CHAPTER 308: (+18) APOCALYPTIC ROMANCE 18

Sasha didn’t slow down until the wrecked city faded behind them.

The van roared through the cracked highway, tires kicking up dust and broken glass. Her grip on the steering wheel stayed tight, eyes flicking between the road and the mirror. The last thing she needed was to see headlights following them.

"Best to move before those people call for backup," she muttered under her breath.

They had escaped with luck and loaded weapons—but luck had an expiration date. She knew how survivors worked now: smiles on the outside, greed in the eyes. The kind of greed that made people kill for canned food or a working car.

When the road finally curved into a line of burned-out vehicles, Sasha eased off the gas and parked between two rusted trucks. The van’s dark shell blended perfectly into the shadows.

"I think we’re safe here," she said, exhaling slowly. "We’re far enough that they won’t follow. And even if they do, the forest roads will lose them first."

Alvaro leaned back in his seat, smirking. "Paranoid much?"

"Cautious," she corrected. "You’d do the same. You’re the fighter; I’m just the driver and grocery store. If they had attacked us with numbers, we’d be in trouble. The only reason they backed off was because of the guns we flashed."

Alvaro laughed, low and warm. "You know, it’s weirdly attractive when a woman sounds that logical and dependable."

Sasha shot him a skeptical look. "Really? I pegged you as the type who likes women soft, sweet, and ready to swoon."

"Nah." He shook his head, grin widening. "I’d get bored fast. I think I prefer women who could probably shoot me if I said the wrong thing."

He reached over and tilted her chin up with one finger, forcing her to meet his amber eyes. The touch was light—but it sent a strange current down her spine.

"Frankly," he said, voice dropping to something quieter, "you’re my type. I just didn’t realize it until the world ended."

Sasha blinked. His face was close enough for her to catch the faint scent of gun oil and the fresh soap he’d stolen from their last stop. Under the low cabin light, his amber eyes burned—calm, sharp, and familiar.

For a moment, he reminded her of two people she’d sworn she’d never think about again: Han Feng’s playful charm and Alexander’s effortless cool, both stitched together in one maddeningly handsome man.

And that was the problem.

Her heart started doing gymnastics, the kind that didn’t belong in an apocalypse.

"What?" Alvaro asked, voice teasing, rough around the edges. "Not gonna pull away like you usually do?"

She didn’t answer.

Throughout their journey, Alvaro had never missed a chance to flirt—always throwing lines at her, always smirking when she rolled her eyes. She’d ignored him before. There were too many things to worry about—monsters, raiders, undead, staying alive.

But now... the world was quieter. They had food, shelter, and a brief illusion of safety. And with that silence came dangerous thoughts.

The mischievous part of her—the soul that had been buried under survival instincts—finally lifted its head.

Maybe she deserved one reckless decision.

Maybe she was tired of pretending she didn’t notice him.

Maybe, just this once, she’d let herself feel something before the world burned again. Or she just really missed Han Feng and Alexander.

Her lips curved into a slow grin. "You talk too much," she said, licking her lips.

Alvaro’s teasing smile faltered. His breath hitched. The air between them turned heavy, charged, almost humming.

"If you do that again," he said quietly, eyes locked on her lips, "I’m going to kiss you."

Sasha tilted her head, daring him. "Then shut up and kiss me."

That was all the permission he needed.

He reached for her, and she met him halfway. Their lips collided in a kiss that felt less like a question and more like a declaration—a rush of heat, surprise, and months of unspoken tension exploding all at once.

Sasha’s mind went blank. The apocalypse, the road, the danger—gone. All she could feel was the warmth of his mouth and the steady hand sliding up the back of her neck.

For a second, she almost laughed into the kiss—because who falls for someone during the end of the world?

But the way he kissed her made the world feel alive again.

Sasha’s heart raced as Alvaro’s hands roamed her curves, exploring every inch of her body with a desperate hunger. She could feel the heat radiating off his skin, mingling with her own as their clothes began to shed in the cramped backseat of the car.

"Fuck," he groaned against her neck, nipping at the sensitive flesh. "I’ve wanted this for so long."

Sasha arched into his touch, gasping as his fingers found their way beneath her bra. "Then take it," she breathed, guiding his hand to cup her breast fully.

Alvaro obliged eagerly, thumbing at the hardened peak until Sasha was writhing against him. The space was tight and claustrophobic but somehow that only heightened their desire—their bodies pressed together from thigh to chest as they groped and kissed like teenagers on prom night.

She reached down between them to palm his erection through his jeans and Alvaro cursed under his breath.

"You’re going to be the death of me," he growled playfully before capturing her mouth again in a searing kiss.

Sasha fumbled with his belt buckle, finally freeing him from the confines of his pants. She wrapped her hand around his thick length and stroked slowly, relishing the way he throbbed in her grip.

"God, Sasha," Alvaro panted into her hair. "I need to be inside you."

"Yes," she agreed breathlessly. "Now."

He wasted no time shoving her panties aside and plunging two fingers deep into her slick heat. Sasha cried out at the sudden intrusion but quickly found a rhythm, rocking against his hand as he pumped them in and out.

"That’s it baby," Alvaro encouraged huskily. "Ride my fingers like you’re going to ride my cock."

His dirty talk only spurred Sasha on more until she was practically sobbing with pleasure, so close to the edge already. When he curled those clever digits just right she shattered completely—coming undone with a muffled scream that was swallowed by their kiss.