Ultimate Fear (Book 2 Ultimate CORE) (CORE Series) (55 page)

She nodded and remembered what she’d told Heather that night at the hospital. While she wouldn’t personally have the sheer satisfaction of knowing Heather would be stuck in a twelve by seven foot cell, twenty-three hours a day for many years to come, she was glad it’d finally be over. “I should call Chloe and let her know.” She and Chloe had kept in contact since the girl had moved back to Ohio with her son and parents. True to her word, Chloe had gone through drug rehab and had stayed clean. Her son, Kaden, was doing equally well. She glanced at the refrigerator where his picture hung. The chubby baby had rolls she’d love to squeeze, along with an adorable grin and Chloe’s hazel eyes.

“Call her later.” He kissed her cheek. “I’ve been gone all week and need time with my wife.”

She slid off his lap. “Then let’s go upstairs,” she suggested, grabbing the color swatches from the table.

“Picking out paint colors wasn’t what I had in mind,” he said, rubbing her rear as she walked up the steps.

“It’ll only take a minute. The paint store is open for a couple more hours. If we decide on a color today, I can go back out and pick up a gallon this evening. We can get started first thing tomorrow morning.”

“The room doesn’t
have
to be painted this weekend. It’s not like we don’t have plenty of time.”

“I know that.” She handed him the swatches. “I’m just excited.”

He gave her another kiss. “Me, too,” he said, then held the samples against the wall.

“At the store, I thought I’d like the royal blue.” She studied the colors. “Now I’m leaning toward the robin’s egg blue. I think that would look nice with chocolate brown.”

“We have the brown in both our room and Sophia’s.”

“As an accent, which this would be. I also think using the same color will give the upstairs a nice flow.” She took the paint swatches from him. “Or, if you want to change it up, we could go with this shade.”

“Dog puke brown?” He shook his head. “No thanks. I think you’re right, we’ll stick with the chocolate.”

“Aren’t I always right?” she asked as she left the room, then went into Sophia’s room to see how the blue worked with the lilac walls.

He came up behind her, then placed his big hands on her slightly rounded stomach. “Not always. As a matter of fact, you still haven’t paid up on the bet you lost.”

They’d bet on the sex of their baby just before last week’s ultrasound. “You’ve been out of town,” she reminded him.

“I’m home now,” he murmured, then dragged his lips along the side of her neck.

Goose bumps rose along her arms. “I think I’ll pay up after the baby’s born. The ultrasound could be wrong.”

“No way. There’s no denying we’re having a boy.”

She rested her palms on his hands and leaned against his chest. “I still can’t believe that in four months we’re going to have a baby.” They’d had such a hard time trying for Sophia, they didn’t think they’d ever be pregnant again, and hadn’t bothered using protection. Apparently, God had His own plans. She had a few of her own, too. After the baby was born, she planned to quit her job to stay at home. She’d lost so many years with Sophia, she had no intention of missing out on a single moment with their son.

“See what happens when a house has good
feng shui
?”

She grinned. “Right. Our being pregnant has nothing to do with the amount of sex we have.”

He nipped her earlobe. “That might’ve helped.”

“You think?” she asked, and with her mind on the future, she swiveled in his arms. “What are we going to tell our son about Sophia?”

A touch of sadness softened his eyes. “When he’s old enough, the truth.”

Keeping an arm around his waist, she turned and glanced around the bedroom. “I want him to know all about his sister. I don’t want her to be a secret or anyone to be afraid to say her name.” Least of all, her. Thanks to Dante, she’d learned to celebrate her daughter’s life and embrace the memories.

“Then we need to make sure we set that example and keep her spirit alive.”

“And her room?” she asked.

“As long as we live here, it’ll always be Sophia’s.”

She smiled and rested her head against his chest. “It’s a perfect room for a little girl.” She thought about Chloe, and how her dad had joked about how his daughter’s tastes in décor had changed since she was fifteen. “If she’s still not home, I think in a few years we should redo her room again. A ten-year-old might think this room is too babyish.”

He hugged her close and kissed the top of her head. “I love that idea. No matter how old she is, when Sophia comes home, we’ll make sure the room is ready for her.”

When, not if.

“We’re really full of brilliant ideas today,” she said. “Got any others?”

He steered her out of Sophia’s room, leaving the door open behind them. They’d both agreed that the closed-door policy she’d enacted after Sophia had been abducted was no longer in effect. There was no reason for either of them to hide from the truth, from their memories and even from the pain of their loss. With or without children, they were a family. They were husband and wife. They were best friends and lovers. And she thanked God and the Universe every day for Dante and for second chances.

“I have a few in mind,” he said, leading her into their bedroom.

“Really? And do any of these ideas involve discussing turning the basement into a rec room, or where we’re going to hang my latest painting?”

He slid his hand under her shirt and inched it up her waist. “Nope. I think it’s time you own up on that bet we made.”

Desire curled in her belly. “Do I really have to give you a massage?” she asked, loving that she’d lost the bet. She could spend hours touching his body.

“No. I’m the one who gets to give you the massage.”

“But I lost the bet.” When they’d wagered the sex of the baby, she’d told him that if she won, she would expect a full body massage. He’d settled on the bet, saying he wanted the same thing if he won.

He tossed her shirt on the floor. “And I agreed to the
exact
wager,” he said, unhooking her bra.

She pulled his t-shirt over his head. “That means, either way, I win. That doesn’t seem fair.”

He slipped her yoga pants and underwear over her hips, then scooped her in his arms and lay her on the bed. “I get to rub my hands all over my wife’s body for as long as I want.” He pressed his erection against her thigh. “I’d definitely say I won.”

She ran a hand through his thick hair, then forced his mouth closer to hers. “Definitely,” she said, then kissed him with the love and passion only her husband could arouse. And as he returned the kiss, rubbing his rough hands over her body, she knew in her heart, that no matter what happened in the future, good or bad, as long as Dante was by her side, her life was complete.

THE END

* * *

Look for Lola’s story December 2014…

Ultimate Prey

Book Three of the Ultimate CORE Trilogy

Other CORE Titles Available by Kristine Mason

Ultimate Kill

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When the past collides with the present, the only way to ensure the future lies in the ultimate kill…

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Innocent people are dying. With their deaths, Naomi’s secrets are revealed and the truth is thrust into the open. All but one. Naomi’s not sure if Jake can handle a truth that will change their lives. But she is certain of one thing—the only way to stop the killer before he takes more lives is to make herself his next victim.

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What happens when negligent plastic surgeons receive a taste of their own medicine…?

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