"Stuff like what? "
"Illegal stuff. "
"I don't do anything illegal at all. I don't take stupid chances with my money. "
"You don't do anything illegal? What do you do? " Her fingers went to the collar of his shirt and started smoothing it.
"You promise you won't go all moral on me and run? " His voice was hard.
She nodded her head. "I'm listening. "
"I'm only going to say this once. I'm not going to apologize for any of it. This is Louisiana, babe. I have licenses for everything I do here. And in Louisiana, you can do a lot. You already know I have a liquor license for the bar. But I have a casino license, as well. It's a private operation, and I run it out of the back of the bar. It's high stakes gambling, and I do pretty well with it. " He raised his fingers to the baby-fine hair at her temple. "I can't believe you haven't been noticing what's going on. " He watched her looking so earnestly at him. "Scratch that. I can believe it. You're so damn innocent, you thought you were in a restaurant that first night. Jesus, babe. " His ran his fingers through her curls and continued. "I also have twenty game rooms across the state. All near the Texas border. I get the tourists who can't or won't gamble illegally there. I've got fifty eight-liners in each joint. You're smart. You do the math, babe. I've got a few other investments here and there, all legal. But that's the gist of it. "
She listened to his speech with equal parts relief and alarm. "You're rich. "
"I don't know about rich. But I can guarantee you that we won't need to use your debit card anytime soon. " He lifted her face for a kiss. She stopped him with another question.
"What about that guy you had beat up the first night we met? " Her voice was apprehensive.
"Jesus Christ, Jenny. What kind of shit has been going through that head of yours? " He laughed.
"You said on the phone that you had given him all the chances you were going to. "
"I fired a guy, babe. He had been stealing from one of the game rooms. " He kissed her temple and grinned. "Will you just ask me this stuff when you think of it instead of stewing over it? "
"Yes. I will. I promise. " The relief she felt was palpable. The realization that she could let herself love him was such a good feeling. She reached up and kissed him, long and tenderly. He kissed her back.
She rose up on her knees and straddled him. She began unbuttoning his shirt. He returned the favor. He looked at the row of buttons he was undoing. "Is this my shirt? "
"Yes. You left it here the other night. " She reached down and undid his fly. He helped her adjust their clothing.
"You look good in it. " He lifted her breast to his mouth. Lightning speared through her. She moaned. "Come sit down right here, babe. " He whispered at the same time he lifted her over him. She came down over him in one smooth movement. They groaned simultaneously.
She started rocking on him. Their mouths melded and he thrust his tongue inside. He reached up and kissed her temple. "Tell me now, babe. " He put his hands on her hips and helped her move.
"I'm yours. " Her words were soft.
"Yes. You're mine. Tell me. Say it. " He demanded.
"I belong to you. " She felt her inside muscles grasping him, holding him.
"Tell me, Jenny. " He jerked her hips up and down with the rhythm she set.
"I love you, Richard. " At her words, his body clenched and he hurdled over the edge to paradise. She thrust on him twice more and followed him over.
They held each other in silence for several moments. Then he lifted her face and gazed into her eyes. "I love you, too, Jenny. " The words were simple. The meaning was wonderful.
Six weeks later, Jenny heard his big car pull into the garage. She loved this time of day the best. He always came in, and walked straight to her. He grabbed her and held her every night. He whispered three things. "I love you. I need you. You belong to me. " And every night the meaning of the words became deeper and stronger than the night before.
These six weeks had been amazing. She had sold her house, and moved in with him. They had travelled to Houston together so he could meet the boys. It went better than she could ever have anticipated. And just last weekend, the boys had come here to visit. They loved the house, and she could tell they were happy that she was so content.
Her world was sheer bliss.
She heard his steps in the hall. Her eyes followed him as he walked across the room to her. He reached for her and wrapped her in his arms. "Jenny, I love you. I need you. You belong to me. " Her heart melted and she smiled into his eyes. "And I want you to wear this. "She watched in amazement as he lifted her left hand and slid a huge diamond solitaire on her finger. He lifted her face for his kiss.
She kissed him back and wrapped her arms around him.
"Jenny, say that you'll marry me. " His arms were tight and he held her safely.
Happiness and love filled her. "Yes, of course I will."
The End