Alone in the bathroom, with water cascading down my body, I finally let go and tears flow down my cheeks. I cry for the men, women, and children who lost their lives in such a senseless way. I cry for the family and friends who’ll be haunted as they imagine their loved ones’ final moments.
The events of the day replay in my mind. We recorded a total of a hundred people. All gone. I see their faces and bodies.
From a distance, I hear a door opening but I’m too immersed in grief to pay any mind to it. Then the shower cubicle door slides open and then shuts. I smell Lexi’s scent. Her soft hands go around my waist and her warm body presses against my back. I turn around and hold her, taking comfort from her nearness.
“It’s okay,” she says over and over again until her words penetrate my brain and the grief begins to recede. “Do you want to talk about it?”
I smile at her. “I’m okay now.” I can’t lay that on her. Describing what I witnessed would be transferring the horror from myself to her and that would not be fair. I’m trained for it and she isn’t. “It’s enough that you’re here.”
I become aware of her nipples pressed against my chest and a surge of desire goes through me. I drop my hands to cup her curvy ass and angle my mouth over hers to kiss her. And at that moment, my anguish disappears as I lose myself in the sweetness of her body.
“Take me, Ace,” she murmurs moments later, instinctively knowing how much I need to forget. She turns around and lays her palms flat against the wall. I spread her ass cheeks and then I slide the tip of my cock along the crack of her ass.
She moans loudly as I tease her with my cock. “Please.” She wants it as badly as I do.
I enter her slowly, pushing all the way in. She pushes her curvy ass against me until am buried to the hilt.
I grip her hips, holding her in place and when I find my rhythm, I close my eyes and revel in the sweet escape in the depths of Lexi’s warmth.
I can’t last, not when her pussy is clenching tightly against my cock, creating the sweetest sensations. Lexi lets out cries of ecstasy which quickly become whimpers. I snake my hand around her, between her legs and play with her clit. That’s the final nudge she needs to come.
Her pussy clenches and her body grows limp. I hold her up and continue thrusting into her as I come into her with such force that my body shudders. When I’m emptied out, I lift Lexi up gently, move her under the shower, and gently wash her.
After showering, we dry off and go to bed. Lexi lies on my chest and soon sounds of gentle breathing come from her. The moon casts silver beams across the bed and in the semi-darkness, I look down at Lexi. I smooth her hair away from her face.
How did I get so lucky to have Lexi in my life? She’s beautiful and strong and smart. The images in my head are gone, replaced by a renewed appreciation for my life. Lexi and Luna have painted my world.
As my eyelids grow heavy with sleep, I’m not tormented by images from the past. And when I fall asleep, when I wake up, it’s morning. My body and mind feel rested after a full night’s sleep.
Chapter 29
Lexi
My heart is full of sorrow as I listen to Firefighter Hudson Turner's nephew read a tribute. The teenager says what an awesome Uncle Turner was and how much he loved playing soccer with him.
Tribute after tribute is read and at the end of it, I feel as if I had known him. His wife is the last person to speak. She stands at the front holding the hands of her two girls, who are about eight and six years old. She glances at his gleaming red helmet laying at the top of the casket, in disbelief as if she can’t quite understand how they got to that point. Partners of firefighters know on a conscious level that they could lose their loved ones any day, but the reality is a different matter.
Her voice breaks as she tells us what a wonderful husband and father he was. By the time she finishes, tears are streaming down my face. Ace takes my right hand into his and squeezes it.
It could easily have been Ace who lost his life in that fire. It could be him some point down the line. Four fighters lost their lives on the day of the fire and there are several more hospitalized.
I know a firefighter’s job is risky but today, it really hits home for me. Ace's job is dangerous. He could leave for work one day and simply never come home again. The trembling comes when we're in the car on the way to the gravesite. We follow a procession led by fire trucks and police cars. The streets are lined with men and women, standing with their right hands on their chests as a mark of respect to a man who has given his life to his country. Tears fill my eyes again at the outpouring of love and respect for Fire Fighter Hudson Turner.