by Calinda B
“Let’s see if we all get our needs met —together. Even if we all move to Costa Rica.”
“Fucking hell, Zoé. Do you mean that?”
“I sure do, stud. I’d like this to be a happy ending for us, not a tragic one. Ever since the divorce, I’ve tried and tried to not be like my mom. She didn’t stand up for herself until it was too late. She gave and gave and gave and my dad took and took and took. I think they grew apart. They never got to know each other because they were too busy playing roles, not being authentic. And all that trying to not be like someone, didn’t give me room to find out who I am. And if I can’t find out who I am, how can we find out who we are together? I don’t want that. I don’t want to live wondering what it would be like to live without you while I pursue a career. I want it all.”
“And I’m just the guy to give it to you, baby! I don’t want you to back down. I love your fire. You can and do stand up to me. I love that about you. I love you, Zoé Dubois.” He snapped his mouth shut, realizing he was chatting away at a million miles a minute.
“Are you going to kiss me, or what?” Zoé asked, a seductive smile playing on her face.
“Oh, I’m definitely going to kiss you. Care for some makeup sex in the truck?”
“It will look like you’re passionately kissing your woman.”
“Damn straight it will. Hike up your skirt, woman, and climb onboard.”
Epilogue
“Jace,” Zoé said as she leaned against the kitchen counter, holding a mug of tea in her hands.
She wore one of his comfy, long-sleeved, oversized linen shirts that hung to mid-thigh like a dress, and her favorite pair of apricot-colored, silk panties. She felt satisfyingly, freshly fucked from the shower with Jace this morning, but her mind bubbled with fret. She glanced out at the green forest and ferns framing the blue green water in the Strait beyond their kitchen window.
Marni sat in a highchair, a colorful bib around her neck, eating Honey Sunshine cereal bits one by one, humming softly.
“Yeah, baby,” Jace said, flipping the eggs over easy. He had on a pair of blue silk boxers and nothing else, affording her a great view of his tanned, muscled back, legs, and butt.
“So far, so good, huh?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, we live together well, don’t you think? It’s only been a couple weeks but ever since you got Marni back, and we fucked and made up in the hospital parking lot, we’ve been doing pretty well.”
“There’s that dirty mouth.” He glanced at her and smirked. “I love living with you, baby. Happier than I’ve ever been in my life.”
“You’re not messy.”
“Paper trained as a puppy,” he quipped.
“And we seem to share chores.”
“Shit’s gotta get done. We’re the ones who gotta do it.” He turned and studied her for a second, head cocked.
She gave him a reassuring smile.
He resumed cooking.
“Ready for the big party today?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be. You?”
“Yeah. My dad will shit a brick when he sees this house. And Tanya, too. You’ve done a really good job with it.”
“Thank you, baby. I had to make it right for you. And together, we’ll make it even better. I’ll build you whatever you want.” He reached for the pepper shaker and shook it over the eggs. “It must have been an ‘if you build it she will come’ kind of thing. And, boy, does she come.” He chuckled, his voice low and rich. “Mmm.”
She warmed inside. “We’ve had a pretty easy week, haven’t we?”
She rubbed her fingers round and round her thumbs.
He glanced over his shoulder, flicked his eyes to her restless hands, and gave her a curious, slightly perplexed look.
“For a change, yeah.” He rapped his knuckles on a cabinet. “Knock on wood. Hopefully Jackass O’Reilly’s assault charges don’t stick. Sounds like an act of desperation but he still has his pricey lawyers and he wants me behind bars. He wants to share his fate with me. I hope he goes down for a long, long time.”
He scoffed, picked up the salt shaker, and sprinkled some on the eggs sizzling in the cast iron pan.
“I don’t want you to be thrown in jail.” She chewed on her fingernail.
“You think I do? I’ve lived with a lot of shit. All I can do is put one foot in front of the other and not trip as it rolls by. I don’t think this one will stick.”
“Yeah,” Zoé said. “You’re good that way — dealing with life, I mean.”
“Hand me a couple plates, please.”
She set her cup on the granite counter, picked out two colorful plates from the cupboard, and handed them to him.
“This is such a beautiful place,” she said. “Inside and out.”
Her gaze wandered to the window overlooking the Strait.
“Made more beautiful by your presence.” He smiled at her, his eyes loving and warm.
She gave him a half smile back, squirming inside.
“So, Jace,” Zoé said again. She fidgeted and bit her lip. “Part of our relationship —a big part so far —is finding out about the trouble you’ve been in, reacting to it, and processing it.”
His back visibly tensed. “I thought the big part was the sex. That’s my favorite.”
“Come on, you know what I mean.”
“Yeah. It has. And me convincing you it’s my past not my present.”
“Right. About that.”
Still not facing her, he turned down the heat and rested his hands on the counter, waiting.
“I’ve done pretty well with all that, don’t you think?” she said to his back.
His shoulders dropped and he picked up the spatula again, pivoting to look over his shoulder. “I’m impressed. I lost a few photos but otherwise…”
He smiled and returned to his cooking.
She smiled. Okay. So far so good.
“There’s some yogurt in the fridge,” he said. “Can you mash a banana in it for Marni?”
“Sure.” She turned to look at the little munchkin next to her and smiled. “Ready for some protein, Marni girl?”
Marni thrust a cereal bit in her direction, babbling something happy sounding.
“Thank you, Marni,” Zoé said, taking the proffered grain. She popped the dry sweet bit in her mouth and chewed, making a show of enjoyment. “Mmm.”
She sauntered to the refrigerator, her feet padding along the cool brown tile, pulled the foil top off the yogurt, and scooped some into a red and blue bowl. She sliced a banana in half, peeled it, and released it into the yogurt.
“My school starts in a week,” she said, mixing the yogurt and banana together. She dropped into a yellow chair and spooned the mixture into Marni’s mouth.
“So I hear,” Jace said. “Your point? What are you chewing on over there? I feel as if I’m being led somewhere and I don’t know where it is.”
“I need to focus. It’s my last semester, it’s important that I do well, and I don’t need to find out about your troubled past while I’m concentrating on my studies.”
Marni took a bite, chewed, batted her hands against the highchair tray, and lurched up and down, squealing.
“What do you want me to do?” he said, setting two eggs and whole grain toast in front of her at the yellow dinette. He rummaged in the fridge and brought out blackberry preserves and butter.
“You’ve lived your life differently than me. And I’m sure I haven’t heard the last of it —your past, I mean. Even if you don’t want to tell me.”
“Yeah, okay…I’m me, you’re you, we love each other. It works. I thought we sorted this.” He settled next to her, letting his warm leg rest against hers.
“Will you do your best to tell me the whole story and I’ll do my best to keep my reactions in check before we get to the end of it?” she blurted in one long stream.
His fork paused, midway to his mouth, as he looked at her quizzically.
“Yeah
, baby, I already told you I would. I mean, I do have a history of not being forthcoming but I’ll do my best.” He put the egg in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed, eyeing her suspiciously. “Are we circling for a landing here?”
“Why would you say that?” Zoé’s leg began bobbing up and down. She studied his handsome face.
“You tell me.” Jace squinted at her, and then looked away. “Looks like the yogurt is a hit today.”
He reached over and tousled Marni’s hair.
“She’s such a sweet girl,” Zoé said, scraping the spoon through the gooey, mashed mixture.
“That she is. Life hasn’t done her any favors.”
“Yes, it has, dummy. She landed with you.”
He reached under the table and gave her leg a squeeze. “Thank you, baby. You make a difference in her life, too. She’s much calmer with you around. I lose my patience a lot. You’re a much more soothing presence. We’re a great family together. We’re doing it Savage style.”
He gave her a roguish smile.
“Savage Dubois style,” she corrected.
She forked a bite of her egg.
“I stand corrected. Pass me the cream, please.”
She slid the white porcelain creamer to him, still apprehensive.
Marni picked up her cup of cereal and threw it on the floor.
“Hey!” Jace snapped.
Marni squealed, laughed at him, and whacked her tray, her brown curls bobbing about her rosy face, her big green eyes sparkling.
“She wants your attention,” Zoé said, extending a spoonful of eggs.
Marni’s lips pressed together and she shook her head back and forth. She thrust her hand at Zoé’s to push away the spoon.
“Yeah, all the time.” Jace sighed. “Eat your yogurt, baby girl. We’ve all got to eat.”
Zoé pushed the yogurt bowl his way, studying his chiseled arms.
“Jace,” she said, as he held the spoon out to Marni.
“Yeah, baby? Are we on a fishing expedition today?”
She glared at him. “Some things are difficult to talk about.”
“Out with it. Tell me what’s bothering you so we can get on with our day.”
“You said that tattoo is in homage to your past.”
“That and determination to set things straight.”
“Yeah, okay. But it’s about Kate.”
Jace stilled, his emerald gaze colliding with hers. He shook his head back and forth. “Don’t start, baby. You said yourself we’re having an easy time of it.”
“Every time I look at it I see your troubled past — with her.” Her stomach clenched into a tiny ball.
“What are you doing, Zoé?” His jaw began to tick, tick, tick.
Marni swatted the high chair tray, wriggling and jabbering in protest.
Jace stood, freed her, and took a few steps over to the sink. He yanked off a paper towel, wet it, and began washing her face.
She stubbornly twisted her head back and forth and pushed his hand away.
Jace continued wiping. “I win, baby girl.”
He said it in that ultra-confident way that made Zoé’s tummy tense at times. “You do win, Jace. All the time.”
“I told you I don’t always win. I won with you. Why are we revisiting this? Are we going to have another fight like we did over my photos? Can we simply skip it and get to make up sex? Now that was hot.”
“We’re not going to have another fight if you respond correctly to my next question.”
“Fuck.”
“You’ve got a good track record so far,” Zoé assured him.
Jace set Marni on the floor. “Go play.”
She toddled toward her favorite toy.
He blew out a lungful of breath, leaning his tall body against the counter, resting his palms on the countertop. “I’m listening.”
Zoé set her fork down. “Would you get inked in some symbol that represents us? Us and where we’re headed?”
“Is that what this is about?” His face softened ever so slightly. “Only if you get a matching one.”
She frowned. “I’ve never gotten a tattoo.”
“What’s on your cheek?”
She laughed. “Sharpie, baby powder, and hair spray. Tanya did it the day before we met. We haven’t known each other long enough for it to fade.”
“Well, then. Fair is fair, baby. I’d love to mark myself with a reminder of you. Maybe it will be the only thing that keeps me going in prison.” He grinned.
Stabs of pain pricked Zoé’s heart. “Don’t say that.”
“It’s a possibility if O’Reilly has his way. I don’t think it will stick,” he said again. “So will you get inked too?”
“Does it hurt?”
“What do you think?”
“I don’t like pain.”
“We’ll down a couple Snake Bites.” He winked at her.
“It’s a big commitment. I can’t wash it off.”
“Why would you want to?”
“Because we don’t know what the future holds.”
“Yeah, we do, baby. You’re going to be with me for the rest of your life.” His intense gaze plowed through her hesitation. “You’re going to marry me.”
“What?”
“You heard me. I already bought the ring. I was going to give it to you at the party we’re throwing today but…”
“Jace!” The question launched into her, seeming to lift her in the air, leaving her suspended. She studied him, gazing at his far too handsome face, his unruly brown hair, his masculine physique. The intensity poured from him. “I can’t marry you! We haven’t known each other that long.”
“Are you saying you don’t love me?”
“No, I’m not saying that!”
“Well, then? What’s the problem?”
Her mouth opened and closed. “Aren’t we supposed to take time and learn about the other person? You know, see how we’ll respond to situations?”
“I doubt if I’ll be different. Don’t you love me as I am?”
His challenging gaze messed with her reasoning mind. “Of course I do. That’s not it.”
“What is it then? I love you. You love me. We live together. We’re already raising a family. The adoption part’s not final but it shouldn’t be a problem. Done deal.”
“But Jace!”
“No, baby. No buts. We’re getting married and that’s that. You’re never going to leave me.”
Zoé let out an exasperated groan. “Of course I’m not going to leave you. But quit railroading me!”
“I thought I owned a bulldozer. Are you telling me I’m now a steam engine?”
“No! Okay! I’ll marry you! As long as you don’t boss me around all the time.”
“You love when I boss you around.”
Her core flooded with heat. “Damn you! Okay, as long as you don’t boss me around when we’re not having sex.”
He chuckled and flashed a wicked smile. “I thought we could do it today. Neil serves as a non-denominational wedding officiant.”
“What? What is that? No! No fucking way!” Zoé wanted to throw a plate at him.
Either that, or kick him in the shins.
“It’s going to be today, Mrs. Dirty Mouth Savage.” He grinned at her.
“No, Jace! I want my mom there.”
“She can come to the reception party.”
“No!”
Marni watched them intently. She made happy cooing noises and laughed.
“See? Marni’s blessed it,” Jace said, scooping her off the floor.
“Oh, no. You’re not going to use your baby tactic.” Completely flustered, she said, “Let’s get back to the tattoo. Will you hold my hand when I whimper?”
A slow smile formed on his beautiful face. “I’ll do better than that. I’m about to have conjugal rights, you know.”
“I already granted you exclusive rights. Exclusive trumps conjugal, every time.” Her eyes flicked to the growing bulge in his boxers, the bul
ge that lit her blood on fire. She swallowed.
“Whatever. Rights are rights.” He swung Marni back and forth, making her giggle and squeal.
“We’ve got things to do to get ready for the party.”
“Yeah,” he said, eyes still pinned on hers. “Mrs. Savage.”
“Marni’s awake.”
“Yeah,” he said, his eyes full of desire. “Wife.”
“Okay, to the tattoo,” she said.
The man could talk her into anything when he turned on the heat — but marriage? So soon?
Nuh uh. Not happening.
“I’ll call my guy on Monday. He does a good job.”
“You have a guy?”
“Every guy who gets inked has a guy who inks him — or a gal. It’s God’s law.”
“You’re making me wet, Jace.” She glanced at Marni who grinned back at her. “And there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“Oh, yes, there is.”
“What’s that?”
“You can stay wet for me until the party's over, and Marni’s asleep, and then you can show me how much I mean to you.”
“What about how much I mean to you?”
“That’s a given. I need constant reassurance,” he quipped.
“You’re impossible,” she said, rising from the table.
“Not for you, baby. Everything’s possible with you. It always has been. Always will be. You’re going to be Mrs. Jace Savage.”
“And you’re going to be Mr. Zoé Dubois.” She rolled her eyes.
“Sounds good to me, baby. We can call ourselves whatever the fuck we want,” he said.
“As long as we do it Savage style.” She let out a deep sigh. “Okay, I agree to be Mrs. Zoé Savage. Together, we’ll be wild and uncontrolled.”
He grinned. “Get over here and kiss me.”
“Meet me halfway and it’s a deal.”
“I’ll do you one better. I’ll come to you.” He sauntered sexily over to her, brought his mouth to hers, and planted a panty-melting kiss, Marni in the middle.
Marni squealed and thwacked Zoé’s shoulder.
When Jace released her, he grinned in satisfaction. “You’re going to be my wife.”
“But not today.”
“Today.”
When she opened her mouth to protest, Jace held up a finger.