“What? What do you mean?” she asked as he pulled up in front of a pretty brick house. It was simple, but well taken care of. And there was a large, fenced-in yard. “Where are we?”
“At our new place.”
“Our . . . what?”
“Our new home. I’ve rented it.”
“You are going to live here?” She turned to him in shock.
“No, Bébé,” he told her.
Oh. Had she gotten that wrong?
What an idiot.
“Weare going to live here,” he told her firmly.
“We?” she whispered. “But I have my house.”
He undid both of their belts and then grasped hold of her chin, turning her face to his. “You’re not moving back into your house. We’ll get the insurance, fix it up, and sell it. This house is temporary while we find a house for us together. But I’m not living apart from you. Understand?”
“Yes.”
“I’m not asking, I’m telling. You’re mine. I’m yours. We live together. End of story.”
“In case you didn’t realize it, I’m not arguing,” she told him.
“Good. Because you wouldn’t win.”
She had to roll her eyes at him.
“And just to make things really clear before we go in there. You are my woman. I rented that place. That means I pay for the rent. I pay for the utilities. I pay for the insurance. I pay for the gas that goes in both of our cars and all of the upkeep of those vehicles. You, as my woman, pay for none of that.”
“But . . . but . . .” she spluttered over her words. “I need to help pay for some of it. Once I get a job, that is.”
“Are you my woman?” he asked.
“Yes, you know I am, but?—”
“No buts. That’s what is happening. Once you get a job, you can pay for things you need like clothes.”
She frowned at him. “I’ll pay for food, anything relating to the animals, and the gas and upkeep for my own car.” Lord knew she couldn’t afford any costs relating to his car.
“You can buy extra food when and if it’s needed. But I’ll pay for the main grocery shop.”
“This is . . . relationships don’t work like this.”
“Ours does,” he said simply. “I take care of my woman. And her animals, although we can split the bills for the animals.”
“How magnanimous of you,” she said dryly.
“I could change my mind and pay for everything relating to the animals.”
“No, no, no! No more. It’s just . . . this is very caveman of you.”
“It is, isn’t it?” he mused. “Strange, I never thought I’d be like this in a relationship.”
“What? Bossy and arrogant?”
