Chapter 8 Tanner
TANNER
I shouldn’t, but I really really really really wanna
Waking up to find Candrin gone, hurt and had me second guessing if any of it had really happened.
Did we fall asleep together, did I wake up with his lips pressed against me and then force myself to go back to sleep, was his body against mine and his cock hard?
A quick inhaling where I detected the omega’s scent told me that it hadn’t been a dream, I just slept a little too soundly when I fell back asleep.
He’d slipped out and gone to work. I hated missing him, but also I understood. He wasn’t exactly rolling in money. Knowing he was broke didn’t matter to my bear. He was pacing like nobody’s business, wanting me to go bring Candrin back.
That’s not how humans do things. I insisted.
And even if it was, Candrin was my tenant and I needed to not push anything between us, no matter how much I wanted it.
It wasn’t as if he could just find a new place if he felt uncomfortable with my attention.
He had to pay me in installments and that was not the kind of tenants most landlords accepted.
I remembered someone from work complaining they needed both first and last month’s rent, plus a security deposit, and pet fee to move into their place.
Even if he found someplace as inexpensive as this, that would be a bunch of money and he didn’t even have a pet.
No, I had to make sure I made this place as safe and comfortable as I could for him. And that meant ignoring that his lips had been pressed against mine and that just inhaling his scent made me hard again. It wasn’t going to be easy, but Candrin deserved at least that much from me.
I didn’t even bother to brush my teeth, before heading out the back door and taking my fur.
My bear had too much pent up energy and I needed for him to let it out before I began my day.
He ran out back, nibbled some berries, and kept trying to get me to find Candrin and bring him home.
My attempt at pacifying him turned out to be a big old fail. But at least I tried.
Once I shifted back and was at the house, I took a long cool shower and tried to figure out what I needed to accomplish for the day. There was a lot and much of it was errand based and when I was clean and dry, I threw on clothing and headed out the door.
After a plethora of stops, I turned into the grocery store parking lot.
There was some food in the house, but with Candrin there, I had this urge to make sure it was abundant.
The alpha bear in me was all about providing for him and while it probably wasn’t the most healthy of thoughts given he was a tenant and not my mate, I didn’t try to suppress it.
If buying groceries pacified my bear and gave Candrin access to good food, it was a win win in my book.
Every item I put in my cart had a “I bet Candrin would like that” or “I’ve heard him mention that” attached to it.
And when I checked out, my jaw nearly hit the floor.
I couldn’t remember ever spending that much at the grocery store.
But that didn’t stop me from paying, taking it all home or from making him one of my favorite dinners.
It was fair to say that waking up snuggled with him had impacted me more than I had realized.
Watching Candrin eat the food that I prepared with abandon had been great, but having him open up the way he had, had been everything. He trusted me with the hard stuff and that mattered. That mattered a hella lot. And that was as close as an excuse as I could come up with for what I said next.
“I missed you when I woke up.”
His head snapped up and he watched me intently as if I had all the answers.
I had none. I had no idea what I was doing.
The line between landlord and whatever it was we had building between us was blurred.
All I wanted to do was lean in and kiss him.
And I almost did, but he didn’t give me the chance,
He got on his tiptoes and offered me his lips and I took them, unable to resist. Candrin’s scent was surrounding me, pulling me to him as his lips brushed against mine once, twice, a third time.
And after they came into contact the third time, they didn’t leave, Candrin deepening the kiss and me loving every second of it.
I hadn’t been prepared for the kiss. I mean I fantasized about it far more than I should throughout the day, but it was nothing compared to the way he tasted, felt, and scented of arousal as we kissed.
It took all of my strength, but I broke the kiss and apologized, rushing straight to the dishes instead of being the bad ass bear I was.
I refused to take advantage of Candrin. I refused.
He was vulnerable, far more so than I had even initially suspected.
He’d been through so much in such a short period of time.
I was impressed he was even standing and there he was somehow keeping it all together.
He was so much stronger than he gave himself credit for.
Strong.
Ours.
Find.
Pipe down. He’s not ours. He is his own and even that kiss was going too far. Let. It. Go.
My bear settled down, but barely. And I was able to finish up the dishes and started to head upstairs for the night. I needed to apologize to Candrin, but going to his room after we kissed to apologize for said kiss didn’t have good optics. I’d wait until the morning and take care of it then.
Or so I thought. As I walked out of the kitchen, I discovered Candrin sitting in a chair, watching the door, waiting for me. He got up immediately and came right over.
“I need to know what that was about… you doing the dishes,” He demanded.
“I was making them clean so we could use them again tomorrow?” I wasn’t sure why it came out as a question, but it did.
“You know what I mean.” His hands formed two fists at his waist. “Why were you kissing me one minute and then washing dishes the next?”
“You kissed me and yeah I kissed you back, but I shouldn't have. It’s not right to take advantage of you like that. Not when I’m your landlord.
” I sucked in a deep breath and instantly recognized my mistake, his scent flooding through me.
“And I needed something to do that wasn’t kissing you and the only thing I could think of was dishes, so yeah I washed dishes. But they’re clean now.”
And I was officially babbling.
“Let me see if I am understanding this. You kissed me back because you liked kissing me.”
I nodded and his hands relaxed against his hips.
“And then because you liked kissing me, you stopped because I pay you rent?”
I nodded again.
“And of all the things you could do, you chose dishes?” At least this time his question held a tinge of humor.
“It was that or going upstairs into my room with a hard-on and trying not to do anything about it,” I confessed.
“Because you’re attracted to me?” He took a step closer.
“Of course I am. Look at you, you're gorgeous and strong and you keep me on my toes.” I took a step in his direction, matching his previous movement.
“You never once made me feel like I owed you anything for living here other than rent.” He took one more step.
We were now only a foot apart. “Not once. And really you’re a shite landlord.
I still owe you money for this month, you give me food, and didn’t even ask for references, a security deposit, or proof of employment.
Heck, you didn’t even ask for a copy of my bank statements, run a credit check, or a criminal background check on me.
As far as landlords go, you are kind of sucking at it. ”
“Please tell me landlords don’t do that to people.” That was asking a lot of people.
“I am not and the fact that you don’t know that proves my point.” He closed the distance between us. “Good thing I don’t care about your landlord prowess.”
“You don’t?”
“Not even a little bit. I only care about the way you make me feel. And do you know how you make me feel?” He settled his hand on my chest.
“Happy?”
“I was going with hard, but happy works too.”