“Marcus,” I breathe. “You’re destroying me. You’re taking everything I am and twisting it. You’re...ruining me.”

“I know, precious,” he whispers.

God.

He kisses down my body. His mouth moves over my flesh and his hands caress me in a way I’ve never felt. It’s so gentle. So unlike him. My heart aches at the beauty he’s showing me and I want more. So much more. When his mouth settles between my legs over my panties, I moan his name and arch up into him.

He pulls back just slightly, and breathes over my pussy. Bliss. His fingers hook into my panties and he tugs them down before settling his mouth right back between my legs and sucking deep. So deep I’m screaming his name in a matter of minutes. With a shuddering body, I spread my legs for him as he moves over me. Then he’s sinking deep inside.

“Marcus,” I moan.

He starts fucking me . . . slowly? I blink in surprise. Marcus never fucks slow. He’s always going deep and hard, almost brutal. And that’s hot, but this . . . this is some kind of fucking wonderful. I reach up, sinking my fingernails into his back and moaning his name as he carefully slides his cock in and out. His hands come up and he cups my face, pressing his lips against mine as his body moves.

I realize, with sudden clarity, that Marcus Tandem is making love to me.

Something in my heart explodes and my body goes instantly warm. Everything comes alive all at once, and with his hands cupping my face, his body moving in mine so gently, I come. I come hard and long. Like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. My back arches and instead of screaming his name like I usually would, I whimper it. Like a desperate plea. He moans, deep and long, and then moments later his body shudders with his own release.

We both lay in the darkness, silent. He still hasn’t spoken a word to me. He drops his forehead to mine and his breath tickles my lips as we come down from what was the most amazing moment of my life. Then, ever so gently, he rolls off me and pulls me into his side.

And finally, for the very first time . . . Marcus sleeps with me the entire night.

CHAPTER 24

NOW

Marcus

The lamp in my hand soars across the room, smashing into my door. Clenching my fists, I drop down onto the bed, pressing my face into my hands. What the fuck am I doing? When the hell did I change from not giving a shit about her, to feeling something? This isn’t meant to happen. It’s not, because I’m Marcus Tandem.

And I’m falling in love with my wife.

What the fuck am I going to do?

~*~*~*~

KATIA

I feel amazing.

There’s just something awesome about the way my body is humming right now. After all, he stayed with me the entire night. The. Entire. Night. I can’t wipe the silly smile off my face as I walk into work, throwing my purse down onto the desk and flopping back into my seat. I’m sure the customers are going to love me today; after all I’m so damned happy they’re going to be getting some seriously amazing service.

I find myself daydreaming about my own husband as I answer phones and punch keys during my work hours. When he walks in, our eyes meet, and God if I don’t feel it right to my bones. His mouth tips up at the corner—a half smile. Fucking beautiful. The first real smile he’s ever given me. I didn’t realize it until that very moment, but that smile, the way it transforms his face¸ is one of a kind.

When lunch rolls around, he sweeps past me, dark chocolate eyes burning into me. He’s on the phone, but when he reaches reception he leans down, cupping my jaw, and he kisses me. Fuck. Yes. Then he pulls back, still listening to the phone, and he holds my gaze. He stares into them for a solid few minutes before stepping back and leaving.

Marcus Tandem.

Heaven.

After lunch, work slows down, so I do some filing. Candy is away today, and that sucks because I’d really love to talk to her. My eye is still throbbing from last night, but it’s not black. Besides, I’m in too much of a happy haze to care. Marcus is gone for the afternoon, and the office is quiet, so I potter about until the day is up. Then I rush into the house to prepare dinner.

Marcus comes in after six and drops his briefcase on the table. His eyes scan over me as I stand at the sink, washing the mess I just made to prepare the awesome roast cooking in the oven. His eyes flash and there goes that half smile again. “Goin’ for a run,” he murmurs.

“I made dinner,” I smile, leaning my hips against the counter.

“I see that.”

“Are you going to have some with me?”

His eyes crinkle as he unfastens his tie. “Yeah, precious.”

Yippee!

~*~*~*~

MARCUS

My feet pound on the pavement as I work to clear my head. Happy. Light. Airy. That’s how I feel today. It’s been a good day. Everything has gone perfectly. No arguments. No tension. For the first time in my entire life, I’m content. It’s a feeling I’m yet to process; after all I’ve never felt it before.

Is it because of her?

Fuck.

My heart is dragging me in two different directions. One of those directions is right into the arms of my wife, the other is out of her arms and out of her life. I’m not stupid, I know exactly what would happen if she found out about the contract. If she knew what I have done. She wouldn’t love me. So there really is only one question I have to ask myself.

Am I willing to let her fall harder?

Because if I continue on like this, and she finds out, her world will shatter.