Page 130 of The Fire We Crave

“Does he?”

I grin. “His camera stores data for only five days. But it was enough of a threat to get you your permits without us having a single drawing of what we intend to do.”

She steps up onto the steel toes of my boots and kisses me. “I should be mad about how you got them.”

I pull her tight to my body. “But are you?”

“Not one bit. It doesn’t feel like enough, but thank you.”

“On that note,” Ember says, “I’ll take Bones, if it’s okay with you. That way, he doesn’t get stressed out by all the noise, and I get to spoil him at my place for a little while.”

Quinn reaches into the pocket of her dress and pulls out the key to toss it to her. “Thank you.”

Ember grins. “No worries. I’m gonna use Bones to convince Atom we should get a couple of puppies of our own.”

“There’s just one more thing,” I say, leading Quinn to my bike. “Those books you like, you’re always talking about the grand gesture, right?”

“Girls do like ‘em.”

I reach into my pannier. “In that case…”

My brothers whoop and holler and cheer as I pull out the black leather cut I had to get specially ordered, seeing she’s so fucking tiny.

“Quinn, will you be my old lady? Will you be my property to fucking cherish and protect and love for the rest of our lives? I want to build a life with you, sugar. One where we focus on our homes. On our lives, Quinn. Where we seize every fucking day. Squeeze every single bit of life out of it like you do the lemons when you bake.”

Ourhome.Ourlives.

The word settles nicely in my chest.

Ours.

“I won’t ever leave you unprotected, Quinn. Or leave you wondering where I am. And I promise to fuck you dirty and make love to you slowly as often as you let me.”

My brothers chuckle at that.

Her smile is utterly lovely. “Yes, Smoke, I trust you to do all the things you just said. I promise to create a home with you, to love you, and to let youbeyou.”

I rub my thumb along her lower lip. “Love it when you talk dirty to me.”

She playfully slaps my chest. “There’s nothing dirty about saying I trust you.”

I grin. “There is if your mind goes to all the places mine does when you mention trust.”

Stepping up onto her toes, she pulls me down to her, so her lips are by my ear. Her words are for me alone. “Okay, yes, Smoke. I trust you to fuck me dirty and make love to me often. And I promise to worship your cock and thank it for its service.”

“Fuck, Quinn,” I say, adjusting my cock. “Can’t be saying shit to me like that.”

She laughs, and glances around at the stairs up to the apartment, at me standing before her. “Is it all really that simple, Ronan?”

I’m sure my face softens at the use of my real name. “Yeah. I love you, Quinn. And it really is as simple as that.”

EPILOGUE

BUTCHER

It should be a happy evening.

Earlier today, Smoke made Quinn his old lady. And after a hard day working on their apartment over the bakery, we’re all cleaned up and back at the clubhouse to celebrate.

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