Love Surfaced

by Michelle Lynn

  “Um . . . probably Red’s.” I cringe, figuring he’ll shoot the restaurant down. I’ve tried to drag Brad and Tanner there on numerous occasions, only to be diverted to the pizza place next door.

  “The vegan place?” His shoulders deflate, and he rolls his eyes to the side.

  “We can go somewhere else though,” I quickly stutter out, cowering down.

  “No, Piper. We’ll go there. You can order for me because I’m a little worried it won’t give me the energy I need for tonight.” He stops the truck at the light, and his hand ventures over to my thigh, tightly squeezing it within his grasp. “And I’m pretty sure I’ll need a lot of energy.”

  My heart bulges out of my chest at his mention of us being together tonight. Will I finally sleep with Tanner? I tentatively smile his way before he focuses back on the road in front of him, pressing on the gas a little harder this time.

  five

  AS TANNER CARRIES TWO BROWN paper bags, we sneak into our apartment building. A heaviness grew in my throat when I asked Tanner to park on the opposite corner where he usually does, so Brad won’t think he is home or look for him elsewhere—like my apartment. This whole sneaking-around behavior makes it seem like I’m a mistress, and this is our first date. It’s as though we’re hiding some sort of affair. Well, I guess we are.

  I open my door and retreat to the kitchen to set up the breakfast bar, but Tanner has other plans. He leisurely walks over to the couch and plops the food down on the coffee table. After grabbing a few paper plates and silverware, I go to join him, and my throat constricts. There’s something more intimate now that we’re in my apartment, behind a locked door, with no interruptions coming from a waiter asking if we’d like another drink, or from the hustle of a restaurant diverting our attention or giving us a topic of conversation.

  Will I be able to hold his interest when it’s just us?

  When he takes the plates from me, I swear his hands linger a little longer.

  “Why does Wendi keep going home every weekend?”

  I kneel down next to him and inhale the smell of his cologne while my fingers fumble with the silverware. “She’s dating some old boyfriend.” My shoulders rise and fall, showing indifference. Truthfully, I enjoy having the place to myself, especially in times like this.

  “Oh.”

  He leans his back against the couch, and I admire his long legs stretched out in front of him.

  Before I embarrass myself further by wiping the drool I’m positive is dribbling from my mouth, I attempt to keep our conversation casual. “So . . . are you ready for some tofu?”

  I grin ear to ear, and in exchange he gives me a cringe.

  Tilting my head to the side, my smile doesn’t break at his resistance to give my food suggestion a chance. “Come on, it won’t be that bad.”

  “Says the one who chose it.”

  “I’ll tell you what. If you really hate it, I’ll go out and buy you two double cheeseburgers.”

  Placing his hand over his heart, his head falls back in the cushions. “Now, you’re talking to me.”

  I exaggerate my eye roll, and he laughs.

  “Just give it an honest-to-God try, okay?”

  Letting out an exasperated breath, he nods at me, placing two fingers up in the air. “Scout’s honor.”

  “Nice try, but you were never a scout.” I open the brown bag before pulling out the burritos.

  “Was to.” He fights back like an eight-year-old, pulling another giggle out of me.

  “When?” I stop my hands and challenge him.

  Tanner has telltale signs that show when he’s lying, one being that he diverts eye contact at all costs.

  “Before I moved to Marlowe. Cub Scout for six months.” With his stern eyes focusing on mine, he shows how truthful he’s being. “If we hadn’t moved, the wilderness could have been my serenity instead of a swimming pool.”

  “Jeez . . . what would the world have done without top swimmer Tanner McCain? All that talent would have been wasted with rubbing two sticks together in the woods,” I joke.

  The warmth of his chuckle calms my body.

  “I excel in everything I do, so it wouldn’t have mattered.” His tone is so steady that anyone else would suspect he’s an egomaniac, but I’m too familiar with the dry sense of humor he possesses.

  “You could have been one of those survivalists on the Discovery Channel. I’m sure viewers wouldn’t have minded seeing you on Naked and Afraid.”

  I place the heavy burrito on Tanner’s plate, and he begins to unravel it, cautiously perusing it like he’s about to dissect it in biology class.

  “I think I’d be eating something similar to this.” He points to the tofu burrito, not letting up on his displeasure to my choice of eatery.

  “Um . . . no! Haven’t you seen how much weight they lose on the show? It’s disgusting.” I sit on my knees, the tension falling off my shoulders.

  We ease into our friendly conversation.

  Leaning closer, he closes the gap between us and lowers his voice as he says, “I’m sure you would have tuned in just to see me naked.”

  “Get over yourself.”

  I push his shoulder hard with my hand, and he exaggerates the impact, bumping into the couch.

  Chuckling to himself, he holds the burrito up in his hands and turns to me. “I’d DVR it if you were naked on TV.”

  Then, I watch his mouth cover the top of the burrito, and he takes a healthy bite. All the while, my stomach flips and flops with his declaration. Just from one sentence, the tension fills the room again.

  He swallows the last of his bite. “Man, I wish I would have figured that out years ago.”

  “Figured what out?” I bite a much smaller amount than Tanner.

  “If I compliment you, it shuts your mouth.”

  He takes another bite, and I wait for a sign that he in fact likes the burrito.

  “So not true,” I hammer back. Even though he’s correct, I’m not about give him that ammunition.

  His eyes glimmer with mischief. “I’m going to store that to memory.”

  I press the button on the television, to divert his attention to something else. I hate when uncomfortableness overcomes me after someone has said something nice. Then, an advertisement for Naked and Afraid comes on, and we both look at each other and bust out laughing. Tanner slaps his knee, and I attempt to swallow the food before I spit it out. Similar to a teeter-totter, we’re back to casual and easy.

  “You’re imagining me on that show naked right now, aren’t you?” He places his burrito down and grabs his drink while his stare speeds up the beating of my heart. I pretend to rotate my head to free tension, so I can compose myself.

  “No,” I lie, heat bringing a blush to my cheeks.

  Placing his drink back down, he scoots closer. “It’s okay, Piper. You want a sneak peek.”

  I glance up through my eyelashes, and my breathing stops as I watch his fingers unbutton his shirt. My fingers ache to touch his bare chest. When he reaches four buttons down, my hands ball into fists, and my fingernails dig into my palms. I refrain from ripping the fabric the rest of the way to help him out.

  “Can I tell you something?” he asks.

  His fingers stop moving, and my eyes flicker up to his somber face.

  “Yes.” I can barely hear my shallow voice.

  “I like you. I’ve liked you for a long time.”

  My whole body heats from his words I’ve dreamed about hearing.

  “Oh,” escapes my mouth. I inwardly cringe from not conveying my own admissions back.

  Not skipping a beat, he continues, “I’m fairly certain you like me, too.”

  His hand reaches out and cups my cheek. I press my weight into the heat of his palm, slowly losing myself in this moment.

  “Am I right?”

  “Oh.” I sit up a little straighter, taken aback from his directness. “Yes,” I release the word he was prying for.

  A smile begins to fo
rm across his mouth. “Good,” he whispers.

  He inches closer, and my body shivers from the expectation of a kiss. Holding in a breath, I close my eyes when the lightest brush of his lips land on mine. He holds the kiss steady, not accelerating the pace, and my lips tingle, desperately wanting to open, while my mind fights the urge. I don’t want to seem too aggressive. I allow him to take the lead on our first true intimate moment. When his other hand matches the placement on my other cheek, I inhale a deep breath through my nose, and my chest rises and falls.

  His tongue licks along the seam of my lips, asking me to open up for him. I’m probably a little too eager, but I never perfected the hard-to-get role like other girls. His hand slides to the back of my head and gently tilts it to the side, his fingers threading through my strands. My stomach flutters, and heat builds in my core.

  Our tongues slide together, diving deeper into each other’s mouths, as the kiss becomes frantic. Tanner gently urges my body down to the carpeted floor, and I glide backward, his lips remaining on mine. He’s so caring, as though he’s placed me down on a bed of nails. I forget that this man, who has kidnapped every sense I currently behold, used to be the one who tormented me the most.

  My hand sweeps along his wavy hair, my fingers massaging the back of his hairline. A moan releases from me into Tanner’s mouth when his tongue deepens, demanding my mouth to open further and wider. Goose bumps travel up my spine as he removes one hand from my cheek before grazing his fingers painfully slow along my body, passing the swell of my breast, until he reaches between my thighs. Nudging one leg to the side, he slides his body in the opening, occupying the space as though my legs are meant to part only for him.

  He slows the kiss, and his lips travel along my jaw, moving down to the crook of my neck. Arching my head back, I revel in the fact my dream has become a reality.

  “I’m barely controlling myself,” he murmurs against my skin.

  My body responds to his compliment by arching more, trying to entice his hands to explore me further.

  “I want to rip this dress off.” He fiddles with the belt that’s barely holding the dress together by a knot.

  The pressure of his bulge nudges into the barrier of only my panties, making me wetter.

  “Do it,” softly slips from my lips.

  His head startles up, observing me in shock. When he sees how serious I am, a sly grin takes over, and he descends down my body, nipping at my collarbone.

  “I’m never one to turn down a request.” A small chuckle leaves his mouth, and his tongue slips out to joins his lips in the assault of my body.

  “Always the pleaser,” I joke.

  His back vibrates from the laughter he’s unable to hold in. “You know me all too well.”

  His finger manipulates my belt loop, and his hand pushes the fabric aside. The heat of his palm tingles my flesh along my stomach. A guy’s touch has never felt this good, this hot, overcoming me with lust.

  With my dress falling down on each side, exposing my white bra and panty set. The sheerness leaves nothing to the imagination. His eyes rake over my body with a predatory stare, and his tongue snakes out, licking his lips. When his gaze hesitates a bit longer between my legs, my panties dampen more, if possible.

  “Jesus, my dreams didn’t do you justice. I thought I knew your body, but damn, Piper. I’m holding on by a thread here.”

  His words bring an overwhelming ache between my thighs.

  He thinks he’s going to explode? I might combust if he continues staring at me as though I’m the first woman he’s seen naked.

  “Do you plan on talking the whole night?” Finding a hidden sex kitten deep inside of me, I jut my finger out, grazing it along the waistline of his jeans, as I try to give him my best come-and-get-me expression.

  “Hell no.” He bends back down, his hand pulling down the cup of my bra, freeing the flesh into his hand. He massages the tender skin, pinching my nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

  His lips explore the crevice between my breasts, and my fingers press his face into my body as my legs wrap and clench around his waist.

  He grinds his erection into me, and I gasp for a breath. His moist mouth sucks my breast in while his two hands explore around my back and releases me of my bra. He helps me completely shed my dress and bra, and something deep inside me roars to life. It’s not shyness or self-consciousness. Rather, an out of control hunger from finally getting what I’ve craved for so long.

  I push on his chest, and he scoots off of me. His brows furrow from me stopping him. He sits up, and I straddle his lap at the same time. He moves back to lean against the couch. His two hands dive under the fabric of my panties, massaging and molding my ass, as I began unbuttoning the last of the shield between us.

  I push the button-down shirt off his shoulders, and warmth shoots through my veins. The moment processes that this guy in front of me is mine—at least for right now. Inching forward, his lips find my shoulder, his teeth nibbling on the flesh. My head falls back, and my body leans into his tight hold.

  My fingers manipulate his belt, unhooking and pulling to free him, but Tanner keeps bringing me toward him, grinding himself at my center, leaving a wet spot on his jeans.

  “I need you,” I say to him, holding his head against my skin, as he rains kisses down my arm.

  “Bedroom. We’re going to make this halfway romantic,” he mumbles between nips and licks.

  Standing up, my body runs cold without the heat of his body and touch. Luckily, I don’t have to wait too long. Tanner backs me up a few steps until he grabs the hold he needs on my body. I scream when he picks me up in one swoop, and I anchor myself to his body by locking my ankles behind his back.

  “You didn’t think I’d make you expend your energy by walking, did you?” He flicks his tongue over my earlobe and sucks it into his hot and moist mouth. “Because I’ve waited for you for too long, I’m not quite sure when I’ll be done with you.”

  My whole body shifts into overdrive. My veins pump the blood to catch up to my frantically out-of-control heart rate due to Tanner McCain’s words and actions tonight.

  “I have all night,” I whisper back.

  He chuckles into my skin. “That might not be enough.”

  With the conviction in his voice, my body begins melting and slowing down, as I become more in love with him than I was two minutes ago.

  When he tosses me on the bed, I sink into the mattress, and watch his thumbs push into the sides of his jeans, sliding them down his defined legs. As he stands there in his navy boxer briefs, I realize that fans see him in less fabric at his meets. But while those girls go home and dream about themselves in my exact position, he’s here with me, and he wants me. An unbelievable joy fills every nook of my heart.

  “You’re thinking way too hard about what is going to happen here,” he jokes.

  I giggle. “Sorry—” I don’t finish because he crawls up the bed.

  My mouth dries with every knee and hand planted before he cages me with his large frame. His hand cups my cheek, and I lean into his palm, burrowing in like a cat loving the affection.

  “Just turn off that brain of yours and enjoy.”

  His lips hover over mine, and I break the distance, the lust building at a rapid pace. When the kiss closes, my fingers hook on either side of his hips under the elastic waist of his boxers.

  “Now, you’re getting the point.”

  Taking his words as a green light, I push them further down, and his cock springs out of his underwear.

  Our hands roam, and our lips explore the nakedness of our bodies. We wrestle for dominance in a pleasure-seeking dance on my bed. Finally pinning me down, Tanner entwines his fingers in mine, positioning our hands locked together above my head. As he hovers himself right at my entrance, his breath tickles my skin, and I tilt my center to entice him into me.

  “Piper, you still on the pill?” he asks.

  I shake my head. “Seriously, you know way too muc
h about me.”

  “Are you?” His jaw clenches.

  “Yes,” I breathlessly whisper.

  He thrusts into me. I lose my ability to talk and breathe at the same time as he circle his hips while he’s inside me.

  His hands tightly hold mine and then release pressure every time his cock thrusts in and out of me. Inching my ass off the mattress, we soon master the sync of our bodies. Groans and moans bounce off the four walls of my bedroom.

  “Jesus, Piper. You’re so damn wet.” His eyes are closed, and I’m not sure if he’s talking directly to me or not. “You feel too goddamn good.”

  I bite my lip and wiggle through his hold, clenching to keep my orgasm at bay, but when he continues his talk, my control slips.

  “Fuck. I’ve wanted to be buried in you for so damn long. I can’t believe it’s happening.”

  The mixture of his dirty and sweet talk undoes me, and I crumble into a million pieces on my bed. Every limb is exhausted and finished, but Tanner still pumps into me at a rapid pace, so, I keep myself together. Digging my heels into the soft mattress, I hold my body firm, so he can control the motion how he needs it. Then, without warning, he leaves my body, and hot liquid shoots onto my stomach.

  “I figure, better be safe.” He smiles down at me, and I’m relieved the moment isn’t ruined. “I’ll be right back.” He climbs off the bed and flicks on the bathroom light.

  A few seconds later, a warm washcloth wipes off my stomach.

  “Thank you.” I sit up on the bed, leaning against my headboard. Tanner grins over and ventures back to the bathroom. How can it be this man just saw me naked and I want to shield my body now? Pulling my covers down, I crawl under them, unsure of what will happen next.

  Tanner opens the bathroom door, and from what I can tell, he doesn’t second guess before walking around the bed and crawling under the covers with me.

  “Come here.” He holds his arm out for me to nuzzle into his embrace.

  With my head on his shoulder and his fingers traveling up and down my spine, igniting goose bumps, calmness surrounds me.

  “It’s weird. I always assumed when we finally did it, it would be slow and tender,” he says.