During the months following the ball, Harry and Kath lived like any normal couple, making plans that now included the once feared marriage and babies. The official proposal hadn't happened yet, but it was only a matter of time and creating the right atmosphere, as the young man had already ordered the engagement ring. The peace and harmony between them had only been disturbed for a moment when Harry tried to be a bit more dominant in bed, and she reacted like a frightened child.
"Don't question it, baby. Just do it!" During a Sunday afternoon they spent in the secret room, he had done nothing but speak, in a mockingly authoritative tone, two or three sentences like this, which she normally used. However, the effect had been explosive!
"Let go of me!" She had suddenly shouted, pushing away from him and running out of there. Harry had been extremely scared by her reaction, even more so when he found her room locked and had to spend minutes knocking on the door, pleading
Harry nodded, but didn't disguise the fact that he was leaving rather annoyed. He asked Lily to let him know immediately when Kath was alone again, and spent the next forty minutes in his office, pacing back and forth, rubbing his face, trying to convince himself that this Darren wasn't an ex-submissive of Kath's, or even an ex-boyfriend she was hiding. The two of them had looked at each other with love! Or was that just his jealousy talking?"What kind of joke was that, huh?" He said, entering her living room without any introduction. "A guy comes in here, who I've never heard of, and you tell me to go out and talk to him? All this 'you look beautiful' over there, 'you look wonderful' over here! You completely ignored me! Who is he? You still have feelings for this guy... don't you?" He spoke, much louder than he was used to and without stopping."Harry? Harry!" She tried twice, three times, raising her tone as well, trying to catch his attention, but he just kept going,
On the very day that Darren was injured, the greatest tragedy of their lives occurred when Mrs. Gleizer Westwing decided to take action for the first time. She needed to take her son to the hospital, so she tried to leave the house but was stopped by punches, slaps, and kicks from her husband. Timothy, less experienced and impulsive, grabbed a gun that his father kept in the living room cabinet and accidentally fatally shot his stepmother.It was with this image of men that Kath had grown up, and she had promised herself with such strength that she would not let anyone subjugate her if she ever managed to escape. This determination to control others had become a part of her. Even after moving in with the Beauvoirs and witnessing the loving relationship between Abby and Hiram, Kath did not change her perspective, always thinking that behind closed doors, he was not as affectionate as he seemed. After so much senseless violence and cruelty, Kath couldn't believe in love until s
Harry told Kath that he was going up to the building's terrace to get some fresh air while she spoke with her brother on the phone. He climbed as quickly as he could and barely made it there before allowing the tears he had been holding back to flow down his face. After the initial shock and a barrage of questions racing through his mind, he felt an immense pain hit him with full force. However, he forced himself to maintain maximum composure because only by staying emotionally steady could he try to help the woman he loved so much.Hearing her ask if everything was okay between them hurt even more because it was tough to know that, on top of everything she was going through, she still feared losing him, when he had never been at risk. It was true that she had hidden something important from him, but it was also true that he already knew something serious had happened in her past, that she had tried to explain everything, and that he himself had prevented her from doing so.
They spent a good part of the late afternoon and early evening in her room, making love slowly. They also talked a lot about her childhood and adolescence, details of which Kath could now share without having to omit information that would reveal her false identity and the problems she, Darren, and their mother had faced. Harry was even more affectionate than usual, pampering his girlfriend in every way he could, preparing a bath with aromatic salts and a special snack for her, and not allowing her to lift a finger during the entire time."I feel like a queen, and I would love all of this if I didn't think you're acting like this to console me, unnecessarily." She said, entering the room after the bath, drying her hair, still in a robe. "I'm not that weak, my love." She added, kneeling on the bed near him, who hugged her around the waist."Kath, I..." He felt a lump in his throat but didn't want to cry again, so he controlled himself by holding her even tighter in his
Darren managed to get time off from work until the end of the week, and Kath convinced her brother to leave the hotel and occupy the guest room in her apartment. Over the next few days, she also took time off and spent most of her time with him. Both of them helped Harry with his move, which wasn't extensive as things like furniture, bedding, bath items, and kitchen utensils would stay in his house, to be rented out fully furnished.Kath decided to take care of her security by hiring Dean's brother, Jake Harvey, and his friend named Angelus to join the team. They began accompanying her everywhere in pairs. She chose not to contact the police and didn't inform the Beauvoirs about Darren's visit, as Hiram would surely find that cohabitation dangerous for both, and she didn't want to see things that way.On the last night of Darren's stay in town, Kath managed to host the dinner she had planned. She introduced Darren to Kitty, Harmony, Artie, and Samuel, presenting him as a childhood fri
He dimmed the room lights, leaving on, after a few failed attempts, a spotlight illuminating the small stage where the pole dance pole stood. Walking over to the sound system, he selected a song he thought would be perfect, considering he wasn't a good dancer for anything that required fast movements. "Trust Me" by Dee Joy and Yasmine Shah started playing, and he took his position under the spotlight, always followed by her curious gaze. Harry might not have been the most introspective or shy, especially when alone with Kath, but he was still a bit awkward. It was amusing to see him sway his hips to the song and start unbuttoning his shirt. He made funny faces, aiming to make his striptease entertaining, to dispel any tense atmosphere. However, when he was down to just boxer briefs, he saw desire in her eyes as she watched his body. He let himself be carried away by the sensual melody and lyrics. Kath might have chuckled a bit at the beginning of the "performance," b
"Where are the keys to the handcuffs?" he asked, softly, afraid of breaking the mood. He should have asked earlier, but he wasn't accustomed to the position he had taken on so suddenly. "First drawer of the dresser. It's just one key," she smiled. He released her shortly after but instructed her to stay still and silent while he took one of her breasts into his mouth and finally provided her with some pleasure with his fingers, although with all the care in the world, so that the delight wouldn't be enough for her to reach orgasm. Even when he replaced his fingers with his mouth, eager to taste her again, he didn't establish a continuous rhythm, as it wasn't the right moment to satisfy her fully. With an authoritative tone he didn't know he could use, he ordered her to taste his flavor as well. While she did, he gripped the back of her neck firmly, moving toward her mouth, closing his eyes and throwing his head back, ecstatic. It was hard not to climax again
"Of course, I accept, my love! And it does make a difference, indeed! Obviously, the most important thing I already have, which is you here, close to me, but it's good to confirm that you love me so much, enough to want me to be your wife in every way. And I know my parents would like me to get married, with all the formalities and with a man like you.""Like me?" He raised his eyebrows."Kind, polite, careful, affectionate..." She smiled. "After everything I've been through in recent years... all that I was, my choices... it will probably be the first thing I do that will make them proud, if the dead can indeed watch us from somewhere." She spoke, a little sad, but quickly abandoned that tone. "Put it on me!" Enthusiastically, she offered her left hand to him, who placed the ring on her finger, trembling a bit, which made them both laugh."Kath..." He sighed and caressed her hand, admiring the jewelry that represented their commitment. "Your parents would be so proud of yo