Page 23 of Obsessed with the Man of the House

“You’re getting ahead of yourself, Gray.I’mthe one who rescued Thomas Builders. It’s my curvy assets that have been paying the bills.”

I nod.

“Yes, and I’m appreciative of your generosity,” I say, keeping my voice steady. “But at the moment, you’re not showing your face, and that makes all the difference. Once your pretty features are on screen, then there’s no going back. The megalodon is out, and you’ll never be able to scrub this from your past.”

“Who says I want to scrub my past?” Vanessa retorts in a flippant voice. “I’m proud of what I do! It’s part of female empowerment!”

I nod slowly.

“I know, but thereissuch a thing as taking female empowerment too far. Trust me, Gloria Steinem and other prominent feminists wouldnotcondone a life as a sex worker. Especially at such a young age, when you still have your life before you.”

Vanessa shakes her head.

“No,youdon’t get it, Gray. Theywouldcondone my choices in life. I’m not a little girl anymore, and you can’t tell me what to do. I know what I want, and yeah, maybe going above-ground as Nessie Prince, porn star, is the next step.”

I take a deep breath. On the one hand, I adore Vanessa’s sassy, feisty nature. But on the other hand, it’s precisely that feisty stubbornness that’s driving me up the wall right now. As a result, I pull out the big guns.

“Honey, I have no problem with what you’re doing now,” I say in a slow voice. “The headless videos are fine, and again, I’m grateful for what you’ve done for me, and for Thomas Builders. But I love you, baby, and I want a future for us. I want to be proud to show you off as my girlfriend, fiancée, wife, or whatever you call it, and it’ll be easier for us as a couple if you don’t reveal your identity.”

Vanessa’s cheek flush pink as she stares at me.

“You love me?” she whispers.

I nod, blue eyes sparkling.

“Yes, I do, sweetheart,” I rasp in a low voice. “I’ve loved you for a while now, even if we only became intimate recently. But it’s more than that,” I intone. “Just give me a chance, Vanessa. Let me get my business off the ground, and we’ll have this conversation again. My instinct tells me that Thomas Builders will be thriving in a year or so, and you won’t need the money.”

The beautiful woman bites her lip.

“But I don’t need the money even now,” she says in a slow voice. “I think we’re talking about two different things, Gray. You’re talking about money, whereas for me, doing porn is about asserting my independence and freedom as a woman.”

I nod.

“I know, but these subjects are intertwined because sometimes, money cansupporta woman’s independence and freedom. But before we delve deeper into the semantics, I just want to say this: I love you, Vanessa, and give me a year. Keep your true identity under wraps for another twelve months, and then we’ll have this conversation again.”

The beautiful girl nods before breaking out into a brilliant smile.

“And then what?”

“And then we’ll talk,” I growl, drawing the curvy woman into my arms. “I adore you, Vanessa Loudon, and I want to see where this goes. So let’s put a pause on the porn stuff, okay? I’m not saying that you can’t keep making videos, but please, please, please, don’t attach your beautiful features to them yet. That’s all I ask.”

The curvy girl shoots me a brilliant smile before melting into my arms.

“Okay, Daddy,” she murmurs, her words muffled as she buries her face in the crook of my neck. “I won’t, I promise. And by the way, I love you too, Gray. I have for a long time, we just never figured it out until now.”

“For good reason,” I chuckle. “I used to be married to your mom.”

“That’s right,” Vanessa agrees, tittering a bit herself. “But now, we’ll figure this out together. Streaming channel or not, faces or not, Renata or no Renata. I love you, Gray Thomas, and that’s all that matters.”

Her words are like an arrow to my heart, and I literally feel myself go weak-kneed with adoration because Vanessa is the one for me. Maybe we are in a forbidden relationship, and maybe the gorgeous girl has a taboo job, but you know what? Better to take a chance than forever remain on the sidelines. As a result, I kiss her pretty pout and pull the sassy woman closer to my broad form.

“I love you, sweetheart. And I always will.”

With that, the next chapter of our life begins.

EPILOGUE

Vanessa

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