injury. Eight hours in the OT straight.”
“You must be exhausted.”
“I am.” He grabs her waist and murmurs, “But I can still fuck.”
“Why, Dr. Fitzpatrick! Your language is becoming progressively worse since you have been mingling with the likes of – ”
“A Walker,” Lucien says. He is shirtless and only clad in his jeans, which he has pulled on for decency. “Hello, Kirk.”
Shannon says, “I was going to say Jared, but you’ll do too.”
“Hi, Lucien.” Kirk puts his arm possessively around Shannon. She knows he is not completely OK with this either, but he too loves her and respects her wishes.
Because it is very clear why she has to do this, and she made known to them her reasons.
“Don’t make me choose between the two of you. I can’t. I realize that now. I love both of you equally, and I’d do anything for both of you. So don’t make me choose, because I can’t and I won’t. I’d rather die first.”
And because she had nearly died, they acquiesce. She doesn’t think it is emotional blackmail at all. She is merely stating the truth as she knows it.
“Get dressed,” Kirk tells her. “Then we’ll go for dinner. And later we’ll go back to my place.”
He says this while eyeing Lucien meaningfully. His message is clear. You get to make love to her, and so will I.
Maybe they will always be wary of each other, Shannon thinks, but at least they have come to a truce, no matter how uneasy it is. Kirk respects what Lucien has done for her and believes he had nothing to do with his brother’s death, even though he is still suspicious of the Walkers in general.