Page 52 of Why Not Forever?

Tanner shakes his head and gently takes my arm from my sleeve. Then he starts to work on the buttons of my blouse.

“I’m fine,” I say, catching his hands.

“You’re going to sleep in your blouse and slacks instead of these cozy pyjamas?”

I glance at the set he’s chosen. They’re my favourite. I wonder if he knows that or if it was a lucky guess.

“Come on, Vic. I’ve seen you naked before.”

“Yeah, close to a decade ago.”

He pins me with that dark gaze, and I can’t help but feel like, if I weren’t sick, I might let him undress me, and other things.

“You think I’ve forgotten?”

“Why would you remember?” I ask.

He rolls his eyes and waits for me to give him permission to continue.

I nod and he undoes the buttons of my blouse until I’m sitting on my bed in my bra. I feel incredibly exposed, except he doesn’t really look at me. He just gets my pyjama shirt and moves to slip it over my head.

“Can you…”

He pauses, waiting for me to finish.

I swallow hard. “The bra.”

Thankfully, I’m probably already beet red from the fever. He simply nods and takes it off me with quick efficiency. Every time his fingers brush my skin, they’re cool and I know it’s because I’m burning up, but it feels nice.

My pyjama shirt is on quickly, then he’s helping me out of my shoes and slacks. I hadn’t even realized I was still wearing shoes. After he puts my pyjama pants on, he tucks me into bed. Then he’s gone again, to get something else. He returns with a large bowl and a glass of water.

“If you don’t think you can make it to the bathroom, you can use this,” he says. “I’ll take care of it.”

“That’s disgusting,” I say.

“It won’t be the first time.”

I close my eyes. They’re burning and I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck, but the Tylenol seems to be working because I’m exhausted.

“When have you cleaned up puke before?” I ask.

“I’ve cleaned up after most of my siblings at one point or another,” he says, fussing with my blanket a bit. “And my nieces and nephews when they were babies.”

“I’m sorry I got sick right before we’re supposed to go away,” I say. Even though the idea of sleeping in the same bed with Tanner made me nervous, I had also been excited to go, spend the time alone with him. Maybe renegotiate our agreement regarding sex.

“Rest, Vic,” Tanner says. “I’ll come back in a bit to check on you, but I’ll be just out in the living room if you need anything.”

“Okay.” My eyes are already closed. I relax into my bed as unconsciousness claims me, secure in the knowledge that Tanner is here.

Chapter 19

Tanner

Whensomeoneknocksonthe door, I stretch before going to answer it. I have my papers and laptop spread out on the dining table, trying to get some more work done since I left early today. I’ve also already told Richard I won’t be in tomorrow.

I open the door to find Derek on the other side. He hands me a bag.

“You have a key. You could have come in,” I tell him.

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