“I wasn’t guessing. Besides, that was an easy one.” I unlocked the Cruiser and tossed our bags in the back. I opened the front passenger door and stood in the opening after Christy climbed into the seat. “I thought we’d check into a hotel— No, a motel, someplace a real kidnapper would choose. I’ll abduct you from the parking lot and take you back to the room. Then I’ll have my way with you. Repeatedly.”
She swallowed hard.
“But that’s the kind of thing we need to talk about before we do it. So, I wanted to make sure you’re okay with it.”
“I… I think so. You have to promise me something, though.”
“Oh? What?”
“You won’t come inside me. We can’t mess around with that. Yesterday was our last safe day. Today’s danger week.” She sensed my reluctance and continued, “We can still
“I can stop and get some condoms—”
“No! I want to feel
I felt my frustration building, so I clamped down on my emotions.
Christy noticed anyway. “I know you think I’m being silly. Brooke gave me a lecture too. So please don’t start. This is my way, the Catholic way. And it’s the only way I can do it if we want to… have sex.” She folded her hands in her lap and stared at them. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to. We can go back to before, to just blowjobs.”
“Do you
“No. I want to feel you inside me. But you can’t come. You have to promise.”
I inhaled through my nose and exhaled slowly.
“We can still
“Only… we have to be careful.”
“You realize that ‘careful sex’ is difficult at best, impossible at worst?”
“It doesn’t
“Yeah, I know,” I said at last. “I’m just frustrated.”
“I can tell.”
“I’m not good at hiding it, am I?”
“No. But I’d still know.”
“Probably,” I admitted. I took another deep breath and tried to find an island of calm.
“I love you,” she said after a moment.
“I love you too.”
“And you know I’ll do anything for you.
“I know. I’m not ready for kids yet either.”
“Oh my gosh, no!”
“So, I guess we’ll have to be… careful.” I even managed to say the word without a sneer.
“Thank you. I wish I would just take the pill or use a diaphragm or even get an IUD.” She gave me a sheepish look. “Brooke and I had a
“Brooke’s smart. You should listen to her.”
“She is. But she isn’t Catholic.”
“No.”
“So we have to do this the Catholic way. And that means you have to pull out.” She ducked her head to look up at me hopefully. “You can come in my mouth. I’ll be your own personal sperm bank.”
“You already are.” I took another deep breath and forced an attitude adjustment.
“Only, do you think we can have a normal night?” she asked. “Stay at a regular hotel, maybe even a nice one, and you can make love to me? I swear, you can kidnap me some other time. Tonight I just want to feel you inside me and know you still love me.”
“I
“Sometimes I drive myself crazy.”
“—but I’ll survive. So, yeah, we can have a normal night.”
“I’ll make it worth your while. I promise.” She ventured a smile. “And since we didn’t get to fool around this morning, I know you have plenty of pressure built up. I’d better relieve you before we do anything else.”
“Oh? You have something in mind?”
“Maybe a repeat of the last time we were here? And I should probably take my dress off. I don’t want semen stains on it. Not that I plan to let any escape, mind you.”
“My own personal sperm bank, huh? And then next week
“Oh, yes, sir! Open for deposits, bent over for deposits, tied up for
deposits, whatever you like. Morning, noon, and night. Five, six, seven deposits a day! And the best interest rate in town.” She grinned coyly. “I’m
“Ha! Good one.”
“Are you ready to make your first deposit, Mr. Sperm Donor?” She leaned forward and kissed me. “You know you can’t stay mad at me.”
“I can’t.”
“I thought you’d see it my way.”
“Did I have a choice?”
“Of course! But not anymore. Now you’re stuck with me.”
“I can think of worse things.”
“Worse than a girlfriend who insists on Catholic birth control?”
“Much worse. Besides, it’s only one week a month.”
“I know. I don’t like it either, but…”
“It beats the alternative.”
“It does. Now, if you’ll please get in the car. You owe me a deposit.”
We made it to Knoxville with a minimum of fuss. The weather was beautiful, so we drove with the windows down and the radio blasting. We stopped at the grocery store on the way into town and then opened all the windows in the house to let in the fresh spring air.