Meant to be Kept

by Amelia Foster

  With a groan, Tanner turned and rested his forehead on the post. “I know I don’t deserve easy. But I can’t lose her. I have to make this plan work.” He tapped his head against the post a few times before straightening up and squaring his shoulders. “And the plan starts tomorrow.”

  ***

  “Do you trust me?”

  Tanner just stared at Belle in complete disbelief. Did he trust her? Was she kidding? He rested against the front of her car, cold from the December air. “Of course I trust you.”

  A note of mischief lit her eyes. “So I can blindfold you and drive you to an undisclosed location and you’ll be totally okay with it?”

  “Uhhh,” he glanced down at the strip of material in her hand before looking at her smiling face again, “yeah. I guess so?”

  He questioned the decision the entire drive to wherever Belle was going. They had just finished their last day of class before winter break, and he was looking forward to spending every moment he wasn’t at football practice with Belle. Being kidnapped, however, did not figure into his plans.

  The tail of the blindfold was tickling the back of his neck, his sense of direction was out of whack, and it felt like they had been driving for hours. Nah, this isn’t going to work. He opened and closed his mouth, trying to think of a nice way to shut this down.

  “We’re almost there.” She squeezed his hand excitedly.

  That was all it took to silence his complaint and make him smile. She had been acting secretive and downright giddy for days. At the time he had chalked it up to the upcoming holidays, but now he realized it was because she was planning something for him. Damn, he loved this girl. And he wasn’t going to ruin anything she worked on by whining.

  “Okay, stay right there,” she instructed sternly, throwing the car in park. Before he could respond, she had climbed out, rounded the car, and was tugging on his arm to lead him to what he could only hope was their final destination.

  Wordlessly she led him a few feet and through what sounded like sliding doors. A quick turn to the left and they suddenly stood still. “Are we there? Can I take this off now?” He failed to keep the hopeful lilt from his voice.

  A ding sounded just then and she pulled him forward again. Familiar sounds of tightening cables greeted his ears followed by a whoosh and movement that made him feel slightly unsteady.

  “Are we in an elevator?” His mind began cataloguing the places Belle could possibly want to bring him that included an elevator.

  She hummed in the affirmative against his cheek, offering a gentle kiss, and then dissolved into giggles. Belle giggled. She never giggled. She’d laugh, mostly at him when he wasn’t trying to be funny, she’d chuckle and shake her head at his bad jokes, but Belle never, ever giggled. What the hell?

  They came to a stop, and when the doors opened, their little game of follow the leader resumed. He swallowed back more complaints that wanted to bubble to the surface.

  Less than two minutes later, after she had helped him out of his coat and took off her own, Belle untied the blindfold, and Tanner was oh so glad he had bit back every damn word. His eyes swung around the hotel room, drinking in every detail from the candles on the dresser and end tables to her memory foam pillow he loved so much on the bed. No wonder she had disappeared for so long this morning.

  Finally his gaze settled on the petite brunette standing by his side, fidgeting with the cloth that had been used to cover his eyes. She bit down on her lower lip and lifted her shoulder slightly. “I-I don’t know if you want to, I-I mean m-maybe I should have asked, but I thought—”

  His mouth covered hers in a hungry kiss, cutting off her words. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off her feet, eliciting a squeak against his mouth. Driven by the hunger that had grown over their months together, he set her on the small desk to their left and let his hands travel under her shirt and across her silky skin. He nudged against her knees, encouraging her to open them. She groaned when he pressed against her.

  Slow down. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, logic kicked in. This wasn’t a random hook-up. This wasn’t a one-night stand. This was his Belle, and this was her first time. He needed to make this good for her.

  The very reminder that he would be the only one to know what Belle looked like after he stripped her clothes off, the sounds she made as he kissed every inch of her body, and what she felt like when he finally slid inside her fed his already healthy ego. A cocky smile spread across his face as he pulled back slightly to look at her.

  Her cheeks were tinged with pink and her eyes were wide with desire. “So that’s a yes, then?” she asked in a breathless voice.

  Tanner cupped her face in his hands and ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “Oh sweetheart, ‘yes’ is only the beginning.”

  She covered his hands with hers and looked deep into his eyes. “I love you and I want to be with you so badly, but I-I’ve never…and you’ve…and…” She huffed her frustration. “I don’t want to do anything wrong.”

  He dropped his hands to her waist and pulled her tightly against him, lifting her off the desk. He carried her to the bed and gently laid her on the maroon cover, bracing himself over her on his elbows. “Belle, you can’t and won’t do a damn thing wrong. Sweetheart, everything you do already feels so good.”

  Tanner sat up, resting on his calves, and grabbed the hem of his shirt. Before he could tug it up, Belle scrambled to her knees and put her trembling hands over his. “No!”

  The single word had the effect of ice water. Shit. She wasn’t ready. His hands fell to his side, and he forced what he hoped was a comforting smile. “It’s okay, Belle. If you aren’t ready, we can just—”

  “Oh no.” She shook her head and bit down on her bottom lip. “No, baby, I’m ready. I just wanted, well, what I mean is I was hoping…” She sighed. “Can I do that?”

  Dammit all to hell, this girl was going to test every ounce of self-control he possessed. “Yeah.” His voice was strained. “But only if I get to take yours off next.”

  Belle grinned and shook her head. “Oh, that business degree of yours.”

  She slid the shirt up and over his head, her hands brushing against him as she did, and her eyes grew at the sight of him without a shirt on. When her tongue darted out to lick her lips, Tanner couldn’t help but groan in response.

  She obediently raised her arms. “Okay, baby, your turn.”

  Shit. They had only gotten two pieces of clothing out of the way and he was already feeling the pain from his suddenly too-tight jeans. As soon as her shirt was lying on the floor next to his, she pointed to the offending pants. “Next.”

  Tanner tried to think of something, anything that would make his body slow down as she pulled off his pants. Seeing his grandmother in a bikini. Seeing anyone other than Belle in a bikini. Dammit, that didn’t work. Now he was picturing her in a bikini.

  Belle laid back on the bed, and he peeled back her jeans to reveal the black and gold underwear that matched her bra. His brain finally kicked in, and he grinned. “Wearing the team colors, sweetheart?”

  She raised her eyebrows and smiled, rolling onto her stomach once the pants had been tossed to the side, showing off the number 76 emblazoned on the back. Dammit all to hell. This was going to be a short night if she kept this up. “Turn over, Belle,” he instructed in a hoarse voice. He covered her body with his and began kissing her forehead, nose, lips, and trailed his way down her jaw line. “How the hell did you get my number across your ass?”

  Belle offered a throaty laugh that caught slightly as he slid her bra straps down her arms and followed his hands with his lips. As soon as he released the hook, she buried her fingers in his hair. “Some secrets are meant to be kept.”

  “That’s true,” he agreed, lavishing attention to her chest with his lips and tongue before moving lower. “Like the secret of how you taste? The secret of how you sound when you scream my name? The secret of how you feel when you’re drenched in sweat and wra
pped around my body? Yeah, sweetheart, those are all my secrets to keep.”

  He slid the ego boosting but oh-so-unnecessary underwear down her firm legs, planting gentle kisses on every inch of skin he exposed. Her soft gasps brought a smirk to his lips.

  Make it good for her. Hell yeah, he was going to make it good for her.

  His fingers and his lips worshiped her smooth, silky core languidly for long moments, until her quiet moans reached a fevered pitch and she cried out his name.

  Tanner slid his body back up hers and planted gentle kisses along her shoulder and neck as the shudders started to subside from her body. She dug her fingers in the hair she loved to play with and pulled him up to her mouth. After a long deep kiss, she pulled his head back. “I need you, baby.”

  He was fairly certain he’d never removed his boxers faster or less gracefully as he kicked them away, but her words acted like gasoline to the fire of his desire for her. He couldn’t move fast enough and…

  Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit. He stilled as he hovered over her.

  “What’s the matter baby?” She slid her still shaking hands over his shoulders and down his arms.

  “Protection.” He practically spat the single word. He’d never been without a condom before, but for nearly four months, it had only been Belle and he’d never needed anything and never intended to do anything with her without careful planning and preparation and…shit.

  A slow smile spread across her face, and she put a hand on his cheek. She lifted up enough to plant a moist kiss to his lips. “I started birth control last month.”

  He dropped his head between his shoulders and rested his forehead against hers. He really didn’t need anything else to test his ability to go slow with her. Feeling her skin against his without anything in between? Damn. Maybe he could recite banking laws in Switzerland.

  Calling on every iota of self-control he had in his body, he slid slowly and gently inside her, wincing when he saw her brows pull together and her lips turn down. He stilled, giving her time to adjust. “Are you okay, Belle?”

  When she lifted her eyes to him, the love he saw reflected back took every molecule of air from his lungs. “I know you won’t hurt me, baby. Keep going.”

  His chest swelled with pride at her uninhibited trust, and his body began to move in and out with very little input from his brain. Each stroke brought the same thought to his mind: Damn, I love her.

  Although he thought it completely impossible, icy warmth spread through his body at the exact time Belle’s eyes widened. The sound of his name erupting from her lips was mixed with his own guttural cry.

  Completely drained of all his energy, Tanner fell to the bed beside her on his back and drew her close to his side. Belle threw one leg over his thigh and rested her head on his bare chest. They lay there for a long time, the silence punctuated only by their heavy breathing, trying desperately to return to normal.

  “Tanner?”

  Her soft voice carried up to him, and he struggled to open his eyes. “Yeah, sweetheart?”

  She propped her chin on his chest and looked up at him. The uncertainty and downright fear in her eyes felt like a knife to his heart. “Was that…I mean I loved that, but was that good? F-for you? W-was I okay? Was I good enough for you?”

  Good enough? He rolled her beneath him and held her chin firmly with one hand. “I’ve never, and I mean never, known anything in this world that could compare to you, Belle. I meant what I said, sweetheart. I want you with me every day for the rest of my life. Hell no, you’re not good enough; you’re too damn good for me. But since I’m one lucky guy, I get to keep you anyway. Forever.”

  Her smile made him feel like he was ten feet tall, and he fell into the deepest sleep of his life holding her by his side. Exactly where she was going to stay.

  Chapter Seven

  Izzy

  When her alarm rang at five o’clock in the morning, what felt like twenty minutes after she’d finally fallen asleep, Izzy reached one hand out to slap it off. She rolled over and buried her face in Tanner’s pillow, drifting back to sleep surrounded by his scent.

  When Tanner’s normal wake-up call sounded an hour later, she pushed the off button and pulled the covers over her head with a groan. Just a little longer. She’d stay in bed just a little longer, then she’d be rested enough to get up and smile in front of the kids.

  But when the smell of bacon wafted in the room some time later, Izzy sat straight up in bed with a frown. Her feet hit the floor, and she padded over to the bedroom door, cracking it slightly. Was that maple syrup?

  She crossed her arms over the tank top she had slept in and glanced down at her shorts. They had coffee cups with little wings and clouds printed all over them. Two days ago she would have thought nothing of it.

  But today? She suddenly and irrationally wondered what she had worn. Did she wear skin-tight jeans and a low-cut top held up by thin spaghetti straps? Or a white strapless western dress with brown cowboy boots?

  The thought made her stomach churn and, despite the fact she hadn’t eaten yet, she felt certain she’d be sick. Instead, she squared her shoulders and marched down the stairs resolutely. If Tanner thought one stupid little breakfast was going to make her forget that he had his lips on someone else and his hands on someone else, he was definitely…

  Her eyes fell on the virtual buffet laid out on the kitchen island. A single plate surrounded by dishes of pancakes, French toast, bacon, sausage, and nearly every piece of fruit she could dream of was laid out before her. A steaming cup of coffee and a small glass of orange juice sat beside the empty plate.

  “What?” Her voice sounded tight even to her own ears. “What is this?”

  Tanner spun away from the stove, carrying a dish piled high with scrambled eggs. “Good mornin’ swee—I mean Isabelle.” He offered a small smile. “Did you sleep well?”

  Izzy shook her head, both as a response to his question and in disbelief of the scene before her. “Tanner, what is all of this?” She repeated the question, unable to think of anything else to say. Just then the realization they were alone struck her. “Where are the kids?”

  “Breakfast,” he answered with a smile, “for you. And they are with Uncle Connor.”

  She quickly swallowed the mouthful of coffee before she spit it out and plopped on one of the high stools at the island. Tanner was the oldest of the four boys and, while Wyatt was easily the least concerned with safety, none of his brothers could be labeled responsible. “Uncle Connor?”

  Tanner held up a hand. “Don’t worry. They are going to breakfast and then going swimming at my parents’ house. There will be actual adults there to keep him in line and the kids safe.”

  “W-why aren’t you at work?”

  He shrugged and propped his hip on the opposite side of the island. “I’m taking some time off. There have to be some perks to being the boss.”

  Izzy’s eyes grew wide for a moment before she shook her head and looked down. Honestly, the more time she spent in his presence the more confused she became. It would be better if he just went to the office. “Tanner, I—”

  He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the counter. “Just give me five minutes before you say anything.” He nodded his head toward the plethora of food laid out before her. “And eat while I talk. You didn’t eat anything yesterday.”

  Her mouth opened to argue until she thought back over the day before. He was right. As if the realization kicked her body into action, her stomach growled and she slowly started putting food on her plate. She held it up once it was full to show Tanner. “Happy?”

  He regarded her solemnly for a few seconds. “I have a proposition for you.”

  She nearly choked on the eggs in her mouth. Is that the pick-up line he used on her? She closed her eyes against the thought, wondering if she could ever have a normal conversation with Tanner again without these thoughts assailing her. “Okay…”

  “Keep eating.” He nodded toward her still full p
late. “Our anniversary is coming up.”

  Izzy rolled her eyes and chewed on a strawberry. Of course she knew their anniversary was soon. “Yeah, I know. Next month.”

  “It’s in forty-three days,” he recited immediately. Tanner had never forgotten their anniversary, but she had to admit the fact he knew the exact number of days was impressive. And, if she let herself be honest, it tugged at her aching heart. “So I’m asking you for forty-three days.”

  Her fork, laden with a syrupy square bite of pancake, stalled halfway to her mouth and she stared at him. “You’re asking for forty-three days for what?” She stuffed the bite of food in her mouth and set her fork down. Any appetite she’d had disappeared.

  “To show you that, in spite of my,” he shook his head and dropped his gaze, “behavior, you and the kids mean the world to me. To show you that I love you with every part of me. To show you that you can trust me again.”

  Tanner rounded the island and stood beside her. “Belle, if I woke up tomorrow and found out I lost the company, the house, and that yellow truck you love so much, but I got to keep you and Ava and Noah? I wouldn’t miss a thing. I know what I did undermines that, and maybe even before that I wasn’t showing you the way I should have, but you and the kids are my top priority.”

  Cautiously he reached his hand out and laid it on top of hers. “So I’m asking you not to make any decisions one way or another for forty-three days. I’m asking you to take a chance on me and let me do the rest. At the end of that time if you want me to leave, I’ll go.”

  Izzy closed her eyes against the conflicting emotions rolling through her. Why did Tanner have to be—Tanner? She swallowed a few times and tried to summon as much strength as she could to open her eyes and meet the sapphire ones staring back at her. There really was only one answer she could give. “Okay,” she answered softly.

  A mixture of relief and trepidation washed over his face. “Okay?”