Page 73 of The Dom with the Clever Tongue

Something rubbed up against her bare calf. Scarlet leaned in, her eyes half-hooded. “But thinking about it, anticipating it, is the best part.”

She kicked Scarlet’s foot away from her leg. “Not for me!”

Scarlet merely grinned. Bitch. She tried to think of another topic change then her text alert went off and she exhaled in relief. She pulled her phone out of her bag and frowned at the message.

“What is it?” Scarlet asked.

“My brother.”

“Oh! That’s right. It’s your dad’s birthday soon, isn’t it?”

She nodded then put the phone away.

“Are they having a party?”

“Just a dinner with my brother and his family.” Max and his wife had an infant son that Reece adored. She wished she could see them more often but...

“Am I ever going to get to meet them?” Scarlet asked, for the millionth time in the past few months. It was only fair to inquire. Reece had been putting it off for a long time.

“It’s complicated.”

Scarlet sighed loudly then sat back in her seat. “You always say that.”

Because it was! Ever since her mother had run off when she and her brother were young, her dad had been their sole parent. The fact that she was in the fashion industry was hard for him to understand. She’d always felt guilty she didn’t turn out the way he wanted. Not that he ever said so, but he was a fisherman – her brother was a fisherman. Maybe he hadn’t expected that of her but fashion... It was so out of the blue, she always wondered if she’d disappointed him.

Though he’d struggled to make enough money to support them, he always made up for it with emotional support and love. Her childhood hadn’t been sunshine and daisies, but there were still goodnight kisses and lots of laughter.

About six months ago, she told her dad and her brother that she was in a loving relationship with a woman. They weren’t prejudiced people, not on purpose anyway, but they didn’t have a lot of exposure to the LGBTQ community. Even though they both accepted her and loved her, they’d been awkward about it. After she’d told them, an uncomfortable silence had ensued and she regretted it immediately. Why put them through that again by flaunting Scarlet in front of them?

“You can’t hide me forever,” Scarlet said. “Or is that your plan? We talk about marriage all the time. Are you just blowing smoke up my ass or are you serious about it?”

Reece snapped her gaze to Scarlet. “What?”

“What are you going to do? Not invite them to the wedding? If we have kids, are you going to bring their grandkids to the house secretly without me?” Tears formed in her eyes but she blinked them back.

Crap. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Scarlet, but she didn’t want to hurt her family either.

“You told me they accepted that you’re bi,” Scarlet accused.

“They do. But...” She squirmed in her seat, feeling a little like this was turning into an interrogation. “It makes them uncomfortable. They don’t know what to say or how to act...”

“So you’re protecting them?”

“Yes. Exactly.”

Scarlet rolled her eyes. “They’re grown-ups, Reece. If you can’t trust them to handle this, you must not think very highly of them.”

But it’s complicated!she wanted to shout.

“When you told them about me –” Scarlet leaned across the table and grabbed her hand. “– they didn’t get angry, they didn’t turn you away. I know you think they feel awkward about the whole thing, but how are they going to get comfortable with it if you don’t give them the chance? You’re not being fair to me or to them.”

She had a point but was she really ready to do this?

Scarlet gave her hand a squeeze. “Or is this more aboutyoufeeling uncomfortable?”

“What?” Reece looked up at her girlfriend.

Her forehead creased. “Are you ashamed of me?” Hurt tinged her tone.

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