Page 26 of Devil in Disguise
Oh, boy. He said, “Well, being inside a woman’s pretty, ah …”
He was stuck. She said, “Oh. Because youareinside her.”
“Well, yeah. Can’t get much more of a thrill than that. And, yeah, there could be a little dominance aspect. To both things,” he somehow decided to throw out there, because apparently, he enjoyed walking through minefields.
She sighed. “So the strap-on dream’s still out.”
He laughed out loud, slapped her on the butt, and said, “Yep. Sorry. Hey, I’m a rancher. I know what the bull’s job is. But you’re always going to come first, I promise. That should count for something.”
She rubbed her whole face against him, now, like the kitten she looked like and almost never was. That was a thrill, too. Something about getting to have her in a way nobody else did. Another thought he’d be keeping to himself. She said, “Also, the spanking thing was hot. Not that you’d do it to control my decisions, because that’s a no,” she added, like he couldn’t have guessed that. “Just more …”
“Uh-huh,” he said. “Except that I don’t think I could do it if I wasn’t a little pissed off with you. Sorry. That’s part of the excitement.”
“Oh.” She considered that. “Still. Consent.”
“Yep,” he said. “Got it. Why I didn’t do it.” And yawned. Were they about done here?
“Plus, you won anyway,” she said. “You were right. Want to print that out in big letters and hang it on your wall? I was sort of—pushing back. Which is stupid. If you’re not in charge of me, why do I have to push back?”
He sighed. You could say it came all the way from his heart. “So does that mean a helmet?”
“Yes. I’ll wear it. Your point about non-fatal injuries is why,” she hurried to add. “Not because of the spanking thing and all. I do need my head clear, though.”
“Yep. If you’re going to keep me on my toes, you do.”
“So.” She wriggled up again, kissed his mouth, smiled into his eyes, and said, “Is this the part where I get to say that I’m not going to kiss anybody else, no matter how many devastatingly attractive engineering students I encounter? And where you tell me that you’re going to resist all those hot girls in all those bars that I’d never know about anyway?”
He had to close his eyes a second, because he was getting the things he wanted to hear, and he was finally going to say the things he needed to. “Yeah. I’d say this is exactly that part.”
“I don’t necessarily believe in monogamy,” she had to inform him next. “It’s not really how we evolved, right? I mean, polygyny probably makes more logical sense. Lots of sperm, not so many eggs, spreading the seed, et cetera. Anyway, fewer than a third of primate species are monogamous, and humans aren’t one of them. Poly relationships are a thing, and separating sexual intimacy from emotional intimacy, and so forth. Or just serial monogamy. I get it. I always thought it made sense. Hard not to. The women in my family have mostly been on their own. Except that I don’t feel that way. Atall.”
He smiled. “Don’t sound so disappointed. Maybe we don’t have to be that modern.”
“You’ve probably slept around a bunch,” she had to say now. “So you’d know if it was better, I guess. So is it? I mean, do you just practice serial monogamy because you have to, or the woman would leave you? Ordoyou practice it? Is there some sort of unwritten NFL rule about that, that you know and I don’t? Because you sleeping with somebody else isn’t OK with me, somehow, even though I can’t quite perform the way my parts are supposed to, and anyway, sexual jealousy leads to male guarding behavior, which is an evolutionary throwback and negative in every way. Also, it feels like it could lead tofemaleguarding behavior. Huh. But would you rather?”
He blew out a breath. “Something else you don’t know. Men usually get sleepy after sex. Maybe you cuddle a little, but really, you just want to go to sleep. Could I at least have a beer or something if I’m going to answer this, plus whatever horrifying thing you come up with next?”
She flung out an arm. “Be my guest. Oh, wait. It’s your house. Beyourguest. But—huh. See,I’mall charged up.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I noticed.”
* * *
When he came back,he had a beer. He also had a bottled iced tea.
“Wow,” she said, when he handed it to her. “My favorite.”
“Yep. Been keeping it on hand just in case.” He pulled back the covers, which they’d somehow never done. “Want to get in here with me? Another news flash for you: the woman’s the one who’s supposed to want to snuggle, not clean the house or run a marathon or whatever you’re gearing up for here.”
“Be simply yourself and don't compare or compete,” she told him. “The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. I am a unique individual.”
“You sure are.” He was back to looking like Owen again, though. Relaxed. Calm. The kind of strength you could lean up against. “Guessing you still want answers, too.” He took a pull of his beer and kept on looking relaxed, though, so he couldn’t objecttoomuch.
“Well, yeah,” she said. “Open and honest communication is the only path to intimacy.”
Some more smile from him. “Now, see, I’d say that giving each other rockin’ oral sex is a pretty good path to intimacy, too. Of course, I’m not an expert, but …”
“Owen. Come on. Tell me.”
