by C. A. Harms
By the time Tanner worked me over with his mouth, I was a bundle of nerves. My body felt so alive, so hungry for more. It had never been explored so carefully and tenderly. I had never experienced touches and kisses as gentle and sexy as his. After all, my sexual experiences were very limited, compared to his.
We were about to cross a line that we could never uncross, and I was so ready.
As he nudged my legs apart and positioned himself before me, my need took over. I lifted my hips to meet his, and he moaned when he slipped inside me.
“Fuck.” His chest vibrated from the intensity of the word.
He started out slow and sensual, rotating his hips, moving inside me. I needed more. God, I wanted him to let go and take me.
“More,” I begged.
He gave me what I wanted, moving his hips faster and harder against mine.
Soon, I was so close my legs began to shake.
The moment the orgasm hit, he slammed into me harder, intensifying the overwhelming pleasure.
“Yeah.” He kissed the skin below my ear. “So good, so damn good,” he whispered between kisses. His muscles flexed beneath my hands as he finished, and a deep moan fell from his lips with his release. Covering my body with his, he then wrapped his arms around me tightly, and held me close.
***
I wasn’t sure at what point I had fallen asleep. I don’t remember anything after Tanner held me in his arms. After waking up with the sunlight spilling in through the blinds, I turned to find him lying next to me, awake and still naked. Heat rose to my cheeks as he watched me.
“Morning, beautiful.” His voice was husky when he spoke. “How’d you sleep?”
“Really good, better than I have in a while, actually,” I assured him.
He wrapped his leg over my thigh and curled his hand around my waist before pulling me tight against his body. “I guess that means you’ll have to stay here more often. I sleep better with you here too.”
Tanner’s sweet demeanor was soon taken over by the more cocky and arrogant guy that still had the ability to make my heart race. “Plus, having you naked in my bed is one hell of a bonus. I would love to end every day from here on out inside of you,” he said.
I tucked my head in the crook of his neck, shielding my face.
“Hey, don’t hide from me. Last night was hot. You don’t honestly expect me to not want a repeat as often as I can get one, do you?” He snaked his hand around my hip to squeeze my ass.
“Next time I think you need to be on top, though,” he said before a deep chuckle erupted from him. I burrowed in deeper, hiding my face even more.
“Okay, I’ll stop,” he assured me. “Honestly, though, I did sleep better with you in my arms.”
“Me too,” I confessed, looking up to meet his gaze.
***
I wasn’t sure if feeling this happy was normal after everything I had gone through to get to this point. Tanner made me forget all the bad things.
Over the last couple weeks life had been almost perfect. It was actually kind of scary, like at any moment something bad was going to happen. Things weren’t normally this great.
After Randy was sentenced to serve the next twenty years in prison for a long list of crimes, I could now focus on school again without constantly looking over my shoulder, so I enrolled in a few courses for the upcoming semester. Between Tanner working during the day and beginning construction on the house in the evening, he’d stayed busy. But even with his schedule he makes sure we see each other at least once a day, even if only for a short time. He’s always popping up in the most unexpected places at unexpected times.
The thought of hearing Tanner’s voice made me feel all giddy inside. I had just crawled into my car and thrown my bag into the passenger seat when my phone began to ring. Excitedly digging around in my purse, I found it at the bottom. A small amount of disappointment hit when I saw Bree’s number on the screen. I hid it the best I could as I answered.
“Hey, you,” I said as I placed my key in the ignition.
“Where are you?” Her voice sounded panicked, and a hundred terrible thoughts flashed through my mind.
“Um, just leaving class. What’s wrong?”
“Riley is in the emergency room. Zander called 9-1-1 when she called him at work in a panic. She was bleeding and having a lot of pain. They think she may be miscarrying.” Bree sounded winded, like she was walking fast. “I’m getting here now. Everyone else is on the way.”
My chest ached from the news. “Okay, I’m coming now.”
I hung up and swiped away the tears that had spilled over and dripped down my cheek. The excitement in Riley’s eyes when she talked about being a mommy came back to me in sharp detail. I silently prayed for her baby to be safe as I drove to the hospital. I wasn’t the type to pray, but right now they needed all the miracles they could get.
When I walked through the big glass double doors, I found the entire family taking up half the waiting room. They all looked so stressed and worried. As soon as his stare connected with mine, Tanner stood and approached me quickly, then pulled me in to a tight hug.
“Thanks for coming,” he whispered before kissing my temple.
“Of course.”
“We don’t know anything yet. Zander’s about ready to lose his shit. Max is getting irritable, and I’m not sure how much longer he can sit still. Bree’s considered slipping a sleeping pill into his coffee.”
Tanner pulled back and stared at me, and it was a little unnerving. “What?” I asked.
He shook his head and leaned in to kiss me softly. “Nothing. Just really glad you’re here.”
He led me to the group, and everyone offered forced smiles and soft greetings. They were clearly just as worried as Riley and Zander were. I had never met a family that was so put together and supportive of one another. Yeah, they fought, they teased each other when they got the opportunity, but they always stood by one another.
“Family of Riley Jacobson?”
We all turned in the direction of the doctor wearing a white lab coat. Zander was the first to stand, followed closely by Max.
“I’m her husband.” Zander’s voice was strained.
“Well, Mr. Jacobson, your wife and child are both doing just fine,” the doctor stated with a smile. The room instantly filled with sighs of relief. “She was very dehydrated and the bleeding was minimal, but probably enough to cause the dehydration. We also noticed that she has extensive swelling in both her ankles and hands.”
Kate nodded. She must have noticed the same thing.
“I’m going to suggest that she stay overnight for observation, but if all goes well she’ll be released tomorrow,” the doctor continued. “I am going to consult with her OBGYN, but I believe she may showing signs of preeclampsia. I may suggest that she be placed on bed rest for the time being, just as a precaution. Of course she will need to follow up with her doctor, and you, sir, will need to keep an eye on her.”
Zander nodded. “She won’t be alone.”
Everyone in this tight-knit group of family and friends nodded as well. Riley wouldn’t like the pact they had all just silently made, but I was sure none of them would care. Something told me she no longer had a say in the matter.
Chapter Eighteen
Tanner
“What’s up, B?” I asked as I used my shoulder to hold my phone to my ear. I was up to my ass in sheetrock and plaster. One of my guys had called in sick, and I was pulling double time to get his work and mine completed today. I didn’t want to fall behind and throw my entire schedule off.
“Can you grab Paisley from preschool? Max got hung up at the station, and I’m on Riley duty for the next two hours.” I could hear Riley protesting in the background, and Bree shut her down real fast. It was amazing how assertive Bree had become lately. I guess being in the company of Max the dominator would do that to a person.
“What time does she have to be picked up?” I asked.
“Um, in like thi
rty minutes.”
I looked around the room and took inventory of how far I’d gotten today. I was actually making headway. I had already dry-walled the entire room and began wiping the seams with plaster. I was further along than I planned to be, so I would be okay to cut out for the day. The rest of the crew could finish up, and we could start fresh tomorrow.
“I got her. Just call ahead and let them know about the change in plans. Ms. Barker scares the shit out of me. I don’t feel like being interrogated.”
Bree laughed. “Oh whatever. She has a thing for you, so no matter what you won’t escape without her attention.”
Molly Barker, aka Ms. Barker, was Paisley’s preschool teacher. She was single, in her late twenties, and I might consider her attractive if she was my type, but she wasn’t. She was always so touchy-feely, and that fucking laugh of hers—oh hell, it drives me nuts. She thought it was cute, but it hurt my damn ears. I considered showing up wearing my earplugs, but I thought that would be too obvious.
I arrived at the elementary school with three minutes to spare and hurried to the entrance. I waited patiently just to the side, attempting to hide among the other parents and caregivers.
The door opened and out ran a shit-ton of little screaming, crazy rug rats, swinging book bags and lunch pails, running wild as Paisley exited. Her hair was divided into two braids, and there was a big smile on her face. Damn, that kid pulled at something inside me. While living with Max and Bree, I had grown close to Paisley. I missed her. She was one of the things that had kept me there so long.
She spotted me, and her smile grew wider. Her little legs began to move as she ran in my direction and leaped into my arms.
“Hey, Princess, how was your day?”
“Fun, but Tucker ate my blue crayon.” I chuckled, and she narrowed her eyes. “He ate the red one yesterday.”
“Well maybe he likes you and he’s trying to flirt.” I laughed when her nose crinkled even more.
“He eats his boogers. That’s just gross,” she deadpanned. I couldn’t help but chuckle as I hugged her and turned toward my truck.
I thought I was in the clear until I heard Molly holler out from behind me. The sound of her voice made me tense up. Her hand touched my arm, and I bit down on the inside of my cheek. Slowly turning around, I forced a smile. “Hey, Ms. Barker.”
“Oh stop with the ‘Ms. Barker’ stuff. I told you to call me Molly.” She stepped closer and smiled up at Paisley. “This little angel was excited to hear her Tanner was picking her up today. You are so good with her.”
Oh here we go. “Yeah, well, I was happy too.”
When I attempted to turn around, she squeezed my forearm just a little tighter.
Okay, I’ll admit it, I was to blame for the way this chick acted around me. I had shamelessly flirted during Paisley’s meet-the-teacher night. Bree and Max thought it would be a good idea for me to come since I would be picking her up as well. They honestly should have known better. I was still pissed about the Shawn-and-Lily thing, and I was at that point going through a little no-attachments stage. Anything with legs got my attention.
“Can we go see Lily?” Paisley asked, and at that moment I loved her just a little more, if that was even possible. “I think we should get her a smoothie.”
Molly released my arm, and I took the opportunity to step back. Lily was addicted to strawberry smoothies, and Paisley was with me the last time I surprised her with one. The two girls spent the next hour bonding.
“I think she’d love that. You want one too?” She wrinkled up her nose and I chuckled.
“Banana. I hate strawberry. It has seeds,” she reminded me.
I nodded. “That’s right. You hate the seeds.”
“Lily?” I looked back over just in time to catch Molly’s puzzled stare.
“Uncle Tanner loves Lily,” Paisley announced, and I watched as Molly’s expression went from confused to extremely unhappy.
“My girlfriend, Lily,” I clarified, and she nodded lightly.
I took that as my chance to escape, and Paisley and I both walked away, offering a wave.
“Thanks, kid,” I said as I fastened her in to her car seat in the back.
“For what?”
I kissed her forehead and tapped the end of her nose. “Just for having my back. You did well, Princess.”
She had absolutely no idea what I was talking about, but she’d just cleared a hurdle for me, and I was thankful. Ms. Barker could now move on to her next conquest.
***
Lily was surprised when she walked out of Menden Hall and found Paisley and me perched on the front steps.
A blond guy shoulder-bumped her and smiled, but it fell from his lips quickly when he noticed me staring him down. I wasn’t entirely happy with how close he was to my girl. I stood and gripped her waist, then pulled her against my chest. I leaned in and kissed her, not taking my eyes off the guy still standing behind her, observing us.
Claimed, asshole. Back the fuck off.
That was what I wanted to say. Instead I looked at Lily while smiling at the fact that I, her man, had just taken her breath away with that damn kiss.
“Hello,” she sighed. “This is a nice surprise.”
“I picked Paisley up from school today. We decided to treat you with a smoothie,” I said before kissing her once more, tasting that familiar cherry flavor. Slowly I released my hold on her and bent down to grab her drink.
“Thank you,” she whispered, lifting it up to her mouth to take a sip. How the hell could she make that small task seem so damn sexy?
I looked over her shoulder, analyzing the douche that was still standing there like we owed him something.
Lily noticed and turned to look back. “Oh hey, this is Phillip. He’s my study partner,” she said before looking back at me. “Phil, this is Tanner, my—”
“Her boyfriend,” I said.
He watched me closely before nodding. I hoped he understood the message I was a sending loud and clear. If not, I was more than sure I could find another way to make it clear.
“Nice to meet you,” he said, his tone completely sarcastic. I was familiar with the cockiness in his voice because let’s face it, I swim in that shit.
I took Lily’s hand in mine, and Paisley curled her small hand around my pinky as I led them down the steps. “Eyes up, Phil, her ass is mine too,” I hollered over my shoulder just before cupping Lily’s butt and giving it a generous squeeze.
Lily spun around and narrowed her eyes at me. “That was awful. Why would you say that to him?”
“Because he was checking out your ass and I wanted to make it clear that you’re mine.”
“Paisley was right there.”
I chuckled as my eyes shifted to Paisley, who was still holding on to my finger tightly. “Please, she lives with Max. That comment I just made was nothing compared to the daily garbage she hears.”
I grabbed Paisley, lifted her up into the truck, and strapped her in. When I shut the door and turned around, Lily stood there staring back at me. “What?”
“I have classes with Phillip three times a week. I have to face him after you just embarrassed me.”
Embarrassed her? “I don’t like the guy, or any guy for that matter, checking out my girl. I was just making sure he understood that.” She cocked an eyebrow. “And three classes? I’m not so sure I like that.”
Lily shook her head, groaning in frustration. “Well, tough.” She spun around and stalked off toward her car.
“Hey, where are you going?”
“Home,” she said without turning around.
“I thought we could grab dinner or something.”
“Get your head out of your ass, and then we’ll see. Call me when you can act like a grown-up,” she said just before slamming her car door and starting it.
My pigheaded stubbornness had pissed her off. I mentally kicked my own ass for not just biting my tongue. That thought only lasted a second before I shook it off and gave mys
elf a pat on the back instead. Claiming something had never felt so right.
Lily was mine, and every horny bastard that tried to make a move was going to know that, loud and clear.
Chapter Nineteen
Lily
Oh my God, he was infuriating. Today was the third time this week Tanner has called some poor guy out for looking at me. First Phillip, who, I might add, barely talks to me anymore, which sort of makes being study partners difficult. I’m tired of the damn nods he gives me instead of words now.
The second attack was on some guy who held the door open for me and winked when I thanked him. I was sure he almost pissed his pants from the stare down Tanner had given him.
Now here we were at Gilbert’s Bar with Tanner standing chest-to-chest with some guy who’d called me “gorgeous.” Okay, it was a flirtatious comment, but it was innocent. It wasn’t like he grabbed my ass and called me “sexy” or something.
I placed my hand on Tanner’s arm and tugged him back. He only ignored me as he continued to threaten the poor guy.
“You see that girl?” He cocked his head in my direction, still staring down the guy in front of him. “Take one last look, memorize that face, and remember it. Now understand this—if you look in her direction again, this shit right here,” he motioned between them, “is gonna end real badly for you.”
The other guy swallowed hard but stood his ground.
I slapped my hand to my forehead and shook my head. I was gonna kill him, murder his ass in his sleep. He was driving me crazy.
Carson wrapped his arm around Tanner’s shoulders and pulled him away. I mouthed “I’m sorry” to the guy as I followed behind Mr. Pigheaded Ass and Carson.
Max was hiding his laughter behind his hand while they stood to the side observing this disaster. Bree tapped the back of his head with her outstretched hand, telling him in her own way to shut up. “What, babe? That shit was funny. For the first time I can turn the tables on T. He used to tear into me every time I showed any signs of jealousy. Calling me pussy-whipped and telling me to tuck my vagina away. Now it’s my turn to have some fun.”