The Gift of Strength Read Online M.A. Innes

Categories Genre: BDSM, Erotic, M-M Romance Tags Authors:
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Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72494 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
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Rolling my eyes, I popped his bottom and loved his squeak. “Boyfriend. Sub. Partner.”

My cutie went back to giggling, rubbing his hand absently over my chest. “I can’t wait to tell Amanda that your father called me a hussy. She’s going to love that.”

Groaning, I played up the drama to make him laugh again. “She’s never going to forget that, so only tell her if you want to hear the story over and over.”

“She’s also not going to forget that your father seemed to think her being a pain in the ass would make her the perfect wife for you.” Payton shook his head like he couldn’t believe it either. “That’s…I’m pretty sure she’s a Dominant and just doesn’t know it.”

Snorting, I rolled my eyes again and got another laugh from Payton. “She’s deliberately playing dumb about it. That’s one of the main reasons we don’t talk about anything like that anymore.”

He snickered, shifting so he was snuggled against me, not hiding. “I can’t believe that your father seemed to think she’d throw a frying pan at you.”

“I can’t believe he thinks that’s what makes a successful marriage.” My response or maybe my drama had Payton laughing again. “He’s lost his mind.”

Shrugging, Payton traced a finger around the collar of my T-shirt, sending sparks through me. Unfortunately, he didn’t seem to realize what all his squirming and rubbing was doing to me. “Do you think he just never had a good role model, so he doesn’t understand what’s healthy? I mean, it’s ridiculous but you also said the rest of your family is…well, colorful.”

That was one word for it.

“Well, I know his parents were just as colorful when they were younger but I only remember them when they were older and just grumpy. It wouldn’t surprise me, though.” They’d been retired by the time I was born and my first memories of them were of two grumpy people snapping at one another.

So maybe Payton had a point.

“What about your mother’s family?” His question made me groan. “That good, huh?”

“Yeah.” Kissing his head, I thought about his point. “You know, Amanda’s grandparents were the only people I remembered having a great relationship. He was stern and pushed education as being super important, almost to the point of driving all of us mad, but he loved his wife and she was always smiling.”

I laughed as a memory flashed through my mind and the sound had Payton looking up curiously. “I just remembered this time when I was a young teenager and Amanda’s mother sent me into the back of the bookstore to go find…God, I don’t remember what, but I remember those two going at it like newlyweds in the back, and I almost walked in on them having sex.”

Payton’s mouth fell open and he gaped in shock as I nodded and grinned. “Oh yeah, it was as embarrassing as you’re imagining.”

His head crashed into me. “I’d have died.”

“I almost did.” Kissing his head, I couldn’t stop smiling at the awkward memory. “But I think they were my vision of a happy relationship.”

I couldn’t even begin to guess if they were kinky or not, but I could still remember the way she smiled at him and the little ways he took care of her. If Payton and I were old together one day and I could spend the afternoon looking for the flowers I knew he loved or figuring out how to make him smile, I’d consider that a successful life.

Cupping his cheek, I gave him a soft kiss, barely brushing my lips against his as I tasted him. “But now you’re my vision of a happy relationship, pet, and I don’t want you to let anything my father said make you question that.”

Because I was quickly falling head over heels for my sweet pup.

Chapter 20

Payton

Turning toward him, I kissed his palm before shaking my head. “I’ll admit, if he’d been more rational and had called me anything else but a hussy, it might’ve hit me harder but it was all insane.”

I just couldn’t take any of it to heart.

Neither could Bex based on his chuckle. “I think that’s going to be my favorite part of all this once it fades a bit.”

Yeah, he still had a lot to think about, and I wasn’t sure if this was the time to question him or not, so I was going to do my best not to. “You’re going to do a wonderful job retelling it once you figure a few things out.”

Curling back into him, I tucked my face against his neck and took a deep breath. “I’m not going to pester you about decisions or ask a thousand questions right now, though.”

Nope. I was going to be good.

That had Master laughing softly. “You’re not? My boy isn’t curious?”

Still chuckling, he wrapped his arms around me and walked us back over to the couch, managing to keep us upright but moving a bit like a dinosaur with its prey in its claws. “Made it.”


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