I laughed. “Maybe, but I don’t think I’ll have the time anytime soon. When we get the mansion, I want to start renovating before we open up the club.”
“About that. Is it some sort of night club? You mentioned rooms would be available to rent?”
“I want it to be a place where we can hold parties for members, and a place where they can rent a room for a night, or a weekend, if they want. A space where they can be themselves. A safe space. It’ssomething the BDSM community needs around here. You’ve seen the bars people have to attend to find others. It’s not safe. I want a luxury feel in the mansion, like a vacation but where they can do all the things they want to do behind closed doors, while also being close to others who want the same.”
He looked at me with so much warmth, and I knew he liked the idea. “I can’t wait to start.”
“There’s something else I haven’t asked yet… What about your job?” I wanted him to be there with me at the mansion, working side by side, but I also knew he loved his job.
“Oh, I hadn’t thought about that.” He was quiet for a bit. “I don’t want to quit completely, yet. But I can cut back on my hours.”
“I’d appreciate that. I want us both to be co-owners of the club.” I also knew how much I needed Pete to be there with me, not just for the business, but for me. We still had a lot to figure out about our relationship and how our sex life would change over time, but I was happy with how things were now, so I wouldn’t push anything ahead of time. It seemed Pete was in agreement on that. At least he hadn’t said anything, so I hoped that meant he was happy with how things were going too.
“But I know nothing about running a business,” he objected. “Maybe you should ask someone you know who’s in the BDSM community too, you know, someone who knows more about it than you could google in a few hours.”
I chuckled. “You mean someone with real life experience?”
“Yes! I don’t have that, remember?”
I could only shake my head and laugh again. “I know it worries you, but I don’t want anyone else to help me run it but you. If we need further help along the way, then, yes, we can hire more people. We do need cleaners and maybe a cook or two. But that’s stuff I want to figure out withyou. We’ll both be new to this thing, together. And truly that’s the reason I want to share it with you.”
He sighed. “Okay, then. If you have to be all cute about it.” I laughed and hugged him further into my side.
“Thank you, baby. So glad to have your support.” He grunted as I placed a kiss on his temple.
This was going to be perfect. I could feel it.
Chapter 23
Pete
“Open it!” Mom demanded, like I wasn’t going to do it unless she told me to. Christmas morning was fully under way, and considering I wasn’t even opening a present fromher, told me she was likely drunk. It was nine A.M. but I wasn’t about to point that out to her.
I gasped when I saw the sci-fi series I’d wanted for months. How the fuck had he known? “How?” I dared ask, eyeing Jackson with new appreciation. Was he a wizard too?
“Mike,” he admitted. “He told me you had a wish list where you kept track of the books you wanted to own. It was easy after that.” The man shrugged, like it was nothing. This was everything to me. “Oh, and the realtor, Susie, told me the mansion had a library that was closed off, really weird but I’m not bothered by it, I just don’twant you to worry about not getting a real library, there’s another one but if you don’t like it, we can use another room to make your dream library.”
I was gaping, I knew because I almost drooled. “Marry me,” I teased, but really meaning it, too.
They all laughed and Jackson placed a kiss on my cheek before whispering, “Oh, I definitely will. Some day.”
Then it was Mike’s turn to open his present, and Jackson had been so secretive about what he’d bought for him, that I couldn’t contain my excitement either. Mom was again demanding he open his gift, yelling at him to get a move on before she peed her pants. She apparently had to pee like crazy but didn’t want to miss anything.
Mike was smiling wide as he opened the box, pulling out something long and brown. I broke out in laughter with Jackson and Dylan. It took a while for Mom to figure it out, but she was soon laughing too. Ida was the only one not getting it.
“Seriously?” Mike whined.
“Oh no!” Mom laughed even harder. “I peed a little!” Then she ran for the downstairs bathroom and we all laughed even harder.
Mike handed Jackson the whip. “You’re the one who’s into this sort of thing, you take it.” He gave him a smug smile.
“Oh, I’m sure Pete wouldlovethat,” Jackson smirked.
Mike’s smile faltered before he whined again, “Whyyyy?!”
“What did I miss?” Mom asked, as she returned wearing a new pair of pajama pants. God, how I loved her. She had taken the news of Jackson and I moving in together so well. All of them had. It had helped the somber mood after Mike had told the others of his next work assignment. We wouldn’t see him for two years, and we’d only be able to communicate with him whenever he got a connection. It was in the rural parts of Africa and we weren’t told anything else.
Polly told Mom what she’d missed and I appreciated it. It seemed Ida finally figured out what the whip was used for, as her eyes widened, even if she tried to hide it.
