Page 63 of Shameless

He doesn’t have to say it twice, his next thrust is our undoing.

We hold each other tight as pleasure courses through us, bright and hot, taking our breaths away with the intensity of our connection.

We’re like one being, there’s no way to tell where he ends and I begin and it’s both a physical and emotional union.

“I love you, Jumps.” Stefan places tender, slow kisses all over my face and neck, once we both come down from our highs. “I wish I could stay inside you forever.”

I grab his hand, resting it on my erratic beating heart. “You are inside me. In here. Forever. I love you, Stef.”

Neither of us moves for a long moment, savoring our connection, our little bubble of happiness.

I wish I could stay in Stefan’s arms forever, where the darkness of the outside world can’t touch me.

14.Reunion

Jules

“Daddy!”

My arms open and I know I’m smiling the second I hear my daughter’s voice.

“Baby girl,” I murmur, inhaling the sweet scent of Jenna’s hair as I scoop her up into my arms.

“Daddy, it tickles,” she squeals and that’s all the encouragement I need to keep blowing raspberries on her pretty face.

“We’re gonna have so much fun today, baby.” I beam, forcing myself to set her back on her feet but keeping her tiny hand into mine. “There’s face painting and a snow cone station and a bouncy castle today.”

Jenna’s eyes light up and my heart squeezes in my chest, overflowing with love and joy. There is nothing, nothing I wouldn’t do for my little girl.

It’s crazy to think that I never truly understood love until the day I held Jenna in my arms for the first time.

My excitement today isn’t just about seeing Jenna for the first time in months, I’m also looking forward to introducing her to Lula. I have no doubt that the two loves of my life will hit it off.

But in my world nothing is ever perfect and straightforward and today is no different.

To convince Jasmine to let Jenna come to the Club’s Fourth of July celebration, I had to invite her too.

“Jules,” Jasmine scolds me. “You’ve creased Jenna’s dress, well done. It’s a bespoke Dolce and Gabbana, now it looks like a trash bag.”

I close my eyes, counting to ten before I say something I’m going to regret. As usual my ex-wife is being a bitch, but I have to tread carefully to keep the truce between us in good standing. While I know that Jasmine’s bottom line is the money she’s getting from me, I have no doubt she’d have no problem making a scene and storming out of the club if I say the wrong thing.

Not that I would mind if she went home, but I could bet my left nut that she’d take Jenna with her.

“Good morning to you too, Jaz,” I force a smile on my face. “You look radiant.”

She actually does.

The other day, when she came to confront me about my financial situation after Eddie’s death, I was so stressed that I didn’t notice how her pregnancy is now definitely showing.

The tiny, barely there baby bump of a few weeks ago has bloomed; comparing to when she was pregnant with Jenna, I would say she must be about four, maybe five months along.

Of course my compliment falls on deaf ears. “Are you calling me fat?” Jasmine says, her dark brown eyes narrowed into two furious slits.

“No, just the opposite. You look good.”

It’s true. Despite the fact that she hates being pregnant, pregnancy suits her, smoothing her angular edges and softening her rail thin figure.

“Thanks,” she finally accepts my praise, smoothing her skintight off-white dress over her hips. “I had to go shopping for pretty much everything, none of my clothes fit me right now. Can you imagine? I’m a size two. I’m practically a hippo.”

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