Without a moment’s hesitation, she cried, “Yes, Deacon! Yes, I would.”

“Damn, baby,” I muttered, slamming harder and harder into her. Alex’s head bowed down to where her face rested on the mattress. Her cries and whimpers of pleasure became my undoing. Knowing I was close, I slid my hand between us to rub her clit. She buried her face in the mattress and screamed as she came. I slammed into her two or three more times before I groaned and spilled myself inside her.

I slowly withdrew from her before sliding the condom off. Alex remained on her stomach, unmoving. “Did I wear you out?” I asked as I placed delicate kisses across her back.

“I really do want to sleep now,” she said drowsily.

I chuckled. “I know, baby. I’m wiped out, too.”

I pulled the sheet from under her body, then climbed in beside her. At the feel of me, she rolled over to snuggle against my chest. It might’ve been only ten o’clock, but I happily fell asleep beside the woman I’d thoroughly fucked and who I thoroughly loved.

Kim had been so right about my playing poker to get Deacon’s attention. Once we were together for the first time, he couldn’t keep his hands off me. I had yet to sleep at my house since the attack, so the fact I was at his house every day and night left him plenty of time to touch me. And I sure as hell was enjoying every minute of it.

I went about my days in a lust haze. Morning sex with Deacon kept me thinking about him all day. He would usually show me how much he had been thinking about me, too, when he’d find a way to get in a quickie between Willow’s lessons and dinner. After we tucked Willow in and did her story time, we would sometimes retire to his bedroom early. I’m sure Beth knew exactly what was going on, but she never said anything or gave us disapproving looks.

On this Sunday morning, I had once again woken up to be worshipped by Deacon. Three orgasms for me and one for him later, we lay tangled together in the bed.

“Listen, it’s just going to be you getting Willow in bed tonight,” he said after a long silence.

“Where are you going?”

“Out.”

My brows shot up in surprise. “Excuse me?”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “Fine. If you must know, it’s auditions down at the Lounge. As a stakeholder in the club, I have to be there to vote.”

I snorted contemptuously as I worked to untangle myself from him. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I’m not.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I huffed, “Let me get this straight. You’re telling me you’re going to be auditioning strippers tonight, and I’m just expected to say, ‘Have fun, honey’?”

Deacon squared his shoulders. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Do I mean nothing to you?”

“Alex, don’t start this shit.”

“Oh, I’m sure as hell going to start this shit.” Rolling out of bed, I snatched up my discarded yoga pants and shirt. Narrowing my eyes at him, I said, “You’re with me now—my man, and I’m your old lady. That means we don’t look at or touch other members of the opposite sex.”

“I’m not going to be touching anybody!” he shouted.

After I jerked my shirt over my head, I huffed, “You don’t have to. I’m sure they’ll be touching you when they’re rubbing themselves all over your dick during a lap dance.”

“Now, listen to me. You might be my old lady, but that doesn’t mean you get to tell me what to do. So you need to pipe the fuck down.”

“You are an unimaginable asshole!” I screamed.

“And you need to learn your place!” he shot back.

I shook my head, hating myself for the tears that sprang into my eyes. “I can’t do this, Deacon. I can’t lie in an empty bed, wondering what or who you’re doing. If this is really how you feel, I don’t think we need to see each other anymore.”

“Dammit, Alex,” he snarled, reaching for my arm.

I pulled out of his grip and started for the door. “If you go to that club tonight, don’t bother coming home to me when you’re done. I won’t be here.”

With that, I slipped out the door. I pounded down the stairs and headed for my car.

“Hey, where are you off to so early?” Kim called from the sidewalk. She was doing her morning jog around the compound. When I didn’t respond, she came over to me at the car. I hurried and slipped inside, trying desperately to start the car so I could escape her.

“Alex, talk to me.”

“I have to get out of here.” I tried once again to put the key in the ignition, but my trembling hands wouldn’t work.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” When I burst into tears, she reached into the car and pulled me out. Putting her arm around my shoulder, she led me up the hill to her house. I was sobbing so hard I was shaking when she tugged me through the front door. I could only imagine the looks her kids and Case were giving me. She ushered me past the living room and kitchen onto the back porch.

“Now, what on earth is going on? I thought after your little fuck-fest with Deacon, there wouldn’t be any more trouble in paradise.”

Sniffling, I wiped my eyes on my sleeve. “Does Case go to the auditions at the Lounge?”

Her body stiffened. “No, he doesn’t.” When I opened my mouth, she shook her head. “It isn’t for the reason you think.”

“It isn’t because you told him not to?”

She shook her head. “No. It’s because it has too many bad memories for me. I was stripping there when I met him. Out of respect for me, he doesn’t go there anymore.”

“Deacon’s going to the auditions there tonight. He wouldn’t even listen to me when I pleaded with him not to go.” Staring into Kim’s green eyes, I said, “I don’t think I can be with him anymore.”

“Oh, no. I’m not letting you give up so easy.”

“I can’t be with someone who doesn’t care about my feelings. This may seem small now, but what happens when it’s something bigger? He told me he loved me, yet he can go down and watch naked women hump a pole? It doesn’t add up.”

“Deacon is just being stubborn. He’s never had to justify his actions to any woman. Nor has he ever had one tell him no, except his mama. You need to find a way to turn the tables on him, give him a taste of his own medicine.”

With a mirthless laugh, I said, “Why does all your advice come in the form of a game?”