“BDSM and kink cover a lot of areas,” Patrick said, smiling down at Lexie as he ran his hand over her short hair, dropping it down to the back of her neck. She beamed up at him. “Everything from high protocol to just scening at a club or experimenting in the bedroom. No one in our group of friends does it the same way. You’re on the lighter side compared to the rest of us, but I would still say that you’re Sharon’s Dom. Especially when you’re here.”

Frowning slightly as he turned over the idea in his mind, Jake looked over at the ladies’ room where Sharon was emerging with Kate by her side. He shook his head. “Sorry bro, I think we’re too vanilla to be kinky.”

“You just deliberately had sex in a BDSM club with a massive audience,” his sister said, her voice dripping with derision. Not at what he’d done, but at his denial. “And you’re going to tell me that you’re vanilla.”

Jake frowned harder as Patrick laughed.

Reaching out, Patrick clapped a hand on his shoulder, still chuckling. “I think your kink-meter might be broken, or at least a little skewed. Neither you or Sharon are hardcore kink players, and I don’t think you’ll ever be, but you’re definitely not fully vanilla either.”

So, they were… What? Hardcore vanilla? Jake snorted at the oxymoron. Sharon would like that.

He watched her crossing the room, her face lighting up as she caught his gaze.

Truthfully, did it really matter what they called themselves?

It didn’t to him.

“What are you all talking about that’s got everyone looking so serious?” Sharon asked as she sidled up to Jake.

“Whether or not I’m a Dom,” he told her, curving his arm around her waist and pulling her into his side.

Sharon shrugged. “Does it matter?”

“Not to me,” he said firmly, a smile growing on his face. He leaned down to kiss her, drawing ‘ooh’s from their watching friends.

This wasn’t a position Jake would have ever predicted he’d be in – and Sharon definitely wasn’t the woman he’d ever seen himself with – but he couldn’t deny how completely right it felt. How happy he felt. Yeah, there were probably going to be arguments in the future, plenty of ridiculous antics for him to tolerate, and her crazy family to deal with, but Jake felt like he was right where he was supposed to be.

The kiss broke apart and Sharon smiled up at him, her dark eyes filled with warmth, all of her focus on him despite their audience. “I really like you.”

Considering how long they’d gone not liking each other, that meant a lot to him.

“I really like you too, princess.”