rolled her eyes. “Brad never
did a foul thing ever in his entire existence. He exercised. He
didn’t smoke. He didn’t do drugs. He worked hard. He ate right. He
made good money. He was a decent man. Check, check, and check.” She
slashed her finger through the air three times as if drawing
checkmarks. “He had everything my dad wanted me to find in a man.
Everything a lot of women would give anything for. But you know
what he didn’t have? He didn’t have my heart. He didn’t touch my
soul. He didn’t make me feel alive. You do .”
She pressed closer, her expression stern,
eyes intense. “You came into my life, and for the first time, I
actually felt alive. You made me see things in myself that I’d
never seen. Things I’d taken for granted. You made me see that I am a beautiful woman. That I am passionate. That I
have an inner, sexy vixen who has desires of her own. You did that. And you were able to do it because you aren’t perfect. You’ve lived hard, Mark. And living hard is sometimes
ugly. But that’s what makes us who we are, changes us for the
better, and gives us a greater understanding not just of life, but
of the world and others.
“So, stop beating yourself up thinking I’m
going to think less of you, or that I’m going to leave, because I’m
not.” She stared into his eyes. “Whatever else you have to tell me,
just say it. Get it out. All of it. I promise I’ll still be here
afterward. And I promise you more than deserve me, because, Mark,
I’m no angel. I’m not perfect, either. But together, we are
perfect. Okay? Believe in that .”
His heart nearly exploded with the love he
felt for this incredible woman he’d chosen to make a life with.
“You’re amazing. I’ve never known a woman
like you.” He’d been sitting across from her hating himself, but
all she saw was a man worthy of her love. Learning the truth about
his past hadn’t pushed her away, it had drawn her closer.
She smiled. “You’re not so bad yourself.” She
sat back and slid her hands around his again. “So, what else do you
have to tell me? I want you to tell me everything. It’s important
that you’re honest with me, Mark. More important than any of this
other stuff. As long as you’re honest, I really don’t care what you
have to say. Just don’t lie to me. Don’t hide the truth. That would
upset me even more than hearing the truth, no matter how
painful.”
He took a deep breath. She seemed more than
ready to hear what he had to say. Might as well keep ticking down
his list and see if she was as forgiving of everything and not just
items one and two. “Okay, so what if I told you that even though
I’m ashamed of a lot of what I did during that time in my life,
there were other things that I really enjoyed? Things I wouldn’t
mind experimenting with again. With you.”
Her shoulders tightened slightly. “Like
what?”
“Have you ever heard of role-play sex?”
She tilted her head inquisitively to one
side. “You mean, like me dressing up in a schoolgirl outfit or
something?”
If only his fantasies were so tame. “Not
exactly. I like taking sexual role-play further.”
Her fingers twisted together in her lap as
she bit her lip. “Are you talking about BDSM? Like whips and chains
and pain? Domination and submission?”
He shook his head, and she let out a relieved
breath. “I don’t take it that far. Think more along the lines of
between the two extremes. I’m into acting out darker, more serious
fantasies. Fantasies that take a little planning.”
She grinned. “Of course.”
He raised one eyebrow and cocked his head.
“Don’t mistake my planning to mean boring or stilted. I plan these
fantasies because they require a little forethought.”
“Okay . . .” She scooted a
couple inches closer. “So what exactly are you talking about
here?
He leaned toward her, smoothing his palms
reassuringly over her bare thighs. “Let’s say your car breaks down
on the side of the
did a foul thing ever in his entire existence. He exercised. He
didn’t smoke. He didn’t do drugs. He worked hard. He ate right. He
made good money. He was a decent man. Check, check, and check.” She
slashed her finger through the air three times as if drawing
checkmarks. “He had everything my dad wanted me to find in a man.
Everything a lot of women would give anything for. But you know
what he didn’t have? He didn’t have my heart. He didn’t touch my
soul. He didn’t make me feel alive. You do .”
She pressed closer, her expression stern,
eyes intense. “You came into my life, and for the first time, I
actually felt alive. You made me see things in myself that I’d
never seen. Things I’d taken for granted. You made me see that I am a beautiful woman. That I am passionate. That I
have an inner, sexy vixen who has desires of her own. You did that. And you were able to do it because you aren’t perfect. You’ve lived hard, Mark. And living hard is sometimes
ugly. But that’s what makes us who we are, changes us for the
better, and gives us a greater understanding not just of life, but
of the world and others.
“So, stop beating yourself up thinking I’m
going to think less of you, or that I’m going to leave, because I’m
not.” She stared into his eyes. “Whatever else you have to tell me,
just say it. Get it out. All of it. I promise I’ll still be here
afterward. And I promise you more than deserve me, because, Mark,
I’m no angel. I’m not perfect, either. But together, we are
perfect. Okay? Believe in that .”
His heart nearly exploded with the love he
felt for this incredible woman he’d chosen to make a life with.
“You’re amazing. I’ve never known a woman
like you.” He’d been sitting across from her hating himself, but
all she saw was a man worthy of her love. Learning the truth about
his past hadn’t pushed her away, it had drawn her closer.
She smiled. “You’re not so bad yourself.” She
sat back and slid her hands around his again. “So, what else do you
have to tell me? I want you to tell me everything. It’s important
that you’re honest with me, Mark. More important than any of this
other stuff. As long as you’re honest, I really don’t care what you
have to say. Just don’t lie to me. Don’t hide the truth. That would
upset me even more than hearing the truth, no matter how
painful.”
He took a deep breath. She seemed more than
ready to hear what he had to say. Might as well keep ticking down
his list and see if she was as forgiving of everything and not just
items one and two. “Okay, so what if I told you that even though
I’m ashamed of a lot of what I did during that time in my life,
there were other things that I really enjoyed? Things I wouldn’t
mind experimenting with again. With you.”
Her shoulders tightened slightly. “Like
what?”
“Have you ever heard of role-play sex?”
She tilted her head inquisitively to one
side. “You mean, like me dressing up in a schoolgirl outfit or
something?”
If only his fantasies were so tame. “Not
exactly. I like taking sexual role-play further.”
Her fingers twisted together in her lap as
she bit her lip. “Are you talking about BDSM? Like whips and chains
and pain? Domination and submission?”
He shook his head, and she let out a relieved
breath. “I don’t take it that far. Think more along the lines of
between the two extremes. I’m into acting out darker, more serious
fantasies. Fantasies that take a little planning.”
She grinned. “Of course.”
He raised one eyebrow and cocked his head.
“Don’t mistake my planning to mean boring or stilted. I plan these
fantasies because they require a little forethought.”
“Okay . . .” She scooted a
couple inches closer. “So what exactly are you talking about
here?
He leaned toward her, smoothing his palms
reassuringly over her bare thighs. “Let’s say your car breaks down
on the side of the
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