"Which I'm inclined to believe they are..." She gave a small smile that erased the uneasiness that had been bubbling.

"Go on."

"Then two years is plenty of time for you to set plans in motion for BHI's future, help my father see we need some restructuring. I'm not suggesting it won't be a lot of work. But I've already seen what you can do when you focus your energy."

"Well played," he approved.

"As for addendum A-"

"The one outlining your role as my submissive."

A pretty shade of pink stained her cheeks, and she swirled her straw before looking up at him. "I'm willing to agree to all of that in exchange for the two-year concession."

"You drive a hard bargain."

"Which means we have an agreement," she said.

"I'll send you a revised copy today. We can be married Friday afternoon."

Slowly, she nodded. "I wondered about that time you had blocked off on your calendar."

"For you." Then he amended, "Us."

"You'll handle the arrangements?"

"If that's what you want. If it's important to you that you make the plans-"

"It's not."

He wondered how true that was. But her eyes gave nothing away. "I have a friend who's a judge. We can go to his office. Or I'm sure he'll be willing to meet at mine."

"Let's go to his. Fewer people that we may have to explain to."

"As for witnesses?"

For long minutes, she toyed with her straw. He wondered belatedly if she'd even taken a sip. "I don't want to invite anyone."

Julien's words about every woman wanting a wedding haunted him again. But then, he reminded himself, it didn't mean she wouldn't have a real one. Just not to him.

That thought brought him up short. The idea of her with someone else, looking forward to the future with another man, p.i.s.sed him off, though rationally he knew it shouldn't. "I'd like you to move in sooner, rather than later."

"How soon?"

"Tonight."

This time, she met his gaze fully.

"We'll need to touch base with your mother and ensure we have an agenda put together for the meeting. We have a script that we need to write, and we'll want to practice it so it flows well. It would be nice to have your mother's feedback on it."

"She'd love that."

"It will be easier to do if we're together."

He saw the battle rage across her face. First came her frown of denial. It was followed by her rolling her head in a slow motion. Finally, she gave him a sharp nod. "Agreed."

What he didn't tell her was that he'd be there to hold her, protect her, sh.o.r.e her up when doubt about her dad, about them, crept in. "You can pick me up after work, and we'll go to your house to pack up a few things."

"With the way you're dressed?"

"I have a change of clothes in my office."

"Of course you do."

"We'll get a crew for anything big, but the two of us should be able to manage the personal items that you'll be needing."

She moved the drink to the side. It was still full, and condensation dripped down the outside of the plastic cup. "Is fast the only speed you know?"

"I've learned that we don't always have as much time on the earth as we think we do. Tomorrow we have the board meeting. Wednesday we need to select rings. Pick me up at five?"

"I should get back," she told him, and her voice sounded strained.

He nodded.

After dropping her back in front of BHI, he returned to work. The first thing he did was call up their prenuptial agreement. He changed the term of the contract to two years and made the confidentiality agreement more expansive, noting the information could be shared as long as they were in accord. Before he sent it to her for perusal, he couldn't help but scan addendum A.

Already, she'd been incredible during their s.e.x play, adventurous and eager. He couldn't remember having been with anyone who was more perfect for him.

The opportunity to have her in his bed every night vanquished the doubts that Julien's words had raised.

Satisfied, he sent it over to her then got back to work.

A few minutes later, she sent him a fairly standard non-disclosure agreement. Smart woman. Within half an hour, she sent him back the prenuptial contract.

Confused, he opened it and didn't immediately see any changes. Instead of a.s.suming there were none, he opened a program to compare the two doc.u.ments. There was a change, to addendum B.

Wife does not cook.

He grinned.

Instead of revising the contract, he sent her an email.

Husband agrees.

Within minutes, she informed him that their duly revised prenuptial had been forwarded to her personal attorney for further review and reminded him that the lawyer would no doubt advise that his addenda would never stand up in court.

In that case, I'd like dinner on the table at 5:30 every night.

Her reply was almost instant.

What do attorneys know, anyway?

He appreciated her attempts to make things easier between them. She didn't have to, he knew. So her efforts were doubly appreciated.

By the time she pulled up to the curb a few hours later, he was dressed in casual clothes and waiting for her. To her credit, she was two minutes early.

"You don't mind if I drive?" she asked when he shut his door.

"Why? Are you terrible at it?"

"Of course not." She checked her mirrors before pulling onto the street. "I thought it might be something that you wanted to control."

"I appreciate that. But, no. My father's accident was a random-odds thing. A tire cut by debris, combined with speed and the angle of impact." He could discuss that part of it dispa.s.sionately. He'd read the report, saw the logic, could recite the facts. It was the emotional loss that he'd never sorted through.

She stopped for a traffic signal, and he looked at her. Since it was after hours, she'd taken off her jacket, leaving her arms bare.

"What?" she asked, glancing over at him.

"I'm thinking about later."

"What part?"

He swept his gaze over her, his intention clear, and her breath caught.

"Oh. That," she said.

That was real-and good-between them.

He suggested they stop at the local hardware store for boxes then he asked a customer service representative for help finding the black electrical tape.

"Electrical tape?" Lara asked as they headed toward the appropriate aisle.

"For your nipples," he reminded her.

She gasped. "You can't be serious."

"You never know."

The whole time they checked out, she looked from him, to the tape, then back.

While they drove to her house, he asked if she had a favorite local Chinese restaurant.

She handed over her phone and told him the name. "It's under my favorites tab."

"What do you want?"

"Mongolian beef. Spicy. And crab wontons. And eggrolls."

"You hungry?"

She shrugged. "I missed lunch."

He called in the order and asked for it to be delivered around six-thirty. After he hung up, he said to her, "Why am I not surprised you ordered the spiciest thing on the menu?"

"How do you know that?"

"The man on the phone said so."

Suzy-Q greeted them when they got out of the car.

First, she put her giant paws on his shoulders and gave him a sloppy upstroke kiss. Then she did the same to Lara.

Mrs. Fuhrman came running out of her house, wearing pink rollers in her blueish-purple hair and waving a leash.

"I've no idea what's gotten into her," the woman said. "She never misbehaves."

Connor met Lara's gaze and they both suppressed their smiles.

Connor clipped the mastiff mix back onto her leash and turned her over to Mrs. Fuhrman.

"You're the moving man, aren't you?"

"You could say that," he replied, grabbing a handful of boxes from the trunk.

"We'll miss you, Lara," Mrs. Fuhrman said. Then, making soothing sounds to Suzy-Q, she took the dog home.

"I'm convinced she sends the dog over here," Connor said.

"It's the only way she gets to talk to a handsome man."

"In that case-"

"Wait. I take it back."

"You think I'm handsome," he said.

"I forgot about the colossal ego."

He grinned. "Can you grab the bag with the electrical tape?"

She shot him a scowl, but did as he asked.

Inside, he began to tape boxes together, and she answered the door when the food arrived.

She set it all out on the counter, then took out paper plates and napkins and two bottles of Shiner Bock, his favorite beer. And it was Texas made.

The whole time she worked, her gaze kept straying to the electrical tape. "Seriously, what's it for?"

"Your nipples."