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  “I don’t know.” Vic had railed about the coach dumping him as punishment for not having blocked well enough to protect the Rebels’ “pansy quarterback”, but Talia had a feeling that wasn’t true.

  “They got rid of him because he attacked one of the assistant coaches after last year’s Super Bowl. Put the guy in the hospital. It’s one thing to be a mean SOB on the field, but off it? Reinhart was insane, and we all worried about what he’d do to you. Anyway, I’m glad you managed to get away. Sid’s one of the good ones.”

  One of the good ones. Yes, he was. Talia smiled, hoped her doubts didn’t show. Not about Sid, but about herself. But he apparently thought she was good enough. If only she could convince herself.

  * * * * *

  Wet from the shower after a short practice, Sid hurried to his locker, annoyed by the insistent ringing of his cell phone. Who the hell was calling him when everybody who had his number should know he was at work?

  Oh, no. Was Talia having a problem with the car? Or had somebody upset her at that luncheon he’d pretty much insisted that she attend? He dropped the towel from around his waist and snatched up the phone, not bothering to check the caller ID. “Talia?”

  When he heard his mother’s voice, he let out a sigh. “Hey, Mom, what’s up?”

  “Your dad managed to get a few days off from work. If you can get us tickets, we’re coming down to Savannah for your game. By the way, who is Talia?” she asked, her tone teasing.

  “The prettiest woman on Earth, Mom, except for you.” Sid imagined his mom’s eyes widening, the way they always had when something surprised her. “You’ll meet her when you’re here.”

  “Good. It’s about time you started to think about settling down and providing us with a couple grandkids. Your cousins are way ahead of you.”

  Sid groaned. He’d been hearing that tune for nearly five years now, ever since he’d graduated from college. For some reason, though, he didn’t feel like protesting. And he knew that while his mother wanted the satisfaction of knowing he was permanently paired up, she wouldn’t appreciate finding out he was living with his lover without any sort of promise between them. She would find out, because she and his dad always stayed at the house when they visited. And Sid had no intention of letting Talia go anywhere else.

  “I’ll get your tickets, Mom. But you caught me in the shower. Right now I’m shivering and dripping water all over the locker room floor, and I need to get dressed and out of here. What time will you and Dad be arriving?”

  When his mother told him their flight was scheduled so they’d get to his place Friday night in time for dinner, Sid suppressed a protest. “See you then,” he said before shutting off the phone and sinking onto the bench in front of his locker.

  “Hey, Runt, you look like you just got hit by a freight train.” Jack stepped into a pair of sweatpants as he shot a puzzled look at Sid.

  “Not quite. But I’m wondering what the hell I ought to do. Mom and Dad are coming for the game. They’ll be here tomorrow night.”

  “So? I’m sure they’re still holding some game tickets for players’ families.” Jack paused. “Oh. They don’t know about Talia, right?”

  “I told Mom about her, but not that we’re living together. She won’t be pleased and neither will Dad. They’re small-town conventional, in spades. Parksville, Pennsylvania’s still mired in a 1950s mentality.” Sid pictured the disappointment he’d certainly see on his parents’ faces. Worse, he imagined how hurt Talia would be when she sensed that disapproval. “Fuck. What bothers me is how they’ll make Talia feel. They won’t say anything, but they won’t be able to hide what they’re thinking.”

  Jack shook his head. “Talia could spend the weekend at my place, if you don’t mind her being there when Tawny’s away.”

  “No. Damn it, I won’t hide her from anybody, my parents included. I love her.” There. He’d said it. He’d never dared even think it out loud before, but it was true. “I think I’ve loved her ever since the first time I had to stand by and watch Reinhart hurt her at Rebels’ Roost.”

  “Hell, I should have guessed you had a hard-on for her from the way you went ballistic every time you saw Reinhart playing rough with her.”

  “Yeah, I guess I did, though I didn’t realize it at the time—at least not consciously. I’m damn certain now that I love her. How about telling me what I ought to do about it.” Sid toweled his hair dry while he waited for Jack to answer.

  “Well, if you’re a hundred percent sure how you feel about Talia and you’re sure she’s not an emotional basket case after what Vic did to her, why not put a ring on her finger? That ought to take care of your parents’ sense of moral outrage.”

  “Get married? Today?” Sid didn’t know if he could manage that, either persuading Talia or taking care of the legalities.

  Jack laughed. “Not married, at least not by tomorrow. Get engaged. That will give you time to change your mind if it turns out she’s still hung up on Reinhart. Surely your folks can’t be so old-fashioned that they’ll mind you living with your fiancée.”

  “I wouldn’t be too sure about that. I remember a miserable month I spent practically locked in my room, just because a sheriff’s deputy back home caught me making it with one of the hometown fun girls out at an old rock quarry.”

  “Really?” Jack sounded skeptical. “How old were you?”

  Sid grinned. “Sixteen.”

  “Well, you’re not sixteen anymore. I have a hard time believing your folks will really be that bent out of shape.”

  Sid thought about it for a minute. Mom and Dad would probably be okay with him living with a woman if they were engaged. At least they’d be better with that than if they thought he was shacking up with a casual lover. “They probably wouldn’t say anything to hurt Talia’s feelings, but I don’t know if Talia’s ready for that kind of commitment.” Then he remembered the sincerity in her voice the other night.

  I’ll be your slave as long as you want me…

  Sid tossed his towel into the big laundry hamper in the center of the room. “I’m willing to take a chance that she’ll say yes. Want to go to a jewelry store with me and help me pick out a ring?”

  Jack grinned. “Sure. Hurry up and get some clothes on. We’d better get our game tickets first. I have to pick up a couple extras, too. Tawny’s aunt and uncle decided to fly down with their kids, more or less at the last minute.”

  * * * * *

  When Sid got home he opened the door quietly and detoured by his bedroom, slipping the small, square jewelry box out of his sweatpants pocket and into the drawer of the table by the bed. Then he went looking for Talia. When he found her out on the sun porch, watching a tugboat move a barge down the river, he paused in the doorway.

  And just looked at her. Her blonde hair swung from a high ponytail, and even with that additional height, she couldn’t be much more than five feet two, a pocket Venus meant just for him. She made him feel ten feet tall, damn near invincible, and he loved the feeling. Loved her. When she turned and saw him, the look on her beautiful face made him confident that she loved him, too.

  “Hey, sweetheart,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a long, hard kiss. The pink robe she had on felt soft and slippery on his hands, the way he’d known it would when he selected it out. “How was the lunch party?”

  She kept her hands on his shoulders when he broke the kiss. Then she tilted her head back and smiled up at him—a sweet, incredibly sexy smile. “Wonderful. I wish I could have brought some of the crab cakes home to you. And you wouldn’t believe all the fantastic desserts. They even had little chocolate-frosted cakes the shape of footballs. I don’t think I ever saw so much pretty food in one place before.”

  “Did you enjoy the company?”

  Talia’s expression sobered, but then her smile returned. “At first I was scared stiff, but everyone was real nice to me. Susan introduced me to a lot of people, but I’m afraid I won’t remember everybody’s names
. Some of the women were betting on whether she’d wait until after the playoffs to have her baby.”

  “Did you see anybody you knew from Rebels’ Roost?”

  “We sat at the table with Keisha Harris. I’d never realized before that she’s a lawyer, much less that she works as a players’ agent. She’s almost as scary outside as she is in the dungeon. I sat with her and Susan and this tall, drop-dead-gorgeous pregnant woman named Julie.”

  What she said sounded promising. If it was the last thing he did, he was going to cure Talia of her fear that she somehow wasn’t worthy of respect. “That would be Julie Bronson, Jimmy’s wife. They got married at the beginning of the season. You remember Jimmy, don’t you?”

  Talia pursed her lips. “Isn’t he the one who shaved the head of one of the club submissives?”

  “Yeah. He shaved Julie, too, first time he brought her to Rebels’ Roost.”

  Her eyes widened. “Have you ever done that?” She shuddered, as though wondering if he might share Bronson’s fetish.

  He bent and nibbled her ear. “No, baby. I like my pussies bare, but I’ve never gotten aroused over the idea of women with bald heads. To each his own.”

  “I’m glad.” She smiled up at him, but then her expression clouded and she nibbled at her lower lip. “I hope I didn’t do anything today to embarrass you.”

  “Damn it, if you just be your sweet self, everybody will love you. And if they don’t, I don’t care. I like you, and that’s what matters. Can’t you accept that?”

  “I’m trying, Sir, I really am. But I’ve been afraid for so long…” Her words trailed off, and she looked away as though she was worried about what he might do. “Susan said I did fine while we were waiting for the parking attendants to get our cars after lunch was over.”

  He squelched the urge to shake some confidence into her. Instead he took her in his arms. “I’m sure you did. I want you to forget whatever it was that bastard shoved down your throat and believe you’re the hottest, most beautiful woman on Earth. Because that’s how I see you.”

  She laid her head against his chest and sighed. “I’ll try. You’re home a little early. Shall I get started on dinner now?”

  “Later, sweetheart. I’m hungry, but not for food. Come on, let’s take a little nap and see what comes up.” When she shot him a shy smile, he scooped her up in his arms and strode to the bedroom.

  * * * * *

  After she folded the comforter at the end of the bed, Talia shrugged off her robe and lay back against the pillows, watching Sid undress. He was so damn nice. It was hard to believe that he could be so sweet and also so incredibly hot with his broad shoulders, washboard abs and powerfully muscled thighs and calves. When he moved he reminded her of a sleek jungle cat who liked knowing she was watching him.

  She wanted to pinch herself just to be sure she wasn’t dreaming. Instead, she held out her arms and welcomed him. His hands still felt cold, and so did his face. The rest of him was warm, though. Warm and solid and safe. When he rolled onto his side and pulled her next to him, Talia snuggled up to his chest and ran her free hand along the muscular plane of his back. “You’re so big and strong. You make me feel safe.”

  “You make me feel big and strong, and I like it.” He stroked her cheek, his touch light, almost tender. “Did you mean it when you said you’d be my slave as long as I wanted?”

  Puzzled by his question, she met his questioning gaze. “Yes, I meant it.”

  “What would you say if I told you I wanted you for always?”

  Talia could barely believe her ears. “What did you say, Mas— Sid?”

  When he tilted her chin up so she couldn’t look away, she’d have been afraid if his touch hadn’t been so gentle. “I’m not very good at this, am I?” he asked, giving a little shake of his head.

  “At what?” She’d never felt so confused.

  “At proposing. I’ve never done it before. What I want is for you to be my slave, my lover— God, but this is hard.” He lowered his hand and cupped her breast, rolling the nipple between his fingers.

  Even as her body reacted to him, Talia’s brain was spinning. Had Sid really… Was he really offering to marry her? She couldn’t imagine it. He must have meant something else.

  Right now her Master was hard and ready for her, and she wasn’t about to make him wait. She’d focus on his pleasure, because she was hot and eager for him as well. She’d figure it out later. They’d figure it out together.

  “So are you,” she murmured, reaching between them and encircling his rigid cock with her fingers. “I got wet and ready, just watching you get out of your clothes.”

  Sid groaned. Then he rolled her on her back and braced himself just above her body. “We need to get this out of the way first.” Bending his head, he took her mouth and plunged his tongue inside.

  She raked his back with her nails, trying to draw him closer. He took her breath away and made her crazy with wanting him.

  Breaking the kiss, he pulled away and reached on the nightstand for a condom. “Here, let me,” she said, taking the package and ripping away the plastic wrapper. With trembling fingers she rolled the condom over his rigid erection. “Please don’t make me wait. I need you now.”

  “You’ve got me.” Spreading her legs farther with his knees, he positioned himself and slid inside her. “God, but you’re wet for me. I love it.”

  “Oh God. Fuck me hard. Please.” When he moved, she met his thrusts and clutched him to her as if that could hold him forever. His breath seared her skin as he bent to suck a nipple into his mouth.

  Pressure built in her thighs, her pussy. She clamped down on his cock when he drove so deep it felt as if he’d touched her womb. Oh yeah, she wished they could stay this way forever. But the urgency she sensed in him transferred to her, made her desperate to come.

  He shifted, raised his upper body and grabbed her ass with hands that were hot, no longer cold from the out-of-doors. Raising her up to meet his thrusts, he slammed into her over and over as she trembled from the waves of ecstasy that were rolling through her body. By the time he shouted with satisfaction and she felt him coming in long, steamy bursts inside her pussy, she’d collapsed beneath him, her passion spent along with his.

  Proposing. She thought he’d said he was proposing. I must have been dreaming. Or he must have meant something else, she thought as she began to regain some measure of conscious thought.

  * * * * *

  An hour later, Sid untangled himself from Talia and went to dispose of the condom.

  “Well, will you?” he asked when he came back to bed, finally able to think about something other than Talia’s wet, welcoming pussy.

  “Huh?” Talia rolled over to face him, her cheeks still flushed with the afterglow of great sex. Though he’d felt wrung out moments earlier, his dick twitched when he looked at his lover.

  “Marry me.” There, he’d said it. In a way she couldn’t possibly misunderstand.

  He’d never seen her look quite so shocked. “You want us to get married?”

  “Yeah. Not today or tomorrow, but soon.”

  “Why?” As though she thought he’d gone insane, she sat up and looked down at him.

  What the hell should Sid say? He’d been dreaming of forever with Talia ever since she’d belonged to another Master, but he doubted she would want to hear that. He didn’t think she’d much like knowing the immediate, practical reason for his proposal, either. After a long pause, he came up with something he thought she might buy. “Because I care for you, more than I’ve ever cared for another woman. Because I want us to spend our lives together.”

  “I-I don’t know. Sometimes ‘forever’ isn’t really forever.”

  Damn it, Sid knew that. He’d seen friends who’d seemed perfect for each other splitting up after mere months of married bliss, and from what he knew about Talia’s background he figured she’d seen more than her share of fractured romances. But he didn’t care. He loved her and he was willing to put
his heart on the line.

  Sitting up and propping pillows behind his back, he took both of her trembling hands. “Forever will be just that for us, sweetheart, because I can’t imagine that I’ll ever let you go. If you’re willing to be my slave for as long as I want you to, the way you said, you should be willing to make the arrangement legal.”

  She lowered her gaze but didn’t pull away from him. “I’d be glad to wear your collar, you know.”

  “You will. But I also want you to wear my rings. I want to know I’ve got the right and the responsibility to take care of you for the rest of our lives. Someday I’d like to have a kid or two, wouldn’t you?”

  She finally looked up at him. “Well, yes. But I never thought much—”

  “I don’t want to hear what I think you’re about to say. I’m not Vic Reinhart and I don’t like for you to think about him and me in the same breath. Fuck it, Talia, I might as well tell you I’ve been halfway in love with you ever since I saw you playing with him at Rebels’ Roost. I wanted to pull the bastard off you and kill him every time I saw him hurt you.”

  “Why didn’t you, Master?”

  “Because it was obvious after a while that you were enjoying it, sweetheart. At least you were coming for him in spite of everything.” He thought a minute then decided she deserved the unvarnished truth even if it revealed a few of his insecurities. “And because I was afraid he’d make mincemeat out of you for attracting my attention—after he’d ground me into the floor.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. “I was afraid to leave him. He took me away from a horrible situation at home as soon as he’d finished college and I got out of high school, and for a long while he took good care of me. I don’t know what I did the last few years that made him turn so mean. Sometimes I think it wasn’t me at all, but all the times he got hit in the head and went back on the field.”

  Maybe that was true, and maybe he and Talia needed to talk this out, though Sid didn’t like thinking anything but bad about Reinhart. “You never married him. Why?”