A bit relieved, I nodded against his chest. “That works.”
“We’ll figure out rules that work for us as time goes on. We don’t need to have it all figured out right away. But we’re going to communicate and not do anything stupid.” It sounded like a pep talk he’d given himself already, which was so cute I wanted to smile.
“And if I’m a brat?” Might as well figure that part out right away so there were no surprises.
Roman’s voice deepened and had a rough, sexy edge to it. “I’m going to spank you and give you whateverattentionI think you need.”
That was interesting. “So you don’t have an issue with people realizing we’re not quite a traditional couple?”
Chuckling, Roman gave me a hug. “Baby, I don’t have a problem bending you over in front of your friends and giving that bottom a spanking if you need it. I think we need to talk aboutyourlimits and what you’re comfortable with, though.”
“Really?” I’d never been with a guy who was that open to what I wanted.
“Yes, I’m not sure how much you know, but my ex outed us online in a big way. I hadn’t hidden my sexuality from my family, but they didn’t know about any of the BDSM stuff or the photos I’d taken of him.” Roman’s voice still sounded bitter over the way his life had exploded, not that I could blame him. But having a better idea about what had happened, it was easier to understand how things had gone so wrong with us in the beginning.
I could feel the stiffness in his body, but his hands kept stroking my neck and down my back, so I just listened. “Well, my ex blasted our business from the rooftops, and all of a sudden my family kneweverything. So maybe it was baptism by fire, but I don’t have the fear of people finding out like I did before.”
As he turned the conversation around to us again, his voice lost some of the frustration I’d been able to hear before. “But I will not out you or push you beyond what you’re comfortable with. I understand that we’ll have differences of opinions on some of these things, and I’m not going to shove you out of the closet…BDSM or otherwise.”
Some people might have said I would be stupid to believe him after everything that he’d said before, but I could feel the honesty in his words. Looking up, I smiled. “Thank you. My family doesn’t know any of it. Sheltered upbringings and uber-conservative backgrounds made for a household that wasn’t exactly open-minded.”
He gave me an understanding look. “Is your plan that they don’t ever find out?”
Not exactly practical, but the idea sounded good. Sighing, I snuggled back into him. “I wish…I know that’s not realistic, though. At some point, I’m going to tell them. I’ve got a family here now and a great support system at work, so it’s not like I’ll be alone if they go postal on me. Hell, if it gets me out of visiting my mother so often, I might just come out for that reason alone.”
I could feel his chest rumble as he suppressed a laugh. “Were you really visiting family that often? I wasn’t sure if it was just an excuse to get away.”
“I would have loved to have been lying, but no, I’m honestly over there every couple of weeks.” And just saying that out loud made me feel like a mama’s boy who didn’t have a life. “She’s got to be delusional, because nobody with a regular job could take that much time off without being fired. It’s terrible, she keeps trying to fix me up with boring society women. She wants me to move home and help give her grandkids and keep up the image that she’s cultivated in her social circle.”
Roman went very still. “Kids?”
Laughing at the fear in his voice, I lifted my head and leaned in close to give him a kiss. “Don’t panic, you’re safe.”
He frowned, clearly not sure how to respond. “I don’t hate them.”
Still chuckling, I shook my head. “Well, I don’t want them. Is that an issue?”
He seemed to sag down in relief. “No.” Then he gave me a grin. “But now that you’ve planned out our future, can we get food?”
I wasn’t sure I liked the way that sounded. “I was not planning out our future.”
He shrugged carelessly but refused to agree. “Sounds like it to me. You were talking about your mother finding out and demanding I give you kids. That’s a future.”
That was not what I’d said. “You’re insane.”
He gave me a mock frown, but I could see the laughter in his eyes. “I’m not going to let you rush me into marriage. I’m going to take my time.”
“Nuts.”
I got a little smirk as he continued his teasing. “I think she’s going to love me and invite me to call her ‘Mom.’”
“Don’t hold your breath on that one. And you’re crazy.”
Laughing, he gave me a smacky kiss. “Then feed me.”
Sighing, I started to climb over him, the whole naked thing no longer an issue since he wasn’t going all psycho on me. “Come on…if it will shut you up.”
He palmed my ass, giving my cheeks a squeeze as I straddled his lap. “Probably not, but you can try.”
