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“You don’t think Anvil or Rachel told them? Juicy gossip or whatever?”

“There were hotter topics of conversation. Like that I was arrested by the FBI because of you.”

I wince, nodding my concession that that was more important.

Trick opens the guest room door for me.

Inside the room, I sit on the edge of the bed. “Why couldn’t you have just said that you were tired tonight too? Or something like that? When you said consequences, they obviously understood what you were implying.”

“When it comes to the things we do in bed or that I do to you as punishment, I’ll keep the specifics to myself. But worrying about what C or Anvil surmise from any little thing I say is not worth my time. If you’re worried about it, then police your own behavior so you never get spanked hard enough for them to figure out you’ve been punished.”

“But why do they know anything at all about what you do with women?”

“Because, for one, sometimes they were there.”

Leaning back, I stare at him wide-eyed. “You mean—what do you mean?”

“I mean what I said.”

“With other girlfriends—?”

“Not girlfriends. Let’s not talk about this right now.” He takes off his shirt.

I’m not sure if that’s meant as a distraction or if he’s just moving on with the night.

“I don’t want to have sex with you until we do talk about it.”

He laughs, and then turns his head to look at me. “Get undressed. Let’s go to bed.”

Standing, I glance at the bed. “How many guest rooms are there in this house?”

“Plenty.”

“Maybe I should use a different one.”

“You don’t want to play this game. You won’t win.”

“Because you’ll—how will you keep me from winning? Because you’re not punishing me for deciding to not have sex with you. That’s not acceptable.”

He frowns. “Don’t do it. Don’t put us in this stance with each other.” His grim tone gives me pause. He touches the base of his ring finger. “I’m gonna put a ring right here that means I’ll never let anything come between us. It means I’ll be there whenever and however you need me to be. Even if I have to threaten to kill my closest friend when he’s trying to protect me. You saw me pull a gun on C, right? I’m all in, so you’d better be too. Do not play petty games that could destroy us.”

My brows shoot up. “Destroy us? I don’t understand what you’re talking about right now.”

“You’re mine. You sleep in my bed. You have sex with me. You have my kids. That stuff is non-negotiable. Withholding sex from me as a form of leverage isn’t gonna be a thing. If you think you need to do that to your husband, don’t marry me.”

I arch a brow. “Having sex is non-negotiable?”

“There was no choice about whether or not you got my heart, Laurel. You took it and never gave it back. But the rest of what you get from me is up to me.”

“Is what I give to you up to me?”

“Not where sex is concerned.”

“Video games. Computer hacking. Hugo Boss suits. You seem so modern, but inside you’re like some sort of medieval warlord.”

He tips his head back and laughs.

I shove my hair over my shoulder. “I love you, but I really don’t know if I should sometimes. Seriously.”