Kiss Kiss

by Various Authors

  Sure enough, the bride tossed it behind her and it landed perfectly in my hands. My breath escaped me. I'd never been so happy catching the bouquet before. My cheeks, my ears, and my neck all burned with pure elation. This time, I actually wanted to be the next one in line for marriage. I wanted a future with Tanner. And I needed to tell him so.

  Slowly, I sauntered back to Tanner who was grinning from ear to ear. He raised his eyebrows as he shrugged.

  "Well, that was a perfect catch." He looked as happy as I felt.

  "I told ya," I said, grinning at him.

  "Do you think I'll be as lucky?" he asked, pulling me into his arms.

  "Hmmm..." I sighed. "We'll have to see if my curse has rubbed off on you."

  "It's not a curse," he said, shaking his head as he strolled out to the dance floor. There were several men in their twenties and thirties waiting for the groom to toss the garter. Tanner placed both of his hands in his pockets and glanced at me with a naughty expression. I gasped and did the "tsk, tsk, tsk" sign with my fingers. He laughed heartily and took them out of his pockets, raising them above his head in surrender. He was so freaking cute.

  The groom, who was a bit tipsy, sauntered up to the group of men, winked, and turned his back to them. He whipped the garter behind his back and it was a line drive straight to the floor. The crowd erupted in laughter. The groom, after seeing where the garter had landed, doubled over in hysterics, holding onto his thighs for support. He then picked it up and flung it straight at Tanner, who grabbed the garter with a stunned look on his face. He then turned to me, wide-eyed, and held it up in the air. I laughed uncontrollably. He walked towards me and shrugged his shoulders, his cheeks a deep crimson red.

  "What are the chances?" I said, my mouth agape. He pulled me onto the dance floor as a very familiar song filled the room: "Till There Was You" by The Beatles, one of my absolute favorites. This man had been paying attention.

  "Oh my goodness," I said, recognizing the tune immediately. "Did you request this song?"

  "Maybe." He grinned. "Ever since you mentioned it, I can't get it out of my head. It makes me think of you."

  Pulling me into his arms as he hummed along to the song, he sang snippets of the lyrics as he gazed into my eyes. The lights of the banquet hall were reflecting on the tiny green specks of his deep brown irises, and my heart was aflutter. Tanner pushed my hair out of my eyes and tucked the strays behind my ears, smoothing my hair to the tips. His hand continued down my spine and landed on my backside. An impish grin upon his face, he leaned in close to me, so close I could feel his breath on my forehead.

  "Daphne, there's something I need to tell you. Something I've wanted to say for a while now." My heart thumped in my chest as I waited for his words.

  "I feel so blessed that you came into my life and I want you to know the depths of my feelings for you." He paused, licking his lips before they formed a tight line.

  "It's okay. Tell me," I reassured him. He smiled in relief.

  "I love you. I--I've never said that to anyone, but I've never felt this way before."

  "Wow," I said.

  "I love you more than I ever thought I could love another person." His eyes grew moist as he spoke.

  "I love you, too," I said, throwing myself into his embrace. He sighed deeply as I clutched his chest.

  "You're my world," he whispered into my ear. "My world."

  We swayed slowly on the dance floor for the rest of the night, even through several techno dance songs. We didn't even notice. We were in love and we were dancing to the music we were creating together.

  #

  Chapter 30

  Glowing

  "You really don't need to chaperone us, Elise. Tanner doesn't mind my hanging out with Evan." I said as Elise and I walked up to Evan's brick apartment building.

  "I'm not chaperoning you. I've wanted to see this band for months. You know that." I raised an eyebrow at her and she looked away quickly. She and Henry were awfully protective of Tanner and my relationship. Deep down, I knew she was curious about my friendship with Evan. "But, I will say, you've never really had any friendships with guys, so I am curious to see how you are around him."

  "There's nothing to worry about. Tanner met him a few weeks ago. It's all fine. Tanner trusts me."

  "I trust you, too," Elise said, attempting to reassure me. "Seriously, relax. He's your friend, I'm your friend. I want to meet him and I swear, it's not a big deal."

  "I hope so," I said. "I love Tanner, Elise. It's real. And as soon as you meet Evan, you'll know you're worried about nothing."

  "Why do you say that? Is he an ugly troll?" she asked sarcastically.

  "No, of course not. He's really good looking. But we're not like that."

  A few minutes after we buzzed his apartment, Evan came through the door of his building. Out of the corner of my eye, I observed Elise. Her mouth was agape at the sight of him and I had to keep myself from rolling my eyes at her. I'm not going to lie. He did look really good--leather jacket, relaxed dark washed jeans, button down shirt. He even smelled good. I guess I'd just gotten used to it. His good looks didn't phase me anymore.

  "Hey there," he said, pulling me in for a hug.

  "Evan, this is my best friend, Elise."

  "Great to meet you," he said warmly, extending his hand to Elise. She looked away briefly in embarrassment before returning the gesture, a huge smile on her face. Evan had charmed her already.

  "I'm surprised Tanner didn't want to come out tonight," Evan observed, focusing his attention back on me.

  "He's going to grab a beer with some friends from work, but he said he'll stop by later if he can."

  "Okay, cool." He smiled warmly. "Let's go. The set starts in ten."

  We walked a few blocks to a Northwestern campus bar where local bands played. It was dark and crowded. Smoke filled the air as we made our way through the wall-to-wall people. Pool tables filled the front room, so Evan lead us up a half flight of stairs where empty tables stood. As Elise and I took a seat, Evan made his way over to the bar to order our drinks, chatting up the cute bartender before returning to us.

  "You seem to know your way around, Evan," Elise said when Evan returned to the table with a round of drinks.

  "Well, I should. I spent four years of my life here," he said.

  "I had no idea, sorry." Elise bit her upper lip in embarrassment.

  "No big deal," Evan said with a cocky grin before taking a sip of his beer.

  "Um, I'm going to use the bathroom, I'll be back in a minute." She stood up, and before I could offer to go with her, she scurried off to the restroom. I couldn't hide my amused expression.

  "Spill it, what's up with your best friend?"

  "I think you make her nervous," I said, shaking my head.

  "Me?" he asked. I nodded. He looked taken aback. "I don't get it. Why on earth is your friend nervous around me?"

  "Well, I mean, look at you." Evan shook his head, laughing. "But, I think that, even though she denies it, she's here under false pretenses."

  "How do you mean?" he asked, raising a curious eyebrow, looking for more information.

  "She's babysitting us."

  "Oh, did Tanner send her?" His brow knitted in disappointment as he scratched the back of his neck.

  "No, he would never do that." Evan's posture relaxed immediately with my reassurance. "She's just protective of me. And he isfriends with her husband, so..."

  "Ahh, I get it. No worries. I'll play nice." He chuckled and I rolled my eyes in return.

  "She likes you already, I can tell. But she's suspicious about my track record. Having guys for friends has never really been my thing."

  "You don't have many of them?"

  "Other than you?" I asked. Evan nodded and I shook my head.

  "Wow, I'm surprised. You're so easy to hang out with." I shrugged my shoulders just as Elise slipped back into her leather barstool.

  "Okay, what did I miss?" she asked, wide-eyed.

&n
bsp; "We're just talking about the band," I said, giving Evan a quick glance. He winked back at me.

  "They're about to start their set," Evan added. Elise took a sip of her drink, ready to grill Evan and gauge his intentions towards me. Thank goodness I'd prepared him for my friend the detective.

  "So, Evan, what do you do for a living?" She began.

  "I'm in marketing."

  "Cool."

  "Yeah, I love it because I get to spend my day talking to people. Convincing them of things."

  "Using your charm," I added.

  "You seem like you would be really good at that," Elise said.

  "He is," I said, agreeing. "He tells me about the projects he's working on, and the ladies who distract him."

  "Alright, alright, yes, Daphne has been clued in to my messy love life." Evan chuckled as he sipped his beer.

  "Why is it messy, if you don't mind my asking?" Elise might be great at investigation, but her manners never failed her.

  "No worries, Elise. I just have a bad track record with women--"

  "And he likes girls who are all wrong for him," I interrupted, nudging him in the arm.

  "Yes, Daphne's trying to help me work on that. But sometimes I can't help myself. The heart wants what the heart wants." He shrugged, sarcasm dripping from his words. I rolled my eyes at him. Pain in the ass.

  "Daph, isn't that Tanner?" Elise craned her neck, looking toward the door. I jumped off my bar stool, searching the room for my boyfriend. I glanced at Evan, who was observing me with a relaxed smile. After scanning the room, I found him. He was walking through the bar, searching for me as well. He was still in in his work clothes. Plaid button down woven shirt with pressed khaki pants and loafers. He called it his nerd-wear. But, I thought he looked ridiculously handsome in his work clothes.

  His eyes locked with mine and I grinned from ear to ear, waving him over to our table as Evan grabbed another stool.

  "Tanner, you made it," I said, wrapping my arms around him. I slowly released him from my ecstatic grip.

  "Hey, Evan, how's it going, man?" Tanner said as the men shook hands.

  "Doing well. Here, sit. I'm glad you could make it."

  "Thanks." A grin formed on Tanner's face. "Happy hour wasn't very exciting, so I thought I'd drop by."

  "I'm so glad you did," I said, gazing at Tanner. He took my hand in his and kissed my knuckles softly.

  "Okay," Elise said, "I really need a refill. Evan? Want to join me?"

  "Of course." Evan stood, gesturing for Elise to walk into his outstretched arm. "We'll be back in a bit."

  As soon as they walked away, Tanner turned and planted a sensual kiss on my lips. I placed my hands on his cheeks, so happy to have a moment alone with him.

  "I didn't think you'd come out with us. You made my night, babe."

  "In all honesty, I couldn't stay away. Work has been really stressful lately and today was no picnic. But, I knew seeing you would make it all better."

  "Really?" I asked.

  "Always, Daph. You always make things better." He leaned in and placed his forehead on mine, and all of a sudden, I was no longer interested in hearing the band. All I wanted to do was take Tanner back to my apartment and have my way with him. But I couldn't do that to Elise or Evan. Instead, I gave Tanner a soft kiss on his lips and asked, "Are you staying over tonight?"

  "Definitely," he said.

  "Alright, alright, break it up," Elise said, approaching the table. "We brought reinforcements." She placed four drinks on the table. We settled in and listened to the band, occasionally stopping to talk between songs. Evan and Tanner discussed their respective jobs and similar tastes in music. Elise, seeing their relaxed interaction, gave me a look of approval.

  The band finished their first set and Tanner excused himself to the washroom. Evan raised both eyebrows as he took a swig of his beer. I couldn't tell if he was about to tease me or congratulate me.

  "I like him," Evan said. "You two are good together."

  "You think so?" I asked, genuinely wanting Evan's approval.

  "I do. You're glowing, Daphne. I've never seen you like this before. Ever since he walked through that door, you've been a different person." I threw my head back slightly in surprise, raising one eyebrow.

  Evan chuckled. "I meant it as a compliment to him, not as an insult to you."

  "I don't mean to be different," I said, a little panicked. Morgan and I couldn't stand women who acted like chameleons with their boyfriends. Changing their interests, their passions, their behavior. I didn't want to be one of those women. Not even for Tanner. I didn't want to lose myself.

  "No, of course not," he said, brushing it off. "But you're happier when he's around. Visibly happier. I like it."

  "I see it, too," Elise added, nodding. "He's right, you're a good match. But I already knew that," she said, nudging me in the arm.

  Their words were comforting. Not only did I have an amazing man in my life, but I had friends who genuinely cared about my happiness. I felt so protected, so appreciated, so loved. Life was good.

  #

  Chapter 31

  Japan

  My brow furrowed as I heard Tanner's news. He was not happy about the recent development either, so I tried my best to act as if I wasn't upset, scared, or hesitant so as to be supportive. "Well, it's only for six weeks. And we can Skype, right?"

  Tanner let out a sigh into the phone. "Yeah, I know, but we've spent this entire summer together. The idea of even one week apart is trying, let alone six. I feel like we just got started, ya know?"

  "I do."

  "My boss says I'm the only developer that can fix the problems in Tokyo."

  "Well, that's kind of a compliment, right?"

  "Yeah. Don't get me wrong, it's a great opportunity for me, but I'm wishing they'd sent me months ago, before I met you. We'll be in completely different time zones. I'll be awake while you're sleeping and vice versa."

  "I know, Tanner, I know." My heart was aching. "But we'll have email and we can Skype every day. I'll miss you like crazy, though."

  "Same here."

  I paused, sighing. "When do you have to leave?" I asked, hoping I'd still have some time with him.

  "That's the worst part. They need me to arrive this weekend. I have to leave tomorrow."

  "Tomorrow?" I practically shrieked into the phone.

  "I know, it's too soon," he said roughly. "But I can't say no. If I could, you know I would."

  "We'll be fine. We'll do whatever we need to do to stay connected. You're getting the opportunity of a lifetime. The thought of spending that much time across the globe is fascinating, really."

  "You're being a really good sport about this. Thanks, sweetheart."

  "I'm doing my best," I said, looking up at the ceiling, trying my best not to let any tears slip by.

  "I'd better get packing. They're putting me on an afternoon flight, so I'll try to stop by your school before I leave for the airport. I can't leave without kissing you goodbye."

  "Yes, please come by," I muttered, dragging my hand through my hair. Get started on your packing, call me if you need help deciding what to bring."

  "Will do, thanks. I love you."

  Thankful that a new school year had arrived, I knew my job would distract me while Tanner was away. We'd only been together just short of five months. We were still in the honeymoon phase where we couldn't stand to be apart. Compound that by the fact that we'd just exchanged "I love you's" for the first time, and this trip was sounding less appealing with every minute that went by.

  I glanced at the clock. It was eight o' clock in the evening, which meant I had a few hours to stew on this before going to sleep and facing the next month and a half without Tanner. I tried calling Elise, but she wasn't home, so I resigned myself to watching television in an effort to distract myself. I was starting to drift off to sleep when my cell phone beeped from my purse. My curiosity piqued, I retrieved my phone to find a text message from Tanner:

&nb
sp; I can't wait until tomorrow. Please unlock your back door.

  Ecstatic, I ran to the back door of my apartment and threw it open. Tanner was standing on my deck, his back to me. He quickly turned and revealed a large bouquet of roses, lilies, and gardenias. His smile was wide, and his eyes were filled with hope.

  "I couldn't wait, I'm sorry. I had to see you," he said with a small shrug. I grabbed the flowers, smelling them briefly before placing them on the nearest surface. Dragging my boyfriend into the apartment, I slammed the door and jumped into his arms, kissing him deeply.

  "Take me to my bedroom. We need to say goodbye properly."

  "Yes, ma'am," he replied with a chuckle, supporting my backside with his strong hands as he ambled confidently to my bed. I weaved my hands through his silky dark hair as he laid me down across the plum colored comforter. His lips found my ears, my neck, and finally my mouth. I parted my lips, welcoming him in.

  When he pulled away abruptly, he took me by surprise. He lifted his head and stared into my eyes, startling me to my core. He tilted his head slightly and brushed my hair from my eyes ever so gently.

  "What is it?" I asked, stroking his cheek.

  "I love you more than I can ever express."

  "I love you, too." Still startled, I stroked his hair gently, trying to relieve the obvious pain he was in. His concern was plastered across his furrowed brow, his suddenly pink cheeks, and his growing pupils. Our relationship was still so new in so many ways. We needed more time.

  "I can't bear the thought of being away from you."

  "I know," I said softly. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here when you get back."

  "Do you have any idea how adorable you are? Do you have any idea what you do to me?"

  "What do I do to you?" I asked seductively. "Tell me, Tanner." I stroked his cheek gently with my index finger in a way that made him shudder. He closed his eyes briefly before responding.

  "You make me lose control in the best possible way. You bring out the best in me, you make me feel things in a way I never imagined."