She was right. Sometimes that thought bothered him. What if Kit kept coming with his absurd requests to make her leave? What if his brother forced him to choose between his f
amily and his woman all because of damned-ass stubbornness and foolish pride?
“You don’t agree?” she pressed.
He pecked the top her head, smoothing fallen bangs away from her brow. “What’s with the seriousness in your voice?”
A long silence passed. After a while, he peeled her arms away from him. “Holly?”
“What if I wanted some man to make an honest woman out of me?”
He planned to wring Kit’s neck for this. He’d given Holly too much to think about. Now, she was ready for holy matrimony.
Before Kemper could stop himself, he tipped the end of her nose with his forefinger. “What are you suggesting, baby?”
“I was thinking along the lines of marriage. With Kit out of the picture, why not?”
He rubbed his jaw, and after thoughtful consideration, he replied, “Holly, I think there may be a few things you need to know about me—and Kit—before you push for a more permanent relationship.”
She batted her eyelashes, propped her hands on his chest, and yawned, acting as if she didn’t have any interest in hearing one thing he had to say. “Well?”
“You know how we mentioned Domination and submission when you first moved in here?”
“Yeah, so?”
“So that’s what I’m looking for in a committed relationship. What I want for the rest of my life isn’t negotiable. When I finally settle down and it’s for real, the woman who goes to bed with me and stays there will need to accept the whole package.
“She will need to give me what I want, what I most desire. She’ll first search her heart and make sure she can live within the lifestyle, too. Otherwise, I’m not interested in a long-term commitment.”
“We’ve been together a year. Don’t you think you, or Kit, should’ve mentioned this before now?”
He shrugged. “You shot us down the first time we said anything at all about the lifestyle.”
“So you were what? Waiting for me to come around or looking for a better replacement, someone who would agree to whips and chains?” She took a deep breath. “I should be pissed over this. You know that, right?”
“You can’t be mad about something you were already aware of, and you knew what we liked, what we’d later expect.”
“Why do you think you need this?”
“It’s complicated.”
“No, it really isn’t,” she said flippantly. After they stared at one another for God only knew how long, she said, “All right. Here’s the deal. I’ll whip and spank you on Mondays. You can fuck me from behind on Tuesdays. I’ll wear a strap-on the rest of the time but on Sundays? Straight sex. No exceptions.”
“Do what?” he asked, arching a brow.
She grinned, her eyelashes batting a mile a minute.
“Don’t do that please,” Kemper said, his stomach churning. He saw where this was going, and he damn sure didn’t like it. “You always do that when you think you’re putting me in my place.”
“Kemper,” she said, sighing, “I told you when I moved here. I’m no man’s bitch. But, honey, if you want to be my little whore, I’ll spank that ass and slap your cock plumb silly.”
* * * *
“What’s wrong with you?” Kit asked, entering the dining room later that evening.
“Nothing,” Kemper replied, glaring at the clock on the wall.
“You look like you lost your inflatable doll or something.”