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I walk around the desk, looking down on her, face-to-face "Now let’s try this again Ask ht there on your lips--you can taste the ask"

And Lenora doesn’t disappoint

"Did you lie totowith each word "Did you meet her? Did you kiss her? Did she touch you?" She shoves me with her hands "Did you fuck her?" And beats at rab her wrists, trapping therowls out ofteeth "You think I’d do that to you? That I’d obliterate my vows, betray our childhurt you that way? Is that who you think I arip her chin, forcing her eyes to mine

"Look at me If that’s the kind ofall theselike two broken diamonds Her led words come out

"I don’t think you’re that kind ofback

She looks down at the photos and one by one, tears fall down her cheeks "But she’s very beautiful And I’m--"

"You are beautiful" I take her face in bothher tears aith my thumbs "Christ, you are all I see Don’t you know that? Even when you’re not with meyou’re all I can see"

Her face crumbles, collapses into a sob And I pull her into ainst my chest

"I do, I do know that," she cries "I’ her

Her hands twist in my shirt "I’ I’m so tired and there’s just so much

"I know, I know"

So ht, soand always

"And I feel like I’ my mind I--"

I tilt her head and cover her mouth with

"It’s all right It’s all right, now" I soothe her

And I kiss her again and again until she settles My lips trail over her face, sing her tears and drinking her pain I stroke her tongue withher nipples, coaxing moans from deep inside her

I take her to the bed and strip her slowly I drag my mouth, my hands, over every inch of her tender flesh, until she writhes, and nothing exists in the world except what I’ to her Between kisses and irl,

Because she is

We lie on our sides, chest to back, and I entle, smooth thrusts from behind Lenora reaches back forive her more

And I do Christ, I do

I slideher shoulders, rocking up into her, until the pleasure ripples through us and we co cry and roan

I watch Lenora as she sleeps, withlife inside her--the life we ether Her sweet lips part and her breath shudders in a hiccup, re me of the pain that pulled her under earlier I throw the covers back, slip on ly Then I walk through the halls, down to the guard’s quarters

When I step inside, the men scurry up froo only to one man