“Where’s your truck?” Emma asked.
Tanner waved his hand in the air. “Back there somewhere.”
“Where are we going? I thought you wanted—you know.”
“Trust me, baby. I just need to figure out the right place for the dirty deed.” He caught Emma’s confused glance and grinned reassuringly at her. “Oh, ye of little faith.”
“I have faith. I just don’t want my faith plastered all over social media in the morning.”
“Nor do I, but the possibility, now that’s a rush.”
“Tanner.” She hung back, suddenly reluctant.
“Come on, baby, you know I won’t jeopardize my spot with the team.” He slowed his pace, still dragging her along as his gaze darted left and right looking for that perfect place, secluded yet not-completely private so the excitement of getting caught still lingered as a possibility.
She nodded and stopped resisting, matching his stride which he increased.
“Are we renting a room?” she asked, her naivety firmly in place, which prodded him further along the path he’d chosen.
“Oh, no. Not a room.” He hesitated, stunned by a sudden surge of decency. “Are you game? If not, we’ll head back to the car.”
She turned to face him, cupped his cheeks between her palms, and kissed the hell out of him. “I’m in.”
His grin stretched across Puget Sound and back.
Pretty soon, he’d be in, too. All the way in.
* * * *
Emma didn’t care if Tanner led her astray. She’d gladly plot that course with him as her captain.
“Where did you have in mind?” she asked keeping her tone sultry and sexy, while her panties became wetter and wetter with each step they took. The man drove her so crazy she’d take him on the sidewalk if he asked.
He turned toward a popular nightclub and pushed past the long line at the door, ignoring the complaints of the waiting patrons.
“In there?”
“Oh, yeah.”
Steeling herself, Emma followed him. This was so not her kind of place. He slipped the bouncer one of those ever-present hundred-dollar bills and entered the dark club, lights flashing, music blaring. Patrons made out at tables or danced like they were making love on the dance floor. One particular couple appeared to be doing it right there for everyone to see. Surely, Tanner didn’t have that in mind.
“Here?” she asked incredulously, her voice shaky and her pulse racing.
“Trust me.” He smiled again and led her to the bar. After a hushed conversation with the bartender, he took a key and guided Emma down a narrow hallway to the first door on the right. Once they entered, Tanner shut the door, turned the deadbolt, and advanced toward Emma, his intent clear. She barely had time to take in her surroundings which consisted of a trendy L-shaped couch, some modern artwork on one wall, and a very large window looking out on the dance floor.
“What is this place?” Emma pointed toward the window as Tanner wrapped her in his arms and slid his hands up her butt and under her Steelheads jersey.
“The VIP room. Don’t worry.” He gestured toward the window. “We can see out, but they can’t see in.”
“Are you sure?”
“One hundred percent.”
“Have you been here before?”
Tanner frowned and shook his head. “That’s not important. The important part is me fucking you.”
Emma stared at the dance floor and the bodies gyrating and grinding against each other only a few feet away as loud music from the DJ vibrated the walls and shook the window.
“Emma?” Tanner’s smooth even voice pulled her attention back to the sexy man eyeing her like a tiger eyeing a particularly delectable gazelle. “If this is too much for you, just say the word, and we’ll leave.”
Emma considered her choices, somewhat surprised to realize she didn’t want to leave. She wanted to stay, get naked, and have sex with Tanner while all these people continued their dancing oblivious to what she was doing with Tanner on the other side of this glass.
“No, I want to stay.”
“That’s my girl.” He was proud of her, and his pride was worth more than her nervousness. “Now, let’s get you naked.”
As Emma watched, Tanner stripped off his clothes, totally unconcerned with his nudity. She cast a nervous glance toward the window again. With trembling hands, she pulled the jersey over her head and shucked off her jeans.
Tanner’s wicked smile was reward enough. He licked his lips and groaned when she removed her underwear. Sinking onto the couch, he winked at her. A jerk of his head told her exactly what he wanted, and she wanted it, too.
Emma walked slowly to him, swinging her hips from side to side as she watched his green eyes darken with lust. A heady shot of power surged through her, as she realized she was as much in control as he was. Yet, she’d never be a woman to abuse such power; instead she’d wield it to both of their advantages.
“Hands on the couch,” she ordered. He surprised her by complying and placing his palms flat on either side of his thighs. He was trying his damnedest to act scared, but a smile tickled the corners of his mouth.
Enjoying their game, Emma approached him, and he started to reach for her. She backed out of reach. “No, hands stay on the couch. No touching.”
“That might make this a little difficult.”
“Don’t be a smart ass.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Tanner leaned back, the perfect picture of casual relaxation if it weren’t for his erect penis and the sweat beading on his forehead.
“You’re been misbehaving, not following orders.”
“Sorry, ma’am. Punish me, please.”
“You’ll have to take it like a man.” Emma straddled him, and he drew in a sharp breath.
“Definitely like a man.”
She fisted his erection and guided him into her slick, wet entrance, balancing herself with her hands on his broad shoulders. He leaned back his head and closed his eyes, even as he groaned.
“Ride me, baby,” he said with what sounded too much like an order rather than a plea.
Emma leaned close to him, taking his mouth in hers. After a bruising kiss, she retreated, and his eyes snapped open.
“Emmie,” he begged, his voice ragged with emotion and need. That was more like it. She rewarded him by lowering herself another inch onto him. His massive cock stretched her wide, but by now, she knew she could take him, all of him, and enjoy every minute of the sensual invasion. He fisted his hands in an obvious attempt to prevent himself from touching her.
Emma took her time despite the slow burn starting in her core and radiating out through her body. This might be killing him, but she wasn’t exactly immune to how good this man felt inside her. As she took him inch by slow inch, he tossed his head back and forth and moaned, like a man subjected to sweet torture.
Emma sank down on him until their bodies were completely melded together. Tanner forgot the no-touching rule and grasped her waist in his big hands. She didn’t have it in her to insist on continuing their little game. A better game was in town.
Her. Him. Together.
And that was what it was really all about.
Tanner lifted her up and pushed her down, setting a rhythm she was more than happy to follow. Soon she was doing most of the work, while his eyes rolled back in his head, and his hands squeezed her breasts and tweaked her nipples. Separated by the thin walls and the window, the lights from the dance floor pulsed around them, the bass of the music vibrated through them, and the naughtiness of the illusion of the dancers being able to see through the glass drove them over the edge in no time.
Tanner’s cock pulsed and jerked as he emptied himself inside her, while Emma’s muscles hugged him. They flew to the stars together and floated back down on a cloud of spent passion, wrapped in each other’s arms.
Emma loved this man, and there was nothing she wouldn’t do for him, except give up her newfound independence.
She prayed the
ir relationship would never come to that.
Chapter 20—Sudden Death
Like most times in Tanner’s life when life got too good, he waited for the crash, because his life always crashed. It was the Wolfe way, except Isaac had broken the mold. If Isaac could do it, then damn it, so could Tanner.
He was taking a break from watching game film and resting his aching head when Beed called him on Wednesday night, a few nights after Emma and Tanner’s VIP room sex.
“Do you have a minute to talk?” When Tanner hesitated, Beed added, “Privately?”
“Yeah, sure, I was just about to walk outside and get some fresh air.”
“Good.”
Tanner pushed open the back door of the practice facility that emptied into the players’ parking lot. He leaned against the brick wall of the building, waiting for Beed’s report on Emma. He sent up a silent prayer that this would all work out, but purposely failed to specify who it might work out for.
“Okay, I’m ready.” Tanner held his breath, torn between one outcome and the other.
“Steph and I listened to your wife tonight at karaoke.”
Tanner’s heart stopped beating. Emma’s singing was a lose-lose for him—either Emma didn’t have what it would take, which would break his heart, or Emma did, which would still break his heart.
“And—?” Tanner asked, hating Beed’s propensity for dramatics. The guy missed his calling. He should’ve been a criminal attorney. He’d have been great in the courtroom.
“Let me have Steph talk to you.”
“Ah, crap,” Tanner bitched as he waited impatiently for Steph to pick up the phone while his stomach tied itself in wicked knots.
“Tanner,” Steph said with her usual enthusiasm for all things related to breathing. “So wonderful to talk to you, honey.”
“You, too. Can we get to the point?”
“Oh, sure, so I listened to Emma.”
“And—?” Tanner hated how Steph dragged things out, just like her husband.
“She’s raw. The voice is good. The look is there. I liked her.”
Tanner paced the parking lot. “You just liked her?” The hope that surged in his chest was followed by a wave of guilt.
“Actually, I loved her. She needs seasoning, a year or two in front of real crowds, but I think she has that ‘it’ factor. I think the girl has a shot.”
“Oh, that’s—wonderful.” Just fucking wonderful.
“Here’s the deal. I happen to know of a certain country star, huge name, looking for a back-up singer to finish off a Vegas stint she’s doing. It’s only for a few months, and Emma would be perfect.”
“Who is it?”
“Cindy Latigo.”
“Wow. Really?”
“I sent her a video taken of Emma tonight, and she wants her.”
“She does?”
“The catch is she’ll need to fly to Vegas for rehearsals within the next few weeks.”
Tanner was pretty sure he was going to throw up right there in the parking lot under the scrutiny of the security cameras. “That soon?”
“Opportunities like this don’t happen often. One of her back-ups gave notice. She’s marrying a Greek tycoon and moving to Athens.”
“I’ll need to talk to her first,” Tanner hedged, dreading that particular conversation.
“Do it soon. I’ll be in town a few more days. I want to get this nailed down before I go.” Steph did everything at the speed of light, and if he let her, she’d whisk Emma away before Tanner could open his mouth to say goodbye.
“I’ll leave the Bridge now and talk to her.”
“I need her answer within the next twenty-four. Singers are lined up for this opportunity.”
“I’ll have her call you by tomorrow night.” Tanner said his goodbyes and sank to the concrete on the sidewalk, his back against the brick. Staring into space, he attempted to process all of it. They’d agreed on this. The end of their marriage had been inevitable from the first day he’d proposed the crazy idea without completely thinking it through.
Fisting his hands in his hair, the truth of his situation finally sank into his thick, stubborn skull.
He’d fallen in love with Emma.
Fuck, maybe he’d been in love with her for a long time, maybe that’s why he’d even proposed marriage to her. He couldn’t pinpoint the exact time he’d succumbed to love, but he was pretty sure it’d been evolving for a while now.
He didn’t want to let her go, but he had to let her go.
He’d set this entire plan into motion. For the first time in his life with the exception of his beloved sister, he’d put another person’s desires ahead of his own. Oh, hell, yeah, he’d talked the talk, walked the walk, faked like he was a good guy who cared, but he didn’t, not really. No more than Ice had cared about others until Avery.
And now one more Wolfe brother had fallen.
Tanner wasn’t sure he’d ever get up.
* * * *
Emma flipped through her list of songs, trying to decide what to sing next. She sat with Avery and Sam, Avery’s boss, all three of them widows to their significant others’ demanding jobs. Emma didn’t mind, because she had Tanner’s nights.
Her cell phone showed the time as ten-thirty. All three women agreed to stay through one more cycle. Emma was having a good night and didn’t want to leave yet, but the other two wanted to go home and get some sleep for their work days tomorrow. Emma didn’t have to get up early.
The DJ called Emma up for what would sadly be her last song of the night, so she’d make it count. She avoided the table of drunken frat guys who’d been vying for her attention all night.
She’d chosen an upbeat country, which had couples dancing. The pair who’d been intently watching her all night had left, and she relaxed a little. She’d sworn a few times they’d even taken notes on her. The well dressed, classy couple didn’t look like stalkers, but they made Emma uncomfortable, especially when the woman held up her phone for the length of one of Emma’s songs, as if she were recording her. Emma feared they might be reporters who figured out she was married to an NFL quarterback. She breathed a sigh of relief when they left about a half hour ago.
Not bothering to look at the karaoke display screen, Emma sang the sassy song about a woman done wrong and bent on revenge by taking a baseball bat to her cheating boyfriend’s pickup. Her gaze was inexplicably drawn to the entrance to the bar. A tall man with the grace of an athlete stood silhouetted in the doorway.
Tanner. She’d know him anywhere.
He crossed the room and sat down at the table with Avery and Sam, who soon left. Emma finished her song and walked toward him, a big smile on her face. He smiled back, but she immediately sensed something wasn’t right. Tanner’s eyes didn’t light up like they normally did.
“Hi,” Emma said, pleasantly surprised. Tanner leaned over and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. “Did the girls leave?”
“Yeah.” He seemed oddly melancholy.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” He didn’t sound fine. In fact, he sounded downright miserable.
“To what do I owe the honor of this visit?” She played it cool, just like he was. No amount of prying would get him to open up. He’d talk in his own time.
“Do I need an excuse to watch my gorgeous wife sing?” He scooted his chair against hers and draped his arm over her shoulders.
“No, not at all.”
“What are you singing next?” he asked conversationally, but she suspected her answer wouldn’t register. He was too preoccupied and distant.
“I’m finished. I hate that you came for nothing.”
He looked away, his jaw working, as if he had words to say and couldn’t come up with a way to say them. “I wanted to see you.”
Emma reached for his hand. He gripped her hand as if she might get away if he didn’t. “Bad day at practice?”
“No, nothing unusual.”
His evasiveness irritated her, bu
t she’d been here before.
“Why don’t you stay and sing a few more songs? I’m not in any hurry,” he said, surprising her.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. I love to listen to you sing.”
“Will you sing a duet with me?”
The suggestion appeared to lighten his mood. “Sure, but make it your last song so I don’t get recognized.”
“I will.” Emma scratched some songs on the slips of paper and stood to take them to the DJ. She glanced down at Tanner; he’d turned sad again.
“Tanner, you aren’t fooling me.”
He smiled a sad smile. “I never could. I’ll tell you later. But let’s have fun for now.”
Emma nodded, troubled by Tanner’s mood and fearing what he had to tell her.
He didn’t want out, did he? Red flags popped up all over the place.
Her intuition warned this was the beginning of the end.
* * * *
Emma sang a few more songs, and Tanner’s cloudy mood lifted to partially sunny. He enjoyed himself as much as possible under the circumstances. Emma sat down after her last solo song, and he studied her, rubbing his chin and wondering what the music really meant to her. Did she feel the same passion after nailing a song that he felt after a good game?
He ran his thumb across her palm, loving how their hands looked laced together and how soft she felt compared to his roughness.
“Tanner, please, what is it?” She was worried about him, but this didn’t have anything to do with him. Not really. This was her decision, and he refused to make it about how he felt and what he wanted. If he even knew what he wanted. He wanted Emma to have a shot at her dreams. She deserved it. Yet, he didn’t want to lose her either, not after he’d finally found his missing piece.
“You really love to sing, don’t you?” He answered her question with a question.
“Yes, yes, I do. As much as you love throwing a football.” Her face lit up and her eyes sparkled brighter than her big-assed diamond ring.
“It shows.” He leaned forward. “Tell me what you love about it.”
“I love interpreting the song in a way that is true to the music, yet putting my stamp on it. I love making people happy, making them forget for a few minutes everything but the music’s message. I guess it’s in my blood. My parents gave up their lives, including being parents, for their music.” She sobered and ran a finger along his rugged jawline.
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