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She took his hand and threaded her fingers through his. “Ken, call your lawyer and have him draw up the papers. It’s time. Neither of us needs to hide behind the smokescreen anymore.”
Life was a series of changes. Beck knew that, just like he knew she was right. Besides, even when Gloria was no longer his wife, they’d stay close, talk often…be friends. “All right.”
“It makes sense. Our lives have been going in different directions for years. I have Buddy. And you have Heavenly.”
Not yet, but he hoped so soon. That meant he had to divorce Gloria. Having two wives was out of the question.
“I’ll call next week and tell him to give you half of my—”
“I don’t want your money,” she snapped. “I have more lucrative investments than I’ll ever need. All I want is for you to be happy. If Heavenly can help with that, then sweep that little virgin off her feet and march her down the aisle.”
The image of her walking toward him in a flowing white gown, a huge smile spreading across her face as her eyes misted with joy bombarded his brain. Lost in the visual, he progressed them, saw her beside him every morning, saw her belly round with his babies. He didn’t hate the idea. At all.
“We’ve only had two dates,” he pointed out.
“And you never called me back after either to give me the juicy details.”
“I’m glad we have such clear personal boundaries.” Beck chuckled.
“Fuck that. Tell me everything!”
“It’s a little weird talking to my wife about my feelings for another woman.”
“Please.” She rolled her eyes. “I talk to you about Buddy, so stop stalling. Where did you go on your first date?”
“Disneyland. She’d never been.”
“And she loved it?”
A fond smile curled Beck’s lips. “She really did.”
“And the second date?”
“I took her to an art gallery.”
“Oh, god,” Gloria groaned. “I did you a disservice. Since you were sixteen, you’ve had all the sex you could want and you never had to woo a woman to get it. You even took one of my girls to prom.”
He shrugged. “I got a date without any effort, and she was guaranteed to put out.”
“A mistake. Clearly, I forgot to teach you that women need to be charmed. If you want to keep one, the quality time you share out of bed is important, Ken. An art gallery? Really? Watching a round of golf would be more entertaining.”
“It was a BDSM exhibit.” He paused. “I had to know her reaction. I had to know if there was any chance…”
“Ah. And what did Heavenly think about kinky art?”
“Mixed bag, but mostly positive. She’s got a few surprisingly edgier fantasies buried deep down.” Those kept niggling at him.
“Don’t we all?” Gloria chuckled. “Be specific.”
“Either being helpless at the mercy of a Master or being forced into that position flips her switch. I need more information to know for sure.”
“Intriguing. So what’s next?”
“Well, the Disney date proved we have chemistry and made her more comfortable with me outside the hospital. The art exhibit told me exactly what she’d respond to sexually…and probably gave her more than an inkling about what I want from her.”
“Inkling?” Gloria snorted. “Unless she’s stupid, you beating her ass with a paddle that reads I’M A SADIST would have been more subtle.”
“Funny. Now I just have to know how much she trusts me, so I’ll know how far and how fast I can take her.”
“How do you plan to do that?”
“Something unexpected,” he replied cryptically.
“Do I need to warn her?”
“Nope. It’ll be a surprise.”
“You’re being awfully cautious…and you’re overanalyzing the situation. Heavenly is the one. You know that, don’t you?”
“I want her to be.” He sighed and stared at the rug between his feet, gathering his thoughts. “I think she is…but I can’t say for sure yet. She’s got a lot of secrets. Then again, so do I. It’s too soon to spring everything on her. Hell, I still haven’t kissed her yet.”
Gloria’s mouth dropped open. “Even after two dates? Do we need to talk about the birds and the bees, Ken?”
“Hey, I’m wading through uncharted territory here. Like you said, I’ve never had to romance a woman,” he grumbled. “My gut tells me if I screw up with Heavenly, I may not get a second chance. At least Seth is back in New York, and I have all the time in the world. Patience…not as much. But I’m digging deep. She’s worth it.”
She gave him a sleepy smile. “It’s good to see you finally in love.”
Beck opened his mouth to argue, but it was pointless. First, because Gloria had already dozed off again. Second, because she was probably right.
Fuck.
As the sun set, he was still mentally gnawing on the L word. Buddy staggered out of the bedroom and headed straight to the coffeepot.
“Morning.” Beck chuckled.
