Page 71 of Spider Demon's Kiss

I don’t know why, but it was then that everything that had happened released something within me. As he gently cradled me, I suddenly started to cry. It wasn’t me crying, of course. It was Shiro. I felt nothing like that. Usually I felt nothing at all.

But, apparently Shiro was a candy ass. He was everything I wasn’t. And as he bawled pathetically, Dante held him tight. With his large hand cupping the back of my head, he buried me into him.

Why was Shiro the only version of me that my father could love? What was it about Kuroi that was so easy to pass around? These were just questions for me, but Shiro blubbered about it. So pathetic. Thank God I was nothing like that. How embarrassing would it be if I was?

Dante continued to hold Shiro until he couldn’t cry any more. It was only when his inferno tantrum was done that I could relax. Listening to my husband’s powerful heartbeats, I felt safe. And buried in his strong arms, I slowly drifted off to sleep.

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Chapter 12

Dante

What the fuck had I done? Had I broken Kuroi? The man I had married didn’t cry. He barely had emotions at all. It was like he was a different person.

He had called himself Shiro. I had thought he was roleplaying. That’s why I went along with it.

And he knew the safe word. I had made sure of it. He could have stopped what I was doing at any time. So, why didn’t he? Just when I thought I understood him and could predict his responses, he did this.

Of course, in a hundred years I wouldn’t have guessed that I would have made him do what I did last night. But I had.I don’t know what came over me.

I was just gonna have him bend over my knee and then paddle him. …Okay, that’s not completely true. From the time he requested it, I had decided to come up with something on the fly. And then I remembered Yuki telling me that Kuroi needed a firm hand.

I have to be honest, her telling me that kinda pissed me off. I can’t tell you why it did. I went to her for advice. She gave it to me. But it was the way she said it. It was like she was the grand empress, and I knew nothing. She made me feel like I didn’t deserve Kuroi or something.

So, with Kuroi standing in front of me looking like he did, it just came to me. And I hadn’t considered how Yuki would respond seeing Kuroi dressed like he was, but I definitely wouldn’t have predicted that she would responded how she had.

It was like the two of us were working together. But I couldn’t support any of what she was saying about Kuroi knowing his place. Kuroi knew his place. It was by my side being the king he was.

Yet, hearing her say those things, I still went along with it. I was turned on by everything too much to stop. It had to have hurt Kuroi, right? That’s why after bringing him to my bed, he collapsed into tears. So, why didn’t he use the safe word? Had he forgotten it?

“Morning,” Kuroi said to me with a smile.

“Morning,” I replied not having slept for a second.

“Am I going to have to handcuff you today?” he asked, looking refreshed and relaxed.

“You don’t need handcuffs because I’m never letting you go.”

Kuroi stared at me for a second and then leaned forward and kissed me. Relaxing onto the pillow, he stared into my eyes.

“About last night,” I began.

“Let’s not talk about last night,” he said still contently smiling.

But we had to, didn’t we? I had never been a chick about these things, but if ever we needed to talk, it would be about what happened last night.

“I just want to make sure. You remembered our safe word, right?”

Kuroi’s smile widened amused. Reaching over and placing his hand on my cheek, he reassured me.

“Yes, I remember our safe word.”

“Just checking,” I said, not feeling better about things, but knowing I hadn’t crossed a line.

Reassured, the muscles in my shoulders unclenched. My whole body did. With it came the wave of exhaustion from being awake all night. It dragged my eyes closed. And just as I was going to let myself fall asleep, Kuroi said,

“Oh, I never got a chance to tell you why I had deserved a treat last night.”

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