His lips quirked. “You’re really good at this.”
She shrugged, embarrassed by the praise. “It would help if I knew what you were looking for.”
“I’ll know it when I see it.” He waved a hand. “Carry on. What’s next?”
“The master bedroom.”
The room sported a vaulted ceiling with two decorative fans to keep the air circulating. A wall of windows had a set of French doors smack in the middle, allowing an enormous amount of natural light to brighten the room. There were a few pieces of furniture, but it was the king-sized bed that drew her attention. Or rather, the man currently testing the bounce factor on the edge.
Why did he have to be so … big? Her body responded to him with resounding speed as though moments, instead of years, separated their time apart. Tanner had mastered her body in their youth. She wondered what kind of lover he’d be now. All those muscles bunching, straining, thrusting...
“Does this bed come with the house?”
Abby stifled a groan and shut her eyes, trying not to imagine joining him there. “All of the furniture is available for purchase, if you see something you like.”
“I definitely see something I like.”
Her eyes flew open at the sensual rumble of his voice. He was staring at her. Not her breasts. Not her body. Her.
Abby’s mouth went as dry as a bone.
“As for the furniture, it’s a little too stuffy for my taste.” He pointed toward the baby blue, floral-print wingback in the corner. “What kind of respectable man would sit in a thing like that?”
A laugh burst from her lips. Picturing Tanner shoved into the feminine-looking chair was a welcome distraction. “The owner had a local decorator stage the house. Everything is up for grabs.” Her face burned as Tanner’s brow went up. “The furniture, Tanner. You need to stop doing that.”
“Doing what?”
She rolled her eyes. Some things never changed. “Watching me. Staring. You’re making me uncomfortable.” He didn’t need to know where she was uncomfortable. That would be oversharing considering she’d only re-met him less than an hour ago. “Why don’t you go check out the master bath. I’ll give you some time to look around.”
Needing to put some space between them and the bed Abby wandered over to the French doors. She opened them and stepped out onto a rotunda-style terrace. As with the rest of the house, this area had been staged with a couch, coffee table, and three matching chairs.
The house had been built on an inlet, so this was the only place the ocean was actually visible from the property. It immediately became her favorite spot.
“You look different,” Tanner said from behind her.
She turned and leaned back against the railing, crossing her arms over her chest. “I should hope so. Thanks to a love for cream sauces and cheesecake, I’m no longer built like a prepubescent boy. Thank God.”
It had taken awhile for her body to catch up with her height. In high school she’d been all leg. Gangly. No hips or breasts to speak of. At twenty-eight she was still all leg, but her curves had filled out quite nicely, thank you very much.
Tanner joined her at the rail, adding his weight to hers. “I loved your body back then.”
And now?
“My body is not an appropriate topic of conversation.” She’d gone for stern, but ended up somewhere between breathy and amused.
She felt his shrug against her arm. “Just stating a fact.”
His honesty defused her defenses. Tanner had broken her heart, but he’d never lied to her. If he had, things between them might’ve been much, much worse. Somehow, the idea he could’ve stayed and turned to deception and cheating to sow his oats made her grateful he’d chosen to walk away.
It was a perspective she’d been unable to see until now.
“It seems like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it?”
A noncommittal sound came from his throat. Tanner reached for her left hand and she let him take it. His thumb swept over her naked ring finger.
“Are you married, Abby-girl?”
“No.”
One side of his mouth curled up. “Got anyone special in your life? A boyfriend?”
“No.”
He angled his body toward hers. “Abby. I—”
Movement in the corner of her eye made her gasp as a man strolled out onto the terrace as though he owned the place. Large and menacing, the man stopped, his eyes darting between her and Tanner.
Sizing them up? For what? Body bags?
The guy wasn’t as tall as Tanner, but his bulk made up for the height. Same way his facial hair made up for the lack of hair on his head. Tattoos covered his arms and he had an earring in one ear. A tiny, glittering stud.
His expression was fierce as Abby jerked her hand from Tanner’s grasp and forced herself from the railing. “I-I’m sorry. This is a closed showing.”
A warm, gentle hand wrapped around her arm. “It’s okay, Abby. He’s with me. Jesus, dude. Wanna tone down the Soprano vibe? You’re freaking the lady out.”
Confused, her heart still pumping with adrenaline, Abby choked out a laugh. “He’s with you?”
“Not with me. Christ, I haven’t changed that much. This is my, uh, my buddy. Mitch. We’ve got some things to do this afternoon, so he decided to tag along.”
She’d never been so relieved in her life. Abby stepped forward and offered her hand. “I’m sorry about that, Mitch. I didn’t know you were here. Please forgive me for being rude. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Abigail Nash.”
Mitch gave her hand a firm pump. “Abigail.” To Tanner he said, “About done here?”
“Mitch was raised by wolves, Abby. Don’t hold his nonexistent manners against him.”
“I’m not paid for my personality. Time to go.” Before Abby could decipher that cryptic comment Mitch offered her a curt nod. She swore his lips twitched but he didn’t actually smile. “Ma’am.”
She thought he would leave, but Mitch parked it on the edge of the threshold, apparently settling in to wait for Tanner.
“I had planned to show you two more houses today.” She told herself the disappointment she felt was due to the change in plans and not because she wanted more time with him.
“I’m sorry, Ab. I really am. I’m meeting with a couple of the coaches today and then I have to workout. I’m free later, though. Have dinner with me.”
“I don’t think so.” The last hour had proved her attraction to him was alive and well and looking for an outlet. Therein lies certain heartbreak.
“Why not? It’s just a meal. If it makes you feel better, call it work. We’ll talk about what I want in a house and we’ll work out a schedule for the showings.”
“We could do all of those things now and you would save yourself the expense of dinner.”
“We could …” Tanner squeezed his lips shut, indicating he wouldn’t be discussing floor plans or square footage without plates of food between them.
“Tanner.”
“Come on, Abby. Please? I—shit.” He glanced over at Mitch. “I can’t take you out, but you could come to the hotel. I’ll order in.”
Can’t take her out? He hadn’t had a problem publicly dating half the women in California. What, she wasn’t skanky enough to be seen with him in public? She should be flattered, but she wasn’t.
“You want me to come to your hotel room. For dinner.”
He reached into his pocket, pulling out a key card. “Dinner. Conversation. Strategic planning for our house hunt.” He suddenly looked shy, vulnerable, and her inner bitch melted a little. “I just want to spend some time with you. There are … there are things I’d like to say.”
She was doomed. Ten years and she still couldn’t resist him.
She snatched the card from his hand with a sigh. “What time should I be there?”
“What was that all about?”
Tanner slid into the driver’s seat of his sleek, black Benz and glared at the cigarette ha
nging from Mitch’s lips. “Don’t even think about lighting up in my car, asshole.”
Mitch tucked the thing behind his ear and reached around to grab the seat belt. “Are you planning to tap the realtor?”
Tanner’s cock latched on to the verb, hardening in an instant with the thought of getting Abby under him. The rest of him took offense. Tap was not an adequate description for what he wanted to do to Abby. For starters, he’d been seconds away from kissing her before Mitch barged in and scared the crap out of her.
Tanner hadn’t imagined the chemistry between them could survived the years, but it had. Fucking-A, it had. He’d done little more than touch her hand and his body lit up like a fucking Christmas tree.
Tap, indeed. More like consume.
“None of your business.”
Mitch secured the seat belt with a shove. “Everything about you is my business.”
“Aw. Isn’t that sweet?” He started the car and backed out of the driveway. Once on the street, he punched the gas and headed toward the Thunder Dome, home stadium for the Miami Thunder.
“Just doing my job, which wouldn’t be necessary if your shit was tight. If you want to resent someone, look in the mirror. You are the only one to blame for the situation you’re in. I’m here until Ian tells me I’m done, so we can do this the easy way or the hard way. As for me, I prefer prevention to damage control. You were gettin’ pretty cozy with the realtor. You invited her to dinner. I believe Ian made his conditions clear. No bars. No drinking. No—”
A growl tore from Tanner’s throat. “Be careful how you finish that sentence unless you wanna know how asphalt feels when you hit it at seventy miles an hour.”
Mitch chuckled, sliding the cigarette out from behind his ear to study it. “Now we’re gettin’ somewhere. Who is she? Friend? Former lover?”
Fuck. “High school sweetheart.”
“What happened?”
Tanner shot him a glance. “You really wanna talk this shit out?”
“I wanna know what I’m dealing with.”
He opened his mouth to tell Mitch to fuck off, but changed his mind at the last minute. He didn’t want to spend the next 364 days fighting with the guy. If he played nice, maybe he’d get time off for good behavior.
“I loved her, man. I loved her and I fucked it up.” Like he’d fucked up everything else in his life since. “I never expected to see Abby again. Shocked the shit outta me when she waltzed into the foyer today and announced she was my realtor.” Once the words started to flow, he couldn’t hold them back. “It’s a miracle she doesn’t fucking hate me. She should. Honest to God. But I’m selfish enough to be glad she doesn’t.”
And selfish enough to want to explore the attraction sizzling between them. Provided she was agreeable.
“Having dinner with Abby isn’t breaking any of Ian’s rules. There’s nothing for you to deal with. I’ve got this. You and Ian want me to get my shit tight? Back off and let me do it.”
“Good to know we’re on the same page.” Turning on the radio, Mitch cranked the volume, effectively ending the conversation.
Maybe the guy wasn’t so bad after all.
Chapter Four
Standing in the hallway—fist poised to knock on Tanner’s hotel room door—Abby suffered the worst bout of nerves in her recorded history.
She expected seeing Tanner would be awkward, if not difficult. She hadn’t expected the encounter to leave her painfully aroused and prepared to have dinner with him in his hotel room. Alone. In close proximity to a bed.
She spent the remainder of the afternoon reminding the stupid organ in her chest not to get invested in Tanner’s smiles and seductive glances. Reminding it not to confuse the past with the present.
In the present Tanner had taken the time to learn her relationship status, but hadn’t uttered a single peep about how he destroyed their relationship. Granted, she realized now he’d done her a favor. Call her petty and childish, but knowing wasn’t enough. If he thought he could seduce her without some sort of acknowledgement of what happened between them, he was dead wrong.
You hear that, ovaries? Dead. Wrong.
Her mom was right. She needed to let go of the past. Was there a statute of limitations on apologies? Abby wasn’t looking for a grand gesture, but a simple apology would go a long way in the forgiveness department.
Damn it, the boatload of butterflies fluttering in her stomach was making her nauseous.
Later, she’d blame those winged bastards for her ridiculous behavior. For now, she took a few measured breaths and rapped her knuckles against the door.
The thing swung open right away, as though he’d been waiting for her knock.
“Hey. Wow, you look great.”
She’d gone for casual, the exact opposite of how she’d dressed this morning. Shorts. Tank top. Sandals. Her hair hung to the waistband of her shorts, the earlier bun leaving it wavier than usual. She shoved a chunk of it behind her ear. “Thanks.”
She was glad he hadn’t dressed up for her, either.
His sleeveless faded T-shirt and gym shorts hung loose around his large frame. His hair was wet and his feet were bare. The attire said this isn’t a date, this is two people having a meal and talking about work.
Tanner leaned out and glanced up and down the hallway. He palmed the back of her arm and tugged her through the doorway. “Come on in. I hope you’re hungry. Dinner arrived a few minutes ago.”
Why the urgency to get her inside? “Sure. That sounds great.” The butterflies needed to give it a rest.
“I’ve got us all set up in here.” Tanner led her into the suite. From what she could see, the room was spacious and had a stunning view of the ocean. There were two tables in the dining area. One larger with seating for six, and a smaller, more intimate round table for four. Their meal was laid out on the latter.
“Nice to see you again, Abigail.”
Distracted by the view and the food, Abby was surprised to discover they weren’t alone after all.
“Oh.” Mitch was sprawled on the living room couch. He had the TV remote in his hand, and the channels flipped from one baseball game to another. “Hey. I didn’t know you’d be here.”
Mitch turned his head, his eyes taking a lazy tour over her body. “Surprise.” His voice was low. Suggestive. His gaze lingered on her legs. At least, she hoped it was her legs and not the very private area in between.
The butterflies turned to bats. She was in a hotel room with a man known for his uninhibited behavior, and a man she didn’t know who looked like he ate nails for breakfast and wanted her for dinner.
What the hell had she gotten herself into?
She turned to Tanner. She’d heard about his sexual exploits. Coupled with the way Mitch visually undressed her, Abby surmised what the men had planned for the evening.
Why else would Mitch be there, ogling her so openly?
Idiot!
Can’t take her out, indeed. How many other women had fallen for this trick?
I can’t take you out. Please come to my room for dinner and conversation. Oh, and did I mention you were the main course, and I’ve invited a friend? No? Surprise!
She felt Tanner’s heat at her back as Mitch continued to check out her front. Maybe some women were into doing two men, but Abby had zero interest in becoming the filling in their threesome sandwich. “This was a mistake. I’m not … I can’t … I have to go.”
“Wait. Abby. Where are you going?” Tanner’s fingers wrapped around her wrist and pulled her to a halt. Whatever Tanner saw in her expression made his brow crinkle. “Mitch, could you give us some time here?”
Mitch stood with a sigh. He swiped a pack of smokes and a bottle of water from the coffee table. “I’ll be on the balcony. Do not leave this room.”
Interesting demand from a friend. More surprising was Tanner’s reply.
“Yeah, yeah,” Tanner tossed out, his attention pinned on her. “Beat it.”
When Mitch disappeared t
hrough what she assumed was the bedroom door, Abby jerked her wrist from Tanner’s grasp. “What did you think was going to happen here tonight?”
“You just walked in the door. What’s got you so upset?”
“You think I haven’t heard about the things you’re into?”
Tanner’s back stiffened. “Don’t believe everything you read. Ninety percent of it is bullshit, in case you were wondering. And you have no idea what I’m into. Trust me. Now, why don’t you tell me what’s got you so fired up to leave before we’ve even had a chance to eat.”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Thick arms crossed over his substantial chest. “No, it’s not. Enlighten me.”
He wanted her to spell it out? Fine.
“I’m not going to have sex with you and your friend.” There was a sentence she never thought she’d have to say.
“What?”
“I’m not—”
“I heard you the first time,” he snapped. “Jesus, Abby. You’ve got this all wrong. I get the misunderstanding is partially my fault, but how could you think I’d put you in that kind of position?”
“How should I know? I have no idea what you’re into,” she snapped back.
His expression turned hard as granite. Cold, stormy eyes met hers. “Yeah.” Tanner stepped away from her. “You should go. I’ll email you my schedule and we can go from there.”
“That’s it?” The need to stay and argue suddenly became more important than leaving.
“What more do you want?” The anger pouring out of him swallowed hers whole. “Tell me something, Abby. Did you come here looking for a fight? Ten years is a long time to let indignation stew. I’m sure you’re dying to put me in my place for what happened between us. You have every right to tell me off for the way I treated you in the past. I was a dick. I admit it. I own it. I live with that shit every day of my fucking life. The regret. Knowing the pain I caused. And I’m sorry for all of it. I deserve whatever you want to serve up for what happened back then.” He spread his arms wide. “Take your best shot. Get it all out, baby. Scream at me. Hit me. Do whatever you need to do in order to have some peace, but do not stand there and make assumptions about me based on shit you know nothing about.”
Dare To Love Series: Dare's Wild (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 3