Page 162 of Thrust & Throttle

“Oh, you didn’t realize that I plan on fucking you in every room of the house we bought?”

“I hadn’t thought that far in advance,” I admitted. “Andwedidn’t buy anything. You did.”

“Same difference. What’s mine is yours.”

“You have more than I do.”

“So?”

“I don’t want to feel like, well, like Ioweyou for anything.”

“You don’t owe me for anything. Everything I’ve ever had has been yours. Even when I had almost nothing.”

“But now you havesomething.”

“Willa, are you trying to tell me that you’re not a gold digger marrying me for my money?”

“It sounds that way, doesn’t it?” I said with a huff. I wriggled out of his embrace and sat up to face him.

I was still in my bra, and I’d put on my panties again, but I was exposed.

“Look,” I said with a sigh. “Waverly is my responsibility—”

“Stop.”

“Huh?”

“Stop. Just stop.” He put a finger to my lips and forced me to be silent. He dropped his finger. “Did you think that when I asked you to marry me, I wasn’t going to take financial responsibility for your sister, too? I found a house, specifically with her needs in mind.”

“Yeah, but—”

He placed his finger against my lips again. “Nobuts. I’m happy to do it. Honored. Okay?”

I gently grasped his finger and brought it away from my mouth. “Yeah, but we’re rushing to getting married because Ineedto get married. To gain guardianship of her. I love you, you know I do.”

“Sowecan gain guardianship of her. And so what? I’ll tell you something right now, Willa. If this is the reason I get to marry you sooner rather than later, than I’m happier than a pig in shit.”

I wrinkled my nose. “There’s an image.”

“It doesn’t matter, okay? That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I love you. I’ve always loved you. I’ve always wanted to marry you. Now I get to.”

“But the money—”

“Doesn’t matter. We need money? I’ll make more. Or you will from your business. I was never going to let either of you do without. You’ve got to know that.”

“I do. I just…damn, Duke.”

“You don’t have to do it alone to prove a point. You get that, right?”

“Yeah. I guess.” I frowned. “I’m so used to figuring it all out on my own.”

“And now you don’t have to.”

“Now I don’t have to.” I paused. “It’ll take some getting used to.”

“How long you think it’ll take?” he asked with a grin.

“I dunno? Forty years?”

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