Page 40 of August

What a fucking way to go.

With every ounce of self-control he possessed, he held back from coming until she exploded around him with a sharp cry. As her back bowed, and the sound of fabric tearing filled the air, he let himself go into his own pleasure, fucking her fast through the sheer bliss, making his skin tingle and his vision blur.

He roared, his gorilla riding under the surface and pulsing against his skin.

Letting go of the bruising hold on her hip, he planted his fist next to her head and leaned down for a kiss. They were both panting hard.

She cupped his face tenderly and gave him a sweet, soft smile.

“August, I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you too, Ginny,” he said.

They kissed again, tongues tangling, and then he dropped to the mattress next to her with a gusty groan.

She settled her hands over his as he rested one on her belly. His mind immediately strayed to the conversation they’d had earlier about having kids. Neither of them were using birth control, and it had been a choice they made the first time they made love. She could’ve become pregnant that first time, and already be carrying his child.

He didn’t care when it happened, he was excited to start a family with her. Especially since she didn’t have a family anymore.

“I was just thinking,” she said with a rough voice. “That I don’t think we’ll make it back to the security office within our hour dinner break.”

He grinned and snuggled a little closer to her. “I think they’re surprised we go back to work at all after dinner. Being newly mated makes it hard as hell to leave the house.”

She yawned and murmured, “Yeah it is.”

“Do you want to just rest?” he asked.

She shook her head and yawned again, and then her breathing evened out and she relaxed fully, her head tilting to the side as her eyes drifted shut.

Well, they wouldn’t be going back to work for a while.

He’d let her sleep.

Then they could look through the footage when she was rested.

She’d been through so much lately and should rest when she needed. They were safe in the private living area no matter what might happen topside. No one could get to them, and he’d be damned sure to keep her safe no matter what anyway.

He sent a quick text to Justus to let him know she’d fallen asleep and they’d check out the footage when they were able to, and then he snuggled back up to her and closed his eyes, following her swiftly to sleep.

Neither of them had woken up until the morning. August hadn’t thought he was that exhausted, but he clearly was.

They were eating breakfast in the marketplace while Ginny watched the video of the gates from the time they went to dinner until the park closed on a tablet.

Her fork dropped, clattering to the plate. She pressed the screen to pause the video and backtracked. Her head lowered and she stared intently.

“Sweetheart?”

“I…I must be seeing things.” She rewound the footage again and watched it. Then a third time. “My mind’s playing tricks on me.”

“What do you think you see?” he asked.

She turned the tablet toward him and pointed to a person in the crowd entering just around the time they left the security office. He was wearing a baseball cap pulled low on his head and non-descript dark clothing.

“What about him?” he asked. “The footage is too grainy blown up to make out any facial features.”

“I don’t know,” she said. She sat back and rubbed her eyes. “My jackal is telling me it’s my brother, but he’s dead so it can’t be.”

“What makes you think it’s him?”