Page 37 of Spider Demon's Kiss

“No?”

“No,” I repeated as a matter of fact.

“Why not?”

“Because I am your husband. As your husband, I will share your bed.”

“No!” he replied sharply. It was harsh enough for me think it would lead to another fight. But instead, his eyes dipped. “Look, you have to understand that this is all new to me. I didn’t plan to be married to you.”

“You thought it would be Yuki,” I said stating the obvious.

His head bobbled without answering.

“It doesn’t matter what I thought. I just didn’t expect this. I’m not saying it isn’t good or that I won’t get used to it. I just need a moment.”

“I understand. You can have your moment.” I paused. “Moment over.”

Dante looked at me and laughed.

“You have your rules. I have mine. If I am going to be married, which like you, I had no choice in, I will share my husband’s bed.”

“You didn’t want to do this?” Dante said melting a little.

“Did I want to marry a complete stranger and bare his children?”

“There might be something Sato didn’t tell you about the birds and the bees,” he joked.

“The answer is no, I didn’t want this. I was tricked into it just like you.”

Dante looked at me with disappointment. It surprised me.

“So, what do we do about it?” he asked. I allowed the question to hang in the air.

“We compromise,” I suggested.

Dante looked at me intrigued.

“How’s that?”

“We do our duties to our family and our marriage,” I said with a hint of a smile.

“And where’s the compromise?” he asked amused.

“You don’t see it?” I joked.

Dante laughed. It was a good laugh. It filled me with warmth.

“I don’t.”

“Fine. The compromise is that, while you get used to this, I will only spend a few nights a week in your bed.”

“One night.”

“Seven,” I countered.

Dante laughed again.

“Three.”

---