Page 66 of Why Not Forever?

“Yes.”

He reaches across the table and takes my hand. “What then, Vic? What happens to our end date if it works out between us?”

I meet his eyes and the emotions I find there make me breathless. The laughter is gone, replaced by something that echoes inside me. Hope.

“Nothing,” I say. “We stay married. We stay together.”

“For how long?”

I swallow hard and my voice drops to a whisper, “Why not forever?”

“That’s a very long time,” he says.

“Is it too long?”

He shakes his head. Then he clears his throat and sits back, returning to the role of negotiator. “Say I agree to these changes to our contract. When do they begin? And where do kissing and sex fall into the arrangement?”

I straighten as well, lifting my chin as though this is simply another run-of-the-mill contract negotiation.

“There’s no time like the present. And I believe all physical contact should be put on the table.”

“On the table, hm?”

In a swift movement, he stands, plucking me from my seat and setting me on the edge of the table, spreading my legs and stepping between them. I gasp at the movement, my arms winding around his shoulders, pulling him closer.

“I like the way you think, Mrs. Marcus.”

His hands are on my hips, holding me steady as he presses into me, his erection straining at his pants. He lowers his head slowly, pausing a breath away from my lips.

“Are you sure about this, Vic?” he whispers.

“Yes,” I whisper back, because it’s easier to say it like it’s a secret. “I like you, Tanner. A lot. And I want you.”

He groans and his lips finally crush mine. The kiss sends me up in flames, his lips caressing, his tongue seeking entry into my mouth. I open for him and he presses his full advantage, claiming me as though he never intends to stop kissing me. I hook my ankles around his legs, my hands roaming up and down his back. I want our clothes gone and I reach around to the front to start undoing the buttons on his shirt, but he catches my hands, stopping me.

“Please, Tanner, let me—”

“No.”

I blink in surprise. “N-no?”

When I meet his eyes, they’re burning with desire. He shakes his head, one hand coming up to cup my chin. “If you want me, Vic, thenyouare going to letme.”

Chapter 24

Vic

Ihaveneverbeenmoreturned on than I am from the way Tanner takes complete control. He’s usually so laid back, ready with a joke to make light of any situation. Now, he’s very serious and utterly in charge. Most of the time, I’m more dominant in bed, though I’ve known for a while that I’m a switch. It’s just that being submissive, for me, requires a huge amount of trust, and as I meet Tanner’s glittering brown eyes, I know I have enough with him to let him take control.

I nod, accepting his statement. Then, he picks up his tie and my heart speeds as I wonder what he intends to do with it.

I watch it apprehensively as he brings it closer.

“Do you think you can handle it if I blindfold you?” he asks.

“Blindfold?” I repeat, because I’m not certain I heard him right. He brings the tie to my face and brushes the silk against my cheek.

“Yes. You see, I have this feeling, if I don’t do something, you’re going to try to take control at some point.” He pauses to kiss me. “And I have been waiting and thinking about this night for almost eight years. Tonight, I am in charge.”

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