“And risk losing the right to have my brother with me? No. Besides, I’ve had enough of ER visits and making up stories about ‘mysterious’ injuries to last a lifetime.”
Her words were murmured so quietly, Joseph knew she was talking more to herself than to him. Grinnie had given him a clue about Bunny’s less than ideal childhood the first time they’d met. Knowing she would explain in her own time, he let the comment slide.
“No one questioned why you suddenly had a twelve-year-old living with you?”
“Given the family resemblance, it was obvious he was my brother. My employer let me work around Tristan’s school schedule, and we stayed in San Antonio. My dad sent me the paperwork to authorize me as Tristan’s guardian, and after that, we only had contact with my mother’s mother, Grinnie, who lived in Divine. She’s old friends with Thorne Grogan and told him about her granddaughter and what I was doing, including that I was caring for my brother. He contacted me, to let me know Grogan Home Theater and Communications was always looking for contractors to supplement his workforce and extended a friendly hand to me. A year later we moved to Divine.”
“And your family? Your father?”
“Grinnie and Tristan are my family. My father and all the rest are out of the picture. I don’t have any contact with them. We moved in with Grinnie. She lived on a shoestring budget, and I promised her I’d get us on better footing. The neighborhood was a step down from what we’d come from, but I loved watching the way Tristan filled out, and he started smiling and talking more. He still gets anxious sometimes, usually when I’m upset, but between the three of us, we’re family enough.”
“And a wonderful family it is.”
“I ruined your scene with all my talking, didn’t I?” she asked softly, feeling regret for yapping so much. “I’m supposed to be concentrating on what you’re doing, right? Taking it in? Feeling the burn?”
Joseph chuckled and laid a hand on her ass cheek. “Bunny, I can’t even begin to express the many ways you haven’t ruined the scene. I’m not sure what you were expecting, but you submitted in exactly the manner I wanted you to.” Her flesh under his hand began to radiate such heat that she hissed.
He leaned down to her and brushed her cheek. “Open your eyes. Warm?”
“Very.”
He stroked the damp spot under her cheek. “You soaked my bedspread. How do you feel?”
“Like I’m pancaked beneath a super warm blanket. This spread is so silky and soft.”
He chuckled. “Just wait. So you dyed your hair red.”
“My father had remarried a woman who was also a pale blonde. Evidently the gene was a prevalent one in Roberta’s family because all of us had pale blond hair. I wanted to erase that about myself. Tristan wanted to as well, but I told him I couldn’t afford to do us both, and besides, I love his blond hair…on him. He was easy to convince after he saw how much time he’d have to sit still for the treatment.”
“Answer me honestly,” he said as he laid the blue flogger aside. “Do you think I was judging you for where you live when I suggested you shouldn’t be living in that house or neighborhood?”
Honesty. “Maybe, in the beginning. I know you better now. And I know it’s not the nicest part of town.”
He caressed her cheek. “Let me do something about it.”
She closed her eyes again and shook her head, reluctant to see the consternation she heard in his voice. “You’re such a caring person, Joseph. You want to ride to everyone’s rescue, but you’ll see. It’ll be fine.”
He frowned, but she reached up and placed her finger over his lips before he could say more.
“Sir, you bring out the submissive in me, and I want to please you. But I like taking responsibility for my family. I’ll be all right.”
The furrow between his brows grew more pronounced, and his hands and arms said more than words could as he tugged at the quick release knots, pulled her with him to the head of the bed, and cuddled with her against the pillows.
She kissed his chest. “And don’t try to tell me you’d rather listen to my pathetic story instead of having your kinky, sadistic way with me.”
He chuckled, but his eyes still reflected his troubled emotions, and he hugged her to him, reached down, and squeezed her ass cheek hard. She squealed as the heat grew and swelled into a throbbing ache.
“Who says I haven’t had my kinky, sadistic way with you? Just wait until I turn you onto your back and fuck you into this bedspread on your freshly flogged backside. You won’t think it’s so silky-soft when we’re done.”