Page 257 of Fury

At my side, Lenore laughed at something Butler and Tania were heatedly debating. She laughed and her fingers curled over mine, our new thick silver rings engraved with a flame motif shone in the soft light from the candles on the table. I kissed that hand.

My old lady. My wife.

We went home.

Late that night, in our living room, the two of us holding each other as we danced to a blues tune she loved, her fingers dug in my shirt and she whispered roughly against my throat, “Make love to me.”

I had to build around us. Build for us and the child who would never know us as parents. Maybe one day I could cope with that, but right now it was still a struggle. Right now all I knew was my Serena’s kiss offering me peace, her body offering a devastating joy, flinging away the fragments of all that fucking sorrow, and soldering us together.

My blood heated as I raised her in my arms and she wrapped herself around me. I took her to our bed and laid her down.

Once, we were young and impulsive and breathed in each other day and night as if it were our last. That was still a part of us, but now there was an element of enjoying the finer points and savoring in a new way.

I unbuttoned, pulled, tugged, released.

“Yes, yes—”

I sank my mouth over her, tasting and nuzzling, teasing her.

“Baby. I love you, I love you...”

On my knees on our bed, I raised her one leg high, planted a hand on a breast and buried my cock inside her in one sure thrust. I moved inside her long and slow, kneading that tit. She was splayed wide open for me, taking me in, taking all of me, my victories, my failures, my anger, my commitment. I rolled my hips into hers, my heart heaving with fire. My love for her, molten iron.

“Justin, Justin. I love you.”

Her gorgeous eyes held mine, our daughter’s eyes; my stars leading me north, my steady signs of truth and real and faith were flaming blue green jewels, but they were all the colors.

Every single one.

73

The past month, I hadDen design a new website for Steve and Gail’s business, and he’d gone over it with Gail along with setting up a new computer and printer and updated internet connection for the nursery. Den’s brother set up a security system for their entire property as well. I sent a few of my prospects over to the shop on a steady basis to clean up, paint, renovate, fix. Lenore easily rearranged her schedule and took Zoë to her classes and activities.

Today, Zoë would spend the night with us as Steve and Gail had to go to Sioux Falls for more medical tests.

The girls spent the day together. Zoë wanted to shop at Lenore’s store, so Lenore took her shopping at the mall. Zoë wanted a tattoo, so Lenore bought her new makeup and gave her a makeover with cat-eye eyeliner, sparkly eye shadow, and a dark pink lipstick. We went out for an Italian dinner in town, watched a movie at home, and then Lenore and I stayed up for hours listening to our daughter’s soft snoring coming from Beck’s room down the hall.

We’d all woken up late and had fruit and pancakes for brunch. Now it was past two in the afternoon, and Gail and Steve were coming to pick up Zoë in a couple of hours. Before she left, I was going to take her for a ride on my bike.

I pulled my Harley out to the curb. Standing with Lenore, Zoë watched me, her lips pressing together.

“Finger’s been riding since he was a little boy.” Lenore zipped up Zoë’s windbreaker. “He knows everything there is to know about riding. His bike is like his best friend. It’s a part of him. You couldn’t ask for a better first ride.”

“Okay.” Zoë scrunched and unscrunched her eyes, twisting her lips. She was deliberating. She was gearing up.

Lenore swept Zoë’s hair back from her shoulders. “Can I tell you a secret?”

Zoë’s face lit up and she nodded, a slight giggle escaping her lips.

“Riding with Finger on his bike is one of my most favorite things in the world. From the very first time I did it.”

“When was that?”

“A long, long time ago. Now it’s even better.”

Zoë glanced at me and took in a deep breath, her shoulders rising and falling. She went over to the bike and tried to swing her leg over it, but she couldn’t quite reach. I grabbed her leg, steadying her as she hopped up and scooted in the saddle, Lenore at her side, a hand on her lower back.

“It’s high,” Zoë said.

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