He’d forgotten why Chloe had referred to her family as the Avery Avalanche.  Now he remembered why.  My God, he’d always thought of his house as somewhat large, but it was no match for the amount of people that had filled it today.

Trenda and Zoe had decided that there needed to be a family reunion.  They had at least two hundred cupcakes, all said congratulations.  According to Zoe that fit everything they were celebrating.  Him out of the hospital, his and Chloe’s engagement, Chloe’s recovery, and Magnificent Twin Reunification.  The last part being the most important according to Zoe.  Zarek’s parents were beaming as they had their picture taken with Zarek and the six Avery girls. 

“Zarek, you’ve given me six daughters.  I can’t get any happier until you give me grandchildren,” his mother said.

Evie had somehow managed to make friends with everyone at Station 58, so he had the entire crew there.  Everyone from their captain Earl Stewart, Jax and his wife Skye, Lexi and Dane and of course Luke.  He couldn’t help but notice that Luke and Zoe were spending a lot of time out on the back patio together throwing the ball with Slayer.

The only hitch in the party was that Drake couldn’t be there, he was still in San Diego with his soon-to-be wife Karen, who was still on bedrest.  He called to say hello, and to threaten him to take good care of his baby sister. 

He turned to look at Chloe who was picking up red Solo cups.  He had a moment of déjà vu.  God, hadn’t she come a long way?

“Leave those.  We can finish the clean-up in the morning.  Your sisters did most of it already anyway.”

“But―”

“Seriously, it’s fine.”

She smiled and nodded.  She came over to him in the living room and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“I loved it when your mom and dad were in the middle of all of us.  It felt like we had parents.  Trenda cried when Bella called your dad Grandpa.”

“It was a great party, but I’m ready for something a little more intimate.  I’ve been home a week.”

“The doctor said ten days.”

“The doctor can kiss my happy ass.  If I can handle a party like this, I can handle making love to my fiancée.”

Chloe frowned.

“Come upstairs with me,” he coaxed.

He saw the moment she relented, and he tugged at her hand as he moved towards the stairs.

***

It was so stupid.  Chloe was nervous.  She wasn’t some naïve virgin.  But this would be the first time that she and Zarek made love.  She crossed the threshold to the bedroom they had been chastely sharing for the last four nights.  Come on Avery, you can do this.

“Chloe are you okay?”

Why could he always read her so easily?  That needed to stop.

She gave him one of her brightest smiles.  “I’m great.  How are you?”

“I’d be doing better if you’d tell me what’s bothering you.”

 “Nothing.  We’re wearing too many clothes.”  She reached up and started to unbutton his shirt.

“Hey, slow down.”

“No.  We’ve waited long enough,” she said through gritted teeth.  The fourth button was being stubborn.  He caught her hands.

“Shhhh.”  He brought her fingers to his mouth, and kissed the tips.  “I need to confess something.”

Chloe tried to get loose.  She needed to get them undressed, in bed, and this over with.  The second time would be good.  They just needed to get past this first time.

“Chloe, are you listening to me?”

“Huh?”

“I’m nervous.”

If he would just let go of her, she could move this show along.  Wait a moment.  What did he just say?  She looked up into his eyes. 

“What did you say?”

“We put off enough heat for a chemical fire, but I want this to be perfect for you, and I’m thinking I’ll do this wrong.”

Geez, every time the man got her on the couch, he’d gotten it right, and he was worried?  She was the one who needed to be worried.  He had all the perfect moves, but…

“I’ve only had good chemistry with you.  I’ve been damned by faint praise with others.  I want to get this right.”

Warm green eyes glowed down at her.

“Our chemistry is off the charts, this will be perfect.”  He cupped her cheek, and stroked his thumb over her lower lip.  She sucked it into her mouth.

He groaned.

“Fuck, and you worry that you might be bad at this.  How do I get you out of this dress?  All of these buttons are making me sweat.”

“There’s a hidden zipper.”  She showed him.

“Thank God.”  He helped her out of the dress.  She stood in front of him in a bra, panties and stockings.  She’d thought he might want to make love tonight, so she’d put on good underwear just in case.  The look on his face started to alleviate her fears, this could work.  In less than a millisecond, she was in his arms, and beneath him on the bed. 

“Shirt.  Off.” She demanded.

He kneeled up, and finished unbuttoning his shirt and peeled it off.  She’d seen him a couple of times without a shirt, but never when he was above her on a bed.  Her mouth went dry.  He was gorgeous.

“You’re gorgeous,” he said.  His fingers traced the tops of her breasts that curved above her lingerie.  Gently he divested her of the bra, then cupped her swollen flesh.  She cried out with pleasure.  His thumbs brushed back and forth against the tips and she arched into the caress.

“More.  Harder.”

Zarek gave her a wicked smile.

She reached up and grabbed his hair and pulled him down for a soul shattering kiss that left them both gasping. 

Finally, finally, she saw him naked.  She reached out and stroked his erect flesh, savoring his groan of pleasure. 

“You’re killing me Chloe.”

“Aren’t you going to undress me?”

“Are you kidding?  The stockings stay on.”

She laughed out loud.  And wasn’t that absolutely perfect?  Love and passion and laughter.

He pulled out of her grasp, and slid down her body, trailing kisses along the way.  When she felt his warm breath between her thighs all thought of laughter fled.

The first touch of his tongue had her coming off the bed.  His big hand rested on her tummy, keeping her under his control as he lavished pleasure on her delicate flesh.  Again and again he teased and tormented her, playing her body like a finely tuned instrument. 

When she finally whimpered, “Zarek, it’s too much,” he took her over. 

It was bliss, but it wasn’t enough, it wasn’t with him.

Once again she tugged at his hair.  His eyes lifted to hers, and they shone with love.

“Please,” she begged.  All of her worries were gone.  This was Zarek, the man who was going to be her husband.  It was going to be perfect.

He rose above her, holding her hips as he entered her, parting her flesh.  Nothing had ever felt more right.  Slowly he sank deeper.  Chloe sighed in wonder.  At last she was complete.

“Are you all right?”

It seemed as if his question had come from far away.  She kissed the side of his neck, and put her lips to his ear.

“I love you.”

“That’s not an answer.”

She surged up against him, starting the rhythm that would take them to the stars.  He took over, slow strokes that had her losing her mind.

“Harder,” she groaned.

Slow and steady turned to a pulsing beat that had her crying out in wonder.  Higher and higher they flew together, until they spun amongst the stars.

***

Chloe had pushed off most of the covers.  Zarek grinned.  It did his heart good to see that she was rarely cold anymore.  She’d only had one nightmare last week, but now that they were going to sleep together from now on, he hoped they would be a thing of the past.

He thought about the past, going back to that first day he had seen her with that stick ready to knock those two boys to kingdom come.  She’d always been a fighter.  Nothing had changed.  Could a man get any luckier than having a fighter by his side?

Zarek settled back down and pulled Chloe into his arms knowing he had everything he could ever wish for.

 

THE END