Page 127

Dora pulled back to gaze at him. “Um … fucking?” she faltered.

He caught his breath, his eyes lingering on her lips. “Yes?” he said smoothly, “and what else?”

“Prick,” Theo repeated succinctly.

Clem’s gazed down at her. “And do you know what those words mean, Dora?” he asked.

“Er … yes?” she admitted in a strangled whisper.

“Tell me.”

Her face was practically glowing. “Clem,” she began pleadingly.

“Well, you saw fit to use them, Dora, and in mixed company too,” he pointed out coolly. “So, you should not be embarrassed to explain them to your husband now, should you?”

She took a deep breath. “Fucking is a crude term for the act of sexual congress,” she faltered.

“Is that so? And the other?”

Dora cringed. “It is a profane word for … for male genitalia.”

“What is?” he asked silkily.

Her eyes flew to meet his. She swallowed. “Prick,” she repeated faintly.

He breathed noisily in and out. “It sounds almost pretty on your lips,” he said, running his thumb over her mouth. “Say it again.”

“Prick,” she repeated, louder this time.

He nodded slowly. “Now take my prick in your hand,” he instructed softly.

Dora gasped. “Clem!”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “What?” he asked, his eyes still on her mouth. “Don’t want to?”

“No, I—it’s not that—just—”

“Don’t want me to fuck you?” he asked, and Dora held her breath for a little too long.

“Clem—you should not—” she started in shocked accents and could get no further for she had to drag some air into her lungs.

His arms were around her in an instant, his brow pressed to hers. “Shhh, it’s alright,” he murmured, soothing her. “I was just teasing. If you don’t like it, we’ll stop Dora. It’s fine. I pushed you too hard, too fast.”

“No,” she gasped. “I just … you took me by surprise, that’s all.” She hid her face in his neck as he stroked her back. “And of course, I do want you to fuck me,” she added in a muffled voice. “Though I need to put my preventative in first.”

“Why, Dora,” he breathed. “You shameless thing.”

He felt her smile against his neck. “You say that rather as though it were a compliment, Mr. Dabney.”

He reached up to cup her face with his hands and draw it against his own. “I should have told you about the shares,” he said harshly, wondering why he was fucking up the mood. For some godforsaken reason, he wanted this out of the way before he got between her thighs again. “I wish I had told you,” he said hoarsely. “Not telling you was a mistake,” he added for good measure so there could be absolutely no mistake about the matter.

She swallowed and nodded her head. “Yes,” she agreed. “Next time, don’t be such a prick to your wife.”

THIRTY-TWO

Afterward, they lay together catching their breath and Clem passed an arm about her until she relaxed against him. “When you said to keep my use of strong language in the bedroom, I thought you didn’t want me using such language in public,” Theo confided.

“Oh, I don’t,” he agreed, his hand shifting up and down her side. “Not if you can help it. I realize that is somewhat hypocritical of me, but I can’t find it in me to care much.”