by Anne Lange
“You could never disappoint me. And I would never hate you.” He paused. “I take that back. I’m disappointed that you didn’t trust me enough to tell me what was going on with you.”
“I’ve dreamed of having my own children, our children. All I could think about was you, and what was best for you. I loved you so much, and I knew you loved me, but I couldn’t fathom the possibility of you one day turning away from me, angry at not having a complete family. Eventually there would be a huge wall between us. So I decided to set you free.”
His voice cracked. “That wasn’t your decision to make. You didn’t even give me a chance.”
She squeezed her eyes shut. God, this sucked. Seeing him in pain sucked. Rehashing all of this now, witnessing his hurt drained her. She didn’t want to go through this again. She turned her head and looked out over the water. The light from the moon lit up the surface.
“I loved you more than anything—more than anyone. Even if that were true, that you couldn’t have children, it was you I wanted to spend my life with. Surely you know that.” He dragged in a shaky breath and let it out in slow measured puffs. “If I can only have you in my life, I’ll be a happy man.”
His use of present tense startled her. A spark of hope bloomed in her chest. She tried to squash it, but it dug in, staking a claim. She had refrained from looking at him. Afraid of what she’d see in his eyes. “I do know better now, but the past is the past, and it still hurts most days. I try not to dwell on it.”
“But it’s new for me.”
“You’re right, and I respect that.” Regret hung heavy in the air and in her heart. “I do, but I don’t think I can help you through it. In fact, I’d rather not. I’m sorry if that’s selfish, but it’s taken me all this time to come to grips with what’s happened in my life. Work is my life now. Frankly, seeing you this weekend…well, it hasn’t been easy. I don’t need that pain in my life again. I don’t want it in my life. I’m trying to move on.” She tried, without success, to keep the wobble out her voice.
Chapter Nine
Deciding to spend the day at the beach, Molly and her friends packed a cooler bursting with a variety of snacks and carried blankets, towels, and a Frisbee. They chatted and chased one another like kids as they walked down the same path she and Tanner had taken the previous night. This time, the beach buzzed with activity when they left the cover of the trees and stepped out onto the sand.
Securing a spot that provided both sun and shade, they dragged over a picnic table, spread out their blankets and dumped their gear. The men grabbed the Frisbee, heading out to the open sand, but off to the side to avoid running over small children. Once they arranged everything to their satisfaction, Molly and her girlfriends each found some space on the sand, settling in to catch a few rays.
Molly soaked up the warmth of the sun, her body and mind relaxed for the first time in a long time, certainly all weekend.
A shadow fell over her. “Hey, somebody’s blocking my sun.” When the shadow didn’t move, she blinked open her eyes and stared straight into Tanner’s sun-bronzed face, his bedroom eyes full of lust.
“I never realized how hot boy-cut shorts are.”
She hadn’t brought her bikini on this trip, because it was still early in the season, but stretched out on the ground like she was, her tank top dipped low in the cleavage and her hem rode up, exposing her belly. Short shorts finished off the ensemble.
His gaze roved over her body, hunger and desire evident in his hard features. He dropped and stretched out alongside her, resting his head in the palm of his one hand while he used the other to sprinkle a handful of sand up her body slowly. The small grains bounced around on her flesh. “Interested in joining me for a stroll through the woods? We could check out the spot with the big boulders we visited yesterday. Or, maybe we could slip back to the tents and find something to occupy us while everyone’s here at the beach.”
She chuckled, smothering a sigh of relief that he didn’t appear angry. “You just want to ditch our friends and go have sex.”
“I’m sure they’d understand.” She imagined the swirls of grey in his eyes behind his sunglasses. His cocky grin on his face made her relax and laugh harder. God, it felt great to laugh.
“Maybe I just want to talk. I haven’t talked to you in a long time.” A part of her teased, but the other part had missed being able to talk to him for the past ten years.
“We talked just last night.”
“You know what I mean.”
He huffed. “We could. I suppose. But what I had in mind would be more fun.” His eyebrows wiggled above those dark shades and he snaked a fingertip from knee to hip and then up her side. She jerked when he touched on a ticklish spot.
Of course it would be. Unfortunately, it would also make her fall for him again, and she couldn’t risk that. Sleeping with one another would not help the situation and would only create more heartache when she went home tomorrow—alone. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. The weekend’s almost over. You’ll have your restaurant deal to work out, and I’ll have…” What would she have? Oh, yeah, her job.
“Molly—”
“Come on you two, girls against the boys.” Colleen jumped up, slapping Tanner in the back of the head as she jumped over their prone bodies on her way to join the others at the makeshift beach volleyball court.
For the remainder of the day, she managed to avoid intimate moments with Tanner as they played volleyball with their friends, occasionally stopping to rehydrate or to switch out players with fellow campers who asked to join. A couple of the guys braved the cold water and then came out shivering, wearing wicked grins and looking for the nearest female to cozy up to.
When the sun began its descent, they packed their stuff and walked single file back to the campsite. Their eyes sparkled in their tired, sunburned faces. Molly had been exchanging meaningful glances with Tanner the whole afternoon. His looks said let’s get down and dirty. Hers said I’d love to, but it’s time to move on. She gave him kudos for his tenacity, though. She thrived on the familiar feelings of being around him again, but she needed to shore up her reserves for the good-bye to come.
* * *
Matt and Sam volunteered to cook, so while they prepared, the others jumped in the showers. Soon, supper was over, the sun long gone, and clouds sailed through the sky, pushed by the wind. A low rumble of thunder rolled through the night, and lightning flashed in the distant sky.
Tanner’s chest expanded as he inhaled, the smell of rain permeating the air. A storm brewed in his body too. He closed his eyes, remembering the sight of Molly lying on the beach earlier. Desire coursed through his blood, heating it to near combustible levels. If only they’d been alone. In his mind, he’d stretched out over her, pressed his chest to hers, settled between her soft thighs and plunged deep and hard into her hot, tight body, right there on the sand, under the sun.
He shook his head and groaned, shifting to lean forward, hiding his condition as he struggled to get his body under control. The afternoon activities had kept his libido in check, but it didn’t extinguish his lust by any stretch. His skin tingled and his body hummed, aggravated by the energy in the air and by her attempts to stay clear of him.
His friends sat around the fire, engaged in quiet conversations. They waited for the rain to start in earnest, knowing it would restrict them to their tents when it came. Tanner bided his time. This was his last opportunity. He had to make it count.
“So, Tanner.” Brad’s question interrupted his internal planning. “When do you start work in the city?”
With herculean effort, he turned his focus to the conversation. “I still need to finalize the deal, but if all goes well, I plan to officially open the restaurant in October. I originally wanted to open in time for Thanksgiving, but I have to complete some renovations first. I also have to make a quick trip back to BC to tie up a few loose ends there.”
“Do you have a theme for the place?”
“I ha
ve an idea, nothing concrete though. All I can say right now is that it won’t be a pub, and it won’t be too exclusive. I also have a line on a great chef. A friend of mine from BC is looking for a change. I’m hoping I can work something out with him.”
Violet laughed. “That doesn’t give us much to go on, Tanner.”
“Sorry. I don’t want to say much until the plans are completed and the deal is done. I can say you won’t be disappointed. The food will be top quality for a reasonable price.”
“So what will you do between now and opening?” Matt piped into the conversation.
“I need to spend some time with my parents, and I want to relax while I can. I figure I’ll be around here for most of June and July, with trips into Ottawa, of course.” Tanner swung his head to watch for any reaction from Molly. “If I’m going to stay, I’ll need to find a place to live in Ottawa.” Her eyes widened, and her pupils darkened. Pleased, he switched his attention back to Brad, a smile fought to be freed. “We’ll have to spend more time together, bud.”
“Absolutely. I’m glad you’re back, man. Maybe we can plan a few more camping trips before the end of the season.”
“I’d like that.”
They continued to chat about plans for the upcoming summer until the first spatters of rain fell. It didn’t take long before the drops became steady. When the fire began to hiss and spit, it was time to call it a night. Tanner made a quick grab for Molly’s hand when she walked by him. “Come with me.”
Her gaze flicked over his face and settled on his eyes. She squinted, as though searching for something. Indecision seemed to do battle in hers, but she nodded.
He led her over to Brad’s car, opened the back passenger door and ushered her inside, closing the door with a soft click behind him. The heavens accepted that as their cue, and buckets of rain plastered the roof and windshield, obliterating the view of everything outside the car.
Chapter Ten
Unconcerned with the rain pounding down around them, he turned to Molly and without a word cradled her face in his hands. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, pouring every molecule of his being into that simple kiss. He licked and nibbled his way across her top lip and then moved to her bottom one before seeking entrance to the delight he knew lay beyond. When she opened her mouth on a gasp, he took it as an invitation. They seduced each other with their tongues, dancing to a song so beautiful, he believed he heard actual music in his head.
He lured her in close, deepening the connection. In his mind a litany of past, present, and future moments played out to some melody for his ear alone. He withdrew from her mouth and stared down into her face, longing to share the fantasies he envisioned of their future together. The emotions reflected in hers made his heart stutter. He saw tenderness, hope, and—he prayed—love.
“Tanner?”
“Shhh.”
Wrapped in darkness, they rediscovered one another by touch. With gentle reverence, they undressed each other, one piece of clothing at a time, stopping along the way to explore and to place soft kisses and tender licks on the other’s body as each area became exposed. Every now and again, a flash of lightning provided a spark of light. The inside of the car filled with throaty moans and groaned sighs.
“It feels like we’re the only two people in the world.”
He couldn’t agree more.
Rain beat down on their shelter, and thunder rumbled overhead. The car swayed. Was that the wind or was that them? He didn’t know. He didn’t care.
When Molly reached between his legs and cradled his cock in her soft grip, he closed his eyes. Fuck.
“You’re so hard.”
“And really sensitive, so if you don’t want me to go off in your hand, you need to be careful.”
Her fingers traveled up and down in a teasing caress, rubbing her thumb over the engorged head on each upward stroke. Fluid eased from the slit. She wiped it away, lifted her thumb to her mouth, and licked it clean. She shifted, finding a position that allowed her to cant her upper body over his lap. Her tongue swept a path along the length of his shaft.
Oh, Lord.
He growled low in his throat and wrapped his fingers in her hair, wanting to guide her with subtle pressure, but not wanting to hurry the show. Watching her swallow his cock an inch at a time, and only when the heavens allowed it, was the hottest fucking thing ever.
Molly moved up and down, her mouth warm and wet. Her right hand fisted the bottom half, working in tandem with each bob of her head. Come boiled in his balls, the urge to fill that hot, delectable little orifice, strangled him. “That’s so fucking hot, baby, but you gotta stop. You’re killing me.”
Oh, but he’d die a happy man. He gritted his teeth, fighting to restrain the bone-deep desire to fuck her mouth. She retreated, but just to tease him with a wicked grin.
Then the little witch started licking him with long, sure strokes, wrapping her lips around the aching head, applying the smallest bit of suction each time she reached the top. She was driving him nuts, taking him deeper into the warm recess of her mouth on each downward stroke until she no longer licked him, but swallowed him whole. The tip of his cock bumped the back of her throat. He squeezed his eyes shut.
“Sweet Jesus. I can’t take much more. Stop. Please.” He gave her hair a hard tug, pulling her away, drawing out a sharp cry of disappointment. She glanced up, her eyes dark and slumberous, her lips slick and puffy. Sitting amid the darkness surrounding the car, a visceral sense of male possessiveness hit him hard in the gut. He pushed her back against the car’s door, lifting her one leg to rest over the back seat, the other over the front. With her spread wide open, he waited a beat for a flash of lightning to offer him a view of her sweet, succulent pussy.
God must have been listening. A deep rumble shook the ground and thunder rolled around them, rocking the vehicle, as a brilliant flash lit up the interior. The smell of electricity charged the air, intermingled with the fragrance of her arousal. The light lasted only a second, but it was long enough to imprint on his brain the sight of her, spread open, ripe and ready for his taking. Her eyes were round, her lips parted, and her pussy lush, swollen, and moist.
“Oh, baby, you look so pretty.” He shoved his hands under the cheeks of her ass, raising her toward his eager mouth. He bent down to swipe his tongue along her velvet-soft lips, licking the juice already dripping free. “Mmm.” Her body trembled, and she uttered a throaty groan. She jerked her hips, bringing her closer to him. He would have preferred to take his time, but one taste of her honey had him hooked. He delved in and ate her with gusto, plunging his tongue deep inside, groaning when the walls of her pussy sucked him deeper.
He snacked on her, tasted every morsel she offered. His tongue toyed with her clit, flicking back and forth over it before sucking the swollen nub into his mouth. Violent shudders rolled through her body. Whimpers of frustration fell from her lips, and she grabbed a fistful of his hair and pressed tight against his face, seeking release from the torture he so lovingly dished out. He chuckled, the sound coming from deep in his throat. “Come for me. I want to feel your juices coat my tongue.”
“Oh, God, it feels…I don’t want you to stop. Please, please, don’t stop.” Her breathing was ragged, her voice hoarse.
“Oh, I’m not stopping, babe. Not until you come. I want to taste you.”
She growled like a large cat. He smiled, thrilled that his blunt language seemed to turn her on.
He tipped her ass forward a little more, watching with avid fascination when some of her cream slid from her pussy and trickled down to her puckered rear. He followed the stream with his tongue, rimming her ass. She gasped and jolted, but didn’t complain. Could this be a new sensation for her? Anal play was not something they had indulged in before. Curious, he dipped a finger into her pussy, driving it in and out a few times, until it was nice and slick. He used the moisture to massage her back entrance, applying steady pressure as he did.
Intent on what he wa
s doing, heal most missed the fact that she’d gone still. He dared a glance to gauge her reaction. Her focus stayed riveted on what he was doing, her eyes wide, her pupils large and dark. She seemed to be holding her breath. He dropped his gaze back down, and the sky lit up again as he slid his finger into her ass, mesmerized as he watched it sink past the second knuckle. Her gasp brought his attention back to her face, fearful he’d hurt her. Captivated, he watched her eyes roll back and her jaw drop open, her expression one of unadulterated pleasure.
He eased his finger out then drilled it back in again. She reached with her hips to meet him halfway. He put his tongue back to her clit, laving her slit while he finger-fucked her ass.
She began to pant, thrusting her hips in time with his movements. Shivers raced along her body, making his fingers tingle where they made contact with her skin.
“Oh. My. God.” Her words escaped as a gasp.
Faster and faster, they moved in a synchronized dance. A clap of thunder drowned out the groan rising through her. She thrashed against him, begging him for more, until finally, she bowed her body, arching away from his touch, and a strangled cry was ripped from her throat. She exploded, her come spilling out to coat his hand.
Slipping his finger out from the tightness of her ass, he grasped her hips and licked her pussy through the throes of her climax. Little by little, her body began to relax, and her breathing returned to near normal. His body continued to thrum, impatient for release. He relaxed his grip and retrieved a condom. His hands shook. He sat up and pulled her astride his lap. He had never been so fucking turned on. This woman sucked the breath right out of him. He couldn’t wait to feel her wet heat surrounding his throbbing cock.