Winter shook her head, tears welling up.
“Pretty girl, I want to see your eyes when I make love to you.” His face came into her view. “I don’t give a fuck about those scars. Each of them shows how much you love me and Aisha. Even if I live a million years, I couldn’t match the courage and strength you have shown.”
Viper lowered his head to trace the still red scar where she’d had her C-section, tracing it down to where she’d had her hip surgery, and then touching the two scars from the attack the deputy had inflicted on her. Those wavy lines left from his boots had become pale.
Winter lowered her gaze to see tears glimmering in his eyes.
“I couldn’t touch another woman because she wouldn’t be you. You’re the only one who healed the hole in my heart left behind when Gavin died. You healed it with your touch. The only mark I care about on your body is the one you put on it—the tattoo over your heart. Every time I see my name on you, I know you’re mine. Every single fucking time.”
“Be careful. I might begin to think you’re not such a badass if you keep being so sweet.”
“I’ll remind you of that when I beat the hell out of Aisha’s first boyfriend.”
“Nah, you won’t, because it would break her heart. Your daughter has you wrapped around her finger.”
“Try me.” Viper did a hand movement that looked like chopping.
Winter laughed hard as she relaxed on the bed. “Just promise me that I can help.”
“Nope. I’m not making any more promises to you. I promised you not to touch another woman and to be nice to Greer.” Viper shuddered. “That is a testament to how much I love you.”
“We owe him for our child’s life. He wouldn’t let me buy him dinner the other day.”
“He wouldn’t let me buy him a beer at Rosie’s, either. He said we imagined it. The son of a bitch would sell his own kidney for a profit, but he denies helping Aisha.”
“Rachel said he can’t benefit from his gift. It can only be used for love.”
“Greer doesn’t have a loving bone in his body. It was probably a hallucination. Dr. Price said it was the shot of adrenaline that he had administered that restarted her heart.”
“You men can explain it any way you want. Rachel believes her ancestors used Greer’s gift to heal Aisha. I’ll never forget what he did for us, and when he gets on your nerves, I’ll remind you.”
“I’ll remind you when we see him at Ema’s birthday party. He’s invited most of the town to irritate Cash.”
Winter’s face grew serious. “We are so lucky. When I think of Megan… Her parents moved out of town when Dr. Price had her committed. The townspeople blame them for turning their backs on her, while everyone feels sorry for Curt because his wife tried to commit suicide.”
“He’s going to get what’s coming to him. That’s one promise I don’t mind making.”
“I have a secret to confess.” She raised her leg up, bracing her foot on the mattress as Viper brushed her clit with his knuckles.
“Really? What is it?” Viper’s seductive smile was playing havoc with her body. She had missed making love to her husband.
“I’m horny.”
“You are?” He raised his eyebrows. “How horny are you?”
“Horny enough that if you don’t quit playing with my pussy, I’m going to bury you next to Gavin.” She raised herself up on her elbows to give him a mock threatening look.
Viper slid between her thighs, gently working his cock into her.
Winter fell back on the pillows. “I told you I was horny, not comatose.”
“Not enough?”
Winter moaned, “Harder.”
Viper began pumping. “Better?”
“Yes,” she moaned. “I almost forgot how good it feels to have you inside me.”
“How good does it feel?”
“I would give it a four,” she teased.
“That’s it.” Viper sped up, driving higher inside of her.
“Maybe a five. I like the nipple thing you just did.”
Viper sucked on her other nipple, pressing it to the roof of his mouth
“A definite five.”
“What do I have to do to earn a perfect ten?”
Winter stopped moving, cupping his face in her hands. “Make me see stars, Viper. Make me see stars. You already gave me the moon.”
Epilogue
One
“Please, Daddy, I don’t wanna go.” Aisha cupped Viper’s cheeks, turning his head so he would look at her face.
Winter shot her a firm look as she opened the door of the elementary school. “Aisha, we have talked about this. You have to go to school. Do you want Mommy and Daddy to go to jail? You have to go to school.”
“Uncle Knox won’t arrest you. Daddy told me so,” she said innocently.
“Really?” Winter gave her husband a retaliatory look while he mimicked his daughter’s innocent expression.
“Did your daddy tell you that if you don’t go to school you will grow up ignorant?”
“What’s ig… ig… iggornt?”
Winter sighed. “Do you want to grow up to be like Uncle Greer?”