“I imagine that’s true,” she said. “I heard Holly screaming her blasted head off about an hour ago. She must’ve been under the impression that you really didn’t mean to lock her downstairs.”
He shrugged. “I’ll have a talk with her. Tell her to keep her voice down.”
“You do that. I’m sure she’ll listen,” Morgan said, thinking the defiant woman would really give her lungs a workout then. If Morgan had learned anything at all, it was how Holly responded to constructive criticism and their occasional requests.
Holly defied them at every turn, which was probably part of her appeal. Morgan believed her brothers had never faced bigger challenges than the ones Holly constructed on a daily basis.
Morgan stared at Kemper, her thoughts gathering quicker than she could convey them. “You know, Kemper, Holly may not be what you’re looking for in a submissive woman. This isn’t a lifestyle everyone easily adapts to and not everyone wants to accept the same practices.”
“Why did you?”
She grabbed hold of the top plank and swung backward. “You have to ask? I grew up watching you and Kit disappear in the basement with these beautiful, sexy women. I always imagined one day, some handsome man would sweep me off my feet, drag me down to that basement, and make mad and passionate love to me.”
“I don’t think I want to hear this,” Kemper grumbled.
“Maybe not but perhaps you need to listen to Holly. Part of being the ultimate Dom is being able to hear what your sub tells you. It’s not entirely about control, which is often the universal misconception.”
“I thought you didn’t like Holly.”
“I don’t have an opinion about her either way. She’s already judged me and that’s okay. I’m sure you’ve confided in her and I don’t fault you for that.”
Kemper frowned. “We don’t discuss you with Holly. We never have.”
“Maybe not, but she’s been here long enough to see the good times and bad. When she first arrived here, I was clean but only remained that way for a few days, if you’ll remember. A few weeks of sobriety and I had a setback. I’m sure it was ugly. I don’t remember much about it.”
“You’ve made one mistake since you’ve been home. There’s no reason to think you’ll have another relapse.”
“There’s no reason for you to believe another relapse will never occur, Kemper. That’s one thing I’ve learned. Every day of my life, I’ll have the craving. I’ll want the drug. Fortunately, I want love and happiness in my life more. My fellas won’t put up with a drug user and they love me enough to hold me accountable.”
Kemper patted her arm. “I think if you and Holly gave one another a chance, you’d get along.”
“I don’t know,” she said, shrugging. “Some folks aren’t supposed to be friends, but it won’t change
fate and I believe we’re destined to become sisters-in-law. If so, then who knows, maybe down the road we’ll find common ground.”
“I really don’t think she judges you.”
“I couldn’t care less either way. If I’ve learned anything through the healing process it’s this. Addiction is a disease no one understands unless they’ve been there and done that. Addicts are shunned. They’re ostracized by the world and often viewed as animals. Quite honestly, they’re treated even worse.
“I remember once you asked me to go into rehab. I never told you, but I wanted to go. Unfortunately, I had too many friends on the streets. Many of them tried various programs. They didn’t find sobriety in rehab, they found other addicts, better connections for locating their drugs.
“There at the end, I didn’t go because I was scared. I was a coward. I’m just lucky I had men like you and Kit for brothers, men like Blake and Grant for lovers.”
Kemper playfully covered his ears. “I told you I don’t want to hear about that.”
She laughed. “They’re your best friends. I’m sure they’ve mentioned me a time or two.”
“Sure they have,” he said, winking. “And Kit told them both if they ever mention doing the nasty with you, he’ll bar them from using our basement.”
“Then I guess they never breathe my name.”
“They must have some kind of time down there. I wouldn’t know. I don’t stand at the door with my ear pressed against the wooden panels.”
“You knew I did that?”
“Why do you think Kit and I stopped dating when you were a junior in high school?”
“I figured no woman wanted you. Lord knows, you’d tried enough of them. They always came and went. Holly is the only gal I can remember sticking around for longer than a week.”