‘Charles, where do you propose we put Pickles during this time? Because, while I am not opposed to sex with women, I am opposed to sex with her.’
Oh. Yeah. He had to deal with that issue.
‘I’ll talk to her in the morning. And then we can talk about the whole sex with a woman thing. You know it’s one of my favourite subjects.’ He grinned up at her and she sighed.
‘I’ll take a walk then, shall I? Or maybe I’ll go into town. We’re getting low on milk and bread.’ She stretched and he admired the long line of her body, the dips and curves of her.
‘Why don’t you stay? I want you to be there, I want to underline to her that you and I are together.’
‘Dix, I don’t want to be an underline.’ She sat, arranging the comforter around her legs but leaving her breasts bare. ‘I appreciate how much you’ve worked to make it clear to her that you and I are a couple. And I don’t blame you for this little stunt. But she knows we’re together. She knows I’m not a passing phase. She. Doesn’t. Care. She wants you back and she’ll do anything she can to drive us apart. It’s boring but true.’
‘Well, what do you suggest I do? If you would just move in with me, we’d have that to stand on.’
She froze. ‘What? I live two hours away from you, which means my job is two hours away. I don’t think I want to commute like that every day just to tell your ex something she already knows.’
‘We can move to Lancaster. We’ll get a house near enough to the station so you can commute and so can I. That’s an hour out for each one of us. I can work from home two days a week anyway. Don’t you want to be with me every night?’
She sighed. ‘Why are you bringing this up right now?’
‘Because it’s time and because you won’t marry me. I want something more from you, Kate.’
‘I won’t marry you right now and you know why. Anyway, what about the girls? Adrienne already hates me, if you and I move in together and she has to commute to school, or she loses the place she’s lived in for as long as she has, it’ll only make matters worse. It’s just two more years until they both graduate.’
He truly admired the way she thought of his kids. She didn’t push them out of the way, wanted him to keep his focus on being a good father. It was one of her best qualities. Still, it wasn’t insurmountable.
Sighing he pushed the hair from his eyes. ‘You and I are smart people who love each other. We can work this through somehow. They already spend most weekdays with Eve because of work and school. We can work this out. And Aid doesn’t hate you, she’s just getting to know you. Kendall likes you.’ Thank God for that. His oldest daughter had taken to Kate from the first time they’d met. Eve didn’t like that much but, so far, he couldn’t see that she’d interfered or criticised Kate to the girls. He had the feeling that was next on Eve’s list though and it ruffled his feathers. He shouldn’t have to tell Eve things like ‘Don’t badmouth my girlfriend to our daughters.’ He shouldn’t have to tell her lots of things, but Eve’s behaviour had only become more and more childlike and annoying the closer he and Katherine had become.
‘So what? You’d give up your weekdays with your daughters? Be a weekend dad? They adore you, Dix, and they should, you’re a great father. I am really not comfortable with having you spend less time with your daughters so we can live together. Even if they spend all that time with Pickles, they will blame me if you move. It’s only natural. I would too in their shoes.’
‘That is just an excuse to keep yourself away from me.’ He narrowed his gaze at her, moving towards her to take her again.
Until he heard Adrienne call his name from the bottom of the stairs. Kate raised that damned right eyebrow at him again and he snorted.
‘Go on. I need to shower anyway.’ On her way off the bed, she kissed him and he grabbed her, delivering a very thorough kiss instead of a quick peck. She got up and he admired how good she looked from the rear, her juicy, tight ass swaying as she walked.
‘This discussion isn’t over, darling Kate. There are solutions if you really want to find them,’ he called out as he pulled a pair of boxers and sweats on, following with a sweatshirt.
‘Yeah, yeah. Tell it to Pickles,’ she said before she shut the door on him.
2
LEATHER SLID THROUGH Brandon’s belt loops, one at a time, with a sound that sent a spiral of desire straight to Leah’s too-long-denied clit. Thwap. Thwap. Thwap. He gripped the belt’s buckle end in one of those big hands and yanked it free, finally, to dangle from his hand.
He was grinning, the bastard.
‘Look at this nice new belt.’ His voice dipped, husky-low.
Leah kept her chin high, expression neutral. ‘I see it.’
Brandon didn’t seem swayed by her lack of reaction. Looping the leather in his fists, he tugged it with another thwap that weakened her knees so much she had to grab the back of the nearby desk chair to keep her balance. Her pussy pulsed, her clit a tight, hard knot against the silk of her panties, but Leah was so not going there.
Not in Brandon’s parents’ basement with them doing God knew what just above. The house was quiet, but that didn’t mean they were asleep. And it was the rumpus room for fuck’s sake!
‘What a nice belt this is.’
God, he knew just how to tease her. Thwap went the leather in his hands and he tucked the end through the buckle to
