Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Tanner
The sun was halfway through its rise, the colors of the sky still pale. I’d been awake for at least an hour, and I was still in bed. I hadn’t been able to pull myself out, not when I had Holly’s lush, warm body pressed against me, her face soft and tranquil in her sleep.
Her golden hair was fanned out across my pillow, and it was impossible for me not to touch it. Time had gotten away from me as I twisted and wrapped the strands around my fingers over and over.
At one point, Holly let out a series of little noises, and I worried I’d woken her, but she just rolled over and snuggled deeper beneath the covers before pressing into me again.
Her bare shoulder was too tempting, so I leaned closer to her to press a kiss to it and started tracing patterns across her silky skin.
I was addicted to her, and I wasn’t going to bother denying it.
Though, it wasn’t only her body; I was addicted to her.
I mean, I’d never written poetry in my life, but I would have gladly penned sonnets to her pussy.
I was addicted to all of her. Her laugh, her smile, her sense of humor and kindness.
The sound of her voice and the way she lit up talking about her friends and family.
She was lying right beside me, skin to skin, but it didn’t feel like enough. I still craved her, and my gut told me that desire wasn’t going to lessen any time soon.
At that thought, my phone rang with an incoming FaceTime call.
I quickly rolled over and silenced the call before it could wake Holly up.
Not wanting to risk the person calling back, I carefully slid out of bed, as much as I didn’t want to, and pulled on a pair of sweats before slipping silently out of the room with my phone.
As I expected, the ringing started again a few minutes later, just when I finished brewing a cup of coffee.
I brought the steaming mug to my lips, rounded the island, and pulled out a stool.
“I know your ass has to be up early, but did you forget I’m supposed to be on vacation? ” I said instead of hello.
Luke’s ugly mug grinned through my screen, and I would’ve given anything to be able to reach through the phone and punch him.
“You’re usually already up by now,” he pointed out.
“Even on vacation.” He arched a brow. “Unless you have good reason for sleeping in. Say, didn’t you have a date last night? ”
“Shut the fuck up, man,” I grumbled, but I couldn’t stop the goofy smile from overtaking my face.
“Holy shit, dude! I was just messing with you. But did you really . . .” he trailed off and waggled his eyebrows like a fucking moron.
“I’m not talking to you about shit like that.”
Luke’s face pulled into a sarcastic pitying wince. “Oh, brother. I’m sorry. You weren’t able to . . .” He made a gesture with his finger like it was a drooping dick.
“You’re a prick,” I said on a chuckle. “I mean I’m not talking to you about shit like that because it’s none of your business.”
“Fair enough. But don’t think I missed that smile, man. You looked downright giddy.”
I couldn’t really argue with that, so I didn’t bother trying. “The date went well.”
Luke pointed through the screen at my face. “I figured that from the hickey on your neck there, buddy.” Ah, shit.
I lifted my free hand to slap it against the side of my neck, and the instant I did, Luke’s eyes bugged out and he burst into laughter. “I was just fucking with you, but at least now I know the date went well.”
I didn’t bother hiding my smile. I didn’t want to. “Yeah. It went well. She’s . . .” I scrubbed a hand down my face as I tried to search for adequate words. “She’s incredible. I don’t know how else to describe her.”
He studied my expression, his gaze shrewd. “I’ve never seen you like this, man.”
“I’ve never felt like this,” I admitted. “She’s different, brother. I can’t explain it. I just . . . I feel different when I’m around her. I’ve never felt like this about a woman before.”
Luke was silent for a beat, like he needed a moment to take in everything I just confessed. “I’m happy for you, Tan. Honestly, I am. But I just want to make sure you’re being smart. That you’re looking out for yourself first and foremost.”
I understood his concern. He’d been there for me when shit had gone down in the past. It was unbelievable what some people were capable of when money or fame was involved.
I’d met more than my fair share of women who wanted nothing more than to use me for both those very things.
Women who would go to ridiculous lengths just to catch me in a compromising position so they could profit off it.
“I get why you’d worry, but I’m not an idiot. I learned to look out for myself a long time ago.”
Luke blew out a heavy sigh. “I know that all too well. Nothing would give me more pleasure than to punch your piece-of-shit father in the fucking face.”
My mood began to dim, something I hadn’t thought possible after the night I had. But that was what talk of my father always did. “He’s not worth it.”
Something over my shoulder caught Luke’s attention, and a shit-eating smile. “Well, good morning,” he said before his attention came back to me. “Now I really see how your date went well.”
My back shot straight, and I looked over my shoulder to find Holly standing in the entryway of the kitchen.
She was dressed in my button-down from the night before, her hair hanging loose and slightly disheveled from sleep, and in her just-waking-up rumpled state, she was more beautiful than I’d seen her so far.
“Hi,” I said, once again struck mute by this incredible woman.
“Hi back. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She pointed at the phone I was still holding, the screen facing her clear as day.
“You didn’t,” I assured her at the same time Luke spoke up. “He’s right. I called him at the crack of dawn to give him a hard time since his lazy ass gets to be on vacation. If anyone interrupted, it’s me.”
She smiled at my best friend, her whole face lighting up. “That’s okay. I’m sure Tanner can use you giving him a hard time now and then. Keeps his ego in check.”
“Oh, I like her,” he declared.
My lips hooked into a smirk as I eyed her up and down.
“Yeah, I do too. That’s why I’m hanging up on your ass.
” I didn’t let him get a word out before I hit the button disconnecting the call.
Placing my phone face down on the island, I swiveled on my stool to face her full-on as she walked farther into the kitchen.
As soon as she was within reach, I snagged her by the wrist and yanked her between my legs.
My free hand hooked behind her neck so I could pull her down for a slow, thorough kiss.
“Good morning,” I said with a smile against her lips.
“I’ll say.” She pulled back and beamed down at me.
Now that she was in the room, the desire to touch her became a physical thing. My palms itched like there were bees under my skin. “I hope I didn’t wake you up. I wanted to let you sleep.” It was still early, the sun was still ascending, after all.
She shook her head, wrapping her arms around my neck and perching her full, round ass on my thigh. “No, I’m used to getting up early so I can open the shop every day.”
“Do you not have any other staff?”
“Oh, I do. I have three girls. They’re amazing, and One More Chapter wouldn’t be what it is today without them. It’s hard for me to schedule them early in the morning. I feel too guilty.”
I lifted my hand to brush a few wild strands of hair back from her forehead, then trailed my fingertips down her temple and over her jaw to cup the side of her delicate neck.
Her kind heart was one of the things that made her so damn attractive.
“Sounds to me like they’re lucky to have you as a boss. ”
“Or maybe we’re all lucky.”
And there it was again. She really was something else.
Her mouth stretched open, her jaw cracking with a yawn. Once she was finished, she pointed at my mug. “Got any more of that?”
“Of course. Let me make you a cup.” I shifted her off my lap and onto the stool in my place and set another cup to brew in the single use machine that came with the house.
“I heard what your friend said about protecting yourself,” she started, catching me off guard.
I sputtered for a second before finally getting the words out. “No, sweetheart, it’s not what you think. He wasn’t trying to offend anyone—”
“Oh, no. I get it. I wasn’t offended. In fact, I’m glad you have a friend who looks out for you like that. I just want you to know that you don’t have to worry about that with me.”
My brows tugged down in a frown as I slid the mug to her across the island and headed for the fridge. “What do you mean?”
She took the creamer option I held in my right hand and doctored her mug as she continued. “I mean that I get it. I know what last night was, and I don’t expect anything from you.”
My chin jerked back. “What do you think last night was?”
At my tone, Holly’s face pinched up in confusion. “What do you think last night was?”
One corner of my mouth curled up in a smirk. “Oh no, Sunshine. I want to hear your answer first.”
Her expression grew stubborn. “I don’t want to say.”
I chuckled, giving my head a shake. “Fine. What I think last night was, or at least what I hope it was, is the start of something pretty fucking great.”
Her lips began curving up slowly, her grin teasing into a smile until she was beaming with it. “Really?”
I couldn’t stand the distance between us for another second.
Skirting the island, I took her by the hips and lifted her up, depositing her on the island and stepping in close.
“Yeah, really.” Her skin felt like silk beneath my palms as I slid them up and down her outer thighs.
She spread them wider, making room for me to step between them.
“I know we don’t know each other very well yet, but I really like you, and I’d like to know you better.
I want to spend more time with you. A lot more time, actually.
If that’s all right with you.” I smiled wide at the sound of her giggle.
“That’s what last night was for me. But if it was something else for you, I understand.
I’d never force you into something you don’t want. ”
“I like you too,” she confessed, and the band that had been constricting my lungs loosened, allowing me to take in a full breath. “And I’d like to get to know you better.”
There was that small, niggling voice in the back of my head reminding me that my time in this town was temporary; I still had to make this huge decision about my future. But I shoved it into the deepest, darkest recesses, content to ignore it for the time being.
“Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, how about I make you breakfast. Then I’ll take you back upstairs so I can give you the rest of the tour. The shower in the primary bathroom is out of this world.”
Her brows winged up toward her hairline, and she let out a bubble of musical laughter that lit me up inside.