Page 88 of Burn for Me

‘I’ll sweeten the pot,’ he added, his fingers sinking into the hair at the back of my head. ‘I can make you come on my tongue until you see the stars. I will spend every single day working to build us a home, and every night between your thighs building a family with you. I’ll cherish every second you offer me, until the minute my useless heart packs in.’

Warmth flooded me at his sweet words, and I pressed my lips to his, greedily stealing a deep kiss. He winced, but held me firmly to him, his tongue siding over mine.

‘You might have to wait just a little longer for me to fulfil the promises though, I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus.’ Phoenix gave a chuckle, and I slid down, tucking myself neatly into the space between his arm and his chest.

‘I’ve got all the time in the world.’

EPILOGUE

Phoenix

My arm shuddered as I hammered the long nails into the post. Sweat trickled down my spine in the warm summer air, a rare enough feat in Scotland.

The stables were almost complete, built to Laura’s specification. No gates, it needed to be open to the ponies, so they could come and go as they pleased.

Months had passed since our encounter with Massimo, and life on the island was sweet. I’d handed over a load of money to have the new cottage built as quickly as possible, needing us to have a place to settle into together. To begin our new chapter.

The builders were finally gone, leaving us to indulge in one another without any witnesses.

The days were short, and the nights long, and with each passing day, I only fell deeper in love with Laura. Without her family's expectations, she flourished. She’d pulled me well into civilisation, getting our house fitted withsatellite internet and a big assed TV. She’d also enrolled into multiple courses that interested her, cooking in Paris, sculpting in Italy and even writing at a little retreat in Cornwall. I’d gladly fly her to the ends of the earth to indulge any whim which took her.

Laura swiped her paint brush over the fence, using wood paint to weather seal the parts I’d finished. She’d piled her hair up on top of her head, and had on a pair of loose dungarees. Freckles smattered her nose where the sun had danced upon her cheeks.

The sight of her made my chest clench, even after the many months we’d spent together.

She shooed a chicken out of the way, laughing as it pecked at her shoes.

‘Maggie,’ she laughed, waving her free hand above the chicken. ‘Honestly, these chickens are the most unruly bunch yet.’

‘Maybe we need a bigger hen house?’ I said.

‘I think she just wants to get into the veggie patch, she's a bugger for going at the lettuce.’ Laura pasted more paint onto the fence.

‘I’ll bugger your lettuce,’ I joked, winking at Laura when she rolled her eyes.

‘You can’t bugger there anyway. That’s an oxymoron.’

‘How about I try?’ I said, dropping the hammer and moving over to my girl, looping an arm around her waist.

‘It’s been a while…’ she replied, her pupils dilating. She pressed her lips against my neck.

‘I’m clearly failing my husbandly duties,’ I murmured, ‘If you need a good ass-fucking you need only ask…’

‘I prefer it when you demand.’

My dirty girl.

I was halfway to hard already, tipping her head back and sinking my teeth into her neck, her pulse beating against my tongue.

‘Not yet,’ she moaned. She pulled away from me, putting the top on her paint can and wrapping foil around the wet end of the brush. ‘I have a surprise for you first.’

Taking me by the hand, she led me toward the cottage, in through the open patio doors to the bright and spacious kitchen diner.

‘What’s this in aid of?’ I asked.

Laura walked over to the pantry, before emerging with a decadent looking chocolate cake. ‘Happy birthday, Phoenix.’

The world shuddered to a halt, throwing me back to the last time anyone had mentioned my birthday. I’d been in the hospital burns unit. The sweet nurses had brought me a cupcake and some new books. I cried for two days. From then on, I hadn’t cared to remember. Every forgotten birthday one less ache. I’d never had anyone to care about them after my family had passed. My uncle certainly never cared to buy me a gift or wish me a happy birthday.

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