by Nina Croft
He kicked off his boots and socks, then slowly pushed his jeans and boxers down over his thighs. He was teasing her. Taking it slow.
He was already hard. Almost vertical against his belly, the head flushed with blood. And everything inside her tightened, heated up. A little pulse started between her thighs, and she pressed them together. She’d never thought of penises as beautiful before, but he was totally and utterly beautiful. He shoved the jeans the rest of the way off and he was naked. And quite the most stunning thing she had ever seen.
“You’re going to make me blush if you keep looking at me like that,” he murmured.
Her gaze shot to his face, and she gave herself a little shake. “It’s probably hormones or something.”
“Probably.” He gave her a long, hot look, so the fires in her belly burned hotter. “Come here.” He crooked his finger at her, and she took a shaky step. Maybe this was a mistake, because her feelings were threatening to overwhelm her. Perhaps the last thing she should be doing was making important decisions right now, because in all honesty, her hormones were all over the place. No doubt screaming at her to get a daddy for her baby. Make sure they had a provider.
Or maybe she was just kidding herself, and she’d had the hots for Tanner O’Connor from the moment she’d realized what boys were for. And maybe she was overthinking this and should just make the most of the opportunity. Because afterward, they would talk, and who knew what would happen after that.
So she took another shaky step, and another. Finally came to a halt in front of him, with only inches between them. She reached out a hand and stroked her fingers across the tattoo on his chest, then down his left arm. Later, she’d examine them, discover what the intricate designs actually were, but right now, she had better things to do.
She trailed her finger down over the ridges on his belly, following the line of blond hair. The back of her hand grazed his erection, and she heard his indrawn breath. But she didn’t look up, all her concentration on the long, thick length of him. She fluttered her fingers over the swollen head, and it jerked and twitched beneath her touch. Then she wrapped her hands around him and squeezed.
He muttered something under his breath as he gripped her shoulders. She released him as he turned her around. He found the zipper at the back of her dress and lowered it, tugging the dress from her shoulders until it fell to the floor. Then his sure fingers were on the fastener of her bra, and she groaned as he released it and peeled the material from her too-sensitive breasts. He turned her back and stood looking down at her. Heat bloomed across her skin. She was shy, as she hadn’t been last time. Then she’d been too fueled by righteous indignation to feel any embarrassment. Also, she knew her body was changing, though so far it was more internal feelings than actual physical change. She felt different inside.
He cupped her breasts, stroking the pads of his thumbs over her nipples, and she felt it in her sex, heat pooling between her thighs.
“They’re bigger.” He dropped a kiss on one breast, then the other. “So beautiful,” he murmured against her skin, and she ached for him.
He raised his head and kissed her on the mouth, his lips parting hers, his tongue sliding inside. Then he trailed butterfly kisses along her jawline, to her ear, the tip of his tongue dipping inside, sending shivers running through her.
“I want to take this slow,” he whispered. “But I’m really scared your gran is going to come back and stop us.” She let out a startled giggle, and he grinned back. “I know. It’s like being a teenager again. I sort of like it.”
“Me too.” Though really, she’d never actually done this as a teenager. She was determined to make up for lost time.
His hands slid down over her ass, and he picked her up. Her fingers clung to his shoulders, her legs wrapping around his waist, as he walked the few steps to the bed and lowered her gently to the mattress. Then stood looking down at her. “Jesus, I never thought I would be this lucky. Emily fucking Towson. You are the…” He shook his head. “Christ, I’m scared I’m going to mess this up. I want it to be good for you and I’m so turned on right now, I might explode.”
He took a deep breath, and she could almost see him taking control of himself. Part of her wanted him wild, but a small part was afraid. He was so big and strong and masculine. Alien in this room that had been her private sanctuary for so long. So she stayed still, waited for him, every nerve-ending alert, her skin sensitive, her nipples tight with need. She’d never felt like this before. Not even the first time.
His hands wrapped around her ankles, and he parted her legs, came down on his knees between them.
“I’ve never done it without a rubber before. That’s all right, isn’t it? I’m clean. I had a medical a few months back, and I haven’t been with anyone since. Well, except you. I have condoms if you’d prefer.”
“No. There’s no need.” She liked the idea of him being inside her with nothing between them. “Anyway, I’ve sort of lost my faith in condoms.”
“Hey, I did buy new ones. But I’m glad. It’s sort of like a first.”
As he came down on one elbow, his hair slid forward over his cheek, and she reached up, running her fingers through the silky stands, hooking it behind his ear. She found him watching her, and her body clenched in anticipation. Then he paused, poised over her, a frown flashing across his face. “Can I hurt you? Is it all right to…?” He waved a hand down over his body, to where his dick twitched.
God, he was sweet, and she’d never expected that, but really, if he didn’t get inside her soon, then she’d scream.
“Tanner,” she said. “Do it. Now.”
A look of surprise flashed across his face and then he smiled, looking suddenly boyish. “Yes, ma’am.”
She expected him to come down on top of her, but instead he lay on his side facing her, then pulled one of her legs over his hips. He reached between her thighs, his fingers unerringly finding her sex, pushing through the folds, groaning as he found her so wet. She should be embarrassed, but she wasn’t. She liked that he knew she wanted him. Then she felt him nudging at the entrance to her body, scalding hot. He parted her with his fingers and then pushed inside her, so slowly.
He was so big, she was stretched, filled. When he was in as far as he could go, his fingers moved over her, slippery with her desire. He found her clit and rubbed over it, and she almost jumped at the sensation. In this position, he could touch her freely, and she felt exposed as she never had before.
“Relax,” he murmured. “I’m going to make you come. Then I’m going to come. But you need to first, so just let it all go.”
She made a conscious effort to relax her tense muscles. He pulled out, the drag of his flesh against hers exquisite. Then pushed back in. He went easier this time, as though her body was making room for him. His fingers fluttered over her gently as if learning her responses. She sighed as pleasure washed over her, and he dropped a kiss on her lips. He got into a rhythm then, his fingers playing over her, circling her as he pushed in and out. She concentrated on the sensation of him moving in and out, everything else pushed from her mind, just the slow burn of pleasure building inside her, coalescing on that one spot where his fingers teased and rubbed. Everything was tingling, and her hips were rising and falling with his rhythm, and she knew she would break soon, everything so intense.
Her eyes fluttered closed as he pressed harder, massaging little circles, and her spine arched, and she shattered. He came up over her then, balancing on his elbows and shoving inside her, hard and fast. And she opened her eyes because she didn’t want to miss a moment of this. He must have been teetering on the edge, because he came quickly, his head back, his muscles locked, his skin gleaming with sweat. And she watched as he fell apart.
Finally he stopped moving and collapsed onto his side, face-to-face with her, dragging her close to him so she could hear the rapid beat of his heart. His legs still tangled around hers, his shaft still deep inside her. His eyes were sated and sleepy. Then he tu
cked her head against his shoulder and a sigh ran through him. She felt safe, pulled against his hard body. Just her and Tanner. No one else intruding.
For a moment, she wished they could just go away together, far away from Saddler Cove and the people who had done such an excellent job of making him believe he wasn’t good enough. Away from here, he might forget that he was supposed to be a bad boy. Become the man he should have been. If his mother hadn’t died. If his father hadn’t drunk himself stupid.
And if he hadn’t gone to prison for killing his best friend.
But she couldn’t leave Mimi. She had no one else. And besides, she didn’t think Tanner would leave. He’d come back for a reason. This was his home.
“You’re doing that thinking thing again,” he said, his voice rumbling in his chest beneath her head.
As she pulled away a little, so she could see into his face, he slipped out of her, leaving her empty and once again alone. “I was just wishing we could shut out the whole world. Things are so simple when it’s just the two of us.”
His body stilled. “Are you worried about telling the good folks of Saddler Cove that you’ve got a little O’Connor growing inside you?”
“Maybe a little. It’s complicated.”
“Not really.”
Maybe it wasn’t. After a minute, he relaxed against her again.
Something had been building in the back of her mind since he’d turned up today. She’d put it off a little while longer. In case he totally rejected her idea. She was enjoying lying here with him, his hand stroking circles over her hip, her body still glowing in the aftermath of the best sex ever. “Anyway, I’m not the only one worrying. Back in the car, earlier, when you arrived. You said that you were scared? What of?”
“That you were going to tell me that you thought I should back out. That you didn’t want me in the baby’s life. In your life.”
She blinked at him. She’d been worried he wouldn’t want to be part of their lives. “She’s your baby, too.”
He latched onto the word. “She?”
Emily gave a shrug. “I decided it was rude calling it ‘it,’ so I’m alternating until I know.”
“Will you ask?”
“I’m not sure it matters. But it might make thinking of names a little easier.” She pursed her lips. “So you’ve decided? For sure? You want to be a father to our baby. We won’t cramp your style or anything?”
“Hell, I don’t think I’ve got a style to cramp. The way I see it is, we’re in this together. It’s not something I ever wanted…that’s not even right. It’s just so totally beyond anything I ever imagined. But I wouldn’t change it now. And if you think it’s best I back out, if you think I’ll harm her life, I will. But it will kill me. So yes, I want to be a father to our baby.”
Some of the tension knotting her insides loosened. She’d hoped, but she hadn’t really known what he was thinking. Hadn’t even known until that afternoon that he still wanted her.
“I don’t want you to back out. In fact, I think…” But at the last moment, she couldn’t make herself say the words. It was a stupid idea. And of course, he’d say no—in fact, he’d probably laugh and then it would make things difficult between them and…
“Come on, Emily, spit it out. What do you think?”
“I think we should get married.”
Chapter Twenty
Aiden punched him on the arm. “What the hell’s the matter with you? You’re even more of a miserable bastard than usual. Cheer the fuck up.”
Tanner ignored him. He didn’t want to cheer up. He’d never considered himself a coward, but he was fighting the urge to turn around and go home. Hide away.
The Fourth of July. Usually he avoided occasions like this. When the whole town got together to celebrate. He’d never felt particularly like celebrating with the town.
But tonight was the night. He and Emily were going to announce that they were getting married.
It was a week since she’d proposed to him. And he’d said yes.
Everything seemed unreal. Him getting married at all. It had never been in his plans. And not just getting married, but getting married to Emily Towson. The town good girl. Who up to now had never put a foot wrong.
But somehow, despite his brain telling him it was a really bad idea, he’d found himself saying yes. The word just came out of nowhere.
It was for the baby. And for Emily. If she was getting married, then presumably the school board wouldn’t be able to fire her for breaking the morality clause in her contract. Except he had this weird notion that maybe the good townsfolk of Saddler Cove would think it more immoral that she was marrying him than they ever would about her being pregnant out of wedlock. What sort of fucked up town had a morality clause in their teachers’ contracts, anyway? They might as well be back in the dark ages.
But lying in that bed, naked, his mind and body sated with post-coital bliss, it had seemed like anything was possible.
She’d suggested getting it over with in one fell swoop. Everyone would be here. They could share their happy news with a few people, and within minutes it would be around the whole town. The thought made nausea churn in his stomach.
He’d once promised himself that he’d never give a shit what they thought about him again. Hell, he’d gone out of his way to ensure they thought bad things. The badder the better. Now, for the first time since he’d come back after prison, he just wished… Hell, he didn’t know what he wished. That things were somehow different. That he was the sort of man a woman like Emily would be proud of.
But he wasn’t.
He patted his jean pocket, checking for the hundredth time that the ring was still there. They hadn’t talked about a ring. But it had suddenly occurred to him that afternoon that she should have a ring. It would make it all a little more…believable.
When he’d said yes, she’d seemed relieved. Not ecstatically happy or anything, but what had he expected?
He cast a quick glance down at himself. Maybe he should have dressed differently, smarter. But he still didn’t have anything smart. They were just going to have to take him as he was. He was in his usual jeans and a white T-shirt. Boots. But he was clean. This was as good as he got.
Hell no matter how he dressed, no one in this town was going to be happy about this.
“You’re scowling, bro.”
He scowled harder. He’d hoped to sneak out of the house without his brother. Aiden kept away from these things as much as he did. Reese had taken Keira to watch the parade, and hopefully they would be heading home by now. He’d arranged to meet Emily in the town square at nine o’clock. He was five minutes late already. But Aiden had caught him as he was leaving and insisted on tagging along. Nosy bastard.
Maybe he should warn him what was about to go down.
“Look, there’s something I need to tell you.” He ran a hand through his hair, at the last minute, though, he chickened out. Couldn’t get the words out of his mouth and he just shrugged, shoved his hands in his pockets—his finger grazing the ring. Would she like it? Or would she think it a stupid idea? He picked up his pace.
“Tanner?”
“Later,” he muttered.
The town was decorated in red, white, and blue, and he could hear music up ahead. This had been a stupid idea. They didn’t need to tell anyone. It was nobody’s business but theirs, anyway. They should have just gotten married quietly, the town would have found out soon enough. And that way they wouldn’t have been able to talk her out of it. Which he was sure they would try.
He stopped abruptly, and Aiden ran into the back of him.
Was that what he was afraid of?
They’d been getting on okay. Better than okay. He had a flashback to Sunday. The feel of her beneath him, the sensation of being buried deep inside her. He hadn’t seen her since, though they’d talked on the phone and texted. Arranging tonight.
As they approached the square, the streets got busier. People gave him and his brother a wid
e berth, as though they were somehow dangerous, and he could feel his expression becoming more set.
There was a dance in the town square every year after the parade. Lights had been strung all around, and a podium set up at the far side where the band would play. They were getting ready now, setting up their instruments, three guys and a woman.
The square was busy, and he searched the crowd for Emily.
“Are we going to dance, bro?” Aiden asked.
Tanner ignored him, because he’d caught sight of Emily. She was standing at the edge of the square. Alone, gnawing on her lower lip as she looked around her. She probably thought he wasn’t going to show.
Then she saw him, and relief swept over her features.
She was wearing a blue dress that hid her sexy curves and ended below the knee. Her hair was tied back somehow, and she looked very…teacherish. At least she didn’t look pregnant. Though according to the stuff he’d been reading, she would start to show anytime now.
It still screwed with his head.
He took a deep breath and headed over, making his way around the outside of the square and stopping in front of her.
“I thought you might have changed your mind,” she said. “And decided not to come.”
“Nearly.”
She bit her lip some more. Very distracting. “You want to back out?”
He realized she meant of the marriage. “Hell no.” Just this.
“Good. I think.” She didn’t sound sure.
“You having second thoughts?”
“And third and fourth.”
At least she was being honest.
“Hi, Emily.”
He’d forgotten about Aiden.
She forced a smile. “Hi, Aiden.”
God, he wished he could just take her away somewhere they could be alone. He always messed up when other people were involved. He turned to Aiden. “Go get me a beer,” he said. “And a soda for Emily.”
Aiden opened his mouth, shut it again as Tanner shot him a warning look. He looked between the two of them, his eyes widening, then he nodded once, turned, and walked away.