Page 129 of The Fire We Crave

Ember shrugs. “And Atom asked me to be here to make sure you didn’t leave.”

Quinn places a hand to her chest and looks at me. “Is it bad news?”

Ember chuckles and throws a hand over my woman’s shoulder. “I doubt it, given the smile on your man’s face.”

Your man.

I like the way she says that. And I feel a gentle lurch in my chest that I could say that about Quinn too.

My woman.

“Hey.” I slip my arms beneath hers, and pick her up so her feet dangle off the ground to kiss her like I didn’t see her an hour ago. “Fucking missed you,” I mutter against her lips.

“Your brothers are watching,” she says finally.

“I don’t care.”

She places her hands on my cheeks. “You’re acting weird. If it’s bad news, just tell me fast.”

I shake my head. “It’s not bad news. It’s a choice you gotta make. There are seventeen men outside, eighteen including me. We got tools and shit. And we are ready to demo the upstairs. Atom asked Ember if she could take Bones and have him stay with them for a few days, so we don’t have to worry about him while it’s a mess. Kills two birds with one stone given she’s always begging to take Bones for a sleepover.”

She wiggles out of my arms, and I put her back down on the floor. Not sure what kink is unlocked, but I really like carrying her around, so I’m always sad when she kicks her feet in protest.

“You want to demo the apartment?”

I run a knuckle down her cheek. “Only if you do. I spoke to your father. Had a friend track him down. The signed documents are on the way. The bakery and the apartment are yours. Keep it, sell it, it doesn’t matter. Keep it and rent the apartment above.”

Confusion shows on her face. “Where would I live?”

I laugh. “With me, of course. I’ve given you the six weeks you asked for.”

Quinn raises one eyebrow. “Technically, yes. But you slept here two nights a week and made me sleep at your place two nights a week with you.”

“And you did brilliantly the other three nights I left you here alone.”

She glances over her shoulder at the men who are all watching expectantly. “I can’t afford it, yet,” she whispers. “I was going to save up from…you know…while living here.”

Idoknow. We’ve been making videos, together. But her only rule? We never tell anyone we’re doing it. It’s anonymous exhibitionism and we love it.

So, no faces, no identities. More shadows than light. Just her feet and my hands and cock. She doesn’t want to go farther than that, and it’s fine with me. Plus, her account made five thousand dollars this month and the number of followers is growing fast. She’s still showing up at the bakery because she’s realized she enjoys it now that she feels like she doesn’t have to be there anymore.

“The labor’s free.”

She sighs. “It’s not just that. I mean, the bakery makes enough to break even and pay me a salary. I have a little bit of savings, but?—”

I cut her off with a kiss. “We’re in this together. In case I’m not being clear, I love you, Quinn. I’m in this forever. What’s mine is yours. And right now, we have a property to take care of. Together.”

“That’s a lot. You could have just said I love you and it be enough. Or roses might have been nice.”

I shrug. “Meh. That’s a bit predictable, and that’s not us. Go big or go home, right?”

“Wait, what about permits?”

“Taken care of.”

Quinn’s mouth opens, then closes. “What do you mean, ‘taken care of’? Like, don’t worry about them or…?”

“Or Butcher knows that the married head of permits for the town happens to be having an affair and fucking Butcher’s neighbor, who is also married. He told the permit guy he had security footage of his arrival going back a year. Dates and times.”

---