Still The One: A Small Town Friends to Lovers Romance (The Heartbreak Brothers Book 2)

by Carrie Elks

  How quickly he could be inside her. His body ached at the thought. He was throbbing, reacting to the steady grind of her hips and her desperate kisses. Sliding his hand down further, he traced her with the tip of his finger, feeling her warm wetness as she gasped against his lips.

  When he looked at her, Tanner could see his own need reflected back at him. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and her gaze never left his. “Please touch me,” she whispered, arching her back until her body made contact with his hand again, her pelvis tilting against his palm until his fingers were sliding through to the warmest, neediest part of her.

  His finger easily found the swell of her, circling until her hips reflected the rhythm. He swallowed her cries with a deep kiss as he slid two fingers inside her. She was tight and hot and everything he wanted. His thumb pressed against her clit, as he coaxed the pleasure from her. She cried out again, her thighs tightening around his arm as she soared toward the peak.

  When she came it was glorious. Her body froze above him, her head tipping back, a long, low groan escaping from her lips. He held her with his free hand, the other still moving against her, heightening her pleasure. As she slowly coasted down from her high, he kissed her softly, wanting to remember this moment forever.

  Her hand slid down his chest, her fingers feathering against his hard stomach. Reaching down, he captured her wrist and pulled it to his lips. “You don’t need to,” he said, his voice thick.

  “You don’t want to…” She blinked at him, her eyelids still heavy with pleasure.

  He looked around her bedroom. “I don’t have anything,” he said softly. “And when we make love I want us to be alone. Because I intend to make you scream very loud.”

  She laughed. “So sure of yourself.”

  “That’s what I like for you to think.”

  She slid her hands down his body, her warm hand encircling him. He squeezed his eyes shut at the sudden shot of pleasure. “At least let me help with this,” she murmured in his ear.

  He turned his head to capture her lips. “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure.” Her grasp was just right. Enough to make his toes curl and his breath shorten. And as her palm moved against him, in a rhythm as old as time, every thought in his brain flew away, replaced by her.

  Always her.

  No more fears. No more vulnerability. Just the rawness of the two of them together. And when she crawled down the bed, her warm lips stretching around him, enveloping him, there was a bright flash of whiteness behind his eyes. He surged inside her, and she took every drop. And damn if that didn’t make him want her even more.

  Someone was screeching. No, not someone, something. It made her head pound, her eyes wincing as she opened them and tried to find the source of the piercing noise.

  But instead of rolling onto the mattress, she felt warm, hard flesh beneath her. Tanner was still here. She smiled and poked him.

  “Answer your damn phone.”

  “Huh?” He sat up and looked around, his eyes wide with shock. His hair was messier than it had been last night, pointing every way except the direction it was supposed to.

  “Your phone,” she said patiently, pointing to the cell poking out of his jeans pocket on the floor. “It’s ringing.”

  “Who is it?”

  Her lips twitched. “My mom. She wants to know why you defiled her daughter last night.”

  “Because her daughter’s a damn temptress.” He reached out to grab the phone, bringing it close to his eyes. “It’s Becca.”

  Van laughed. “Maybe she wants to know, too.”

  He shook his head and accepted the call, putting the phone to his ear. “Wassup?”

  “Your car’s blocking mine in. Where are you? Because I know you’re not in your room.” Her voice was loud, and Van could easily hear it.

  Tanner’s eyes met hers, and he smiled. “Nowhere you need to know.”

  “Did you hook up last night? Oh god, please tell me you’re not in bed with Chrissie Fairfax.”

  Wasn’t that a metaphorical cold bucket of water? Van sat up in bed and gave him a rueful smile before reaching for her sleep shorts and tank.

  “It’s none of your business. And there are a spare set of keys in my bedroom. Top drawer of the dresser.”

  “I looked in there and couldn’t find them.” Van could almost hear the eyeroll in Becca’s voice. “So get your butt home and move your damn car before I lose my job.”

  Van pulled on her pajamas and hugged her knees to her chest, watching as Tanner rolled his legs until he was sitting up on the mattress, his feet on the floor. “I’m on my way.”

  “Thank you.” Becca sounded gratified. “And say hello to her, whoever she is. I expect I’ll hear all about it at Chairs on Friday.”

  Van went pale. Tanner shook his head and ended the call, turning to look at her.

  “That was Becca.”

  “I know. I heard.”

  He nodded. “I need to get home.”

  “Yeah, you do. Before Becca toilet papers your room.”

  The corner of his lip lifted. “Don’t say that. She’s probably already planning on it.” He reached for his t-shirt, pulling it over his head, then shuffled his legs into his jeans. “I’ll go home and shower, get a change of clothes, then I’ll be back to pick you up.” He glanced at his phone. “Give me an hour.”

  “You’ll pick me up?” She tipped her head to the side. “Where are we going?”

  “To the drive-in. We’ve got the construction team arriving this morning, remember? Then this afternoon we need to talk websites and publicity.”

  “On a Saturday?” she asked, her eyebrow lifting.

  “We’re on a tight schedule.” He shrugged, standing to button his jeans. “If that’s okay with you.”

  She nodded. “It’s fine.” Her voice was soft. “I guess I need to shower, too. And make sure Zoe gets up okay.” Her eyes shifted from his. “And I’d rather she didn’t see you leave.” She took a deep breath, remembering Becca’s jibe. “Let’s not be the topic of conversation at Chairs this week.”

  “I’ll climb out of your window like a ninja.” He winked, shoving his phone in his pocket.

  “A really tall, loud ninja.”

  He grinned and leaned forward to press his lips against hers. It was unexpected yet familiar. She kissed him back, trying to ignore the way he sent her heart racing.

  “Be ready in an hour,” he said again, pulling away and opening her window, poised to climb out. “I’ll see you later, beautiful.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Van, Age 17

  “Did you finish that English assignment?” Tanner was leaning on the side of the wooden box office, his arms crossed over his muscled chest. He’d been playing more football this year and it showed. The coach made them train every night, but he’d still end up at her place as the sun dipped beneath the horizon, covered in mud, his body aching from all the exercise.

  “Yeah.” She nodded. “I did it when the movie was on.” She lifted the sheafs of paper in front of her.

  “One advantage of the movie going on forever.” He rolled his eyes and took her assignment from her. “How long are they gonna keep showing it? There’s only so many times I can bear watching DiCaprio die.”

  Van’s lips twitched. “It’s a beautiful scene. He gives his life up for her.”

  “There was enough room for both of them on the door. Nobody needed to die.” He glanced up at the screen. The credits were rolling. Cars were backing out of their spaces and slowly joining the line to get out of the field. “Can’t you persuade old man Chaplin to show something with more action? I’m sick of chick flicks.”

  “Titanic isn’t a chick flick.” She pulled out the cash drawer to count the takings. “And there’s lots of action in the movie. Don’t sulk because you’re jealous of Leo.”

  “Jealous of that kid?” He shook his head. “No way.”

  She stacked the twenties, then the tens.

  “Tanner!�
� someone called from a car. She looked around him to see Chrissie Fairfax hanging out of the window. “We’re going to the creek. My cousin’s bringing a keg. You wanna come?”

  “I dunno.” He shrugged. “What do you think?” he asked Van.

  “I think I’m not invited,” she pointed out. “And anyway, I need to get home. Check on Mom.”

  He turned back to Chrissie. “Not tonight.”

  Chrissie batted her eyelashes at him. “That’s a shame. Maybe next time.”

  “Sure.”

  Van gritted her teeth and rolled the bills into cylinders, wrapping them with rubber bands. “Sure,” she muttered. “Because I’m desperate for a look at your boobs.”

  “I didn’t know you were into girls.” He leaned closer, grinning at her. “Tell me more.”

  “Your girlfriend’s trying to get your attention.”

  “What?” He looked over his shoulder.

  “Call me,” Chrissie shouted, lifting up her cellphone. “If you change your mind. You’ve got my number, right?”

  “Go,” Van said to him. “The two of you getting together is inevitable.” She had no idea why that thought hurt, but it did. They were growing up. Having boyfriends and girlfriends was part of that.

  “I’m walking you home, remember?”

  “I can get a ride off someone. Jack lives over my way.”

  The smile slid from his face. “You’re not getting a ride from Jack.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because he’s a manwhore. He’ll probably feel you up with one hand and steer with the other. I don’t want you getting in any accidents. We have a plan, remember?”

  She separated out the coins, putting them into separate clear bags then into the cash box. “Yeah, well maybe I want to be felt up by Jack.”

  Tanner leaned into the window, his brows knitting together. “What?”

  Van shrugged. “I’m not a vestal virgin, Tanner. But everybody seems to treat me like that. Every time I think a guy’s gonna ask me out, he always seems to back off. It’s frustrating. I’m seventeen years old and I’ve barely kissed a guy.”

  “Seventeen’s young.”

  “You’re seventeen,” she pointed out.

  “Yeah, but I’m a guy.”

  “What’s that got to do with it?” She locked the cash box. “Please don’t tell me you have this sexist belief that girls shouldn’t put out but boys should. I thought you were better than that.”

  He grinned. “I am better than that. And I’m not talking about girls, I’m talking about you. Imagine if you go out with a guy and then he breaks your heart. I’m gonna have to beat the crap out of him, and that could end up on my permanent record. So you keeping yourself chaste is doing me a favor. Seriously.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “Chaste?”

  His eyes sparkled. “Virginal. Whatever.”

  She shook her head. “You’re such a loser, you know that?”

  “So they tell me.” He leaned in and ruffled her hair. “Come on, Van. Let’s go home.”

  She licked her bottom lip, her brows knitted together. Mr. Chaplin drove up in his electric cart to take the money, and their conversation was forgotten.

  At least until they were halfway home. They’d walked in silence for the first part, their sneakers kicking up the dust as they passed the growing corn lining both sides of the road. The moon was low in the sky. Heavy, almost, and it cast a pale light that made everything look black and white.

  “Tanner?” Van asked, looking up at him.

  “Yeah?”

  “Did you have something to do with Nathan breaking things off with me last month?”

  He stared straight ahead, his tongue pushing against the softness of his cheek. “What makes you ask that?”

  “Because I could never figure it out. One minute he was asking me to the Spring Fling, the next he was telling me he needed to concentrate on football.” It had been so obvious he liked her. He’d insisted on giving her a ride home from school every day even though it was in the wrong direction. And he’d sent her flowers, too. Nobody had done that before.

  Okay, so she hadn’t exactly been heartbroken when he’d told her it was over. But it still stung a little. Nobody liked to be rejected.

  “You dodged a bullet. Did you hear about him and Lainey Ranger? They did it last month and then he ended things with her the next day.” Tanner shrugged. “He’s as bad as Jack.”

  “He went out with Lainey Ranger?” Van stopped walking. “I didn’t know that.”

  “It was after that party at the Fairfax’s house.”

  “Ah. That one.” She shook her head. “I guess he really didn’t like me then. He didn’t need to lie about concentrating on football though.” She swallowed. “Maybe I really am hideous.”

  “You’re as far from hideous as it’s possible to be.” Tanner winked.

  “So why didn’t he want to take me to the dance?” Maybe she was more hurt than she thought. God, she hated this whole being a teenager thing. Just a few more months and they’d be graduating, and she could escape from this damn town and its gossip and expectations.

  “Because he’s an asshole.” Tanner let out a mouthful of air. “And because I told him not to.”

  Her head snapped up. “What?”

  “He was talking about you in the locker room and I didn’t like it.” Tanner eyed her warily. “Kept talking about how you were bound to put out if you were anything like your mom. So I told him not to take you to the dance.”

  “And he just agreed to that?”

  Tanner shrugged. “I might have sweetened the deal with a threat or two.”

  Heat flushed through her. “Damn, Tanner. I can’t believe you did that.”

  “I’m just looking out for you. It completely sucks, but guys talk about girls in the locker room all the time. They rate them out of ten. I don’t want you to be the one they’re talking about. Because I’ll end up having to fight someone.”

  “Like I did?”

  He almost smiled. “Yeah. Except when you hit Chrissie it wasn’t exactly the way guys hit.”

  “You are sexist. I knew it.”

  “I’m not sexist. I’m a realist. And I’m not going to listen to a guy talk about you like that and not do something about it.” He sighed. “So do me a favor and avoid the football team.”

  “It’s clear they’re avoiding me, not the other way around.” She tried to feel angry, but it was impossible with Tanner. And as much as she hated the way the world worked, there was truth in his words. She knew how strong he was, could see it in every movement. If he hit Nathan Daniels it would hurt him bad. And Tanner would be in big trouble. “I’m never going to be kissed, am I?”

  “Of course you will. By the right guy.”

  “And who decides if he’s right?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips. “You?”

  “I know how guys think. And I know that you’re not the kind of girl who wants to be thought about like that. We’ve got a plan, remember? We’re gonna study like crazy, get into college, and get the hell out of here. You don’t want to mess it up with kissing the wrong guys.”

  “Maybe I do. Maybe I want to be kissed and touched and shown that I’m more than Tanner’s friend. More than the daughter of the town slut. Maybe I want a guy to kiss me so hard I forget my name.”

  The moonlight sharpened the lines of his face, highlighting the bone structure all the girls went crazy over. “Van...”

  “What?”

  He stopped walking, grabbing her arm to stop her, too. “You’re beautiful,” he told her. “You know that. And guys want you. Why wouldn’t they? You’re like a piece of fucking sunshine that’s fallen to the ground.”

  She blinked. “A piece of sunshine?”

  “I’m a mathematician, not a poet.”

  Still, the words hit her right in the chest.

  He reached out to cup the side of her face, her chin tucked into his palm. “You. Are. Beautiful. And the thought of those assholes
kissing you kills me.”

  Her breath caught in her throat, because he was staring at her in a way she’d never thought possible. Like she was the moon and the stars and everything in between. It made her legs feel weak.

  “Tanner…”

  “You want to be kissed?” he whispered. “Then I’ll kiss you.”

  She said nothing. Just waited for him to start laughing and elbow her in the side. But instead he stared at her with those dark, dark eyes, his lips slightly parted. She swallowed hard, closing her eyes as his fingers caressed her skin, sending a spark of electricity down her spine.

  “Do you want me to kiss you?” he asked.

  She opened her mouth to answer, but fear stole her words. Because this felt real. Her skin prickled with heat, as though a slow burning fire was engulfing her body.

  “Open your eyes,” he said softly.

  Without thinking, she obeyed, her lids slowly opening. His face was close. Enough for her to see the golden specks in his eyes and the bump on his nose from where he ran into a fence when he was nine.

  Her eyes scanned him, as though she was trying to take everything in. This was Tanner. Her best friend. And yet he looked different. His jaw was stronger, more defined. He wasn’t a boy anymore; he was on the cusp of being a man. A devilishly handsome man who was impossible to ignore.

  “Do you?” he asked, his head dipping until his eyes were in line with hers.

  “Yes.” Her gaze didn’t waver. She waited for him to move closer, but he paused. Enough for her blood to heat up. She was completely aware of him. Of the way he smelled of popcorn and fresh air. Of the breeze that danced through the ends of his dark hair. Of the way his chest rose and fell as he stared at her lips.

  He was torturously slow as he inclined his head, then brushed his lips against hers so softly she could barely feel it. Her stomach flipped like it was on a trampoline. Then he kissed her harder, his hand pressed against the back of her head, angling it to his. She curled her arms around his neck, arching her back as she kissed him, her body taking over as though it knew exactly what to do.